INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL
STATE FINALS
SESSION 1
PUBLIC GATES OPEN AT 9:30 AM ET
10:30 AM ET | CLASS 1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN (23-7) VS. FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY (18-9)
APPROX. 12:45 PM ET | CLASS 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (27-4) VS. WAPAHANI (26-2)
FIELDHOUSE CLEARED
SESSION 2
PUBLIC GATES OPEN AT 5 PM ET
6 PM ET | CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
SCOTTSBURG (24-5) VS. SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (20-9)
APPROX. 8:15 PM ET | CLASS 4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
BEN DAVIS (23-5) VS. FISHERS (28-1)
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL SCORES-REPORTED
DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN 17 KANKAKEE TRINITY 7
EVANSVILLE HARRISON 14 EVANSVILLE CENTRAL 10
BARR REEVE 15 PIKE CENTRAL 1
GREENSBURG 4 TRI 0
ELKHART 10 FAIRFIELD 2
SOUTHWOOD 15 EASTERN 4
LEBANON 10 BENTON CENTRAL 0
MONROVIA 20 INDIANA DEAF 7
ZIONSVILLE 10 DANVILLE 0
BROWNSBURG 14 EASTERN HANCOCK 7
SPEEDWAY 20 PIKE 0
NOBLESVILLE 13 WESTERN BOONE 3
LAPEL 14 HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 2
CARROLL 13 LAFAYETTE JEFF 12
MANCHESTER 18 NEW HAVEN 3
MARTINSVILLE 13 DUGGER UNION 5
WEST CENTRAL 10 WESTVILLE 6
LOOGOOTEE 6 N. DAVIESS 3
MOORESVILLE 10 CENTER GROVE 7
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 11 CARMEL 6
FRANKLIN COUNTY 9 HAGERSTOWN 4
FISHERS 1 TRI-WEST 0
WESTFIELD 16 KOKOMO 6
SOUTH BEND RILEY 17 MICHIGAN CITY 1
JEFFERSONVILLE 13 FERN CREEK 7
CASTLE 16 HANCOCK COUNTY 0
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SCORES-REPORTED
BREMAN 8 CALUMET CHRISTIAN 7
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES
(NCAA TOURNEY)
COLORADO STATE 67 VIRGINIA 42
WAGNER 71 HOWARD 68
(NIT)
NORTH TEXAS 84 LSU 77
BOSTON COLLEGE 62 PROVIDENCE 57
GEORGIA 78 XAVIER 76
OHIO STATE 88 CORNELL 83
SOUTH FLORIDA 83 CENTRAL FLORIDA 77
IOWA 91 KANSAS STATE 82
MINNESOTA 73 BUTLER 72
VIRGINIA TECH 74 RICHMOND 58
UTAH 84 UC IRVINE 75
NCAA MEN’S TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND SCHEDULE
FIRST ROUND
IN BROOKLYN (FRIDAY)
1-SEED UCONN (31-3) VS. 16-SEED STETSON (22-12)
8-SEED FAU (25-8) VS. 9-SEED NORTHWESTERN (21-11)
IN SPOKANE (FRIDAY)
5-SEED SAN DIEGO STATE (24-10) VS. 12-SEED UAB (23-11)
4-SEED AUBURN (27-7) VS. 13-SEED YALE (22-9)
IN OMAHA (THURSDAY)
6-SEED BYU (23-10) VS. 11-SEED DUQUESNE (24-11)
3-SEED ILLINOIS (26-8) VS. 14-SEED MOREHEAD STATE (26-8)
IN OMAHA (THURSDAY)
7-SEED WASHINGTON STATE (24-9) VS. 10-SEED DRAKE (28-6)
2-SEED IOWA STATE (27-7) VS. 15-SEED SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (22-12)
SOUTH REGION (DALLAS)
FIRST ROUND
IN MEMPHIS (FRIDAY)
1-SEED HOUSTON (30-4) VS. 16-SEED LONGWOOD (21-13)
8-SEED NEBRASKA (23-10) VS. 9-SEED TEXAS A&M (20-14)
IN BROOKLYN (FRIDAY)
5-SEED WISCONSIN (22-13) VS. 12-SEED JAMES MADISON (31-3)
4-SEED DUKE (24-8) VS. 13-SEED VERMONT (28-6)
IN PITTSBURGH (THURSDAY)
6-SEED TEXAS TECH (23-10) VS. 11-SEED NC STATE (22-14)
3-SEED KENTUCKY (23-9) VS. 14-SEED OAKLAND (23-11)
IN INDIANAPOLIS (FRIDAY)
7-SEED FLORIDA (24-11) VS. 10-SEED BOISE STATE/COLORADO FIRST FOUR WINNER
2-SEED MARQUETTE (25-9) VS. 15-SEED WESTERN KENTUCKY (22-11)
MIDWEST REGION (DETROIT)
FIRST ROUND
IN INDIANAPOLIS (FRIDAY)
1-SEED PURDUE (29-4) VS. 16-SEED GRAMBLING STATE/MONTANA STATE FIRST FOUR WINNER
8-SEED UTAH STATE (27-6) VS. 9-SEED TCU (21-12)
IN SALT LAKE CITY (THURSDAY)
5-SEED GONZAGA (25-7) VS. 12-SEED MCNEESE (30-3)
4-SEED KANSAS (22-10) VS. 13-SEED SAMFORD (29-5)
IN PITTSBURGH (THURSDAY)
6-SEED SOUTH CAROLINA (26-7) VS. 11-SEED OREGON (23-11)
3-SEED CREIGHTON (23-9) VS. 14-SEED AKRON (24-10)
IN CHARLOTTE (THURSDAY)
7-SEED TEXAS (20-12) VS. 10-SEED COLORADO STATE (25-10)
2-SEED TENNESSEE (24-8) VS. 15-SEED SAINT PETER’S (19-13)
WEST REGION (LOS ANGELES)
FIRST ROUND
IN CHARLOTTE (THURSDAY)
1-SEED UNC (27-7) VS. 16-SEED WAGNER (17-15)
8-SEED MISSISSIPPI STATE (21-13) VS. 9-SEED MICHIGAN STATE (19-14)
IN SPOKANE (FRIDAY)
5-SEED SAINT MARY’S (26-7) VS. 12-SEED GRAND CANYON (29-4)
4-SEED ALABAMA (21-11) VS. 13-SEED CHARLESTON (27-7)
IN MEMPHIS (FRIDAY)
6-SEED CLEMSON (21-11) VS. 11-SEED NEW MEXICO (26-9)
3-SEED BAYLOR (23-10) VS. 14-SEED COLGATE (25-9)
IN SALT LAKE CITY (THURSDAY)
7-SEED DAYTON (24-7) VS. 10-SEED NEVADA (26-7)
2-SEED ARIZONA (25-8) VS. 15-SEED LONG BEACH STATE (21-14)
FIRST FOUR SCORES TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY IN DAYTON, OHIO
16-SEED GRAMBLING STATE VS. 16-SEED MONTANA STATE, TIME TBD
10-SEED BOISE STATE VS. 10-SEED COLORADO, TIME TBD
TV SCHEDULE THURSDAY
THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2024
9 MICHIGAN STATE VS. 8 MISSISSIPPI STATE, 12:15 PM, CBS, SPECTRUM CENTER, CHARLOTTE, NC
11 DUQUESNE VS. 6 BYU, 12:40 PM, TRUTV, CHI HEALTH CENTER OMAHA, OMAHA, NE
14 AKRON VS. 3 CREIGHTON, 1:30 PM, TNT, PPG PAINTS ARENA, PITTSBURGH, PA
15 LONG BEACH STATE VS. 2 ARIZONA, 2:00 PM, TBS, DELTA CENTER, SALT LAKE CITY, UT
WINNER OF 16 WAGNER-16 HOWARD VS. 1 NORTH CAROLINA, 2:45 PM, CBS, SPECTRUM CENTER, CHARLOTTE, NC
14 MOREHEAD STATE VS. 3 ILLINOIS, 3:10 PM, TRUTV, CHI HEALTH CENTER OMAHA, OMAHA, NE
11 OREGON VS. 6 SOUTH CAROLINA, 4:00 PM, TNT, PPG PAINTS ARENA, PITTSBURGH, PA
10 NEVADA VS. 7 DAYTON, 4:30 PM, TBS, DELTA CENTER, SALT LAKE CITY, UT
WINNER OF 10 VIRGINIA-10 COLORADO STATE VS. 7 TEXAS, 6:50 PM, TNT, SPECTRUM CENTER, CHARLOTTE, NC
14 OAKLAND VS. 3 KENTUCKY 7:10 PM, CBS, PPG PAINTS ARENA, PITTSBURGH, PA
12 MCNEESE VS. 5 GONZAGA, 7:25 PM, TBS, DELTA CENTER, SALT LAKE CITY, UT
15 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE VS. 2 IOWA STATE, 7:35 PM, CHI HEALTH CENTER OMAHA, OMAHA, NE
15 SAINT PETER’S VS. 2 TENNESSEE, 9:20 PM, TNT, SPECTRUM CENTER, CHARLOTTE, NC
11 NC STATE VS. 6 TEXAS TECH, 9:40 PM, CBS, PPG PAINTS ARENA, PITTSBURGH, PA
13 SAMFORD VS. 4 KANSAS, 9:55 PM, TBS, DELTA CENTER, SALT LAKE CITY, UT
10 DRAKE VS. 7 WASHINGTON STATE, TRUTV, 10:05 PM, CHI HEALTH CENTER OMAHA, OMAHA, NE
AP MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL TEAMS
FIRST TEAM
ZACH EDEY, PURDUE, 7-4, 300; SENIOR; TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA; 24.4 POINTS, 11.7 REBOUNDS, 2.2 BLOCKS (62 OF 62 FIRST-PLACE VOTES, 310 POINTS(ASTERISK))
DALTON KNECHT, TENNESSEE, 6-6, 213; FIFTH YEAR; THORNTON, COLORADO; 21.1 POINTS, 4.7 REBOUNDS, 1.8 ASSISTS (56, 298)
RJ DAVIS, NORTH CAROLINA, 6-0, 180; SENIOR; WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK; 21.4 POINTS, 3.8 REBOUNDS, 3.5 ASSISTS (55, 296)
JAMAL SHEAD, HOUSTON, 6-1, 200; SENIOR; MANOR, TEXAS; 13.1 POINTS, 3.8 REBOUNDS, 6.2 ASSISTS (52, 281)
TRISTEN NEWTON, CONNECTICUT, 6-5, 195; GRADUATE; EL PASO, TEXAS; 15.2 POINTS, 7.0 REBOUNDS, 6 ASSISTS (39, 254)
(ASTERISK)-UNANIMOUS SELECTION
SECOND TEAM
TYLER KOLEK, MARQUETTE, 6-3, 195; SENIOR; CUMBERLAND, RHODE ISLAND; 15 POINTS, 4.7 REBOUNDS, 7.6 ASSISTS (11, 172)
DARON HOLMES II, DAYTON, 6-10, 235; JUNIOR; GOODYEAR, ARIZONA; 20.4 POINTS, 8.4 REBOUNDS, 2.6 ASSISTS (6, 132)
MARK SEARS, ALABAMA, 6-1, 185; SENIOR; MUSCLE SHOALS, ALABAMA; 21.1 POINTS, 4 REBOUNDS, 4.1 ASSISTS (3, 122)
KYLE FILIPOWSKI, DUKE, 7-0, 248; SOPHOMORE; WESTTOWN, NEW YORK; 17.1 POINTS, 8.2 REBOUNDS, 2.8 ASSISTS (5, 120)
HUNTER DICKINSON, KANSAS, 7-2, 260; SENIOR; ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA; 18 POINTS, 10.8 REBOUNDS, 55% FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE (2, 113)
THIRD TEAM
JAEDON LEDEE, SAN DIEGO STATE, 6-9, 240; SENIOR; HOUSTON; 21.1 POINTS, 8.4 REBOUNDS, 55.7% FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE (5, 109)
JOHNI BROOME, AUBURN, 6-10, 240; JUNIOR; PLANT CITY, FLORIDA; 16.2 POINTS, 8.4 REBOUNDS, 2.1 ASSISTS (4, 91)
CALEB LOVE, ARIZONA, 6-4, 205; SENIOR; ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI; 18.1 POINTS, 4.7 REBOUNDS, 3.4 ASSISTS (3, 88)
BAYLOR SCHEIERMAN, CREIGHTON, 6-7, 205; SENIOR; AURORA, NEBRASKA; 18.4 POINTS, 9 REBOUNDS, 4 ASSISTS (0, 70)
TERRENCE SHANNON JR., ILLINOIS, 6-6, 225, FIFTH YEAR; CHICAGO; 23 POINTS, 4.1 REBOUNDS, 2.1 ASSISTS (1, 54)
___
HONORABLE MENTION (ALPHABETICAL ORDER, PLAYERS APPEARING ON MULTIPLE BALLOTS)
ARMANDO BACOT, NORTH CAROLINA; KEION BROOKS JR., WASHINGTON; BOO BUIE, NORTHWESTERN; DEVIN CARTER, PROVIDENCE; DONOVAN CLINGAN, CONNECTICUT; L.J. CRYER, HOUSTON; TUCKER DEVRIES, DRAKE; ENRIQUE FREEMAN, AKRON; PJ HALL, CLEMSON; GRAHAM IKE, GONZAGA; DAVID JONES, MEMPHIS; RYAN KALKBRENNER, CREIGHTON; TAMIN LIPSEY, IOWA STATE; KEVIN MCCULLAR JR., KANSAS; GREAT OSOBOR, UTAH STATE; ANTONIO REEVES, KENTUCKY; REED SHEPPARD, KENTUCKY; BRADEN SMITH, PURDUE; CAM SPENCER, CONNECTICUT; ISAIAH STEVENS, COLORADO STATE; VONTERIUS WOOLBRIGHT, WESTERN CAROLINA.
MEN’S NIT SCHEDULE
TOP-LEFT BRACKET
- NO. 1 SETON HALL VS. SAINT JOSEPH’S, WEDNESDAY, 7 P.M. ET
- NO. 2 PRINCETON VS. UNLV, WEDNESDAY, 8 P.M. ET
- NO. 3 PROVIDENCE VS. BOSTON COLLEGE, TUESDAY, 7 P.M. ET
BOTTOM-LEFT BRACKET
- NO. 1 WAKE FOREST VS. APPALACHIAN STATE, WEDNESDAY, 8 P.M. ET
TOP-RIGHT BRACKET
- NO. 1 INDIANA STATE VS. SMU, WEDNESDAY, 7 P.M. ET
- NO. 2 CINCINNATI VS. SAN FRANCISCO, WEDNESDAY, 9 P.M. ET
- NO. 3 BRADLEY VS. LOYOLA CHICAGO, WEDNESDAY, 7 P.M. ET
BOTTOM-RIGHT BRACKET
- NO. 1 VILLANOVA VS. VCU, WEDNESDAY, 9 P.M. ET
- NO. 4 UCF VS. SOUTH FLORIDA, WEDNESDAY, 9 P.M. ET
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP 25 SCORES
NO GAME SCHEDULED
WOMEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
MARCH 20 – FIRST FOUR
7 P.M. – NO. 16 PRESBYTERIAN VS. NO. 16 SACRED HEART, ESPNU
9 P.M. – NO. 12 COLUMBIA VS. NO. 12 VANDERBILT, ESPNU
MARCH 21 – FIRST FOUR
7 P.M. – NO. 11 ARIZONA VS. NO. 11 AUBURN, ESPN2
9 P.M. – NO. 16 UT MARTIN VS. NO. 16 HOLY CROSS, ESPN2
MARCH 22 – FIRST ROUND
11 A.M. – “NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE STUDIO PRESENTED BY AT&T,” ESPN2
11:30 A.M. – NO. 9 MICHIGAN STATE VS. NO. 8 NORTH CAROLINA, ESPN2
NOON – NO. 15 MAINE VS. NO. 2 OHIO STATE, ESPN
1:30 P.M. – NO. 11 MIDDLE TENNESSEE VS. NO. 6 LOUISVILLE, ESPN2
2 P.M. – NO. 16 PRESBYTERIAN/SACRED HEART VS. NO. 1 SOUTH CAROLINA, ESPN
2:30 P.M. – NO. 10 RICHMOND VS. NO. 7 DUKE, ESPNEWS
3 P.M. – NO. 16 DREXEL VS. NO. 1 TEXAS, ESPNU
3:30 P.M. – NO. 13 MARSHALL VS. NO. 4 VIRGINIA TECH, ESPN2
4 P.M. – NO. 14 RICE VS. NO. 3 LSU, ESPN
4:30 P.M. – NO. 13 PORTLAND VS. NO. 4 KANSAS STATE, ESPNEWS
5:30 P.M. – NO. 9 FLORIDA STATE VS. NO. 8 ALABAMA, ESPN2
6 P.M. – NO. 12 COLUMBIA/VANDERBILT VS. NO. 5 BAYLOR, ESPNU
7 P.M. – NO. 12 DRAKE VS. NO. 5 COLORADO, ESPNEWS
7:30 P.M. – NO. 10 MARYLAND VS. NO. 7 IOWA STATE, ESPN2
8 P.M. – NO. 14 EASTERN WASHINGTON VS. NO. 3 OREGON STATE, ESPNU
10 P.M. – NO. 15 NORFOLK STATE VS. NO. 2 STANFORD, ESPN2
10:30 P.M. – NO. 11 TEXAS A&M VS. NO. 6 NEBRASKA, ESPNU
MARCH 23 – FIRST ROUND
NOON – NO. 11 GREEN BAY VS. NO. 6 TENNESSEE, ESPN
1 P.M. – NO. 14 JACKSON STATE VS. NO. 3 UCONN, ABC
1:30 P.M. – NO. 13 FAIRFIELD VS. NO. 4 INDIANA, ESPN2
2 P.M. – NO. 9 MICHIGAN VS. NO. 8 KANSAS, ESPNEWS
2 P.M. – “NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE STUDIO PRESENTED BY AT&T,” ESPN
2:15 P.M. – NO. 15 KENT STATE VS. NO. 2 NOTRE DAME, ESPN
2:30 P.M. – NO. 14 CHATTANOOGA VS. NO. 3 NC STATE, ESPNU
3 P.M. – NO. 16 UT MARTIN/HOLY CROSS VS. NO. 1 IOWA, ABC
3:30 P.M. – NO. 11 ARIZONA/AUBURN VS. NO. 6 SYRACUSE, ESPN2
4 P.M. – NO. 12 FGCU VS. NO. 5 OKLAHOMA, ESPNEWS
4:15 P.M. – “NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE STUDIO PRESENTED BY AT&T,” ESPN
4:30 P.M. – NO. 16 TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI VS. NO. 1 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, ESPN
4:45 PM – NO. 10 MARQUETTE VS. NO. 7 OLE MISS, ESPNU
5:30 P.M. – NO. 9 PRINCETON VS. NO. 8 WEST VIRGINIA, ESPN2
6:30 P.M. – “NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE STUDIO PRESENTED BY AT&T,” ESPN
7 P.M. – NO. 10 UNLV VS. NO. 7 CREIGHTON, ESPNEWS
7:30 P.M. – NO. 13 UC IRVINE VS. NO. 4 GONZAGA, ESPN2
9:30 P.M. – NO. 15 CALIFORNIA BAPTIST VS. NO. 2 UCLA, ESPN2
10 P.M. – NO. 12 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE VS. NO. 5 UTAH, ESPNU
MARCH 24 – SECOND ROUND
SECOND-ROUND GAMES WILL AIR FROM NOON P.M. TO 10 P.M. ACROSS ESPN AND ABC.
MARCH 25 – SECOND ROUND
SECOND-ROUND GAMES WILL AIR FROM 2 P.M. TO 10 P.M. ACROSS ESPN, ESPN2 AND ESPNU.
MARCH 29 – SWEET 16
2 P.M. – “NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE STUDIO PRESENTED BY AT&T,” ESPN
2:30 P.M. – ALBANY 1 REGIONAL – SWEET 16 GAME 1, ESPN
4:30 P.M. – “NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE STUDIO PRESENTED BY AT&T,” ESPN
5 P.M. – ALBANY 1 REGIONAL – SWEET 16 GAME 2, ESPN
7 P.M. – “NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE STUDIO PRESENTED BY AT&T,” ESPN
7:30 P.M. – PORTLAND 4 REGIONAL – SWEET 16 GAME 1, ESPN
9:30 P.M. – “NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE STUDIO PRESENTED BY AT&T,” ESPN
10 P.M. – PORTLAND 4 REGIONAL – SWEET 16 GAME 1, ESPN
MARCH 30 – SWEET 16
1 P.M. – ALBANY 2 REGIONAL – SWEET 16 GAME 1, ABC
3:30 P.M. – ALBANY 2 REGIONAL – SWEET 16 GAME 2, ABC
5:30 P.M. – PORTLAND 3 REGIONAL – SWEET 16 GAME 1, ESPN
8 P.M. – PORTLAND 3 REGIONAL – SWEET 16 GAME 2, ESPN
MARCH 31 – ELITE 8
1 P.M. – ALBANY 1 REGIONAL – ELITE 8, ABC
3 P.M. – PORTLAND 4 REGIONAL – ELITE 8, ABC
APRIL 1 – ELITE 8
7:15 P.M. – ALBANY 2 REGIONAL – ELITE 8, ESPN
9:15 P.M. – PORTLAND 3 REGIONAL – ELITE 8, ESPN
APRIL 5 – FINAL FOUR
7 P.M. – SEMIFINAL 1, ESPN/ESPN+
9:30 P.M. – SEMIFINAL 2, ESPN/ESPN+
APRIL 7 – CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
3 P.M. – “NCAA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PRESENTED BY CAPITAL ONE,” ABC/ESPN+
NBA SCOREBOARD
HOUSTON 137 WASHINGTON 114
ORLANDO 112 CHARLOTTE 92
NEW ORLEANS 104 BROOKLYN 91
DALLAS 113 SAN ANTONIO 107
DENVER 115 MINNESOTA 112
NHL SCOREBOARD
BOSTON 6 OTTAWA 2
WINNIPEG 4 NY RANGERS 2
NEW JERSEY 5 PITTSBURGH 2
DETROIT 4 COLUMBUS 3 OT
PHILADELPHIA 4 TORONTO 3
CAROLINA 4 NY ISLANDERS 1
COLORADO 4 ST. LOUIS 3
NASHVILLE 8 SAN JOSE 2
EDMONTON 3 MONTRÉAL 2 OT
VANCOUVER 3 BUFFALO 2
MINNESOTA 4 ANAHEIM 0
TAMPA BAY 5 VEGAS 3
LOS ANGELES 6 CHICAGO 2
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
ST. LOUIS 11 MIAMI 10
BOSTON 5 TAMPA BAY 2
BALTIMORE 13 TORONTO 8
MILWAUKEE 8 CLEVELAND 5
OAKLAND 7 TEXAS 7
CLEVELAND 8 COLORADO 8
LA ANGELS 10 CINCINNATI 6
SEATTLE 12 COLORADO 3
MIAMI 3 HOUSTON 3
PHILADELPHIA 0 DETROIT 0
NY METS 3 ST. LOUIS 1
ARIZONA 4 CHICAGO CUBS 1
SAN FRANCISCO 9 KANSAS CITY 8
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES
NOTRE DAME 16 WESTERN MICHIGAN 11
BUTLER 13 MIAMI OHIO 10
RUTGERS 8 RIDER 2
EASTERN MICHIGAN 14 MICHIGAN 4
MARYLAND 9 JAMES MADISON 5
INDIANA STATE 15 INDIANA 7
ST. BONAVENTURE 9 PENN STATE 7
IOWA 25 GRANDVIEW 3
MICHIGAN STATE 11 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 1
ILLINOIS 12 BRADLEY 10
NEBRASKA 11 OMAHA 5
NORTHWESTERN 16 TEXAS A&M-CC 5
WESTERN KENTUCKY 5 SOUTHERN INDIANA 3
PITTSBURGH 12 KENT STATE 8
AKRON 11 WRIGHT STATE 7
NORTHERN KENTUCKY 18 OHIO 13
VALPARAISO 9 BALL STATE 6
OAKLAND 11 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 8
BOWLING GREEN AT YOUNGSTOWN STATE CANCELED
COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES
NORTHWESTERN 3 DEPAUL 1
VIRGINIA 2 RUTGERS 0
NOTRE DAME 4 MICHIGAN STATE 2
MIAMI OHIO 8 LOUISVILLE 7
ILLINOIS 9 ILLINOIS STATE 2
MARYLAND 6 JAMES MADISON 5
TUESDAY’S TRANSACTIONS
BASEBALL
Major League Baseball
American League
BALTIMORE ORIOLES — Optioned LHP Bruce to Norfolk (IL).
HOUSTON ASTROS — Agreed to terms with RHP Javier Perez on a minor league contract.
TEXAS RANGERS — Agreed to terms with C Klendy Leen on a minor league contract.
National League
CINCINNATI REDS — Agreed to terms with RHPs Michael Gil and Ayendy Pena on minor league contracts. Released 2B Josh Harrison from a minor league contract.
COLORADO ROCKIES — Agreed to terms with LHP Fabian Nascimiento on a minor league contract.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS — Agreed to terms with RHP Miqueas Mercedes on a minor league contract.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS — Agreed to terms with C Juan Pablo Cabrera on a minor league contract.
Minor League
Atlantic League
LONG ISLAND DUCKS — Re-signed C Chance Sisco to a five-year contract extension.
FOOTBALL
National Football League
CINCINNATI BENGALS — Re-signed WR Trenton Irwin to a one-year contract. Signed OT Trent Brown to a one-year contract.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS — Signed DL Jonah Williams.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS — Re-signed OT Justin Skule and QB John Wolford.
HOCKEY
National Hockey League
CALGARY FLAMES — Reassigned LW Jakob Pelletier to Calgary (AHL).
DETROIT RED WINGS — Recalled D Simon Edvinsson from Grand Rapids (AHL).
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS — Recalled LW Jonathan Gruden from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL).
Minor League
AHL
AHL — Suspended Texas D Gavin Bayreuther for three games as a consequence of his actions during a March 17 game at Tucson.
LEHIGH VALLEY — Recalled D Darren Brady from Reading (ECHL).
PROVIDENCE BRUINS — Recalled F Jimmy Lambert from Maine (ECHL).
ECHL
READING ROYALS — Reassigned D Mason Millman to Lehigh Valley (AHL).
SOCCER
Major League Soccer
FC DALLAS — Signed M Carl Sainte to a two-year contract.
FIRST NFL MOCK DRAFT-FIRST 3 ROUNDS
ROUND 1
CHICAGO BEARS (FROM CAROLINA PANTHERS): QB CALEB WILLIAMS, USC
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS: QB DRAKE MAYE, NORTH CAROLINA
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: QB JAYDEN DANIELS, LSU
ARIZONA CARDINALS: WR MARVIN HARRISON JR., OHIO STATE
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS: WR MALIK NABERS, LSU
NEW YORK GIANTS: WR ROME ODUNZE, WASHINGTON
TENNESSEE TITANS: T JOE ALT, NOTRE DAME
ATLANTA FALCONS: EDGE DALLAS TURNER, ALABAMA
CHICAGO BEARS: WR ROME ODUNZE, WASHINGTON
NEW YORK JETS: T TALIESE FUAGA, OREGON STATE
MINNESOTA VIKINGS: QB J.J. MCCARTHY, MICHIGAN
DENVER BRONCOS: QB BO NIX, OREGON
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS: CB QUINYON MITCHELL, TOLEDO
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: OL TROY FAUTANU, WASHINGTON
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: CB QUINYON MITCHELL, TOLEDO
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: EDGE JARED VERSE, FLORIDA STATE
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: CB NATE WIGGINS, CLEMSON
CINCINNATI BENGALS: OL TROY FAUTANU, WASHINGTON
LOS ANGELES RAMS: DI JER’ZHAN NEWTON, ILLINOIS
PITTSBURGH STEELERS: C JACKSON POWERS-JOHNSON, OREGON
MIAMI DOLPHINS: T JC LATHAM, ALABAMA
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: CB COOPER DEJEAN, IOWA
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (FROM HOUSTON TEXANS VIA CLEVELAND BROWNS): DI JER’ZHAN NEWTON, ILLINOIS
DALLAS COWBOYS: C JACKSON POWERS-JOHNSON, OREGON
GREEN BAY PACKERS: OL GRAHAM BARTON, DUKE
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: EDGE LAIATU LATU, UCLA
ARIZONA CARDINALS (FROM HOUSTON TEXANS): DI JER’ZHAN NEWTON, ILLINOIS
BUFFALO BILLS: WR ADONAI MITCHELL, TEXAS
DETROIT LIONS: CB KOOL-AID MCKINSTRY, ALABAMA
BALTIMORE RAVENS: WR ADONAI MITCHELL, TEXAS
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: T TYLER GUYTON, OKLAHOMA
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: WR LADD MCCONKEY, GEORGIA
ROUND 2
CAROLINA PANTHERS: WR LADD MCCONKEY, GEORGIA
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: WR LADD MCCONKEY, GEORGIA
ARIZONA CARDINALS: S TYLER NUBIN, MINNESOTA
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS: LB PAYTON WILSON, NC STATE
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS: C ZACH FRAZIER, WEST VIRGINIA
TENNESSEE TITANS: OL JORDAN MORGAN, ARIZONA
CAROLINA PANTHERS (FROM NEW YORK GIANTS): LB PAYTON WILSON, NC STATE
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (FROM CHICAGO BEARS): OL JORDAN MORGAN, ARIZONA
GREEN BAY PACKERS (FROM NEW YORK JETS): S TYLER NUBIN, MINNESOTA
HOUSTON TEXANS (FROM MINNESOTA VIKINGS): DI BRADEN FISKE, FLORIDA STATE
ATLANTA FALCONS: CB T.J. TAMPA, IOWA STATE
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS: QB BO NIX, OREGON
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: QB BO NIX, OREGON
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: S TYLER NUBIN, MINNESOTA
NEW YORK GIANTS (FROM SEATTLE SEAHAWKS): QB MICHAEL PENIX JR., WASHINGTON
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: CB KOOL-AID MCKINSTRY, ALABAMA
CINCINNATI BENGALS: DI BRADEN FISKE, FLORIDA STATE
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (FROM NEW ORLEANS SAINTS): CB KOOL-AID MCKINSTRY, ALABAMA
PITTSBURGH STEELERS: C ZACH FRAZIER, WEST VIRGINIA
LOS ANGELES RAMS: S TYLER NUBIN, MINNESOTA
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: S JAVON BULLARD, GEORGIA
CLEVELAND BROWNS: DI KRIS JENKINS, MICHIGAN
MIAMI DOLPHINS: DI BRADEN FISKE, FLORIDA STATE
DALLAS COWBOYS: C ZACH FRAZIER, WEST VIRGINIA
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: C ZACH FRAZIER, WEST VIRGINIA
GREEN BAY PACKERS: S TYLER NUBIN, MINNESOTA
HOUSTON TEXANS: WR XAVIER LEGETTE, SOUTH CAROLINA
BUFFALO BILLS: DI BRADEN FISKE, FLORIDA STATE
DETROIT LIONS: C ZACH FRAZIER, WEST VIRGINIA
BALTIMORE RAVENS: OL JORDAN MORGAN, ARIZONA
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: OL JORDAN MORGAN, ARIZONA
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: DI BRADEN FISKE, FLORIDA STATE
ROUND 3
CAROLINA PANTHERS: WIDE RECEIVER
ARIZONA CARDINALS: WIDE RECEIVER
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS: LINEBACKER
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: CORNERBACK
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS: DEFENSIVE INTERIOR
NEW YORK GIANTS: WIDE RECEIVER
ARIZONA CARDINALS (FROM TENNESSEE TITANS): WIDE RECEIVER
NEW YORK JETS: WIDE RECEIVER
DETROIT LIONS (FROM MINNESOTA VIKINGS): DEFENSIVE INTERIOR
ATLANTA FALCONS: WIDE RECEIVER
CHICAGO BEARS: EDGE DEFENDER
DENVER BRONCOS: WIDE RECEIVER
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS: LINEBACKER
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (FROM SEATTLE SEAHAWKS): OFFENSIVE TACKLE
ATLANTA FALCONS (FROM JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS): EDGE DEFENDER
CINCINNATI BENGALS: DEFENSIVE INTERIOR
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (FROM NEW ORLEANS SAINTS): QUARTERBACK
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: LINEBACKER
LOS ANGELES RAMS: LINEBACKER
PITTSBURGH STEELERS: SAFETY
CLEVELAND BROWNS: WIDE RECEIVER
HOUSTON TEXANS (FROM PHILADELPHIA EAGLES): DEFENSIVE INTERIOR
DALLAS COWBOYS: DEFENSIVE INTERIOR
GREEN BAY PACKERS: WIDE RECEIVER
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: RUNNING BACK
ARIZONA CARDINALS (FROM HOUSTON TEXANS): DEFENSIVE INTERIOR
GREEN BAY PACKERS (FROM BUFFALO BILLS): LINEBACKER
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (FROM DETROIT LIONS): LINEBACKER
BALTIMORE RAVENS: DEFENSIVE INTERIOR
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: OFFENSIVE TACKLE
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: DEFENSIVE INTERIOR
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: CORNERBACK
CINCINNATI BENGALS: DEFENSIVE INTERIOR
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (FROM PHILADELPHIA EAGLES): WIDE RECEIVER
LOS ANGELES RAMS: DEFENSIVE INTERIOR
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (FROM SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS): WIDE RECEIVER
NATIONAL SPORTS RELEASES/HEADLINES
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
COLORADO STATE STRUTS PAST POOR-SHOOTING VIRGINIA
DAYTON, Ohio – Joel Scott scored 23 points and Nique Clifford added 17 as the sharp-shooting Colorado State Rams routed the misfiring Virginia Cavaliers 67-42 on Tuesday night in a First Four matchup of No. 10 seeds in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament.
Colorado State (25-10), which improved to 5-12 in NCAA Tournament games, advances to play No. 7 seed Texas on Thursday in Charlotte, N.C.
The Rams were an impressive 26 of 47 to finish 55 percent from the field. By contrast, Virginia suffered one of the worst nights in its storied NCAA Tournament history, shooting just 25 percent and missing 19 straight shots at one point.
The 42 points are the second fewest for Virginia in an NCAA Tournament game. The previous low came in 2017, when the Cavs lost 65-39 to Florida in a second-round game.
On Tuesday, Reece Beekman led Virginia (23-11) with 15 points on 4-for-16 shooting and was the only Cavalier in double figures. Jordan Minor had seven points and Isaac McKneely finished with six as Virginia suffered a one-and-done in the tournament for the second straight year and for its third straight appearance since winning the NCAA title in 2019.
McKneely drained a 3 with 10:30 left in the first half to bring Virginia within two, 14-12. It was Virginia’s last basket of the first half.
Virginia’s last points of the half came 70 seconds later when Beekman converted a pair of free throws to cut Colorado State’s lead to 18-14.
The Rams finished the half on a 9-0 run to take a 27-14 halftime lead.
Virginia made just 5 of 29 shots in the first 20 minutes, missing its final 15. Things didn’t improve over the first three minutes of the second half as the Cavaliers were off the mark on their first four attempts, helping the Rams build their lead to 35-14.
Scott had 10 of his 23 points in the first half for the Rams, who dominated the Cavaliers 18-4 in the paint en route to their 13-point first-half advantage.
Virginia’s drought finally ended when Beekman’s floater in the lane hit the rim and fell in with 16:37 left.
Jacob Groves drilled a corner 3 to bring Virginia within 44-29 with 10:02 left, but the Cavaliers could get no closer.
WAGNER BEATS HOWARD FOR FIRST-EVER NCAA TOURNAMENT VICTORY
DAYTON, Ohio — Melvin Council Jr. scored 13 of his game-high 21 points in the first half and the Wagner Seahawks held off a furious charge from the Howard Bison to capture their first-ever NCAA Tournament win, 71-68, Tuesday night.
Julian Brown added 15 points, and Keyontae Lewis and Tahron Allen chipped in 10 points apiece for Wagner (17-15) in the opener of the annual First Four at the University of Dayton.
Brown sank both ends of a one-and-one free throw opportunity with 14.2 seconds remaining to extend Wagner’s lead to three points. Howard missed three chances at a game-tying three, including Marcus Dockery’s attempt that hit the rim as time expired.
The 16th-seeded Wagner, which was the 68th and final team in the NCAA field, advances to play West Region top seed North Carolina on Thursday afternoon in Charlotte, N.C. It was the Seahawks’ second appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the other coming in 2003.
Howard (18-17), which entered the game having won seven of eight, was led by Seth Towns and Bryce Harris, each with 16 points. Howard used a late 14-2 run to pull within 69-68 with 17 seconds left.
Trailing by 13 with 4:26 left, Howard began its charge, cutting the deficit to 67-60 with 2:24 remaining on consecutive 3-pointers from Dockery and Towns.
After Allen lost the ball out of bounds, Harris drove the paint and was fouled. He made both free throws with 1:48 left and Howard was within five, 67-62. But Council drove to the basket on the next possession, hit a bank shot and was fouled.
Isiah Warfield made a layup to get the Bisons within five again, and then capitalized on a steal by Dockery for another layup to make it 69-66 with 1:02 to play.
After Council missed a with 32 seconds left, Harris drove the paint and converted a layup to cut the lead to one, 69-68, with 17 seconds remaining.
MARCH MADNESS AS WE KNOW IT COULD BE ON THE WAY OUT AMID SEISMIC CHANGES IN COLLEGE SPORTS
Tracking the changes upending college sports can be as frenetic as flipping between all the games going down over the first week of March Madness. Ultimately, those changes could impact what America’s favorite basketball tournament looks like in the future — or whether it exists at all.
News about “pay for play” in college sports gushes from a veritable firehose these days. Whether it’s the Dartmouth basketball team looking to unionize, a judge undercutting the NCAA’s ability to regulate payments to athletes or yet another bout of conference realignment, the stakes are clear: Everything in college sports is open for discussion, interpretation and adjustment.
That includes the industry’s most hallowed tradition, the NCAA basketball tournaments, which begin this week and will stretch from coast to coast. The bottom line behind it all is money.
“There’s no pretense anymore,” said Rick Pitino, the St. John’s coach who recently made news by proposing a salary cap and a two-year contract for players who negotiate name, image and likeness sponsorships. “Now we’re dealing with professional athletes in the guise of NIL. I’ve tried to think of solutions and ways around it. But any solutions, the courts will just obliterate it.”
Pitino sees the courts reshaping and redefining college sports in much more aggressive fashion than what he describes as a largely hapless NCAA, an organization he has tangled with repeatedly over the years.
The coach also recognizes the irony of basketball being inextricably linked to the future of football, where revenue from media, ticket sales and other areas dwarf those in basketball, even with its March Madness TV deal worth around $900 million a year. Virtually all the biggest decisions in college sports stem from the biggest conferences in football trying to squeeze more money out of TV rights, whether through an expanded playoff or realignment or maybe even an expanded basketball tournament.
The four remaining mega-conferences – the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12 and Southeastern — have even floated the idea of breaking the football operation off from the NCAA in a move that some believe could ultimately dictate the future of March Madness.
Future of March Madness
Jay Bilas, the former Duke player who works for ESPN and has long criticized the NCAA for exploiting athletes, said today’s trends — more money and players grabbing a larger slice of it — could suggest a future in which players partake in revenue-sharing arrangements from the actual events they star in.
“That would, I think, make it a necessity that the NCAA do the same thing” with March Madness, Bilas said. “And with the NCAA Tournament now, if they choose not to do that and it continues to to be as it is, maybe it could get challenged.”
The most likely short-term shift appears to be expanding the tournament from its current 68 teams to somewhere between 76 and 80 – a concept that can only gain steam after an unpredictable set of conference tournament results dramatically shrunk the bubble and left a number of power-conference teams out of the draw.
The goal would be to appease the larger conferences that want more spots for their teams, which could presumably mean more revenue for them. Uncertain is whether that would significantly grow the TV contract. Mixed up somewhere in that calculation is the reality that the tournament wouldn’t be what it is without the likes of George Mason, Saint Peter’s and FAU — underdog programs from conferences that don’t have much heft in the overall decision-making process.
“What makes March Madness is that Cinderella can come to the ball,” Pitino said. “I don’t think they should ever be excluded from that.”
Pitino sounds confident that the NCAA knows enough not to mess up that part of the equation.
Far different landscape for college athletics
The changes might be best portrayed on a casual stroll through any Division I athletic facility’s parking lot. Not even a decade ago, the sight of a big-name athlete rolling through campus with a fancy car would send a jolt that reverberated for miles – from the school’s athletic department to the phones of the local beat reporters, all the way to the NCAA compliance office.
These days, nobody thinks twice about that. Everyone from Rickea Jackson (Tennessee) to Nijel Pack (Miami) to the entire Utah basketball and gymnastics teams have well-publicized endorsement deals with car companies.
The cars, the jewelry and even the deal signed with a memorabilia company by Iowa star Caitlin Clark — reportedly worth more than $1 million in the first year — all started to become possible in 2021. State laws allowing sponsorships for college athletes forced the NCAA to drop the ban on such things; athletes were buoyed by a separate Supreme Court ruling that made clear that any attempt by the NCAA to stop them would likely fail.
“I don’t really spend any time trying to imagine” what might happen next, North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said. “I never thought in the three years that I was head coach that it would be the birth of NIL, the transfer portal, the extra COVID year, the involvement of agents more than parents on the backside of the pandemic.”
Also factoring into the equation is last month’s ruling by a regional office of the National Labor Relations Board that allowed the Dartmouth men’s basketball team to unionize and seek payment from the school the way any other employee would.
That sort of ruling only applies to private schools, which are a distinct minority in major college sports. Still, Southern California’s football and basketball players are pursuing a similar path, and there’s a sense more will follow. Sensing the inevitable shift, NCAA President Charlie Baker sent a letter to schools in December proposing a new tier of Division I sports in which schools would be required to offer at least half their athletes a payment of at least $30,000 a year through a trust fund.
“That’s just violating federal antitrust laws a little less than you did before,” Bilas said. “It’s still a unilaterally imposed cap.”
In case after case, judges are ruling against those sort of restrictions.
The Dartmouth ruling came shortly after a judge in Tennessee ruled the NCAA could not forbid schools from using NIL offers as recruiting inducements. Late last year, a judge in West Virginia put a stop to an NCAA proposal to restrict transfers, meaning players remain free to move between schools, often in pursuit of more playing time and better NIL deals.
Free agency is not just for the pros
Add it all up and there are few constraints to this opening burst of college free agency – a system unevenly regulated by a patchwork of state laws, with the NCAA all but standing to the side watching a new era develop, or envelop, the business it is tasked with overseeing.
“I’ve been saying we’ve been living in the dog days of college sports, because we’re seeing seven years’ worth of changes in one year,” said Amy Perko, who chairs the Knight Commission, a college sports advocacy group that seeks reforms based on academic and Title IX compliance.
Most coaches, at least in public, agree players are long overdue to receive some sort of payday as the main cogs in what has become a multibillion-dollar entertainment industry.
Pitino is in that camp. When he made news last month by calling this the most difficult year of his coaching career, most interpreted it as a shot across the bow at his team, which was underachieving at the time and fell short of reaching the NCAA Tournament. Pitino responded by saying his team wasn’t interested in the NIT and was moving on to next season.
He said his real frustration lies elsewhere.
“The most disturbing thing to me is, every single meeting we’re having right now is, ‘This player’s leaving, I hear this player’s leaving,’” Pitino said. “It’s an awful feeling that the goal of developing players is gone. For me, it’s been the most disappointing year — not what’s taken place on the court, but what’s taken place outside the court.”
He is giving voice to the reality that, even though the fight songs and school colors might not change, college sports can’t even pretend to be amateur sports anymore. Time will tell if that bodes well or ill for the future of March Madness.
“The flashing red light is, what is college sports eventually going to become?” said Martin Edel, an attorney who teaches sports law at Columbia Law School.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
CAITLIN, ANGEL, PAIGE, JUJU AND MORE. THE MARCH MADNESS STAR POWER THIS YEAR IS ALL ABOUT THE WOMEN
As March Madness is set to tip off, three of the most recognizable names in college basketball are in the women’s tournament: Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers.
Clark drew record crowds and ratings all season long. Reese has LSU in contention for a second straight national championship. Bueckers is finally healthy and doing things on the court for UConn reminiscent of her freshman season when she was the AP Player of the Year.
Throw in a few stellar freshmen like JuJu Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo and the game is reaching heights it’s never seen.
“One thousand percent we’ve seen a shift in just the perception of women’s college basketball in general,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “It doesn’t have to be at the detriment of men’s college basketball. The increased coverage and star power these players have; they are legitimate, popcorn-worthy type of players.”
For countless seasons, the buzz around the NCAA tournaments have often been on the men’s game. The one-and-done stars, the juggernaut blueblood programs, the buzzer beaters and athleticism all getting more attention. The women’s game has pretty much all of that too, and the ratings and attendance this season suggest casual fans are fully engaged with a game that boasts star power and an increasingly high level of play.
It helps that the women’s players stick around for three, four or even five years without the chance to leave early for the pros so fans get to know them and watch them grow. Three years ago, Clark said she thought women’s players should be allowed to turn pro after their freshman year, like the men can.
Instead, she stuck around and had a record-setting year that grabbed the nation’s attention.
“It’s really, really evident that there’s stars out there in this game,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “Whereas before I think they were there, but nobody wanted to acknowledge it and appreciate it as much. … They’re just really good. Everybody is going around telling everybody how good they are. They’re all visible.”
ESPN said it just saw the most watched women’s college basketball regular season in more than 15 years, with viewership up 37% on its platforms from last season. That doesn’t really even include the Clark effect as Iowa’s star wasn’t on the network much this season. Iowa’s ratings on Fox Sports were the highest in a generation.
ESPN plans to show all of Iowa’s games, including a few on ABC, as far as the No. 1 seed advances in the tourney.
“It’s not just UConn and Tennessee on TV,” Auriemma said. “Those kids are on TV a lot. They’re in the limelight a lot. They know how to handle it because they’re used to it now.”
Clark, who broke the NCAA all-time scoring record this season, has helped six different networks reach all-time viewership marks for women’s basketball over the past year, starting with last season’s NCAA championship game that drew nearly 10 million viewers.
“I kind of get to be in the spotlight and I get to change people’s viewpoint of how they see women’s basketball,” Clark said before the season. “The amount of people that have come up to me and said, ‘I’ve never watched women’s basketball before before you and your team … .’ Some people could take that as a negative. But to me that’s a positive. We’re finally getting them to turn on the TV and watch it, but not only watch it once. They’re coming back for more.”
People aren’t just watching, they are also coming to games too. All five of the power conferences had huge crowds for their tournaments. The SEC and Big Ten had their best attendance ever. The Pac-12, ACC and Big 12 weren’t far behind.
“The big names continue to put up big numbers and people are watching and the media is paying attention,” Bueckers said. “The tournament will be great and will continue the rise of women’s basketball.”
Fans who pack the arenas are also sticking around afterward, hoping to get a coveted autograph. The importance of the moment isn’t lost on the game’s stars. Clark, Reese, Bueckers, Watkins and many others spend time postgame signing and taking pictures with not only young girls, but boys, too.
“There were 400 people in the stands before she got here and now we’re selling out,” Gottlieb said of Watkins. “We’ve got NBA players who want to see her, WNBA players, musicians and actors too. Regular fans also, it’s a diversified crowd. Little boys and girls who ask me if I know JuJu. Could they meet Juju? Grown men you run into in downtown LA.”
Even when Clark leaves for the WNBA after the NCAA Tournament, the future of women’s basketball is still strong with Bueckers, Watkins, Hidalgo and many other up-and-coming players.
”It’s going to get even better. So many kids coming out of high school are just unbelievably good,” Auriemma said.
SPORTING NEWS WOMEN’S ALL-AMERICAN TEAM
CAITLIN CLARK, JUJU WATKINS HEADLINE SPORTING NEWS 2023-24 WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL ALL-AMERICA TEAM
Sporting News First Team All-Americans
CAITLIN CLARK, IOWA
6-0, Sr. G
Key stats: 31.9 ppg, 8.9 apg, 7.3 rpg, 5.2 3pg
Defining game: 49 points, 13 assists, 9-of-18 3-point shooting in 106-89 win over Michigan.
Overview: One year ago, Clark swept the national player of the year awards and led Iowa to the brink of a national title. She seemed to take that as a challenge to do even better in her senior season. She leads the NCAA in points and assists per game. She set attendance records at arenas across the country. She broke Kelsey Plum’s career scoring record – and then Lynette Woodard’s, and then Pete Maravich’s. So no matter what happens in the NCAA Tournament, the results are in: Clark has produced one of the most transcendent seasons in the history of women’s college basketball.
JUJU WATKINS, USC
6-2, Fr. G
Key stats: 27.0 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.4 spg
Defining game: 51 points, 11 rebounds, 4 steals in 67-58 win against Stanford.
Overview: One of the top recruits of the class of 2023, Watkins decided to stay close to home with USC. Already her decision is paying off for the Trojans, who won their conference tournament for the first time since 2014 behind their native star. Watkins is second only to Caitlin Clark in scoring, and she already owns a host of USC records, including: most 30-point games in a single season (13), most points in a single game (51) and most points as a freshman (810 and counting). Don’t let Clark’s historic year overshadow Watkins’ all-time great freshman season.
HANNAH HIDALGO, NOTRE DAME
5-6, Fr. G
Key stats: 23.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 5.5 apg, 4.6 spg
Defining game: 34 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists in 82-67 win against UConn.
Overview: Hidalgo announced herself on the international stage, dropping 31 points in her NCAA debut – which came in Paris, in a game against powerhouse South Carolina. The Irish played the entire season without star guard Olivia Miles, who is still recovering from a knee injury suffered at the end of the 2022-23 season. But Hidalgo stepped in seamlessly, sitting in the top three in the nation in scoring and first in steals. And when Miles and Hidalgo team up next year, watch out world.
CAMERON BRINK, STANFORD
6-4, Sr. F
Key stats: 17.8 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 3.5 bpg
Defining game: 25 points, 24 rebounds, 4 assists in 67-63 win against Oregon State.
Overview: On a deep Cardinal team, Brink averages just 25.6 minutes per game – but she makes full use of every one. With a solid case for best two-way player in the country, Brink leads her team in rebounds, steals and blocks per game, and she’s second in points and rebounds. Plus, she has 19 double-doubles, so her Pac-12 player of the year and defensive player of the year awards should come as no surprise – and neither should her status as a soon-to-be WNBA draft lottery pick.
LIZ KITLEY, VIRGINIA TECH
6-6, Gr. C
Key stats: 22.8 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 2.1 bpg, 55.6% FG
Defining game: 34 points, 12 rebounds, 76.5% FG in 61-56 win against Duke.
Overview: After Kitley helped lead the Hokies to the Final Four in 2023, she returned for a fifth year under head coach Kenny Brooks looking to run it back. She won the ACC player of the year award for the third consecutive season, joining Alana Beard and Alyssa Thomas as the only players to do so. The knee injury she sustained during the final game of the regular season underlined her importance to her team, which suffered a blowout loss to Notre Dame in the ACC tournament in her absence.
SECOND TEAM
ANGEL REESE, LSU
6-3, Sr. F
Key stats: 19.0 ppg, 13.1 rpg, 1.8 spg
Defining game: 25 points, 20 rebounds, 3 blocks in 25-20 win against Auburn.
Overview: If Reese struggled to start her second year at LSU, that was only in comparison to the high standard she set in her debut season with the Tigers. Even after a rocky beginning in nonconference play, the 2024 SEC player of the year sits second in the NCAA in rebounds and has 23 double-doubles on the season – including 12 in a row. As the NCAA Tournament begins, she will aim to lead LSU to another national title.
PAIGE BUECKERS, UCONN
6-0, Jr. G
Key stats: 21.3 ppg, 53.8% FG, 42.4% 3-PT
Defining game: 27 points, 4 rebounds, 5 blocks in 78-42 win against Georgetown.
Overview: Injuries derailed each of Bueckers’ last two seasons, but she refused to let what-ifs define her UConn career. She returned from an ACL injury, which kept her off the court for all of 2022-23, as a more efficient version of herself, with a 61.1% effective field goal percentage and a killer defensive instinct. Bueckers also carries more of the load for the Huskies, who are still hounded by injuries and ailments. And the best part for UConn fans? The redshirt junior plans to return for at least one more year in Storrs.
KAMILLA CARDOSO, SOUTH CAROLINA
6-7, Sr. C
Key stats: 14.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 2.6 bpg, 58.4% FG
Defining game: 20 points, 15 rebounds, 4 blocks in 100-71 win against Notre Dame.
Overview: The SEC sixth player of the year in 2023, Cardoso stepped into the spotlight after the Gamecocks graduated their entire starting five. She led the team in points, rebounds and blocks en route to SEC defensive player of the year honors. And she is 100% from 3-point range in her career – a perfect 1-for-1, as her first came on a game-winning, banked-in buzzer-beater in the SEC tournament semifinal.
RAEGAN BEERS, OREGON STATE
6-4, So. F
Key stats: 17.7 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 66.0% FG
Defining game: 20 points, 20 rebounds, 2 blocks in 73-70 double overtime win against Arizona.
Overview: If Beers didn’t play in such a stacked conference (rest in peace, Pac-12), she likely would have gone home with some serious end-of-season hardware. But behind Brink and Watkins, she settled for her second straight all-conference selection and a semifinal exit from the Pac-12 tournament. Still, she holds the second-highest field goal percentage in the NCAA, and she’s posted 15 double-doubles – including her 20-20 game against Arizona, in which she tied the Beavers’ single-game record for rebounds and scored 11 of her team’s 13 points in overtime.
JACY SHELDON, OHIO STATE
5-10, Gr. G
Key stats: 18.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.7 apg, 2.1 spg
Defining game: 24 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists in 100-92 overtime win against Iowa.
Overview: After missing a solid chunk of her senior year with a foot injury, Sheldon decided to return for a fifth season with the Buckeyes to settle “unfinished business.” A savvy, fleet-footed defender, she also leads her team in points and assists. With the NCAA Tournament looming, she’s aiming to improve upon last year’s finish, which saw Ohio State make its first Elite Eight appearance in 30 years.
THIRD TEAM
AYOKA LEE, KANSAS STATE
6-6, Sr. C
Key stats: 20.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.7 bpg, 62.2% FG
Defining game: 22 points, 12 rebounds, 64.3% FG in 65-58 win against Iowa.
Overview: In a resurgent year for the resilient Lee, not even a midseason ankle surgery could keep her down. The sixth-year player missed her first season due to knee surgery to repair an ACL tear, then missed last season after another knee surgery. This season, she missed four weeks starting in mid-January with an ankle fracture. Before the injury, she led her team to an upset win against Clark and Iowa. Two games after returning from surgery, she posted 34 points and 12 rebounds in an overtime win against a ranked West Virginia team.
DYAISHA FAIR, SYRACUSE
5-5, Gr. G
Key stats: 22.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.6 3pg
Defining game: 29 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists in 73-72 win against Louisville.
Overview: More than one player has soared up the NCAA career scoring leaderboards this season. While the world is watching Clark, Fair is making moves of her own, jumping up to fifth in Division I women’s basketball history. The fifth-year star for the Orange could surpass Jackie Stiles for fourth place (3,393) if she matches her average through two NCAA Tournament games – and if she does a bit better, she could even catch Kelsey Mitchell for third place (3,402).
ALISSA PILI, UTAH
6-2, Sr. F
Key stats: 20.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 54.8% FG
Defining game: 36 points, 6 rebounds, 81.3% FG in 78-58 win against USC.
Overview: The 6-2 forward, who hails from Anchorage, Alaska, carries her Samoan and Indigenous heritage proudly, which has helped her attract a growing fan base over her five-year collegiate career. So has her scoring prowess. Pili can (and will) score from anywhere on the court, with a 59.3% effective field goal percentage and 39.4% shooting from behind the arc. That versatility makes her a nightmare to defend for the Utes’ opponents.
AALIYAH EDWARDS, UCONN
6-3, Sr. F
Key stats: 17.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 59.4% FG
Defining game: 26 points 16 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 blocks in 85-44 win against Georgetown.
Overview: As injuries have rocked the Huskies’ lineup over the last three seasons, Edwards has been their rock, playing in all but three games over her four-season career. Two of those absences came in the Huskies’ last two games en route to their fourth straight Big East tournament title, which Edwards missed with a broken nose. While UConn managed without her, the team will be happy to have her (and her all-around skills) back in the lineup for the NCAA Tournament.
MADISON BOOKER, TEXAS
6-1, Fr. F
Key stats: 16.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.9 apg
Defining game: 26 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists in 70-53 win against Iowa State.
Overview: The Big 12 co-player of the year and freshman of the year, Booker managed to shine even on an experienced Texas team. She missed one game this year with a nagging injury but started the other 33. She leads the team in scoring, and is second in assists per game only to star guard Rori Harmon, who tore her ACL 12 games into the season. Add all that together with Texas’ impressive season, and it’s no wonder she joined Watkins and Hidalgo as the three freshmen among the 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Trophy.
OLYMPIC BASKETBALL
USA BASKETBALL LEARNS ITS GROUPINGS FOR THE PARIS OLYMPICS. TOUGH DRAWS AWAIT THE MEN AND WOMEN
USA Basketball’s men’s team is assured of seeing Serbia and South Sudan in the group stage of the Paris Olympics, while the U.S. women are guaranteed of a gold-medal-game rematch against Japan in France this summer.
FIBA, the sport’s global organizing body, held the draw for the Paris Games in Mies, Switzerland, on Tuesday, slotting the fields for the 12-team basketball tournaments. The women’s field is complete; the men’s field still has four spots that will go to winners of qualifying tournaments in early July before the Olympics open in late July.
The U.S. men will be coached by Steve Kerr and are seeking a fifth consecutive gold medal, the U.S. women will be coached by Cheryl Reeve and are seeking an eighth consecutive Olympic title. Both are ranked No. 1 in the world, and both programs have been — by far — the dominant force in Olympic basketball since its inception.
But particularly on the men’s side, gold for the Americans is no longer assured. The U.S. didn’t medal at the 2019 World Cup in China nor the 2023 World Cup in the Philippines, and although the Americans intend to send a more star-studded roster to the Olympics that doesn’t guarantee anything.
Carmelo Anthony, who was at the draw as a FIBA ambassador, said it’s clear that international men’s teams “feel confident and comfortable enough to go out there and compete with the USA.”
“It’s all about confidence that these other players and countries have,” said Anthony, one of two three-time men’s basketball gold medalists — fellow U.S. standout Kevin Durant, who will bid for a fourth gold in Paris, is the other. “As far as USA goes, I am praying and hoping that we send the correct team out there. I know what it feels like when you have the right team that’s out there and you go out there trying to win. I’m sure the U.S. will bring the guys that they need to bring in order to get that feeling back.”
The U.S. women will have a gold-medal game rematch from the Tokyo Olympics in the group stage. The Americans open their quest for an eighth consecutive gold medal with group-stage games against Belgium, Germany and Japan — the host three years ago that fell to the U.S. 90-75 in the final at Saitama, Japan.
The U.S. also played Belgium in the most recent women’s World Cup, winning 87-72 in 2022 in a matchup that was a single-digit game in the second half.
That said, the world’s top-ranked team will still be a huge favorite.
“Obviously, you can never go past the U.S. They’ve proven their dominance and they’re at the pinnacle of the game,” FIBA ambassador and former Australia star Penny Taylor said. “But what I love to see is teams bringing their unique style of play to the Olympics. I love watching Japan and what they do and what they do so well. China, obviously, has always been competitive. My heart is always with Australia and I love to see them out there and I hope they know past Opals are right there with them.”
USA Basketball plans to announce the men’s and women’s teams for the Paris Games later this spring.
Serbia’s men’s roster will likely feature Denver star Nikola Jokic, an NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP who is one of the game’s most dominant players. Serbia finished second to Germany at the World Cup last summer and didn’t even have Jokic on the roster.
In Group C, the U.S. will also face South Sudan and the winner of a qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico — either Mexico, Ivory Coast, Lithuania, Italy, Bahrain or Puerto Rico.
In Group A, Australia and Canada await two qualifying tournament winners — one from Spain (participating nations Spain, Finland, Poland, Bahamas, Lebanon, Angola) and the other in Greece (participating nations Slovenia, New Zealand, Croatia, Egypt, Dominican Republic and Greece).
Host France, featuring Victor Wembanyama, headlines Group B and will face World Cup champion Germany, Japan and the winner of the Latvia qualifying tournament (Georgia, Philippines, Latvia, Brazil, Cameroon, Montenegro).
“There are no groups that are easy after this draw,” FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis said. “Whoever you see smiling, just say, ‘Well, see you in August.’”
MEN’S GROUPS
Group A: Australia (world ranking 5), Canada (7), Spain OQT winner, Greece OQT winner.
Group B: Germany (3), France (9), Japan (26), Latvia OQT winner.
Group C: United States (1), Serbia (4), South Sudan (33), Puerto Rico OQT winner.
WOMEN’S GROUPS
Group A: China (world ranking 2), Spain (4), Serbia (10), Puerto Rico (11).
Group B: Australia (3), Canada (5), France (7), Nigeria (12).
Group C: United States (1), Belgium (6), Japan (9), Germany (19).
FORMAT
It is the same for the men’s and women’s tournaments. Teams will play three group stage games. The top two finishers in each group, plus the two best third-place teams, will advance to the quarterfinals.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: MAGIC BLITZ HORNETS, HEADED FOR AT LEAST PLAY-IN
Cole Anthony scored 19 of his 21 points in the first half as the Orlando Magic romped past the visiting Charlotte Hornets, 112-92, on Tuesday night, securing a spot in at least the play-in round of the NBA postseason.
Jalen Suggs poured in 16 points, Moritz Wagner and Paolo Banchero each had 13 points and Franz Wagner added 11 points for the Magic, who have won nine of their past 11 games. Orlando led by as many as 41 points in the first half.
Orlando shot 54.3 percent for the game and cruised despite surrendering 33 third-quarter points.
The Hornets, who dropped to 2-8 this month, were paced by Brandon Miller’s 21 points and Vasilije Micic’s 20 points. Miles Bridges added 16 points and Tre Mann had 11 points for Charlotte, which committed 17 turnovers.
Rockets 137, Wizards 114
Jalen Green tied his career high with 42 points while rookie Amen Thompson added a career-high 25 points as Houston turned a third-quarter rally into a victory over host Washington.
Green finished with seven 3-pointers as the Rockets won their sixth game in a row. Thompson grabbed 10 boards to post a double-double, as did Green (10 boards) and teammate Jabari Smith Jr. (18 points, 14 rebounds).
Corey Kispert, Justin Champagnie and Jules Bernard scored 16 points apiece for the Wizards, who were without four starters from their road loss to the Rockets last week.
Nuggets 115, Timberwolves 112
Nikola Jokic scored 35 points and grabbed 16 rebounds as Denver edged Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Michael Porter Jr. added 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting for the Nuggets, who bounced back from a buzzer-beater loss against the Dallas Mavericks two days earlier. Denver’s Jamal Murray (18 points, 11 assists) and Aaron Gordon (14 points, 11 rebounds) registered double-doubles.
Anthony Edwards finished with 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to lead Minnesota. Jaden McDaniels scored 26 points on 9-of-13 shooting, and Mike Conley chipped in 13 points to go along with six boards and five assists.
Pelicans 104, Nets 91
Zion Williamson collected 28 points, seven rebounds and four assists as New Orleans continued its playoff push by beating Brooklyn in New York.
The Pelicans clinched consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 2007-08 and 2008-09 and earned their 22nd road win. CJ McCollum helped New Orleans seize control early by scoring 13 of his 16 points in the first half. Larry Nance Jr. finished with 13 points and 10 boards.
Cam Thomas led the Nets with 25 points but had little help as Brooklyn lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Mavericks 113, Spurs 107
Kyrie Irving hit for 28 points to help visiting Dallas to a win over San Antonio in a game in which two of the teams’ superstars struggled.
Luka Doncic added 18 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds but went just 6 of 27 from the floor for Dallas. Dante Exum added 16 points off the bench and Daniel Gafford had 13.
Tre Jones led the Spurs with 22 points, with Devin Vassell adding 19 and rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama settling for 12 points (on 3-of-13 shooting), 11 rebounds, six blocks and three assists.
COLLEGE SPORTS NEWS
CLEMSON JOINS FLORIDA STATE, BECOMES SECOND SCHOOL TO SUE ACC AS IT SEEKS TO EXIT CONFERENCE
Clemson sued the Atlantic Coast Conference in a South Carolina court on Tuesday, joining Florida State in challenging the league’s right to charge schools hundreds of millions of dollars to leave.
The complaint filed in Pickens County says the ACC’s “exorbitant $140 million” exit penalty and the grant of rights used to bind schools to a conference through their media rights should be struck down by the court.
“Each of these erroneous assertions separately hinders Clemson’s ability to meaningfully explore its options regarding conference membership, to negotiate alternative revenue-sharing proposals among ACC members and to obtain full value for its future media rights,” the school said.
In December, Florida State’s board of trustees sued the ACC in Florida, making similar claims. The ACC pre-emptively filed a lawsuit against Florida State in North Carolina, where the conference offices are located, saying the school’s actions were a breach of contract.
The first hearing in the North Carolina case is schedule for Friday.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
ESPN WILL REMAIN THE HOME OF THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF THROUGH 2031 UNDER $7.8 BILLION DEAL
The College Football Playoff and ESPN announced a $7.8 billion deal Tuesday that will give the network exclusive rights to the expanded postseason through the 2031 season, with the national championship game moving to ABC starting in 2026.
Financial terms were not announced, but as previously reported the new six-year agreement will pay the CFP and participating conferences $1.3 billion annually.
An agreement in principle between the CFP and ESPN was reached weeks ago, but first the college conferences that participate in the playoff had to sign a deal to continue their partnership for another six years. That agreement and a new revenue-sharing plan was finalized last week.
The new agreements with ESPN, modify terms of the remaining two years of the current contract to take into account expansion from four to 12 teams, starting with the upcoming season.
“It’s a significant day for the CFP and for the future of college football,” CFP executive director Bill Hancock said. “The depth of coverage that ESPN gives to the sport throughout the season is second to none.”
The conferences agreed to at least a 12-team playoff starting in 2026, but more expansion could be on the way. Hancock said last week that format discussions among the management committee, comprised of Bowl Subdivision conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director, have been tabled for now.
ESPN has been the home of the CFP’s primary broadcast for the championship game through the first 10 years of the playoff, and will remain so for the final two years of the original 12-year deal. In 2026, the title game moves to ESPN’s parent network, ABC.
Nick Dawson, ESPN’s senior vice president for programming, said moving the title game to the over-the-air network was a collaborative decision between the CFP and ESPN.
“I think it was something we had expected was coming in a new deal. That having a broadcast network presence would be an important piece as the size and scale of the playoff grew,” Dawson said.
ESPN recently agreed to a new $920 million, eight-year deal with the NCAA for the rights to the women’s Division I basketball tournament and 39 other championship events.
The current CFP contracts, including with ESPN, expire after the 2025 football season. The previous deal with ESPN, which included the rights to only three playoff games per season (two semifinals and a championship game) and four marquee bowl games, paid out $470 million annually.
During the long and at times contentious expansion negotiations between the conference commissioners, there was generally consensus among the group that the expanded CFP would ideally have multiple media partners after the original 12-year deal with ESPN expired.
Instead, the CFP found a market with few aggressive buyers and ESPN highly motivated to own it all.
The deal does allow for ESPN to sublicense a select number of games to other networks.
Media consultant and former Fox Sports executive Patrick Crakes said he was not surprised ESPN ended up as the lone rights holder, especially with major digital media companies such as Apple and Amazon still cautious about entering the market.
“The reason why the expectations aren’t getting met is because the economics and ability to monetize these large, tier one properties, it’s just becoming impossible to do it, unless you’re already heavily invested in it,” he said.
Crakes said he always believed the CFP rights were ESPN’s to lose.
“In the case of Fox, Fox would like to have this? I suppose, but at the end of the day they’ve got plenty going on in December and January,” he said.
NFL NEWS
LIONS AND PRO BOWL GUARD KEVIN ZEITLER AGREE ON 1-YEAR DEAL, AP SOURCE SAYS
The Detroit Lions and Pro Bowl guard Kevin Zeitler have agreed to a one-year contract, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced.
Detroit addressed its last glaring need on offense with the signing, finding a replacement for Jonah Jackson. The veteran guard signed with the Los Angeles Rams in free agency last week after the team decided to bring back versatile offensive lineman Graham Glasgow.
The 34-year-old Zeitler was a Pro Bowl player for the first time last season, in his third year as a starter with the Baltimore Ravens. He was drafted out of Wisconsin by Cincinnati with the No. 27 overall pick in 2012 and was regarded as one of the top rookies in the league at the time.
Zeitler has started 181 games over his 12-year career, including five seasons with the Bengals, two in Cleveland, two with the New York Giants and the last two in Baltimore.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes has made a series of moves in free agency on both sides of the ball, aiming to improve a team that won two playoff games in one postseason for the first time since 1957.
SAINTS, DEFENSIVE END CHASE YOUNG AGREE ON 1-YEAR CONTRACT FOR FORMER NO. 2 OVERALL PICK
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints have agreed to terms of a one-year contract with free agent defensive end Chase Young, a move that provides reinforcements to an edge pass rush that periodically struggled to pressure quarterbacks last season.
“I definitely plan to add a good piece,” Young said in a video conference with New Orleans reporters Monday night. “I’m going to let my play do the talking.”
Saints defensive ends combined for 14 sacks last season, led by Carl Granderson’s 8 1/2, and the club ranked 29th in the NFL in sacks per pass attempt.
Young, who turns 25 in April, was drafted second overall out of Ohio State by the Washington Commanders in 2020, when he was named the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. But he was sidelined by major knee injuries in his second pro season that also kept him out for much of 2022.
“Injuries definitely hindered a few things,” Young said. “It’s all about the process, all about the journey. I know what I can do.”
Last season, Young saw his most action since his rookie campaign, playing in 16 games with the Commanders and San Francisco 49ers, who acquired him in a midseason trade. He had 7 1/2 sacks during the regular season and had another in the Niners’ Super Bowl loss to Kansas City.
BROWNS WR JERRY JEUDY SIGNS 3-YEAR EXTENSION
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy signed a three-year contract extension on Tuesday.
Multiple outlets reported the contract is worth up to $58 million — including $41 million guaranteed at the signing — but details were not confirmed by the team. Jeudy was heading into the final year of his contract this season.
He was acquired by the Browns on March 9 from the Denver Broncos in exchange for fifth- and sixth-round picks (135th and 202nd overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft.
“I want to be somewhere that wants me to be there. I want to be home,” Jeudy said. “When I stepped in the building, just the energy and excitement that I received when I got there, that made me feel welcomed. I feel like it’s a fresh start. It’s going to be exciting just to be able to be somewhere new, especially having all the great guys on the team. So, it’s just going to make things a lot easier for me and just better.”
Jeudy, who turns 25 next month, is receiving a fresh start after being selected by the Broncos with the 15th overall draft pick in 2020 out of Alabama. They picked up his fifth-year contract option last May, signing him to a $12.99 million deal for 2024.
With the Browns, Jeudy will join Amari Cooper (1,250 yards, five touchdowns in 2023) and Elijah Moore (640 yards, two TDs) as a key target for quarterback Deshaun Watson.
“When we acquired Jerry via trade this spring, it was with the vision that he would become a core member of our offense in 2024 and beyond,” said Andrew Berry, the Browns executive vice president of football operations.
“He is a scheme-versatile receiver with high-level ability to separate against man coverage and a diverse number of ways to produce on the perimeter or in the slot.
“We felt that the ability to add a passionate and competitive player with his combination of strengths would be an important component of our offense now and into the future. At 24 years old and just entering his prime, we are pleased to have Jerry as a member of the Browns for the next several seasons and believe the best is yet to come.”
Last season, Jeudy appeared in 16 games (11 starts) for the Broncos and tallied 54 catches for 758 yards and two touchdowns.
In four seasons in Denver, he gained 3,053 yards on 211 receptions and added 11 touchdowns in 57 games (44 starts).
OT TRENT BROWN SIGNS 1-YEAR DEAL WITH BENGALS
Former New England Patriots offensive tackle Trent Brown signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday.
Financial terms were not disclosed for Brown, who visited the Bengals earlier in the day. The 2019 Pro Bowl selection is a candidate to step in to replace the departed Jonah Williams.
Williams signed a two-year free agent deal with the Arizona Cardinals last week.
Brown, who turns 31 on April 13, played in 11 games (eight starts) last season with the Patriots. It was his second stint with New England after winning a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2018.
Brown has played in 100 career games (93 starts) with the San Francisco 49ers (2015-17), then-Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (2019-20) and Patriots. He was selected by the 49ers in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Florida.
REPORTS: JETS TO SIGN WR MIKE WILLIAMS TO ONE-YEAR, $15M DEAL
The New York Jets are signing wide receiver Mike Williams to a one-year deal worth up to $15 million, ESPN and NFL Network reported Tuesday.
Williams, 29, was a cap casualty released by the Los Angeles Chargers last week after he spent his first seven NFL seasons with the club.
Williams’ 2023 season was cut short in Week 3 when he suffered a torn ACL. In 88 career games (62 starts), he has racked up 309 catches for 4,806 yards (15.6 yards per catch) and 31 touchdowns, plus one rushing touchdown.
In Los Angeles, Williams was the No. 2 receiver complementing Keenan Allen. In New York, he will line up opposite former Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson while quarterback Aaron Rodgers makes his return from injury.
Williams was due to make $17 million in the final year of his three-year deal with the Chargers before he was released.
NFL DRAFT PROFILE=QB CALEB WILLIAMS, USC
Overview
Williams’ play is highlighted by rare escapability paired with the talent to exploit defenses once the play breaks down. He’s not tall, but he is well-built, with an arm to challenge defenses across the field. He can be a high-impact playmaker on the go or an effective pocket passer when he allows himself to trust his eyes on second and third reads. He can improve his accuracy and placement on intermediate and deep throws, but he’s unlikely to be known for pinpoint accuracy. It is admirable that he looks to keep his eyes up and make throws outside the pocket, but he’ll make things easier on himself early in his pro career by becoming a more decisive scrambler to move the sticks and carry on to the next set of downs. Williams is tremendously talented but often bites off too much responsibility and plays off-schedule. He has a good chance to hit new heights with a surrounding cast he trusts, but greater self-discipline and a well-structured offense might be needed to help him become a quarterback who can elevate a franchise to championship contention.
Strengths
- Forced to keep his team in games with high-end production and did so.
- Better consistency projected with pro targets who separate.
- Rapid-fire transition from fake to throw on RPOs.
- Twitchy release helps generate heat on drive throws.
- Puts enough pace on the ball to challenge safeties to a variety of spots.
- Will reset his pocket to create better throwing angles.
- Much improved at getting air under deep throws in 2023.
- Touchdown-to-interception ratio of 46:1 in red zone since the start of 2022 season, per Pro Football Focus.
- Keeps his eyes and arm alive when leaving the pocket.
- Rare talent to feel pressure, escape and extend the play.
Weaknesses
- Averse to playing throw-and-catch football on schedule.
- Eyes can become sticky and sluggish working through progressions.
- Must learn to throw with better anticipation/timing on the NFL level.
- Hero-ball mentality creates indecisiveness and inconsistent decision-making.
- Disconcerting deep-ball accuracy in QB-friendly offense.
- Will throw on the move unnecessarily rather than platform up.
- Passes up easy scramble yardage for more challenging throws.
BASEBALL NEWS
MLB OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCES EACH TEAM’S STARTING PITCHER FOR OPENING DAY
It didn’t have the drama of the NCAA Tournament bracket release of two days earlier, but MLB held its own unveiling Tuesday by announcing the starting pitching matchups for all season openers.
At least half the teams already had announced their opening day starters.
“To be able to be told by your skipper that you’re going to be the guy that’s starting the first game of the season, it’s an honor,” Colorado pitcher Kyle Freeland said in a video released by the team announcing him as its opening day starter. “I definitely don’t take it lightly. It’s great to know and have that feeling that you’ve accomplished something that only a handful of guys get to do on a consistent basis.”
The MLB opener Wednesday at Seoul, South Korea, has Los Angeles Dodgers newcomer Tyler Glasnow facing San Diego’s Yu Darvish. Glasnow signed a $136.5 million, five-year contract with the Dodgers after they acquired him from Tampa Bay.
Perhaps the most notable matchup has Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler facing Atlanta’s Spencer Strider at Citizens Bank Park. Corbin Burnes, the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner for Milwaukee, is to make his Baltimore debut in an opener against the visiting Los Angeles Angels.
The Chicago White Sox announced Monday that left-hander Garrett Crochet will make his first career start on opening day. The 24-year-old Crochet is moving into the rotation this season, but all 72 of his previous big league appearances have come in relief.
Oakland gave its opening day assignment to Alex Wood, a 33-year-old left-hander who had never started an opener before.
Some other opening day pitching matchups include Jose Quintana for the New York Mets facing off with Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta, Burnes vs. Patrick Sandoval for the Los Angeles Angels, Cincinnati’s Frankie Montas vs. Washington’s Josiah Gray, Tampa Bay’s Zach Eflin vs. Toronto’s José Berríos, Miami’s Jesús Luzardo vs. Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller, Kansas City’s Cole Ragans vs. Minnesota’s Pablo López, Houston’s Framber Valdes facing Nestor Cortes of the New York Yankees, Crochet matching up with Detroit’s Tarik Skubal, Texas’ Nathan Eovaldi facing Justin Steele of the Chicago Cubs, Freeland facing Arizona’s Zac Gallen, Wood facing Cleveland’s Shane Bieber and Seattle’s Luis Castillo vs. Boston’s Brayan Bello.
Logan Webb gets the call for San Francisco when the Giants open their season against the Padres, and Miles Mikolas will pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals in their opener against the Dodgers.
DODGERS-PADRES SEASON OPENER IS A TRIUMPHANT HOMECOMING FOR KOREAN STAR KIM
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Shohei Ohtani has received the most attention as his Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres prepare to launch the Major League Baseball season with the first regular season games in South Korea.
But the two-game series starting on Wednesday also is a triumphant homecoming for Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, coming off a dominant season and returning to the Gocheok Sky Dome.
Kim played for the Kiwoom Heroes for seven seasons before signing with San Diego in 2020. He played down questions about being overshadowed by Ohtani, the Dodgers’ newly signed Japanese star, and said his focus was helping his team get off to a positive start against division rivals.
“When an MVP-level player arrives at a team, of course the attention is going to go that way. Our team has lots of good players, too, and I think Korean fans will just love the fact that Major League Baseball is being played in Seoul,” Kim said Tuesday after a workout at the stadium.
“The real games start tomorrow, so I am focused on keeping myself in good condition. I worked hard this year to prepare, and I need to perform well.”
Kim hit .260 with 17 homers, 60 RBIs and 38 steals while establishing himself last season as one of the best National League infielders on defense. He won his first Gold Glove as a utilityman, the first time an infielder from east Asia won the award.
Despite a roster built with years of heavy spending, the Padres finished 82-20 and third in the NL West behind the Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks, missing the playoffs.
Since the death of controlling owner Peter Seidler in November, the front office traded star outfielder Juan Soto to the New York Yankees and refrained from spending big on free agents. Former staff ace Blake Snell, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, has a pending deal with the division rival San Francisco Giants.
Kim seems to be stepping into a bigger role. He started 98 games at second base last season, 29 at third and 16 at shortstop, Manager Mike Shildt is trying him as the regular shortstop while moving Xander Bogaerts to second base.
During a voluntary workout on Tuesday, Kim spent much of the time fielding balls from shortstop and practicing double-play moves, drawing occasional cheers from teammates after fielding groundballs deep in the hole and firing accurately to first.
“Bogaerts is such a good player, so if I do good, our chemistry will get better,” Kim said. “We see each other more than our families and we are a tight bunch. Our players have worked hard, so I think we will definitely have a better record than last year. If we continue to fight, we will push ourselves closer to a championship.”
Kim has looked sharp in practice games against South Korean professional players this week, hitting two home runs against the reigning KBO champions LG Twins on Monday off pitchers he had faced for years.
Ohtani, who went 0 for 5 in two exhibition games against Korean opponents in Seoul, didn’t show up on the field for an optional workout on Tuesday. Mookie Betts fielded batted balls from shortstop, where he is set to start this season after making his first 16 appearances there last year.
Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers’ opening-day starter, threw long tosses from the outfield. Nearby, Game 2 starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, another Japanese star Los Angeles signed in the offseason, went through his unusual training routines, including bounding rubber balls off the outfield wall and throwing small javelins.
REDS LOOKING AT POTENTIAL REPLACEMENTS IN CENTER FIELD AFTER STARTER TJ FRIEDL BREAKS WRIST
CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds are exploring their options after starting center fielder TJ Friedl broke his right wrist on a diving play in spring training last Saturday.
The loss of one of the Reds’ best players is a blow to a team that already expects to start the season without left-handed starter Nick Lodolo (leg) and relievers Ian Gibaut (forearm) and Alex Young (back).
In addition, promising rookie infielder Noelvi Marte was suspended for the first 80 games of the season because he tested positive for a banned sustance.
Friedl, diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture in the distal radius, will be out for an undetermined portion of the early season. Stuart Fairchild and Will Benson are potential replacements in center field.
The Reds open March 28 against the Washington Nationals.
MLB POWER RANKINGS: BRAVES, DODGERS SIT ON TOP
The Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks shocked the world by making the World Series last year. And you know what that means …
The two best teams in baseball are mighty upset.
The Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers will take the field in 2024 with the most star power in baseball, the best collections of young talent and the best prospects waiting their turn.
What could possibly go wrong?
Here are the Field Level Media season-opening power rankings, from worst to first:
30. Chicago White Sox. Having failed to win a postseason series since winning the 2005 World Series, the White Sox already appear to be tanking for the top pick in 2025. Can Caitlin Clark play baseball?
29. Colorado Rockies. The traditionally pitching-challenged club was really good at preventing stolen bases last season. That’s a little like being really good at losing weight … again and again.
28. Washington Nationals. Not that anybody noticed, but they went 35-37 after the All-Star break last season. All it got them was a worse draft pick.
27. Oakland Athletics. The signing of J.D. Davis last week following his release by the cross-bay rival San Francisco Giants won’t stop local fans from staying away from the Coliseum.
26. Los Angeles Angels. The bad news: Shohei Ohtani is now a Dodger. The good news: Anaheim still has the Matterhorn … and a Mickey Mouse of a baseball team.
25. San Diego Padres. Yes, you can do worse than to constantly lose close games (9-23 in one-run affairs in 2023). You can not be competitive at all.
24. Pittsburgh Pirates. Oneil Cruz is one of the most unique talents in baseball. The Pirates need far more than him to become competitive, though.
23. Kansas City Royals. Patrick Mahomes’ adopted team is spending money as if some famous tight end’s girlfriend has bought an interest in the club. As for 2024 … “Shake It Off.”
22. Detroit Tigers. Miguel Cabrera passes the baton to Colt Keith. Careful, young man, it’s slippery.
21. St. Louis Cardinals. Apparently they’ve scheduled an Old-Timers’ Game on Opening Day at Busch. Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson, Miles Mikolas, Matt Carpenter and Brandon Crawford are all expected to suit up.
20. Miami Marlins. The team that Derek Jeter couldn’t save made the playoffs last season and then decided to get younger. You’d think being afraid of the bright lights wouldn’t be a problem in Miami.
19. San Francisco Giants. Confused fans will witness a change from a hockey-style manager (line-shifting Gabe Kapler) to soccer-style (ironman fan Bob Melvin). To think they could have had Jim Harbaugh; that surely would have helped the running game.
18. Cincinnati Reds. The up-and-comers chose to address last year’s 5.43 starting-staff ERA by bringing aboard Frankie Montas. Expect more fireworks.
17. Houston Astros. Dusty Baker, Martin Maldonado and Michael Brantley are gone from an old team that hasn’t done anything exciting to replace them. This could get ugly in a hurry.
16. New York Mets. The son of a Long Island congressman hit a walk-off sacrifice fly this spring. Hey, it kept the loss of Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer out of the tabloids for one day.
15. Boston Red Sox. Much as it did last season when J.D. Martinez left for the Dodgers, this once proud franchise has aided the Braves’ cause this year with the trade of Chris Sale. At least it wasn’t to the Yankees.
14. Milwaukee Brewers. The Yankees acquire Juan Soto. The Brewers trade away Corbin Burnes. Raise your hand if either surprises you.
13. Minnesota Twins. Great power hitting and starting pitching delivered 87 wins last season. But losing Joey Gallo, Michael A. Taylor, Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda leaves them with … a good bullpen?
12. Seattle Mariners. It’s March Madness time, so it’s probably a good thing to mention the Mariners has all five starters back from last year’s 88-win team. But after narrowly missing the postseason, the question is: Can they rebound?
11. Cleveland Guardians. New manager Stephen Vogt began his playing career 0-for-32 at the plate. At least he was healthy, something his team already isn’t.
10. Chicago Cubs. Shota Imanaga has looked like the second coming of Shohei Ohtani at times on the mound this spring. Oh, wait. That was against the A’s. Never mind.
9. Toronto Blue Jays. Out goes Brandon Belt, Matt Chapman and Whit Merrifield. In comes Joey Votto, Justin Turner and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Call it a push?
8. Arizona Diamondbacks. After surprising everyone with speed last season, they added Eugenio Suarez and Joc Pederson in the offseason. Has MLB shrunk the super-sized bases?
7. Tampa Bay Rays. Is Manager of the Century Kevin Cash back? OK, then the Rays will defy all odds and compete again.
6. Baltimore Orioles. Don’t look now, but the next Corey Seager-Marcus Semien-style superstar double-play combination is developing in Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday. If only John Means could stay healthy.
5. New York Yankees. Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon might not scare anyone in March, and Cole could miss the first third of the season due to an arm ailment. But big money says: Look out in October.
4. Philadelphia Phillies. One-armed Bryce Harper and his handpicked mates can’t play defense and the bullpen is shaky. Who cares? Adding Whit Merrifield to this collection of boppers is almost unfair.
3. Texas Rangers. Bruce Bochy loves veteran players, but if Wyatt Langford can do for the champs what Evan Carter did last year, it’s bound to make the manager feel young again.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers. Winning 100 games (again) wasn’t enough, so the Dodgers imported another star hitter (Shohei Ohtani) and another star pitcher (Yoshinobu Yamamoto). All of a sudden, Clayton Kershaw’s shoulder surgery doesn’t seem to matter.
1. Atlanta Braves. Unfazed after succumbing to too much of a good thing last October, the defending regular-season champs added Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez and Jarred Kelenic. Are they gluttons for punishment, or what?
AL EAST CAPSULES: YANKEES COULD BE TEAM TO BEAT
Baltimore Orioles
2023 record: 101-61 (1st in AL East)
KEY MOVES
He gone: OF Aaron Hicks, 2B Adam Frazier, RHP Kyle Gibson, RHP Jack Flaherty, LHP DL Hall
New faces: RHP Corbin Burnes, RHP Craig Kimbrel, 2B Kolten Wong, 3B/2B Nick Maton, RHP Julio Teheran, RHP Jonathan Heasley
Biggest question entering Opening Day: How far can Baltimore’s young core carry the team? The Orioles’ prospect pool is headlined by middle infielder Jackson Holliday, who, despite being drafted just two years ago, already is projected to reach the majors in 2024. Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez is entering Year 2, while outfielders Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad are expected to get ample time at the big-league level this season. Then of course there’s Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg, who are all 26 or younger and already have proved themselves with Baltimore, which is in position to be in control of the American League East for years to come. They won 101 games a season ago and reached the AL Division Series, a great experience for a team that hasn’t come close to reaching its full potential.
2024 Outlook: Between all the young talent and the addition of Burnes, it’s easy to have Baltimore as a World Series favorite, but don’t overlook the fact that this team hasn’t frequently been battle-tested. Last year marked the Orioles’ first playoff appearance since 2016, so a lack of postseason experience could be the only thing preventing Baltimore from getting where it ultimately wants to be.
Boston Red Sox
2023 record: 78-84 (5th place, AL East)
KEY MOVES
He gone: LHP Chris Sale, DH Justin Turner, OF Alex Verdugo, INF Luis Urias
New faces: RHP Lucas Giolito, OF Tyler O’Neill, SS Vaughn Grissom, RHP Liam Hendricks, C Tyler Heineman
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Does Brayan Bello have what it takes to be an ace? By shipping Sale to the Atlanta Braves in December, Boston made it clear it was searching for a new pitcher to headline the rotation. Giolito appeared poised to be in the running for that role, but that was before he needed surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right (throwing) elbow. Following Giolito’s injury — which is expected to be season-ending — the Red Sox locked up Bello for the foreseeable future with a six-year, $55 million extension. Bello, 24, made 28 starts in 2023, going 12-11 with a 4.24 ERA in his first full major league season. He is in line to be Boston’s third different Opening Day starter in three years, with fellow right-hander Nick Pivetta likely being the only other option to get the nod in Game 1.
2024 Outlook: After finishing last in the division a year ago, Boston needed to be aggressive in the free-agent market this past offseason, but it was anything but that. New chief baseball officer Craig Breslow avoided seriously pursuing any big names, meaning the Red Sox are likely focused on developing some of their high-end prospects rather than setting their sights on a playoff berth.
New York Yankees
2023 record: 82-80 (4th place, AL East)
KEY MOVES
He gone: RHP Michael King, RHP Jhony Brito, C Kyle Higashioka, INF/OF Isiah Kiner-Falefa
New faces: OF Juan Soto, RHP Marcus Stroman, OF Alex Verdugo, OF Trent Grisham, LHP Caleb Ferguson
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Is this the year New York gets over the hump? The Yankees had reached the American League Championship Series in three of six seasons before missing the playoffs for just the fifth time this century in 2023. Despite its ability to make deep postseason runs, New York never reached the World Series during its recent ALCS run for a shot at its 28th title. Coming off a fourth-place finish in the five-team AL East, the Yankees traded for Soto and signed Stroman to show they are serious about re-establishing themselves as contenders. However, New York already is facing adversity, as reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole is dealing with nerve inflammation that will prevent him from throwing for the next three to four weeks.
2024 Outlook: It’s hard to say that anything short of a trip to the World Series is a disappointment, but for this New York team, that might be the case. The Yankees added a plethora of talent at a very low price, and if this isn’t the year New York lands in the Fall Classic, fans will be left wondering what more the team needs to reach the next level.
Tampa Bay Rays
2023 record: 99-63 (2nd in AL East)
KEY MOVES
He gone: RHP Tyler Glasnow, OF Manuel Margot, LHP Jake Diekman, RHP Robert Stephenson, OF/1B Luke Raley, RHP Calvin Faucher
New faces: SS Amed Rosario, RHP Ryan Pepiot, RHP Phil Maton, 2B Jose Caballero, OF Richie Palacios
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Is Tampa Bay’s small-ball approach still going to work this year? The Rays enter 2024 with the sixth-lowest payroll in the majors, per Spotrac. Trusting analytics and getting big contributions from players flying under the radar has been Tampa Bay’s bread and butter over the past six seasons, but how sustainable is such a strategy? After winning 99 games in the regular season in 2023, the Rays had nothing to show for it, losing 2-0 to the Texas Rangers in an American League wild-card series — the second year in a row Tampa Bay has been swept in the first round of the playoffs. With the Yankees welcoming Juan Soto and Marcus Stroman to town and the Orioles trading for ace right-hander Corbin Burnes to pitch behind an offense loaded with young talent, Tampa Bay could be looking at a third-place finish — at best — in the AL East.
2024 Outlook: Predicting a fall-off for a team that has won at least 90 games in four of the past five 162-game seasons is risky, but all signs are pointing toward the Rays taking a step back in 2024. They won’t fall into the basement of the division, but the window for a championship may have come and gone.
Toronto Blue Jays
2023 record: 89-73 (3rd in AL East)
KEY MOVES
He gone: LHP Hyun Jin Ryu, 1B Brandon Belt, RHP Jordan Hicks, RHP Jay Jackson, 3B Matt Chapman, RHP Adam Cimber, 2B/OF Whit Merrifield
New faces: DH Justin Turner, INF/OF Isiah Kiner-Falefa, 1B Joey Votto, RHP Yariel Rodriguez, DH Daniel Vogelbach, 3B Eduardo Escobar
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Did Toronto move the needle enough in the offseason to contend with the powerhouses of the American League East? The Blue Jays have been living in a state of purgatory for the better part of the past seven years, finishing no higher than third in the division six times. Sure, Toronto has made three AL wild-card series during that span, but it was swept in each one and hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016. With a lineup that features Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and George Springer and a rotation that has Kevin Gausman and Jose Berrios, the Blue Jays will be competitive, but how will they match up with the Orioles, Yankees and Rays?
2024 Outlook: A second-place finish in the division is a real possibility considering it could be hard to catch New York, which went all out this past offseason. That means another wild-card series is likely for the Blue Jays as they attempt to end their seven-game postseason losing streak.
AL CENTRAL CAPSULES: TWINS REMAIN CLASS OF WEAK DIVISION
Chicago White Sox
2023 record: 61-101 (4th place, AL Central)
KEY MOVES
He gone: RHP Dylan Cease, SS Tim Anderson, INF Elvis Andrus, C Yasmani Grandal, RHP Liam Hendriks, RHP Mike Clevinger, LHP Aaron Bummer, RHP Gregory Santos
New faces: RHP Prelander Berroa, SS Paul DeJong, RHP Michael Soroka, C Max Stassi, RHP John Brebbia, C Martin Maldonado, RHP Chris Flexen, RHP Steven Wilson, LHP Tim Hill, RHP Erick Fedde
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Are the White Sox set for an active rebuild in Pedro Grifol’s second season as manager, or are they only beginning to plunder the roster targeting another prospect-rich reset? Perhaps that question was answered when Chicago sent Cease — runner-up for the 2022 AL Cy Young Award — to San Diego on March 13 for Wilson and three prospects. With Cease in the rear-view mirror, all eyes turn to All-Star OF Luis Robert as a likely trade target during the season.
2024 Outlook: Perhaps the sun will come out sooner than expected on the Southside because of the potential superstar power that’s still around (for now) in Robert, DH Eloy Jimenez and INF Yoan Moncada. But after 101 losses, a trade-deadline fire sale and the subsequent subtraction of franchise pillars such as Hendriks and Anderson create doubt around a franchise closer to dormant than dominant for the past decade.
Cleveland Guardians
2023 record: 76-86 (3rd place, AL Central)
KEY MOVES
He gone: Manager Terry Francona, RHP Aaron Civale, RHP Cal Quantrill, RHP Enyel De Los Santos, SS Amed Rosario, DH Josh Bell, 1B Kole Calhoun, C Mike Zunino
New faces: Manager Stephen Vogt, RHP Carlos Carrasco, C Austin Hedges, RHP Scott Barlow, RHP Ben Lively, OF Estevan Florial
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Will the change in leadership be costly? The Guardians are transitioning from three-time Manager of the Year Francona (2013, 2016, 2022) — the longest-tenured skipper in the franchise’s history — to an unproven newcomer. Vogt, 39, saw his playing career end after the 2022 season and spent 2023 as the bullpen and quality control coach with the Seattle Mariners.
2024 Outlook: Offense outside of the uber-consistent and perennially underrated Jose Ramirez is in question. Ramirez finished with 24 homers, 80 RBIs and a majors-best 22 intentional walks last season, but depth at starting pitching (yes, 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber is still there) should keep the team competitive in a lackluster division. The Guardians have questions about their middle relief, but if they navigate those waters, they should finish games well with closer Emmanuel Clase (major-league-best 44 saves) swimming on the back end.
Detroit Tigers
2023 record: 78-84 (2nd place, AL Central)
KEY MOVES
He gone: DH Miguel Cabrera, LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, RHP Michael Lorenzen, INF Nick Maton, C Eric Haase
New faces: RHP Kenta Maeda, RHP Jack Flaherty, OF Mark Canha, 3B Gio Urshela, RHP Shelby Miller, 2B Colt Keith
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Is the Tigers’ projected solid starting pitching strong enough to send the team to the playoffs? Tarik Skubal was named the Opening Day starter after being limited to 15 games (all starts) last season while working his way back from a 2022 season-ending elbow injury. Maeda and Flaherty will fill the roles left vacant by Rodriguez and Lorenzen. Another question facing Detroit is the play of SS Javier Baez, who hasn’t provided much bang for the buck during the first two seasons of his six-year, $140 million contract.
2024 Outlook: While the Tigers deal with the departure of 12-time All-Star Cabrera (retirement), they will look for offensive contributions from former top overall pick Spencer Torkelson and former fifth overall pick Riley Greene. Should that come to fruition along with the aforementioned solid pitching, Detroit should be able to entertain realistic division title hopes for the first time since it capped a four-year run atop the AL Central from 2011-14.
Kansas City Royals
2023 record: 56-106 (5th place, AL Central)
KEY MOVES
He gone: RHP Zack Greinke, RHP Jackson Kowar, RHP Brad Keller, 3B Matt Duffy, RHP Jonathan Heasley, RF Edward Olivares
New faces: RF Hunter Renfroe, RHP Michael Wacha, RHP Seth Lugo, RHP Kyle Wright, RHP Nick Anderson, LHP Will Smith, 2B Adam Frazier
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Kudos to Kansas City for overhauling its roster, but will those new additions pay immediate dividends for a club that matched its lowest winning percentage in franchise history (.346, 2005) last season? Renfroe aims to bounce back following a dismal season in 2023 split between the Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati Reds. Wacha and Lugo are expected to produce right out of the chute as the Royals look toward 2024 in order to get offseason acquisition Wright (shoulder injury) on the mound. Smith assumes the closer’s role, but how much work he actually receives remains to be seen.
2024 Outlook: The Royals likely won’t be entertaining playoff hopes, but perhaps 15 more wins from last year’s total isn’t out of the question. All eyes will remain on SS Bobby Witt Jr., who signed a franchise-record, 11-year, $288.8 million extension in February. Witt led the majors with 11 triples last season to go with 30 homers and 96 RBIs.
Minnesota Twins
2023 record: 87-75 (1st place, AL Central)
KEY MOVES
He gone: RHP Sonny Gray, RHP Kenta Maeda, 2B Jorge Polanco, RHP Tyler Mahle, RHP Emilio Pagan, OF Michael A. Taylor, INF Nick Gordon, OF Joey Gallo
New faces: 1B Carlos Santana, OF Manuel Margot, RHP Anthony DeSclafani, LHP Steven Okert, RHP Josh Staumont
Biggest question entering Opening Day: In short, it’s pitching … and the health of Byron Buxton. The departures of Gray and Maeda have catapulted Pablo Lopez to the role of the team’s ace, while fellow RHPs Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober will need to contribute to the rotation as well. RHP Chris Paddack is expected to move back to a starter’s role, while fellow starter DeSclafani will be tasked with eating innings as well. As for Buxton, he is expected to cover ground in center field this season after knee issues limited him to designated hitter duty in 2023.
2024 Outlook: Defending AL Central champion Minnesota owns the most talented roster in baseball’s weakest division. Manager Rocco Baldelli’s offense could see an uptick with a full year expected of Royce Lewis, who worked his way back from a torn ACL to put up more than respectable numbers last season.
AL WEST CAPSULES: ASTROS, RANGERS VIE FOR SUPREMACY
Houston Astros
2023 record: 90-72 (1st place, AL West)
KEY MOVES
He gone: OF Michael Brantley, C Martin Maldonado, RHP Ryne Stanek, RHP Hector Neris
New faces: LHP Josh Hader, C Victor Caratini
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Will the Astros make one last stand, or will they continue to build on their success? Houston has appeared in seven consecutive American League Championship Series, reaching the World Series four times, including winning two titles. The Astros fell one game short of the World Series last year when they lost to the Rangers in the ALCS. But last season’s victory total was just 90 after the franchise won more than 100 games in four of the previous five full campaigns. So this season may reveal whether the Houston dynasty is about to slide downward or continue its impressive run.
Key hitters such as Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker pace a dangerous offense that can explode at any time. Jose Abreu drove in 90 runs in his first season with the team but was an overall disappointment, and the Astros expect him to bounce back. Houston’s strong rotation is led by Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier, and the Astros signed Josh Hader to be their closer, turning Ryan Pressly into the eighth-inning man.
2024 outlook: Bench coach Joe Espada replaces Dusty Baker as manager after the latter retired in the offseason. Espada has been in the dugout for the past six seasons, so he knows what makes the key players tick and is aware of how the organization works. Expect a smooth transition.
Los Angeles Angels
2023 record: 73-89 (4th place, AL West)
KEY MOVES
He gone: DH-RHP Shohei Ohtani, INF Mike Moustakas, 3B Eduardo Escobar, INF Gio Urshela, 1B C.J. Cron, OF Randal Grichuk
New faces: RHP Luis Garcia, LHP Matt Moore, OF Aaron Hicks, RHP Adam Cimber
Biggest question entering Opening Day: What are the Angels doing? They never made the playoffs in six seasons with Ohtani and Mike Trout on the same roster, and now Ohtani has departed to join the nearby Dodgers. The Angels didn’t make a big splash on the free-agent front, and a ninth straight losing season feels like a mere formality. Trout has maintained his loyalty to the organization, but could he be the next one to go? One more dreadful season could clinch that.
There is no way to replace a player like Ohtani, and his loss affects the pitching rotation as well as the offense. The Angels hope former No. 1 overall pick Mickey Moniak will have a breakout season. Anthony Rendon, who has been a major bust for the Angels, is healthy at the outset of the season, but will he be in May?
2024 outlook: The Angels hired Ron Washington as manager, and the man who will turn 72 next month is running a club for the first time since 2014. Keeping Trout healthy is crucial since his injuries have limited him to 237 games over the past three campaigns. The starting pitching will need to improve dramatically for the Angels to threaten for a wild-card berth. A trio of Reid Detmers, Griffin Canning and Patrick Sandoval at the top of the rotation won’t scare many opposing batters.
Oakland Athletics
2023 record: 50-112 (5th place, AL West)
KEY MOVES
He gone: INF Tony Kemp, RHP Trevor May
New faces: LHP Alex Wood, RHP Ross Stripling, INF Abraham Toro, INF-OF Miguel Andujar, RHP Trevor Gott, INF J.D. Davis
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Will Oakland again be the worst team in the majors? It sure looks that way, as the franchise did little to improve in the offseason. Athletics ownership is focused on making a move to Las Vegas work out, but the roster neglect assures that the expected last season in Oakland will not be filled with much winning. Even bettering last season’s 50 victories could be challenging. The Athletics added Wood and Stripling to the rotation in the offseason, but teams in need of pitching will know who to call at the trade deadline if they need an arm. Promising Mason Miller will begin the season in the bullpen and could end up being part of the late-game mix.
2024 outlook: The fact that the club’s lease in Oakland ends after this season and a new stadium in Las Vegas would open in 2028 will leave the team in limbo for the next three seasons. The Athletics’ fans who are die-hard have threatened a boycott of the club, and that would make for a quiet atmosphere at the Coliseum. It will be a circus-like season, and manager Mark Kotsay would be a miracle worker to avoid 100 losses.
Seattle Mariners
2023 record: 88-74 (3rd place, AL West)
KEY MOVES
He gone: OF Teoscar Hernandez, 3B Eugenio Suarez, LHP Robbie Ray, OF Jarred Kelenic, C Tom Murphy, LHP Marco Gonzales, INF Jose Caballero
New faces: OF Mitch Haniger, C Mitch Garver, 2B Jorge Polanco, RHP Gregory Santos, RHP Ryne Stanek, OF Luke Raley, INF Luis Urias
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Will the offense carry its weight? The Mariners were in the AL West race into the final week of the regular season in 2023 despite having holes in the lineup and a tendency to pile up strikeouts. They traded Suarez, a player with power and a low average, and hope guys such as Polanco, Garver and Haniger (in his second stint in Seattle) can help the production. Polanco is a key figure since the Mariners received little offense from the second base position last season. Basically, superstar Julio Rodriguez needs help. The Mariners have a stellar rotation led by Carlos Castillo, and they made moves in the offseason without giving up Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller or Bryan Woo. The bullpen should be solid with Andres Munoz as the closer and Stanek and Santos also working in the later innings.
2024 outlook: Seattle reached the postseason in 2022 to end a 20-season drought, so falling short last season was a disappointment. The Mariners won just two fewer games last year and hope they can win 90 or more for the third time in four seasons. The pressure is on.
Texas Rangers
2023 record: 90-72 (2nd place, AL West)
KEY MOVES
He gone: LHP Jordan Montgomery, LHP Will Smith, LHP Aroldis Chapman, C Mitch Garver, OF Travis Jankowski, RHP Jake Odorizzi, OF Robbie Grossman, C Austin Hedges
New faces: RHP David Robertson, RHP Kirby Yates, RHP Tyler Mahle
Biggest question entering Opening Day: The Texas pitching staff is full of issues, with Jacob deGrom (Tommy John surgery) and Max Scherzer (back) nowhere close to being ready and postseason star Jordan Montgomery now a free agent. Then again, Texas won the World Series last season despite holes in the pitching staff. Signing Montgomery quickly would be the best solution since both sides seem to want a reunion. In the meantime, Texas hopes Nathan Eovaldi can stay healthy and will ask veterans Jon Gray and Andrew Heaney to be the No. 2 and 3 starters, respectively. The Rangers will have a strong rotation once everyone is healthy. Adding veterans such as David Robertson and Kirby Yates should bolster what was a shaky bullpen last season.
2024 outlook: The Rangers again will rely on the potent offense led by Corey Seager and Adolis Garcia. Texas led the AL with 881 runs and tied for the league lead with 233 homers and is content with trying to outscore opponents who don’t have the same level of artillery. Late-season call-up Evan Carter looks like the real deal, and top prospect Wyatt Langford is ready to provide more thunder. Skipper Bruce Bochy’s calm demeanor and overall managerial skills were a huge factor in last season’s championship.
NL CENTRAL CAPSULES: CUBS EARLY FAVORITES IN WIDE-OPEN DIVISION
2024 NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL CAPSULES
Cincinnati Reds
2023 record 82-80 (3rd place, NL Central)
He gone: 1B Joey Votto, 3B Nick Senzel, C Curt Casali, OF Harrison Bader
New faces: INF Jeimer Candelario, RHP Frankie Montas, RHP Nick Martinez, RHP Emilio Pagan, LHP Brent Suter
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Will the Reds be rewarded for doling out free-agent dollars to bolster their starting rotation and bullpen? Cincinnati is not always an organization that is eager to spend in the offseason, but the front office got the green light to sign Montas (one year, $16 million), Martinez (two years, $26 million), Pagan (two years, $16 million) and Suter (one year, $3 million). They also brought in an impressive switch-hitting corner infielder in Candelario (three years, $45 million), who tallied 22 homers and 70 RBIs last season. Those additions, plus the continued development of young hitters such as Spencer Steer and Matt McLain, give Cincinnati a chance to win games on the mound as well as at the plate.
2024 Outlook: For years, Votto was a bright spot on an otherwise dreary Reds team. Now, Votto has moved on, but the organization as a whole is looking a lot more promising. Cincinnati has a real chance to compete for its first division title since 2012.
Chicago Cubs
2023 record 83-79 (2nd place, NL Central)
He gone: RHP Marcus Stroman, 3B Jeimer Candelario, RHP Michael Fulmer, RHP Brad Boxberger
New faces: LHP Shota Imanaga, INF Michael Busch, RHP Hector Neris, RHP Yency Almonte
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Is this version of the Cubs good enough to win the division, or will the front office have to beef up the roster before the trade deadline to make a serious push for the playoffs? The Cubs stayed quiet for most of the offseason, but their patience paid off when they finally re-signed 1B/OF Cody Bellinger to a three-year, $80 million deal with the potential for opt-outs after years one and two. By bringing back Bellinger, the Cubs answered a huge question about the middle of their lineup. He shined last season, hitting .307 with 26 homers and 97 RBIs while stealing 20 bases, and if he can come anywhere close to that production this season, it could put the Cubs over the top in the NL Central. Imanaga, who signed a four-year, $53 million deal, is expected to boost the starting rotation.
2024 Outlook: The Cubs look like the favorites to win the NL Central, especially if they trade some of their farm-system depth to help fill any gaps they have midway through the season. Chicago is not on the same level as NL powerhouses such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves, but in a weak Central, they don’t need to be a juggernaut to win.
Milwaukee Brewers
2023 record 92-70 (1st place, NL Central)
He gone: RHP Corbin Burnes, 1B Rowdy Tellez, RHP Adrian Houser, 1B Carlos Santana
New faces: 1B Rhys Hoskins, C Gary Sanchez, LHP DL Hall, SS Joey Ortiz
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Can the Brewers compete for another division title without their best two starting pitchers from a season ago? Milwaukee traded Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Hall and Ortiz, two young players with bright futures and comparatively cheap salaries. The Brewers also will likely endure a season without RHP Brandon Woodruff, who is recovering from shoulder surgery. Yet another key pitcher, RHP Devin Williams, is expected to miss about three months because of two fractures in his vertebra. Milwaukee’s main move in the offseason was the signing of Hoskins, who hit 30 homers with the Philadelphia Phillies last season but can’t do anything to fill the pitching void. The Brewers still have RHP Freddy Peralta to anchor the staff, but the rotation lacks solid depth.
2024 Outlook: The word “underwhelming” might be the kindest way to describe the Brewers’ offseason. They will have a tough time repeating as division champions after trading their top pitcher, encountering injuries to other key players and mostly sitting out the free-agent shopping season as a small-market team on a budget.
Pittsburgh Pirates
2023 record 76-86 (4th place, NL Central)
He gone: RHP Vince Velasquez, RHP Andre Jackson, RHP Osvaldo Bido, RHP Thomas Hatch
New faces: LHP Marco Gonzales, LHP Martin Perez, C Yasmani Grandal, LHP Aroldis Chapman, OF Michael A. Taylor, 1B Rowdy Tellez
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Can the Pirates compete in what seems to be a fairly wide-open division, or will they trend toward another fourth- or fifth-place finish that has become all too common in Pittsburgh? The Pirates showed signs of promise last season and have an opportunity to build on that after adding respectable big leaguers such as Gonzales, Perez, Chapman, Grandal, Taylor and Tellez during the offseason. The team’s chances could hinge on the rotation, which is led by RHP Mitch Keller, Gonzales and Perez but includes some unknowns such as LHP Bailey Falter and RHP Quinn Priester. SS Oneil Cruz has the makings of a star, and he alone will be a good reason to keep an eye on the Pirates.
2024 Outlook: The Pirates are on the right trajectory, but they seem to lack the pitching depth to climb to the top of the division. A .500 finish might be a more realistic goal that still would show Pittsburgh is making progress in its march toward respectability.
St. Louis Cardinals
2023 record 71-91 (5th place, NL Central)
He gone: RHP Adam Wainwright, OF Tyler O’Neill, RHP Dakota Hudson, C Andrew Knizner
New faces: RHP Sonny Gray, RHP Lance Lynn, RHP Kyle Gibson, SS Brandon Crawford
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Can the Cardinals bounce back from a miserable season and make a worst-to-first push in the NL Central? St. Louis fell far short of expectations last year, and it responded by bringing in a trio of veteran hurlers in Gray, Lynn and Gibson. The emphasis on veterans continued as the Cardinals turned to Crawford, whom they watched for many seasons in San Francisco. Perhaps more important this season is whether Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado can spark a resurgent offense, or if they take another step back in their stellar but aging careers. St. Louis also is hoping for another step forward from Jordan Walker, who flashed plenty of potential as the top prospect a season ago but needs to prove that he can hit on a consistent basis in 2024.
2024 Outlook: The Cardinals were humbled last season, and they are determined to avoid another bottoming out this season. They should be better, particularly if Gray can maintain his health as a top-end starter, but so many key players are getting older and it is fair to question whether the team can compete for 162 games or if it will run out of steam.
NL EAST CAPSULES: PHILLIES SEEK TO CLOSE GAP ON BRAVES IN DIVISION
2024 NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST CAPSULES
Atlanta Braves
2023 record: 104-58 (1st place, NL East)
KEY MOVES
He gone: OF Eddie Rosario, SS Vaughn Grissom, LHP Brad Hand, RHP Kirby Yates, RHP Michael Soroka, RHP Kyle Wright
New faces: LHP Chris Sale, OF Jarred Kelenic, OF Adam Duvall, RHP Reynaldo Lopez, LHP Aaron Bummer, INF David Fletcher
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Can seven-time All-Star Chris Sale, who has made only 31 starts over the past four seasons, stay healthy for a full season? Sale, who was acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the Vaughn Grissom deal, started 20 games with the Red Sox last season and has looked good this spring, so there’s reason for optimism that the soon-to-be 35-year-old lefty can be a productive member of the rotation.
2024 Outlook: World Series champions in 2021, the Braves have lost to the rival Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series the past two postseasons. That said, with a stacked lineup and a solid pitching staff, there’s no reason to think that they won’t be in the mix to compete in another Fall Classic. Unanimous NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. heads a lineup that in 2023 led the major leagues in five major categories, while 20-game winner Spencer Strider is the unquestioned ace as the Braves vie for their seventh straight NL East title.
Miami Marlins
2023 record: 84-78 (3rd place, NL East)
KEY MOVES
He gone: DH Jorge Soler, 1B Garrett Cooper, LHP Steven Okert
New faces: SS Tim Anderson, OF Nick Gordon, INF Vidal Brujan, C Christian Bethancourt
Biggest question entering Opening Day: With ace Sandy Alcantara out for the season after Tommy John surgery last fall and Braxton Garrett and Max Meyer still working their way back, who will fill the open rotation spot? It appears it’ll be A.J. Puk. After an impressive season out of Miami’s bullpen, Puk could become a valuable trade chip if he thrives in his new assignment. Moving him into this role costs Miami a key late reliever but could be a boon to a talented rotation. As for the front office, it has a whole new look with former Tampa Bay Rays general manager Peter Bendix running baseball operations after Kim Ng’s departure. Bendix overhauled a staff that oversaw a playoff run in 2023. Will that backfire on the Marlins, or will a fresh, new outlook push the franchise forward?
2024 Outlook: The Marlins will try to make the postseason in back-to-back seasons for the first time in team history, although losing Alcantara to injury and Soler to free agency will be tough to overcome. However, a rotation led by Jesus Luzardo remains a strength, and with the addition of Anderson, the lineup — featuring 2023 National League batting champion Luis Arraez — should not see a drop-off.
New York Mets
2023 record: 75-87 (4th place, NL East)
KEY MOVES
He gone: Manager Buck Showalter, RHP Carlos Carrasco, DH Daniel Vogelbach, INF Luis Guillorme
New faces: RHP Luis Severino, INF Joey Wendle, LHP Sean Manaea, LHP Jake Diekman, RHP Adrian Houser, CF Harrison Bader, OF Tyrone Taylor, 1B Ji Man Choi, RHP Jorge Lopez, RHP Shintaro Fujinami, RHP Michael Tonkin, RHP Yohan Ramirez, INF Zack Short
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Pete Alonso is slated to be a free agent after this season and has said he wants to stay. With no deal imminent, will the 2019 NL Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star sign an extension? “I definitely have envisioned myself of being a lifelong Met,” Alonso said at camp. “And I love New York. It’s a really special place for my family and I. I’ve definitely thought about the idea. I’ve definitely welcomed the idea, but I can’t predict the future.”
2024 Outlook: With new faces in management (president of baseball operations David Stearns) and in the dugout (rookie manager Carlos Mendoza) following last season’s collapse, the Mets had a quiet offseason and figure to be at best a third-place team. All-Star closer Edwin Diaz returns after he missed last season with an injury, but starter Kodai Senga — the NL Rookie of the Year runner-up – is out at least a month and the Mets are relying on progression from young hitters Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty and Mark Vientos.
Philadelphia Phillies
2023 record: 90-72 (2nd place, NL East)
KEY MOVES
He gone: RHP Craig Kimbrel, 1B Rhys Hoskins, RHP Michael Lorenzen
New faces: OF Whit Merrifield, LHP Kolby Allard, RHP Spencer Turnbull
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Having let Craig Kimbrel leave via free agency, who will close games for the Phillies? It appears Jose Alvarado is first in line to be the full-time closer, but Gregory Soto, Seranthony Dominguez, Jeff Hoffman and Orion Kerkering also could receive save opportunities. Soto was an All-Star with the Tigers in 2021 and ‘22, but his chances could be limited behind fellow southpaw Alvarado. Dominguez looks to rebound from a down season, while Hoffman and Kerkering, who played in key spots in the postseason, likely will be used in other relief roles, barring injuries.
2024 Outlook: On the cusp of a title in the past two postseasons, the Phillies once again are poised to be a title contender, and with several players in their prime — namely Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and J.T. Realmuto — anything short of a World Series ring likely would be viewed as a disappointment in Philadelphia. The pieces are in place, so barring any major injuries, the Phillies have a legitimate shot of overtaking the rival Braves in the NL East en route to winning it all.
Washington Nationals
2023 record: 71-91 (5th place, NL East)
KEY MOVES
He gone: 1B Dominic Smith, RHP Carl Edwards Jr., INF Michael Chavis
New faces: 1B/OF/DH Joey Gallo, OF Eddie Rosario, INF Nick Senzel, OF Jesse Winker, RHP Matt Barnes, RHP Derek Law
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Will the Nationals’ up-and-coming young players and prospects give fans hope for the future? Right-hander Josiah Gray earned his first All-Star bid in 2023, but it remains to be seen if left-hander MacKenzie Gore and shortstop CJ Abrams, who both came over in the Juan Soto trade to the Padres, can take the next steps in their progression. Outfield prospects James Wood and Dylan Crews — the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft — may push their way into the majors this season and provide fans with a glimpse into a bright future.
2024 Outlook: Coming off four straight last-place finishes following their World Series title in 2019, the Nationals aren’t expected to contend, but with heaps of young talent throughout the system, they should continue to progress in their rebuilding process. Playing in a division that boasted three playoff teams in 2023, a lot would have to break in the Nats’ favor for them to even come close to finishing .500.
NL WEST CAPSULES: DODGERS AIM TO CONTINUE DOMINANCE
2024 NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST CAPSULES
Arizona Diamondbacks
2023 record: 84-78 (2nd place, NL West)
KEY MOVES
He gone: 3B Evan Longoria, RHP Zach Davies, RHP Mark Melancon, OF Tommy Pham
New faces: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, OF/DH Joc Pederson, 3B Eugenio Suarez, OF Randal Grichuk
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Merely a .500 team in the middle of August, Arizona now gets a chance to show that it didn’t just get hot at the right time in order to advance to the World Series and that it can win with consistency. The D-backs were 22nd in MLB home runs last season, but what they lack in power they make up for in baserunning and being one of the game’s better contact teams. Arizona hitters struck out 1,247 times last season, the fourth lowest in baseball.
2024 Outlook: With a dynamic rookie season under his belt, things only look up for Corbin Carroll to lead the offense with his impressive mix of power and speed. Carroll had a .915 OPS in the first half, an .812 OPS in the second half and further dipped to a .773 OPS in the playoffs in his first full MLB season so stamina is a concern. Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are a formidable 1-2 punch atop the rotation and now Arizona has a No. 3 starter it can lean on in Rodriguez, with anything less than the club’s first 90-win season since 2017 a disappointment.
Colorado Rockies
2023 record: 59-103 (5th place, NL West)
KEY MOVES
He gone: RHP Chris Flexen, LHP Brent Suter
New faces: LHP Jalen Beeks, RHP Dakota Hudson, RHP Anthony Molina, RHP Cal Quantrill, C Jacob Stallings
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Kris Bryant’s injury woes have prevented him from playing more than 80 games in either of his two seasons in Colorado, which makes a healthy and productive 2024 vital. Sure, the pitchers need to improve on MLB’s worst ERA and second-worst home runs allowed last season, but the offense needs to be far better than 18th in runs scored and a shocking tie-for-26th in homers while playing half its games at altitude. Manager Bud Black enters his eighth season with the club but hasn’t guided a team to a winning record since 2018.
2024 Outlook: The Rockies don’t appear to stack up in a talented division, with the first goal of not finishing in last place like they did the past two seasons, including 2023’s franchise-worst 103 losses. Better health will help after starters German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela ended up needing Tommy John surgery last season. Hudson and Quantrill will help a rotation that is led by Kyle Freeland, but Daniel Bard remains a question mark in the back end of the bullpen, which had a baseball-worst 5.41 ERA last season.
Los Angeles Dodgers
2023 record: 100-62 (1st place, NL West)
KEY MOVES
He gone: DH J.D. Martinez, OF David Peralta, LHP Julio Urias, RHP Lance Lynn, LHP Caleb Ferguson, LHP Victor Gonzalez, RHP Ryan Pepiot, RHP Yency Almonte, INF Michael Busch
New faces: DH Shohei Ohtani, RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP Tyler Glasnow, LHP James Paxton, OF Teoscar Hernandez
Biggest question entering Opening Day: The Dodgers will need to end their annual trend of running out of pitching by the time the postseason arrives, and while Glasnow and Yamamoto will help in that regard, much of their success will depend on pitchers returning from injury like Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw and reliever Blake Treinen. Gavin Lux can hit, but will the middle infielder’s throwing issues continue? Mookie Betts is at shorstop now, with Max Muncy at third, so infield defense will be in the spotlight.
2024 Outlook: Another 100-win season appears on the way, but the true quest is a championship, with the Dodgers winning it all just one since 2013 in a span when they have captured the NL West title 10 times. Los Angeles was second in both home runs and runs scored last season and could be in for more this year, but how will the team line up the bullpen and what will the rotation look like by the second half?
San Diego Padres
2023 record: 82-80 (3rd place, NL West)
KEY MOVES
He gone: OF Juan Soto, LHP Blake Snell, LHP Josh Hader, OF Trent Grisham, RHP Seth Lugo, RHP Michael Wacha, C Austin Nola, INF Matt Carpenter, manager Bob Melvin
New faces: RHP Dylan Cease, RHP Michael King, RHP Randy Vazquez, RHP Johny Brito, C Kyle Higashioka, RHP Woo-Suk Go, LHP Wandy Peralta, LHP Yuki Matsui, manager Mike Shildt
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Projected to unseat the Dodgers at the top of the NL West last season and beyond, the Padres failed to live up to their potential and now must regroup with a retooled roster and a new manager in Shildt. Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish just received more help in the rotation when Cease was acquired late in the spring from the Chicago White Sox. But the departures of Snell and Hader have created big shoes to fill.
2024 Outlook: This version of the Padres looks less talented than the 2023 squad, however the arrival of Cease and King closes that gap and makes last year’s 82 wins a reasonable goal. The top half of the San Diego lineup figures to be productive, but what can the team get after Ha-Seong Kim in the No. 5 spot? Musgrove and Darvish combined for just 12 starts in the second half last season, something that can’t happen this season.
San Francisco Giants
2023 record: 79-83 (4th place, NL West)
KEY MOVES
He gone: INF J.D. Davis, RHP Anthony DeSclafani, RHP Ross Stripling, LHP Sean Manaea, LHP Alex Wood, RHP Jakob Junis, SS Brandon Crawford, LHP Scott Alexander, OF Joc Pedersen, manager Gabe Kapler
New faces: Manager Bob Melvin, LHP Blake Snell, OF Jung Hoo Lee, DH Jorge Soler, 3B Matt Chapman, LHP Robbie Ray, RHP Jordan Hicks, SS Nick Ahmed, C Tom Murphy
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Deficient on offense and defense last season, San Francisco moves out of the decorated Crawford era with plenty of improvement to make. Who is the face of the franchise now that represents hard work and productivity? Lee stands poised to put a charge into the team moving forward. The move of the hard-throwing Hicks from reliever to starter in his sixth MLB season brings plenty of intrigue.
2024 Outlook: The Giants’ outlook just got better with reports that reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell agreed to a two-year, $62 million contract with the team. That’s a welcome sight given Ray won’t pitch until the second half and RHP Alex Cobb will miss at least the first month. The additions of Chapman and Lee addressed both hitting and defensive issues. Add Ahmed at shortstop, until Marco Luciano’s time arrives, and run prevention should be improved. Soler will help an offense that was 19th in home runs. A new manager in Melvin makes the Giants a team to watch.
PHILLIES, BRYCE HARPER NOT YET CONCERNED BY BACK TROUBLE
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper was prescribed rest for his ailing back and anticipates rejoining the lineup on Friday.
Harper sat out Monday for the fourth consecutive spring training game with soreness in his lower back. He left the game last Thursday against the Boston Red Sox and has zero home runs and no RBIs this spring.
Given back issues in the past, Harper is aware of outside concern about his availability early in the season. He said he “overdid it” and will be ready for Opening Day on March 28 against the Atlanta Braves.
“I feel pretty confident. I’m fine,” he said.
Harper said he discussed slowing his workload to be prepared to play the opener with Phillies manager Rob Thomson, whose greater concern for Harper was having him get work at first base as he transitions from the outfield.
“When I talked to Thomper, when I told him I was a little sore, he was like, ‘All right, we’ll just throw you down a little bit and pick you back up next week. We’ll see where you’re at,’” Harper said. “I said, ‘If it’s back field or big field, I’ll get my at-bats.’”
Harper, 31, played in 126 games last year as he returned from Tommy John surgery and hit .293 with 21 home runs and 72 RBIs.
SPRING TRAINING ROUNDUP: JACKSON HOLLIDAY HELPS O’S TRIP UP RAYS
Jackson Holliday, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2022, went 2-for-3 with a solo home run to help the Baltimore Orioles outslug the host Toronto Blue Jays 13-8 on Tuesday in Dunedin, Fla.
Holliday is Baltimore’s top prospect and is expected to join the big-league club this season at 20 years old. He has put together a strong spring, hitting .326 with two homers and six RBIs in 14 games.
Tyler Nevin also went deep for the Orioles as part of a 3-for-4 day, while Heston Kjerstad also tallied three hits. Alex Pham (1-0) struck out four across 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
George Springer and Daulton Varsho each drove two runs for Toronto, which led by two four times but could never keep Baltimore in check. Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt came away with a no-decision despite allowing four runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Red Sox 5, Rays 2
Triston Casas paired a solo shot with a two-run single to propel Boston to a victory over visiting Tampa Bay in Fort Myers, Fla.
After Kutter Crawford gave up two runs in 5 2/3 innings, Josh Winckowski (1-1) kept the Rays off the board for 2 1/3 frames before Joely Rodriguez worked around a walk in the ninth for the save.
Tampa Bay struck for both of its runs in the first but was held to just three hits the rest of the way.
Cardinals (ss) 11, Marlins (ss) 10
Host St. Louis rode a seven-run second inning to a win over Miami in a matchup of split squads at Jupiter, Fla.
Doubles fueled the Cardinals’ big inning, with Matt Koperniak’s driving in two and Willson Contreras’ bringing home three. The Marlins kept things close by getting to right-hander Kyle Gibson, who was tagged for eight runs (five earned) on nine hits in five innings.
Miami’s Jazz Chisholm Jr. clubbed two homers and finished with five RBIs.
Phillies 0, Tigers 0
Both starters logged five strong innings in a scoreless tie between Philadelphia and host Detroit in Lakeland, Fla.
The Phillies’ Ranger Suarez held the Tigers to one hit, fanning four without issuing a walk. Tigers starter Jack Flaherty didn’t walk anyone either, striking out seven while scattering four hits.
Parker Meadows recorded all three of Detroit’s hits.
Marlins (ss) 3, Astros 3
A Miami split squad and host Houston went blow-for-blow to play to a tie in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Both teams scored all of their runs in the same innings — the Marlins struck for two in the top of the first before the Astros answered with two in the bottom of the frame, then both squads each added a run in the sixth.
Jon Singleton’s RBI double allowed Houston to draw even in the sixth. Each pitching staff racked up 10 strikeouts, with A.J. Puk accounting for eight of Miami’s.
Mets 3, Cardinals (ss) 1
Three relievers combined for four innings of one-hit ball to back a strong start from Sean Manaea in host New York’s victory over a St. Louis split squad in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Manaea (2-1) went five innings, permitting one run and four hits. He logged one walk with six strikeouts before Jorge Lopez, Jake Diekman and Yohan Ramirez took care of the rest.
Cesar Prieto provided the Cardinals’ only run with an RBI single in the second. Brett Baty knotted things at 1 with a solo shot in the home half of the frame.
Athletics 7, Rangers 7
Aggressive baserunning from Jose Barrero in the bottom of the ninth allowed visiting Oakland to salvage a tie with Texas in Surprise, Ariz.
Barrero stole third with one out, taking home on catcher Carlos Perez’s throwing error. Sebastian Walcott advanced to second on the play, but he was then thrown out at the dish after Justin Foscue singled to left, leading to the draw.
The Rangers put together a four-run eighth to tie things at 6, a deadlock that was broken in the top of the ninth when the Athletics’ Abraham Toro scored on a balk.
Brewers 8, Guardians (ss) 5
Milwaukee overcame a three-run deficit thanks to a power surge, knocking off host Cleveland’s split squad in Goodyear, Ariz.
Andres Gimenez had an RBI single and a sacrifice fly to help the Guardians grab a 3-0 lead, but two-run blasts from Sal Frelick and Willy Adames and a solo home run from Eric Haase allowed the Brewers to go up 6-5.
Reliver Eli Morgan (1-1) surrendered three runs in just two-thirds of an inning for Cleveland.
Angels 10, Reds 6
Zach Neto went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer and Los Angeles downed visiting Cincinnati in Tempe, Ariz.
The Angels racked up 12 hits, but none came from star Mike Trout, who went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. Aaron Hicks also had a two-run shot for Los Angeles.
Reds starter Hunter Greene (1-2) yielded seven runs, seven hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings. He fanned six. Bubba Thompson headlined Cincinnati’s five-run sixth with a two-run homer.
Guardians (ss) 8, Rockies (ss) 8
Chase DeLauter cranked a three-run home run in the top of the ninth, lifting Cleveland’s split squad to a tie with host Colorado’s split squad in Scottsdale, Ariz.
DeLauter’s long ball capped a feverish comeback that saw the Guardians score three runs in the seventh, two in the eighth and another three in the ninth. DeLauter went 3-for-4 with three runs.
Charlie Blackmon finished with three hits, including a homer, for the Rockies. He also had three RBIs and two runs. Colorado starter Dakota Hudson fired 4 2/3 scoreless innings, scattering three hits, walking one and striking out six.
Mariners 12, Rockies (ss) 3
Dylan Moore led an 18-hit attack with three while driving in four runs as Seattle clobbered visiting Colorado’s split squad in Peoria, Ariz.
Jorge Polanco was one of five Mariners to chip in with two hits, and he added two RBIs. Seattle starter Casey Lawrence (2-1) got plenty of run support across his three innings to lock down the victory. He gave up two runs on five hits and fanned four without a walk.
Rockies starter Austin Gomber (0-2) saw his ERA balloon to 15.26 after getting lit up for eight runs and 10 hits in 2 1/3 innings.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: PREDATORS RALLY PAST SHARKS TO EXTEND POINT STREAK
Michael McCarron scored two goals and the Nashville Predators scored seven unanswered to beat the visiting San Jose Sharks 8-2 on Tuesday night.
With the victory, Nashville extended its point streak to 15 games (13-0-2), matching a franchise record. The Predators also had a 15-game run (14-0-1) during the 2017-18 campaign.
Roman Josi had a goal and two assists for his third consecutive multipoint game for the Predators (40-25-4, 84 points). Filip Forsberg also had a goal and two assists, and Ryan McDonagh and Kiefer Sherwood each had three assists. Juuse Saros made 18 saves.
Mario Ferraro had a goal and an assist for the Sharks (16-45-7, 39 points), who have lost five straight. Magnus Chrona made 32 saves.
Wild 4, Ducks 0
Minnesota scored three unanswered second-period goals and Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves in a win at Anaheim.
Ryan Hartman had a goal and an assist while Jon Merrill, Kirill Kaprizov and Jacob Lucchini also scored for Minnesota. Gustavsson earned his third shutout of the season as the Wild improved to 6-0-2 over the past eight games and 15-1-0 in their past 16 matchups against Anaheim.
John Gibson made 28 saves for Anaheim, which has lost seven straight games — the longest active skid in the NHL — and has been outscored 35-7 in that stretch.
Avalanche 4, Blues 3
Mikko Rantanen scored a hat trick as visiting Colorado beat St. Louis and extended its winning streak to seven games.
Casey Mittelstadt also scored for the Avalanche, and Jonathan Drouin and Valeri Nichushkin earned two assists apiece. Justus Annunen made 30 saves.
Nathan Walker had a goal and an assist for the Blues, whose four-game winning streak ended. Alexey Toropchenko and Brayden Schenn also scored for St. Louis, Justin Faulk had two assists and Jordan Binnington made 31 saves.
Lightning 5, Golden Knights 3
Nikita Kucherov moved into the NHL scoring lead with a goal and three assists and Brayden Point scored two goals in the third period to lead Tampa Bay to its fourth straight win, beating Vegas in Las Vegas.
It marked the seventh time this season that Kucherov, who moved past Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (117) and into first place with 118 points, scored at least four points in a game. Anthony Cirelli and Anthony Duclair also scored for the Lightning, who won for the fifth time in their last six games. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 24 saves to win his fourth straight start.
Jonathan Marchessault, Brett Howden and Ben Hutton scored goals and Keegan Kolesar had two assists for Vegas. Adin Hill finished with 16 saves for the Golden Knights, who saw their lead for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference shrink to three points over Minnesota, which won 4-0 at Anaheim.
Oilers 3, Canadiens 2 (OT)
Leon Draisaitl scored the winning goal on an overtime power play as host Edmonton recovered from a blown lead to earn a victory over Montreal.
Connor McDavid collected a goal and an assist, Adam Henrique added a goal and Mattias Ekholm collected two assists for the Oilers. Edmonton goaltender Calvin Pickard made 23 saves.
Nick Suzuki and Kaiden Guhle replied for the Canadiens, who erased a two-goal, third-period deficit to earn the extra point. Goalie Sam Montembeault stopped 29 shots for Montreal, which has only one win in six games (1-2-3).
Flyers 4, Maple Leafs 3
Morgan Frost and Owen Tippett each had one goal and one assist to lift host Philadelphia over Toronto.
Travis Sanheim and Scott Laughton added goals for the Flyers, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Goaltender Samuel Ersson made 27 saves. Flyers captain Sean Couturier was a healthy scratch.
John Tavares had one goal and two assists for Toronto. Tyler Bertuzzi had one goal and one assist and William Nylander scored for the Maple Leafs. Auston Matthews recorded two assists. Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov stopped 26 shots.
Devils 5, Penguins 2
Timo Meier scored twice to boost his goal total to 10 in his past 10 games and lift New Jersey over Pittsburgh in Newark, N.J.
Dawson Mercer also tallied twice, Alexander Holtz scored a goal and Jake Allen made 36 saves as the Devils recorded their seventh straight victory over Pittsburgh.
Marcus Pettersson and Bryan Rust each scored a goal for the Penguins, who have lost nine of their last 12 games (3-8-1) and six in a row on the road (0-5-1).
Jets 4, Rangers 2
Mark Scheifele recorded a hat trick as Winnipeg beat host New York for its third straight victory.
Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 38 stops. Kyle Connor also scored for Winnipeg, while Sean Monahan had two assists.
Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and an assist for the Rangers. Alex Wennberg also scored, and Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves. New York forward Matt Rempe was a healthy scratch after finishing a four-game suspension.
Bruins 6, Senators 2
David Pastrnak’s 17th career hat trick led Boston to a win over visiting Ottawa.
Pastrnak scored twice in the first period before capping his second three-goal performance of the season with a third-period goal — his 44th tally of the season — that allowed Boston to create separation. Boston rookie Justin Brazeau registered his first career two-goal game, and Jesper Boqvist also lit the lamp. Kevin Shattenkirk dished out three assists for the Bruins, and Morgan Geekie added two.
Shane Pinto and Brady Tkachuk each lit the lamp and Joonas Korpisalo made 20 stops in Ottawa’s second straight loss following a three-game winning streak.
Red Wings 4, Blue Jackets 3 (OT)
Patrick Kane scored the winning goal with 4:12 remaining in overtime to lead Detroit past visiting Columbus.
Lucas Raymond scored two goals and Moritz Seider added a goal and an assist for Detroit. Kane contributed two assists, and James Reimer finished with 32 saves for the victory.
Zach Werenski had a goal for the Blue Jackets and assisted on the other two, scored by Alexandre Texier and Kirill Marchenko. Daniil Tarasov stopped 23 shots.
Hurricanes 4, Islanders 1
Seth Jarvis scored twice in a span of just over two minutes in the first period for Carolina, which damaged New York’s playoff hopes with a win in Elmont, N.Y.
Martin Necas scored in the waning seconds of the first and Jake Guentzel added an empty-netter in the third for the Hurricanes, who won their fourth straight to move within two points of the first-place New York Rangers in the Metropolitan Division.
Kyle Palmieri scored in the third for the Islanders, who lost their fifth straight (0-4-1) and slipped further behind in the race for the final playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division and the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.
Kings 6, Blackhawks 2
Anze Kopitar scored two goals and added an assist, all in the second period, as Los Angeles thrashed visiting Chicago.
Vladislav Gavrikov had a goal and an assist, Alex Laferriere, Phillip Danault and Trevor Lewis each added a goal, Adrian Kempe had three assists and Cam Talbot made 22 saves for Los Angeles. Pierre-Luc Dubois and Kevin Fiala notched two assists apiece.
Nick Foligno and Kevin Korchinski each scored a goal and Petr Mrazek made 18 saves as the Blackhawks lost to the Kings for the second time in three games.
Canucks 3, Sabres 2
Elias Pettersson had two goals and an assist for Vancouver in a win against visiting Buffalo.
Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller each had two assists and Casey DeSmith made 15 saves for the Canucks, who won for the first time in three games.
Rasmus Dahlin scored twice and Alex Tuch had two assists for the Sabres, who had won four of their previous five games. Devon Levi, recalled from the American Hockey League on Saturday, made 31 saves.
COLLEGE HOCKEY
BIG TEN CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES HOCKEY POSTSEASON AWARDS
ROSEMONT, Ill. –The Big Ten Conference and the Big Ten Network announced Big Ten Hockey postseason awards on Tuesday. BTN revealed this year’s winners on B1G Daily.
This year’s honors included individual awards, All-Big Ten teams and Sportsmanship awards. Voting was conducted by conference coaches and a media panel.
Michigan’s Gavin Brindley was named Big Ten Player of the Year and won the Big Ten scoring title with 29 points in 23 conference games.
Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Kyle McClellan of Wisconsin earned the Goaltender of the Year Award.
Adam Nightingale of Michigan State was selected Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading the Spartans to the first regular season title in program history.
The Big Ten also recognized seven Sportsmanship Award honorees. The students chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These students must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.
2023-24 BIG TEN HOCKEY POSTSEASON AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Gavin Brindley, So., F, Michigan
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Artyom Levshunov, Fr., D, Michigan State
GOALTENDER OF THE YEAR:
Kyle McClellan, Sr., G, Wisconsin
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:
Artyom Levshunov, Fr., D, Michigan State
COACH OF THE YEAR:
Adam Nightingale, Michigan State
SCORING CHAMPION:
Gavin Brindley, So., F, Michigan (29 points)
ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAM
| Name | School | Yr. | Position | Hometown |
| Gavin Brindley | Michigan | So. | Forward | Estero, Fla. |
| Rutger McGroarty | Michigan | So. | Forward | Lincoln, Neb. |
| Jimmy Snuggerud | Minnesota | So. | Forward | Chaska, Minn. |
| Seamus Casey | Michigan | So. | Defenseman | Fort Myers, Fla. |
| Artyom Levshunov | Michigan State | Fr. | Defenseman | Zhlobin, Belarus |
| Kyle McClellan | Wisconsin | Sr. | Goaltender | Manchester, Mo. |
ALL-BIG TEN SECOND TEAM *
| Name | School | Yr. | Position | Hometown |
| Dylan Duke | Michigan | Jr. | Forward | Strongsville, Ohio |
| Rhett Pitlick | Minnesota | Jr. | Forward | Plymouth, Minn. |
| Landon Slaggert | Notre Dame | Sr. | Forward | South Bend, Ind. |
| Ryan Chesley | Minnesota | So. | Defenseman | Mahtomedi, Minn. |
| Sam Rinzel | Minnesota | Fr. | Defenseman | Chanhassen, Minn. |
| Scooter Brickey | Ohio State | 5th | Defenseman | Burtchville, Mich. |
| Trey Augustine | Michigan State | Fr. | Goaltender | South Lyon, Mich. |
ALL-BIG TEN HONORABLE MENTION
| Name | School | Yr. | Position | Hometown |
| T.J. Hughes | Michigan | So. | Forward | Hamilton, Ontario |
| Frank Nazar III | Michigan | So. | Forward | Mount Clemens, Mich. |
| Karsen Dorwart | Michigan State | So. | Forward | Sherwood, Oregon |
| Isaac Howard | Michigan State | So. | Forward | Hudson, Wis. |
| Joey Larson | Michigan State | So. | Forward | Brighton, Mich. |
| Bryce Brodzinski | Minnesota | Gr. | Forward | Blaine, Minn. |
| Jaxon Nelson | Minnesota | Gr. | Forward | Magnolia, Minn. |
| Stephen Halliday | Ohio State | So. | Forward | Glenwood, Md. |
| Aiden Fink | Penn State | Fr. | Forward | Calgary, Alberta |
| Cruz Lucius | Wisconsin | So. | Forward | Grant, Minn. |
| David Silye | Wisconsin | Sr. | Forward | Arnprior, Ontario |
| Luke Mittelstadt | Minnesota | So. | Defenseman | Eden Prairie, Minn. |
| Ryan Siedem | Notre Dame | Gr. | Defenseman | Madison, N.J. |
| Ben Dexheimer | Wisconsin | So. | Defenseman | Edina, Minn. |
| Justen Close | Minnesota | Gr. | Goaltender | Kindersley, Saskatchewan |
| Ryan Bischel | Notre Dame | Gr. | Goaltender | Medina, Minn. |
BIG TEN ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
| Name | School | Yr. | Position | Hometown |
| Garrett Schifsky | Michigan | Fr. | Forward | Andover, Minn. |
| Oliver Moore | Minnesota | Fr. | Forward | Mounds View, Minn. |
| Aiden Fink + | Penn State | Fr. | Forward | Calgary, Alberta |
| Artyom Levushnov | Michigan State | Fr. | Defenseman | Zhlobin, Belarus |
| Sam Rinzel | Minnesota | Fr. | Defenseman | Chanhassen, Minn. |
| Trey Augustine + | Michigan State | Fr. | Goaltender | South Lyon, Mich. |
BIG TEN SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDS
| Name | School | Yr. | Position | Hometown |
| Jacob Truscott | Michigan | Sr. | Defenseman | Port Huron, Mich. |
| Nicolas Müller | Michigan State | 5th | Forward | Arisdorf, Switzerland |
| Carl Fish | Minnesota | Sr. | Defenseman | St. Paul, Minn. |
| Hunter Strand | Notre Dame | Jr. | Forward | Anchorage, Alaska |
| Damien Carfagna | Ohio State | So. | Defenseman | Wood-Ridge, N.J. |
| Simon Mack | Penn State | Jr. | Defenseman | Brockville, Ontario |
| Owen Lindmark | Wisconsin | Gr. | Forward | Naperville, Ill. |
* Team includes a seventh player due to a tie in voting
+ unanimous selections
AUTO RACING NEWS
NASCAR HEADS TO TEXAS, INDY DEBUTS ALL-STAR EVENT AND F1 HEADS DOWN UNDER
NASCAR CUP SERIES
EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix
Site: Austin, Texas.
Schedule: Saturday, practice, 10 a.m., and qualifying, 11:30 a.m.; Sunday, race, 3:30 p.m. (FOX).
Track: Circuit of the Americas
Race distance: 68 laps, 231.88 miles.
Last year: Tyler Reddick won after starting second.
Last race: Denny Hamlin passed Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. in the closing laps and won what became a tire management race at Bristol.
Fast facts: The victory was Hamlin’s second in a row at Bristol and fourth overall. It also was Hamlin’s 52nd career win. … Truex was second, followed by Brad Keselowski in a Ford, Alex Bowman, and Kyle Larson, both in Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets. … They were the only drivers to finish on the leap lap, the first time so few drivers did that since 2004 at Dover. … For the second consecutive race, the JGR Toyotas dominated, combining to lead 383 of the 500 laps. Hamlin led a race-high 163 laps, Ty Gibbs led 137, Truex 54 and Christopher Bell 29. … The race featured a short track record 54 lead changes, breaking the mark of 40 set in 1991 at Bristol.
Next race: March 31, Richmond, Va.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
Focused Health 250
Site: Austin, Texas.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 5:30 p.m., and qualifying, 6 p.m.; Saturday, race, 5 p.m. (FS1).
Track: Circuit of the Americas
Race distance: 48 laps, 156.86 miles.
Last year: A.J. Allmendinger won from the pole position.
Last race: Chandler Smith moved to the lead after a blown tire cost Justin Allgaier a big lead and got a huge jump on an overtime restart to hold off Jesse Love and Sheldon Creed at Phoenix, giving Toyota its second straight victory in the series.
Fast facts: Smith and Austin Hill are the only drivers that have finished in the top five in all four races this season. Sheldon Creed has done it three times. … Smith, Hill and Brandon Jones are the only drivers to have completed all 694 laps. … Jesse Love had led the most laps with 191.
Next race: March 30, Richmond, Va.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR TRUCK SERIES
XPEL 225
Site: Austin, Texas.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 3:30 p.m, and qualifying, 4 p.m.; Saturday, race, 1:30 p.m. (FS1).
Track: Circuit of the Americas
Race distance: 42 laps, 143.22 miles.
Last year: Zane Smith won after starting seventh.
Last race: Christian Eckes passed Kyle Busch for the lead on Lap 159 and held off the career truck series victory leader by 0.141 seconds at Bristol.
Fast facts: Eckes led the final 92 laps for his first win of the season, his first at Bristol and sixth overall. … Zane Smith was third, three-time series champion Matt Crafton fourth and Tyler Ankrum fifth. … Eckes was passed for the lead by Corey Heim with six laps to go last fall at Bristol, costing him a spot in the championship final four, then won the season finale.
Next race: April 5, Martinsville, Va.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
FORMULA ONE
Australian Grand Prix
Site: Melbourne, Australia.
Schedule: Thursday, practice, 9:30 p.m.; Friday, practice, 1 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 1 a.m.; Sunday, race, midnight (ESPN).
Track: Albert Park Circuit
Race distance: 58 laps, 190.216 miles.
Last year: Max Verstappen won from the pole position.
Last race: Verstappen, the three-time defending series champion, led another dominating 1-2 finish for Red Bull to win in Saudi Arabia.
Fast facts: Verstappen has won nine consecutive races dating to last season and 19 of the last 20. Another victory on Sunday would allow him to match his F1 series record of 10 consecutive victories set last season when he won 19 of 22 races overall.
Next race: April 7, Suzuka, Japan.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
INDYCAR
$1 Million Challenge
Site: Thermal, California.
Schedule: Friday, open test session 1, noon, and open test session 2, 5 p.m.; Saturday, open test session 3, noon, open test session 4, 4 p.m., qualifying group 1, 8 p.m., and qualifying group 2, 8:27 p.m.; Sunday, heat race 1, 12:15 p.m., heat race 2, 12:45 p.m.; and all-star race, 1:50 p.m. (NBC).
Track: The Thermal Club
Race distance: 20 laps, 61.34 miles.
Last year: Debut event.
Last race: Josef Newgarden won from the pole position in the season-opener in St. Petersburg.
Fast facts: Pato O’Ward of Arrow McClaren finished second at St. Petersburg to disrupt a Team Penske sweep of the top three spots as Newgarden teammates Scott McLaughlin and Will Power finished third and fourth. … The layout is 3.067 miles with 19 turns, tight corners, long straightaways and changes in elevation. … The 12-driver all-star race has a purse of $1.756 million, the largest for the series outside of the Indianapolis 500.
Next race: April 21, Long Beach, California.
Online: http://www.indycar.com
NHRA DRAG RACING
Last event: Shawn Langdon won in Top Fuel and JR Todd won in Funny Car in Gainesville.
Next event: March 24, Pomona, California.
Online: http://www.nhra.com
WORLD OF OUTLAWS
Next events: March 22, Ennis, Texas; March 23, Kennedale, Texas.
Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars
INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES/NEWS
INDIANA PACERS
GAME PREVIEW: PACERS AT PISTONS
After another close loss, the Pacers (38-31) will try to bounce back on Wednesday night in Detroit, when they tip off a five-game road trip against the Pistons (12-56). It will be the final game this season between the two Central Division rivals. Indiana has won the first three meetings.
The Blue & Gold are coming off a 108-103 loss to Cleveland on Monday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. They led 47-32 midway through the second quarter, but went without a field goal for nearly six minutes of action, allowing the Cavs to come back and tie the game by halftime.
Cleveland surged in front in the second half. The Pacers rallied to tie the game at 103 on Tyrese Haliburton’s layup with 2:05 remaining, but former Pacer Caris LeVert answered with a jumper on the other end and Indiana didn’t score the rest of the way.
The Pacers’ rough shooting month continued against the Cavs. Indiana went just 9-for-38 from 3-point range (23.7 percent) and is now shooting just 30.9 percent from beyond the arc in nine games this month. Haliburton — a career 40-percent 3-point shooter — went 1-for-9 from distance for the second straight game and is just 11-for-65 (16.9 percent) from 3-point range in March.
“It’s really not falling right now,” Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said of the team’s shooting woes. “There’s no real explanation for it. We’ve got to continue to play the way we do, continue to take the shots. They’ll fall. It’s just an up-and-down thing from three and the numbers will even themselves out.”
The Pacers are now in seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings with 13 games remaining in the regular season. They’re just a half-game back of Philadelphia and a half-game up on Miami. The top six teams in the final standings advance to the playoffs, while the teams that finish seventh through 10th have to compete in the Play-In Tournament.
PLAYOFF PICTURE: Track the Latest Standings, Potential Matchups, and More >>
The Pistons have already been eliminated from the playoffs, but have a young team that has been more competitive in recent weeks. Detroit actually won three of four games from March 7-13 before dropping its last three contests.
Detroit is led by third-year guard Cade Cunningham, who is averaging 22.2 points and 7.6 assists. Cunningham sat out Monday’s loss to Boston for left knee injury management.
The Pistons also feature several other recent lottery picks, including Purdue All-American Jaden Ivey (15.3 points and 3.8 assists), big man Jalen Duren (13.9 points and 11.9 rebounds), and 2023 first-round pick Ausar Thompson (8.8 points and 6.4 rebounds).
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Aaron Nesmith, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Pistons: G – Marcus Sasser, G – Jaden Ivey, F – Stanley Umude, F – Isaiah Stewart, C – Jalen Duren
Injury Report
Pacers: Bennedict Mathurin – out (right shoulder labral tear), Doug McDermott – out (right calf strain)
Pistons: TBA
Last Meeting
Feb. 22, 2024: The Pacers cruised to victory in their first game after the All-Star break. Indiana led 72-43 at halftime en route to a 129-115 win over the Pistons at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Fresh off starting the All-Star Game, Tyrese Haliburton led the Blue & Gold with 25 points and 13 assists, going 10-for-18 from the field and 4-for-10 from 3-point range. Pascal Siakam added 20 points, T.J. McConnell had a strong night off the bench (16 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals), and Myles Turner (13 points and 11 boards) recorded a double-double.
Cade Cunningham led all scorers with 30 points for Detroit, going 13-for-21 from the field and 4-for-9 from 3-point range while also dishing out eight assists. Jalen Duren added 15 points and 13 rebounds in the loss.
Noteworthy
With a win on Wednesday, the Pacers would sweep the season series for the first time since they went 3-0 against Detroit in 2020-21 and the first time Indiana went 4-0 against the Pistons since the 2016-17 season.
Pacers center Myles Turner has 1,241 career blocks and needs five more to break Jermaine O’Neal’s franchise record.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has 934 career wins, one shy of tying Dick Motta for 13th place on the all-time list.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
TV: Bally Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Tickets
After a five-game road trip, the Pacers will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, March 29 at 7:00 PM ET.
FUEL HOCKEY
DRISCOLL SETS NEW WINS RECORD IN EDUCATION DAY VICTORY
WHEELING- The Fuel kicked off their week with an early morning Education Day game in Wheeling against the Nailers who they are fighting for a second place spot in the Central division standings. After a low shot, high scoring matchup, the Fuel took the win, 7-2.
1ST PERIOD
At 8:08, Cam Hausinger opened the scoring with his first goal for the Fuel against his former team to put Indy up 1-0. Andrew Bellant and DJ King had the assists on that goal.
Two minutes later, Indy’s Ryan Gagnier took the game’s first penalty with a tripping call to give Wheeling a power play but they could not capitalize on it.
At the end of the first frame, Wheeling was outshooting Indy, 6-5.
2ND PERIOD
At 3:29, Justin Lee was called for cross-checking giving the Fuel their first power play of the game. About a minute later, Thimo Nickl took a delay of game penalty, giving the Fuel almost a full minute of a 5-on-3 power play.
In that time, Bryan Lemos scored to put Indy up 2-0 on the power play. Gagnier and Seamus Malone claimed the assists there.
At 11:28, Matus Spodniak added to the Fuel’s lead with an unassisted goal to give Indy a 3-0 lead.
Less than two minutes later, Wheeling’s William Provost broke the shutout with a goal to make it 3-1.
At 16:44, Anthony Petruzzelli scored with the help of Matt Cairns and Hausinger to give the Fuel a 4-1 lead.
With less than thirty seconds to go in the period, Kyle Maksimovich added to the Fuel’s lead with another unassisted goal.
Time expired on the middle frame with the Fuel up 5-1, outshooting Wheeling 13-12.
3RD PERIOD
Just 38 seconds into the third period, Andrew Bellant kept the momentum going with a goal assisted by Hausinger and Cairns to put the Fuel up 6-1.
Davis Bunz scored for Wheeling at 3:37 to make it 6-2 but it was only another three minutes before Seamus Malone tacked on another goal for the Fuel.
That goal was reviewed because it bounced off of his skate but it was called a good goal and Brett Bumer and Lemos claimed the assists.
At 11:20, Bulmer and Wheeling’s Sebastian Dirven were each given five minute major penalties for fighting.
About a minute later, Santino Centorame sat for tripping, giving the Nailers a power play opportunity.
At 16:59, 32 penalty minutes were assessed after multiple fights broke out along the boards. Jon Martin and Jordan Martel both earned ten minute misconduct penalties while six other minor penalties were issued.
This left the Fuel with a two minute power play as the clock ticked down, however neither team scored again. Ultimately, the Fuel took the 7-2 win while outshooting Wheeling 24-22.
This game also marked Zach Driscoll’s 41st Fuel win, setting a new record for most franchise wins by one goalie, passing former Fuel goaltender Matt Tomkins. Driscoll completed this feat in five fewer games than Tomkins as well.
The Indy Fuel are back in action at Indiana Farmers Coliseum on Friday, March 22 for Disability Awareness & Do317 Night against the Cincinnati Cyclones.
INDY ELEVEN SOCCER
BLAKE, STANLEY EARN USL TEAM OF THE WEEK HONORS
TAMPA/INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, March 19, 2024) – For the second straight week, Indy Eleven placed a pair of players on the USL Championship Team of the Week, league officials announced Tuesday. Jack Blake, who earned week one accolades following the Boys in Blue’s season opener, was joined by Aedan Stanley in the league’s top eleven.
Blake has scored two goals in as many outings this season, including a 26th-minute penalty kick to give Indy the initial lead in a 2-1 win over Memphis 901 FC Saturday. Blake’s two goals tie him for the second most in the USL Championship early in the season, while his six total shots share the league lead. The midfielder added four tackles, a clearance and an interception on Saturday, and won 10 duels, bringing his season total to a USL-best 21.
In addition to Blake’s second Team of the Week nod, he picked up a bench selection for the Boys in Blue in 2023. This is the first back-to-back selection for the Eleven since Younes Boudadi was selected in weeks 25 (bench) and 26 of the 2023 regular season.
Stanley notched his first assist of 2024 on the match winner to Douglas Martinez on Saturday. The cross gave him 16 on the season, tying him for sixth in the USL. He added five clearances, five duels won and five recoveries, while also creating a team-high three chances.
This is Stanley’s first USL honor with Indy.
Coach: Frank Yallop, Monterey Bay F.C.
Bench: Antony Siaha (MB), Ryan Doghman (OC), Jack Gurr (SAC), Memo Diaz (OAK), Aaron Molloy (CHS), Pacifique Niyongabire (TBR), Milo Yosef (TUL)
Indy returns to action Saturday for its 2024 home opener against Sacramento Republic FC. Kick is slated for 7 p.m. ET and can be seen locally on WISH-TV and on ESPN+.
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
PLAYERS ENTER THE TRANSFER PORTAL
Sophomore Kaleb Banks intends to transfer from the IU basketball program. Banks averaged 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds and shot 39% from the field this season.
Sophomore guard CJ Gunn is also leaving Indiana. He averaged 3.9 points and 1.0 rebounds this season. Gunn played high school basketball at Lawrence North.
Center Peyton Sparks is also leaving Bloomington. Sparks, a Ball State transfer, didn’t play much down the stretch for Indiana. Indiana’s only returning players who have committed to returning next season are guards Trey Galloway and Anthony Leal.
INDIANA FOOTBALL
BLIDI ENTERS PORTAL
Defensive tackle Philip Blidi announced he was entering his name into the transfer portal. The former Texas Tech defender spent one season with the Hoosiers. Blidi led all of IU’s defensive tackles with 444 snaps. He had 30 tackles (10 solo) with 15 quarterback pressures and four tackles for loss.
INDIANA BASEBALL
DEFENSE, PITCHING HURTS HOOSIERS IN MIDWEEK LOSS
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Despite jumping out to a 6-0 lead after two-and-a-half innings, the Indiana Baseball team (11-10) fell victim to a number of self-inflicted mistakes, losing to Indiana State 15-7 on Tuesday (March 19th) night at Bob Warn Field.
The Sycamores hit five home runs including a massive three-run shot from Mike Sears to tie the game at six. With the game tied at seven, sophomore pitcher Brayden Risedorph induced a fly ball that was misplayed in the outfield, allowing three runs to score. IU committed three errors and was outscored 15-1 over the final six innings of play.
Junior outfielder Nick Mitchell and sophomore outfielder Devin Taylor combined for five hits but all 10 of IU’s base knocks were singles on the evening. The Hoosiers walked four times but struck out on nine occasions.
Big Ten play begins this weekend for IU at Bart Kaufman Field as Illinois visits for a three-game set. All games will be broadcasted on BTN+.
Scoring Recap
Top First
Brock Tibbitts handed the Hoosiers an early lead, hitting a fly ball to the warning track for a sacrifice fly.
Indiana 1, Indiana State 0
Top Second
The Hoosiers did damage with two outs as Nick Mitchell, Josh Pyne and Devin Taylor provided three-consecutive RBI singles to extend the lead to four.
Indiana 4, Indiana State 0
Top Third
After an Indiana State pitching change, Jake Stadler lined a two-run single up the middle to score Carter Mathison and Morgan Colopy.
Indiana 6, Indiana State 0
Bottom Third
The hosts got back into the ballgame in the third. Luis Hernandez hit a monster two-run home run off of IU reliever Aydan Decker-Petty. Parker Stinson went yard on the very next pitch to trim the deficit to three.
Indiana 6, Indiana State 3
Bottom Fifth
After IU turned to its bullpen, bringing in Brayden Risedorph, Mike Sears connected on a three-run home run into right-center field to tie the game.
Indiana 6, Indiana State 6
Top Sixth
Devin Taylor handed the lead back to IU with an RBI ground out to the shortstop. It’s all IU could muster in the inning and was the last run the visitors would score.
Indiana 7, Indiana State 6
Bottom Sixth
Indiana State broke the game open in the sixth, hanging a seven spot on the scoreboard. Dominic Listi singled to center field off the end of the bat. In what looked like the final out of the inning, Risedorph induced a fly ball that was lost in the sun in right field. It was ruled a double as all three runners came around to score. A single from Josue Urdaneta and a two-run home run from Adam Pottinger further extended the damage.
Indiana State 13, Indiana 7
Bottom Seventh
Randal Diaz hit a solo home run to extend the lead.
Indiana State 14, Indiana 7
Bottom Eighth
With the bases loaded, second baseman Jasen Oliver fumbled a routine ground ball and allowed Joe Kido to score an unearned run.
Indiana 15, Belmont 7
Notes to Know
• Sophomore outfielder Devin Taylor had a three-hit game, his fifth three-hit contest of the season. In 20 games played, he’s had at least two hits on 11 occasions.
• Junior third baseman Josh Pyne extended his team-leading hitting streak to eight games. He now has 177 hits in his career, just 23 away from 200.
Top Hoosier Performers
#20 Mitchell, Nick
2-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB
#5 Taylor, Devin
3-5, 2 RBI
Up Next
IU begins Big Ten play this weekend at Bart Kaufman Field as Illinois makes the trip to Bloomington. All game will be streamed on BTN+ or can be heard on the Indiana Sports Radio Network via IUHoosiers.com/Audio.
INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
HOLMES SELECTED TO 2023-24 USBWA ALL-AMERICA SECOND TEAM
INDIANAPOLIS – Graduate student forward Mackenzie Holmes has been named to the 2023-24 United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-America second team, announced by the organization on Tuesday.
Holmes earns her second-straight All-America honors from the organization, as she was a first team selection in 2022-23. A unanimous All-Big Ten First Team and All-Big Ten Defensive team selection this season, the Gorham, Maine native leads Indiana (and second in the Big Ten) in scoring with 20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and shooting a nation’s-best 66.7 percent from the floor in 29 games. She has scored in double figures in 27 of those 29 outings including 16 20-point games and two 30point efforts along with a team-high six double-doubles. Nationally, Holmes also ranks 14th in field goals made (238) and 22nd in points per game.
The honor is her seventh All-American accolade in her Indiana career, earning two USBWA All-American nods (2023, 2024), two AP All-American selections (2021, 2023), two WBCA All-American honors (2022, 2023) and The Athletic All-American honors (2023).
Holmes and the Hoosiers will be a No. 4 seed in the upcoming 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, which begins on Saturday inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. They will face off against 13-seed Fairfield (31-1) at 1:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
INDIANA SWIMMING
BIG TEN CHAMPION INDIANA READY FOR NATIONAL MEET
ATHENS, Ga. – Coming off a program-record-tying seventh-place national finish a year ago, Big Ten Champion and No. 8-ranked Indiana swimming and diving returns to the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships Wednesday (March 20) through Saturday (March 23) inside the Gabrielsen Natatorium on the campus of the University of Georgia.
Final sessions will start at 6 p.m. ET each evening. Preliminary heats will begin at 10 a.m. every morning beginning Thursday. Fans can stream the competition via the ESPN+ digital platform.
Thirteen Hoosiers qualified for the national meet – nine swimmers and four divers. Indiana also qualified all five relays.
The championships off Wednesday night with the 200-yard medley relay and 800-yard freestyle relay. Indiana has the No. 6-seeded 800-yard freestyle relay after crushing its program record by nearly three seconds with a 6:55.45 swim at the Big Ten Championships. The Hoosiers finished seventh in the event a year ago. IU is seeded within All-America position in the medley relay with a time of 1:35.81.
Thursday is the first full day of action as well as the first day of diving. All four divers on Indiana’s roster qualified on both springboards. The 50-yard freestyle is on program record watch. Sophomore Kristina Paegle and senior Ashley Turak are IU’s two fastest women ever in the event, posting program’s five quickest times over the last year. Turak broke the record twice at last year’s championships, going 21.90 to tie it in prelims and 21.81 during the evening. Paegle was 21.98 at the NCAA meet last year before beating Turak’s mark in 21.76 at midseason.
The 500 freestyle features four Hoosier juniors Thursday: Anna Peplowski, Ching Hwee Gan, Elyse Heiser and Mariah Denigan. Peplowski is the No. 11 seed in the event, having posted an NCAA A cut 4:37.47 at Big Tens. Senior Anna Freed is IU’s lone competitor in the 200 IM. The 200-yard freestyle relay Thursday evening is IU’s top-rated relay, coming in as the No. 6 seed with a time of 1:26.66 that won the Big Ten title and set a program record.
Friday kicks off with the 400 IM as Anna Freed is within striking distance of scoring position, seeded 19th with a best time of 4:08.37. Peplowski is the No. 4 seed in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:42.04, representing as the Big Ten Conference Champion two years running. She’s joined by Heiser in the 200 free. Junior Brearna Crawford and Turak will race the 100-yard breaststroke.
Junior Kacey McKenna is IU’s top-seeded swimmer in any event in the 100-yard backstroke, blasting a program record, NCAA A cut 50.49 to win the Big Ten time and earn the No. 3 national seed. She’ll likely lead off IU’s 400-yard medley relay, which ranks No. 13 with a time of 3:30.33. At Big Tens, IU posted a time of 3:28.32 – which would rank No. 9 – but was disqualified.
All four divers will compete on the 3-meter springboard with the chance to score big – Indiana has the reigning national runner-up in senior Anne Fowler as well as the Big Ten Champion in Skyler Liu. Freshmen Ella Roselli and Lily Witte will join them having both scored at Big Tens.
Saturday, the final day of competition, features one of IU’s best events a year ago. Indiana returns Big Ten Champion and reigning NCAA runner-up Ching Hwee Gan and fellow juniors Mariah Denigan, who finished seventh nationally last season, and adds Heiser. McKenna will return for the 200-yard backstroke before three Hoosiers race in the 100-yard freestyle. Peplowski and Paegle are the No. 9 and 13 seeds, respectively, and are joined by Turak in the event.
The Big Ten 200-yard breaststroke champion, Crawford is the No. 13 seed in her best event with a seed time of 2:07.25. Freed rounds out individual swimming in the 200 fly. Indiana will look to jump onto the podium from the No. 9 seed in the 400-yard freestyle relay, the final race of the championships.
Two Hoosiers will compete in the platform diving event on the final day. Liu is this season’s Big Ten Champion on platform after finishing fourth in the NCAA last season – her first-career podium finish. Roselli joins Liu as IU’s second diver to qualify in all three diving events. The freshman was the top consolation final finisher at Big Tens.
MEET INFO
Wednesday, March 20 – Saturday, March 23 • 10 a.m. ET (prelims), 6 p.m. ET (finals)
Gabrielsen Natatorium • Athens, Ga.
Live Results (Swim): bit.ly/4cpj1FF/Meet Mobile App
Live Results (Dive): divemeets.com
Live Stream: espn.com/watch
SCHEDULED EVENTS (Finals)
Wednesday (6 p.m. ET) – 200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay
Thursday (6 p.m. ET) – 500 Freestyle, 200 IM, 50 Freestyle, 1-Meter Dive, 200 Freestyle Relay
Friday (6 p.m. ET) – 100 Butterfly, 400 IM, 200 Freestyle, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, 3-Meter Dive, 400 Medley Relay
Saturday (6 p.m. ET) – 1,650 Freestyle, 200 Backstroke, 100 Freestyle, 200 Breaststroke, 200 Butterfly, Platform Dive, 400 Freestyle Relay
INDIANA SWIMMING AND DIVING QUALIFIERS
2024 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships
Brearna Crawford – 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke
Mariah Denigan – 500 freestyle, 1,650 freestyle
Anne Fowler – 1-meter, 3-meter
Anna Freed – 200 butterfly, 200 IM, 400 IM
Ching Hwee Gan – 500 freestyle, 1650 freestyle
Elyse Heiser – 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 1650 freestyle
Skyler Liu – 1-meter, 3-meter, platform
Kacey McKenna – 50 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke
Kristina Paegle – 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle
Anna Peplowski – 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle
Ella Roselli – 1-meter, 3-meter, platform
Ashley Turak – 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 100 breaststroke
Lily Witte – 1-meter, 3-meter, platform
Relays: 200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay, 800-yard freestyle relay, 200-yard medley relay, 400-yard medley relay
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After learning its NCAA destination on Sunday evening, the Midwest Region’s No. 1-seed Purdue men’s basketball team has started preparations for Friday’s first-round contest against the winner of the First Four contest between No. 16 seeds Grambling or Montana State.
• TICKETS: Tickets through the Purdue Athletics ticket office are sold out, but we encourage fans to use trusted third-party sites to purchase tickets.: StubHub.
• POSTSEASON CENTRAL: All the information on ticketing and fan gatherings found here: Postseason Information.
• OPEN PRACTICE: The Boilermakers will hold an open practice to all fans on Thursday, March 21, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, at 2:45 p.m. ET. The Boilermakers are allowed 40 minutes on the game floor, ending at 3:25 p.m. ET.
The Boilermakers and 16th-seeded Grambling or Montana State will battle at 7:25 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse — home of the Indiana Pacers. It will be the first game of the first session, as Utah State and TCU will square off a half-hour after the conclusion of game one with the two winners advancing to Sunday’s Round of 32 contest. Times and television designations will be announced late Friday night.
The Boilermakers went through a hour-and-a-half practice on Monday before taking Tuesday off.
The Boilermakers will practice on Wednesday, before departing for Indianapolis Wednesday evening.
• FRIDAY FAN HEADQUARTERS: The Purdue for Life Foundation has established a tournament headquarters for all alumni and fans less than a mile from Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Join us at Brothers Bar & Grill on 255 South Meridian Street before, during and after the game. There is no entry fee, and no registration is required. Attendees are responsible for their own food and drink. Seating is first come, first served.
Important: Brothers opens at 11 a.m. every day. Be advised that no portion of the establishment has been reserved exclusively for Purdue events even though there will be a prominent Purdue presence. Large crowds are expected throughout the weekend because there are numerous games taking place in Indianapolis during that time. Please plan accordingly.
Time: Opens 11 AM ET
Location: Brothers Bar & Grill (255 South Meridian Street)
Cost: no fee
Registration: none, first come, first served
• HOW TO FOLLOW US:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
• PREVIEWING THE FIRST ROUND:Release | Game Notes | Painter Reaction | Player Reaction
• EDEY NAMED FIRST-TEAM AP ALL-AMERICAN
BOILERBALL NCAA FACTS
• Purdue and Houston are the only teams to earn No. 1 seeds in the 2023 and 2024 NCAA Tournaments. Purdue and Houston are also the only teams nationally to win at least 29 games in each of the last three seasons.
• Purdue is one of four teams nationally (Purdue, Auburn, UConn, Houston) without a loss outside quad-1 in the NCAA NET Rankings.
• Purdue’s four Sweet 16 appearances in the last six NCAA Tournaments are the third most in the country.
• The Purdue Boilermakers, the Midwest Region’s top seed, begins their March Madness quest just 60 miles down on I-65, as it heads to NCAA.com (Public) | NCAA.com/mediastats (Media) Indianapolis for an NCAA Tournament first-round matchup against the winner of Grambling and Montana State. Tip is scheduled for Friday at 7:25 p.m. ET, as the Boilermakers aim for their 30th win of the season. • The Boilermakers earned the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, thanks to a 6-0 record against top-4 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. The Boilermakers’ No. 1 seed was its fifth in school history (1988, 1994, 1996, 2023, 2024). • Purdue (29, 29, 29) and Houston (32, 33, 30) are the only schools in America to have at least 29 wins in each of the last three seasons. • Purdue is one of three major-conference teams (UConn, Houston, Purdue) entering the NCAA Tournament with four or fewer losses. No other major-conference team has fewer than seven losses (Auburn, Iowa State, North Carolina, South Carolina). • Purdue has won nine straight games against teams ranked in the Associated Press top 12 at the time of the game. The winning streak is the fourth-longest nationally over the last 50 years and ninth-longest in NCAA history. The Boilermakers have won 18 straight non-conference games (regular season and postseason) against power-conference OR nationally-ranked teams. It’s last loss came Dec. 19, 2020 vs. Butler. • Purdue’s schedule ranks as the fourth-most difficult in the country and its non-conference foes won the Southern Conference by three games (Samford), the Ohio Valley (Morehead State), the Atlantic Sun (Eastern Kentucky) the SEC (Tennessee) and PAC-12 (Arizona). Marquette (Big East) and Gonzaga (WCC) finished in second place in their respective conferences. • Purdue has beaten teams ranked 4th (Arizona), 7th (Tennessee), 9th (Alabama), 13th twice (Illinois), 14th (Marquette), 17th (Gonzaga), 21st twice (Wisconsin) and 24th twice (Michigan State) in the NCAA NET rankings. The Boilermakers are 11-1 against the NCAA NET top 25. • Purdue ranks in the NCAA’s top 20 in 3-point percentage (2nd), rebound margin (2nd), off. efficiency (4th), wins (5th), assists per game (6th), scoring margin (10th), scoring offense (12th), field goal percentage (16th), assist / turnover ratio (17th) and fewest fouls per game (20th). • Since the start of last season, Purdue is 58-10, the fourth-most wins nationally, while the 10 losses are the second fewest behind Houston (8). The 10 losses during that span have come by 1, 5, 6, 14, 8, 5, 4 (OT), 16, 4 and 1 (OT) points (64 combined points). Forty-four of the 58 wins have come against teams ranked in the KenPom top-100, including 31 against teams ranked in the top-50. • Purdue was voted No. 3 in the final AP poll on Monday. With its No. 3 ranking this week, Purdue has now been ranked in the top 5 of the AP poll for 36 straight weeks, the longest-active streak in America by 17 weeks (UConn – 19). It has been ranked in the top 3 in 30 of those weeks. The 36 weeks of being ranked in the top 5 is the third longest in confererence history (41 — Ohio State, 1960-63; 38 — Indiana, 1975-77). • The No. 3 ranking in the final AP poll matches the highest final ranking in school history (also 2023, 1994, 1988). • Zach Edey became the school career record-holder in points (2,339) against Wisconsin and is now Purdue’s career leader in points (2,339), rebounds (1,234), double-doubles (63), free throw attempts (876) and dunks (265). He is second in double-figure scoring games (110), field goal percentage (.619) and free throws made (620). • Braden Smith needs seven assists for 400 in his career, which would make him the fourth player in Big Ten history to have at least 400 assists by the end of his sophomore season (Magic Johnson – 491; Cassius Winston – 423; Trey Burke – 416). He would become just the second sophomore in league history with at least 750 points, 400 assists and 300 rebounds (Magic Johnson). • Zach Edey and Mason Gillis are the only players in Purdue history to score at least 800 points with 500 rebounds and 100 assists and to shoot at least 50.0 percent from 3-point range. Edey is 1-of-2 from deep, while Gillis is at 144-of-353 (.408).
EDEY NAMED AP FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICAN; SMITH TO HONORABLE MENTION SQUAD
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – For the second straight year, Purdue senior center Zach Edey has been voted a unanimous selection to the Associated Press (AP) First-Team All-America, the organization announced Tuesday afternoon.
Edey was the only player voted to the first team on all 58 ballots, making him the first two-time, first-team All-American selection at Purdue since Rick Mount in 1969 and 1970. Edey becomes the first two-time All-American (any team) since Carsen Edwards in 2018 and 2019.
The NABC and USBWA All-America awards will be announced Wednesday. Should Edey land on those teams, he will become a consensus first-team All-America honoree for the second straight season.
Last week, he was named a repeat winner of The Sporting News’ National Player of the Year, the eighth player since 1943 to accomplish that.
Dating to last year, Edey has now won all seven major National Player of the Year accolades that have been handed out as he has a chance to become the first unanimous (winning all of them) back-to-back National Player of the Year honoree since Bill Walton in 1972 and 1973. The five remaining National Player of the Year awards come from the Associated Press, the Naismith Award, the Wooden Award, the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the United States Basketball Writers Association.
Edey has dominated all season long, currently averaging 24.4 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 2.1 assists per game in all games played, but increasing his numbers to 25.4 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.2 blocks per game in Big Ten play. On Monday, March 11, he set a Big Ten record with 12 Big Ten Player of the Week honors during his career.
Edey is the only player in Big Ten history to record at least 700 points and 350 rebounds in a season, doing so both this year and last year, and needs 13 rebounds to become the fifth player in NCAA history with two seasons of at least 750 points and 400 rebounds (Elvin Hayes, Oscar Robertson, Rick Barry, Jerry West).
Should be reach 400 rebounds this season (13 away), Edey will become the first player in NCAA history with 800 points, 400 rebounds, 50 assists and 50 blocks in a season.
Edey has produced against the nation’s best teams, averaging a combined 40.2 points, rebounds and assists against high-major opposition, currently the first player in at least the last 15 years to average a combined 40 points, rebounds and assists against high-major opposition. Edey Leads the country in 30-10 games with seven (next closest is 3) and 20-10 games with 18 (next closest is 16).
In the Big Ten Tournament semifinal game against Wisconsin, Edey became the school’s all-time scoring leader, now with 2,339 points, passing Rick Mount’s 54-year old record of 2,323 points. Edey is now the school’s all-time leader in points, rebounds and double-doubles.
Edey’s seven career 30-15 games are the most for a high-major player in the last 15 years (Marvin Bagley, Blake Griffin – 4) by three games. His 10 career games of at least 25 points and 15 rebounds are also the most nationally in that span (Blake Griffin – 9) and his 15 career 30-10 games are the second most for any player in the last 15 years (South Dakota State’s Mike Daum – 21).
Edey is the first player in Big Ten history with 2,200 career points and 1,200 career rebounds, and has joined David Robinson (Navy, 1984-87) as the only players in NCAA history with 2,200 career points, 1,200 career rebounds, 200 career blocks and to shoot over 60.0 percent from the field.
Meanwhile, Braden Smith has had an outstanding sophomore season, en route to first-team All-Big Ten honors and honorable mention All-America accolades.
A Cousy Award finalist, Smith is averaging 12.5 points, 7.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game, but saw his averages bump to 12.5 points, 7.6 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game in Big Ten action. He is the nation’s leader in total assists with 240 and needs seven assists for 400 in his career. Should he reach 400 assists this season, he will become the fourth sophomore in Big Ten history with 400 assists by the end of their sophomore seasons (Magic Johnson, Trey Burke, Cassius Winston).
Smith became the first Boilermaker to lead the Big Ten in assists since 1990 (Tony Jones, and has smashed the school record for assists in a season (240 and counting).
He has six double-doubles and eight games with 10 or more assists – a new school record, and dished out 16 assists against Northwestern, the second most in a game in school history and the most in almost 50 years. The 16 assists were the most for a Big Ten player in the last 15 years.
Smith is already one of 17 players in NCAA history to have at least 400 points, 240 assists, 190 rebounds and 50 steals in a season. Among Big Ten players, Smith and Magic Johnson are the only players to accomplish that feat.
For his career, already has 754 points, 393 assists, 338 rebounds and 96 steals in 68 career games, and is seven assists away from becoming one of five players in NCAA history to have at least 750 points, 400 assists, 325 rebounds and 90 steals through completion of their sophomore season (Kenny Anderson, Nick Calathes, D.J. Cooper and Jason Kidd).
The Boilermakers will face the winner of Montana State or Grambling in Friday’s NCAA Tournament first-round action in Indianapolis.
PURDUE SOFTBALL
MIDWEEK & BIG TEN PLAY ON DECK
Wednesday, March 20
vs. Eastern Illinois | 5:00 p.m. | B1G+
Free Admission to Bittinger Stadium
Friday, March 22
at Michigan | 5 p.m. | B1G+
Saturday, March 23
at Michigan | 2 p.m. | B1G+
Sunday, March 24
at Michigan | 1 p.m. | B1G+
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – On deck, the Purdue softball team will play its first true midweek of the season vs. Eastern Illinois at home before traveling to Ann Arbor for the opening weekend of Big Ten play at Michigan.
All games will be streamed on B1G+.
ALL ABOUT SPEED
Purdue ranks #8 in the nation and #2 in the Big Ten entering the week with 61 stolen bases.
The team is 61-69 in stolen bases this year, already producing more stolen bases than the entire 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2008, 2005, 1998 and 1994 seasons.
Overall, Purdue is more aggressive team on the bases compared to their opponents, with just 22 stolen bases on 28 attempts by its foes.
#SCTOP10: MORIAH POLAR
The freshman outfielder made a diving catch in foul territory in Game 2 vs. Omaha, which made SC Top-10, coming in at #5 last Friday night.
PURDUE AMONG THE BIG TEN
Purdue’s defense ranks third in the Big Ten with a .971 fielding % and have gone errorless in 11 games this season. Meanwhile, the team ranks third in stolen bases and triples.
SCOUTING THE EASTERN ILLINOIS PANTHERS
Series History vs. Eastern Illinois: 5-1 | Last Meeting: W, 11-0 in West Lafayette, Ind. | 4/16/03
The Panthers enter the week with a 17-8 record. They take on IUPUI in a doubleheader on Tuesday night before heading to West Lafayette on Wednesday.
At the plate, Rachel Kaufman has generated 31 hits, 23 RBI and a SLG% of .581 to lead the team while accounting for 15 total runs for the Panthers.
Freshman pitcher, McKenzie Oslanzi, has an impressive ERA of .74, throwing a total of 85.2 innings. She holds her opponents at a batting average of .181 and has struck out 89 batters this season.
SCOUTING THE MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
Series History vs. Michigan: 4-50 | Last Meeting: L, 0-5 in West Lafayette, Ind. | 4/16/23
Last weekend, the Wolverines took on Illinois and came away with a 4-1 win. Michigan is now 16-11 on the season heading into the week. The team will take on Oakland on Tuesday before setting their sights on Purdue.
Notable wins this season include 10-2 (5 innings on 3/2) and 2-1 (10 innings on 2/10) victories vs. currently-ranked #10 Florida.
The Wolverines have two players with 13 RBI (Maddie Erickson, Keke Tholl) and one player with 19 (Jenissa Conway). Conway and Erickson also have a SLG% above .550.
In the circle, Lauren Derkowski has thrown a total of 74 innings striking and has a 6-5 record. She has an ERA of 1.61, and she has struck out 82 batters.
PURDUE BASEBALL
FINAL WEEK OF HOMESTAND BEGINS WITH 1ST OF 2 MEETINGS VS. UIC
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
UIC (12-6) at Purdue (15-6)
Wednesday, March 20 at 4 p.m. ET / Watch B1G+
Alexander Field / West Lafayette, Indiana
Probable Starting Pitchers: Cole Van Assen (Fr, RHP) vs. UIC’s
$3 Midweek Deals on GA Tickets, Beers, Hot Dogs, Popcorn & Nachos
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Purdue leads 13-11
All-Time in West Lafayette: Purdue leads 8-3
2022 in West Lafayette: UIC 6, Purdue 4 (March 21)
2022 in Chicago: UIC 7, Purdue 3 (May 10)
Purdue’s Last Win in the Series: Purdue 5, UIC 3 (April 2014 in West Lafayette)
First Meetings: Purdue swept a doubleheader 5-0 & 14-4 (May 1982 in West Lafayette)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The final week of Purdue Baseball’s season-long 13-game homestand begins with the first of two meetings with UIC as the Flames visit Alexander Field on Wednesday afternoon for another $3 midweek matchup.
First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. ET. General admission tickets, beer, hot dogs, popcorn and nachos are specially priced at $3 at all Tuesday and Wednesday home games.
The Boilermakers are 7-2 during their current homestand, scoring 86 runs in the nine games thanks to two of the highest-scoring weekends in the history of Alexander Field. Purdue has compiled a .323/.437/.545 team slash line over the last nine games and connected for 11 home runs in the five games last week. The pitching staff has also racked up 43 strikeouts in each of the last two weekends, averaging 10.96 Ks per nine innings over the course of the homestand.
Cole Van Assen gets another start Wednesday against a team from his home state. He worked six innings of one-run ball over two appearances last week, sharing the team lead in innings while helping Purdue win both games in which he took the mound. He excelled in a stadium that surrendered a combined 71 runs over 46 innings in the five games.
Van Assen was the most effective pitcher in Saturday’s 13-12 10-inning slugfest with Samford, giving Purdue eight outs in relief to set the stage for the walk-off win. He got the call with the game on the line in the eighth inning with the bases loaded and one out. He retired the 1-hole & 3-hole hitters in the SU lineup (around an intentional walk to the 2-hole hitter after a sac fly). The freshman then posted zeros in the ninth and 10th innings. He also gave Purdue 10 outs as the starter in the midweek win vs. Northern Illinois. Both runs Van Assen has been charged with this season scored after he left the mound (over 12 2/3 innings pitched).
In the walk-off win vs. Samford, the Boilermakers survived an eight-run inning. It was the biggest inning for an opponent in a Purdue win since Hofstra also posted a snowman in the finale of the 2020 season-opening series.
Senior Jo Stevens was arguably the team MVP last week, hitting safely in all five games last while playing elite defense at third base. He reached base safely a team-high 14 times, posting a .609 on-base percentage thanks to eight hits and six free passes (five walks, HBP). Stevens scored the game-winning run in Saturday’s walk-off win after igniting the rally with a single. He hit a two-run homer in Sunday’s game and collected five of his six RBI for the week in the Samford series.
ACTIVE STREAKS
• Connor Caskenette – 25-game on-base streak at Home (since 3/31/23); 9-game on-base streak in all games
• Camden Gasser – 19-game on-base streak (every game he’s played in 2024); 12-game hit streak
• Jo Stevens – 7-game hit streak
Purdue and UIC are playing an in-season home-and-home midweek series for the third consecutive year. The Flames have stifled the Boilermakers each of the last two years, sweeping all four meetings thanks in part to a pair of comeback wins at Alexander Field. UIC overcame a 9-0 deficit entering the seventh inning in 2022, rallying for an improbable 10-9 win. A four-run ninth inning last year turned a two-run deficit into a 6-4 win for the Flames.
CJ Backer has been Purdue’s top performer vs. UIC the last two years, racking up 17 strikeouts vs. 13 1/3 innings of two-run ball over three appearances. He conceded just five hits and two walks vs. a combined 47 batters faced.
Meanwhile, after making his first plate appearance as a Boilermaker on Sunday, Breck Nowik is set to face his former team Wednesday. The Chicagoland native spent his first three years at UIC and was a Freshman All-American as a redshirt freshman during his debut season in 2022. He’s returning from a broken hamate bone suffered on Groundhog Day, with the injury opening the door for Luke Gaffney’s hot start (.436/.511/.718, 14 XBH, 24 RBI) after taking over for Nowik at first base. Headlined by a two-out, two-run single in the eighth inning, Nowik had two hits and three RBI as the third baseman for the Flames in their 2022 comeback win at Alexander.
Shortstop Camden Gasser will also go up against his former team later this season when Purdue visits Michigan for the penultimate weekend of Big Ten play, making its first trip to Ann Arbor since April 2015.
PURDUE FOOTBALL
PURDUE FOOTBALL STARTS SPRING PRACTICE TO PREPARE FOR 2024 SEASON
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Football began preparing for the 2024 season Tuesday morning (March 19) with the first practice of the spring. The Boilermakers practiced inside the Mollenkopf Athletic Center, kicking off the second year under head coach Ryan Walters.
“Guys flying around, intensity was good,” said Walters. “A lot of recall from the guys that have been here within the scheme, so excited to see the tape, but it’s just day one.”
Before Purdue started practice, Walters surprised defensive back Dillon Thieneman by unveiling his All-America banner in the indoor facility. Ranking third nationally in interceptions and solo tackles, while setting Purdue freshman records in both categories, Thieneman became the 50th All-American in program history.
“It’s a great story,” said Walters. “You got a freshman from right down the street who stays home and accomplishes what he did, 106 tackles and six interceptions, that’s crazy. For him to be a freshman and carry himself the way he does, his legacy will now be etched in Purdue history forever. To do that in year one is remarkable, and the scary thing is he’s only going to get better.”
The unveiling was a surprise for Thieneman, as his parents Ken and Shannon drove up from Westfield, Indiana to see the banner drop.
“It was super surprising, they didn’t tell me anything,” said Thieneman. “It’s an awesome feeling, but I have to give credit to my teammates because they are the real reason why I was able to put a banner up there.”
Despite preparing to enter his sophomore season, Thieneman is now a leader in the locker room after a breakout year in which he was named FWAA Defensive Freshman Player of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year. After being a statistical leader in 2023, he is ready for increased leadership responsibility on his side of the ball.
“Being more vocal, trying to be a leader, like the QB of the defense,” said Thieneman. “Because I play deep, I can see what is going on and help direct people.”
On offense, Hudson Card returns for his second year as Purdue’s starting quarterback. He was All-Big Ten Honorable Mention a season ago, ranking third in the conference in passing yards per game and completions per game. Having one year under his belt, Card is more comfortable with the system and his own leadership role.
“Last year, I came in, everything was new to me. Now, I know what to expect having been here a year and having a relationship with all of the guys,” said Card. “Excited to be out here and put some pads on – day one was fun.”
As for what he wishes to accomplish this spring, Walters wants to see the Boilermakers master the fundamentals and techniques of what the team is trying to do from a schematic’s standpoint, while developing depth and chemistry on both sides of the ball. Along with these goals, staying healthy is another important aspect heading into the fall.
“You’ve got to be smart with the reps,” said Walters. “We’ve got to learn how to practice against each other, while still playing tough and physical – keeping each other up and recognizing that we’re playing Purdue on Purdue. You’re not winning games right now, but you can definitely make it harder if you’re not playing smart.”
Speaking of playing, the Boilermakers practice 15 times over the next month in addition to competing in a spring game, which is set for Saturday, April 13 at Ross-Ade Stadium. Kickoff of the scrimmage is set for noon, and admission is free.
NOTRE DAME HOCKEY
FOUR IRISH EARN ALL-B1G AWARDS
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – After a season full of ups and downs for the Irish hockey squad, four Irish icers including Landon Slaggert, Ryan Bischel, Ryan Siedem and Hunter Strand have been tabbed by the Big Ten Conference for its postseason awards. Amassing a team-best 31 points, including a career year of 20 goals, the captain Slaggert was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team while B1G Goaltender of the Year finalist Bischel was recognized as an honorable mention. One of the team’s unsung heroes of the year, Strand was honored as part of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award team.
In his senior season, Slaggert boasted a team-best 20 goals and had 31 total points, including six powerplay goals and two game-winners. The South Bend native concluded his career with the Irish appearing in all 36 games on the season and was a Hobey Baker Memorial Award nominee in 2024.
A staple in net the past two seasons, Bischel finished the year with the most saves in the country and one of the top save percentages. A 2024 Goaltender of the Year finalist by the conference, Bischel was also named a semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award and was a Hobey Baker Memorial Award nominee.
Siedem joined the Irish prior to the start of the 2023-24 season and made an immediate impact at the blueline. The graduate defenseman led the team with 17 assists and finished the year with 20 total points adding an additional three goals. He spent most of the year as a top defender at dump in puck retrievals and created numerous transitional offensive plays throughout the season.
Strand closed out his junior campaign with a career-best 19 points, recording four goals and finishing second on the team in assists (15).
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
IRISH BATS LEAD TO 16-11 VICTORY OVER WESTERN MICHIGAN
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame improved to 12-8 on the season with a 16-11 win over Western Michigan (9-10). OF T.J. Williams batted 1.000 on the day, going four-for-four with two RBI and two runs. He leads the team on the season with a .419 batting average. OF David Glancy was responsible for three RBI, while INF Estevan Moreno knocked three hits on the day, including a double.
RHP Radek Birkholz earned the win for Notre Dame, improving to 3-0 on the season. RHP Hagan Ward made his first-career start in Tuesday’s game.
The 27 combined runs scored by both teams rank tied for sixth-most in a single game at Frank Eck Stadium.
Notre Dame improves to 2-0 at home this season, and will host the first ACC home series of the season this coming weekend as Miami comes to town March 22-25.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Broncos got off to a hot start, as the leadoff batter drew a walk and reached second on a balk, advancing to third on a wild pitch. A double scored Western Michigan’s first run, and a subsequent single scored another. RHP Will Jacobsen took the mound for the Irish, and the Broncos homered to score two more. The Irish took care of the next two batters to head to the bottom of the inning down four.
Notre Dame responded, as Williams led off with a single and stole second, getting to third on a wild pitch. With two outs, INF Simon Baumgardt walked, and both advanced on a passed ball, Williams scoring Notre Dame’s first run. OF Tito Flores walked, and INF Jack Penney doubled to score Flores and Baumgardt, bringing the Irish within one. OF Brady Gumpf stepped to the plate and fired a ground-rule double to even the score, bringing Penney home.
In the second inning after two outs, two Broncos batters walked. RHP Rory Fox entered to pitch for the Irish. Western Michigan sent a three-run homer to right field to go up 7-4. Notre Dame placed a runner on second in the bottom of the inning, but was unable to convert.
In the top of the third, Western Michigan led off with a single, and a walk placed runners on first and second. Both runners took another base on a passed ball, and a sac fly scored one for the Broncos. A following single scored another, but a later strikeout from Fox ended the top half of the inning at 9-4 Broncos.
Baumgardt led off the third with a solo homer, putting the score at 9-5. Notre Dame added two singles in the third, but were unable to bring more runs home.
Western Michigan homered for the third time on the day to lead off the fourth and add a run. Two lineouts and a Fox strikeout ended the Bronco run. INF Estevan Moreno led off the fourth with a single, and Williams followed with another single. OF David Glancy hit into a fielder’s choice, pushing Moreno to third and tagging Williams out. An INF Connor Hincks sac fly scored Moreno to put the Irish back in the game down 10-6. After a Baumgardt walk, Flores singled to score both Baumgardt and Glancy, cutting away at the Bronco lead.
Heading to the top of the fifth with Western Michigan up 10-7, Birkholz entered to pitch for Notre Dame. After walking one, Birkholz struck out the next three batters for the Broncos’ first scoreless inning of the game. In the bottom of the inning, C Joey Spence led off with a single, and Moreno drew a HBP. Williams dropped a sac bunt to push both runners a base, and Glancy doubled to score Moreno and Spence, putting the Irish within one at 10-9.
Birkholz remained on the mound in the sixth, forcing a 5-4-3 double play from Baumgardt to Moreno to Hincks. A groundout ended the inning, the second-consecutive inning holding Western Michigan scoreless.
The Irish opened it up in the bottom of the sixth and batted through the order, as Flores led off with a single. Penney walked, and after a strikeout, Spence reached first and scored Penney and Flores on an errant throw, as the Irish took an 11-10 lead. Moreno then doubled to score Spence. Moreno stole third, and Williams singled, his third of the day, to score Moreno. Glancy delivered a fielder’s choice, but Williams got home, and the Irish went to the seventh up 14-10.
RHP Tobey McDonough entered to pitch for the Irish in the seventh, sitting the Broncos down in order and adding a strikeout. In the bottom of the seventh, two walks created traffic on the basepaths as Moreno singled to score OF Brady Gumpf. Williams hit his fourth single of the day to score Spence, and the Irish extended the lead to 16-10.
In the eighth, Western Michigan led off with a double, and a one-out single put two on base. RHP Nate Hardman took the mound for Notre Dame, and a sac fly scored another run for the Broncos. After a single, a flyout to Gumpf ended the inning. Notre Dame earned a walk in the eighth, but a double play sent the game to the ninth.
Hardman dealt two strikeouts to begin the ninth, and a groundout to Penney secured the 16-11 win.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame prepares to host Miami for its first home ACC series of the season at Frank Eck Stadium March 22-24. All games will be broadcast on ACCNX.
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
IRISH RALLY LATE TO DEFEAT MICHIGAN STATE
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team used a dominant pitching effort and timely hitting to earn a 4-2 win over the visiting Michigan State Spartans Tuesday evening at Melissa Cook Stadium. Fighting Irish pitching held Michigan State off the scoreboard in all but one inning before rallying in the bottom of the sixth to earn the win. The Irish improved to 17-10 on the season, with Michigan State falling to 12-14.
Shannon Becker got the start in the circle. In total, the junior worked 4.0 innings, scattering three hits and striking out three in a no-decision. Micaela Kastor was the first reliever used, allowing three hits and two earned runs. Alexis Laudenslager got the win, throwing the final 2.0 innings, sitting down all six hitters she faced over the final two frames to hear her seventh win of the season.
Emily Tran paced the Irish offense, finishing with a 2-for-3 performance. Carlli Kloss, Addison Amaral, Jane Kronenberger, Bryn Boznanski and Mickey Winchell each added a hit in the contest. Boznanski drove in a pair with a single in a pinch hit appearance. Kloss, Amaral, Kronenberger and Cassidy Grimm each scored a run in the win.
How It Happened
Michigan State got the scoring started in the third inning, leading off with a solo home run. A single and a hit by pitch put two on as Jenae Wash singled back up the middle to bring in a run, and was thrown out trying to take second base.
After both teams went scoreless in the fourth and fifth, the Irish finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth. Kloss led off with a double down the third base line and moved up with a Tran single on the infield. Amaral hit a sharp ground ball, directly at the Michigan State shortstop who couldn’t handle it, bringing in the first run. Kronenberger followed with a single to load the bases. Vasquez stepped in to pinch hit, drawing the walk and tying the game. Boznanski was the next pinch hitter on, driving a single back up the middle to plate two, putting the Irish up 4-2.
Laudenslager took the circle again in the seventh, sitting the Spartans down in order to secure the victory.
Up Next
The Irish stay at home for the first weekend at Melissa Cook Stadium this season. Notre Dame will host the NC State Wolfpack in a three-game series beginning Friday night at 5 p.m.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
HIDALGO ADDS THREE MORE NATIONAL HONORS
Add three more lines to Hannah Hidalgo’s resume, as the freshman was named both a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalist and to the USBWA and Sporting News All-America Second Teams on Tuesday.
She is the sole freshman on the Naismith list and one of three rookies to earn USBWA and Sporting News All-America status.
Just 32 games into her collegiate career, Hidalgo has already cemented herself as one of the nation’s best defensive players. She leads the country with 4.6 steals per game. Just prior to the ACC Tournament, Hidalgo was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year along with ACC Rookie of the Year. She is just the third player in conference history to earn the awards in the same season. Hidalgo was also named the ACC Tournament MVP after the Irish downed NC State to bring home a sixth ACC title.
Additionally, Hidalgo is averaging an ACC-leading 23.3 points and is also dishing out 5.5 assists per game. The latter mark ranks third in the conference.
Hidalgo and Notre Dame (26-6) will be back in action on Saturday as the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Irish will host No. 15 Kent State (21-10) and are 24-4 all-time in First Round games.
BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
JIHAD NAMED FIRST TEAM ALL-DISTRICT BY THE NABC
Junior forward Basheer Jihad has been named First Team All-District by the NABC, the National Association of Basketball Coaches announced Tuesday.
The Detroit native joins Akron’s Ali Ali and Enrique Freeman, Bowling Green’s Marcus Hill and Toledo’s Ra’Heim Moss on the District 14 First Team in a vote of the area’s head coaches.
Jihad averaged 18.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in a breakout junior season, with those numbers ranking fourth and fifth in the Mid-American Conference, respectively. The junior’s 1.1 blocks per game ranks seventh in the league.
Jihad leads the league in free throws and made (167) this season and ranks No. 28 in that category in NCAA Division I as of Tuesday.
The third-year Cardinal finished the year accumulating 559 points which is the 17th-most in a season in Ball State men’s basketball history and 7th-most by a junior.
Jihad tallied nine double-doubles and 11 20-point games in his breakout season while shooting 46.0 percent from the floor, 37.0 percent on 3-pointers and 74.4 percent at the free throw line. The big man led Ball State in scoring in 17 games and in rebounding in 17 games in the face of consistent double teams after the first month of the season.
The full District 14 First and Second Teams are listed below, while honorees in every district can be found at the link above.
District 14
First Team
Ali Ali – Akron
Enrique Freeman – Akron
Marcus Hill – Bowling Green
Basheer Jihad – Ball State
Ra’Heim Moss – Toledo
Second Team
Rashaun Agee – Bowling Green
David Coit – Northern Illinois
Jaylin Hunter – Ohio
Dante Maddox Jr. – Toledo
Anthony Pritchard – Central Michigan
Coach of the Year: Tony Barbee – Central Michigan
BUTLER FALLS TO MINNESOTA, 73-72, IN NIT
Two Elijah Hawkins free throws with five seconds remaining and a contested miss by the home team at the buzzer gave visiting Minnesota a 73-72 win over Butler in the opening round of the 2024 NIT.
The game was played Tuesday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
With the win, Minnesota improves to 19-14 on the season and will play the winner of Wednesday night’s game between Indiana State and SMU in the second round. The loss ends Butler’s season at 18-15.
HOW IT TRANSPIRED:
An early 11-0 run by Minnesota gave the visitors a 19-11 advantage at the 10:25 mark of the first half.
Butler would fight back with a run of their own to knot the game at 23-23 less than five minutes later.
A stretch of eight consecutive made field goals gave the Bulldogs a 38-34 lead with less than a minute remaining in the first half before Butler went into the locker room with a 38-36 advantage.
Butler’s largest lead of the game came at 51-44 with 14:41 remaining, following six straight Bulldog point points.
Minnesota quickly erased that lead and took at 54-53 lead.
One more time the Bulldogs found a spurt on back-to-back three-pointers from Pierre Brooks II and Jahmyl Telfort to push Butler’s edge to 60-54 with 8:12 to play.
After ties at 60-60 and 67-67, Butler was able to find a 72-69 lead on Telfort’s runner in the lane with 39 seconds to play.
A Dawson Garcia bucket and those two Hawkins free throws sandwiched around a Butler turnover gave Minnesota the final 73-72 margin.
OF NOTE:
Telfort led Butler with 25 points, his fifth 20-point game of the season and one point shy of his season-high.
DJ Davis and Posh Alexander each added 13 points for Butler.
Davis had a career-high seven assists.
Alexander had four steals Tuesday night, moving him to 71 for the season. That mark is third in Butler single-season history.
Garcia led Minnesota with 25 points.
Hawkins scored 11 points to go along with 15 assists.
Minnesota put five players in double figures.
Both teams shot 47 percent.
The game featured 11 ties and eight lead changes.
BUTLER BASEBALL
BULLDOGS WIN AT MIAMI OHIO 13-10
OXFORD – Butler picked up a road win at Miami Ohio on Tuesday afternoon by defeating the Redhawks 13-10 at McKie Field. Ian Choi jumpstarted the offense with a grand slam in the first inning to give BU a 7-0 lead and Xavier Carter would play a large role in the outcome with three RBIs.
The Carter and Choi duo did damage early in this one to help Butler improve to 8-9 on the year. Carter hit a two-RBI single through the right side of the infield to make the game 3-0 and Choi’s grand slam gave Butler momentum on the road.
Miami clapped back by scoring seven runs over the first three innings to get back in the game. MacDonald highlighted the scoring with a three-run home run in the second. The Bulldogs were able to scratch two across in the third as well to keep a 9-7 lead going into the fourth.
BU expanded their lead after a Carter RBI single in the fourth. Carter Dorighi would also grab an RBI in the frame drawing a bases loaded walk to score Billy Wurch.
BU scored an unearned run in the fifth and Wurch would record his second RBI of the day in the seventh.
The midweek win would go to starter Gage Vota, his first of the season. Christian Finnigan, Colin Dailey, Brett Sherrard and Cole Graverson also touched the rubber for BU. That crew recorded nine strikeouts. Graverson cruised late not allowing a hit over the final two frames.
Butler will get back to action tomorrow afternoon with a home game against Ball State. The 4 PM first pitch will stream on FloSports.com.
BUTLER WOMEN’S GOLF
BULLDOGS FINISH 13TH AT WKU SPRING BREAK SHOOTOUT
The Bulldogs finished the Spring Break Shootout with a 13th-place finish. The event was hosted by Western Kentucky University Monday and Tuesday in Florida.
Butler’s Kelli Scheck and Ashley Freitas led the Bulldog effort, tying for 48th at 224 (+11) on the south course of the Lake Jovita Golf Club in Dade City, Fla.
Western Kentucky won the event at 838 (-14), topping North Florida by 17 shots.
Butler finished 13th at 904 (+52). That was one spot ahead of BIG EAST foe St. John’s in the 15-team field.
Western Kentucky’s Catie Craig won the event at 12-under 201. She won by three strokes.
THE BULLDOGS:
T48) Kelli Scheck, 74-71-79—224 (+3)
T48) Ashley Frietas, 76-70-78–224 (+4)
T67) Katie Steinman, 77-75-79—231 (+10)
T67) Madalin Small, 74-78-79—231 (+10)
T67) Cybil Stillson, 80-74-77—231 (+12)
T75) Sophie McGinnis (playing as an individual), 72-78-84—234 (+8)
The Bulldogs return to action April 1-2 at the Colonel Classic hosted by Eastern Kentucky.
IUPUI MEN’S GOLF
MEN’S GOLF CLOSES OUT SIXTH-PLACE FINISH AT ECU INTERCOLLEGIATE
GREENVILLE, N.C. – The IUPUI men’s golf team finished off a sixth-place finish at this week’s ECU Intercollegiate at Brook Valley Country Club, posting a final round 302 on Tuesday (Mar. 19). Host ECU held on to the team title at 879, fending off second-place UCF by two shots. UCF’s Hans Risvaer carded a final round 3-under 213 to earn medalist honors.
Senior Taylor Gardner posted a final round, 1-over 73 to lead the way while freshman Brady Schier closed at 3-over 75. Both Titus Boswell and Morgan Tournemire shot 5-over 77 and Kevin Tillery notched a final round 82. Sophomore Noah Kirsch also shot 82 while playing as an individual.
Gardner rode a hot start to his 1-over 73, making birdie on his second hole of the day and settling in at 1-under for much of the round. He got to 2-under on No. 7 and played the opening nine at 2-under 34. Back-to-back bogeys after the turn pushed him to even and a bogey put him over par for the first time all day. He closed with back-to-back pars for 73. Schier had a pair of birdies as part of his 75 and Boswell made two birdies to shoot 77.
“The golf course was playing tough this week,” Gardner said. “The greens were firm and it was hard to get some pins. It was a test of patience. I thought the team battled well despite not having our best stuff.”
Tillery ended the tournament with a team-high nine birdies and Gardner had 36 pars. Tournemire was second on the squad with 34 pars for the week.
IUPUI was tops among the Horizon League entries in the 15-team field, bettering both Oakland and Youngstown State for the week.
The Jaguars will return to action on Apr. 1-2 when they compete in the Don Benbow Butler Spring Invitational at Highland Country Club.
IUPUI SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL FALLS TO EASTERN ILLINOIS IN BACK-TO-BACK GAMES
INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI softball team dropped back-to-back games at home against Eastern Illinois. The Jags’ couldn’t match the Panthers’ strong offense falling 18-3 in the first game and 10-3 in the second game.
In game one, Eastern Illinois totaled 16 hits compared to the Jaguars’ five to take the victory in five innings, 18-3. The Panthers scored one run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the first inning to take the early lead, 1-0.
In the top of the second inning, Eastern Illinois extended their lead to 7-0 with six runs on four hits and two IUPUI errors. The Panthers then added seven runs on five hits in the top of the third to take a 14-0 lead.
With four runs in the fourth inning, including a three-run homer, the Panthers extended their lead to 18-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, Kinsey Pfeiffer singled to left field to score Kendal Calvert to put the Jags on the board. In the fifth inning, Calvert doubled to left center to score two runs sealing the final score at 18-3.
The Jags totaled five hits with Calvert recording two each while Rachael Gregory, Pfeiffer and Kasie Keyes each recorded one hit.
Jasmin Speth took the loss in the circle for IUPUI giving up 11 runs on 10 hits in 3.0 innings of work.
In game two, IUPUI held the Panthers to a close game until the seventh inning when Eastern Illinois put four up in the seventh frame securing the 10-3 win.
With a solo home run to left field, the Panthers took the lead first in the top of the first inning, 1-0. IUPUI quickly tied the game at 1-1 with a solo homer from Pfeiffer.
Eastern Illinois scored three runs on two hits in the top of the third to take the 4-1 lead. After a scoreless fourth and fifth inning, the Panthers scored two runs in the sixth inning with a home run to extend their lead to 6-1.
IUPUI tried to cut away at the deficit with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning, 6-2. Kennedy Cowan singled to left field to score Calvert.
Eastern Illinois then scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning on five hits to extend their lead to 10-2. In the bottom half of the seventh, Gregory doubled to left field to score Maicey Bedrick, 10-3.
Bedrick and Pfeiffer each recorded two hits while Gregory, Calvert, McPhearson and Cowan each added one hit. Alexa Holman took the loss, giving up 10 runs in 11 hits in 7.0 innings of work.
IUPUI will next travel to Oakland this weekend with the first game scheduled for Friday, March 22 at 3:00 PM.
BALL STATE BASEBALL
BASEBALL CAN’T HOLD ON TO EARLY LEAD AT VALPO
VALPARAISO, Ind. – The Ball State baseball team held early 5-0 and 6-1 leads, but Valparaiso fought back for a 9-6 win on Tuesday afternoon at Emory G. Bauer Field.
The Cardinals (11-10) scored twice in the second inning on a Nick Husovsky RBI single and Corey Miley sacrifice fly before Blake Bevis pounded a solo homer to center field in the third to extend the Ball State edge to 3-0. Casey Turturici tripled to drive in Clay Jacobs and Miley tacked on another sac fly in the fourth to make it 5-0 Ball State.
After Valpo (8-11) responded with a run in its half of the fourth, Decker Scheffler hit a run-scoring double in the top of the fifth. Michael Hallquist proved to be the final Cardinal of the day to cross home plate, however, as the Beacons scored the final eight runs of the game.
Valparaiso scored four times in the fifth inning and twice each in the sixth and eighth to win its home opener. Leading hitter Kyle Schmack hit two home runs and had three RBI to lead the Beacon offense.
Keegan Johnson started the game on the mound for Ball State and threw 3.0 shutout innings, striking out six and allowing one hit. Valparaiso’s Grant Jablonski (2-0) tossed 3.0 scoreless innings out of the bullpen to be credited with the win, while Lucas Letsinger (1-1) suffered the loss after allowing three runs in 2.2 innings pitched for the Cardinals.
Ball State is next scheduled to play at Butler at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
BALL STATE GYMNASTICS
PROGRAM RECORD SIX GYMNASTS EARN ALL-MAC HONORS
CLEVELAND – – The Ball State gymnastics program set another program record Tuesday afternoon, with a league-high six Cardinals earning All-Mid-American Conference honors for their work over the course of the 2024 season.
Representing the Cardinals on the First Team All-MAC squad were senior Suki Pfister on vault and freshman Ashley Szymanski on bars. Earning Second Team All-MAC honors were senior Victoria Henry on vault, senior Hannah Ruthberg on beam, sophomore Zoe Middleton on floor and graduate student Megan Teter in the all-around.
“I’m so excited to see these six GymCards recognized for their hard work and the high-level consistency they have created in our program this year,” head coach Joanna Saleem said. “I love working with these women and watching them compete. Ashley, Suki, Zoe, Victoria, Hannah and Megan finished the regular season as some of the top individuals in the MAC and deserve the honor of being named all-conference. They have elevated the Ball State Standard and are driving our team to finish the season strong.”
Pfister earns First Team All-MAC honors on vault for the third straight season after ranking first in the league and fifth nationally with a national qualifying score (NQS) of 9.935. A three-time MAC Specialist of the Week this season, Pfister has turned in seven vault scores of 9.900-or-higher this season, including only the second perfect 10.00 on the apparatus in program history. She’s also won the vault competition in seven events, while placing second in three others.
Szymanski earns First Team All-MAC honors on bars in her debut season after ranking first in the league and 28th nationally with an NQS of 9.910. She has won the bars competition in five meets this season and turned in five routines of 9.900-or-higher. Her career-best score was a 9.975 in her MAC debut versus Bowling Green (Jan. 22).
Henry earns Second Team All-MAC honors for the third time in her career after ranking second in the league with a vault NQS of 9.885. She turned in a career-best 9.975 to win the event at the Ohio State Tri Meet (Jan. 14) and added a 9.950 at George Washington (Feb. 23). Henry has competed in the all-around for the Cardinals much of the season, also setting career-high marks on bars (9.925), beam (9.850), floor (9.925) and in the all-around (39.475).
Ruthberg earns Second Team All-MAC honors for the first time in her career for her effort on beam, in which she ranks fourth in the league with an NQS of 9.850. She turned in a career-best beam performance of 9.900 in the dual win at Western Michigan (Feb. 17), while scoring 9.800-or-higher in eight meets. Another all-around gymnast for the Cardinals, Ruthberg has also turned in career-best scores on vault (9.875), bars (9.925), floor (9.925) and in the all-around (39.425) this season.
Middleton earns Second Team All-MAC honors for the first time in her career for ranking second in the league on floor with an NQS of 9.920. She has posted five scores of 9.925 on floor, while also tallying a 9.900. A three-time MAC Gymnast of the Week, Middleton is also BSU’s top all-around gymnasts with an NQS of 39.330. She leads Ball State with 30 scores of 9.800-or-better this season, including the first perfect 10 in program history on bars and a program record 39.750 in the all-around. She has also turned in career-best scores on vault (9.950) and beam (9.900) this season. Overall, Middleton has won eight individual events and capture four all-around titles over the course of the season, while 41 of her 44 routines have counted in the final team score.
Teter earns Second Team All-MAC honors for the first time in her career after ranking seventh in the league with an all-around NQS of 39.190. In her first season as an all-around gymnast for the Cardinals, Teter has turned in 17 total routines of 9.800-or-better, including the second perfect 10.00 in program history on bars. She has also registered a career-best all-around score of 39.575 this season, while posting career-best scores on beam (9.875) and floor (9.925).
The Ball State gymnastics team returns to action Saturday when it hosts the 2024 Mid-American Conference Championships inside Worthen Arena. Action is set to begin at 2 p.m.
All-MAC First Team
Vault – Suki Pfister, Senior, Ball State (9.935)
Bars – Sarah Haxton, Senior, Kent State (9.910)
Bars – Ashley Szymanski, Freshman, Ball State (9.910)
Beam – Ella Chemotti, Junior, Eastern Michigan (9.880)
Floor – Payton Murphy, Fifth Year, Western Michigan (9.940)
All-Around – Raisa Boris, Senior, Eastern Michigan (39.360)
All-MAC Second Team
Vault – Victoria Henry, Senior, Ball State (9.885)
Vault – Kiera O’Shea, Sophomore, Northern Illinois (9.875)
Bars – Alyssa Al-Ashari, Senior, Northern Illinois (9.885)
Beam – Heidi Schultz, Sophomore, Kent State (9.870)
Beam – Hannah Ruthberg, Senior, Ball State (9.850)
Floor – Zoe Middleton, Sophomore, Ball State (9.920)
Floor – Karlie Franz, Graduate Student, Kent State (9.920)
All-Around – Luciana Alvarado-Reid, Sophomore, Central Michigan (39.335)
All-Around – Megan Teter, Graduate Student, Ball State (39.190)
INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
COACH SCHERTZ NAMED NABC DISTRICT 16 COACH OF THE YEAR; AVILA, SWOPE ON FIRST TEAM
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches) released its 2023-24 NABC Division I All-District Teams and District Coaches of the Year. The All-District honors are voted on by NABC-member coaches across NCAA Division I.
Coach Josh Schertz was named District 16 Coach of the Year and two Sycamore players – Robbie Avila and Isaiah Swope – were named to the First Team.
Coach Schertz led Indiana State to one of the best seasons since the legendary 1978-79 team. ISU earned a No. 1 seed in the National Invitational Tournament with its 28-6 overall record through the MVC Tournament. It’s the Sycamores’ third appearance in the NIT since that ’78-’79 season (2013, 2014). Coach Schertz was named the MVC Coach of the year in just his third season in the league. ISU finished 26-5, 17-3 MVC in the regular season. The 28 wins so far are the second-most in program history, and the 17 league wins is a new program record. For the first time since the ’78-’79 season, the Sycamores found themselves among the top 25 in the nation, ranking No. 23 in the AP Top 25 and No. 24 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches poll. Indiana State also led the Collegeinsider.com mid-major poll for three weeks.
Coach Schertz guided the Sycamores to lead the MVC in four categories in back-to-back seasons: scoring offense (84.4 PPG in 2023-24), field goal percentage (50.5%), assists (594), and three-pointers made (373). ISU won the MVC regular season title for the first time since the 2000-2001 season and finished as the MVC Tournament runner-up.
Robbie Avila in his sophomore season was named to the All-MVC First Team and the MVC All-Tournament team in St. Louis. Avila averaged 17.5 points per game throughout the full season, adding on 6.6 rebounds per game and 3.8 assists per game. The 6-10 center finishing 54.9% from the floor, 40.5% from deep, and 82.% from the free throw line. Avila used an impressive three-game stretch to close out the regular season to lead ISU to the regular season title:
UIC: 22 points, four rebounds, three assists, 60% from the field, 9-9 FT/FTA
Evansville: career-high 35 points, eight rebounds, five assists, 58.3% from the field
Murray State: 23 points, three rebounds, four assists, 80% from the field (8-for-10), 7-7 FT/FTA
Junior Isaiah Swope was named to the All-MVC Second Team in his first year in the league. The guard averaged 16.5 points per game, 2.9 rebounds per game, and 2.2 assists per game in the full season. Swope has been in the top 15 nationally in total three-pointers made and three-pointers per game throughout the season. Swope finished the season shooting 43.8% from the floor, 37.5% from deep, and 73.7% from the charity stripe. This season, Swope has made 105 total triples. He recorded one-of-two 30-point games for Indiana State with his career high 30 points at UIC, which drove the Sycamores to the six-point victory. Earlier in the season, Swope made eight three-pointers against Belmont, one off tying the ISU single-game record.
Indiana State kicks off the National Invitational Tournament Wednesday against SMU inside Hulman Center at 7 p.m.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State men’s basketball opens the first round of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) tomorrow, March 20 against SMU at 7 p.m.
Series History
ISU and SMU have met only once, and it was back in 1947 when the Sycamores defeated the visiting Mustangs 80-53.
Game Day Information
Any 2023-24 Indiana State Athletics Credential is not active for this game due to the NCAA/NIT Postseason Guidelines. New credentials have been issued to the working staff and media. Varsity Club members can still use their passes to access the Varsity Club room. Hulman Center remains a Clear Bag Facility with the guidelines listed here. Any Varsity Club Parking Pass is still active and in effect for Wednesday’s game.
Due to the NCAA/NIT regulations, there will be no seating in Section 124 or on the South Baseline due to the requirement to reserve space for the visiting team’s spirit squad and band. The spacing is in effect even if the other team does not bring either element.
All gates on the East Lower Bowl behind the team benches and press row will be closed throughout the entirety of the game. Only Credentialed staff may access the court from these gates. Fans with seats on the East Side wishing to visit the Varsity Club Room must use the Hulman Center Concourse.
Additionally, due to the postseason competition, there will not be a pregame or postgame handshake line on the baseline for the Indiana State team and players.
The doors will open one hour before tip, at 6 p.m. ET.
Last Time Out – Indiana State
No. 1 Indiana State’s rallied back from an 18-point second half deficit to take it down to the wire on Sunday afternoon at the Enterprise Center, but the Sycamores were unable to fully complete the comeback attempt against No. 2 Drake as ISU fell in the Arch Madness Championship Game, 84-80.
All five Sycamore starters scored double-digits in Sunday’s championship game paced by Kent’s 22-point, nine-rebound performance. Swope finished with 19 points (all in the second half), while Robbie Avila contributed 15 points and seven rebounds. Conwell (13 points, seven rebounds) and Julian Larry (10 points, five assists) were also in double-digits.
Last Time Out – SMU
No. 11 seed Temple stormed back in the second half to defeat No. 6 seed SMU, 75-60, in the second round of the 2024 American Men’s Basketball Championship on Thursday, March 14 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The Mustangs were led by Chuck Harris, who had 10 points.
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S GOLF
SYCAMORE GOLF FINISHES 4TH IN KENTUCKY; LEMAIRE, MORROW INSIDE TOP 10
Prospect, Ky. – Indiana State women’s golf sophomore Briana LeMaire uses a sixth place finish to guide ISU into the top four at the Nevel Meade Invite in Kentucky.
The Sycamores finished with a team score of 649 in the second spring tournament. LeMaire and Chelsea Morrow highlight the finish by both finishing inside the top 10 for Indiana State. LeMaire recorded a two-day total of 157 (77, 80). She started strong in round two, shooting only one-over through the first five holes before the eventual finish of +4 on day two. Morrow finished Tuesday shooing +3, shooting par on 11 holes, for a two-day score of 165 (82, 83).
Yang Tai finished just outside the top 25, tying for 26th place. Tai shot one-over or parred every hole except one, finishing +4 on the day and 165 overall (82, 83). Kristin Hobbs followed just behind with a score of 167, tying for 34th. Hobbs shot 81 and 86 in the tournament. Molly Lee rounded out the group of starters tying for 46th place with a score of 170 (84, 86).
Playing as an individual, Eliza Baker finished tied for 17th with a tournament score of 163 (80, 83). Sophia Florek tied for 42nd in the field with a two-day total of 169 (84, 85). Just behind tying for 46th was Molly Lee with a 170 (84, 86). Rosalie DiNunzio and Grace Welty went 54-55 scoring 176 and 177 in the tournament, respectively.
Up Next
Indiana State heads west to Missouri next week to the Ozarks National Invitational on March 25-27. The tournament takes place in Hollister, Mo. at the Ozarks National Golf Club.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
FIVE SYCAMORES HOMER AS INDIANA STATE TOPS INDIANA IN MIDWEEK 15-7 WIN
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State’s offense combined for five home runs and Cam Edmonson shut down the Indiana bats in an extended relief appearance as the Sycamores topped the visiting Hoosiers on Tuesday afternoon at Bob Warn Field, 15-7.
Randal Diaz, Luis Hernandez, Parker Stinson, Mike Sears, and Adam Pottinger all homered on Tuesday as the Sycamores (15-4) improved to 2-0 inside the friendly confines of The Bob in their final tune-up before the start of Missouri Valley play this weekend. Sears added a three-run double on his way to a six-RBI contest in powering ISU to the win.
The Sycamores overcame an early 6-0 deficit scoring three runs in the third and fifth innings, before erupting for a seven-run sixth inning to win their second consecutive home game against the Hoosiers (11-10) dating back to last season.
Indiana took the early lead taking advantage of a pair of Sycamore fielding miscues including a fly ball single that fell in the infield sparking a three-run second inning. Jake Stadler added a two-run single in the top of the third inning to give IU an early 6-0 lead.
The Sycamores steadily chipped away at the IU advantage with Hernandez (two-run HR) and Stinson (solo HR) connecting on back-to-back home runs to get on the board in the bottom of the third inning. ISU tied the game up on Sears’ three-run shot over the scoreboard in right center in the bottom of the fifth, before sending 10 batters to the plate in the sixth inning scoring seven runs highlighted by Sears’ three-run double and Pottinger’s two-run home run to go ahead 13-7.
The run support benefited Edmonson (2-0) as the redshirt senior left-hander quelled the IU bats during the middle part of the game. Edmonson entered the game with two on, none out in the top of the third inning and gave up Stadler’s two-run single before retiring the next three batters to escape the early jam.
He retired six of seven batters at one point and ended his 4.0-inning stint on the mound retiring the final three IU hitters he faced before turning the ball over the Zach Davidson in the seventh.
After ISU’s seven-run frame in the sixth, Davidson took the mound in the top of the seventh and retired all nine batters he faced. The senior left-hander recorded a pair of strikeouts in recording his second save of the season.
Dominic Listi, Hernandez, Stinson, and Sears all posted multi-hit games on Tuesday afternoon as the Sycamores connected on 13 hits in the win. Both Stinson and Hernandez were hit by two pitches apiece, while Sears posted his first three-hit game of 2024.
Cole Gilley took the no-decision for the Sycamores allowing six hits and five runs over 2.0-innings of work. His time on the mound was marred by an infield popup that fell leading to a big Indiana inning. He added four strikeouts in his first collegiate start.
Devin Taylor paced Indiana going 3-for-5 from the plate with a pair of RBIs as the Hoosier offense was limited to 10 singles in the game. Nick Mitchell added two hits and scored twice, while Carter Mathison added a pair of runs in the loss.
Brayden Risedorph (0-3) took the loss on the mound going 1.1 innings allowing four hits and six runs while striking out two in a relief appearance. Overall, eight IU pitchers saw time on the mound on Tuesday afternoon.
How They Scored
Indiana took the early 1-0 lead on Brock Tibbitts’ sacrifice fly to left scoring Nick Mitchell in the top of the first inning.
IU added to their lead in the top of the second after a fly ball single fell into the infield sparking a three-run frame to go ahead 4-0. The Hoosiers scored all three runs with two outs as Mitchell, Josh Pyne, and Devin Taylor all connected on RBI singles.
The Hoosiers scored two more in the top of the third aided by a failed pickoff attempt as Jake Stadler connected on a two-run single up the middle scoring Carter Mathison and Morgan Colopy to put IU ahead 6-0.
The Sycamores cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning with Luis Hernandez and Parker Stinson connecting on back-to-back home runs. Hernandez’s two-run shot cleared the trees in center field scoring Dominic Listi, while Stinson’s went into the tree line beyond the left field fence to pull ISU back within 6-3.
Mike Sears tied the game up with one swing in the bottom of the fifth inning as the redshirt senior connected on a three-run home run over the scoreboard beyond the wall in right center. His eighth home run of the season scored Hernandez and Stinson to tie the game up at 6-6.
Indiana put together a pair of singles to lead off the sixth inning and Jasen Oliver came around to score on Taylor’s RBI grounder to short to put the Hoosiers back ahead 7-6.
The Sycamores responded in the bottom of the sixth inning with a seven-run frame highlighted by Mike Sears’ three-run double and Adam Pottinger’s two-run home run over the right field wall. Dominic Listi and Josue Urdaneta added RBI single in the frame as the Sycamores set 10 batters to the plate to take the 13-7 lead.
Randal Diaz connected on ISU’s fifth home run of the game with a line drive solo home run over the left field wall in the bottom of the seventh to give the Sycamores the 14-7 lead.
The Sycamores added the final run of the game in the bottom of the eighth as Joe Kido beat out an infield error allowing Stinson to score to provide the final 15-7 margin.
News & Notes
Luis Hernandez extended his hitting streak to 18 consecutive games following his two-out single in the first inning. He finished the game 2-for-3 with three runs scored.
Dominic Listi extended his on-base streak to 19 games on Tuesday after singling in the top of the third inning. Listi finished 2-for-5 from the plate with two runs scored and an RBI.
Mike Sears, Parker Stinson, and Luis Hernandez all homered in the same game for the second time in the last five days. The trio also all went deep on Friday, March 15, in the opener at Xavier with Hernandez connecting on two home runs in the contest against the Musketeers.
Indiana State batted around for the fourth time in the last four games with their seven-run sixth inning against the Hoosiers. ISU previously sent 11 batters to the plate in a seven-run seventh inning on Friday, 11 in a five-run eighth inning on Friday, and 13 batters in an eight-run fifth inning against Xavier.
ISU hit a season-high five home runs on Tuesday afternoon with five different players going deep. It marked the Sycamores’ most home runs in a single game since Indiana State hit six home runs against Evansville back on April 24, 2022.
Adam Pottinger homered for the first time in the 2024 season and first time since going deep in the Terre Haute Regional against Iowa on June 3, 2023.
Indiana State has connected on 12 home runs over the last five games and 22 total extra-base hits dating back to March 12 against Illinois.
Up Next
Indiana State opens conference play on Friday afternoon as the Sycamores welcome Missouri State to Bob Warn Field for the start of a three-game series over the weekend. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. ET with the game to be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend. The game day giveaway for the contest features an Indiana State baseball trading card pack sponsored by Refreshment Services Pepsi to the first 100 fans.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL
MASTODONS OPEN CIT ON WEDNESDAY AT BGSU
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Mastodons play at Bowling Green on Wednesday (March 20) in The 2024 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, presented by BSN SPORTS.
Game Day Information
Who: Purdue Fort Wayne (21-12) at Bowling Green (20-13)
When: Wednesday, March 20 | 7 PM ET
Where: Bowling Green, Ohio | Stroh Center
Live Stats: Link
Video: ESPN+
Radio: 1380 AM
Series Record: ‘Dons lead 3-1. The Mastodons and Falcons last played on Jan. 2014, the ‘Dons won 65-60 in Ohio.
Game Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne (PDF)
‘DONS & ENDS
// Anthony Roberts enters the game needing 20 points to reach 2,000 for his career. Quinton Morton-Robertson needs four 3-pointers to reach 100 on the season. Rasheed Bello needs eight points to reach 500 for the season.
// This is the Mastodons’ seventh postseason appearance. Previous results:
– In 2014, the ‘Dons defeated Akron at home 97-91 and fell on the road at VMI 106-95 in the CIT.
– In 2015, the ‘Dons lost 82-77 at Evansville in the CIT.
– In 2016, the ‘Dons earned a berth in the NIT, falling 79-55 at San Diego State.
– In 2017, the ‘Dons defeated Ball State at home 88-80 on March 15, received a bye in the second round and then fell in the quarterfinals at Texas A&M Corpus Christi 78-62 in the CIT.
– In 2018, the ‘Dons fell to Central Michigan 94-89 in the CIT
– In 2022, the ‘Dons fell to Drake 87-65 in the CBI.
// The ‘Dons are one of only three teams in Horizon League in postseason play. Oakland is in the NCAA Tournament and Cleveland State is in the CBI.
// Only twice this season have the ‘Dons committed more turnovers than their opponent, Oakland both times. Only twice this season have the ‘Dons had equal turnovers to their opponent (13 at Pittsburgh and 20 at Northern Kentucky).
// The ‘Dons have single-digit turnovers in 15 games this season. Six times they have had six or fewer in a game.
// The ‘Dons have six games this season in which they never trailed.
// The ‘Dons have held a lead in every game this season, except for two: at Pitt (Dec. 20) and vs. Wright State (Jan. 6).
// The ‘Dons have held a lead for 22 or more minutes in each of the last 10 games.
// Purdue Fort Wayne’s 9.3 steals per game this season, 10th in the nation, are up from the 7.3 last year. The Division I era program high for steals per game was the 8.8 mark in 2021-22.
// Four Mastodons are averaging better than 13.0 points per game: Jalen Jackson (16.2), Rasheed Bello (14.9), Quinton Morton-Robertson (13.3) and Anthony Roberts (13.2).
// Quinton Morton-Robertson has reached the top 5 in single season 3-point field goals.
3. 98 – Nick Wise (2001-02)
4. 96 – Quinton Morton-Robertson (2023-24)
5. 93 – Nick Wise (2000-01)
6. 89 – Kason Harrell (2017-18)
// Quinton Morton-Robertson’s 96 made 3-pointers ranks him 27th in the nation.
// Both Anthony Roberts and Rasheed Bello are tied for seventh in the program’s Division I era for single-season steals with 59 for the ‘Dons.
TOP 30 NATIONAL RANKINGS:
// 4th in turnover margin (+6.1)
// 10th in turnovers forced per game (16.39)
// 10th in steals per game (9.3)
// 22nd in 3-pointers per game (9.5)
// 26th in fast break points per game (13.94)
// 27th in scoring offense (80.9)
// 29th in 3-point attempts per game (26.2)
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
BASEBALL DROPS CONTEST AT MICHIGAN STATE
EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Purdue Fort Wayne baseball fell at Michigan State on Tuesday (March 19) 11-1. The Mastodons were trying to record a repeat of last season’s victory in East Lansing.
Jacob Walker doubled in the third and scored on a Grant Thoroman sacrifice fly for the Mastodons’ only run. Walker also added a walk. Justin Osterhouse had two hits. Jackson Micheels also got on base twice with a walk and a hit.
A pair of early three-run innings helped the Spartans to the victory as it was a 6-1 deficit for the ‘Dons after the third inning. Sam Busch hit a three-run home run for the Spartans in the third. He also drove in a run in the seventh. Aaron Mishoulam (1-1) went 6.0 innings for the Spartans to get the win.
The Mastodon offense worked base runners, but stranded 10 in the contest. Owen Willard (0-2) suffered the loss in a starting role for the ‘Dons. Carson Caudill threw 2.2 scoreless innings out of the pen for the ‘Dons.
The Mastodons fall to 8-14. Michigan State is now 8-10. The ‘Dons have the 2024 home opener on Friday (March 22) against Wright State.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
ONE BAD INNING DOES IN BASEBALL AT #24 KENTUCKY
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The nationally-ranked University of Kentucky Wildcats exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on Tuesday night to snap a 3-3 tie and power to an 11-3 victory over the visiting University of Evansville baseball team at Kentucky Pride Park in Lexington, Kentucky.
“One bad inning let things get away from us tonight,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “When you play a team like UK, you can’t give up as many freebies as we did in that inning, and then they delivered some barrels and made us pay.
“It’s unfortunate, because I feel like we spoiled a great start from Kevin Reed tonight. It was great to see him get back to his fall, preseason form, as he did a great job of mixing pitches and locations for us, and really kept them off-balance for the most part.”
The first four innings were a pitcher’s duel between Evansville starter Kevin Reed and UK starter Drew Lafferty. Reed held UK scoreless through the first four innings, while allowing just one hit. Evansville finally broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning with three runs to take a 3-0 lead. Graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger roped an RBI double off the wall in right field, before graduate third baseman Brent Widder launched his team-leading sixth home run of the year to left-center field to give UE a 3-0 lead.
The lead would be short-lived though, as UK answered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the game. Then, the Wildcats sent 11 men to the plate and scored seven runs on just four base hits in the sixth inning to grab a lead it would never lose. The Wildcats added an unearned run in the eighth inning to provide the final margin of victory.
Senior first baseman Kip Fougerousse paced the UE attack by going 2-for-4, while Widder drove in two runs with a home run and Shallenberger extended his on-base streak to 36-straight games dating back to last year by going 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored, an RBI and a hit-by-pitch. UK out-hit Evansville, 9-8, in the contest. UK second baseman Emilien Pitre paced the Wildcat offense by going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBI.
With the victory, UK runs its winning streak to six-straight games and improves to 18-3 overall. Evansville, meanwhile, falls to 9-11 overall with the loss. The Purple Aces will return home to German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium on Friday night to open Missouri Valley Conference play against Murray State. First-pitch of the series is set for 6 p.m.
EVANSVILLE SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL WINS ITS 5TH IN A ROW WITH 10-0 VICTORY OVER SIUE
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Jenna Nink hit a grand slam in the first inning and the University of Evansville softball team never looked back, defeating SIUE by a final of 10-0 in non-conference action on Tuesday at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at Cooper Stadium.
Nink finished the game going 1-2 with four RBI and a walk. Alexa Davis was a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs scored while Zoe Frossard went 2-2 with three RBI, three runs and a walk. Megan Brenton was excellent in the circle, tossing a complete game, 3-hit shutout for her 5th win of 2024.
Evansville was strong out of the gate, plating five runs in the bottom of the first. Alexa Davis hit a leadoff single while Zoe Frossard and Jess Willsey walked to load the bases. With one out, Jenna Nink came to the plate and opened the scoring with a grand slam, her first home run of the year. Two batters later, Brooke Voss hit a solo shot to left field, her fourth long ball of the season.
After Brenton retired the Cougars in order to open the second inning, UE added two more runs in the bottom of the frame. Back-to-back doubles from Davis and Frossard made it a 6-0 game before Marah Wood hit a sacrifice fly for the 7th run.
In the bottom of the fourth, a 2-run single from Frossard pushed the lead to 9-0 and Willsey’s RBI single completed the scoring to make it 10-0. SIUE recorded a hit in the top of the 5th, but Brenton was able to secure the win for the Purple Aces.
This weekend, UE will be in Nashville for a 3-game series at Belmont.
EVANSVILLE MEN’S GOLF
MEN’S GOLF TIES FOR 11TH AT BOBBY NICHOLS
SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – Isaac Rohleder and Daniil Romashkin had the low rounds of the day for the Purple Aces while Carson Parker had the top finish for the University of Evansville men’s golf team at the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate at the River Course of the Sevierville Golf Club.
Rohleder and Romashkin each registered scores of 73 in Tuesday’s final round. Rohleder completed play with a 229 on his way to a 34th place tie while Romashkin wrapped up the tournament with a 236, tying him for 57th.
Parker picked up the top finish for UE, tying for 26th. His 77 in the third round gave him a 226. Caleb Wassmer tied Romashkin for 57th. His third round tally finished at 83. Andres Rodriguez completed Tuesday with an 81. His 54-hole score checked in at a 239.
Top team honors went to Lee University. With a 299 in the final round, they completed play with an 880. They defeated Belmont by two strokes with USI taking third with an 885. Evansville tied for 11th with Morehead State. Their score was a 920.
Haden Maxwell of Tennessee Tech was the medalist. His 1-under 71 in round three gave him a 214 for the weekend. He bested Jackson Davenport of West Virginia by one shot.
SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S GOLF
EAGLES THRIVE AT THE BOBBY NICHOLS INTERCOLLEGIATE
SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Golf returned to the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate for the second straight year. The Screaming Eagles used massive second and third rounds to finish third in the 15-team intercollegiate with a total three round score of 885 (+33). USI outscored all three of the participating Ohio Valley Conference opponents.
Individually, junior Jason Bannister (Laguna Niguel, California), senior Jace Day (Bloomington, Indiana), and sophomore Carter Goebel (Breese, Illinois) led the Eagles with top ten finishes.
Day 1
The five competitors for the Eagles were senior Trevor Laub (Edwardsville, Illinois), senior Peyton Short (Greenwood, Indiana), Goebel, Day, and Bannister. Freshman Hunter Reynolds (Cadiz, Kentucky) competed in his first spring match as an individual.
The Eagles found themselves tied for seventh place shooting a team score of 299 (+15) after Sunday’s round one. Day got off to a hot start shooting a 71 on Sunday which was tied for seventh among the field.
Day 2
USI jumped four spots to sit in a tie for third place with Tennessee Tech University after day two. The Eagles shot an outstanding 291 team score (+7). Bannister had a round low for the Eagles with a 69 (-2). Day and Bannister were tied for seventh place at two over par. Goebel rose up the standings from 27th to 13th shooting a 71 on the day.
Day 3
The Eagles shot a 295 (+11) on the final day of the intercollegiate. Goebel and Laub helped the Eagles separate themselves from Tennessee Tech both shooting a 73 (+2).
The final score of 885 landed USI only five strokes behind the champion Lee University. Bannister led the way with a final score of 218 (75, 69, 74). Three Eagles finished top ten including Banister (T4), Day (T8), and Goebel (T8).
What’s Next
USI looks forward to a cross-town matchup against the University of Evansville on Saturday, March 29. The match will be at Fendrich Golf Course at 11 a.m.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
USI TOPPED BY WKU, 5-3, TO END ROAD SWING
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball finished its nine-game road swing with a 5-3 loss at Western Kentucky University Tuesday afternoon in Bowling Green, Kentucky. USI, who was 5-4 on the road swing, is 9-11 in the non-conference season, while WKU goes to 15-7.
The Screaming Eagles fell behind in the opening frame, 1-0, but rallied to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the second. USI sophomore shortstop Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana) put the Eagles into the lead with a two-run single to left center.
After WKU tied the game with a run in the bottom of the third, the Hilltoppers surged into the lead with a tally in the sixth to lead 3-2. WKU would seal the game with a pair of tallies in the eighth to lead 5-2 heading into the final frame.
USI would attempt to rally in the ninth, closing the gap to 5-3 on a two-out RBI-double by freshman leftfielder Cameron Boyd (Villa Hills, Kentucky). WKU would close out the 5-3 decision with the tying run at the plate for USI.
On the mound, freshman left-hander Trevor Geddes (Louisville, Kentucky) took the loss in relief. Geddes (0-1) allowed a run on one hit, while striking out two in 1.1 innings of work.
Senior right-hander Trent Robinson (Louisville, Kentucky) started and got a no-decision for the Eagles. Robinson permitted two runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out one in four innings of work.
Up Next for the Eagles:
The Screaming Eagles return to the friendly surroundings of the USI Baseball Field for the first time in nearly two weeks when they open the OVC schedule by hosting Tennessee Tech University for a three-game series. The series start Friday with a 6 p.m. first pitch before continuing Saturday at 3 p.m. and concluding Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Golden Eagles, who is visiting the University of North Alabama tonight, are 12-8 overall. TTU entered tonight’s action winning six of its last nine games.
USI won the first-ever series with TTU last season to earn a spot in the OVC Tournament on the final day of the regular season.
VALPO BASEBALL
SCHMACK’S BIRTHDAY BLASTS PROPEL VALPO TO VICTORIOUS HOME OPENER
Hitting a home run on his 21st birthday in 2022 was nice, but Valparaiso University baseball fifth-year senior Kyle Schmack (Wanatah, Ind. / South Central) had an even bigger gift in store for Beacon fans as he celebrated his 23rd birthday on Tuesday. Lucky for opposing pitchers, Valpo did not play on Schmack’s 22nd birthday last season, but he made up for it in Tuesday’s home opener at Emory G. Bauer Field, going deep twice in a 9-6 victory over Ball State. The Beacons overcame a 5-0 deficit to come away victorious.
How It Happened
Ball State scored twice in the second to take the lead, then added a single tally on a solo homer in the third and scored twice more in the fourth to own a 5-0 advantage.
The Beacons scratched the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth when a double by Carson Husmann (Hanna, Ind. / South Central [Bradley]) set up an RBI grounder by Connor Giusti (Hoffman Estates, Ill. / Fremd).
Ball State got that run right back thanks to an RBI double in the fifth, and it was a five-run Cardinal lead through four and a half.
In the bottom of the fifth, Husmann singled to drive in a run before a double by Kevin Denty (Tinley Park, Ill. / Marian Catholic) cut the Ball State lead to 6-4. Husmann eventually crossed the dish on a wild pitch to slim the lead to one at 6-5.
After Grant Jablonski (Mishawaka, Ind. / Mishawaka) held Ball State off the board in the top of the sixth, Schmack lifted a two-run homer over the right-field fence to rearrange the scoreboard into Valpo’s favor at 7-6 in the last of the sixth.
Jablonski quickly sent down the Cardinals in the top of the seventh to end his day, and Bryce Konitzer (Mukwonago, Wis. / Mukwonago [Oakland]) worked a scoreless eighth.
Valpo got insurance in the bottom of the eighth as Alex Thurston (Fowler, Ind. / Benton Central) led off the frame with a solo shot to make it 8-6. The Beacons weren’t done in that frame, as Schmack later lifted his second big-fly of the day, boosting the lead to 9-6.
Konitzer retired the side in order in the top of the ninth, lifting Valpo to the victory.
Inside the Game
Schmack’s birthday blasts lifted his career home run total to 26, moving him into a tie for third in program history in career home runs. He joined Jeff Mandsager (2001-2003) in the tie for third in program lore.
Schmack turned in Valpo’s third multi-homer game of the season and second in the last three games as Alex Ryan turned the trick in the middle game of this past weekend’s series at No. 21 Campbell.
Five of Valpo’s 11 hits went for extra bases as the Beacons outhit the Cardinals 11-8.
Thurston’s home run was his second of the season and the fifth of his collegiate career.
Konitzer nailed down his first save of the season, becoming the fourth different Beacon with a save. He did not allow a run or a hit over two scoreless innings.
The bullpen did not yield a run in the game as Jablonski proceeded Konitzer with three scoreless while allowing two hits and one walk to go along with four strikeouts. He picked up the win to move to 2-0 this year and achieve his fourth career victory. Starter Kaleb Krier (Altoona, Iowa / Southeast Polk [DMACC]) received no decision after allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits and one walk in four innings.
Valpo did a good job of preventing free bases as Valpo pitching yielded just three walks.
Thurston went 3-for-4 to lead the way, while Hannahs, Schmack and Husmann each had multiple hits.
Up Next
Valpo (8-11) will open Missouri Valley Conference play on Friday at 6 p.m. by visiting Southern Illinois in Carbondale, Ill. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
UINDY SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL CLIMBS FURTHER UP COACHES’ TOP 10
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Winners of 16 straight, the UIndy softball team moved up one spot to No. 6 in this week’s NFCA Division II Coaches Poll, released Tuesday. The Greyhounds have spent the last 52 weeks in the top 25, upping their program record for consecutive weeks in the coaches poll. Thirty-seven of those weeks are been spent in the top 10.
NFCA DII COACHES POLL
| RK | TEAM (1st-place votes) | PTS | REC | PREV |
| 1. | North Georgia (16) | 400 | 28-3 | 1 |
| 2. | West Texas A&M | 384 | 27-3 | 2 |
| 3. | Rogers State | 365 | 22-4 | 3 |
| 4. | Tampa | 353 | 23-4 | 4 |
| 5. | UT Tyler | 336 | 25-5 | 5 |
| 6. | UIndy | 322 | 25-2 | 7 |
| 7. | Grand Valley State | 292 | 16-5 | 6 |
| 8. | Colorado Christian | 274 | 23-4 | 10 |
| 9. | Central Oklahoma | 271 | 22-6 | 11 |
| 10. | Mississippi College | 253 | 19-5 | 8 |
| 11. | Pittsburg State | 245 | 30-2 | 13 |
| 12. | Wingate | 227 | 27-6 | 12 |
| 13. | East Stroudsburg | 207 | 18-4 | 14 |
| 14. | Western Washington | 195 | 17-4 | 15 |
| 15. | Charleston | 168 | 16-1 | 16 |
| 16. | Northwest Nazarene | 151 | 16-4 | 18 |
| 17. | AUM | 148 | 21-7 | 17 |
| 18. | Lenoir-Rhyne | 122 | 27-5 | 20 |
| 19. | Cal State San Marcos | 116 | 14-9 | 9 |
| 20. | Concordia | 84 | 21-4 | 22 |
| 21. | Angelo State | 74 | 23-9 | 24 |
| 22. | Rollins | 63 | 23-6 | 25 |
| 23. | Washburn | 48 | 23-9 | RV |
| 24. | Wilmington | 28 | 9-10 | 23 |
| 25. | Nova Southeastern | 22 | 20-7 | RV |
Others receiving votes: Francis Marion (21), Ohio Dominican (17), Missouri Southern (7), Kutztown (4), St. Mary’s (3).
UINDY WOMEN’S GOLF
GREYHOUNDS TAKE RUNNER-UP AT FINDLAY SPRING INVITE
RICHMOND, Ky.—The UIndy women’s golf team battled to a second-place finish at the Findlay Spring Invite Monday and Tuesday. Ranked No. 6 in the latest WGCA DII Poll, UIndy was one of three top-10 teams at the tournament, joining host and team-champ Findlay and third-place Anderson University (S.C.).
INS & OUTS
Sitting in third place and facing a 13-stroke deficit heading into the final round, the Greyhounds orchestrated a furious comeback. The team combined for a one-over 289 Tuesday, leapfrogging Anderson and nearly overtaking the host Oilers. But the comeback bid fell one stroke short, as the Hounds would have to settle for second.
Freshman Jess Haines led the way for the Greyhounds with an all-tournament performance. The rookie from Somerset, England fired scores of 72-73-73 to finish at +2 and take the runner-up spot—three strokes back of medalist Mary Kelly Mulcahy of Findlay.
Three more Hounds finished in the top 10. Freshman Caroline Whallon (+8) tied for sixth while Anci Dy (+10) and Alice Webb (+10) shared ninth. The latter two each highlighted their week with a one-under 71, with Webb carding hers in the first round and Dy in the final.
Matilda Cederholm (+13) used a final-round 72 to slide into the top 20. Individuals Macey Brown (+18) and Ava Ray (+29) finished at T-33 and T-49, respectively.
UP NEXT
UIndy nexts heads to Laconia, Ind., on April 1-2 for the FIndianapolis Intercollegiate. The event will be co-hosted by UIndy and Findlay at Chariot Run Golf Club.
UINDY BASEBALL
HOUNDS PLATE DOUBLE-DIGIT RUNS FOR NINTH TIME IN TUESDAY VICTORY
INDIANAPOLIS – A 10-run opening frame lifted the UIndy baseball team to another in-region victory on Tuesday, defeating the visiting Findlay Oilers from Greyhound Park by a score of 13-5.
Nine different Greyhounds recording at least one RBI in the win, with Dakota Sill and Armen Torosian each drilling a homer in the fifth inning.
INS & OUTS
The Hounds collected just two hits in the massive first inning, using patience at the plate with four free passes to toss the crooked number – and put the game out of reach immediately – on the scoreboard.
Cole Hampton opened the scoring with a double down the right-field line, chasing home Easton Good and Caleb Vaughn with one out. UIndy proceeded to draw four consecutive walks, with Bryce Goodwine capping the stretch to score Sill.
In his second at-bat of the frame, Zack Williams finished off the scoring with a two-RBI knock, with Drew Donaldson following Good home to give UIndy double-digit runs for the ninth time this season.
The Oilers chipped away, scoring five times over a period of three separate innings, including two runs in the ninth off a homer from Findlay’s Ryan Thompson.
Starting pitcher Diego Cardenas struck out a career-best nine batters over 5.2 innings of work, allowing two earned runs on four hits to earn the win.
INSIDE THE BOX
– Cardenas induced four groundouts and four flyouts in the outing.
– Dom Brown drew a pair of walks and was credited with one RBI.
– Reliever Caden Wilburn struck out the side in his inning of work in the eighth.
– UIndy scored double-digit runs for the fifth time in the past seven contests.
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds continue GLVC play this weekend at home, hosting Southwest Baptist for the four-game set beginning Friday at 3 p.m.
MARIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
ELLA COLLIER NAMED 2023-24 WBCA NAIA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
ATLANTA, Ga. – For the third time in Marian women’s basketball program history and for the second consecutive year, a Marian Knight has been named the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) NAIA National Player of the Year, as Ella Collier was named the recipient for the second consecutive year Tuesday afternoon. As WBCA Player of the Year, Collier will headline the WBCA NAIA All-American Team, an All-American honor she has earned for four consecutive seasons.
“The WBCA is pleased to once again name Ella Collier as the WBCA NAIA Player of the Year,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle M. Donehew. “She is most deserving of this distinguished honor. The WBCA applauds Ella for her hard work, dedication and contributions to the game during the 2023-24 season.”
Collier, a senior from Danville, Indiana, was named the Crossroads League Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, helping lead the Marian women’s basketball team to the NAIA National Tournament Final Site for the fourth year as a member of the team. Collier, the WBCA Player of the Year in 2023, becomes the first player in Marian women’s basketball history to earn the honor twice, and claims the third honor from Marian as Imani Guy is the only other Knight to receive the award.
Collier became Marian’s leading scorer in 2023-24, as the senior became the program’s all-time leader on February 3 in a win over Taylor. The Danville product enters the NAIA Tournament Round of 16 with 2221 career points, and is Marian’s all-time leader in made three-point field goals, made free throws, free throw percentage, three-point field goal percentage, and ranks top-10 all-time in field goal percentage, assists, steals, and minutes played.
In her senior season, Collier has put up career-highs in points per game (19.0), point (627), and steals (57), leading the team in each category. Collier also leads the Knights in assists with 82 on the season, and has put up 3.8 rebounds per game. The senior is only player in the NAIA to shoot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three, and 90 percent from the foul line, and is on pace to end her career with four consecutive seasons at a 50/40/90 clip. Collier is the top shooter from the foul line in the NAIA this season, in both men’s and women’s basketball.
Marian will take on Jamestown in the NAIA Tournament Round of 16 on Thursday, March 21 at 2:00 p.m.
Collier is a three-time NAIA All-American, and a soon to be four-time NAIA All-American after being named to the WBCA NAIA All-American Team for the fourth consecutive season.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETICS
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
FOOTBALL HISTORY
March 20, 2020 – After 20 seasons in a New England Patriots uniform, six-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady officially agrees to move and play with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a 2-year $50m guaranteed deal. We look back at this now and know the results with the Bucs winning the Super Bowl with Brady at the helm but at the time it many believed it would be a disaster for both Brady and the Patriots when the QB was separated from the genius of Bill Belechik. Tom Brady was a sixth round pick, the 199th draftee overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. Hindsight makes it an unbelievable occurrence that there were 198 others taken before him in any Draft and maybe all the drafts put together! Brady has won more Super Bowl MVP awards that any other player as of 2021!
HOF Birthdays
March 20, 1906 – South Mill, Missouri – The awesome halfback from Tuskegee University in Alabama, “Big” Ben Stevenson was born.
March 20, 1909 – New Orleans, Louisiana – Marchy Schwartz the University of Notre Dame’s prolific halfback counted as his birthday. Marchy was the last great Fighting Irish running back that Knute Rockne coached before his untimely death per the FootballFoundation.org website. As a sophomore in 1929 the Irish went 9-0 and they did one better the next season winning ten games without a loss. The 1931 season was played under Rockne’s successor Hunk Anderson and the team posted a 6-2-1 record. Schwartz for his career put up 1,945 yards rushing for an average of 5.8 yards per carry. Not just a talented runner Marchy, in the 1931 game with Army, punted 15 times for 501 yards, a school record which remained unbroken well into the second half of the 20th century. The College Football Hall of Fame welcomed Marchy Schwartz into their museum of legends in 1974.
March 20, 1958 – Pahokee, Florida – The brilliant linebacker of the University of Pittsburgh, Rickey Jackson was born. Jackson was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the second round, 51st overall, in the 1981 NFL Draft. What a find he was because in just his Rookie Year he sacked opposing quarterbacks 8 times and led the team in total tackles! Rickey played 15 seasons in the NFL and was honoured as an All-Pro four times and played in 6 Pro Bowls per the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 13 of the seasons were with the Saints but he completed his final two years wearing the colors of the San Francisco 49ers, playing Defensive End. For his career he tallied 128 sacks (and that doesn’t even count his rookie season when they were not even an official stat), 8 interceptions and even caused one safety. Rickey Jackson in 2010 was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
21 – 33 – 12
March 20, 1973 – Pittsburgh Pirates legendary right fielder, Number 21, Roberto Clemente was elected posthumously to enter into the Baseball Hall of Fame. A tragic plane crash had taken Clemente life just 11 weeks earlier.
March 20, 1990 – The Jersey Number 33 of one Kareem Abdul Jabbar is celebrated by the Los Angeles Lakers faithful as the orgainization honors the legend by retiring the number from further use.
March 20, 2020 – Number 12, Tom Brady officially ends an era of the New England Patriots dynasty as he singed a two year contract with the Tampa bay Buccaneers. Brady had been at the helm of the pat’s offense fo 20 seasons.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1934 Babe Didrikson, a renowned female athlete, gives up no hits and walks only one Dodger when she pitches the first inning of the Philadelphia A’s spring training game at McCurdy Field in Frederick, Maryland. The founder of the LPGA and Olympic track and field Gold Medalist will also participate in exhibition contests with the Indians and Cardinals.
1937 In one of the most significant trades in Negro League history, the Homestead Grays obtain catcher Josh Gibson and third baseman Judy Johnson from the Pittsburgh Crawfords in exchange for $2,500 and two journeymen; backstop Lloyd’ Pepper’ Bassett and infielder Henry ‘Jake’ Spearman. The Baseball Hall of Fame will induct both players, with Gibson becoming a member in 1972 and Johnson following three years later.
1953 Although the Department of Justice outlawed this practice in 1949, U.S. Senator Edwin C. Johnson proposes a bill banning the broadcast of major league games in minor league territories. The lawmaker, baseball executive Bob Howsam’s father-in-law, serves as the Class A Western League president and once played a significant role in constructing Mile High Stadium, once called Bears Stadium.
1958 The Phillies purchase Joe Collins from the Yankees, but he decides to retire rather than report to the City of Brotherly Love. The 34-year-old first baseman, who spent his entire ten-year career with New York and appeared in seven World Series, finishes with a lifetime .256 batting average.
1973 Four months after his death, the BBWAA selects (393-31 votes) the late Roberto Clemente to be a member of the Hall of Fame in a special election after its board of directors previously waived the mandatory five-year waiting period. The 37-year-old Pirates outfielder, the first Latin-American player chosen for induction at Cooperstown, died when a cargo plane crashed on New Year’s Eve, bringing supplies to the Nicaraguan earthquake victims.
1975 A rare spring training brawl occurs when Ranger second baseman Dave Nelson takes exception to the two brushback pitches thrown at him by Yankee southpaw Mike Wallace in the seventh inning of a Fort Lauderdale exhibition contest. The trouble begins early after Jim Bibby’s first pitch plunks leadoff hitter Elliot Maddox, who had angered Texas skipper Billy Martin when he told the local press that his former manager “has a habit of lying to his players.”
1979 In Puerto Rico, Willie Mays, in the second game of an annual exhibition series to benefit a youth sports program started by the late Roberto Clemente, pilots a mini-squad of the Mets to an 8-3 win over the Pirates. Last night, after a 5-3 victory in Game 1, New York manager Joe Torre and many players returned to Florida to play the Dodgers in a Grapefruit League contest.
1989 Outgoing baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth announces his office is investigating “serious allegations” concerning Pete Rose and gambling. Three days after his successor Bart Giamatti assumes the post on April 1, MLB retains John M. Dowd to investigate the charges against the Reds’ manager.
2002 The Commissioner’s office announces MLB will continue the practice that began after the September 11 attacks of singing ‘God Bless America’ during the seventh-inning stretch in each team’s first homestand. Also, an American flag patch will be worn on the jackets of 28 major league teams this season with distinctive logos for Opening Day, Memorial Day weekend, the Fourth of July, and Canadian versions designed for the Blue Jays and Expos.
2006 At San Diego’s Petco Park, Japan, managed by all-time international home-run king Sadaharu Oh, captures the first World Baseball Classic crown, beating Cuba, 10-6. The 16-team tournament, planned to occur again in 2009, ends with just two major leaguers still in the game.
2006 In his first appearance in a Nationals uniform, Alfonso Soriano refuses to play the outfield in an exhibition game against the Dodgers. The All-Star second baseman, slated to start in left field, could be placed on the disqualified list for insubordination, preventing him from getting paid his $10 million salary and accruing service time used to determine a player’s free-agent status.
2008 Behind the strong pitching of Brad Penny, the Dodgers make their Cactus League debut, beating the White Sox in Phoenix, 8-2. On the mound where he made his professional debut, the right-hander’s outing earns him the Opening Day start against the Giants.
2014 The Angels trade first baseman Matt Scioscia, the son of manager Mike Scioscia, to the Cubs for outfielder Trevor Gretzky, the offspring of NHL’s Hall of Fame center Wayne Gretzky. The name-worthy swap does not help either prospect, with each failing to make the big league club.
BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW: 1948 (BASEBALL ALMANAC)
Off the field…
After supporting the idea of a Jewish independent state, the United States officially recognized Israel, as it’s own entity. President Truman made a formal announcement fourteen minutes after the state had been declared in Tel Aviv. Shortly after, the surrounding Arab States attacked Israel sparking off a religious conflict that has lasted to this day.
Edwin Herbert, an American physicist and inventor, debuted the first instant camera that developed it’s own photos on the spot. While a freshman at Harvard University in 1926, Herbert had become interested in polarized light (light oriented in a plane with respect to the source). After taking a leave of absence from the university, he spent several years developing a new kind of photographic technology that later evolved into the Polaroid Camera.
In the American League…
On March 29th in St. Petersburg Florida, the New York Yankees and rival Boston Red Sox went head-to-head for seventeen grueling innings only to have the contest called at a 2-2 tie after four hours and two minutes of play. It was the longest Spring Training game in Major League history.
The Cleveland Indians were accused of pulling a publicity stunt after signing the Negro League’s greatest pitcher Satchel Paige to a Major League contract. The forty-two year-old veteran answered all of his critics after going on to post a 6-1 record as the oldest player ever to debut in the majors.
Chicago outfielder Pat Seerey hit four home runs (the last in the eleventh inning) to lead the White Sox to a 12-11 victory over the home team Athletics in Philadelphia. In doing so, he became only the fifth player ever to accomplish the feat. Seerey had also set the record for reaching fifteen or more total bases in a single game (1945) and would later set the Major League mark as the first player to strike out seven times in a doubleheader.
In the National League…
Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals put on a hitting clinic at Crosley Field during an April 30th outing against the Cincinnati Reds. “Stan The Man” totaled five hits in the first of four such performances during the season. Only Ty Cobb and Willie Keeler had accomplished the same feat while going 5+ at the plate on four separate occasions.
Ralph Kiner of the Pittsburgh Pirates startled pitchers across the league after hitting a home run every single Sunday for eight successive weeks in May and June. By the end of the season, he tallied seventee round trippers over thirty-eight Sunday outings.
At the end of the year, the Brooklyn Dodgers traded the extremely talented, but even more accident prone Pete Reiser to the Boston Braves for Mike McCormick. Reiser had become one of the top outfielders of his time, but had damaged his reputation after being carried off the field on a stretcher eleven times throughout the season after crashing into the outfield walls.
Around the League…
Major League Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler fined the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Phillies $500 each after it was discovered that they were attempting to sign high school players for the upcoming season.
Herb Pennock, the fifty-three-year-old general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies collapsed in a New York hotel lobby on January 30th and died a short time later at a local hospital. Ironically, one month later, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame after receiving ninety-four of the required ninety-one votes.
The New York Yankees retired Babe Ruth’s No. 3 jersey on June 13th during a special pre-game ceremony that marked “The Bambino’s” final appearance at Yankee Stadium, which was celebrating it’s 25th anniversary. A perennial pinstripe legend, Ruth’s astounding abilities at the plate and larger-than-life personality off the field had made him a tremendous drawing card throughout the league as well as the highest-paid player of his era.
On August 16th, baseball lost its greatest player after Babe Ruth succumbed to throat cancer at the age of fifty-three. Fittingly, his last public appearance had come three weeks earlier at the premier of a movie about his amazing life titled “The Babe Ruth Story”. As an unprecedented tribute, his body lay in state at Yankee Stadium, also known as “The House That Ruth Built”, and was viewed by more than 100,000 fans that lined up for miles just to pay their respects.
BASEBALL’S GREAT PITCHERS
ROGER CLEMENS
Roger Clemens’ last major-league start, on October 7, 2007 — for the New York Yankees against the Cleveland Indians, the very team against which he had made his major-league debut in May 1984 — ended with him limping off the mound after only 2⅓ innings with a hamstring injury. Clemens had already allowed the Indians one run in each of the first and second innings, and, after facing two batters in the top of the third, he could pitch no more. He was charged with a third run, though the Yankees came back to win the game 8-4 for their lone victory in this American League Division Series. Such an ending is not what a movie screenwriter would have scripted as the final chapter of “Rocket’s” 24-year career, but at least one element of Clemens’ last appearance was storybook in character: He struck out the final batter he faced, Indians catcher Victor Martinez.
READ MORE: https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/roger-clemens/
TODAY IN NBA HISTORY
March 20, 1968
Dave Bing of the Detroit Pistons finished the season with a league leading 27.1 ppg average, becoming the first guard in 20 years to lead the NBA in scoring.
March 20, 1968
Wilt Chamberlain of Philadelphia became the first center in NBA history to lead the league in assists with a total of 702 for an average of 8.6 apg. Chamberlain called leading the league in assists one of the top achievements of his career.
March 20, 1976
John Havlicek of the Boston Celtics became the first NBA player to score more than 1,000 points per season for 14 consecutive years.
March 20, 1984
Indiana’s Butch Carter set an NBA record by scoring 14 points in an overtime period as the Pacers beat Boston 123-121.
March 20, 1990
The Los Angeles Lakers retired Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s No. 33 in honor of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
March 20, 1997
The Denver Nuggets (16) and Seattle SuperSonics (13) combine to make 29 3-point field goals, a record for two teams in one game. Seattle posted a 123-97 victory.
March 20, 1998
Karl Malone moved past Elvin Hayes (27,313) for fifth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
March 20, 2020
Jerry Sloan, the coach who took the Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998 on his way to a spot in the Hall of Fame, dies at 78. Sloan spent 23 seasons coaching the Jazz and they finished below .500 in only one of those years. Sloan won 1,221 games in his career, which was the fourth-highest total in NBA history at the time of his passing. Sloan was a former player for the Chicago Bulls from 1966-76 and his jersey hangs in the rafters of the United Center.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1897 — Yale beats Penn 32-10 in New Haven, Conn., in the first men’s intercollegiate basketball game.
1918 — The Toronto Arenas (who would become the Maple Leafs) are the first NHL team to play in the Stanley Cup Final. Toronto’s Reg Noble scores two goals with an assist in the first period of a 5-3 win over Vancouver of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association.
1939 — In a game of unbeaten teams, Long Island U. defeats Loyola of Chicago 44-32 to win the National Invitation Tournament title.
1954 — In the first televised NCAA championship game, La Salle defeats Bradley 92-76 and sets a record for most points in the title game.
1965 — Gail Goodrich’s 42 points lead UCLA to a 91-80 victory over Michigan in the NCAA basketball championship.
1965 — St. John’s sends Joe Lapchick out a winner, as the Redmen beat Villanova 55-51 to win their fifth National Invitation Tournament championship.
1965 — Bill Bradley scores 58 points to lead Princeton to a 118-82 rout of Wichita State in the NCAA third-place game. UCLA beats Michigan 91-80 to win its second National championship.
1968 — Dave Bing of the Detroit Pistons finishes the season with a league-leading 27.1 average, becoming the first guard in 20 years to lead the NBA in scoring.
1969 — Less than two months after she becomes the first woman to ride in a pari-mutuel race in America, Diane Crump rides her first winner at Gulfstream Park.
1976 — Boston’s John Havlicek becomes the first NBA player to score more than 1,000 points per season for 14 consecutive years.
1988 — Mike Tyson knocks out Tony Tubbs in the second round to retain his world heavyweight title in Tokyo.
2005 — Liz Johnson becomes the first woman to advance to the championship match of a Professional Bowlers Association tour event, but loses by 27 pins to Tommy Jones in the final of the PBA Banquet Open.
2005 — LeBron James, 20, becomes the youngest player to score 50 points in an NBA game, when he scores 56 in the Cavaliers’ 105-98 loss to the Raptors.
2006 — Japan beats Cuba 10-6 in the title game of the inaugural World Baseball Classic.
2010 — Northern Iowa pulls off one of the biggest NCAA upsets in years by knocking No. 1 overall seed Kansas with a 69-67 win. Ali Farokhmanesh buries an open 3-pointer with the shot clock still in the 30s to give the Panthers a four-point lead with 35 seconds left.
2014 — Bernard Tomic loses the shortest completed ATP match on record, lasting only 28 minutes at the Sony Open in his first tournament since having surgery on both hips. Ending a two-month layoff, Tomic wins just 13 points and loses to Jarkko Nieminen 6-0, 6-1. It’s the quickest match since the ATP started keeping such records in 1991.
2020 — After 20 years with the New England Patriots, six-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady officially agrees to move to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
TV SPORTS WEDNESDAY
AMERCIAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
7 p.m.
NHLN — Springfield at Lehigh Valley
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
6:40 p.m.
TRUTV — NCAA Tournament: Grambling St. vs. Montana St., First-Four Game, Dayton, Ohio
7 p.m.
ESPN2 — NIT Tournament: Saint Joseph’s at Seton Hall, First Round
9 p.m.
ESPN2 — NIT Tournament: VCU at Villanova, First Round
9:10 p.m.
TRUTV — NCAA Tournament: Colorado vs. Boise St., First-Four Game, Dayton, Ohio
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
7 p.m.
ESPNU — NCAA Tournament: Presbyterian vs. Sacred Heart, First-Four Game, Columbia, S.C.
9 p.m.
ESPNU — NCAA Tournament: Columbia vs. Vanderbilt, First-Four Game, Blacksburg, Va.
COLLEGE LACROSSE (MEN’S)
2 p.m.
PAC-12N — Air Force at Utah
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
6 p.m.
ACCN — South Carolina at Clemson
PAC-12N — Sacramento St. at California
8 p.m.
ACCN — Texas at Florida St.
GOLF
1 a.m. (Thursday)
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Porsche Singapore Classic, First Round, Laguna National Golf Resort Club, Singapore
MLB BASEBALL
6 a.m.
ESPN — LA Dodgers vs. San Diego, Seoul, South Korea
1 p.m.
MLBN — Spring Training: NY Mets vs. Miami, Jupiter, Fla.
4 p.m.
MLBN — Spring Training: San Francisco vs. LA Angels (Split Squad), Tempe, Ariz.
9 p.m.
MLBN — Spring Training: LA Angels (Split Squad) vs. Kansas City, Surprise, Ariz.
6 a.m. (Thursday)
ESPN — San Diego vs. LA Dodgers, Seoul, South Korea
NBA BASKETBALL
7:40 p.m.
ESPN — Milwaukee at Boston
10:05 p.m.
ESPN — Memphis at Golden State
NHL HOCKEY
7:30 p.m.
TNT — Toronto at Washington
10 p.m.
TNT — Minnesota at Los Angeles
RUGBY (MEN’S)
4:55 a.m. (Thursday)
FS1 — NRL: Brisbane at Penrith
SOCCER (MEN’S)
3:30 p.m.
FS2 — International Friendly: San Marino vs. St. Kitts and Nevis, Serravalle, San Marino
TENNIS
11 a.m.
TENNIS — Miami-ATP/WTA Early Rounds