CENTRAL INDIANA BASEBALL SCORES
BLUFFTON 10 ALEXANDRIA MONROE 0
WINCHESTER 4 COWAN 1
LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 2 HERRON 1
INDY GENESIS 7 PURDUE POLY NORTH 1
HAUSER 12 EASTERN HANCOCK 1
WESTFIELD 7 RONCALLI 2
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 8 HAMILTON HEIGHTS 0
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTPS://WWW.MAXPREPS.COM/IN/BASEBALL/SCORES/?DATE=5/23/2023
BASEBALL SECTIONAL BRACKETS:
CENTRAL INDIANA SOFTBALL SECTIONAL SCORES
WES DEL 19 LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 2
BISHOP CHATARD 13 GUERIN CATHOLIC 2
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 9 SCECINA 2
MISSSISSINEWA 15 DELTA 5
EASTERN HANCOCK 9 NORTHEASTERN 0
PERRY MERIDIAN 10 SOUTHPORT 5
CASCADE 12 RIVERSIDE 0
SPEEDWAY 18 PURDUE POLY 2
EDINBURGH 16 GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 0
TRI-COUNTY 15 FAITH CHRISTIAN 0
LAPEL 6 FRANKTON 5
TWIN LAKES 13 FRANKFORT 1
TRI 4 UNION CITY 2
ANDERSON 4 RICHMOND 3
TRI-WEST 13 WESTERN BOONE 3
SHELBYVILLE 2 E. CENTRAL 0
NORTH DECATUR 17 WALDRON 1
BEN DAVIS 6 PIKE 1
AVON 12 DECATUR CENTRAL 0
MOORESVILLE 10 BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 0
CONNERSVILLE 11 LAWRENCEBURG 0
COWAN 11 DALEVILLE 0
INDIANA DEAF 31 TINDLEY 16
COVENANT CHRISTIAN 11 SHERIDAN 0
CENTERVILLE 7 JAY COUNTY 5
TRITON CENTRAL 15 PARK TUDOR 0
ROSSVILLE 11 FRONTIER 0
LEBANON 11 MONROVIA 1
UNION COUNTY 8 HAGERSTOWN 4
RONCALLI 11 WARREN CENTRAL 0
WAPAHANI 13 WINCHESTER 8
COLUMBUS NORTH 14 COLUMBUS EAST 4
RUSHVILLE 13 GREENSBURG 0
BROWNSBURG 13 TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 1
MARTINSVILLE 10 GREENWOOD 1
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTPS://WWW.MAXPREPS.COM/IN/SOFTBALL/SCORES/?DATE=5/23/2023
CENTRAL INDIANA SOFTBALL
SECTIONAL BRACKETS:
INDIANA GIRLS TRACK REGIONAL RESULTS
1. PORTAGE | 5:30 PM CT | PERFORMANCE LIST | RESULTS
SECTIONAL HOST: CHESTERTON, HIGHLAND, KANKAKEE VALLEY, LOWELL
2. GOSHEN | 6 PM ET | PERFORMANCE LIST | RESULTS
SECTIONAL HOST: BREMEN, KOKOMO, MISHAWAKA, WARSAW COMMUNITY
3. LAFAYETTE JEFFERSON | 6 PM ET | PERFORMANCE LIST | RESULTS
SECTIONAL HOST: TWIN LAKES, HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN, HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE), ZIONSVILLE
4. CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) | 6 PM ET | PERFORMANCE LIST | RESULTS
SECTIONAL HOST: ANGOLA, FORT WAYNE NORTHROP, MARION, NEW HAVEN
5. PIKE | 6 PM ET | PERFORMANCE LIST | RESULTS
SECTIONAL HOST: DELTA, LAWRENCE CENTRAL, PENDLETON HEIGHTS, SOUTHPORT
6. FRANKLIN COMMUNITY | 6 PM ET | PERFORMANCE LIST | RESULTS
SECTIONAL HOST: CONNERSVILLE, EAST CENTRAL, FRANKLIN COMMUNITY, WARREN CENTRAL
7. BLOOMINGTON NORTH | 6 PM ET | PERFORMANCE LIST | RESULTS
SECTIONAL HOST: BLOOMINGTON NORTH, MADISON CONSOLIDATED, SEYMOUR, TERRE HAUTE NORTH
8. EVANSVILLE CENTRAL | 5:30 PM CT | PERFORMANCE LIST | RESULTS
SECTIONAL HOST: EVANSVILLE CENTRAL, FLOYD CENTRAL, PERRY CENTRAL, PRINCETON COMMUNITY
NBA PLAYOFFS
Boston 116 Miami 99
NHL PLAYOFFS
Vegas 4 Dallas 0
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
TEXAS 6 PITTSBURGH 1
MILWAUKEE 6 HOUSTON 0
SAN FRANCISCO 4 MINNESOTA 3
CHICAGO WHITE SOX 4 CLEVELAND 2
TORONTO 20 TAMPA BAY 1
NY YANKEES 6 BALTIMORE 5 (10)
KANSAS CITY 4 DETROIT 1
LA ANGELS 4 BOSTON 0
SEATTLE 3 OAKLAND 2
ST. LOUIS 8 CINCINNATI 5
ARIZONA 4 PHILADELPHIA 3
SAN DIEGO 7 WASHINGTON 4
LA DODGERS 8 ATLANTA 1
CHICAGO CUBS 7 NY METS 3
COLORADO 5 MIAMI 4
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
COLUMBUS 6 INDIANAPOLIS 5
SOUTH BEND 3 DAYTON 2
LANSING 11 FORT WAYNE 4
COLLEGE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
INDIANA 4 ILLINOIS 3
IOWA 13 MICHIGAN 3
MARYLAND 3 MICHIGAN STATE 2
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
MURRAY STATE 11 VALPARAISO 6
COLLEGE SOFTBALL SUPER REGIONALS
BEST OF THREE SERIES
THURSDAY, MAY 25, THROUGH SUNDAY, MAY 28
NO. 16 CLEMSON AT NO. 1 OKLAHOMA
NO. 14 GEORGIA AT NO. 3 FLORIDA STATE
NO. 13 TEXAS AT NO. 4 TENNESSEE
NO. 12 NORTHWESTERN AT NO. 5 ALABAMA
OREGON AT NO. 6 OKLAHOMA STATE
LOUISIANA AT NO. 7 WASHINGTON
SAN DIEGO STATE AT NO. 15 UTAH
NO. 9 STANFORD AT NO. 8 DUKE
TOP NATIONAL NEWS
NBA NEWS
TATUM SCORES 33, CELTICS STAVE OFF ELIMINATION BY TOPPING HEAT 116-99 IN GAME 4
MIAMI (AP) Down nine early in the third quarter, down 3-0 in the series, the Boston Celtics knew their season was completely on the brink.
Three minutes later, everything looked different.
Jayson Tatum had 33 points and 11 rebounds, Jaylen Brown added 17 points and the Celtics staved off elimination in the Eastern Conference finals by running away in the second half to beat the Miami Heat 116-99 in Game 4 on Tuesday night.
“We were just trying to save our season,” Tatum said.
They most definitely found a way to do that. The two big differences: a 30-point edge for the Celtics on 3-pointers, and an 18-0 run in that three-minute, third-quarter spurt that changed the game and – they hope – might end up changing the series.
“We can’t relax,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “We have to keep the same level of intensity, the same mindset, the same focus in the next game.”
Derrick White scored 16 points, Grant Williams had 14, Al Horford added 12 and Marcus Smart scored 11 for the Celtics, who still trail the series 3-1 – but sent it back to Boston for a Game 5 on Thursday.
Jimmy Butler scored 29 for Miami, which was outscored 48-22 in a 14-minute stretch that turned the game – and perhaps the series – completely around. Boston would also have Game 7 on its floor as well if it can keep extending this series.
“Tonight we played with pace, purpose,” Tatum said. “We were getting stops. We were getting out in transition. You see layups and free throws go in, the jump shots start to feel a lot easier.”
Gabe Vincent scored 17 for Miami, Caleb Martin had 16 and Bam Adebayo added 10. The Heat shot 8 for 32 on 3-pointers, while Boston was 18 for 45.
No team in NBA history has ever successfully rallied from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series; 150 have tried, 150 have failed.
But the Celtics gave themselves hope.
“We don’t really have a choice,” Mazzulla said. “It’s do-or-die. Got to stick together.”
The Heat led by as many as nine points in the opening quarter, kept the lead for the majority of the first half and were up by nine again when Max Strus connected on a 3-pointer early in the third quarter.
That was the moment where Boston’s season was at stake.
And the Celtics responded – most emphatically.
The 18-0 run took Boston from down nine to up nine, a huge turnaround that took 3 minutes, 3 seconds. The Celtics were 6 of 7 from the floor during the run, 4 of 4 from 3-point range, Tatum had nine of the 18 points and just like that the defending East champions – who won three playoff games on Miami’s home floor in last year’s playoffs – were rolling again.
“We always say the last one to get is the hardest one to get,” Adebayo said. “I knew they would be desperate.”
Miami got within four late in the third, only to see another lightning-fast spurt by the Celtics – this time, seven unanswered points in 40 seconds. Boston’s edge was 88-79 going into the fourth, after winning the third quarter 38-23, with 21 of those points coming on 3-pointers.
The Celtics kept the lead the rest of the way.
“They got us tonight,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “You have to give them credit for that. There’s no doubt about it. There’s no questioning it. We’re not wondering about that. They deserved to win tonight. We have to regroup and get ready for a great opportunity in Boston.”
TIP-INS
Celtics: Tatum’s second 3-pointer of the night was the 220th of his postseason career, passing Paul Pierce for the most in Celtics playoff history. … Boston’s last four-game losing streak was in May 2021, late in the 2020-21 regular season. … Tatum’s jumper with 9:22 left put Boston up seven, stopped a Heat spurt – and was his first fourth-quarter field goal of the series.
Heat: Vincent left early in the fourth quarter after turning his left ankle. … Miami was bidding for its first five-game winning streak of the season – not the postseason, the whole season. Its longest win streak of the regular season was four games, back in December.
HERRO UPDATE
Heat guard Tyler Herro, who broke his right hand in Game 1 of Round 1 at Milwaukee, has his brace off and is resuming workouts. “He is starting the process,” Spoelstra said. “There’s no timetable. But he does have the brace off and he’s able to do ballhandling and some shooting.”
CELEB WATCH
Among the celebrities in the crowd: PGA champion Brooks Koepka (who also was at the Florida Panthers’ win in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference finals series against Carolina on Tuesday night), NBA superfan Jimmy Goldstein, former New York Yankees teammates Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, and actor Jeremy Piven.
LAKERS HOPING LEBRON JAMES DECIDES TO CONTINUE CAREER AFTER PLAYOFF ELIMINATION
LOS ANGELES (AP) The Los Angeles Lakers hope LeBron James will decide to continue his career after he recovers from the difficult end to their season.
James didn’t meet with the media on the day after the top scorer in NBA history said he needed time to think about his basketball future following the Lakers’ elimination from the Western Conference finals.
The 38-year-old James has skipped his team’s postseason media exit interviews before, but his decision Tuesday left Lakers fans hanging about his intentions with his enigmatic comments following a four-game sweep by the Denver Nuggets.
General manager Rob Pelinka and coach Darvin Ham said they’ll speak with James soon about his future.
“We all know that (James) speaks for himself, and we’ll look forward to those conversations when the time is right,” Pelinka said. “LeBron has given as much to the game of basketball as anyone who has ever played. When you do that, you earn a right to decide whether you’re going to give more. … Obviously, our hope would be that his career continues, but we want to give him the time to have that inflection point and support him along the way.”
Despite James’ 40-point performance, including a career playoff-best 31 points in the first half, the seventh-seeded Lakers were swept by the top-seeded Nuggets with a 113-111 defeat in Game 4 on Monday night, ending James’ attempt to win his fifth career championship in his 20th NBA season.
Ham joked: “Coming off a tough loss like that, the work we’ve put in this season, I think I was ready to retire after last night, too.”
Pelinka and Ham declined to speculate on whether James’ frustration stemmed from his persistent foot injury, which could conceivably require surgery to correct fully. He missed a month of the regular season down the stretch, but returned to his usual heavy workload before the playoffs.
James had been largely healthy throughout his NBA career until he reached his mid-30s in Los Angeles, where he has missed significant chunks in four of his five seasons.
“When there’s any injury, you seek multiple medical opinions, and there were some that doubted whether he could play again this season,” Pelinka said. “For him to end the season playing virtually 48 minutes and posting a virtual 40-point triple-double as a player in the 20th year of his NBA career is staggering.”
The Lakers all said they understood why James would question his future after an outstanding performance in defeat.
“I feel like that’s human nature, to be his age and be playing at the level he’s playing at,” Troy Brown Jr. said. “Personally, I feel like because of his love of the game, he will continue to play. But I don’t blame him at all.”
Pelinka said he hopes to keep much of the Lakers’ current core around James and Anthony Davis, calling roster continuity “a high priority” after several years of major annual changes. James is due to make $46.9 million in the first season of his two-year, $97 million contract extension, but several key contributors to the playoff run are free agents.
“I think there’s proof in concept that this was a really good team,” Pelinka said. “But we’re not going to rest on our laurels. If there’s opportunities to get even better, we’re always looking to improve. But we have a core that’s highly successful, and that’s a good starting point.”
Los Angeles was one of the NBA’s best teams after its moves at the trade deadline, going 18-8 to end the regular season even without James. The Lakers then made an impressive run to the conference finals, knocking off second-seeded Memphis and defending champion Golden State, but ran out of steam against the powerhouse Nuggets.
“We feel like we’ve got special players in the locker room that enjoy playing with each other,” Pelinka said. “We know there’s more growth and improvement in that group, especially if we get a training camp together.”
REAVES AND RUI
Pelinka made it clear he intends to do everything possible to re-sign Austin Reaves. The undrafted second-year pro is a restricted free agent after seizing a starting job and effectively becoming the Lakers’ No. 3 offensive option.
“I want to be here. It feels like home to me, in a sense,” Reaves said. “Obviously it’s a lot different than my actual home (in Arkansas). It’s a little bigger. Traffic is a little worse. … But it feels like a home for me, the way the fans support me, the players, the coaching staff, front office. It’s just definitely somewhere I want to be, but we’ll see what happens.”
Rui Hachimura also is a restricted free agent, and Pelinka said the Lakers hope to keep him as well.
Hachimura said his short tenure with the Lakers was “a crazy three months for me. It was one of the best times of my life.”
D-LO’S FUTURE
The Lakers’ most prominent unrestricted free agent is D’Angelo Russell, who had several outstanding performances after his trade-deadline return to Los Angeles, but struggled badly enough in the playoffs to lose his starting job in the finale.
Russell, who scored only 25 points in the four conference finals games, called the season “a complete success.”
“We’ll see what opportunity presents itself, and obviously I’ll do the best for myself,” Russell said. “I think the future is bright. I think Rob Pelinka has some decisions to make, but that’s his job. (I) would love to be here and contribute to that, so we’ll see.”
NHL PLAYOFFS
VEGAS 1 WIN FROM ANOTHER STANLEY CUP FINAL AFTER 4-0 WIN OVER STARS IN GAME 3
DALLAS (AP) The Vegas Golden Knights kept their composure and got the best payback after an ugly hit early against their captain.
They have a 3-0 series lead in the Western Conference Final and are now just one more win away from making it to another Stanley Cup Final.
Ivan Barbashev scored a power-play goal after Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn was ejected because of his hit on Mark Stone less than two minutes into the game. That was the second of three goals the Golden Knights had in the first 7 1/2 minutes, leading to an exit for goalie Jake Oettinger as they won 4-0 in Game 3 on Tuesday night.
“You keep your composure,” said Alex Pietrangelo, who added a goal midway through the second period.
After the two captains collided near the blue line and Stone fell to the ice, Benn lunged forward with both hands on his stick and made contact near Stone’s neck as he was sliding over the center line.
“We’re upset when we see that, he’s our captain,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “But at the end of the day, they make a call that gives us a chance to make them pay for the penalty. And we did with one goal anyway, so we’ve seen doubled our lead. … Do it the right way. That’s been our mindset all along.”
While Oettinger had the shortest start of his career, Vegas goalie Adin Hill stopped 34 shots in his first career postseason shutout.
After four consecutive comeback victories in these playoffs, including two overtime wins at home to start the best-of-seven series, the Golden Knights were in control all of the way in this one.
Game 4 is Thursday night, when Vegas will have the opportunity to advance to its second Stanley Cup Final in the franchise’s six seasons.
The Golden Knights were Western Conference champions during their inaugural 2017-18 season, then lost the Cup Final in five games after winning the opener against the Washington Capitals. Vegas missed the playoffs for only time last season, before coach Pete DeBoer was fired before becoming the Stars coach.
Johnathan Marchessault scored only 71 seconds into the game, which was only 42 seconds before Benn was assessed a game misconduct after a five-minute major for cross-checking.
“Let’s put it this way. He made a mistake. He feels really badly about it. I don’t think anyone in the building feels worse than he does about it,” DeBoer said. “I’m not going to pile on, he’s been a leader here for his entire career, and leads every day on and off the ice. … Fortunately Mark Stone’s OK, and we’ve got to live with the consequences.”
The Stars played the end rest of the game without Benn, who could also face an NHL suspension after the league reviews the play.
Just before Benn’s early exit, he had a wrister that was stopped by Hill but was initially still loose under the goalie as Benn tried to get his stick back on it.
The goal by Barbashev, who later had two assists, was one of only three shots the Knights got on net during the five-minute penalty. His 30-foot wrister for a 2-0 lead came after a Ty Dellandrea’s short-handed break was blocked. Nicolas Roy took the rebound the other way and passed to Barbashev.
“What goes unnoticed in there is the save by Adin Hill on the shorthand 2-on-1 … and we come down and score,” Cassidy said. “That 15 seconds of hockey is a huge impact of the game.”
Oettinger was pulled and replaced by Scott Wedgewood after William Carrier’s backhander made it 3-0 with 12:50 left in the first period.
The 24-year-old Oettinger has now lost three starts in a row. He has lost four of five, the win being when he had 22 saves for the Stars in their 2-1 win in Game 7 of Western semifinal against Seattle.
Wedgewood stopped 10 of 11 shots, with Pietrangelo’s goal coming just a second after the end of a power play as Miro Heiskanen was coming out of the penalty box.
Stars center Max Domi got a game misconduct with 21 seconds left in the second period. After his cross-check against Nicolas Hague, Domi started throwing punches.
“I think you guys know exactly what was being discussed,” Hague said when asked about what led to that incident. “There’s no reason for me to get involved in anything. It is what it is, and we got a big win.”
Fans in the arena reacted to the ensuing penalty by throwing water bottles, food and other items on the ice. With extended time needed to clean up the playing surface, officials sent both teams to their locker rooms early for the second intermission with the Knights up 4-0.
Those final 21 seconds were played after the intermission before the clock was reset to 20 minutes for the third period.
“It was a little weird,” Hill said. “I’ve never seen so much stuff on the ice, that’s for sure.”
NOTES: Stars forward Evegenii Dadonov left with a lower body injury in the first period and never returned. … It was the first Western Conference Final game in Dallas since May 19, 2008, when the Stars lost to Detroit in a decisive sixth game.
MLB NEWS
MLB ROUNDUP: BLUE JAYS ROMP PAST RAYS 20-1
George Springer went 4-for-5 with a solo home run and two RBIs as the Toronto Blue Jays demolished the Tampa Bay Rays 20-1 on Tuesday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Springer finished a double away from hitting for the cycle as the Blue Jays ended a five-game losing streak. Toronto had 27 hits, the highest single-game total in the majors this year. Tampa Bay used position players to pitch the final two innings, and they yielded 10 runs.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a ninth-inning grand slam and drove in six runs, and Matt Chapman and Danny Jansen added two-run homers in the ninth. Toronto right-hander Jose Berrios (4-4) allowed one run, five hits and two walks with five strikeouts in seven innings.
Isaac Paredes hit a solo home run for the Rays, who won the opener of the four-game series on Monday. Rays right-hander Taj Bradley (3-1) gave up nine hits and four runs while amassing seven strikeouts and no walks in four innings.
Royals 4, Tigers 1
Michael Massey’s double sparked a three-run fourth inning and the Kansas City bullpen made it hold up in a win against visiting Detroit.
Eduardo Rodriguez (4-4) flirted with trouble all night, putting runners in scoring position before escaping with back-to-back strikeouts in each of the first two innings. Ultimately, he completed five innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on eight hits and two walks. He struck out nine.
Making just his sixth career start — and first since Sept. 6 of last year — Mike Mayers fanned the first four Tigers he faced and a career-best eight over 4 2/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits and a walk. Four Royals relievers hurled 4 1/3 innings to close out the Tigers.
Padres 7, Nationals 4
Juan Soto had three hits, including a home run, against his former team, and visiting San Diego defeated Washington.
Xander Bogaerts, Brandon Dixon and Jake Cronenworth also homered for the Padres. Soto added two singles and a walk and scored twice as he began his second series in D.C. since being traded to the Padres at the 2022 trade deadline. Yu Darvish (3-3) allowed three runs on six hits over six innings. Josh Hader pitched the ninth for his 12th save.
Lane Thomas and former Padre CJ Abrams homered for the Nationals. Washington starter MacKenzie Gore, who came over with Abrams in the group exchanged for Soto and Josh Bell, went 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with four walks and five strikeouts.
Dodgers 8, Braves 1
Right-hander Bobby Miller limited Atlanta to one run in his major league debut and catcher Will Smith drove in three runs to help visiting Los Angeles post its second straight win in a matchup of National League division leaders.
Miller (1-0), the team’s first-round draft pick in 2020, allowed a lone run in the first inning but never faltered. He pitched five innings and gave up one run on four hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Smith went 3-for-5 with a double. He is batting .318 (21-for-66) in May and lifted his season average to .310.
Spencer Strider (4-2) took the loss. He pitched six innings and allowed a season-high-tying four runs (two earned) on five hits with three walks and 11 strikeouts, his fourth double-digit strikeout game of the season.
Yankees 6, Orioles 5 (10 innings)
Rookie Anthony Volpe hit a game-ending sacrifice fly in the 10th inning after Aaron Judge hit a tying homer off Felix Bautista in the ninth as host New York outlasted Baltimore.
The Yankees won their fifth straight and moved a season-high 10 games over .500 at 30-20 when Volpe brought home the winning run off Bryan Baker (3-2). Judge blasted an 0-2 splitter off Bautista into the left field seats for his 14th homer and eighth since returning from the injured list two weeks ago. Harrison Bader homered in the fourth and capped New York’s three-run fifth off Baltimore’s Kyle Bradish with a sacrifice fly.
Adam Frazier hit a two-run double five batters into the game off Gerrit Cole before Cedric Mullins and Gunnar Henderson homered in the third and fourth, respectively, off the Yankees’ ace.
Cubs 7, Mets 2
Christopher Morel tied a team record by homering in his fifth straight game, rookie Matt Mervis clubbed a two-run drive and Seiya Suzuki also went deep as host Chicago cooled off New York.
With Chicago ahead 6-2 in the seventh, Morel added some historic insurance with a ball well into the left-field bleachers. He’s the first Cub to homer in five straight since Sammy Sosa (1998). Called up May 9, Morel has homered nine times in his first 12 games — only the fourth player since 1901 to accomplish that feat. Mervis had three RBIs and Drew Smyly (5-1) allowed two runs, four hits and two walks while striking out five over five innings for the Cubs, who regrouped following a 2-7 road trip.
Pete Alonso clubbed his league-leading 18th homer and had two RBIs for the Mets, who were riding a five-game winning streak. Brandon Nimmo added three hits.
Giants 4, Twins 3
Michael Conforto hit a two-run, go-ahead home run in the seventh inning to lead San Francisco past Minnesota in Minneapolis for the Giants’ third straight win. It was the second straight game that Conforto, who also doubled, hit what proved to be a game-winning home run for San Francisco.
Alex Cobb (4-1) picked up the win, allowing three runs on six hits over seven innings. He walked one and struck out eight. Camilo Doval hit a batter but struck out the side in the ninth to earn his 13th save as the Giants got to .500 for the first time since April 6.
Byron Buxton went 2-for-4 with a home run, a stolen base and two RBIs and Michael A. Taylor also homered for Minnesota, which lost for the fifth time in its last six games. Jorge Lopez (1-2) suffered the loss.
Rangers 6, Pirates 1
Nathan Eovaldi fired a complete-game six-hitter, and visiting Texas evened its three-game series with Pittsburgh with a victory.
Eovaldi (6-2) held the Pirates to a single run, walked one and struck out five to become the first pitcher in the majors to record two complete games this season. Pirates starter Rich Hill (4-4) tallied nine strikeouts, but also allowed seven hits and five runs through 5 1/3 innings.
Josh Jung’s eighth-inning solo homer capped Texas’ scoring in the win, and Jung finished with three RBIs and two runs.
Diamondbacks 4, Phillies 3
Gabriel Moreno homered and drove in two runs and Corbin Carroll hit two doubles and had a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth to lift Arizona past host Philadelphia for the Diamondbacks’ fourth straight win.
Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson tossed six strong innings and allowed three hits and one run with four strikeouts and no walks. Jose Ruiz (2-0) earned the win in relief, and Miguel Castro threw a scoreless ninth for his fifth save.
Kody Clemens had a double and two RBIs and Bryce Harper added two hits for the Phillies. Matt Strahm lasted two innings after being pressed into a spot start for the Phillies. Strahm gave up three hits and two runs with three strikeouts and no walks. Seranthony Dominguez (1-2) took the loss.
Brewers 6, Astros 0
Colin Rea and four relievers combined on a five-hitter and Owen Miller hit a two-run homer to pace Milwaukee to a victory over visiting Houston, snapping the Astros’ eight-game winning streak.
Rea (1-3) allowed four hits over 5 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking two for his first major league win since August 2020 when he was with the Chicago Cubs. The Brewers’ bullpen allowed just one hit the rest of the way.
Astros starter J.P. France (1-1) allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He stuck out eight and walked one. Houston had won 11 of its previous 12 games.
White Sox 4, Guardians 2
Yasmani Grandal homered and drove in two runs, Romy Gonzalez highlighted a three-run seventh inning with a go-ahead, two-run double, and Chicago doubled-up host Cleveland.
Dylan Cease (3-3) snapped a seven-start winless streak, allowing two runs on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts over six innings. Chicago evened the three-game series at a win apiece and has won four of its last five. Kendall Graveman pitched the ninth for his fourth save.
Will Brennan homered and Andres Gimenez had two hits for Cleveland, which has lost six of its last eight. Guardians starter Logan Allen (1-2) retired 14 of his first 15 batters but took the loss after giving up all three runs in the seventh.
Cardinals 8, Reds 5
Paul Goldschmidt snapped out of a prolonged slump with solo homers in his first two at-bats while Adam Wainwright earned a rare win in Cincinnati as visiting St. Louis beat the Reds.
Goldschmidt entered the game in a 1-for-21 slump with nine strikeouts and had not homered since May 7, when he homered three times against Detroit. Wainwright (2-0) scattered eight hits and five runs over 5 2/3 innings for his first win in Cincinnati since Aug. 16, 2019, which was also his last win against the Reds overall.
Graham Ashcraft (2-3) was pulled after five innings, allowing seven runs on 10 hits, striking out five, walking none and yielding the two solo homers to Goldschmidt.
Rockies 5, Marlins 4
Elias Diaz had three hits, Randal Grichuk drove in two runs and Colorado beat Miami in Denver.
Jorge Soler homered among his two hits, Garrett Cooper also went deep, Yuli Gurriel had three hits and Nick Fortes and Jon Berti each had two hits for Miami. Soler got the Marlins started in the first when he blasted the first pitch he saw from Austin Gomber over the wall in center field — his 13th homer of the season.
Gomber (4-4), who has pitched well after a rough beginning of the season, settled down quickly after Soler’s 456-foot blast. He retired 11 of the next 12 batters and eight in a row at one point. He ended up lasting 5 2/3 innings. Marlins starter Eury Perez (1-1) took the loss.
Angels 4, Red Sox 0
Los Angeles got seven scoreless innings from Griffin Canning and home runs from Mickey Moniak, Matt Thaiss and Mike Trout on the way to a victory over Boston in Anaheim, Calif.
Canning (3-2) gave up just two hits and three walks while striking out five. Matt Moore (eighth inning) and Jacob Webb (ninth) completed the two-hit shutout.
Moniak and Thaiss each hit a solo homer off Red Sox starter Brayan Bello (3-2), the only runs Bello allowed in seven innings.
Mariners 3, Athletics 2
J.P. Crawford and Ty France hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning as Seattle rallied for a victory against visiting Oakland.
Oakland suffered its sixth straight loss and its winning percentage dropped to .200 this season (10-40 record). A’s right-hander Luis Medina (0-3), making his fourth major league start, gave up three runs on five hits over five innings, with two walks and four strikeouts.
Mariners left-hander Marco Gonzales (4-1) put together a quality start, allowing two runs on five hits in six innings. Paul Sewald pitched the ninth for his 10th save in as many opportunities in 2023.
NFL NEWS
AARON RODGERS STRAINS CALF DURING WARMUPS, SITS OUT FIRST JETS PRACTICE OPEN TO MEDIA
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) Aaron Rodgers never made it past warmups in his first New York Jets practice in front of the media.
The 39-year-old quarterback, acquired last month from Green Bay, strained a calf while participating in conditioning drills Tuesday. Rodgers watched quarterback drills and remained on the field during practice, but was without his helmet and threw no passes.
“I don’t think it’s too serious,” Rodgers said, downplaying the injury and saying he took “a vet day.”
He didn’t have a noticeable limp, but stretched his lower legs and ankles several times throughout the practice. Rodgers, who wasn’t wearing a wrap on either calf while he stood at the podium and spoke to reporters, was uncertain when the injury occurred.
“I dunno,” he said with a smile. “Just running, I guess.”
Organized team activities began Monday and Rodgers participated in practice, with the Jets tweeting photos and videos of the quarterback throwing passes. The session Tuesday marked the first with media in attendance, and a few dozen reporters showed up to watch Rodgers practice with the Jets for the first time.
That will have to wait until next Wednesday at the earliest, when practice is next open to the media.
New York acquired Rodgers, the No. 15 overall pick and a fifth-rounder in this year’s draft from Green Bay on April 26. In exchange, the Packers got the 13th overall selection, a second-rounder, a sixth-rounder and a conditional 2024 second-round pick that could become a first-rounder if Rodgers plays 65% of New York’s plays this season.
The four-time NFL MVP spent his first 18 seasons in Green Bay and contemplated retirement before going on a darkness retreat in Oregon in February. Rodgers emerged wanting to continue to play – and chose to do so with the Jets. That set in motion the deal to New York.
Since the trade, Rodgers has experienced several moments that have reaffirmed his decision.
“It was surreal, for sure, and strange to look at my locker and see the No. 8, and to be rocking Jets gear is a little bit strange, for sure,” he said. “But every day, there’s been something that’s kind of been a little special sign or a synchronicity or just a cool moment that reminds me that I’m in the right place.”
Rodgers has participated in voluntary workouts and practices with his new teammates, something he didn’t consistently do the past three offseasons in Green Bay.
“He’s still a kid in an old man’s body,” coach Robert Saleh joked. “He’s having a blast.”
With the Jets, Rodgers is reunited with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who led the Packers’ offense during the quarterback’s last two MVP seasons in 2020 and 2021. There are also several other familiar faces on the field with Rodgers, including wide receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb and offensive lineman Billy Turner. But Rodgers is also building a rapport with many new players and helping Hackett install the offense.
“I really wanted to be around, at least for some of the beginning things, to just let them know kind of how I like to do things,” Rodgers said. “Some of the code words, some of the little adjustments, some of the ways I see the game – just sparking the conversation.”
Rodgers’ presence has fired up many of his new teammates, who acknowledged being a bit starstruck when the quarterback first arrived.
“It’s lit, man,” cornerback D.J. Reed said of the energy around the team.
Saleh has particularly enjoyed watching Rodgers work and interact with the players and coaches.
“It’s been cool,” Saleh said. “I joke around that he’s closer to a coach than he is a player at this point of his career. He’s a fantastic mind, he’s a fantastic conversation. It’s been all positive.”
While the work on the field and in meetings has been good, Rodgers appreciates the “freedom of expression” Saleh allows players to have, balancing fun and accountability.
Rodgers has also liked getting to know his new surroundings – from taking in Knicks and Rangers playoff games to learning where he can find the team’s mail room. He also joked the only things he previously knew about New Jersey were Teterboro Airport and the show “Jersey Shore.”
“I was assured that was not a proper representation of this great state,” a grinning Rodgers said before later adding: “I mean, it’s been like a dream month so far.”
NOTES: All-Pro DT Quinnen Williams isn’t participating in voluntary workouts while he awaits a contract extension. Saleh isn’t concerned it could turn into a lingering issue. “That thing will get done,” the coach said. … RB Breece Hall and OT Mekhi Becton, both returning from knee injuries last year, aren’t practicing yet. OL Alijah Vera-Tucker (torn triceps) is practicing. … Becton told Newsday he partly blamed the coaching staff for his season-ending knee injury last summer because they insisted he play right tackle instead of left – and that put extra pressure on his already surgically repaired right knee. Saleh took the high road, saying he didn’t want to get into finger pointing.
NFL, GOODELL CLOSE TO FINALIZING 3-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION; NEW DEAL WOULD END IN 2027
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL have agreed on the framework of a three-year contract extension that will keep him in place until 2027, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay confirmed Tuesday at the league meetings.
Goodell’s current deal expires in 2024. He has been commissioner of the league since replacing Paul Tagliabue in 2006.
“That’s always good news,” Irsay told reporters in Minnesota, where owners finished their spring meetings. “I think we still have to rubber-stamp it so to speak, but it’s virtually done.”
Irsay said he’s under the impression Goodell will retire after the extended contract expires and be involved in the development of a potential successor.
“We’ll look for his contribution every way possible,” Irsay said.
Goodell tried to downplay the topic and declined to confirm an agreement.
“It’s not extended today, that’s for sure. I’ve been focused on other matters. It hasn’t been a point of focus for me,” Goodell said. “I have a year left. I love the job. I have no doubt that we’ll reach it at some point. When we do, we’ll let you know.”
Irsay raised to reporters the possibility of eventually splitting the role into two, one top executive for business and one for football, in similar fashion to how most NFL teams are lead.
“It’s a healthy discussion to have,” Goodell said. “The job changes over the years. It’s changed even while I’ve been here. I know that we will have those discussions at the appropriate time.”
BILLS SAFETY DAMAR HAMLIN EASES BACK INTO PRACTICE 5 MONTHS SINCE NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) Wearing shorts and his familiar No. 3 blue practice jersey, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin began easing his way back into football during the team’s voluntary minicamp on Tuesday, some five months after having a near-death experience on the field.
The only thing missing was his helmet.
Though held back from taking part in team sessions, Hamlin participated in individual drills and the stretching portions to open and end practice in taking the next steps toward resuming his football career.
“We’re taking it one day at a time and just support Damar in every way possible,” coach Sean McDermott said. He otherwise did not provide any timetable as to when the player can resume practicing fully a little over a month after Hamlin was cleared to play.
The 25-year-old Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field after making what appeared to be a routine tackle during the first quarter of a game at Cincinnati, and being broadcast to a national prime-time audience on Jan. 2.
Defensive backs coach John Butler shed further light on the team’s approach to Hamlin’s practice routine by saying it’s based on constant communication between the player and the Bills medical staff.
“This is Damar’s process,” Butler said. “All we can do is listen, communicate with him and try to get on the same level as him.”
The Bills’ slow approach to Hamlin’s participation appears in line with how they’ve eased back other players coming off major injuries. And it’s understandable in regards to Hamlin, given how much time he missed during a lengthy recuperation process that limited him from much physical exertion before reporting for the team’s voluntary workout program last month.
Hamlin still required a respirator to help him breathe for several weeks after being released from the hospital in mid-January.
He has made it clear he wants to resume playing. Saying his heart was still in the game, Hamlin announced his NFL comeback a little over a month ago after being cleared to play by the Bills and several independent specialists. Not wanting to give into fear and concern, Hamlin said there was little chance of the episode recurring in revealing specialists agreed his heart stopped as a result of commotio cordis, which is a direct blow at a specific point in a heartbeat that causes cardiac arrest.
“This was a life-changing event, but it’s not the end of my story,” Hamlin said last month.
With his focus now on resuming football, Hamlin’s next steps will be no different from any other NFL player in his bid to secure a roster spot entering his third season. The Bills have two more weeks of voluntary practices before opening a mandatory minicamp in mid-June, followed by training camp opening in late July.
“It’s a miracle,” Butler said, assessing how far Hamlin has come since January.
“To have him out there, in the drills, in the walk-throughs, in the meetings and just around day to day, I think it’s incredible,” he added. “But based on where he’s going, I think he’s definitely heading the right direction.”
Hamlin’s recovery has been called remarkable by doctors who treated him. He spent the first few days of his recovery in a medically induced coma at the University Cincinnati Medical Center. His motor and cognitive skills quickly returned and he spent 10 days in hospitals in Cincinnati and Buffalo before being released.
Hamlin’s collapse led to an outpouring of support from around the NFL and across North America, with donations made to Hamlin’s charitable organization topping more than $9 million. And his recovery has been celebrated, with the player honored by the NFL, the NFL Players Association and most recently being selected by the Professional Football Writers of America as winner of the George Halas Award, which is given to an NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes adversity to succeed.
NFL EXPECTS KICKOFF RETURN REDUCTION WITH TRIAL OF FAIR CATCH RULE INSIDE 25
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) The NFL has pushed the kickoff return further toward irrelevance with a priority on player safety.
League owners voted Tuesday for a one-year trial of an enhanced touchback rule that will give the receiving team the ball at its own 25 with a fair catch of a kickoff anywhere behind that yard line.
The proposal passed despite an expression of distaste for it from coaches and players across the league. They argued the rule change will create uglier plays with squib and corner kicks that are impossible for fair catches.
“I’ve been in this for a long time. I’ve seen these type of health and safety discussions,” said Atlanta Falcons chief executive officer Rich McKay, who is chairman of the competition committee. “We tend to get ourselves to the right place, but it’s never that comfortable.”
The NFL said its statistical models predict the return rate for kickoffs in 2023, under the new rule, will drop from 38% to 31% and that the rate of concussions on the sport’s most dangerous play will be reduced by 15%. Concussions on kickoffs occur more than twice as often as on plays from scrimmage, and that rate has risen significantly over the last two years.
One reason for the recent increase in head injuries? The improved skill of kickers to be able to strategically hang the ball longer and higher in front of the goal line, allowing the coverage more time to make a tackle and keep the opponent’s drive start deeper than the 25 for an end-zone touchback.
The NFL essentially copied a rule that was already in place in college football.
“We needed to do something,” McKay said. “We just can’t sit there and ignore that data.”
CHARGERS ADD $1.75 MILLION IN INCENTIVES TO EKELER’S CONTRACT, AP SOURCE SAYS
(AP) — The Los Angeles Chargers have avoided a holdout by running back Austin Ekeler by adding $1.75 million in incentives to his contract for the upcoming season, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the Chargers have not announced the restructuring.
Ekeler is entering the final season of a four-year, $24.5 million extension.
Ekeler, who has scored an NFL-high 38 touchdowns over the past two seasons, could earn as much as $8 million in the 2023 season.
The move also helps the Chargers avoid a repeat of the messy situation they faced four years ago when Melvin Gordon held out until four weeks into the regular season because of a contract dispute.
Ekeler has spent his entire six-year career with the Chargers after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2017. Even in the midst of negotiations, coach Brandon Staley said he expected Ekeler to be at the team’s mandatory minicamp when it starts on June 13.
“Austin is one of the top backs in the league over the last two seasons. He’s been a captain for us. We really have the utmost respect for him and the situation,” Staley said Monday when the Chargers began their on-field work. “It’s been respectful on both sides.”
Ekeler led the league with 18 touchdowns from scrimmage last season and became the fifth running back in league history with at least 100 receptions. His 107 catches were tied for second most by a running back in a season.
He also rushed for 915 yards, including a pair of 100-yard games.
Staley is trying to emphasize the running game more after hiring Kellen Moore as his offensive coordinator.
The Chargers had the third-worst rushing attack in the league last season and the second-biggest discrepancy between passing and running plays (65% pass to 35% run).
With Moore as the offensive coordinator in Dallas last season, the Cowboys were 53% pass to 47% run, which was tied for the ninth-highest percentage of run plays.
BRONCOS RELEASE BRANDON MCMANUS, LAST HOLDOVER FROM TEAM THAT WON SUPER BOWL 50
DENVER (AP) The Denver Broncos severed ties with kicker Brandon McManus on Tuesday as they released the last holdover player from the team that won Super Bowl 50.
The 31-year-old McManus announced he was being let go on social media shortly before the Broncos made it official.
McManus finished his nine-year career with Denver as the second-leading scorer in team history (946 points). He connected on a franchise-most 42 field goals of 50 or more yards in the regular season and the playoffs.
“Brandon has been a key player and presence with the Broncos for nearly a decade, making outstanding contributions to our team and community,” Broncos general manager George Paton said in a statement. “Developing into one of the NFL’s most productive kickers, Brandon made so many clutch kicks for this franchise over the years as a Super Bowl champion and team captain.
“He will always hold a special place in Denver Broncos history. We thank Brandon for all he did for the Broncos, and we wish him and his great family the very best in the future.”
McManus made 223 of 274 field goals in the regular season while hitting 96.9% of his extra points. His combined field-goal percentage (82%) in the regular season and postseason is the second-best mark in team history behind kicker Matt Prater (82.9%).
McManus was perfect in the playoffs following the 2015 regular season, hitting all 10 of his field-goal attempts and three extra points. He had three field goals when Peyton Manning and the Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in the Super Bowl on Feb. 7, 2016, for the franchise’s third championship.
The Broncos haven’t been back to the postseason since their Super Bowl victory. They’re now under the direction of coach Sean Payton, who was recently hired to get the franchise back on track. The team went 5-12 last season in quarterback Russell Wilson’s first season in Denver.
TOP INDIANA RELEASES
INDY 500
Facts and figures about the starting field for the 107th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 28 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
- Alex Palou earned his first career Indianapolis 500 pole. He is the first Spanish driver to win a pole for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
- Alex Palou produced the fastest four-lap average speed in history for an Indianapolis 500 pole winner, 234.217 mph. The previous record was 234.046 set in 2022 by Scott Dixon. Arie Luyendyk set the all-time four-lap qualifying average speed record of 236.986 in 1996, but his run came on the second day of qualifications and wasn’t eligible for the pole.
- Chip Ganassi Racing earned its third consecutive Indianapolis 500 pole, with Alex Palou in 2023 and Scott Dixon in 2021 and 2022. The last team to win three straight poles was Team Penske, which won four in a row from 1988-91.
- This is the eighth Indianapolis 500 pole for Chip Ganassi Racing, the second-most of all time. Arie Luyendyk earned the team’s first “500” pole in 1993, followed by Bruno Junqueira in 2002 and Scott Dixon in 2008, 2015, 2017, 2021 and 2022. Team Penske leads with 18 poles.
- This is the third time car No. 10 has won the Indianapolis 500 pole. The last time was 1993 with Arie Luyendyk, who earned Chip Ganassi Racing’s first “500” pole that year.
- This is the fastest starting field in Indianapolis 500 history, with an average speed of 232.184 mph. The previous fastest starting field came in 2022, with an average speed of 231.023.
- This is the third consecutive year the fastest field in history record has been set. This year’s field average speed is 232.184 mph. It was 231.023 in 2022 and 230.294 in 2021. The record before 2021 was 229.382, set in 2014.
- This is the fastest front row in Indianapolis 500 history, with an average speed of 234.181 mph. The previous record was 233.643, set in 2022.
- This is the closest front row in Indianapolis 500 history in terms of speed, with .103 of a mph separating pole winner Alex Palou from No. 3 starter Felix Rosenqvist. The previous record was .112 between pole sitter James Hinchcliffe and No. 3 starter Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2016.
- The time gap between pole sitter Alex Palou and No. 2 qualifier Rinus VeeKay, .0040 of a second, is the closest in Indianapolis 500 history. The previous record was .01 between pole sitter Al Unser and No. 2 qualifier Johnny Rutherford in 1970.
- The speed gap between pole sitter Alex Palou and No. 2 qualifier Rinus VeeKay, .006 of a mph, is the second closest in Indianapolis 500 history. The record is .003 between pole sitter Ryan Briscoe and No. 2 qualifier James Hinchcliffe in 2012.
- Katherine Legge turned the fastest single qualifying lap (231.596 mph) and four-lap qualifying average (231.070) for a female driver in Indianapolis 500 history. The previous single-lap record was 230.201 by Simona De Silvestro in 2021; the previous four-lap record was 229.439 by Sarah Fisher in 2002.
- Benjamin Pedersen turned the fastest qualifying lap by a rookie in Indianapolis 500 history, 233.297 mph. The previous record was 233.179 by Tony Stewart in 1996.
- Benjamin Pedersen recorded the second-fastest four-lap qualifying average by a rookie in Indianapolis 500 history, 232.671 mph. The record is 233.100 set by Tony Stewart in 1996.
- There were 84 qualifying attempts Saturday, May 21, an all-time record. The previous record was 73 in 2019.
- Rinus VeeKay has qualified fourth or better in his four Indianapolis 500 starts. He qualified fourth as a rookie in 2020, third in 2021 and 2022, and second this year. That’s an average grid position of 3.0 for his first four starts. Only four drivers in Indianapolis 500 history have a better average grid position in their first four starts: Harry Hartz (2.25), Mario Andretti (2.5), Jim Clark (2.5) and Parnelli Jones (2.75).
- There are nine former Indianapolis 500 winners in the starting field: Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021), Scott Dixon (2008), Tony Kanaan (2013), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014), Alexander Rossi (2016), Takuma Sato (2017, 2020), Will Power (2018), Simon Pagenaud (2019) and Marcus Ericsson (2022). Between them, they have 13 victories. The record for most former winners in the field is 10, in 1992. The fewest, other than the inaugural race in 1911, is zero in 1912.
- There are four rookies in the field: Benjamin Pedersen (starting 11th), Augustin Canapino (27th), RC Enerson (29th) and Sting Ray Robb (32nd).
- Other than the four rookies, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Katherine Legge are the only drivers in the field who didn’t start in the race in 2022. Hunter-Reay’s last start was in 2021, Legge’s in 2013.
- Helio Castroneves is the most experienced driver in the field, with 22 previous Indianapolis 500 starts. The record is 35, set in consecutive years from 1958-1992 by A.J. Foyt.
- Scott Dixon has led 665 career laps in the Indianapolis 500, the all-time event record. Other drivers in the field who have led more than 200 laps are Tony Kanaan (352) and Helio Castroneves (325).
- The oldest driver in the starting field is Tony Kanaan, 48 years, 148 days on Race Day. The youngest driver is David Malukas, 21 years, 243 days on Race Day. A.J. Foyt is the oldest driver to start the Indianapolis 500. He was 57 years, 128 days old when he made his last start in 1992. A.J. Foyt IV is the youngest driver to start the Indianapolis 500. His 19th birthday was on Race Day, 2003.
- Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves will be older on Race Day than Al Unser when he became the oldest winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 1987 at age 47 years, 360 days old.
- David Malukas, Sting Ray Robb and Christian Lundgaard will be younger on Race Day than Troy Ruttman when he became the youngest winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 1952 at age 22 years, 80 days old.
- Agustin Canapino became the first Argentine driver to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 since Raul Riganti in 1940.
- Nineteen different drivers in this year’s field have led a total of 2,547 laps in previous Indianapolis 500s.
- There are a combined 224 previous Indianapolis 500 starts among the 33 drivers in this year’s field. The record is 260 years of experience, set in 1987 and 1992. There were 222 years of combined experience in last year’s field.
- The most-experienced row in this year’s starting lineup is Row 3, with a combined 41 career starts (Alexander Rossi 7, Takuma Sato 13, Tony Kanaan 21). The least-experienced row is Row 10, with three combined career starts (Callum Ilott 1, RC Enerson 0, Katherine Legge 2).
- There are nine former Indianapolis 500 winners in this year’s field. The record is 10, set in 1992.
- There are seven former Indianapolis 500 Rookies of the Year in this year’s field. The record is nine, in 2021.
- Nineteen of the 33 starters in this year’s field are veterans of INDY NXT by Firestone. The veterans are Marco Andretti, Ed Carpenter, Helio Castroneves, Conor Daly, Devlin DeFrancesco, Scott Dixon, RC Enerson, Jack Harvey, Colton Herta, Tony Kanaan, Kyle Kirkwood, David Malukas, Josef Newgarden, Pato O’Ward, Benjamin Pedersen, Sting Ray Robb, Felix Rosenqvist, Rinus VeeKay and Stefan Wilson.
ALSO:
Graham Rahal will replace the injured Stefan Wilson as the driver of the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports entry in the 107th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, team officials announced May 23.
British veteran driver Wilson was ruled out of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Monday evening after suffering a vertebrae fracture in a two-car crash during practice Monday afternoon in the No. 24 DRR Cusick CareKeepers Chevrolet. Wilson qualified 25th during PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying on Saturday with a four-lap average speed of 231.648 mph.
Rahal, from New Albany, Ohio, will make his 16th career start in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Sunday, May 28 (live, 11 a.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, Universo, INDYCAR Radio Network). He became available for the DRR/Cusick seat after he was bumped from the starting field by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing teammate Jack Harvey on Sunday afternoon.
“I’ll admit it was a very tough weekend for me and the United Rentals/Fifth Third Bank/RLL team,” Rahal said. “We tried everything, and we just didn’t have the speed. I’m very sad that Stefan was injured in practice on Monday. I wish him a quick recovery. I want to thank Dennis (DRR owner Dennis Reinbold) and Don (Cusick Motorsports owner Don Cusick) for giving me this opportunity in the No. 24 car. I’m anxious to work with the team and prepare for the greatest race in the world, the Indianapolis 500.”
Rahal has previous experience with DRR. He drove to a ninth-place finish with the team in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race in 2010 at Iowa Speedway.
“We are very sad that Stefan was injured Monday and now is unable to compete this Sunday in the No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports/CareKeepers Chevrolet,” Reinbold said. “Stefan put so much effort into this race that it is just heartbreaking for this to have happened. We have known Graham for over a decade as he drove our car in 2010 at Iowa Speedway. He suffered through a tough weekend here, but we believe Graham can perform very well this Sunday.
“And I want to thank Bobby Rahal and his entire Rahal Letterman Lanigan team for granting us the opportunity to have Graham join us this week. We also want to thank everyone in the INDYCAR SERIES garage area for offering their assistance after Stefan’s unfortunate incident on Monday. So many people came to us and asked if we needed anything yesterday. It shows the camaraderie within the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. We are anxious to get Graham on the track now in the No. 24 machine.”
The DRR/Cusick team is preparing a backup car for Rahal, who is scheduled to drive the No. 24 car during the final two-hour practice Friday on Miller Lite Carb Day. Rahal’s partners Fifth Third Bank and United Rentals will join the team’s Indy 500 effort.
“First, I feel bad for Stefan that he is hurt,” RLL co-owner Bobby Rahal said. “I’m sure he was very excited after qualifying for the race and had done a great job all month. It’s a real shame that this happened. I wish him the best and hope he has a speedy recovery. I’m sure we will see him again.
“I have to say this came out of the blue. I’ve known Dennis for years personally. I have always liked and respected him as a fellow racer and also a car dealer. When Dennis called, we went to work to make this happen. The most amazing thing is how all these different groups, out of respect for the sport and the Indy 500, agreed to agree and go forward even though it may have been somewhat of a difficult decision. The fact that everyone pulled together to make this happen for Dennis, and also for Graham, makes us very thankful. I am also thankful that Dennis asked Graham to join him and his team and appreciate the commitment and excitement from Mike, Dave, United Rentals and Fifth Third Bank to see this happen. We wish them the best in the race.”
Rahal will team with 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay on Sunday. Hunter-Reay qualified the team’s No. 23 Chevrolet-powered car in the 18th spot Saturday at 232.133.
“First and foremost, the only thing that matters is that Stefan is doing well considering the circumstances,” Cusick said. “We are completely gutted for Stefan and now will miss his favorite racing event, the legendary Indy 500. We wouldn’t be here without him, and we are committed to supporting him every step on the way to recovery and beyond. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and our partners have been nothing but supportive, and I couldn’t be more thankful. I am happy that we could fill the seat of the No. 24 DRR/Cusick Motorsports/CareKeepers Chevy with a quality replacement in Graham Rahal. Graham knows the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval very well and we wish him the best this Sunday in ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.’”
INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Malcom Nuñez roped an RBI single with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth inning to bring the Indianapolis Indians within one run of the Columbus Clippers, but they could not complete the comeback and dropped the series opener at Huntington Park on Tuesday night, 6-5.
Trailing by two runs in the ninth, three consecutive walks loaded the bases with one out for Indianapolis (21-24). Nuñez drove in Endy Rodríguez with his line-drive single, but the tying run in Cal Mitchell was held late at third base. Touki Toussaint (S, 3) sat down the next two batters to end the threat.
The Indians got on the board first in the second inning, also with two outs, when Aaron Shackelford doubled home Nuñez from first base. In the third, Canaan Smith-Njigba launched his third Triple-A home run of the season 424 feet out of Huntington Park to extend Indy’s lead to 2-0.
The Clippers (23-22) plated four runs in the bottom of the fifth against Indians starter Osvaldo Bido to take their first lead of the night. Following a leadoff single and subsequent walk, Naylor scored two with a double before Gonzalez launched a two-run homer to right field.
With two outs and the bases juiced via two walks and a hit-by-pitch in the sixth inning, Nick Gonzales lined a two-run single to left field to tie the game. Columbus then retook the lead in the bottom half against Chase De Jong (L, 0-1) via a ground-ball single by Bo Naylor and sacrifice fly by Oscar Gonzalez.
Both of the Indians’ comeback efforts were sparked by walks, with the team drawing nine total in the contest. Tim Herrin (W, 3-1) was the lone Clippers hurler not to surrender a walk, with just one hit allowed and two strikeouts in 1.1 innings.
Rodríguez roped two doubles in the contest, joining Nuñez with a team-leading two hits.
The International League West foes will face off again tomorrow night at 7:05 PM ET at Huntington Park. Taking the hill for Indy will be LHP Kent Emanuel (2-1, 7.54) against LHP Daniel Norris (1-2, 5.25).
INDIANA BASEBALL
OMAHA, Neb. – As the only team to appear in the Big Ten Tournament in each of the last 10 events, the Indiana baseball program won a game for the ninth time in those 10 appearances with a 4-3 victory over Illinois on Tuesday (May 23) on Charles Schwab Field.
Illinois (25-26) got the scoring started with one run in the top of the fifth inning before Indiana (41-16) got a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. A pair of eighth innings runs for the Hoosiers proved useful, as the Fighting Illini plated a pair of unearned runs in the ninth to close the gap to one run.
Freshman Tyler Cerny led a trio of Hoosiers with multiple hits in the tournament opener with a 2-for-4 day at the plate. He doubled and scored the first run of the game to move his hitting streak to 10 games and tie a season-long streak. Senior Peter Serruto collected two hits, walked, drove in one RBI, and came around to score one run, while redshirt junior Bobby Whalen also chipped in two hits.
Freshman Devin Taylor singled, scored one run and drove in one RBI in the contest. Senior Hunter Jessee had the biggest swing of the game with a two-out RBI single in the eighth inning to move his hitting streak to a career-high-tying eight games.
Freshman Evan Whiteaker (2-0) took over on the mound in the fifth inning and covered the next 4 1/3 innings for the Hoosiers to earn the win. He allowed one unearned run on one hit and struck out a career-high six batters. Freshman Brayden Risedorph (6) collected the final two outs to pick up his sixth save of the season with one unearned run allowed and one strikeout.
Senior Ben Seiler made the start and took a no decision after two innings of scoreless work. Freshman Ethan Phillips tossed two innings and allowed one run on two hits.
Jack Wenninger (6-4) took the loss with two runs allowed on seven hits over 4 1/3 innings of a start. Logan Tabeling also allowed a pair of runs over one inning of work. Branden Comia drove in one RBI with a double and walked twice in the game. Six different Fighting Illini hitters accounted for six hits in the game.
Scoring Recap
Top Fifth
A walk to Danny Doligale was followed by a Branden Comia double to score the runner from first.
Illinois 1, Indiana 0
Bottom Fifth
With one out, Tyler Cerny doubled and came in to score on a Peter Serruto base hit up the middle. On the run scoring hit, Serruto moved up a base and eventually came around to score on a Devin Taylor RBI fielder’s choice.
Indiana 2, Illinois 1
Bottom Eighth
Taylor singled to start the inning and moved to second on a Brock Tibbitts walk. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners up, Josh Pyne grounded out and Taylor raced home to beat the throw at the plate. Hunter Jessee followed with an RBI single.
Indiana 4, Illinois 1
Top Ninth
With one runner on base and two outs, Illinois got an infield single and a walk to load the bases. After a throwing error allowed two runs to score, Brayden Risedorph coaxed a flyout to wrap up the win.
Indiana 4, Illinois 3
Up Next
Indiana earns an off day before it will face Iowa on Thursday, May 25 at 2 p.m. Each game of the Tournament will be carried on the Big Ten Network and Indiana Sports Radio Network
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.— Indiana University men’s basketball coach Mike Woodson has announced that Hoosier great Calbert Cheaney, who spent the last three years as an assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers, will join his staff as Director of Player Development in a non-recruiting coaching role. This will be his second stint assisting IU, he was Director of Operations in 2011-12 and added the responsibility of overseeing the players internal and external player development in 2012-13.
“I could not think of anyone better suited to be part of this program than Calbert Cheaney,” said Woodson. “Every team or program he has been a part of after his playing career, he has had an immense impact on. As a player in college and as a pro, his experiences are as good as it gets. Our players can ask him, how do you become successful when you get to college? What can I do to help my team win championships? What do I need to do to be an All-American or National Player of the Year? How did you become a first round draft pick who played 13 years in the NBA?
“I think he can share his experiences of how teams expect their players to work every day and get the most out of their ability,” added Woodson. “He’s done it, he’s lived it and I don’t think you will find anyone who has a bad thing to say about him. He is a high-character individual who loves this program.”
Cheaney spent the last three seasons on the staff of the Pacers with an emphasis on player development. From 2018-20, he was an assistant coach for the Erie BayHawks and College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League. Prior to that, he spent three seasons (2013-16) as an assistant coach at Saint Louis University. In 2013-14, Cheaney was part of a staff which saw the Billikens finish 27-7, win the Atlantic 10 regular season title and make an NCAA Tournament appearance. In his first experience at the collegiate level, IU made back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances, won its first outright Big Ten title in 20 years in 2013 and was rated No. 1 in the country for the majority of that second season. He began his coaching journey following his retirement as a player. He spent two years in the Golden State Warriors organization and in 2009-10 he was a special assistant in the front office and in 2010-11, he was on the bench as an assistant coach.
“I’m extremely grateful that Mike Woodson thought enough of me to be a part of the program that played such an important role in shaping me into the man I am,” said Cheaney. “I’ve known Coach for a long time and I hold him in the highest regard. I have nothing but love and passion for this program and I can’t wait to return and start working with our players and staff. Helping them get the most out of themselves is something that I enjoy and brings me great satisfaction when they see their work pay off on the court. My family and I are thrilled about this next chapter in our lives.”
The Evansville native starred at Indiana from 1989-93. A three-time All-American, Cheaney is the Big Ten and IU’s all-time leading scorer with 2,613 career points. In his four seasons with the Hoosiers, he led IU to a remarkable 105-27 record and the NCAA Tournament each year, including a Final Four appearance in 1992.
As a senior in 1992-93, Cheaney averaged 22.4 points and 6.2 rebounds and garnered virtually every national player of the year accolade, including the Naismith College Player of the Year honor and the John R. Wooden Award. For his career, Cheaney averaged 19.8 points and 5.2 rebounds and shot 55.9 percent from the field. He still holds the school record for field goals made with 1,018. He is one of four players in school history (Scott May, Kent Benson and Victor Oladipo) to earn national player of the year accolades.
Cheaney was the sixth player chosen in the 1993 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets, beginning an NBA career that spanned 13 seasons with Washington, Boston, Denver, Utah and Golden State. He appeared in 825 regular-season games and amassed career averages of 9.5 points, 3.2 boards and 1.7 assists. In 1994-95 with the Bullets, he averaged 16.6 points and 4.1 rebounds, both career highs.
Cheaney and his wife, Yvette, have one son, Julian, a graduate of DePaul, and one daughter, Sydney, who earned her degree from the University of Miami.
INDIANA WOMEN’S SOCCER
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s soccer head coach Erwin van Bennekom has announced five additional newcomers for the Fall of 2023 with four true freshman and one transfer.
“We can’t wait to welcome this group of student athletes to campus,” van Bennekom said. “We look forward to integrating them within our team.”
Paige Droner | Midfielder | Chatham, N.J. | Match Fit ECNL
Droner was nominated to the US Coaches All-American team and competed in the All-American game in Panama City. The Chatham, New Jersey native, was named team Captain, team MVP at Chatham High School and Morris County MVP. She was also voted Top 20 in the state. Droner earned First Team All-Conference, All-County and All-State awards.
Piper Coffield | Defender | Mars, Penn. | Pittsburgh Riverhounds Academy ECNL
Coffield recorded 46 goals and 38 assists in her career at Mars High School. She earned High School All-American Game Selection and was on the All-American High School watch list. Coffield was also a Moe Rosensteel Most Outstanding Player of the Year Finalist in 2022. The Pennsylvania native is a two-time All-Selection and All-WPIAL Selection. She was named team Captain of her club team.
Kennedy Neighbors |Midfielder | Evansville, Ind. | Indiana Fire ECNL
Neighbors netted 57 goals along with 69 assists in her four-year career at Reitz Memorial High School. She helped lead her team to back-to-back state championships in 2021 and 2022, going undefeated in 2022. Neighbors is a three-time First Team All-Conference and First Team All-District. The Indiana native was named to the West All-American team and represented her high school in the All-American game.
Parker Scheele | Goalkeeper | St. Louis, Mo. | St. Louis Scott Gallagher ECNL Navy
Scheele has recorded 12 solo shutouts and made 132 saves achieving a .589 GAA and a .921 save percentage in 2022 at Mary Institute Country Day School. She helped her team win the Missouri State Class 2 Championship, winning the school’s first championship in 2022. She earned girls class 2 All-State First Team and Goalkeeper of the Year and Region 2 Player of the Year in 2022. Scheele was named the 2019 ECNL Midwest Conference Champs and was a four-time ECNL National Playoff qualifier (2018, ’19, ’21, ’22).
Hope Paredes | Midfielder | Irvine, Calif. | San Diego State | Portola High School
Paredes, a transfer from San Diego State, recorded 18 shots, nine on goal with one assist. She recorded 1988 minutes on the pitch for the Aztecs, making 38 appearances in the two seasons.
Paredes graduated from Portola High School where she was named the team’s 2017 Offensive Player of the Year for the one season she competed. She played club soccer for San Diego Surf where she competed in the 2019 US Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) National Championship finals. Paredes won the 2018 Surf Cup championship and reached the finals of the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) National Championship finals. In 2017, she was a member of the Manchester City U19 Gold Division championship team, Region IV Olympic Development Program (ODP) 2020 championship, and reached the quarterfinals of the ECNL playoff.
INDIANA MEN’S GOLF
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––––– Indiana junior Drew Salyers will compete in the NCAA Men’s Golf Championships over Memorial Day weekend at the Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Salyers is one of six individual players from a non-advancing regional team to make it to Scottsdale. He is also the No. 1 seed of those six players entering the championships.
The NCAA Championships will take place from Friday, May 26 to Wednesday, May 31. Stroke play will be from the 26th-29th and match play will be on the 30th and 31st.
Salyers will begin competition on Friday and is guaranteed to play through at least Sunday. After those three days, if Salyers is one of the top-nine placing golfers on a non-advancing team, he will move on to play on Monday in the final round of stroke play.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
2023 NCAA Championships • Scottsdale, Ariz.
Grayhawk Golf Club
Par 70 • 7,289 yards
Live Scoring via GolfStat
TEAMS COMPETING (30) – ORDER BY SEED
(1) Vanderbilt, (2) North Carolina, (3) Illinois, (4) Arizona State, (5) Texas Tech,
(6) Stanford, (7) Florida State, (8) Pepperdine, (9) Florida, (10) Oklahoma,
(11) Georgia Tech, (12) Auburn, (13) Texas A&M, (14) Alabama, (15) Virginia,
(16) Texas, (17) Mississippi State, (18) Oregon, (19) Colorado State, (20) Ohio State,
(21) Georgia, (22) Arkansas, (23) Baylor, (24) Duke, (25) East Tennessee State,
(26) BYU, (27) San Francisco, (28) Chattanooga, (29) New Mexico, (30) Colorado
INDIVIDUALS COMPETING (6) – ORDER BY SEED
(1) Drew Salyers (Indiana)
(2) Jonas Baumgartner (Oklahoma State)
(3) Riley Lewis (Loyola Marymount)
(4) Luke O’Neill (Kansas State)
(5) Sam Lape (Furman)
(6) Will King (Kansas)
TOURNAMENT NOTES
• The first four days (May 26-29) of the tournament only features stroke play to determine the individual national champion. The last two days (May 30-31) consist of match play to determine the team champion.
• After the first three days of stroke play, a cut is made so only the members of the top-15 advancing teams, and the top-nine placing golfers on non-advancing teams, move on. Those advancing get to play on the final day of stroke play (May 29).
• This is the third consecutive year that Grayhawk Golf Club has hosted both the NCAA Women’s and Men’s Golf Championships.
MORE ON SALYERS
• Salyers’ appearance in the NCAA Championships is the first of his career.
• Salyers is the first Hoosier to reach the NCAA Championships as an individual since Jake Brown made it in 2018.
• In the NCAA Auburn Regional, Salyers finished tied for fourth and shot a 212 (72-68-72; -4).
• He finished in the top-20 of 10 of the 12 events he played in this season.
• He took first place at both the Quail Valley Collegiate Invitational (Oct. 16-17) and The Williams Cup (Oct. 21-23).
• For the season, he has shot for par and an average of 71.51 strokes per round.
• His season and career-low round came at the Quail Valley Collegiate Invitational when he shot a 65 for both round one and two. He finished the tournament shooting a 199 over three rounds (65-65-69; -17).
PURDUE TRACK
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The postseason continues as the Purdue track & field team travels to the 2023 NCAA East Preliminary Round in Jacksonville, Florida, from May 24-27.
The Boilermakers will be represented by 18 competitors in 11 events, eight individual and three relays, at North Florida’s Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium. Six women’s events and five men’s events for Purdue earned a spot at the regional meet for a chance to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
The men compete on Wednesday, May 24, and Friday, May 26, and the women compete on Thursday, May 25, and Saturday, May 27. On Wednesday, Purdue’s week begins with the hammer throw at 10 a.m. ET and the 200-meter first round is at 8:45 p.m. Thursday sees the Boilermakers race in the 400m first round at 7:25 p.m. On Friday, the discus starts at 1 p.m., followed by the 4×100 relay at 5 p.m., the triple jump at 6 p.m. and the 200m quarterfinal at 7:50 p.m. Saturday’s action gets underway for the Old Gold and Black with the high jump at 2:30 p.m. and the 4×100 relay at 5 p.m. The triple jump is at 6 p.m., the 400m quarterfinal is at 6:50 p.m. and the meet concludes with the 4×400 relay at 8:45 p.m.
Fans unable to cheer on the Boilermakers in person can follow along with live results, and watch all of the action live on ESPN+ (Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday), with live streams beginning at 6 p.m. on the first two days and 5 p.m. on the second two. Additional East Prelims information, including tickets and the complete schedule, is available at UNFOspreys.com and at NCAA.com. Updates from Jacksonville, including schedule adjustments should weather have an impact, can be found by following and connecting with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Direct links to follow along also are available on the schedule page at PurdueSports.com/TrackField.
Purdue’s individual qualifiers are fifth-years Justin Becker (200m) and Johnny Vanos (hammer throw), junior Cierra Williams (400m), sophomores Praise Aniamaka (triple jump) and Rieko Wilford (triple jump) and freshmen Seth Allen (discus), Bryanna Craig (high jump) and Connor Czajkowski (200m). As a team, the Boilermakers will be represented by the women’s 4×100 and 4×400 relays and the men’s 4×100 relay.
The NCAA East Prelims, along with the West Prelims, feature 48 qualifiers in each individual event and 24 teams in each relay. The top 12 finishers in every event from both the east and west will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Austin, Texas, from June 7-10.
SETH ALLEN: DISCUS
Allen will make his NCAA debut in the discus on Friday at 1 p.m. He is seeded No. 46 thanks to a personal-record throw of 53.96 meters at the Big Ten Championships on May 14. A native of Austell, Georgia, Allen was less than one meter shy of breaking into the top-10 list in school history and a spot in the Big Ten final two weeks ago.
PRAISE ANIAMAKA: TRIPLE JUMP
Fresh off a Big Ten title in the triple jump, Aniamaka will compete in the triple jump on Friday at 6 p.m. as the No. 11 overall seed. He qualified thanks to a mark of 16.03m on May 14 to win his first Big Ten championship and third career medal, indoors or outdoors. The jump is No. 7 in school history as the Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, native qualified for his first NCAA meet.
JUSTIN BECKER: 200M, 4×100
A multiple-time All-American, Becker will race in his first career NCAA individual event, the 200m, after he earned a berth in a relay each of his first three outdoor seasons. The 200m first round is on Wednesday at 8:45 p.m. and the quarterfinals is Friday at 7:50 p.m. Becker ran a collegiate-best 200m time of 20.62 in the Big Ten prelims on May 12, tied for No. 6 in Purdue history, and followed it up with a sixth-place finish in the final two days later. From Fort Wayne, Indiana, Becker is seeded No. 33 and also will run in the 4×100 on Friday at 5 p.m.
BRYANNA CRAIG: HIGH JUMP
Craig, who won Big Ten silver medals in the heptathlon outdoors and pentathlon indoors in her first season in 2023, qualified in the high jump. She’ll make her NCAA debut on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. as the No. 46 seed. From Millville, New Jersey, Craig boasts a PR of 1.75m, which she achieved at the Drake Relays on April 26 as part of the heptathlon.
CONNOR CZAJKOWSKI: 200M, 4×100
At his first NCAA meet, Czajkowski will race in the 200m, with the first round on Wednesday at 8:45 p.m. and the quarterfinals on Friday at 7:50 p.m. He qualified for his inaugural east prelims with a personal-best 21.20 in the 200m prelims at the Big Ten Championships on May 12. Czajkowski is the No. 47 seed. The West Lafayette, Indiana, native also runs in the 4×100 on Friday at 5 p.m.
JOHNNY VANOS: HAMMER THROW
After qualifying for his first career NCAA Championships indoors in the weight throw, Vanos will compete at his first outdoor NCAA meet in the hammer throw on Wednesday at 10 a.m. He is the No. 14 seed thanks to a throw of 66.32m at the Bobcat Invite on April 1. That moved Vanos into the Purdue top-10 list in the event at No. 6. An All-America Second Team honoree indoors, Vanos hails from Forest, Ontario, Canada.
RIEKO WILFORD: TRIPLE JUMP
Wilford earned her second NCAA berth in the triple jump in as many years, as she will compete on Friday at 6 p.m. Her No. 11 seed comes courtesy of a jump of 12.90m, which she achieved twice in 2023. The first was on April 1 at the Bobcat Invite, which moved her up to fourth in school history. The best jump in the record books since 2014, the University Place, Washington, matched her mark one week later on April 15.
CIERRA WILLIAMS: 400M, 4×400
Williams is at her third NCAA prelims in three seasons and will race in the 400m for the second year in a row, with the first round on Thursday at 7:25 p.m. and the quarterfinal on Saturday at 6:50 p.m. Williams is the No. 18 seed after she moved up to No. 3 in school history with a time of 52.34 on May 13 at the Big Ten Championships. That’s the fastest by a Boilermaker since 2018. From Indianapolis, Indiana, she was sixth in the event at the Big Ten meet. Williams also will run in the 4×400 on Saturday at 8:45 p.m.
MEN’S 4×100 RELAY
The men’s 4×100 relay races on Friday at 5 p.m. With a Big Ten bronze-medal-winning time of 39.87, the Boilermakers are seeded No. 18 thanks to junior Jahn Riley, Becker, Czajkowski and freshman Eric Young II. Last year, the 4×100 relay, including Becker, was 21st at the NCAA Championships.
WOMEN’S 4×100 RELAY
The women’s 4×100 relay runs on Saturday at 5 p.m. The squad is seeded No. 18 thanks to a time of 44.38 by seniors Kerris Roberts and Saran Kouyeth, junior Naomi Campbell and fifth-year Camille Christopher on April 1. At the Big Ten Championships, Purdue was fourth in 44.57 thanks to Kouyeth, junior K’Ja Talley, Campbell and Christopher. A year ago, the 4×100 relay of Kouyeth, Roberts, Campbell and Christopher advanced to the NCAA Championships.
WOMEN’S 4×400 RELAY
The weekend concludes with the women’s 4×400 relay on Saturday at 8:45 p.m. Purdue earned the No. 17 seed with a time of 3:33.41. Run by Talley, Kouyeth, Williams and freshman Jaylie Lohmeyer, it is the fifth-fastest time in school history and the fastest by a Boilermaker 4×400 relay since 2018. The squad then earned a bronze medal in the event at the Big Ten Championships. Last season, the Boilermakers were 17th at the NCAA Championships in the 4×400 thanks to a team that included Talley, Kouyeth and Williams.
NEXT UP: NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships is set for June 7-10 in Austin, Texas. Boilermakers who finish in the top 12 in their events this week will earn a spot at the national championship-event.
PURDUE BASEBALL
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – For their starring roles as Purdue baseball’s team Triple Crown winner, leading hitter in Big Ten play, and Friday starter/ace of the pitching staff, Paul Toetz, Jake Parr and Khal Stephen have been honored as All-Big Ten Conference performers.
Toetz (second base), Parr (first base) and Stephen (starting pitcher) were all selected to the third team by the league’s coaches. Sophomore Camden Melvin was recognized as the Boilermakers’ Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree.
Toetz and Parr give Purdue two all-conference infielders for the first time since the 2012 Big Ten championship season. Eric Charles was the first-team second baseman that year, the Boilermakers’ last keystone to be all-conference.
Stephen is Purdue’s first pitcher to be All-Big Ten as a sophomore since Bo Hofstra in 2019 and first sophomore recognized as a starting pitcher since Gareth Stroh in 2017. Stephen led a weekend rotation that was among the most consistent in program history. Stephen, Jonathan Blackwell and Kyle Iwinski comprised the rotation for all eight weekends of Big Ten play and the final nine weekends overall. It was a feat achieved by the Boilermakers for just the fourth time since 2001 and not since 2009.
Thanks to a three-hit game and two-out single in his final at-bat as a Boilermaker, Toetz overtook Parr for the team lead in batting average in the final inning of the season, securing the team Triple Crown via a .335 batting average, 10 home runs and 53 RBI. The ninth-inning RBI single Saturday also secured a 1.000 OPS for Toetz (1.004), who became Purdue’s first offensive Triple Crown winner since Kyle Wood in 2015. Ryne White, in 2007, was the last Boilermaker to win an offensive team Triple Crown and be named All-Big Ten in the same season.
Meanwhile, Purdue has now had a player with an OPS of 1.000-plus in three consecutive seasons (Ben Nisle in 2021, Cam Thompson in 2022) after going without one from 2013 to 2020.
Stephen helped propel the Boilermakers to a 6-2 record on Fridays in Big Ten play. He led the team with seven victories, 76 innings and 66 strikeouts. He pitched into the sixth inning in seven of his eight Big Ten starts and led Purdue to six series-opening victories over a seven-week stretch from March 24 to May 5. During that stretch, he struck out seven over six-plus innings of five-hit ball to earn the win April 21 at league champion Maryland. At the time, the Boilermakers became the first visiting team to win on a Friday in College Park since May 2019. Stephen struck out at least seven batters in five of his 14 starts, including a career-high eight in a shutout win at Minnesota on April 7.
Parr batted .385 with 12 extra-base hits and 15 RBI in Big Ten play, producing Purdue’s top batting average in league play since Kevin Plawecki (.396) and Charles (.391) in 2012. Parr was the Boilermakers’ most consistent hitter during the second half of the season, finishing his career riding a team season-best 27-game on-base streak. During that surge he enjoyed a 15-game hit streak in Big Ten play, the program’s longest since 2009, and a 19-game on-base streak vs. conference rivals. At Alexander Field, he reached base safely in his final 17 games and all 19 of the year that he started. Not surprisingly, the Alabama native led the team with a .382 average and .481 on-base percentage and 1.055 OPS at home.
Toetz led the team with 20 multi-hit game and 13 multi-RBI efforts while starting every game for the second year in a row. As an ironman at second base, he started all 103 games in his two seasons at Alexander. Toetz teamed with Jake Jarvis to become the first set of Boilermakers with 10 home runs apiece since 2008. He recorded his 30th RBI by March 21, becoming the fastest Purdue hitter ever – by date on the calendar – to reach the benchmark. A monster weekend (9-for-15, 3B, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 8 R) in a series win vs. Akron helped him get to 30 RBI before Big Ten play began and also made him the Boilermakers’ first Big Ten Player of the Week honoree since 2018. Toetz’s batting average did not dip below .300 again after the Akron series. He was also much improved defensively, committing only five errors at second base (.975 fielding percentage).
Parr (.391 with RISP) and Toetz (.368) were also among the Boilermakers’ top clutch hitters. Toetz recorded 23 of his 53 RBI with two outs to lead the team.
BUTLER BASEBALL
NEW YORK – Butler outfielder Joey Urban was recognized as the 2023 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year on Tuesday morning after a vote from the conference’s head coaches. Urban started for Butler in all 55 games and led the team in hits, doubles, RBI’s, total bases, slugging percentage and runs scored.
It didn’t take long for Urban to make a name for himself at Butler. After the first weekend of the regular season, Urban was named BIG EAST Player of the Week for his outstanding play in a four-game series vs. Fairleigh Dickinson. He hit .438 in his Bulldog debut, tallying at least one run, hit and RBI in all four games.
Urban led the team with 19 multi-hit games and had multiple RBI’s in nine games for the Bulldogs. He ended the season on a 10-game hitting streak and reached base safely in 11-straight games.
At the end of the 2023 regular season, Urban ranked fourth in the BIG EAST with 17 doubles. He added three triples and six home runs to help lead Butler with 66 total hits. Urban held the second-highest batting average on the team at .296 and he led the club in runs scored (37) and RBI (35). His 26 extra base hits raised his slugging percentage to .480. He also walked 20 times in 2023 to raise his on-base percentage to .364.
Urban used his speed in the outfield to make 119 putouts. He only made one error all season to post a .992 fielding percentage.
Top individual games for Urban included his 4-for-6 performance at Georgetown that included two doubles, three RBI’s and a run scored. Urban also opened the Villanova series going 2-for-4 with three RBI. He had two home runs and a triple over opening weekend vs. FDU and would add more home runs early in the season vs. Campbell and Central Connecticut State. His final home runs of the campaign came at Xavier and at Purdue.
UConn, Georgetown and Seton Hall also took home regular season awards on Tuesday. Dominic Freeberger of UConn was tabbed Player of the Year, Jake Bloss from Georgetown earned Pitcher of the Year honors and Rob Sheppard highlighted the Coaching Staff of the Year as the Pirates found their way to the conference tournament. First and Second Team All-BIG EAST selections can be seen below:
All-BIG EAST First Team *
Stephen Quigley, UConn, Gr., SP
^ Jake Bloss, Georgetown, Gr., SP
Nick Payero, Seton Hall, Gr., SP
Brant Alazaus, Xavier, Sr., SP
Zach Fogell, UConn, Gr., RP
Matt DePrey, Xavier, Jr., C
Ben Huber, UConn, Gr., 1B
Michael Eze, Georgetown, Jr., 2B
Max Viera, Seton Hall, Jr., SS
Dominic Freeberger, UConn, Gr., 3B
Staus Pokrovsky, Seton Hall, R-Jr., DH
Jake Studley, UConn, Gr., OF
Ubaldo Lopez, Georgetown, Gr., OF
Devin Hack, Seton Hall, R-Jr., OF
Andrew Walker, Xavier, Sr., OF
All-BIG EAST Second Team (Alphabetical) *
Luke Broadhurst, UConn, Gr., DH
David Smith, UConn, Jr., 2B
Jack Grace, Creighton, Sr., OF
Hogan Helligso, Creighton, So., C
Owen Carapellotti, Georgetown, So., C
Jake Hyde, Georgetown, Jr., OF
Austin Kretzschmar, Georgetown, Gr., SS
David Glancy, St. John’s, R-Jr., OF
Aaron Mann, St. John’s, Gr., 1B
Jonathan Luders, Seton Hall, R-Jr., 2B
Craig Larsen, Villanova, Gr., SS
Ethan Bosacker, Xavier, Sr., SP
Jared Cushing, Xavier, Sr., 2B
Justin Loer, Xavier, So. RP
Matt McCormick, Xavier, Sr., 1B
Grant Stephenson, Xavier, Jr., 3B
^Denotes unanimous selection
*Denotes a tie in voting
BUTLER TRACK
Eight Bulldogs will head to Jacksonville, Fla., in the coming days, looking to claim spots at next month’s 2023 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
The first round competition begins Wednesday and runs through Saturday. The Bulldogs are participating at the East preliminary site in Jacksonville, while the West preliminary is being contested in Sacramento, Calif.
The Bulldogs have student-athletes participating in each of the four days of competition. Each event in Jacksonville features the top 48 declared student-athletes running for one of 12 spots that will advance to Austin, Texas for the NCAA Championships June 7-10.
The path to Austin features a unique set-up for each of the three events that include Bulldogs.
The 3,000-meter steeplechase features three heats, each with 16 participants. The top three from each heat in addition to the next best three times will earn a spot in the NCAA Championships. For the 5,000 meters, there are two heats with 24 runners in each. The top five from each heat plus the next best two times earn the 12 berths in Austin. There is a single heat for the 10,000 meters with the top 12 finishers advancing to Austin.
ESPN+ will stream a majority of the action from Jacksonville with links available on ButlerSports.com.
Wednesday
Barry Keane, who has won the BIG EAST title in the 10,000 meters four times, will chase an NCAA championship over the next few weeks. That chase begins Wednesday night at 9:10 p.m. in Jacksonville. The graduate student placed ninth at the 2022 NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore.
Keane’s school-record time of 28:04.66 is third among the East first round entries, trailing only Alabama’s Victor Kiprop (27:57.63) and Dylan Jacobs of Tennessee (28:01.53). Keane also had a qualifying mark in the 5,000 meters, but will focus solely on the 10,000 meters.
Keane is joined by teammate Jack McMahon, who will run in the both the 10,000 and the 5,000 in Jacksonville. McMahon’s 10k time of 29:18.67 is 39th in the East.
Thursday
Laure Bertrand will run in the women’s 10,000 Thursday night, which is also set to begin at 9:10 p.m. Her time of 34:06.93 is the 38th-best time among the entries.
Alabama’s Mercy Chelangat (31:55.80) and Hilda Olemomoi (32:05.83) hold the top two times.
Friday
Matthew Forrester will run Friday in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He is ranked No. 22 in the field entering the race behind his time of 8:49.49 from the 2023 BIG EAST Championships. Virginia’s Nathan Mountain has the best time in the field (8:32.05). The steeplechase is set to begin at 5:40 p.m., and Forrester is in the third and final heat.
Simon Bedard joins Keane in bringing a Top 10 time for the Bulldogs on the men’s side, as his 13:35.93 in the 5,000 meters is the eighth-best mark among the field in Jacksonville.
Freshman William Zegarski will join Bedard in the field as his time of 13:47.10 is the 24th-fastest performance among the East entries. McMahon will complete his Jacksonville double Friday night. He enters the 5,000 meters with a time of 13:55.55, the No. 42 time in the field.
Graham Blanks of Harvard has the fastest entry at 13:24.91. The men’s 5,000 is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. Friday night. Bedard and Zegarski are in the first heat, while McMahon is among the 24 in the second.
Saturday
Angelina Ellis brings the third-best qualifying time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase into the NCAA East first round. Her 9:44.57, which is a Butler record set at the 2023 Bryan Clay Invitational, trails only Notre Dame’s Olivia Markezich (9:40.65) and Katie Thronson (9:44.11).
Ellis advanced out of the first round stage in 2021 to earn a berth in the NCAA Championships.
The women’s steeplechase will be run Saturday at 5:40 p.m. Ellis is in the last of the three heats.
Mia Beckham’s time of 15:58.52 in the 5,000 meters is the 19th-best entry in the East first round field. Her race is scheduled to begin at 8:10 p.m., and she is in the first heat. Parker Valby of Florida holds the top qualifying time at 15:25.03, and she is followed by three entries from North Carolina State.
Daily Schedule
Wednesday
Men’s 10,000 Meters (9:10 p.m.)
Barry Keane (28:04.66; third)
Jack McMahon (29:18.67; 39th)
Thursday
Women’s 10,000 Meters (9:10 p.m.)
Laure Bertrand (34:06.93; 38th)
Friday
Men’s 3,000 Steeplechase (5:40 p.m.)
Matthew Forrester (8:49.49; 22nd)
Men’s 5,000 Meters (8:10 p.m.)
Simon Bedard (13:35.93, eighth)
William Zegarski (13:47.10; 24th)
Jack McMahon (13:55.55; 42nd)
Saturday
Women’s 3,000 Steeplechase (5:40 p.m.)
Angelina Ellis (9:44.57; third)
Women’s 5,000 Meters (8:10 p.m.)
Mia Beckham (15:58.52; 19th)
BALL STATE BASEBALL
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State baseball team has its eyes set on the postseason once again as the No. 3 seed in the Mid-American Conference Tournament. The Cardinals will open the tournament against the Central Michigan Chippewas on Wednesday at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
Earlier today, Ryan Peltier earned an All-MAC First Team as well as a MAC All-Defensive Team honor. He was joined by Decker Scheffler on the All-MAC First Team. Adam Tellier and Trennor O’Donnell landed on the All-MAC Second Team. Hunter Dobbins joined Peltier on the MAC All-Defensive Team.
The Cardinals finished the regular season with an overall record of 33-21 and a MAC record of 19-11. The last time Ball State won the MAC Tournament was on May 27, 2006, with a win over Kent State on the Golden Flashes’ home field. The Cardinals are 10-9 against the Golden Flashes in MAC Tournament action. BSU and CMU have met 12 times in the MAC tournament with the Cardinals having a 5-7 mark against the Chippewas. Ball State is 5-7 against Western Michigan in the MAC Tournament.
Gold Glove Peltier
At the conclusion of last season, Ryan Peltier was honored as the best defensive third baseman in the NCAA and received an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove. After being named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year and earning a spot on the All-MAC Second Team for back-to-back seasons, Peltier was awarded the first Gold Glove in BSU history. He was a 2023 Preseason All-American honoree from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
Peltier is second on the team with a .344 batting average. He has pelted a team-best 14 homers and has a team-high 52 RBIs. His 14 home runs are tied for 129th in the NCAA and are tied for fifth in the conference. He has a slugging percentage of .676, which is tied for 132nd in the country and fifth in the MAC. Peltier has scored 63 runs, which is tied for 45th in the NCAA and is second in the MAC. He leads the team in doubles with 17 and he has added three triples. His 17 doubles are tied for 125th in the NCAA and are tied for fifth in the conference. He is tied for the MAC lead with 14 doubles in conference games. He is second in the conference with 10 home runs. He is also tied for second in RBIs with 34 in MAC contests. He is tied for third in the conference with two triples. His slugging percentage of .695 is sixth in the conference. He is 10th in MAC only games with 41 hits. In conference games, he is hitting .320, which is tied for 25th. He produced seven RBIs in one game in the conference which is tied for the most in a single game.
What Can Brown Do for You?
Ryan Brown was named the No. 49 prospect in college baseball by D1 Baseball. Brown was the only Mid-American Conference player selected to the top-100 list. He was also tabbed as one of the top mid-major prospects for the 2023 season. Brown also landed on the 2023 MLB Draft: Rising Righthanded Pitchers watch list. Last season, Brown earned recognition as a Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Freshman All-American along with the MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year. He also earned a spot on the All-MAC Second Team.
Brown currently has 54 strikeouts, which is second on the team. He his 4-1 on the year and has thrown 27 2/3 innings. Opponents are hitting just .170 against him for the season. He has a 4.88 ERA.
Don’t Mess with Tex
Trennor O’Donnell leads the team with a 3.33 ERA. His ERA is tied for the 88th best in the country and is third in the MAC. His 82 strikeouts are tied for 90th in the NCAA and seventh in the MAC. He has a 4-3 record and has thrown 75 2/3 innings. Opponents are hitting just .226 against him. He produced 13 strikeouts against NIU, which were the most of any pitcher in MAC play. He added an 11-strikeout performance against Miami. He is the only MAC pitcher to record 11 or more strikeouts in two games.
Decking It All Over the Park
Decker Scheffler leads the Cardinals with .385 batting average, which is 55th in the NCAA and is third in the MAC. He has 45 RBIs, 341 runs scored, 12 doubles, eight homers, and three triples. In conference only games, led the MAC with a .449 batting average and an on-base percentage of .516. He is tied for third in the MAC with two triples, he is tied for eighth in the MAC with 10 doubles, he is tied for 12th in the MAC with 28 runs scored.
Scouting the Cardinals
Adam Tellier is third on the team with a .316 average. He has 50 runs scored, 37 RBIs, 24 walks, 11 doubles, seven home runs, and three triples. Justin Conant rounds out the .300 hitters with a .304 average. He has 26 runs scored, 24 walks, 17 RBIs, five doubles, two triples, and two home runs. Nick Gregory might only be hitting .261, but he leads the team with 44 walks. His 44 walks are tied for 51st in the NCAA and are third in the MAC. He has scored 42 runs and driven in 19 runs. Blake Bevis is second on the team with 10 home runs and is hitting .263 for the year.
Ty Weatherly has 67 strikeouts on the season and is second on the staff. He has a 7.11 ERA in 57 innings of work and a 2-4 record. Logan Schulfer is third on the team with 60 strikeouts. He as a 3-2 record with an 8.10 ERA. Ty Johnson is fourth on the team with 57 strikeouts in 45 2/3 innings of work. He has a 4-2 record with a 3.35 ERA and has three saves. Tanner Knapp has 46 strikeouts in 52 innings. He is 2-2 on the season with a 7.10 ERA. Sam Klein has 39 strikeouts. He is 6-2 on the season with a 4.72 ERA. Jacob Hartlaub is the remaining pitcher with more that 20 strikeouts, with 27. He has a 3-2 record with a 6.46 ERA and has one save.
Ball State vs. Central Michigan: The Series
Ball State and Central Michigan will meet for the 176th time on Friday. CMU holds a 107-67 series advantage over BSU. The Cardinals were swept in the regular-season series. The Cardinals are 35-30 against the Chippewas under Head Coach Rich Maloney. BSU and CMU have met 12 times in the MAC tournament with the Cardinals having a 5-7 mark against the Chippewas.
Scouting the Chippewas
CMU is led by Luke Sefcik and Adam Mrakitsch as All-MAC First Team selections, while Christian MIcthelle and Keegan Batka earned spots on the second team. Jacob Donahue and Mrakitsch both were named to the MAC All-Defensive Team. Sefcik leads the Chippewas with a .315 batting average. He has 32 RBIs, 29 runs scored, 20 walks, six doubles, three home runs, and one triple. Garrett Navarra is the only other hitter above .300 with a .308 average. He has 36 runs scored, 34 walks, 33 RBIs, 12 doubles, four home runs, and two triples. Robby Morgan IV leads the team with 12 home runs and 52 RBIs. Justin Simpson has a team-high three triples.
Mrakitsch leads the pitching staff with a 3.40 ERA and 79 strikeouts. He is 8-4 on the year in 87 1/3 innings of work. Batka is second on the staff with a 3.84 ERA. He has 69 strikeouts in 75 innings and a 7-3 record. Navarra is tied for a team-high 79 strikeouts in his 73 innings of work. He has an ERA of 3.95 with a 3-4 record.
ALSO:
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Mid-American Conference announced its yearly postseason specialty award winners and All-Conference Teams on Tuesday. Ryan Peltier, Decker Scheffler, Adam Tellier, Trennor O’Donnell, and Hunter Dobbins represented Ball State baseball as they all earned a spot on an spot on an All-MAC team.
“Always good to see our guys recognized by their peers,” said Head Coach Rich Maloney. “Happy to see Peltier, Scheffler, O’Donnell, Tellier, and Dobbins earn these honors through their hard work and dedication to becoming the best they could be.”
Peltier earned a spot on the All-MAC First Team as well as the MAC All-Defensive Team. This is the third time he has landed on an All-MAC team, first as a first team selection, and it is the second straight season earned a spot on the All-Defensive Team. He is tied for the MAC lead with 14 doubles in conference games. He is second in the conference with 10 home runs. He is also tied for second in RBIs with 34 in MAC contests. He is tied for third in the conference with two triples. His slugging percentage of .695 is sixth in the conference. He is 10th in MAC only games with 41 hits. In conference games, he is hitting .320, which is tied for 25th. He produced seven RBIs in one game in the conference which is tied for the most in a single game. His three home runs against NIU are tied for the most in a single game for conference contests. Overall, he is second in runs scored with 63, he is tied for fifth with three triples, he is sixth with a .660 slugging percentage, he is tied for sixth in the league with 15 home runs, he is tied for sixth in RBIs with 52, tied for sixth with 17 doubles, and he is ranked eighth in the league with a .344 average. Defensively, he continues to produce top plays from the hot corner at third base.
Scheffler earned a spot on the All-MAC first team an as outfielder. In conference only games, led the MAC with a .449 batting average and an on-base percentage of .516. He is tied for third in the MAC with two triples, he is tied for eighth in the MAC with 10 doubles, he is tied for 12th in the MAC with 28 runs scored. In MAC play, he only struck out 11 times, which was tied for the sixth fewest in the conference. In all games, he is third in the conference with a .385 batting average, he is tied for fifth with three triples, he is tied for 16th with 45 RBIs. Defensively, he added 61 putouts and added two assists, primarily from the outfield.
Tellier earned his first All-MAC honor with a second team nod. He finished the MAC with a .351 batting average, which was 11th in the conference. His 31 runs scored were tied for fifth in league games. He recorded 25 RBIs, five doubles, five home runs, and two triples. His two triples are tied for the third most in league games. Overall, on the season, he produced a .316 batting average, which was tied for 14th in the conference. His three triples have him tied for fifth. Defensively, his 89 assists were tied for the 16th most in the conference.
O’Donnell recorded his first All-MAC recognition with a second team honor. He is fifth in the MAC with 68 strikeouts in league games. In conference games he produced a 3.26 ERA, which is eighth in the MAC, held opponents to a .211 batting average, which is fifth in the MAC. He produced 13 strikeouts against NIU, which were the most of any pitcher in MAC play. He added an 11-strikeout performance against Miami. He is the only MAC pitcher to record 11 or more strikeouts in two games. In all games, he posted a 3.33 ERA, which was third in the conference, his 84 strikeouts were seventh in the MAC, and he held opponents to a .226 batting average, which was seventh best.
Dobbins earned a spot on the MAC All-Defensive Team, his first. In league play, he led the MAC with 18 base runners thrown out trying to steal. He led the conference with 258 putouts. He added 31 assists and produced a fielding percentage of .993. Overall, he threw out 21 runners trying to steal.
2023 MAC Baseball Specialty Award Winners & All-Conference Teams
Coach of the Year: Jeff Duncan, Kent State
Player of the Year: Jeron Williams, Toledo
Pitcher of the Year: Joe Whitman, Kent State
Defensive Player of the Year: Cooper Weiss, Miami
Freshman of the Year: Josh Kross, Eastern Michigan
Freshman Pitcher of the Year: DJ Newman, Bowling Green
First Team
C – Justin Miknis, Kent State
1B – Aiden Longwell, Kent State
2B – Luke Sefcik, Central Michigan
SS – Jeron Williams, Toledo
3B – Ryan Peltier, Ball State
OF – Matt Kirk, Eastern Michigan
OF – Collin Mathews, Kent State
OF – Decker Scheffler, Ball State
DH – DJ Newman, Bowling Green
SP – Joe Whitman, Kent State
SP – Adam Mrakitsch, Central Michigan
SP – Ben Cruikshank, Kent State
SP – Kenten Egbert, Miami
RP – Mitchell Scott, Kent State
At-Large – Josh Kross, Eastern Michigan
Second Team
C – Kyle Gurney, Bowling Green
1B – Cade Sullivan, Western Michigan
2B – Mack Timbrook, Kent State
SS – Adam Tellier, Ball State
3B – Christian Mitchelle, Central Michigan
OF – Garret Pike, Toledo
OF – Mason Sykes, Toledo
OF – Nathan Archer, Bowling Green
DH – Owen Jackson, Toledo
SP – Trennor O’Donnell, Ball State
SP – Brady Miller, Western Michigan
SP – Connor Oliver, Miami
SP – Keegan Batka, Central Michigan
RP – Cal McAnnich, Toledo
At-Large – Jimmy Allen, Western Michigan
All-Defensive Team
C – Hunter Dobbins, Ball State
1B – Aidan Longwell, Kent State
2B – Brian Fry, Toledo
SS – Cooper Weiss, Miami
3B – Ryan Peltier, Ball State
OF – Nathan Archer, Bowling Green
OF – Jacob Donahue, Central Michigan
OF – Collin Mathews, Kent State
P – Adam Mrakitsch, Central Michigan
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
DURHAM, NC – The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (30-22, 15-15 ACC) earned an eight seed in the 2023 ACC Championship and are in Pool A, where they’ll open up tournament play with No. 12 seed Pitt (23-30, 10-18) on Wednesday, May 24 at 11 AM.
Irish Face Pitt in Game One of ACC Tournament
The Irish won the regular-season series over the Panthers on the road in early April, taking game one 10-8 and game two 11-2 before falling to Pitt in the final game 9-5.
The Irish posted an early 6-0 lead in the first inning of game one as Danny Neri capped off the inning with a three-run bomb to right field.
Jack Penney, Zack Prajzner, and Danny Neri each recorded home runs in the game one win.
Blake Hely started on the mound for the Irish, recording five strikeouts in 4.0 innings pitched, with Will Mercer also seeing action in game one where he recorded five strikeouts across just 2.0 innings pitched.
Notre Dame won game two 11-2, with doubles coming from Zack Prajzner, Nick Juiare, and TJ Williams. Danny Neri was also walked five times, scoring a team-high three runs in the second win over the Panthers. Jackson Dennies recorded six strikeouts through 4.2 innings pitched for the Irish.
While the Irish took the series, they were unable to complete the sweep as they fell to the Panthers 9-5 in the final game of the series.
The Irish head into the matchup with Vinny Martinez leading the way with a .304 batting average, followed by Zack Prajzner who is hitting at a clip of .300.
Prajzner has tallied a team best 60 hits and 43 runs and is leading the team with 14 doubles.
Carter Putz leads the Irish with 39 RBI this season. Putz has recorded 56 hits, 13 doubles, and eight home runs.
Jack Penney and Vinny Martinez are leading the team with 10 home runs a piece.
Tyrell Earns All-ACC Honors
Notre Dame graduate student Aidan Tyrell was named to the All-ACC Second Team for his first all-conference honor of his career.
The lefty is third in the ACC with a 2.74 ERA through 15 appearances and 65.2 innings pitched.
He has given up just 20 earned runs this season, which is second only to the 2023 ACC Pitcher of the Year, Rhett Lowder from Wake Forest.
He is fourth in the conference with eight wins so far this season, securing an 8-2 record on the mound with five starts on the year.
Tyrell is holding opposing players to a .230 batting average, which is sixth best in the ACC.
Tyrell has given up one run or fewer in 8 of his 15 appearances. The graduate student has also recorded at least four strikeouts in eight of his appearances.
He has struck out 57 batters so far this season, tallying a career-high eight strikeouts across 6.0 innings in the win over No. 8 Virginia this year.
Final ACC Series of the Season is Set in Boston
What a week for the Irish – Wrigley Field on Tuesday and Fenway Park on Friday last week as Notre Dame played at both parks for the first time in program history.
The Irish were one of just three teams in the country to play at both parks this season, alongside only the Cardinals and Mariners.
The Irish took game one of the series on Thursday, May 18, as Notre Dame tallied five doubles in the 5-1 win.
Notre Dame finished game one with 10 hits on the day, with TJ Williams, Vinny Martinez, and Casey Kmet leading the way with two hits a piece for the Irish.
Aidan Tyrell took home his eighth win of the season as he pitched 6.0 innings, recorded six strikeouts, and gave up just one run on six hits.
Radek Birkholz closed for Notre Dame, pitching 3.0 innings with two strikeouts and allowing no runs on two hits.
The Irish fell in both games on the doubleheader on Friday, dropping their final ACC series to No. 22 Boston College.
The Irish fell 7-2 in the first game of the day at Boston College and fell 8-4 in the second game of the day at Fenway.
Irish Play Northwestern at Wrigley Field
For the first time in program history, the Fighting Irish took the field at the historic Wrigley Field to take on Northwestern for the second time this season.
The Irish fell in their second 11 inning game of the season, falling 8-7 in extra innings as the Wildcats scored their final run on a groundball to third with bases loaded.
Brooks Coetzee recorded his third home run of the season as he crushed it to deep left center field at Wrigley field for a two-run home run for the Irish in the second inning.
Ryan Lynch would take the mound in the bottom of the seventh, striking out the side. Lynch recorded six strikeouts across just 2.0 innings pitched.
Will Mercer would face four batters, striking out three of them to take the Irish into the eleventh. Mercer would finish the day with six strikeouts across just 2.2 innings pitched.
Notre Dame Hosted Akron in Final Home Series of the Season
The Fighting Irish close out their final home series of the year with sweep against the Akron Zips, taking home the final win of the year at Frank Eck Stadium on Degree Day.
The Irish took home game one 5-2 before taking the series with a 5-4 victory over the Zips in the second game.
RHP Blake Hely recorded a season-high nine strikeouts across just 5.0 innings pitched in the game two win.
Notre Dame closed the series with a 2-1 win, taking home the final game in abnormal fashion. Tied in the bottom of the ninth, Brady Gumpf singled, Nick DeMarco walked, and Estevan Moreno also singled. TJ Williams stepped up to the plate and was hit by a pitch to score the final run for the Irish’s second walk-off HBP of the season.
Irish Fall to NC State
Notre Dame took game one of the three game series against NC State, as they defeated the Wolfpack in the first game on Thursday, May 4.
Taking home the 9-7 win in game one, Vinny Martinez led the Irish with three hits and three RBI, followed by Williams, Prajzner, Putz, and Moreno, who tallied two hits a piece.
This was Martinez’s third game in a row where he recorded a home run as his 10th homer of the season gave the Irish the 9-7 lead and eventual game one victory.
The Irish fell in game two 5-1 and game three 6-1.
Florida State at Frank Eck Stadium
The Irish took home their fourth conference series win as they took down the Seminoles last weekend. After falling 3-2 to FSU in game one on Friday night, the Irish dominated game two 12-2 and completed the series win with a 12-8 win in game three.
The Irish tallied 27 hits between games two and three as they were led by Brooks Coetzee with five hits on the weekend, followed by Brady Gumpf, Vinny Martinez, Carter Putz, and Zack Prajzner, who finished with four hits a piece.
Coetzee finished the weekend with three doubles and his second home run of the year, as well as drove in eight runs for the Irish.
Brady Gumpf went 4-6 at the plate, batting .667 on the series.
Putz had a big day in the final game of the series as he finished the day 3-5, recording four RBI, scoring three runs, and homering twice in the 12-8 win.
Blake Hely started on the mound in game two, advancing to 3-1 on the year as he pitched 7.0 innings, striking out eight batters, and giving up just two runs on five hits.
Irish Take on MSU for the Second Time This Season
The Irish fell to the Spartans for the second time this season on Tuesday, April 25 in East Lansing.
Tied at 5-5 in the sixth, Michigan State recorded a six-run inning in the seventh to take the lead 11-5. The Spartans would tack on one more run in the bottom of the eighth to take the win 12-5.
Carter Putz and Brady Gumpf led the Irish with two hits a piece and DM Jefferson recorded his first triple of the season.
The Irish fell to Michigan State in their first extra-inning game of the season at Frank Eck Stadium on Tuesday, April 11 in the first Irish-MSU matchup of the season.
TJ Williams went 3-4 on the day, recording four RBI and his third home run of the year. Zack Prajzner finished the day with two hits as he tallied homer number four of the season.
Falling 7-6 after a Spartan home run in the top of the 11th, the Irish were unable to get the offense rolling in the bottom frame and dropped their first midweek of the season.
Notre Dame Sweeps No. 8 Virginia
The Irish notched their first sweep of the season as they downed No. 8 Virginia at Frank Eck Stadium April 21-23, playing in their fifth doubleheader of the season.
The Irish recorded six home runs in the first win of the series on Friday night as Estevan Moreno led the way with three homers for the Irish. Jack Penney, DM Jefferson, and Brady Gumpf each recorded a home run as well in the 10-7 victory. Penney leads the Irish with nine home runs on the season.
Jefferson’s long ball was the first home run of his career as Gumpf tallied his first homer of the 2023 season.
The Irish finished with a season-high 17 hits in the first game of the doubleheader on Sunday, April 23 as they took home the series with a 10-2 win.
Jack Penney led the Irish with four hits, followed by Zack Prajzner and DM Jefferson who recorded three hits a piece. Carter Putz and Vinny Martinez finished with two hits, while TJ Williams, Danny Neri, and Estevan Moreno each finished with one hit in the win.
The Irish capped off their weekend sweep with a 5-4 victory in the second game of the doubleheader.
Blake Hely finished with a season-high 7.1 innings pitched and season-high eight strikeouts as he took home his second win of the season in the final game.
Vinny Martinez batted .700 in the series against No. 8 Virginia, finishing the weekend with seven hits, six RBI, three runs, two doubles, and one home run.
Valparaiso and Western Michigan Come to Frank Eck
The Irish defeated Valparaiso and Western Michigan in their home midweeks to advance to 8-4 at home.
Winning 7-3 over Valpo, the Irish were led by Vinny Martinez who finished the day with two home runs. He also recorded three hits, three runs, and two RBI.
The Irish defeated Western Michigan 2-1 on Wednesday at home as they were led by TJ Williams, who finished with two hits, including a double to left center field.
Irish Travel to Clemson
Notre Dame took game one of the three-game series at Clemson as the Irish offense was hot to start the series, recording 11 hits while winning 10-4 on Friday.
The 10-4 victory was sparked by a big third inning as Notre Dame picked up their eighth ACC win of the year.
Jack Penney and Brooks Coetzee each recorded three hits a piece in the win with Coetzee also recording three RBI and Penney recording two runs.
TJ Williams also tallied his fourth home run of the year in the fifth inning for a two-run home run that extended the lead 8-2.
The Irish fell 5-1 in game two on Saturday and 6-4 in game three on Sunday.
The Irish are now 8-10 in the ACC after dropping the Clemson series on the road.
Michigan State Matchup at Frank Eck
The Irish fell to Michigan State in their first extra-inning game of the season at Frank Eck Stadium on Tuesday, April 11.
TJ Williams went 3-4 on the day, recording four RBI and his third home run of the year. Zack Prajzner finished the day with two hits as he tallied homer number four of the season.
Falling 7-6 after a Spartan home run in the top of the 11th, the Irish were unable to get the offense rolling in the bottom frame and dropped their first midweek of the season.
Conference Play Resumes at Pitt
The Irish took the series at Pitt after winning games one and two on Thursday and Friday. After winning 10-8 in game one, the Irish took game two 11-2 after a big offensive frame in the ninth.
The Irish fell short of the sweep as they dropped Sunday’s game 9-5 against the Panthers.
A six-run first inning gave the Irish an early advantage in game one as Danny Neri capped off the scoring frenzy with his fourth home run of the year in the top of the first.
Jack Penney led off the second with his seventh home run of the season as he homered to right center to tack on another run for Notre Dame and make it a score of 7-2.
The Panthers were able to close the gap to 10-8 with just one out in the bottom of the ninth as Sammy Cooper would come in to close for the Irish.
Pitt chopped a ground ball to Penney at third who turned a double play to preserve the Irish lead. Cooper picked up his second save of the season as Notre Dame took home the 10-8 victory to open the series.
Jackson Dennies started on the mound in game two and finished the day pitching 4.2 innings, recording six strikeouts, and allowing no runs and just one hit.
Leading 4-1 heading into the top of the ninth, the Irish offense dominated in the final inning scoring seven runs off of six hits in the frame to go on and take the 11-2 win.
INDIANA STATE TRACK
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State track and field begins competition at the NCAA East Preliminary Round Wednesday morning, with 15 Sycamores set to compete over the course of four days at Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium. Men’s competition days are Wednesday and Friday, with women’s competition days set for Thursday and Saturday.
Growing The Forest
Indiana State’s 15-athlete delegation is its most at an NCAA East Preliminary Round since 2015. The Sycamores sent 12 athletes to last season’s NCAA East Prelim.
In addition to the increase in numbers at the East Prelims, Indiana State looks to expand its success on the national stage. The Sycamores have a pair of athletes in their regional delegation with national championship experience, as Ryann Porter qualified for each of the last two NCAA Outdoor National Championships and JaVaughn Moore earned Second Team All-America honors at the 2023 NCAA Indoor National Championships.
Back in the Fold
Of Indiana State’s 15 athletes set to compete at the NCAA East Preliminary Round, nine have previous experience at NCAA Preliminary Rounds. Among that group, Noah Malone, JaVaughn Moore, Brett Norton, Ryann Porter, Wyatt Puff, William Staggs and Selene Weaver represented the Sycamores at the 2022 NCAA East Preliminary Round in Bloomington, Indiana.
Kevin Krutsch competed for Indiana State in the 2021 NCAA East Preliminary Round, which also took place in Jacksonville, while Trevor Thompson participated in the 2022 NCAA West Preliminary Round while at Southern Illinois.
Trees On Top
Indiana State swept the MVC Men’s Track and Field Championships for the second straight year, as the Sycamores won both the indoor and outdoor conference titles. The Sycamores’ 186 points were the most for Indiana State since 2013 and the third-most in program history.
The current stretch for Indiana State, which includes MVC Men’s Indoor Championships and MVC Men’s Outdoor Championships in consecutive seasons, along with an MVC Women’s Indoor Championship in 2022, is its best since winning four straight MVC Men’s Outdoor Championships from 2011-14. ISU also won three MVC Men’s Indoor Championships and an MVC Women’s Outdoor Championship in that span.
Meet the Sycamores
Indiana State’s 15 athletes in the NCAA East Preliminary Round are scheduled to compete in nine events over the course of the four-day regional meet. Below is a summary of each qualified Sycamore, along with their event schedule for the week and season highlights.
Noah Bolt | Discus and Hammer Throw
Wednesday, May 24 | 10 a.m. (Hammer)
Friday, May 26 | 1 p.m. (Discus)
Bolt ranks among the top 10 in program history in both the hammer (60.73m/199-03) and discus (54.50m/178-10), and he recently earned a second-place finish in the latter at the MVC Outdoor Championships with a mark of 54.14m (177-07). Both of his career-best marks in the events he will compete in have come this season.
Elias Foor | Hammer Throw
Wednesday, May 24 | 10 a.m.
Foor’s top hammer throw mark came on home turf, with his throw of 60.55m (198-08) coming at the Gibson Invitational. He scored in three of the four throws events at the MVC Outdoor Championships, contributing 13 points across the shot put, hammer throw and javelin.
Kevin Krutsch | High Jump
Friday, May 26 | 2:30 p.m.
Krutsch tied his outdoor career-best mark of 2.12m (6-11.50) to win his second MVC outdoor high jump title as part of Indiana State’s sweep of the conference podium in the event. He has cleared 2.08m (6-09.75) in four of the last five meets, including a pair of marks over 2.10m (6-10.75).
Daunte Majors | 4x100m Relay
Friday, May 26 | 5 p.m.
A former outfielder on the Indiana State baseball team, Majors has put together a strong debut season with the Sycamore track and field program. In addition to running the second leg of the Trees’ 4x100m relay, Majors also has one of the top 10 100m times in the Missouri Valley Conference this season.
Noah Malone | 4x100m Relay
Friday, May 26 | 5 p.m.
Indiana State’s anchor leg of the 4x100m relay that has run a season-best time of 39.77, Malone has a top wind-legal 100m this season of 10.41. He has also run a wind-aided 100 of 10.35 and ran the first leg of the 4x400m relay at the MVC Outdoor Championships.
Lawrence Mitchell | High Jump
Friday, May 26 | 2:30 p.m.
Mitchell made his return from injury in a big way. After missing all of indoor season and most of outdoor season, he competed in one meet before the MVC Championships. Mitchell went out and cleared an outdoor career-best 2.09m (6-10.25) as part of Indiana State’s sweep of the conference podium in the event.
JaVaughn Moore | 100m and 4x100m Relay
Wednesday, May 24 | 7 p.m. (100m First Round)
Friday, May 26 | 5 p.m. (4x100m Relay)
Friday, May 26 | 6:35 p.m. (100m Quarterfinal)
Moore ran a season-best 100m time of 10.22 in the MVC Outdoor Championships prelims, and has been a key part of the Sycamores’ 4x100m relay team on the opening leg. Indiana State’s top 4×1 time of 39.77 came in the prelims of the Drake Relays. Moore owns the school record in the 100m (10.13) and also is a part of the top four 4x100m relay teams in program history.
Brett Norton | Shot Put
Wednesday, May 24 | 6 p.m.
Norton’s most recent attempt in the shot put won him an MVC Championship and tied the school record of 18.40m (60-04.50). He has marks of 17.60m (57-09.00) in each of the last foru meets, with his last two meets producing the two best marks of his career (17.86m/58-07.25, 18.40m/60-04.50).
Terrance O’Bannon | 4x100m Relay (alternate)
Friday, May 26 | 5 p.m.
O’Bannon’s top 100m time of 10.35 ranks within the top five of the MVC, and he also has experience in the 4x100m relay as well. When he has competed in the relay, he has traditionally run the second leg.
Ryann Porter | Triple Jump
Saturday, May 27 | 6 p.m.
Porter jumped a season-best 12.85m (42-02.00) at the MVC Outdoor Championships and has been the top-ranked triple jumper in the MVC from start-to-finish this season. She also had career-best marks in the 100m hurdles and long jump this season. Porter has recorded triple jump marks of 12.40m (40-08.25) or better in all but one meet this season.
Wyatt Puff | Shot Put and Discus
Wednesday, May 24 | 6 p.m. (Shot Put)
Friday, May 26 | 1 p.m. (Discus)
Puff set Indiana State’s facility record in the discus this season at 56.53m (185-05), which also ranks second in program history. His top shot put mark of 18.33m (60-01.75) came at the MVC Outdoor Championships and was bested by only teammate Brett Norton. Puff ranks in the top three in program history in both events he will compete in this week.
William Staggs | Pole Vault
Wednesday, May 24 | 6:30 p.m.
Indiana State’s indoor school record holder in the pole vault, Staggs moved up to second in program history in the event outdoors at 5.29m (17-04.25). He has gone over 5.05m (16-06.75) in each of the last six meets, with marks of 5.25m (17-02.75) on three different occasions this season.
Isiah Thomas | 4x100m Relay
Friday, May 26 | 5 p.m.
Thomas has run the third leg of Indiana State’s 4x100m relay that has a top time of 39.77 this season. In addition, he also has a 100m of 10.48 that ranks in the top 10 of the Missouri Valley Conference.
Trevor Thompson | High Jump
Friday, May 26 | 2:30 p.m.
Thompson has made the most of his lone season at Indiana State, with a career-best clearance of 2.12m (6-11.50) at the MVC Outdoor Championships. He has cleared 2.10m (6-10.75) on three different occasions this season and 2.08m (6-09.75) an additional two times.
Selene Weaver | Pole Vault
Thursday, May 25 | 6 p.m.
Weaver’s season-best mark of 4.02m (13-02.25) came at the Pacesetter Sports Invitational in early April, but she has been consistent throughout the season. She has cleared 3.90m (12-09.50) or better in every meet this season, including clearances of 3.95m (12-11.50) or better on three different occasions.
Where the Sycamores are Seeded
Below is a list of where each of Indiana State’s competing athletes are seeded in this week’s NCAA East Preliminary Round field.
JaVaughn Moore, Daunte Majors, Isiah Thoms, Noah Malone (Terrance O’Bannon – alternate) – 4x100m relay (16th, 39.77)
Kevin Krutsch – high jump (tied-19th, 2.12m/6-11.50)
Trevor Thompson – high jump (tied-19th, 2.12m/6-11.50)
Wyatt Puff – discus (20th, 56.53m/185-05), shot put (27th, 18.33m/60-01.75)
William Staggs – pole vault (23rd, 5.29m/17-04.25)
Brett Norton – shot put (24th, 18.40m/60-04.50)
Ryann Porter – triple jump (tied-28th, 12.85m/42-02.00)
JaVaughn Moore – 100m (tied-31st, 10.22)
Lawrence Mitchell – high jump (33rd, 2.09m/6-10.25)
Noah Bolt – discus (40th, 54.50m/178-10), hammer throw (47th, 60.73m/199-03)
Selene Weaver – pole vault (48th, 4.02m/13-02.25)
Elias Foor – hammer throw (48th, 60.55m/198-08)
What’s at Stake
The top 12 finishers in each event will advance to the NCAA Outdoor National Championships June 7-10 in Austin, Texas.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – No. 1 Indiana State looks to defend their home field this week as the Sycamores host the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Championship this week at Bob Warn Field.
The eight-team, double-elimination tournament runs from May 23-27 and starts on Tuesday afternoon with the first-round games. Courtesy of their top overall seed, the Sycamores will have a first day bye and will start competition on Wednesday afternoon against either No. 6 UIC, No. 7 Belmont, or No. 8 Valparaiso pending on how the first day games play out.
Tickets for the MVC Baseball Championships are on sale now by clicking the link here. Commemorative ISU Baseball t-shirts recognizing the regular season championship are also on sale by clicking the link here.
The Sycamores earned the top overall seed in the tournament courtesy of their 24-3 mark in Missouri Valley play during the regular season. Indiana State won all nine conference series weekends for the first time in program history, while their 24 MVC wins equaled the most in Valley play since 2004. ISU’s six-game margin over Missouri State to win the MVC regular season title was also the largest margin in the conference since Wichita State won the regular season crown back in 1998 by eight games.
The host institutions have a habit of winning the MVC Tournament and the Sycamores are hoping that history repeats itself this week. Since 1981, the home team has won the tournament 15 times, including Missouri State claiming the title last year at Hammons Field. Additionally, the No. 1 overall seed has won the MVC Tournament 19 times dating back to the 1981 season with the last being Dallas Baptist in 2021.
The Sycamores have a lifetime mark of 78-66 at the MVC Baseball Championships dating back to their first appearance in 1977. Indiana State has won at least one tournament game since 2014 and had won at least two MVC tournament contests since 2017 before the streak was snapped last year in Springfield, Mo.
The Sycamores have won seven MVC Tournaments over program history with the last coming back in 2019 as ISU won five of six games including taking two over Dallas Baptist on championship day to win the title and the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
Indiana State has a winning postseason record against the current tournament field against nearly every team in the field with the exception of newcomers UIC, Murray State, and Belmont, as well as Missouri State (6-8). ISU is 6-4 in the tournament against Evansville, 15-5 against Southern Illinois, and 1-0 against Valparaiso with the win coming last year in Springfield.
The 2023 season marks the third time Indiana State has hosted the MVC Championships. ISU previously hosted the tournament field in both the 2014 and the 2016 seasons. The Sycamores fell in both their games in the 2014 season and went 1-2 in 2016 with a win over Wichita State.
Indiana State will look to make sure history is not repeated as the Sycamores boast one of the hottest teams in the NCAA entering the postseason following this past weekend’s sweep over Missouri State. ISU has won 30 of their last 33 contests dating back to the start of Missouri Valley play on March 25 and includes midweek wins over Indiana, Purdue (twice), Illinois, Vanderbilt, and Ball State.
The Sycamores remain in the national postseason conversation heading into the final week of the regular season. ISU continues to be in the regional hosting discussion and sits among the top teams in the country in four of the six major Division I baseball polls. ISU clocked in at No. 9 in Collegiate Baseball, No. 18 on Perfect Game, No. 25 in Baseball America and No. 28 in the NCBWA poll. The Sycamores were dropped from the USA Today Top 25 down to receiving votes despite posting a 3-0 weekend to sweep Missouri State and win the MVC outright regular season title.
ISU also boasts one of the nation’s top RPI sitting in the top-10 for the fifth consecutive week as the Sycamores clocked in at No. 10 according to WarrenNolan.com and the NCAA. The Sycamores have been in the top-35 in the rankings over the last two months and remains the MVC leader in RPI. Missouri State (76) and Evansville (86) are also among the top-100 in the rankings heading into the weekend.
The Sycamores strength of schedule has been their calling card this season with ISU continuing to adopt the mantra of any time, anywhere, any place. Despite having a late season game canceled on them, ISU remains third in the non-conference strength of schedule rankings and 41st overall in Division I. Indiana State’s non-conference scheduling sits behind Liberty (1) and Coastal Carolina (2), while remaining ahead of Florida A&M (4) and Florida State (5).
ISU has played against top-50 RPI opponents in Kentucky (2), Vanderbilt (8), Miami (18), Indiana (27), Northeastern (31), and Iowa (32). Additional top 100 schools on the schedule include the above mentioned MVC schools, as well as Michigan State (66), Florida Gulf Coast (68), Illinois (87).
The Sycamores boast a 38-14 overall record on the season and are closing in on the program’s 12th 40-win season in program history. Indiana State last hit the 40-win mark in the 2019 season when the Sycamores posted a 43-18 overall record on their way to winning the MVC Championships and advancing to the Nashville Regional.
Indiana State put together strong numbers in Missouri Valley play this year with the Sycamore hitters sitting among the MVC leaders in multiple offensive categories in the conference season. ISU finished the year first overall in team batting average (.297), second in slugging percentage (.484), first in hits (281), third in home runs (40) and fourth in doubles (54).
Individually, the Sycamores had a multitude of players ranked among the tops in the conference offensively. Adam Pottinger is top five in batting average (.368, 5th) and on-base percentage (.486, 1st), while Keegan Watson finished ninth in average (.361), third in slugging percentage (.681), fourth in on-base percentage (.471), and first in doubles (11). Josue Urdaneta finished fourth in MVC play in hits (37), while Mike Sears finished third in home runs (10) and sixth in RBIs (29).
The Indiana State pitching staff dominated the MVC in conference play this season. The Sycamores posted a team ERA of 2.91 sitting nearly two full runs below second-ranked Missouri State (4.68). ISU also recorded five of the conference’s nine complete games and four of the 10 shutouts in Valley play this season. The Sycamores posted a 198:63 strikeout-to-walk ratio and allowed opponents to hit just .223 from the plate this year.
The pitching prowess started at the top with the entire ISU weekend rotation sitting among the conference’s top 15 in ERA, opponent batting average, innings pitched, and wins. Connor Fenlong was brilliant in conference play with a trio of complete game shutouts on his way to finishing second in ERA (2.26), fourth in opponent batting average (.210), first in innings (63.2) and first in wins (8). Matt Jachec led the Valley in strikeouts on the year with 58 and posted a 3.64 ERA and a 5-1 mark in conference competition. Lane Miller went 5-0 in Valley play with a 2.78 ERA while allowing opponents to hit .212.
The Sycamore bullpen was equally effective in relief in Valley play with a 2.90 ERA paced by six pitchers posting a sub-4.00 ERA on the year. Zach Davidson did not allow a run over five appearances, while Cam Edmonson (1.29), Simon Gregersen (1.50), Jared Spencer (1.54), Kyle Cortner (1.80), and Cameron Holycross (3.60) all were dominant in conference play.
Overall, Watson has been Indiana State’s top hitter over the last few weeks of the season. The redshirt senior has posted a .322 batting average at the plate while sitting tied for the team lead with 14 doubles on the year. Adam Pottinger (.301) is also among the top hitters on the year and enters the tournament on a 28-game on-base streak dating back to April 2 at UIC.
Seth Gergely (.298), Luis Hernandez (.290), and Josue Urdaneta (.288) are also among Indiana State’s hitting leaders on the year. Gergely is tied for the team lead with 27 walks and 10 stolen bases, while Hernandez has come on strong with 14 doubles and 53 hits on the year. Urdaneta leads the Sycamores with 60 hits and tied with Gergely with 10 stolen bases on the year.
Mike Sears is the team’s primary power threat with 18 home runs on the season, including a trio of two-homer games in 2023. He’s added five home runs over the last seven games heading into the tournament.
Sixteen different Indiana State pitchers have seen time on the mound this year with the Sycamores boasting a team 3.94 ERA and a 445:169 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Connor Fenlong became the first Sycamore to nine wins on the mound, while Lane Miller and Matt Jachec both have six in 2023. Cameron Holycross (2.02 ERA) continues to be a name to watch out of the bullpen on the year while Jachec finished among the Valley leaders in strikeouts with 86.
The Sycamores finished the regular season boasting the second-best defense in the NCAA Division I with a .984 fielding percentage. Two players boast perfect 1.000 percentages with at least 75 chances, while four more players are fielding at a .990 clip or better on the year.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne will open the 2023 Horizon League Baseball Championship on Wednesday (May 24) against the Northern Kentucky Norse. A win would advance the ‘Dons to double-elimination play in the tournament. The ‘Dons would play host and No. 1 seed Wright State on Thursday (May 25) at 11 a.m. with a victory on Wednesday.
Game Day Information
Who: No. 6 Purdue Fort Wayne (13-42, 8-22 Horizon) vs. No. 3 Northern Kentucky (29-25, 17-13 Horizon)
When: Wednesday, May 24 | 4 p.m. ET
May 25-27 | TBD
Where: Nischwitz Stadium | Dayton, Ohio
Weather: 83, clear
Live Stats: Link
ESPN+: Wednesday
Tournament Website: Link
Series History with Northern Kentucky: Northern Kentucky leads 21-16. The ‘Dons took 2-of-3 from the Norse in Fort Wayne this season (March 24-26) while the Norse swept the Mastodons in Kentucky April 28-30.
Probable Pitchers:
Purdue Fort Wayne: RHP Mac Ayres (6.90 ERA, 3-4)
Northern Kentucky: LHP Ben Gerl (5.26 ERA, 5-4)
This is the third time the ‘Dons will face Ben Gerl this season. On March 26, 2023 the ‘Dons scored one run in 6.0 innings off Gerl, but picked up the win 9-5 with eight combined runs in the seventh and eighth innings off the Norse bullpen. On April 30 in Kentucky, the ‘Dons fell to the Norse 18-12 but chased Gerl after 3.1 innings. Gerl gave up eight runs (six earned) to the ‘Dons.
Scouting the Norse: Northern Kentucky has 29 wins on the season, the most in program history during the Division I era. In the Horizon League, Noah Fisher led the league in slugging percentage (.732), on base percentage (.516), OPS (1.248), runs scored (64), RBIs (66), home runs (18), hit by pitch (12) and walks (52) to earn the 2023 Horizon League Player of the Year honor. John Odom (second base) and Colton Kucera (outfielder) joined Fisher on the All-Horizon League First Team. Liam McFadden-Ackman (first base), Treyvin Moss (outfielder), Kaden Echeman (starting pitcher) and Manny Voorhees (at-large) were second team picks.
Mastodon All-League Picks: Braedon Blackford (first base) was selected to the All-Horizon League First Team. Ben Higgins (outfielder) was named to the second team. Blackford is tied for second in the league in doubles (17). He ranks fourth in the league in slugging (.597), home runs (14), RBIs (61) and hits (65). He is fifth in OPS (.994) and seventh in runs (46). Higgins was at his best in league play, ranking second in slugging percentage (.743), third in OPS (1.155) and third in home runs (10) in Horizon League games. He tied for the league lead with 12 doubles in league play.
Finishing on a High Note: The ‘Dons took 3-of-4 last week, taking the series at Milwaukee and winning at Toledo. Braedon Blackford hit .400 on the week with 12 RBIs. Jacob Myer got the win in the final game at Milwaukee. He didn’t allow a run in 5.0 innings. JD Deany threw three shutout innings in the victory in relief.
Miller is the Strikeout King:Justin Miller owns 227 career strikeouts, passing Jason Horvath (2001-2005) for most career strikeouts earlier this season. Horvath recorded 210. Miller broke the record against Dayton on April 26. Additionally, Miller is averaging 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings, the best for a career in program history during the Division I era.
Down Goes Sparty: The Mastodons defeated Michigan State on April 19 3-2. It is the Mastodons’ second straight season with a win over a Big 10 opponent. Last season the ‘Dons defeated eventual league champion Michigan.
Strike ‘Em Out: The Mastodon pitching staff owns 403 strikeouts this season, the most in program history for a single season.
Return of the SAC: Dylan Stewart is second in the league in sacrifice bunts with nine.
Put His Name in Ink: Jarrett Bickel has started all 55 games at shortstop.
Grant is Fly: In league play only, Grant Thoroman finished tied for second in the league in sacrifice flies with four.
Ouch: In league play only, Caileb Johnson led the league in hit by pitch (10). His 12 tied with Noah Fisher for first in the league in all games.
Back in Black: . Braedon Blackford is tied for second in the league in doubles (17). He ranks fourth in the league in slugging (.597), home runs (14), RBIs (61) and hits (65). He is fifth in OPS (.994) and seventh in runs (46). He has a team-best 21 multi-hit games.
Record Time: Braedon Blackford set a new school record for single-season RBIs on May 13th against Oakland. He had six RBIs for the day to pass Jared Davis’ 54 (2007). Blackford now has 61 RBIs this season.
It Might Be…: Braedon Blackford’s 14 home runs has him tied for third place in program history for home runs in a season. The all-time single season record is Shaun VanDriessche’s 18 in 2010. Ronald Dull hit 14 home runs in 1981. Greg Kaiser hit 17 in 2016.
“He Gets On Base”: Cade Nelis has a current 36 game on-base streak. It is the longest for a Mastodon since Jackson Boyce reached base in 37 consecutive games in 2017. Nelis owns 38 walks, third best in the league.
HL Is BH Time: In league play only, Ben Higgins ranked second in slugging percentage (.743), third in OPS (1.155) and third in home runs (10) in Horizon League games. He tied for the league lead with 12 doubles in league play.
Masto-Slams: The ‘Dons hit grand slams in back-to-back games against Northern Kentucky. On March 24 Ben Higgins hit a grand slam and then in game one on March 26 Jarrett Bickel hit a game-tying grand slam in the seventh inning of a 9-5 win.
Save X5: Four different Mastodons have recorded a save this season. Brody Fine, Mac Ayres, JD Deany, Kevin Fee and Justin Miller own saves for the ‘Dons.
If it’s Fee, It’s For Me: Kevin Fee hasn’t allowed a run in his last four outings. This is a total of 5.2 innings dating back to May 13th vs Oakland.
Closing Time: Justin Miller owns eight career saves, fourth most in Mastodon history for career saves.
‘Dons Dig The Long Ball: 11 different Mastodons have hit a home run this season, it is the most since 2013 when 11 different ‘Dons hit a home run. The 2003 season saw 13 Mastodons hit a home run, the most during the Mastodon Division I era.
Multi-verse: 15 different Mastodons have had a multi-hit game this season.
Smart ‘Dons:Dylan Stewart, JD Deany, Ben Higgins and Kevin Fee were named to the 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.
Hey Batter Batter (of the Week):Braedon Blackford hit .429 and slugged 1.357 with four home runs in 16 at bats over four games played in Winston-Salem, N.C. (March 3-5). He also recorded one double, seven RBIs, five runs scored, two walks and 19 total bases to earn the Horizon League Batter of the Week honor.
Hey Batter Batter (of the Week) X2: Ben Higgins was named the Horizon League Batter of the Week on April 4 for his play the prior weekend. His play was highlighted by his three home run performance at Youngstown State on March 31). Higgins was the first Mastodon to hit three big flys in a game since 2016.
D1Baseball.com Top 40 Daily Top 40:
Hitter
Braedon Blackford
No. 11 – March 4, vs. Cornell – Two home runs and a double
No. 12 – April 15, vs. Milwaukee – Five hits, six RBIs (doubleheader)
No. 37 – May 13, vs. Oakland – Six RBIs, three hits, double
Ben Higgins
No. 3 – March 31, at Youngstown State – Three home runs, five RBIs, intentional walk
Jacob Walker
No. 21 – April 29, at Northern Kentucky – Seven RBIs, three hits, one home run, one double
Caileb Johnson
No. 25 – April 29, at Northern Kentucky – Two home runs, four RBIs, four hits
Pitcher
JD Deany – March 4 vs. Cornell – Five shutout innings, eight strikeouts, win
RECORD WATCH: Multiple Mastodons are lurking around the top 10 in program history in several stats this season.
Individual Records:
RBIs
Single Season Record: 61 Braedon Blackford (2023)
Ben Higgins: 45 (currently tied for 6th)
Runs
Single Season Record: 53 Brandon Soat (2015) and Terry Johnson (1997)
Braedon Blackford: 46 (currently 6th)
Total Bases
Single Season Record: 150 Greg Kaiser (2016)
Braedon Blackford: 126 (currently 2nd)
Home Runs
Single Season Record: 18 Shaun VanDriessche (2010)
Braedon Blackford: 14 (currently tied for 3rd)
Caileb Johnson: 11 (currently tied for 8th)
Ben Higgins: 10 (currently tied for 9th)
Walks
Single Season Record: 54 Malcolm White (2012)
Cade Nelis: 38 (currently tied for 5th)
Team Records:
Doubles
Single Season Record: 115 (2023)
Home Runs
Single Season Record: 55 (2010)
Currently: 52 (2nd)
Hit By Pitch
Single Season Record: 79 (1999 & 2002)
Currently: 70 (5th)
Hits
Single Season Record: 539 (2014)
Currently: 494 (6th)
Runs Batted In
Single Season Record: 325 (2015)
Currently: 290 (6th)
Runs
Single Season Record: 355 (1997)
Division I era Record: 353 (2015)
Currently: 316 (6th)
Walks
Single Season Record: 230 (2016)
Currently: 221 (6th)
Double Plays
Single Season Record: 70 (1998)
Division I era Record: 48 (2010)
10th place: 40 (multiple times)
Currently: 37
Runners Picked Off
Single Season Record: 25 (2009)
Currently: 14 (tied for 2nd)
Strikeouts
Single Season Record: 403 (2023)
Innings Pitched
Single Season Record: 503.1 (2016)
Currently: 466.2 (2nd)
ALSO:
INDIANAPOLIS – A pair of Purdue Fort Wayne baseball student-athletes have been named to the 2023 All-Horizon League teams. Braedon Blackford (Peoria, Ill. / Peoria Notre Dame / Illinois State) was named to the First Team and Ben Higgins (Macomb, Ill. / Macomb HS / Carl Sandburg CC) was selected to the Second Team.
Blackford earns the All-Horizon League First Team nod at first base thanks to 43 starts at the position this season. Blackford is tied for second in the league in doubles (17). He ranks fourth in the league in slugging (.597), home runs (14), RBIs (61) and hits (65). He is fifth in OPS (.994) and seventh in runs (46). He has a team-best 21 multi-hit games. He is the first Mastodon to earn a first team all-league nod since 2016. This is Blackford’s first career league honor.
Higgins earns a spot on the second team outfield after 44 starts in left field this season. Higgins has been at his best in league play, ranking second in slugging percentage (.743), third in OPS (1.155) and third in home runs (10) in Horizon League games. He is tied for the league lead with 12 doubles in league play. He hit three home runs in a game at Youngstown State this season to earn a Horizon League Hitter of the Week honor. This is Higgins’ first career league honor.
The Mastodons open the 2023 Horizon League Championships on Wednesday (May 24) against Northern Kentucky at 4 p.m.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Missouri Valley Conference baseball tournament will begin on Wednesday morning for the University of Evansville baseball team, as the Purple Aces will battle long-time rival Southern Illinois in game three of the tournament at 8 a.m. central time at Bob Warn Field in Terre Haute, Indiana. Every game of this week’s tournament can be seen live on ESPN+, and every UE game can be heard in the Tri-State area on 107.1 FM-WJPS and the Old National Bank/Purple Aces Sports Network from Learfield.
Evansville will enter the MVC Tournament as the No. 4 seed, after going 33-22 during the regular-season, including tying SIU in the league standings for third place with a 15-12 Valley record. Evansville won six of its nine MVC series this year, including winning all three Valley series during the month of May. SIU was one of the three teams to take a series from Evansville, as the Salukis won a pair of close contests on Saturday and Sunday after UE posted a 10-2 win on Friday night to earn the series victory.
Evansville is led into the post-season by six Purple Aces who earned all-MVC honors on Monday night in a vote of the league’s coaches. Fifth-year first baseman Chase Hug, junior second baseman Kip Fougerousse, and graduate outfielder Eric Roberts earned first team all-Valley honors, with redshirt junior closer Nate Hardman capturing second team honors. Junior shortstop Simon Scherry and junior starting pitcher Nick Smith both earned honorable mention all-MVC status.
Hug currently leads Evansville in hitting at .315, while Roberts leads UE and the MVC in both home runs (21) and RBI (58). Both men rank in the top 10 of 10 different offensive categories entering the Valley Tournament, and Roberts is trying to become just the second Purple Ace to lead the MVC in both home runs and RBI, joining Tanner Craig in 2020.
Southern Illinois will enter this week’s tournament as the No. 3 seed after finishing the regular-season at 30-25 overall and 15-12 in the MVC. The Salukis had six players earn all-Valley accolades as well, led by second team all-MVC performers Steven Loden at second base, catcher Cole Christman, outfielder Pier-Olivier Boucher, and starting pitcher Jake Combs. Boucher currently leads SIU with a .333 average, while Loden ranks second in the MVC with 18 home runs.
Wednesday morning’s meeting will mark the 12th time in which UE and SIU have met in the MVC Tournament. The Salukis hold a narrow 6-5 edge at the conference tournament over UE, including posting an 8-5 win over Evansville in last year’s MVC Tournament. The winner of Wednesday morning’s game will advance on to face the winner of No. 2 Missouri State and either No. 5 Murray State or No. 8 Valparaiso on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. central. The loser of Wednesday morning’s contest will return on Thursday morning to battle in an elimination game at 8 a.m. central time.
VALPO BASEBALL
The eighth-seeded Valparaiso University baseball team held a four-run lead five batters into the game, but an impressive opening inning was not enough as Murray State pulled away for an 11-6 victory in the opening round of the double-elimination Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, hosted by Indiana State at Bob Warn Field in Terre Haute, Ind.
How It Happened
Valpo grabbed the immediate lead in the top of the first when Ryan Maka (Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest) continued to pad his team-leading RBI total, coming through with a two-run single to drive in Alex Ryan (Lake Mills, Wis. / Lakeside Lutheran) and Nolan Tucker (Cedar Lake, Ind. / Hanover Central), who were at second and third.
The strong start got even stronger a moment later, when Jake Skrine (Longmont, Colo. / Mead [Indiana]) cracked a home run to left that was gone when it left the bat. The two-run shot doubled the lead to 4-0.
Murray State’s bottom of the first started with two outs and the bases clear, but they scratched out a run to cut the deficit to three.
The Racers scored twice more in the third, using a squeeze bunt single and another run-scoring knock to whittle the deficit to one at 4-3.
Ryan made a sprawling snag in center for the first out of the third, but a moment later Carson Garner’s home run tied the game at four. The Racers produced another run in that inning to take their first lead of the day at 5-4.
Murray State added single tallies in both the fourth and fifth innings to expand the lead to 7-4.
Valpo moved a step closer when Alex Thurston (Fowler, Ind. / Benton Central) picked up an RBI in the sixth on a fielder’s choice bouncer to make it 7-5. In the bottom of the inning, Grant Jablonski (Mishawaka, Ind. / Mishawaka) worked the first perfect inning of the day for the Valpo pitching staff including a pair of looking strikeouts.
Murray State scored four in the seventh to expand the lead to 11-5.
Righty Ryan Mintz (Lombard, Ill. / Willowbrook) worked a scoreless ninth including a pair of strikeouts.
Inside the Game
Maka increased his RBI total to 42, the most by a Valpo player since Blake Billinger had 46 in 2018.
Skrine’s home run was his 12th of the season, making him the first Valpo player with a dozen or more since Dan Schrum hit 13 in 2002. He needs one more to climb into the top five in single-season program history.
Valpo collected 11 hits in the game including four players with multi-hit outputs – Maka, Ryan, Skrine and Matt Olive (Minneapolis, Minn. / Blake School).
Up Next
Valpo (20-26) will play seventh-seeded Belmont in an elimination game on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. CT / 12:30 p.m. ET at Bob Warn Field in Terre Haute. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
U OF I MEN’S LAX
BALTIMORE, Md. – UIndy men’s lacrosse players Kyle Basch and Drew Billig earned major awards from the USILA this week, as the organization announced its all-region teams following the national semifinal contests over the weekend.
Six Greyhounds joined the duo in the organization’s release, as Josh Jackson (first team), Wyatt Auyer (third team), Ben Foster (third), Evan Soucy (third), Caleb Parker (honorable mention) and Nick Randgaard (honorable mention) also earned spots on the list.
Jackson and Soucy were named Academic All-District® honorees earlier on Tuesday.
Basch was selected as the South Region Defensive Player of the Year, adding to his collection of accolades this spring. The graduate student previously earned GLVC Defensive Player of the Year honors, as well as All-America First Team distinction from USA Lacrosse Magazine as a short-stick defensive middie. In his final season, Basch ranked second on the team in ground balls (73) and caused turnovers (29), while leading the Greyhounds to their fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament.
Meanwhile, Billig was a force for the Greyhound attack, earned Offensive Player of the Year honors for the South Region. The Brighton, Mich., native ended his career as the program’s all-time points leader with 263 tallies, as well as assists with 147. In addition, Billig matched Parker Kump’s single-season mark with 83 points this spring and dished out a program-record 51 assists in 16 games. Like Basch, Billig earned the GLVC’s top-offensive award while slotting in as a USA Lacrosse Magazine first-team All-American.
Wingate’s Willie Greico was named the USILA South Region Player of the Year. UIndy and Wingate tied for the most selections included in the release with eight apiece.
U OF I MEN’S BASKETBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – UIndy men’s basketball head coach Paul Corsaro announced the addition of eight student-athletes for the 2023-24 season, including five freshmen and three transfers, on Wednesday.
Corsaro, as well as associate head coach Mike Burris, assistant coach Dionte Ferguson, and graduate assistant Reese McGinsie, discussed the entire incoming class here.
Joining transfers Dylan Ingram, Zac Szul, and Paul Zilinskas are freshmen Kelvin Amoako, Ethan Hinton, Kyron Kaopuiki, Keinan McFarlande, and Braden McGlothlin.
Kelvin Amoako
6’11, 240-pound center from Westland, Michigan
Attended Plymouth High School
All-KLAA, averaging 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game
Planning to major in Business
Ethan Hinton
6’2, 180-pound guard from New Castle, Indiana
Attended New Castle High School
IndyStar Breakout Player as a senior, averaging 13.2 points per game and shooting 46 percent from 3-point range
Planning to major in Engineering
Dylan Ingram
Junior transfer from Maryville University
Attended high school Simeon Career Academy in Chicago, Illinois
2022 GLVC Freshman of the Year
Started 34 of 50 games as a Saint, averaging 7.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game with a 36.4 percent clip from beyond the arc
Planning to major in Sport Management
Kyron Kaopuiki
6’3, 175-pound guard from Fort Wayne, Indiana
Attended Homestead High School
Averaged 14.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, earning All-SAC recognition
Planning to major in Finance
Keinan McFarlande
6’10, 245-pound center from the U.S. Virgin Islands
Attended Denmark High School
Named All-Region, averaging 14.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game
Planning to major in Engineering
Braden McGlothlin
6’3, 185-pound guard from North Prairie, Wisconsin
Attended Catholic Memorial High School
Two-time All-State selection, averaging 12 points, six rebounds, and three assists per game as a senior, while shooting 42 percent from 3-point range
Planning to major in Business
Zac Szul
Junior transfer from Ohio Dominican University
Competed as a prep at Anthony Wayne in Whitehouse, Ohio
2021 G-MAC Freshman of the Year; 2023 All-G-MAC Second Team
Surpassed 1,000 career points at ODU
Planning to major in Biology
Paul Zilinskas
Junior transfer from Quincy University
Originally from Lithuania, Zilinskas attended Riverside Brookfield High School in Riverside, Illinois
2023 All-GLVC Second Team, averaging 11.2 points per game as a 6’5 forward
Started 42 of his 74 games at Quincy
Planning to major in Sport Management
MARIAN MEN’S TENNIS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially announced the 2023 NAIA Men’s Tennis All-America teams. Honorees were selected by the NAIA All-America Selection Committee. Sixteen student-athletes comprise both the first and second teams, while 17 players make up the honorable mention team.
For the second consecutive season, Marian’s Mark Griffin has been named to the Honorable Mention All-American team, recognizing his work throughout the 2022-23 season. On the year, Griffin carried a record of 14-8 at No. 1 singles, playing at the top of the Marian lineup throughout the season. Griffin went 10-10 overall in doubles, primarily playing with Andrew Ilett at No. 1 doubles throughout the fall and spring seasons. Griffin went 3-3 during Crossroads League singles matches and 4-2 in doubles, and won each of his matches in Marian’s fall Crossroads League Tournament run.
Griffin was also recognized by the NAIA earlier this month, as he was named to the NAIA Scholar Athlete team for the second season in a row.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
SPORTS EXTRA
MLB STANDINGS
| American League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Tampa Bay | 35 | 15 | .700 | – | 22 – 5 | 13 – 10 | 11 – 8 | 9 – 1 | 4 – 2 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| Baltimore | 31 | 17 | .646 | 3 | 15 – 8 | 16 – 9 | 9 – 7 | 10 – 3 | 7 – 4 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| NY Yankees | 30 | 20 | .600 | 5 | 17 – 10 | 13 – 10 | 10 – 8 | 7 – 6 | 6 – 4 | 8 – 2 | W 5 |
| Boston | 26 | 23 | .531 | 8.5 | 15 – 11 | 11 – 12 | 7 – 7 | 7 – 2 | 5 – 4 | 4 – 6 | L 3 |
| Toronto | 26 | 23 | .531 | 8.5 | 13 – 9 | 13 – 14 | 6 – 13 | 8 – 2 | 5 – 4 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Minnesota | 25 | 24 | .510 | – | 14 – 10 | 11 – 14 | 5 – 5 | 10 – 6 | 3 – 3 | 4 – 6 | L 3 |
| Detroit | 21 | 25 | .457 | 2.5 | 10 – 10 | 11 – 15 | 2 – 14 | 5 – 3 | 3 – 3 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| Cleveland | 21 | 27 | .438 | 3.5 | 10 – 13 | 11 – 14 | 3 – 6 | 6 – 8 | 8 – 5 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| Chi White Sox | 20 | 30 | .400 | 5.5 | 12 – 13 | 8 – 17 | 2 – 11 | 10 – 8 | 3 – 4 | 7 – 3 | W 1 |
| Kansas City | 15 | 35 | .300 | 10.5 | 7 – 18 | 8 – 17 | 2 – 5 | 5 – 11 | 3 – 9 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Texas | 30 | 18 | .625 | – | 16 – 8 | 14 – 10 | 4 – 3 | 5 – 1 | 11 – 5 | 7 – 3 | W 1 |
| Houston | 28 | 20 | .583 | 2 | 14 – 11 | 14 – 9 | 4 – 2 | 6 – 7 | 7 – 5 | 8 – 2 | L 1 |
| LA Angels | 27 | 23 | .540 | 4 | 14 – 10 | 13 – 13 | 7 – 9 | 5 – 4 | 9 – 7 | 6 – 4 | W 3 |
| Seattle | 24 | 24 | .500 | 6 | 12 – 12 | 12 – 12 | 2 – 4 | 5 – 5 | 9 – 5 | 5 – 5 | W 2 |
| Oakland | 10 | 40 | .200 | 21 | 5 – 20 | 5 – 20 | 1 – 9 | 3 – 3 | 4 – 18 | 1 – 9 | L 6 |
| National League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Atlanta | 29 | 19 | .604 | – | 12 – 12 | 17 – 7 | 10 – 3 | 6 – 0 | 3 – 6 | 4 – 6 | L 2 |
| NY Mets | 25 | 24 | .510 | 4.5 | 12 – 9 | 13 – 15 | 9 – 8 | 1 – 6 | 7 – 6 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| Miami | 24 | 25 | .490 | 5.5 | 14 – 11 | 10 – 14 | 8 – 12 | 5 – 4 | 7 – 7 | 5 – 5 | L 3 |
| Philadelphia | 22 | 26 | .458 | 7 | 13 – 10 | 9 – 16 | 1 – 2 | 6 – 4 | 5 – 10 | 3 – 7 | L 2 |
| Washington | 20 | 28 | .417 | 9 | 10 – 16 | 10 – 12 | 5 – 8 | 4 – 3 | 5 – 6 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Milwaukee | 26 | 22 | .542 | – | 14 – 9 | 12 – 13 | 3 – 0 | 5 – 4 | 6 – 10 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| Pittsburgh | 25 | 23 | .521 | 1 | 12 – 12 | 13 – 11 | 2 – 1 | 7 – 4 | 7 – 5 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| Chi Cubs | 21 | 26 | .447 | 4.5 | 12 – 11 | 9 – 15 | 5 – 9 | 3 – 5 | 5 – 5 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| St. Louis | 22 | 28 | .440 | 5 | 11 – 15 | 11 – 13 | 0 – 3 | 8 – 7 | 7 – 10 | 7 – 3 | W 1 |
| Cincinnati | 20 | 28 | .417 | 6 | 13 – 13 | 7 – 15 | 7 – 9 | 4 – 7 | 2 – 4 | 3 – 7 | L 1 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| LA Dodgers | 31 | 19 | .620 | – | 17 – 7 | 14 – 12 | 6 – 2 | 11 – 9 | 12 – 7 | 6 – 4 | W 2 |
| Arizona | 29 | 20 | .592 | 1.5 | 14 – 10 | 15 – 10 | 6 – 5 | 6 – 3 | 12 – 9 | 8 – 2 | W 4 |
| San Francisco | 24 | 24 | .500 | 6 | 15 – 11 | 9 – 13 | 9 – 7 | 5 – 2 | 2 – 7 | 7 – 3 | W 3 |
| San Diego | 22 | 26 | .458 | 8 | 12 – 15 | 10 – 11 | 6 – 5 | 4 – 6 | 9 – 9 | 3 – 7 | W 2 |
| Colorado | 21 | 28 | .429 | 9.5 | 12 – 12 | 9 – 16 | 8 – 8 | 8 – 7 | 3 – 6 | 5 – 5 | W 2 |
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1909 After beating the Cardinals a record 24 consecutive times, Giants legend Christy Mathewson finally loses to the Redbirds, 3-1. The winning streak spanned five years, starting in May of 1904.
1918 Indians right-hander Stan Coveleski hurls for 19 innings in the Tribe’s 3-2 victory over the Yankees at the Polo Grounds. Joe Wood’s home run proves to be the difference.
1918 A day after Secretary of War Newton D. Baker issues the work-or-fight edict, American League president Ban Johnson announces that the circuit would cease operation for the duration of WW I. The team’s owners defy their once-formidable leader, having their teams play until Labor Day.
1935 The era of nighttime baseball begins as 25,000 fans watch the Reds beat the Phillies 2-1 in the first major league game ever played under the lights. At the White House, President Franklin D. Roosevelt pushed a gold telegraph key during the Crosley Field pregame ceremonies, sending an electric signal to a table near first base, where MacPhail flips the switch to illuminate the stadium.
(Ed. Note: The game, initially scheduled for yesterday, was postponed due to the threat of rain and cooler temperature that had lower attendance to around 20,000, about a third less than stadium capacity. -LP)
1936 At Shibe Park, second baseman Tony Lazzeri becomes the first major league player to hit two grand slams in the same game when the Yankees annihilate the A’s, 25-2. The bases-full homers enable the future member of the Hall of Fame to establish a new American League record with 11 RBIs.
1940 The Browns host the first major league game played in St. Louis under the lights. A Friday evening crowd of 24,827, the largest attendance figure in 18 years, watches Bob Feller and the Indians beat the home team at Sportsman’s Park, 3-2.
1940 The hometown Giants, in the first night game played at the Polo Grounds, beat the Braves, 8-1. The Manhattan ballpark’s $125,000 lighting system works well, allowing the 22,260 patrons to follow the nocturnal contest without any difficulties.
Amazon The Polo Grounds: Essays and Memories of NYC’s Historic Ballpark, 1880-1963
1941 The Braves sign ‘Big Poison’ Paul Waner after Brooklyn releases the 38-year-old right fielder. The former Dodger joins his younger brother’ Little Poison’ Lloyd on the Boston roster.
1947 Carl Furillo hits a three-run homer as a pinch-hitter in the first frame of the Dodgers’ 4-3 ten-inning loss to Philadelphia at Ebbets Field. The unusual first-frame substitution results from Phillies manager Ben Chapman using right-handed starter Al Jurisch to pitch to the first two Brooklyn hitters before bringing in southpaw Oscar Judd to face the next three lefty hitters, including Gene Hermanski, the batter replaced by Furillo.
1950 Nat Clifton’s Harlem Globetrotter contract is purchased by the New York Knicks, making the talented athlete the first black to sign a deal to play in the National Basketball Association. Before his career in the NBA, ‘Sweetwater’ played first base for the Chicago American Giants in the Negro Leagues.
1956 In Detroit, Mickey Mantle goes 5-for-5 with an intentional walk in the Yankees’ 11-5 victory over the Tigers. “The Commerce Comet’s” offensive output includes a homer and four singles.
1957 With scouts from all the major league teams watching the game, 18-year-old New Britain (CT) High School senior Steve Dalkowski, author of two scholastic no-hitters last month, strikes out 24 New London batters. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound standout will sign with the Orioles, one of nine clubs to show interest in the southpaw, for the maximum allowable $4,000 bonus but may have received another unreported $12,000 and a new car.
1957 During an off-day at Fenway Park, Ted Williams, using his shotgun, shoots approximately 35 pigeons, sitting on a chair in front of the bullpen of the empty ballpark, predictably upsets the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. However, Red Sox owner and avid sportsman Tom Yawkey’s participation in the Kid’s target practice helps quell the outrage directed at the superstar ballplayer.
1957 In his first big-league at-bat, Frank Ernaga hits a third-inning home run to deep left field off future Hall of Fame southpaw Warren Spahn in Chicago’s 5-1 victory over Milwaukee. The rookie right fielder follows his Wrigley Field round-tripper with a three-bagger in the next frame to become the first Cubs player to have hit a home run and a triple in his major league debut.
1964 Seven of the twenty major league teams do not cross home plate, setting the mark for shutouts in one day. The Twins, White Sox, Yankees, Mets, Phillies, Cardinals, and Giants do not score a run against their opponents.
1964 Harmon Killebrew tags the longest homer ever hit in Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. The Twins left fielder’s 471-foot shot, which clears the hedge in left-center field, is hit off Milt Pappas in the eighth inning of a 7-6 loss to the Orioles.
1964 After being first proposed in 1959, a groundbreaking ceremony finally marks the start of construction of the Civic Center-Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. The development of the area, located amid a blighted area near the city’s core that includes Chinatown, is seen by city officials as the start of a new era in St. Louis.
1965 With the sun’s glare making fly balls challenging to track during day games, the team paints the Astrodome’s clear plastic panes. The $20,000 decision to cover the roof, which reduces the ambient lighting by 40%, prevents the ballpark’s natural grass from growing and will lead to the use of Astroturf next season.
1967 Tommy McCraw, with eight RBIs, drives in more than half of the runs in the White Sox’ 14-1 rout of Minnesota at Metropolitan Stadium. The Chicago first baseman’s offensive output includes a pair of three-run homers and a two-run round-tripper.
1969 For the first time since the start of the season, a span of forty-one games, Don Kessinger does not reach base. The Cubs Gold Glove shortstop grounds out four times and hits into a fly-ball double play in his last at-bat during Chicago’s 7-5 loss to the Padres at San Diego Stadium.
1972 At Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Don Rose homers on the first pitch he sees in his first major league at-bat. The right-hander’s third-inning round-tripper, his only career home run, and the last hit by an American League hurler for thirty years proves to be the difference in the Angels’ 6-5 victory over the A’s, earning the 25-year-old his only win in the big leagues.
1973 In a 19-inning marathon, LA outfielder Willie Davis collects six hits in a 7-3 loss to the Mets at Dodger Stadium. The two clubs establish a National League mark by hitting into a combined nine double plays.
1976 Bert Campaneris steals five bases, one shy of the major league mark, in the A’s 12-7 victory over the Twins at the Oakland Coliseum. The fleet shortstop will swipe 54 bases, the third-best in the American League this season.
1978 In an inning which lasts over an hour, 15 players score before the first out is recorded when the Florida State League’s Tampa Tarpons beat Daytona Beach, 18-2.
1984 The Tigers equal the major league mark set by the 1916 Giants with their 17th consecutive road victory when the team defeats the Angels at Anaheim Stadium, 5-1. The win, a Jack Morris four-hit complete game, breaks the American League record of 16, established by the Senators in 1912.
1986 A “drunk” Billy Martin is “fired” as the co-host of Saturday Night Live by executive producer Lorne Michaels after slurring his lines during a skit. In retaliation, the often-unemployed Yankee manager “sets fire” to his dressing room at the end of the show, which is the season’s finale.
1991 “I can only hope that one day those teammates who have found it convenient to criticize me will realize that we are all in this together. If only we can concentrate more on the games than complaining and bickering and pointing fingers, we would all be better off.” – Text from Gregg Jefferies’ Open Letter. In an open letter read on WFAN, a New York sports-talk radio station, Gregg Jefferies, in response to the negative attention from Mets fans, pleads his case to be treated fairly. The embattled infielder’s plea leads to a players-only meeting, prompting David Cone to agree with the 23-year-old second baseman that the anonymous derisive quotes from teammates are unfair and should be banned. “I can only hope that one day those teammates who have found it convenient to criticize me will realize that we are all in this together. If only we can concentrate more on the games than complaining and bickering and pointing fingers, we would all be better off.”
1993 Indian starter Tom Kramer faces only 28 batters when he beats Texas at Cleveland Stadium, 4-1. The rookie right-hander, who will not return to the major leagues after this season, allows just one baserunner, DH Julio Franco, who hits a fourth-inning home run.
1993 The Mets play their 5000th game in team history, losing to Philadelphia at Veterans Stadium, 6-3. Although New York has a record of 527 wins and 473 losses in the last thousand games, the franchise is still 338 games under .500 since its first contest in 1962.
1994 At Busch Stadium, the Cardinals set a major league record when they leave 16 men stranded on the bases without scoring. The Phillies take advantage of the Redbirds’ lack of timely hitting and beat St. Louis, 4-0.
1994 In a 13-6 Oriole win over Milwaukee at County Stadium, Cal Ripken hits his 300th career home run, a three-run shot to deep left field off Teddy Higuera in the third inning. The 33-year-old future Hall of Fame infielder will finish his career in 2001 with 431 round-trippers.
1995 Tossing a scoreless ninth inning in the A’s 5-2 win over the Orioles at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Dennis Eckersley records his 300th career save. The Oakland right-hander becomes the sixth reliever to reach the milestone in major league history.
1998 In the NCAA Atlantic II Regionals, future major league outfielder Matt Diaz hits four home runs in Florida State’s 23-2 routing of Oklahoma. The Seminoles freshman’s offensive output, including seven RBIs, ties the school and tournament record for round-trippers.
2000 Shawn Estes pitches a seven-hitter and becomes the first Giants pitcher in 51 years (Monty Kennedy-1949) to hit a grand slam en route to handing the Expos their worst defeat in franchise history, 18-0. The San Bernardino native misses joining Tony Cloninger as the only major league pitcher to hit two slams in a game when he hits a long foul ball before singling with the bases loaded in the eighth inning.
2000 Mark McGwire becomes the fastest player to hit 20 home runs in one season, reaching the mark in 35 games. ‘Big Mac’ accomplishes the feat in six fewer contests than Mickey Mantle (1956) and his own record (1998).
2000 The commissioner’s office suspends sixteen Dodger players and three coaches for going into the stands during the Wrigley Field scuffle with fans on May 16th. The suspensions totaling 60 games for players and 24 games for coaches is the harshest penalty ever handed down by major league baseball.
2000 Ahead by seven runs after five innings of play at Enron Field, the hometown Astros find a way to lose to the Phillies, 9-7. In Milwaukee, two days earlier, with a 9-2 advantage in the bottom of the ninth inning, Houston blew another seven-run lead in the eventual ten-inning, 10-9 loss to the Brewers at County Stadium.
2001 Tossing a 79-pitch one-hitter, Cubs’ starter Jon Lieber shuts out the Reds, 3-0. Cincinnati shows a new National League record going 208 games without being blanked, with the 1931-33 Yankees (308) and the 1978-79 Milwaukee Brewers (212) being the only teams with longer streaks.
2001 Lana Blefary, the wife of former Oriole outfielder Curt Blefary, scatters the ashes of her husband’s remains at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. Although little of the demolished stadium remains, she can still fulfill her husband’s last wishes.
2002 When a container drops from a low-flying plane, hitting and bouncing off the stadium roof onto the street, Seattle hazardous materials crews close off the roads around Safeco Field for about an hour. The object turns out to be the remains of an unidentified man’s cremated ashes.
2003 Broadcasters Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall become the first non-players featured on a Reds-produced bobblehead. The popular promotion also marks the team’s first dual bobblehead.
2006 Carl Crawford, leading the Devil Rays to a 10-8 victory over the Blue Jays, goes 5-for-5 to tie the franchise record for hits in a game. The Tampa Bay left fielder collects five hits, including a home run, scores five runs, and steals four bases in his career night at the Rogers Centre.
2006 Swinging on the first pitch in his first major league at-bat, Adam Wainwright homers in the fifth inning of the Cardinals’ 10-4 win over San Francisco at AT&T Park. The 24-year-old right-hander also tosses three innings in relief to record his second career victory.
2007 In his 1,000th major league game, Ichiro Suzuki goes 3-for-6, giving the Mariner outfielder a career total of 1,414 hits. Only Hall of Famer Al Simmons compiled more in the same span of games, collecting 1,443 from 1924-1931 for the Philadelphia A’s.
2019 Major League teams combine to hit the second-most home runs in a single day in baseball history, going yard 59 times in 14 games, second only to the 62 round-trippers blasted on July 2, 2002, in sixteen contests. With the ‘Twins’ three homers against the White Sox at Target Field as part of today’s barrage, Minnesota joins the 1999 Seattle Mariners as the only two teams with 100 home runs in their first 50 games of the season.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
May 24, 2004 – A federal appeals court formally ruled in favor of the NFL’s draft eligibility rule in former Ohio State University player Maurice Clarett’s lawsuit, citing federal labor policy in permitting the NFL and the Players Association to set rules for when players can enter the league. The former Ohio State star runner had declared himself ready for the NFL Draft after his outstanding freshman season for the Buckeyes but the rule in the NFL is that a player must be three calender years removed from high school before gaining eligibility. Clarett had other motivation to join the NFL other than financial ones. He had been suspended after his initial NCAA season where he scored 16 TDs and helped Ohio State win the national Championship. The NCAA suspension was related Clarett accepting money from a family friend and then lying about it to both Ohio State and the NCAA. Maurice Clarett would finally become eligible for the NFL draft a year later in 2005. The Denver Broncos took him with the final pick in the 3rd round (101st overall) but after inking a deal against his agents wishes and having an unimpressive training camp as he arrive 20 pounds over weight, the Broncos cut him on August 28, 2005. He never played a down in the NFL but did play some minor league professional football.
HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 24
May 24, 1924 – Cudahy, California – John Ferraro was an offensive Tackle out of the University of Southern California who was selected to enter the College Football Hall of Fame in 1974 per the National Football Foundation’s website. Ferraro was selected as a two-time All-America tackle for the Trojans. At the end of the 1943 season Ferraro and his USC teammates defeated the University of Washington in the Rose Bowl 29-0. The next year as a sophomore Southern California posted an 8-0-2 record, repeated as Pacific Coast Conference champs and registered another shutout in the Rose Bowl, defeating Tennessee 25-0. Mr. Ferraro after football had the distinction of being the longest serving Los Angeles City Council member. He served the city from 1966 until he passed away in 2001.
May 24, 1945 – Cleveland, Ohio – The Michigan State halfback from the seasons of 1964 to 1966, Clinton Jones arrived into the world. The FootballFoundation.org tells of how Clinton was two-time First Team All-American as he finished sixth in the 1966 Heisman Trophy voting, and he was a two-time consensus First Team All-Big Ten selection. The versatile Jones helped take the Spartans to back-to-back Big Ten championships in 1965 and 1966, and he set conference single-game records with 4 rushing touchdowns and as well as 268 rushing yards. Jones led Michigan State in rushing as a junior and senior, and he finished his career as the school’s second all-time leading rusher with 1,921 yards and 20 touchdowns. He is not alone as being memorialized from that squad either as the team was Coached by College Football Hall of Famer Duffy Daugherty. Clinton led Michigan State to a 19-1-1 record and a berth to the 1966 Rose Bowl during his career while playing alongside Hall of Famers Bubba Smith, Gene Washington and George Webster. How good were the Michigan State Squads of the mid ‘60s? Well let’s just make note of it that with CLinton Jones and the men just mentioned the Spartans won back-to-back national championships in 1965 and 1966. The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of Clinton Jones into their legendary museum in 2015. The NFF adds a final note on Jones post college career. He was the second overall pick by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1967 NFL Draft and then spent six seasons with the Vikings and one final season with the San Diego Chargers. He helped the Vikings reach Super Bowl IV and finished his NFL career with 2,178 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns as well as 5,035 all-purpose yards.
May 24, 1947 – Altoona, Pennsylvania – The stud defensive tackle of Penn State in the seasons of 1966 and then again in 1968 and 1969, Mike Reid was born. The NFF’s bio on Mike gives him a very unique intro as it states that Reid is, without question, the greatest combination football player/songwriter who ever lived. In his senior year of 1969, the tackle led all Nittany Lions with 89 tackles. Mike was a unanimous All-America choice even winning the Outland Trophy as the outstanding interior lineman in America, and was awarded the Maxwell Trophy as the nation’s outstanding player in college football. But, while all this was going on, Mike Reid had other interests. He loved to play the piano and he loved music. Mike Reid received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987. After his time in college was completed Reid was picked by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1970 NFL Draft and played with them for 5 years. Okay there is the football player named Mike Reid compilation but now for his musical career. Mike retired from the pro ranks to concentrate on music. How has he done? Not bad for a 6-3, 240-pound tackle. He moved to Nashville and in 1983 received a Grammy Award for his composition “Stranger In My House.” In 1984 he was named Cash Box Magazine’s “Songwriter of the Year” and in 1985 he was voted “Country Songwriter of the Year.” Reid was named by the Academy of Country Music as “Songwriter of the Year”, in 1986. According to the Football Foundation Mr. Reid may become the first American to be in the College Football Hall of Fame and Music’s Hall of Fame.
SPORTS IN NUMBERS
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May 24, 1918 – Cleveland Indians pitcher Stan Coveleski must have had one heck of an arm! In a marathon contest against New York Stan the Man seta a club record for the most innings pitched whn he completed 19 stanzas on the hill as the Indians beat the Yankees 3-2.
May 24, 1930 – New York Yankees’ legendary slugger Babe Ruth had a week of baseball that players dream of as a kid. Big Number 3 homered in both sessions of a doubleheader with the Athletics as the beat Philadelphia A’s 10-6 and then 11-1 in the night cap. These base clearing blasts helped Ruth achieve the milestone of 9 HR’s in one week! Talk about productivity with the stick!
May 24, 1964 – This day was truly filled with historic longevity! Number 3, Harmon Killebrew of the visiting Minnesota Twins launched the longest Home Run ever in Baltimore Memorial Stadium when his blast landed some 471 feet from home plate! The Orioles hung on in a thriller to 7-6 and win both games in the twin bill at the park that day, as they also prevailed in the matinee 2-0.
TV WEDNESDAY
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| LPGA Tour: Bank of Hope | 1:30pm | GOLF |
| MLB REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| Texas at Pittsburgh | 12:35pm | Bally Sports ATTSN-PIT |
| Arizona at Philadelphia | 1:05pm | MLBN Bally Sports NBCS-PHI |
| Chi. White Sox at Cleveland | 1:10pm | NBCS-CHI Bally Sports |
| San Francisco at Minnesota | 1:10pm | NBCS-BAY Bally Sports |
| Houston at Milwaukee | 1:10pm | MLBN Bally Sports ATTSN-SW |
| St. Louis at Cincinnati | 6:40pm | Bally Sports |
| Toronto at Tampa Bay | 6:40pm | Sportsnet Bally Sports |
| San Diego at Washington | 7:05pm | MASN/2 Bally Sports |
| Baltimore at New York | 7:05pm | MASN/2 YES |
| LA Dodgers at Atlanta | 7:20pm | MLBN Sportsnet Bally Sports |
| Detroit at Kansas City | 7:40pm | Bally Sports |
| NY Mets at Chi. Cubs | 7:40pm | MLBN SNY MARQ |
| Miami at Colorado | 8:40pm | Bally Sports ATTSN-RM |
| Boston at LA Angels | 9:38pm | MLBN Bally Sports NESN |
| Oakland at Seattle | 9:40pm | MLBN Root Sports NBCS-CA |
| NHL PLAYOFFS | TIME ET | TV |
| East Finals Game 4: Carolina at Florida | 8:00pm | TNT |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| La Liga: Villarreal vs Cádiz | 1:30pm | ESPN+ |
| La Liga: Elche vs Sevilla | 1:30pm | ESPN+ |
| EPL: Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester City | 3:00pm | USA |
| Coppa Italia: Fiorentina vs Internazionale | 3:00pm | CBSSN |
| La Liga: Real Betis vs Getafe | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| La Liga: Espanyol vs Atlético Madrid | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |