“THE SCOREBOARD” INDIANA BOYS REGIONAL MATCH-UPS NORTHERN HOSTS MICHIGAN CITY CLASS 3A | 4 PM CT | EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (14-12) VS. MISHAWAKA MARIAN (17-7) CLASS 4A | 7 PM CT | CHESTERTON (22-4) VS. CROWN POINT (22-1) LOGANSPORT CLASS 3A | 1 PM ET | WEST LAFAYETTE (22-4) VS. NEW HAVEN (19-7) CLASS 4A | 4 PM ET | HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (18-8) VS. HOMESTEAD (19-6) HUNTINGTON NORTH CLASS 1A | 4 PM ET | FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY (14-11) VS. TRI-COUNTY (15-10) CLASS 2A | 7 PM ET | FORT WAYNE BISHOP LUERS (14-11) VS. BREMEN (22-4) NEW CASTLE CLASS 3A | 1 PM ET | DELTA (15-10) VS. FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK CHRISTIAN (20-7) CLASS 4A | 4 PM ET | FORT WAYNE SNIDER (19-7) VS. CARMEL (18-5) NORTH JUDSON-SAN PIERRE CLASS 1A | 4 PM CT | TRITON (22-3) VS. MARQUETTE CATHOLIC (18-7) CLASS 2A | 7 PM CT | WESTVIEW (24-1) VS. GARY 21ST CENTURY (17-6) LAPEL CLASS 1A | 1 PM ET | MONROE CENTRAL (20-4) VS. SOUTHWOOD (22-3) CLASS 2A | 4 PM ET | BLACKFORD (20-6) VS. LAPEL (20-5) PLYMOUTH CLASS 3A | 4 PM ET | COLUMBIA CITY (22-4) VS. HANOVER CENTRAL (12-14) CLASS 4A | 7 PM ET | NORTHRIDGE (24-1) VS. SOUTH BEND SAINT JOSEPH (21-4) FRANKFORT CLASS 1A | 1 PM ET | ROSSVILLE (20-5) VS. NORTH VERMILLION (15-11) CLASS 2A | 4 PM ET | BENTON CENTRAL (11-14) VS. OAK HILL (24-1) SOUTHERN HOSTS SOUTHPORT CLASS 4A | 4 PM ET | MT. VERNON (FORTVILLE) (24-3) VS. PIKE (23-3) CLASS 4A | 7 PM ET | LAWRENCE CENTRAL (14-11) VS. DECATUR CENTRAL (19-6) SEYMOUR CLASS 1A | 1 PM ET | SOUTH DECATUR (18-6) VS. HAUSER (24-2) CLASS 2A | 4 PM ET | PAOLI (26-0) VS. LINTON-STOCKTON (23-4) GREENCASTLE CLASS 3A | 4 PM ET | NORTHVIEW (21-5) VS. RONCALLI (17-7) CLASS 4A | 7 PM ET | COLUMBUS NORTH (14-10) VS. TERRE HAUTE NORTH VIGO (23-3) WASHINGTON CLASS 1A | 1 PM ET | BARR-REEVE (24-1) VS. WEST WASHINGTON (20-6) CLASS 1A | 4 PM ET | NORTHEAST DUBOIS (17-8) VS. BLOOMFIELD (18-8) GREENFIELD-CENTRAL CLASS 1A | 4 PM ET | LIBERTY CHRISTIAN (18-7) VS. GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN (11-14) CLASS 2A | 7 PM ET | INDIANAPOLIS CARDINAL RITTER (14-12) VS. TRITON CENTRAL (22-3) SOUTHRIDGE CLASS 3A | 1 PM ET | EVANSVILLE BOSSE (17-8) VS. PRINCETON COMMUNITY (22-3) CLASS 4A | 4 PM ET | NEW ALBANY (21-5) VS. CASTLE (9-16) MARTINSVILLE CLASS 2A | 4 PM ET | PARKE HERITAGE (23-4) VS. CENTERVILLE (24-2) CLASS 3A | 7 PM ET | BREBEUF JESUIT (18-6) VS. INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (21-5) CHARLESTOWN CLASS 2A | 1 PM ET | AUSTIN (16-8) VS. FOREST PARK (13-13) CLASS 3A | 4 PM ET | SILVER CREEK (27-1) VS. BATESVILLE (20-4) ============================================================== MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES MICHIGAN 71 OHIO STATE 67 FLORIDA 71 KENTUCKY 63 WISCONSIN 91 ILLINOIS 88 OT VANDERBILT 75 TENNESSEE 68 ST. JOHN 78 SETON HALL 68 PURDUE 74 NEBRASKA 58 VIRGINIA 84 MIAMI FLORIDA 62 ARIZONA 82 IOWA STATE 80 OLE MISS 80 ALABAMA 79 UCONN 67 GEORGETOWN 51 UCLA 88 MICHIGAN STATE 84 DUKE 73 CLEMSON 61 HOUSTON 69 KANSAS 47 ARKANSAS 82 OKLAHOMA 79 ST. LOUIS 88 GEORGE WASHINGTON 81 LOUISIANA TECH 69 MISSOURI STATE 66 CHARLOTTE 83 ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM 78 DAYTON 68 ST. BONAVENTURE 63 PRAIRIE VIEW 74 ALABAMA A&M 55 KENNESAW STATE 79 SAM HOUSTON STATE 73 TULSA 90 N. TEXAS 84 3OT TOLEDO 77 UMASS 67 VCU 71 DUQUESNE 66 HOWARD 78 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE 61 AKRON 75 KENT STATE 68 ST. JOSEPH’S 70 DAVIDSON 58 SOUTHERN 73 FLORIDA A&M 70 NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL 59 DELAWARE STATE 53 UC IRVINE 93 CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE 78 UTAH VALLEY 67 TEXAS ARLINGTON 65 UTAH STATE 79 NEVADA 66 CALIFORNIA BAPTIST 86 UTAH TECH 72 HAWAII 78 CAL STATE FULLERTON 63 ================================================================== WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES PRINCETON 65 BROWN 51 MIAMI OHIO 80 OHIO 52 SOUTHERN 51 ALABAMA A&M 49 CHARLESTON 58 WILLIAM & MARY 55 HOWARD 65 COPPIN STATE 50 TOLEDO 69 BALL STATE 65 MURRAY STATE 105 INDIANA STATE 88 STONY BROOK 51 MONMOUTH 45 NORFOLK STATE 60 MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE 51 CAL BAPTIST 77 TARLETON STATE 60 HAWAII 67 UC IRVINE 63 OT NORTHERN IOWA 74 BRADLEY 73 VERMONT 61 MAINE 43 ABILENE CHRISTIAN 70 TEXAS ARLINGTON 50 UC SAN DIEGO 84 UC DAVIS 79 ALABAMA STATE 72 ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF 59 HOFSTRA 55 CAMPBELL 50 LOUISIANA TECH 61 LIBERTY 48 RICE 71 N. TEXAS 67 EVANSVILLE 76 BELMONT 63 HARVARD 67 COLUMBIA 65 OT DREXEL 68 ELON 53 MISSOURI STATE 74 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 69 TEXAS SAN ANTONIO 54 E. CAROLINA 44 ILLINOIS STATE 69 DRAKE 62 =============================================================== COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES NOTRE DAME 14 LOUISVILLE 11 WICHITA STATE 14 BUTLER 8 XAVIER 7 EVANSVILLE 5 PENN STATE 11 IOWA 6 RUTGERS 9 MICHIGAN STATE 4 USC 15 NORTHWESTERN 1 PURDUE 16 MARYLAND 5 NEBRASKA 6 MAINE 5 ILLINOIS 2 MINNESOTA 1 OREGON 3 INDIANA 2 UCLA 10 MICHIGAN 5 OHIO STATE 10 WASHINGTON 9 (10) AKRON 12 UMASS 2 KENT STATE 11 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 10 BALL STATE 17 EASTERN MICHIGAN 13 TOLEDO 21 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 5 WESTERN MICHIGAN 20 OHIO 12 MIAMI OHIO 8 BOWLING GREEN 5 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS EDWARDSVILLE 13 VALPARAISO 3 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 10 SOUTHERN INDIANA 7 ============================================================== COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES STANFORD 7 NOTRE DAME 2 BUTLER 6 VILLANOVA 2 NORTHWESTERN 11 DETROIT MERCY 2 IOWA STATE 3 MINNESOTA 0 NORTHWESTERN 16 NORTHERN KENTUCKY 1 PURDUE 12 OHIO STATE 6 MISSOURI 8 MINNESOTA 1 INDIANA 12 RUTGERS 2 IOWA 21 ILLINOIS 15 NEBRASKA 5 MICHIGAN 2 WASHINGTON 12 MARYLAND 2 OREGON 8 PENN STATE 2 UCLA 10 MICHIGAN STATE 0 KENT STATE 3 UMASS 2 AKRON 18 BALL STATE 6 KENT STATE 14 UMASS 1 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 14 BUFFALO 7 WESTERN MICHIGAN 8 MIAMI OHIO 6 BUFFALO 11 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 10 ILLINOIS CHICAGO 14 INDIANA STATE 2 INDIANA STATE 9 ILLINOIS CHICAGO 1 VALPARAISO 3 MURRAY STATE 2 MURRAY STATE 7 VALPARAISO 6 BELMONT 3 EVANSVILLE 0 BELLMONT 11 EVANSVILLE 3 ============================================================== MEN’S COLLEGE HOCKEY SCORES #17 BOSTON COLLEGE 5 MAINE 0 CLARKSON 3 #7 QUINNIPIAC 0 #12 DARTMOUTH 4 COLGATE 1 HARVARD 3 #9 CORNELL 1 PRINCETON 5 #20 UNION 2 ============================================================== MEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL SCORES #20 NJIT 3 DOMINICAN 0 #13 MCKENDREE 25 #8 LINDENWOOD 1 #8 LOYOLA CHICAGO 25 QUEENS 21 #12 UC SAN DIEGO 3 #17 CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE 2 #18 STANFORD 3 #7 BYU 1 #2 LONG BEACH STATE 3 JESSUP 0 #11 UC SANTA BARBARA 3 #4 UC IRVINE 2 ================================================================ DIVISION 1 MEN’S LAX SCORES STONY BROOK 12 HOFSTRA 7 ================================================================= DIVISION 1 WOMEN’S LAX SCORES MERRIMACK 16 PRESBYTERIAN 9 QUINNIPIAC 14 GARDNER WEBB 9 #20 DENVER 21 STETSON 4 UC DAVIS 15 MARIST 4 ================================================================= NBA SCORES DETROIT 126 MEMPHIS 110 NEW YORK 101 INDIANA 92 TORONTO 122 PHOENIX 115 CLEVELAND 138 DALLAS 105 HOUSTON 107 NEW ORLEANS 105 PORTLAND 124 UTAH 114 MINNESOTA 127 GOLDEN STATE 117 LA CLIPPERS 119 CHICAGO 108 ================================================================== NBA G-LEAGUE SCORES MAINE 96 GRAND RAPIDS 91 GREENSBORO 127 OSCEOLA 120 OKLAHOMA CITY 135 DELAWARE 129 CLEVELAND 138 SANTA CRUZ 116 STOCKTON 123 SIOUX FALLS 121 OT RIO GRANDE VALLEY 128 SALT LAKE CITY 101 SOUTH BAY 125 IOWA 106 ================================================================== NHL SCORES LOS ANGELES 3 NY ISLANDERS 2 ST. LOUIS 3 EDMONTON 2 OT ================================================================== MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ATLANTA 7 NY YANKEES 6 PHILADELPHIA 11 BALTIMORE 8 BOSTON 7 TAMPA BAY 6 TORONTO 6 MINNESOTA 1 SAN DIEGO 13 LAS VEGAS 9 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 4 CHICAGO CUBS 2 LAS VEGAS 13 MILWAUKEE 4 LA ANGELS 5 CLEVELAND 2 TEXAS 9 COLORADO 4 PITTSBURGH 7 DETROIT 5 NY METS 8 WASHINGTON 3 ST. LOUIS 5 HOUSTON 4 MIAMI 1 NY METS 0 CINCINNATI 6 SAN FRANCISCO 1 ARIZONA 11 KANSAS CITY 5 CINCINNATI 1 SAN FRANCISCO 0 LA DODGERS 10 SEATTLE 7 ================================================================== WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC SCORES UNITED STATES 5 CANADA 3 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 10 KOREA 0 ================================================================= WOMEN’S PRO VOLLEYBALL SCORES GRAND RAPIDS 3 ATLANTA 1 ================================================================== MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER NO MATCHES SCHEDULED ================================================================= NATIONAL SPORTS NEWS RELEASES MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL BIG TEN TOURNAMENT ROUNDUP: UCLA GETS BIG WIN, BUT TYLER BILODEAU HURT Donovan Dent had 23 points and 12 assists and Trent Perry scored 22 points to boost UCLA to an 88-84 victory against No. 8 Michigan State in a Big Ten tournament quarterfinal Friday in Chicago. The sixth-seeded Bruins (23-10) advanced to face No. 7 seed Purdue in a semifinal on Saturday. UCLA held off a late challenge from third-seeded Michigan State while playing short-handed. Bruins starting forward Tyler Bilodeau scored five points in 10 minutes before leaving the game with an injured right leg late in the first half. Jeremy Fears Jr. paced Michigan State (25-7) with 21 points and 13 assists. After trailing by 15 points with 15:11 remaining, the Spartans pulled within two when Kur Teng drilled a 3-pointer with 43 seconds left. But UCLA scored eight of the final 14 points to seal the victory, including four Perry free throws over the final 12 seconds. No. 18 Purdue 74, No. 11 Nebraska 48 Fletcher Loyer had 19 points and seventh-seeded Purdue led for all but 27 seconds to top the second-seeded Cornhuskers and advance to its date with UCLA. Loyer (four) and C.J. Cox combined for seven of Purdue’s 10 made 3-pointers. Oscar Cluff added 12 points and nine rebounds and Braden Smith dished out 10 assists for the Boilermakers (25-8). Smith trails Bobby Hurley by 21 for the NCAA career assists record. Nebraska (26-6) got 15 points from Pryce Sandfort and 11 from Rienk Mast, but the 11th-ranked Cornhuskers were only 10 of 31 from 3-point range, contributing to 39.3% shooting, and took only nine free throws while getting outrebounded by eight (37-29). No. 3 Michigan 71, Ohio State 67 Four Michigan players scored in double figures and the top-seeded Wolverines advanced to the semifinals by slipping past the eighth-seeded Buckeyes. Aday Mara scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Wolverines (30-2), who will play fifth-seeded and 23rd-ranked Wisconsin in a Saturday semifinal. Elliot Cadeau added 15 points and seven assists while Trey McKenney came off the bench to tally 12 points. Bruce Thornton scored a game-high 22 points for the Buckeyes (21-12), while Devin Royal added 13 points and 11 rebounds. John Mobley Jr. had 12 points as Ohio State shot just 37.9% (22 of 58) from the floor. No. 23 Wisconsin 91, No. 9 Illinois 88 (OT) Overtime was too much for Illinois for the fourth time this season, as the Fighting Illini fell to the Badgers in the quarterfinals. Wisconsin guards Nick Boyd and John Blackwell combined for 69 points and made 21 of 22 foul shots to rally the fifth-seeded Badgers (24-9) for their second OT win over fourth-seeded Illinois (24-8) in a month. The Badgers beat top-seeded Michigan — their semifinal opponent — 91-88 on Jan. 10, the only loss Michigan suffered in conference play. Illinois freshman Keaton Wagler had 19 points but missed a 3-pointer off the back iron at the buzzer. David Mirkovic added 19 for the Illini, who fell to 0-4 in overtime games this season. SEC TOURNAMENT ROUNDUP: OLE MISS NIPS ALABAMA FOR 3RD STRAIGHT UPSET AJ Storr scored 17 points, Ilias Kamardine had 14 of his 16 points in the second half and 15th-seeded Ole Miss still has never trailed in the Southeastern Conference tournament after an 80-79 victory over second-seeded Alabama in the quarterfinals in Nashville on Friday. Malik Dia added 14 points and Patton Pinkins added 13 for the Rebels (15-19), who saw a 13-point lead with 13 minutes remaining dwindle to one before holding off the Crimson Tide. It was the Rebels’ second consecutive close call, as they lost all but two points of a 23-point lead in a 76-72 second-round win over Georgia. Next up, Ole Miss will face third-seeded and 17th-ranked Arkansas in the semifinals. Labaron Philon Jr. scored 28 points and made five 3-pointers, Aden Holloway scored 18 and Aiden Sherrell added 14 for the No. 15 Crimson Tide (23-9), who had won nine of 10. No. 4 Florida 71, Kentucky 63 Alex Condon collected 22 points and 10 rebounds as the Gators recorded a wire-to-wire win over the Wildcats. Xaivian Lee chipped in with 11 points, six assists and three steals for the top-seeded Gators (26-6), who outrebounded Kentucky 50-29 and held the ninth-seeded Wildcats to 35.6% shooting despite 18 fastbreak points. The Gators will meet fourth-seeded and 22nd-ranked Vanderbilt in the semifinals Saturday. Former Gator Denzel Aberdeen led Kentucky (21-13) with 17 points and three assists. Kentucky’s leading scorer, Otega Oweh, had just 10 points on 5-of-18 shooting, while its best 3-point shooter, Collin Chandler, was just 1 of 3 from distance and fouled out with six points. No. 15 Arkansas 82, Oklahoma 79 Darius Acuff Jr. hit five 3-pointers, including a key trey down the stretch, en route to 37 points as the third-seeded Razorbacks held off the 11th-seeded Sooners. Trevon Brazile had 12 points and 11 rebounds for Arkansas, which has won eight of its past 10 games. Acuff made 1 of 2 free throws with 10 seconds left before Oklahoma’s Nijel Pack missed a long 3-point attempts in the waning moments. Pack scored 19 points, Derrion Reid and Davis each totaled 17 and Mohamed Wague added 13 for the Sooners (19-15), who had won six in a row. No. 22 Vanderbilt 75, No. 25 Tennessee 68 Duke Miles scored 30 points and Tyler Tanner added 19, leading the fourth-seeded Commodores to a win over the fifth-seeded Volunteers. Both guards grabbed six rebounds, while Miles added five assists and three steals and Tanner had four assists. Miles shot 11 of 14 from the floor and made 4 of 5 3-point attempts for Vanderbilt (25-7), which beat its in-state rival for the second time in seven days. Ja’Kobi Gillespie paced Tennessee (22-11) with 21 points and four assists, while Nate Ament and J.P. Estrella added 12 points each. Ament, who scored 27 against Auburn on Thursday in his return from a leg injury, grabbed 11 rebounds but shot 1 of 13 from the field. THE NCAA IS WARNING SCHOOLS ABOUT TRAVEL ISSUES AHEAD OF MARCH MADNESS. IT’S NOT THE FIRST TIME PITTSBURGH (AP) — Atlantic 10 commissioner Bernadette McGlade skimmed through the 12-page memo the NCAA sent out last month that highlighted potential travel issues ahead of the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments and couldn’t help but feel a bit of deja vu. McGlade spent time on both the men’s and women’s selection committees earlier in her career, including a stint as the tournament director for women’s March Madness. What she read in that memo was nothing new. “We had the same conversations, ‘Oh, these charters are hired (away). We might not be able to travel all the teams the way we want to travel,’” McGlade said Friday ahead of the A-10 quarterfinals at PPG Paints Arena. “It is a very real reality.” One that, through the years, has avoided any sort of real nightmare scenario. The NCAA is hoping to do the same this time around, even if the headwinds working against them might be a little stronger than they’ve been in the past. The ongoing partial government shutdown that is forcing some federal airport employees to work without getting paid — leading to massive lines at security checkpoints in some places — the conflict in the Middle East that is spiking energy prices and the typical uptick in demand when the weather gets warmer are a potential tinderbox that could make the Madness in March Madness bleed into new territory. “We certainly understand that there are pressures on the system, but we hope they’re not going to be too disruptive and really impact people’s experiences. We’ll do everything we can to mitigate that,” men’s committee chair Keith Gill said Wednesday. “One of the things that I’ve heard is ICE is taking up a lot of charter planes. I think the charter market is just demonstrably different than it has been.” The number of deportation flights carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have hit record highs during President Donald Trump’s second administration and while it wasn’t an issue last March, it might be now. The NCAA is trying to take a “business as usual” approach, stressing this week it will not let outside factors play a role in determining the seeding but added that priority will be given to teams that have success in their respective conference tournaments. With host sites for the opening weekend stretching from Buffalo to San Diego in the men’s bracket, the math could still get a little complicated. (The on-campus sites for the women’s field won’t be determined until the bracket is released on Sunday). The NCAA has specific parameters on how teams get to their venues. Any team that has to travel at least 400 miles during the opening weekend is eligible to take a flight chartered by the NCAA. That drops to 350 miles for the regional finals and the Final Four. Schools that are closer than those parameters can receive up to $1,500 per day for ground transportation. Teams from one-bid leagues that figure to be lower seeds may have to bear more of a travel burden than higher seeds, who can sometimes — but not always — play much closer to home. Wright State athletic director Joylynn Brown said the travel logistics are “something to think about” but added that it isn’t top of mind. The Raiders, who won the Horizon League title this week, play a few miles from downtown Dayton, Ohio, where the men’s tournament will get underway on Tuesday night. “If you drive, it is a little bit easier,” Brown said. “It is exciting to fly. I don’t really care where we’re going, I’m just excited that we’re going and I’m thankful, I hope that and I think that the NCAA was proactive on getting that travel set up. So, hopefully, everything will go really, really smoothly.” The visibility that the tournaments provide, particularly for lesser-known schools, is so great that they’d probably walk to get where they need to go if it came down to it. If they hop on a plane, even if they have to wait? Great. If they sit on a bus for a while? Great. “I think without hesitation, that every institution wants to see their name go up on the board on Selection Sunday,” McGlade said, later adding, “the value long-term for programs and institutions in terms of enrollment, fundraising, etc., of being selected into March Madness is so significant right now that I know there’s not anyone in the A-10 concerned about that.” That might change once the dream of reaching the tournament becomes reality, which can lead to a frantic 24-72 hours for schools as they scatter across the country in hopes of an extended stay in the dance. Any delays that may pop up are basically college basketball’s version of a first-world problem. “It’s different all of a sudden now when the teams get in you (might) start to hear some people complaining,” McGlade said. “But I don’t think there’s a hesitation (to be a part of it.).” SAINT LOUIS COACH JOSH SCHERTZ AGREES IN PRINCIPLE TO LONG-TERM CONTRACT EXTENSION PITTSBURGH (AP) — Second-year Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz has agreed in principle to a long-term contract extension, athletic director Chris May announced Friday before the Billikens’ game in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament. The Billikens (27-4) tied with Virginia Commonwealth for the A-10 regular-season championship and were the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. May locked up Schertz as the coach’s name was bandied for a number of jobs in power conferences. Saint Louis entered Friday one win away from tying its season record, and in January the Billikens made their first appearance in The Associated Press Top 25 since 2020-21. They were ranked as high as No. 18 and appeared in seven straight polls before dropping out Monday. Saint Louis hired Schertz away from Indiana State in 2024 after he led the Sycamores to their first Missouri Valley regular-season championship since 2000. The Billikens were 19-15 with an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament last season. KANSAS STATE HIRES BELMONT’S CASEY ALEXANDER AS COACH TO REPLACE THE FIRED JEROME TANG Kansas State hired longtime Belmont coach Casey Alexander to take over its basketball program on Friday, three days after losing in the Big 12 Tournament and about a month after firing coach Jerome Tang under controversial circumstances. Alexander, who led the Bruins to 166 wins and four conference titles in seven seasons, agreed to a five-year deal that will pay him $3.3 million for the upcoming season. He will receive a $50,000 base increase each year, topping out at $3.5 million in 2030-31. “I’m incredibly excited to join the team at K-State and can’t wait to get the journey started,” Alexander said. “K-State has such a rich tradition and a wildly passionate fan base and I’m grateful for the opportunity provided by (athletic director) Gene Taylor to be a part of it.” The school said a formal introductory news conference would come at a later date. ====================================================================== NFL JASON PINNOCK IS RETURNING TO THE NEW YORK GIANTS ON A 1-YEAR DEAL, AP SOURCE SAYS NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Giants are signing cornerback Jason Pinnock to a contract for next season, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the move had not been announced. Pinnock, who turns 27 one June 30, returns to a familiar place after spending last season with the San Francisco 49ers, playing in all 17 regular-season games and starting seven. As a fifth-round pick of the Jets in 2021, Pinnock played his rookie year with them. He spent the 2022, ’23 and ’24 seasons with the Giants before departing in free agency. Pinnock coming back makes him part of a rebuilt secondary for new coach John Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson. New York also signed Greg Newsome and agreed to terms with Ar’Darius Washington, the latter of whom is one of at least four former Baltimore Ravens players following Harbaugh to his new team. “I just feel like this is an up-and-coming team,” Newsome said Friday on a video call with reporters. “We’ve got a lot of guys on that front that can rush the passer, can do a lot of great things. The secondary, we’re all pretty young, and got a lot of potential. That was something that really intrigued me.” TUA TAGOVAILOA WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE FOR THE STARTING JOB IN ATLANTA, GM SAYS Newly signed Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will have an opportunity to compete for the starting job in Atlanta, where Michael Penix Jr. is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in November, general manager Ian Cunningham said Friday. “For Tua coming in here, he knows he’s coming in to compete, just like Michael knows he’s coming in to compete. Quite frankly, not just those two at the quarterback position, but everybody’s coming in to compete,” Cunningham told reporters. ”We’re excited to have Tua, but we’re excited to have all the players that we were able to get in this free agent class.” Cunningham said he spoke with the agent for Penix before signing Tagovailoa, who was released this week by the Miami Dolphins, and new coach Kevin Stefanski talked to the young quarterback personally. “You don’t want to blindside somebody,” Cunningham said. “We want to have open conversations and communication, and we feel like we did that in regards to Michael and Tua.” Penix, who was drafted by the Falcons in 2024, threw for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions last season before going down with the season-ending torn ACL in November. He was replaced by Kirk Cousins, who was released this week. Penix is expected to be sidelined through the start of the 2026 season, giving Tagovailoa a potential opportunity to prove himself early. Tagovailoa is coming off an up-and-down six-year stint in Miami, where the Dolphins signed him to a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension after he led the league in passing yards in 2023. Miami will owe him $54 million in 2026 as a result. The following two seasons were turbulent, as the quarterback suffered his fourth documented concussion and his play regressed. He was benched for the final three games in 2025, signaling his time in Miami was over. Tagovailoa threw for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions last season. NEW RAVEN TREY HENDRICKSON IN ‘WIN-NOW WINDOW’ Trey Hendrickson is energized and excited to help the Ravens chase a championship. The sooner, the better. “I’m in a win-now window,” the veteran pass rusher said at his introductory press conference Friday in Baltimore. “My career has been phenomenal, and I’ve been blessed to meet great people and win a lot of games. This opportunity to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, get into the win column and build something from the ground up is an amazing opportunity.” The Ravens represent a third act for Hendrickson, 31, who agreed to a four-year, $112 million deal this week after five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and four with the New Orleans Saints. He brings 81 career sacks to a Baltimore defense that managed only 30 last season — only the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers had fewer. He also brings an attitude that fits the Ravens’ traditional smashmouth style. “I’m a football player,” Hendrickson said. “I like to put my hand in the dirt. I like the smell of the grass. I like my cleats sweaty when I come in from a hard training camp practice. That’s what I built my brand on.” Those remarks prompted a smile from general manager Eric DeCosta, who completed the deal with Hendrickson after a failed physical submarined the signing of Las Vegas Raiders star defensive end Maxx Crosby. DeCosta insists that the Ravens were looking at signing Hendrickson before the deal with Crosby fell apart. “What a phenomenal opportunity that would’ve been,” Hendrickson said of Crosby. “Nothing but respect for the way he carries himself on and off the field and the adversity he’s overcome. You’ve got guys in this building that I’m excited to play with, as well. That’s (what is) so special about this. It feels so defensive-minded.” Hendrickson looks forward to carrying on the tradition of defensive stars like Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed and playing with a two-time MVP quarterback in Lamar Jackson. “If you can’t get excited to play here, you have to check your pulse,” Hendrickson said. “It’s exciting to start something fresh. That was probably overdue for me.” Hendrickson led the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024 before missing 10 games last season to injury and undergoing core muscle surgery in December. “A game wrecker as a pass rusher. A game wrecker as a run defender. One of the most dominant players in the National Football League,” Ravens head coach Jesse Minter said of Hendrickson. “When we talk about being able to have a closer mentality and finish games and dominate in the fourth quarter, Trey is the epitome of that with how he’s played the last four or five years.” CB JAMEL DEAN SIGNS 3-YEAR DEAL WITH STEELERS The Pittsburgh Steelers signed cornerback Jamel Dean to a three-year contract on Friday. The team did not announce the terms, but Spotrac reported it is worth $36.75 million with $12 million guaranteed. Dean has spent all seven of his NFL seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who selected him in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The 29-year-old intercepted a career-high three passes last season, returning one 55 yards for a touchdown. In 14 games (all starts), Dean had 46 tackles, one sack, nine passes defensed and two forced fumbles. He has played in 96 career games (77 starts) with 11 interceptions (two returned for TDs), 61 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He has 359 tackles. Dean also has 10 playoff games to his credit and won Super Bowl LV with the Bucs. ==================================================================== BASEBALL REFOCUSED US REBOUNDS FROM ITALY SHOCKER, BEATS CANADA TO REACH WBC SEMIFINALS HOUSTON (AP) — The United States is heading to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic after a “different level of focus” helped this All-Star-studded team rebound from a shocking loss. The U.S. beat Canada 5-3 on Friday night for a spot in the semifinals Sunday against the Dominican Republic. The big win came after an 8-6 loss to Italy in pool play left them needing help to advance to Friday’s game. “Guys really locked in,” Yankees star Aaron Judge said. “We saw a different level of focus at our workout the other day and then even pregame today. It felt like the boys were locked and ready to go.” The loss to Italy elicited criticism of the team and particularly manager Mark DeRosa after he prematurely said on a television interview the morning of the loss to Italy that: “Our ticket’s punched to the quarterfinals.” Judge said he knows a lot of people had negative things to say about them after the Italy game, but they didn’t pay it any mind. “There’s a lot of noise that’s been going on with that,” he said. “And I think it just speaks volumes to the players in this room, the manager we’ve got, everybody, that no matter what’s being said about us, what’s going on, we still got a job to do on the field.” First baseman Bryce Harper echoed Judge’s sentiments that they didn’t worry about what outsiders were saying about the team. “People are going to have their opinion about us,” he said. “I don’t think any of them are going to be sitting at our dinner table or our Thanksgiving dinner, so it doesn’t really matter what anybody says, that’s always been my call on that kind of stuff.” The Americans did eventually punch their ticket to the quarterfinals when Italy beat Mexico to win Pool B and give the U.S. second place. Starter Logan Webb, who threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings Friday night, said the team’s path to the semifinals was not ideal but he was proud that the guys got the job done. “It kind of feels like a second chance and… I felt like it was a newfound energy today,” he said. Third baseman Alex Bregman appreciated the professionalism in the clubhouse as the team dealt with the adversity from the loss to Italy. “One of the biggest things that you see around all these great players is everyone’s present and they’re not worried about the future or the past,” he said. “They’re worried about that game, that moment, that pitch, the next pitch. And it was just a good, good response today.” Now the challenge gets even bigger as the U.S. faces a Dominican t eam that beat South Korea 10-0 Friday in seven innings to advance to the semifinals. The Americans will send reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes to the mound Sunday to contend with a roster that is also chock full of All-Stars. “I expect it to be like one of the best games of all time,” DeRosa said. Judge is thrilled that the team is heading to Miami and can’t wait for what’s waiting for the U.S. there. “The boys are excited, that’s for sure,” he said. “Definitely getting a taste for playoff atmosphere in March, definitely gets the juices flowing a little bit.” SPRING TRAINING ROUNDUP: A’S PROSPECT TOMMY WHITE DRIVES IN 7 MORE Athletics prospect Tommy White continued his tear through spring pitching, going 3-for-5 with a double, home run and seven RBIs Friday in a 13-4 blowout of the Milwaukee Brewers in Phoenix. White, a second-round pick of the Athletics in 2024, now has four home runs and 13 RBIs this spring, the latter total tied for most in the majors with teammate Tyler Soderstrom. Playing with a split squad, the A’s scored six runs off Brewers starter Kyle Harrison (0-1). The right-hander struck out four, walked one and surrendered a home run to catcher Chad Wallach. Much of the rest of the Athletics’ damage came off righty Mark Manfredi, who surrendered four runs without recording an out in the ninth inning. Lefty Gage Jump (1-1), another 2024 draft pick, got the start and pitched four shutout innings for the Athletics. Padres 13, Athletics (ss) 9 While one part of the Athletics’ was piling up 13 runs, the other was surrendering 13 as San Diego rolled in Mesa, Ariz. Marcos Castanon went 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBIs, and Clay Dungan drove in the tying and go-ahead runs for the Padres, who scored six runs and hit three home runs off Athletics starting pitcher Aaron Civale. Civale gave up nine hits and struck out three over four innings. Nick Hernandez (0-1) took the loss in relief. San Diego starter Michael King got hit hard as well, giving up six runs on seven hits over four innings. He did strike out five but also surrendered three home runs. Former Cleveland star prospect Triston McKenzie (1-1) got the win after giving up one run over two innings of relief. Phillies 11, Orioles 8 One day after hitting his first spring home run, Alec Bohm slugged a pair of two-run shots to spark Philadelphia to a home win over Baltimore in Clearwater, Fla. Bohm, who is hitting .375 with nine RBIs this spring, belted his first homer of the day to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead in the first inning, then broke a 3-3 tie with his second two-run blast in the fifth. The Orioles’ Samuel Basallo had a monster game in a losing effort, finishing 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and five RBIs. Willy Vazquez added a solo shot in the ninth. Blue Jays 6, Twins 1 Daulton Varsho belted a two-run homer and a three-run shot as part of a 3-for-3 day to carry Toronto to a road win over Minnesota in Fort Myers, Fla. Newcomer Eloy Jimenez added a solo blast while Toronto’s pitchers held Minnesota to the single run despite allowing six hits and 10 walks. The Twins went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 15 baserunners. Alan Roden collected two hits and the Twins’ lone RBI, while Matt Wallner also finished with two hits. Minnesota’s first two pitchers, Mick Abel and Zak Kent, combined to yield five runs on five hits in five innings. Red Sox 7, Rays 6 Carlos Narvaez homered and drove in three runs as part of a 14-hit attack as Boston edged visiting Tampa Bay in Fort Myers, Fla. Jason Delay broke a 6-6 tie with a seventh-inning solo shot, while newcomer Caleb Durbin and Nate Eaton collected three hits apiece. Boston starter Johan Oviedo gave up his first spring runs, yielding a pair on three hits over 3 1/3 innings. Austin Overn belted a two-run shot and Jonny DeLuca singled in a pair to lead Tampa Bay’s offense, while starter Drew Rasmussen limited Boston to one run on six hits over four solid innings. Braves 7, Yankees 6 Maurico Dubon homered in a four-run first inning, then host Atlanta held off New York’s ninth-inning comeback bid in North Port, Fla. Atlanta starter Didier Fuentes was sharp, twirling three perfect innings with five strikeouts. Kyle Farmer went 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI and Ambioris Tavarez delivered a two-hit, two-RBI day as the Braves compiled 14 hits. Garrett Martin hit a three-run homer in a four-run ninth, but it wasn’t quite enough for the Yankees. Tyler Hardman added a pair of RBIs. New acquisition Ryan Weathers endured a tough start, permitting four runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. Mets (ss) 8, Nationals 3 Nick Roselli delivered a go-ahead three-run double in the eighth inning as New York picked up a road victory over Washington in West Palm Beach, Fla. Five other Mets posted an RBI, and starter Carl Edwards Jr. blanked the Nationals over four hitless innings, allowing just one walk with four strikeouts. Dylan Crews and Nasim Nunez smacked RBI hits and Yohandy Morales lifted a sacrifice fly for Washington, which was limited to three hits. Zack Littell, who signed with the Nationals earlier this week, gave up one run on three hits in a three-inning start. Pirates 7, Tigers 5 Jhostynxon Garcia smashed a two-run home run as part of Pittsburgh’s early offensive eruption in a road victory over Detroit in Lakeland, Fla. After a scoreless first, the Pirates scored two runs in each of the next three innings to build a 6-0 lead, then held on as the Tigers chipped away. Starter Mike Clevinger pitched into the fifth, permitting a pair of runs on one hit with four walks and five strikeouts. Detroit starter Casey Mize, who has yielded 12 runs (nine earned) this spring, was touched for six runs and six hits in three-plus innings. Seven relievers limited Pittsburgh to one run. Parker Meadows’ two-run single in the fifth got the hosts on the board. Cardinals 5, Astros 4 Colton Ledbetter delivered a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift St. Louis over visiting Houston in Jupiter, Fla. Blaze Jordan and Ramon Mendoza launched back-to-back homers in the fourth for the Cardinals, who made the most of their five hits. After starter Kyle Leahy gave up four runs in four innings, the bullpen shut the Astros down. Christian Walker ripped a solo shot and scored twice as part of a 2-for-3 day for the Astros, who received a three-inning, one-run start from Kai-Wei Teng. Bryan Abreu, who will likely fill the closer role while Josh Hader is out, gave up two runs in his one-inning stint. Marlins 1, Mets 0 (ss) Christopher Morel’s seventh-inning RBI single broke a scoreless tie as Miami edged host New York in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Connor Norby finished 2-for-3 and scored on Morel’s hit, while starter Chris Paddack (three innings, one hit) and six relievers combined on a five-hit shutout. In his second spring start, the Mets’ Kodai Senga delivered three perfect innings with five strikeouts. Clay Holmes pitched five innings and gave up the eventual game-winning hit. White Sox 4, Cubs 2 Left-hander Davis Martin (2-1) struck out four and gave up one hit over four innings as the White Sox shut down the Cubs in an all-Chicago battle in Phoenix. Four White Sox pitchers struck out 13 batters in all, walking one and holding the Cubs to five singles with two unearned runs. Catcher Korey Lee was 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBIs for the White Sox. Cubs starter Riley Martin (1-1) took the loss, the lefty giving up one run on three hits with two strikeouts over two innings. Rangers 9, Rockies 4 Josh Smith had a double and home run and drove in three runs as Texas took down Colorado in Scottsdale, Ariz. Leadoff hitter Brandon Nimmo also drove in three as the Rangers scored seven in the third inning to break the game open. Colorado starter Jose Quintana was on the receiving end of much of the damage, getting touched up for five runs on four hits while striking out five but walking six to fall to 1-1. Jacob Latz overcame two first-inning runs to hold the Rockies to two runs on three hits over four innings. He struck out six and walked three in getting the win for his first decision of the spring. Angels 5, Guardians 2 Jorge Soler’s two-run home run in the fourth inning helped propel Los Angeles past Cleveland in Tempe, Ariz. Jo Adell added a homer — his third of the spring — as the Angels outscored the Guardians despite being outhit 7-5. LA lefty Grayson Rodriguez was the primary benefactor, improving to 1-2 in giving up two hits over 4 2/3 scoreless innings. He struck out five and walked four. Joey Cantillo gave up three runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings to fall to 0-2, despite striking out six. Johnathan Rodriguez and Dayan Frias had RBIs in Cleveland’s two-run sixth. Reds 6, Giants 1 Chase Burns struck out a pair over two innings to start a stellar day on the mound for Cincinnati as the Reds topped San Francisco in Scottsdale in the first of two games between these clubs. Burns (1-1) was the first of six Cincinnati pitchers in the game, as the group held the Giants to one run on seven hits with nine strikeouts to only one walk. San Francisco starter Landen Roupp (0-1) gave up two runs on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks. JJ Bleday opened the scoring with a two-run single in the first for the Reds. Tyson Lewis was the only Reds player with two hits, collecting a single and a double. Reds 1, Giants 0 The Cincinnati staff one-upped itself in the second game, shutting out San Francisco on five hits in Goodyear, Ariz. The Giants’ pitchers were up to the task, limiting the Reds to one hit — a Sal Stewart single in the first inning that drove in Elly De La Cruz. Reds starter Brady Singer (1-0) gave up three of the five hits over four innings. Five more pitchers tossed an inning each, with Hunter Parks pitching the ninth for his first save. Carson Whisenhunt (0-1) went 3 2/3 with six strikeouts and three walks to take the loss. Dodgers 10, Mariners 7 Teoscar Hernandez hit a three-run home run in the first inning and Kyle Tucker added his first homer with Los Angeles as the reigning World Series champions held off Seattle in Peoria, Ariz. James Tibbs III also homered, another three-run shot, and six Dodgers relievers held the Mariners to one run on one hit over seven innings. LA starter Landon Knack gave up three runs over two innings and Yency Almonte surrendered three more in the ninth. Colt Emerson homered in the ninth as Seattle tried to come back. Rhylan Thomas had a two-run double then scored the tying run in the second before a six-run sixth proved to be too much for the Dodgers. Diamondbacks 11, Royals 5 A.J. Vukovich and Jansel Luis homered and the Arizona bullpen turned in a stellar effort to get the win against Kansas City in Surprise, Ariz. Merrill Kelly, whom the Diamondbacks traded to Texas last season before re-signing him this offseason, gave up two runs on six hits in a 1 2/3-innings start. Arizona got to Royals starter Michael Wacha for four runs on four hits over 3 1/3 innings. Catcher Carter Jensen had two hits, two RBIs and the game’s only homer for the Royals. Noah Cameron gave up two runs on eight hits in four innings of relief for Kansas City. FOR BASEBALL’S TALLEST HITTERS, ROBO-UMPS SHOULD BRING CONSISTENCY TO A TRICKY STRIKE ZONE PHOENIX (AP) — San Francisco Giants rookie Bryce Eldridge was logged at 6-foot-7 “and some change,” he said. That was the measurement for the slugger for the major leagues’ Automated Ball-Strike System. That is one expansive strike zone — but a more defined one, at least. “I think they told me I’m the tallest guy they’ve measured, position player-wise,” Eldridge said during spring training. “So I got that going for me, at least. So I’ve got the biggest zone, the biggest ABS.” After years of testing in the minors, the robot-umpire system for reviewing ball/strike calls is going to be used in regular-season games in the majors this year. The abbreviation for the setup is ABS, but the most important letters when it comes to the change just might be S-I-Z-E — relating to the strike zone for some of the game’s tallest players. “I got a lot of respect for the umpires and what they do behind the plate,” New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said. “So I can usually pride myself in not showing them up or putting on a show or doing anything like that because they got a tough job back there. So we’ll see. I’ll find the right time to use it. If they’re pretty outrageous calls, I think I’ll use it.” The 6-foot-7 Judge, who won his third AL MVP award last year, sounded more excited about the possibilities for 6-5 teammate Giancarlo Stanton. “His whole career has been kind of getting screwed over. And also now, this kind of changes everything,” Judge said. “He’s so routine oriented to where you get a bad call, you get a good call, whatever, it’s kind of about flushing to get to the next pitch. Well, now you got 2 seconds to try to make up your mind.” Strike zones vary depending on a player’s height — starting at 53.5% of a batter’s height for the top and 27% of a batter’s height for the bottom. The top and the bottom of the zone for baseball’s biggest giants — a list that also includes 6-7 center fielder Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates and 6-6 left fielder James Wood of the Washington Nationals — have long been two difficult areas for umpires. But the ABS system provides an opportunity for a closer look. Each team has the ability to challenge two calls per game. A team retains its challenge if successful, similar to the regulations for video reviews. A team out of challenges for a game tied after nine innings would get one additional challenge in each extra inning. Only a batter, pitcher or catcher may challenge a call, signaling with the tap of a helmet or cap, and assistance from the dugout is not allowed. “Specifically with Aaron Judge, I think like his zone I think is higher than most, right? Because he’s taller,” Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly said. “So you might catch one at the knees that feels like a normal strike, but it’s low on him. So I think it’s another aspect of catchers is we’re going to have to understand who’s at the plate, what the zone is like. I mean, if it’s a smaller zone, that ball that might feel like it’s a strike at the top, it’s probably a ball.” The 21-year-old Eldridge, who got to use ABS in the minors, said he thinks it’s great for the game. “I had a situation last year where we were in the ninth and we were down by two, I want to say, and I struck out looking,” Eldridge said. “I challenged it. It was a ball, and I hit a home run like the next pitch or something to tie it. The game can change just like that with this, so it’s pretty cool.” RANGERS ADD BULLPEN DEPTH BY SIGNING JALEN BEEKS TO ONE-YEAR DEAL WORTH $1.6 MILLION SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Left-handed reliever Jalen Beeks has joined the Texas Rangers on a one-year deal worth $1.6 million. The 32-year-old Beeks went 5-3 with one save and a 3.77 ERA in 61 appearances for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season. He struck out 47 over 57 1/3 innings. He also was equally effective against left-handed and right-handed hitters. He allowed a .624 OPS against right-handers and a .611 OPS to lefties. Beeks can earn $1 million in performance bonuses for games pitched: $75,000 each for 10 and 15, $100,000 for 20, and $125,000 apiece for 25, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 65. Beeks owns a 28-18 record, 4.31 ERA and 16 saves in 263 career appearances with the Boston Red Sox (2018), Tampa Bay Rays (2019-20, 2022-23), Colorado Rockies (2024), Pittsburgh Pirates (2024) and Arizona (2025). The Rangers made room for Beeks on their 40-man roster by designating right-handed pitcher Alexis Díaz for assignment. Díaz, 29, was 1-0 with an 8.15 ERA in 18 combined appearances with the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves last season. He made an All-Star team with Cincinnati in 2023. In three Cactus League appearances with the Rangers, Díaz allowed eight earned runs over 1 2/3 innings. BREWERS’ QUINN PRIESTER EXPECTS TO MISS AT LEAST THE FIRST MONTH OF THE SEASON PHOENIX (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Quinn Priester expects to miss at least the first month of the season as he recovers from a nerve issue. Priester had been dealing with an apparent wrist problem for much of the spring. Brewers manager Pat Murphy told reporters that Priester received a diagnosis indicating it was at least partially related to thoracic outlet syndrome. The right-hander discussed with MLB.com and other reporters on Friday a potential timeline for his return. “I think in my head late April or May, but I certainly think I’m on the optimistic side — as a player, I want to be back as quick as possible,” Priester said. “Ultimately I’ll trust whatever the scheduling is there to make sure we do it right, so then we don’t run into anything else trying to rush it back.” Priester, 25, said he was relieved that he finally knew exactly what was bothering him. “I feel like we’ve kind of been dancing around what some of these issues were,” he said. “Just to have a clear path forward I think is really good.” Priester had a breakthrough season last year after the Brewers acquired him from the Boston Red Sox in early April. He went 13-3 with a 3.32 ERA in 29 appearances, including 24 starts. Priester won 12 straight decisions at one point, and the Brewers won 19 straight games (16 starts and three appearances following an opener) in which he pitched. He couldn’t get out of the first inning of a Game 3 NL Division Series loss to the Chicago Cubs but pitched four scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series. Now he will have to wait a while before getting back in a game again. “It’s a long season,” Priester said. “It’s a marathon. So get back as fast as possible –- but as smart as possible.” REDS RELIEVER CALEB FERGUSON DEALING WITH MILD OBLIQUE STRAIN GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Cincinnati Reds reliever Caleb Ferguson is dealing with an oblique strain and isn’t expected to be available for the start of the season. Reds manager Terry Francona told reporters that Ferguson has a mild right oblique strain. The Reds signed Ferguson to a one-year, $4.5 million contract in December. Ferguson, 29, made a career-high 70 appearances last season with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Seattle Mariners. He went a combined 5-4 with a 3.58 ERA with 51 strikeouts over 65 1/3 innings. He made three postseason appearances with Seattle and allowed five runs over 2 2/3 innings. Ferguson owns a combined 24-17 record with a 3.66 ERA and six saves in a career that has included stops with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2018-23), New York Yankees (2024), Houston Astros (2024), Pirates and Mariners. The news regarding Ferguson comes as the Reds already are preparing to open the season without right-hander Hunter Greene, who has an elbow injury that could cause him to miss up to four months. Greene went 7-4 with a 2.76 ERA in 19 starts last season after earning an All-Star Game appearance and finishing eighth in the Cy Young Award balloting in 2024. ==================================================================== NBA NBA ROUNDUP: JALEN BRUNSON, KNICKS HAND PACERS 12TH STRAIGHT LOSS Jalen Brunson scored 29 points and handed out nine assists on Friday to help the New York Knicks post a 101-92 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, handing the hosts their 12th straight loss. OG Anunoby added 25 points while Mitchell Robinson had 12 points and 22 rebounds for New York, which won its second straight game to finish off a 3-2 road trip. Mikal Bridges chipped in 11 points in the victory. Jarace Walker’s 18 points led Indiana, while Aaron Nesmith put up 12 and Ivica Zubac had 11. T.J. McConnell tallied 10 points for the Pacers. After taking a two-point lead late in the third quarter and carrying it into the fourth, New York opened the final quarter with five straight points, then later went on another 7-0 run when Indiana again got within two. Pistons 126, Grizzlies 110 Jalen Duren powered for 30 points and 13 rebounds and host Detroit rolled past injury-riddled Memphis. Cade Cunningham had 17 points and 15 assists, while Marcus Sasser supplied 16 points and Duncan Robinson added 14. The Pistons shot 54.3% from the field and increased their lead in the Eastern Conference to five games over second-place Boston. Javon Small’s 23 points led Memphis. Ty Jerome had 21, Cam Spencer contributed 19 and Olivier-Maxence Prosper added 17 for the Grizzlies, who have lost seven in a row and are missing six players due to injury. Cavaliers 138, Mavericks 105 Evan Mobley scored 23 of his season-high-tying 29 points in the first half and Donovan Mitchell posted 24 points and eight assists, lifting Cleveland to a win over host Dallas in the first game of a home-and-home set. James Harden had 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as the Cavaliers remained firmly in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, improving to 24-10 since Dec. 29. The teams play again Sunday in Cleveland. Rookie of the Year candidate Cooper Flagg scored 25 points and Naji Marshall had 17 points and seven rebounds for the Mavericks, who have lost nine of their last 10 and are 3-19 since Jan. 24. Ryan Nembhard had eight points and nine assists. Raptors 122, Suns 115 Brandon Ingram scored 36 points and Toronto came back to defeat visiting Phoenix. RJ Barrett added 22 points for the Raptors, who trailed by 10 early in the fourth quarter and finished the game on a 27-10 run. Immanuel Quickley scored 17 points and Scottie Barnes, a game-time decision because of illness, contributed 14 points and two blocks. Jalen Green scored 34 points for the Suns, who had a four-game winning streak end. Devin Booker added 31 points, Grayson Allen scored 15 points and Rasheer Fleming had nine points and three blocks. Rockets 107, Pelicans 105 Kevin Durant scored a team-high 32 points, Amen Thompson flirted with a triple-double and Houston survived a late rally from visiting New Orleans to claim a win. Behind Dejounte Murray, who tallied a season-high 35 points, and Zion Williamson (21 points), the Pelicans turned a 12-1 run into a 104-100 lead with 31.8 seconds remaining. But Jabari Smith Jr. drilled a corner 3-pointer for the Rockets, and the Pelicans followed with two critical turnovers that opened the door for Houston to steal the win. Trey Murphy III added 14 points, six rebounds and seven assists for the Pelicans, who turned 12 turnovers into 17 points. Thompson posted 23 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Rockets, who played without All-Star center Alperen Sengun (back). Timberwolves 127, Warriors 117 Anthony Edwards had 42 points to lead seven players in double figures as Minnesota snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over Golden State in San Francisco. Rudy Gobert scored 18 points, Jaden McDaniels added 15 and Naz Reid and Ayo Dosunmu added 12 apiece for Minnesota, which led by as many as 25 and won the season series against the Warriors 3-1. Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Kristaps Porzingis added 20 points and Gui Santos had 17 points and a career-high eight assists for Golden State, which has lost four in a row and six of eight. Clippers 119, Bulls 108 Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points and matched a franchise scoring record as Los Angeles continued its run of success in March with a victory over Chicago in Inglewood, Calif. Leonard reached 20 points for the 44th consecutive game to match Bob McAdoo’s single-season franchise mark set in 1974-75, when the team played in Buffalo. Bennedict Mathurin scored 26 as the Clippers improved to 7-1 in the month while extending their winning streak to four. Chicago’s Josh Giddey posted 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his 11th triple double of the season. With his 29th career triple-double, Giddey passed Michael Jordan’s career total. Tre Jones scored 21 points and Matas Buzelis added 18 points and 11 boards. Blazers 124, Jazz 114 Jrue Holiday recorded 25 points and eight assists and backup Scoot Henderson also scored 25 points as Portland completed a four-game series sweep of visiting Utah. Donovan Clingan registered 21 points and 15 rebounds and Deni Avdija added 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds. and Sidy Cissoko had 14 points off the bench for Portland. Trailing 38-22 with two minutes left in the first quarter, the Blazers went on a 20-0 run and never trailed again. Brice Sensabaugh made six 3-pointers for the second straight game while scoring 31 points for the Jazz, who lost for the 10th time in 12 games. Cody Williams added 19 points and seven rebounds, and Isaiah Collier had 17 points and nine assists. Utah played without Keyonte George (right hamstring), who was injured during Wednesday’s loss to the New York Knicks. ======================================================================= NHL ROBERT THOMAS TALLIES DEEP IN OT AS BLUES OVERTAKE OILERS Robert Thomas scored with nine seconds left in overtime to give the St. Louis Blues a 3-2 comeback win over the visiting Edmonton Oilers on Friday. Down 2-0 with less than eight minutes remaining in the third period, the Blues equalized on goals from Pius Suter and Cam Fowler. Thomas then added the dramatic late game-winner, depositing a well-placed wrist shot from the circle. The Blues are on a seven-game points streak (6-0-1) and are 7-1-1 since the NHL’s Olympic break. The hot stretch has revived St. Louis’ playoff chances, as the Blues sit five points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the final Western Conference playoff berth. Joel Hofer stopped 36 of 38 shots in another big performance for the Blues goalie. Hofer is 5-0-1 with a .948 save percentage in his last six starts. Fowler was the only Blues player with multiple points, as the defenseman also earned an assist on Thomas’ goal. Kasperi Kapanen and Connor McDavid scored for the Oilers, who are 4-7-1 in their past 12 games. Connor Ingram turned aside 22 of 25 shots and had an assist on McDavid’s goal. The game’s first tally didn’t come until 15:41 into the second period, when Leon Draisaitl made a tremendous backhand pass from the corner. The puck went through the slot to a wide-open Kapanen in the far circle, and the forward buried the wrist shot. Edmonton’s league-best power play was 0-for-3 on Friday, and the Blues had the higher-quality chances during an Oilers’ 5-on-4 stretch early in the third period. Colton Parayko and Alexey Toropchenko each had breakaway opportunities, but Ingram stepped up with a pair of critical saves. McDavid’s 37th goal of the season extended the Oilers’ lead 9:56 into the third period. Suter responded at the 12:22 mark, depositing a Jonatan Berggren pass from behind the net. At 16:14 of the third period, the puck went right back to Fowler after Oskar Sundqvist won a faceoff in Edmonton’s zone. Fowler’s wrist shot then beat a screened Ingram to tie the score. ANZE KOPITAR ON CUSP OF HISTORY AS KINGS HOLD OFF ISLES Anze Kopitar inched closer to the Kings’ all-time scoring record, notching the second goal in a three-goal first-period flurry that carried Los Angeles to a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders on Friday in Elmont, N.Y. Kopitar, who has spent his entire 20-year career with the Kings and plans to retire following the season, scored his 448th goal to increase his career point total to 1,306, one shy of Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne. Trevor Moore and Adrian Kempe also scored in the first for the Kings, who climbed into the second and final Western Conference wild-card spot with 69 points, one point ahead of the idle San Jose Sharks. Goalie Darcy Kuemper made 21 saves. Emil Heineman scored both goals for the Islanders, who fell short in their bid to mount their fifth comeback win from a multi-goal deficit since returning from the Olympic break. Goalie Ilya Sorokin recorded 24 saves for the Islanders, who remained tied for second in the Metropolitan Division with the Pittsburgh Penguins at 79 points apiece. The teams are also tied with the Detroit Red Wings for the top Eastern Conference wild-card spot, one point ahead of the Boston Bruins. An Islanders turnover following Bo Horvat’s faceoff win with Quinton Byfield led to Moore’s unassisted goal 3:33 into the first. Scott Mayfield collected the puck, but his shot was blocked by Moore, who surged in alone and beat Sorokin stick side. Kopitar doubled the lead with 6:53 left, when Mikey Anderson’s shot from between the blue line and the left faceoff circle caromed to Kopitar, who tucked it into the net from the right crease. Another turnover helped the Kings go ahead 3-0 with 1:32 remaining. Artemi Panarin intercepted Matthew Schaefer’s neutral zone pass and passed to Kempe, who managed to get his stick on the puck while holding Brayden Schenn with his left arm before the puck fluttered past Sorokin. Heineman began the Islanders’ comeback attempt at 10:46 of the second, The left winger, stationed in the slot, extended his stick to redirect Adam Pelech’s shot, after which the puck bounced off the right post. Heineman scored in similar fashion 3:38 into the third, when Schaefer’s shot glanced off Heineman’s stick as he was gliding back to screen Kuemper. New York outshot the Kings 11-4 in the third, which ended with Joel Edmundson blocking Schaefer’s shot just before time expired. ====================================================================== GOLF CHARLIE WOODS IN LAST PLACE, 31 SHOTS BACK AT JUNIOR INVITATIONAL Charlie Woods, the son of 15-time major champion and golf legend Tiger Woods, shot 83 (11 over) in the third round at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in Graniteville, S.C., on Friday. Woods, 17, a junior at the Benjamin School, a private school in Palm Beach Fla., will enter Saturday’s final round at 18 over — last place in a field of 36. At 13 under, Tyler Watts leads the tournament. Woods’ third round started rough with a double bogey, and he finished with a triple bogey, seven bogeys and one birdie for the day. Woods, who won the AJGA Team TaylorMade Invitational last May, committed last month to play golf at Florida State in 2027. Among past winners of the Junior Invitational are current World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (2014), Austin Eckroat (2016), Joaquin Niemann (2017) and Akshay Bhatia (2018). LUDVIG ABERG HOLES 2 EAGLES TO SURGE TO TOP OF PLAYERS LEADERBOARD PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Fueled by a blistering front nine that included two eagles, Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg charged two strokes clear of the field in the second round of The Players Championship on Friday. The 26-year-old, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour whose most recent victory came at last year’s Genesis Invitational, fired a superb 9-under-par 63 on a sun-splashed afternoon at TPC Sawgrass for a 12-under total of 132. That left him two ahead of two-time major champion Xander Schauffele, who had set the pace in the morning wave with a 7-under 65. Cameron Young was alone in third at 9 under, after carding a six-birdie 67, while Canada’s Corey Conners (67) and 2021 Players champion Justin Thomas (68) were a further stroke back at 8 under. Aberg, whose best PGA Tour finish this season was a tie for third at last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, made an electrifying start to the second round. He birdied the first, eagled the par-5 second by sinking a 15-foot putt and picked up further shots at the third and fourth. He then added another eagle at the par-5 ninth, where he chipped in from light rough just short of the green, to reach the turn at a sensational 7 under and in a tie for the lead with Schauffele. Aberg briefly moved one ahead with a two-putt birdie at the par-5 11th before slipping back with a bogey at the par-4 15th. Undaunted though, he reeled off additional birdies at the par-5 16th and the par-4 18th, where he struck his approach to eight feet, to end his day with a two-stroke advantage. World No. 2 and defending champion Rory McIlroy, looking to shrug off a back injury that led to his withdrawal from last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, experienced another day of frustration with a 1-under 71. That left him at 1 over, just one stroke inside the cut line. Top-ranked American Scottie Scheffler, bidding for a third victory at The Players Championship, was also out-of-sorts for much of the second round as he eked out a 73 to finish level with McIlroy. AGGRESSIVE XANDER SCHAUFFELE GRABS SECOND-ROUND LEAD AT THE PLAYERS PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Two-time major champion Xander Schauffele finished with a flourish, making birdies on his last two holes to charge into an early one-shot lead in the second round of The Players Championship on Friday. The world’s 10th-ranked player, who started his second round on the back nine, rolled in a 38-foot putt at the par-3 eighth and then got up and down from just in front of the green at the par-5 ninth to card a sparkling 7-under 65 at TPC Sawgrass for a 10-under total of 134. Schauffele was one shot ahead of Cameron Young, who carded a six-birdie 67. Canada’s Corey Conners, who eagled the par-5 ninth on his way to a 67, was another stroke back at 8-under. Austrian Sepp Straka (70), one of five players tied for the lead when the weather-delayed first round was completed earlier on Friday, was alone in fourth at 7-under. “It’s always easy to be aggressive from the fairway here,” said Schauffele, who hit all 14 fairways on a sun-splashed day at TPC Sawgrass. “There’s quite a few wedges if you’re able to hit it in some sort of tight spots, which we were able to do today. Might as well take advantage of the greens being just a hair softer. But I think they’re slowly firming up.” A 10-time winner on the PGA Tour, who clinched the PGA Championship and the Open Championship in 2024, Schauffele is seeking his first victory this year. “I’m definitely hitting a lot of really good golf shots,” said the 32-year-old, whose best finish this season was a runner-up spot at last month’s Pebble Beach Pro-Am. “The 2024 season was a year full of really good results, and right now I think we’re a little bit more focused on the process bit of it and trying to make sure things are sort of ironed out and in a decent spot. After that, you go and compete.” World No. 2 and defending champion Rory McIlroy, looking to shrug off a back injury that led to his withdrawal from last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, experienced another day of frustration with a 1-under 71. The native of Northern Ireland opened with a 74 on Thursday after arriving at the course on the eve of the tournament without playing a practice round. He mixed three birdies with two bogeys in the second round to reach 1-over 145 and sit just one stroke inside the projected cutline. “I wish I was further up the leaderboard,” McIlroy said after ending his round with a two-putt birdie at the par-5 ninth. “I felt like I played well enough today to be up the leaderboard, I just couldn’t get a putt to drop. I feel like I hit the ball a bit better today than I did yesterday so hopefully I’ve done enough to get into the weekend and have another two days at it.” Asked how his back was holding up, McIlroy replied: “It feels pretty much there. Not all the way there, but I feel like it’s just progressively getting better each and every day.” World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, bidding for a third victory at The Players Championship, was among the late starters on Friday after opening with an even-par 72. ======================================================================== INDIANA SPORTS TEAM RELEASES INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL GILLIARD NAMED 2026 INDIANA MISS BASKETBALL Center Grove Senior Gracyn Gilliard has been named Indiana Miss Basketball. Gilliard led the Trojans to the 2026 4A State title, and averaged 25.6 points per game on 53% shooting. Gilliard also shot 40% from beyond the arc. Gilliard received 51 votes from the state’s coaches and media, finishing ahead of Lawrence Central’s Lola Lampley (34 votes), Norwell’s Vanessa Rosswurm (24) and Valparaiso’s Lilli Barnes (10). The Davidson recruit finished her career with 1,898 points, 336 steals, 438 rebounds, and 179 assists. Her cousin is former Mr. Basketball Trayce Jackson-Davis. ===================================================================== COLTS FOOTBALL COLTS RE-SIGN TE DREW OGLETREE The Colts on Friday re-signed tight end Drew Ogletree. Ogletree has played in 44 games (20 starts) with the Colts since coming to Indianapolis as a sixth-round pick (No. 192 ovdrall) in the 2022 NFL Draft. He has 22 receptions for 283 yards with four touchdowns in his career. The 6-foot-5, 260 pound Ogletree, notably, has proven to be a physical presence in the run game. Among 60 tight ends with at least 1,000 snaps over the last three seasons, Ogletree’s 65.2 Pro Football Focus run blocking grade is sixth-highest. And when the Colts ask the 27-year-old Ogletree to stay home and block on passing dropbacks, his 82.0 Pro Football Focus pass block grade is the highest among those 60 tight ends. COLTS SIGN FREE AGENT DT DERRICK NNADI The Colts on Friday signed free agent defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi. The 6-foot-1, 317 pound Nnadi has spent all eight of his pro seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he contributed to three Super Bowl-winning teams (2019, 2022, 2023). Nnadi started and totaled four tackes in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV victory over the San Francisco 49ers, and he also started in Kansas City’s Super Bowl LVII win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Nnadi, 29, joined the Chiefs as a third-round pick (No. 75 overall) in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Florida State. Over his eight-year career, he’s only missed a total of three regular season games; he’s played 130 games (98 starts) and totaled 249 tackles, five sacks, seven tackles for a loss, one forced fumble and one interception. Nnadi will join a group of Colts defensive tackles including Adetomiwa Adebawore and Colby Wooden behind entrenched veterans DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart. COLTS RE-SIGN WR LAQUON TREADWELL The Colts on Friday re-signed wide receiver and special teams ace Laquon Treadwell. The 30-year-old Treadwell has appeared in 12 games over the past two seasons with the Colts. He initially joined the Colts in training camp prior to the 2024 season, and was brought back on the practice squad in 2024 and then 2025 before he was signed to the 53-man roster in November. Treadwell in 2025 played 36 snaps on offense and 141 snaps on special teams. While he didn’t record a reception, he did total eight special teams stops, contributing heavily on the Colts’ kickoff coverage (25.6 yards/return allowed, 13th in NFL) and punt coverage (6.3 yards/return allowed, 2nd) units. Within the Colts’ locker room, Treadwell is a highly respected player. A 2016 first-round pick who played for five other franchises (Vikings, Falcons, Jaguars, Seahawks, Ravens), Treadwell has committed to making an impact on special teams while playing into his 30s. TRACKER QB Daniel Jones: Re-signed on a two-year, $88 million deal that can be worth up to $100 million with incentives and includes more than $60 million guaranteed ($50 million in Year 1). Jones originally received the transition tag from the Colts. (Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero) WR Alec Pierce: Re-signed on a four-year, $114 million contract (maximum value of $116 million) that includes $84 million in guarantees with $60 million fully guaranteed at signing. (Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero) WR Laquon Treadwell: Re-signed on a new deal. (Team) Edge Micheal Clemons: Signed a free-agent deal. (Team) Edge Arden Key: Signed a two-year deal worth up to $20 million with $11 million guaranteed. (Ian Rapoport) DT Derrick Nnadi: Signed with the Colts. (Team) DT Colby Wooden: Acquired in a trade with the Green Bay Packers in exchange for LB Zaire Franklin. (Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero) S Jonathan Owens: Signing a one-year deal. (Mike Garafolo) K Blake Grupe: Re-signed on a one-year deal worth up to $1.4 million. (Mike Garafolo) ======================================================================= INDIANA PACERS GAME REWIND: PACERS 92, KNICKS 101 Despite playing on the second night of a back-to-back and without All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, the Pacers battled with the New York Knicks until the final buzzer on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. But in the end, the Pacers (15-52) didn’t have enough firepower to pull off the upset, as the Knicks (43-25) held on for a 101-92 victory. It was the 12th straight loss for the Blue & Gold, who not won since they took a pair of games in New York against the Knicks and Nets just before the All-Star break last month. Indiana trailed 90-88 with under three minutes to play on Friday. Knicks forward OG Anunoby knocked down a pair of free throws to make it a two-possession game with 2:42 remaining. The Pacers failed to score on their next two possessions and New York capitalized, as Mikal Bridges buried a three late in the shot clock and then Anunoby raced ahead for a layup to stretch the lead to 97-88 and essentially seal the win. Third-year forward Jarace Walker led four Pacers in double figures in the loss, tallying 18 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. Aaron Nesmith added 12 points and T.J. McConnell contributed 10 points and six assists off the bench. New Pacers center Ivica Zubac — playing in just his second game for the Blue & Gold — finished with 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting, eight rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 29 minutes. “It feels pretty good,” Zubac said about his first two games with the Pacers. “Watching the team from the sideline, it looked like it was fun, the way the guys play and the way they move the ball. Just being on the court with them, it was really fun. “Just the way everyone’s always aggressive to score every possession, everyone got a chance to touch the ball, there’s a lot of movement. It’s been a lot of fun so far.” Zubac and Nesmith shared the floor for the first time on Friday night and didn’t take long for the duo to establish some chemistry on the court. Less than five minutes into Friday’s contest, Zubac dished to a cutting Nesmith, who threw down a tomahawk slam over Bridges that brought Indiana’s bench to its feet. The Knicks surged ahead later in the opening frame with a 9-0 run. The Pacers fought back behind two threes by Obi Toppin and a pair of baskets from Zubac, but New York still maintained a 24-21 lead after the opening quarter. The visitors opened the second quarter with a 10-5 spurt before Indiana reeled off nine unanswered points to surge ahead. But the lead was short-lived, as eight straight points from Jalen Brunson — aided by a technical foul on Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle — put the Knicks back in front. New York maintained the lead up until halftime, closing the half with a 7-1 run to take a 56-45 advantage into the intermission. Zubac — who made his Pacers debut on Thursday against Phoenix after sitting out five weeks with an ankle injury — tallied nine points on 4-of-7 shooting, four rebounds, and one assist in 17 minutes of action in the first half on Friday. While Zubac and starting point guard Andrew Nembhard only played the first half on Thursday to manage their minutes on the first half of the back-to-back, both started the second half against the Knicks. The Pacers made a charge midway through the third quarter when Jay Huff connected on back-to-back triples and drew a foul on the second one. He made the ensuing free throw to complete the four-point play and cut the deficit to 66-60. Indiana continued its charge, eventually tying the game at 71 on a spinning layup by McConnell with 43.9 seconds remaining in the third. That was the first of four baskets in the final minute. Brunson answered with a bucket on the other end. Nesmith countered with a three on the other end, but Jordan Clarkson swished a three at the buzzer to put New York up 76-74 heading into the final frame. The Knicks opened the fourth quarter with five straight points via a three-point play by Anunoby and another basket from Clarkson. McConnell helped keep Indiana in it, scoring seven straight Pacers points over one stretch. Indiana pulled within two on three separate occasions, but never got over the hump. “I thought tonight was a very, very hard-fought game,” Carlisle said. “This felt like an Eastern Conference game with real meaning to it. I think both teams approached it that way. The Knicks are fighting for the second position in the East. And we’re looking to maintain a level of competitiveness and unselfishness.” Brunson led all scorers with 29 points on 11-of-25 shooting and also dished out nine assists. Anunoby added 25 points, eight boards, and five assists, while Mitchell Robinson had 12 points and 22 rebounds starting at center in place of injured All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns. The Pacers will hit the road for their next two games, playing in Milwaukee on Sunday and then visiting New York for a rematch with the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. Indiana will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host Portland on Wednesday to cap a stretch of a five games in seven nights. Inside the Numbers Walker has scored in double figures in 20 of his last 22 contests. Zubac reached double figures in his first full game as a Pacer, coming two rebounds shy of a double-double. He averaged a double-double each of the past two seasons for the Clippers. Both teams struggled from the field, with Indiana shooting 39.3 percent and New York 42 percent. The Pacers were 10-for-38 (26.3 percent) from 3-point range, while the Knicks went 8-for-28 (28.6 percent) from beyond the arc. Brunson scored 23 of his game-high 29 points in the first half. Nine of Robinson’s 22 rebounds came on the offensive glass. ====================================================================== INDY FUEL FUEL DEFEAT KOMETS 2-1 IN FINAL SECONDS OF THE GAME FISHERS– The Indy Fuel hosted the Fort Wayne Komets on Friday night to kick off their busy weekend. After going scoreless through two periods, the Fuel claimed a 2-1 victory with both goals being scored by Tyler Weiss in his first home game with the Fuel. 1ST PERIOD Jesse Tucker took the game’s first penalty at 7:21. He was called for hooking, but the Fuel killed off the minor penalty. After one period, that was the only penalty while the score remained 0-0. The Komets outshot the Fuel, 10-9 in that frame. 2ND PERIOD After a brief delay for a broken penalty box door, the puck dropped on the second period. The Fuel earned their first power play of the game after Tyson Feist took a high sticking minor penalty at 3:52. The Komets were able to kill off that penalty. Fuel captain Chris Cameron took the game’s next penalty at 6:46. He headed to the penalty box for cross checking. Fort Wayne’s Matthew Brown scored the first goal of the game at 12:21. Despite the Komets putting the pressure on, Mitchell Weeks stood strong in net and did not allow another goal in the second period. After two frames, the Komets were outshooting the Fuel, 21-11. 3RD PERIOD Austin Magera took a holding penalty at 6:46, putting the Fuel on the power play once again. It was Fuel newcomer Tyler Weiss who scored Indy’s first goal of the game at 8:04 on the power play to tie the game up. With just 12 seconds left in the game, Weiss scored his second of the night to give Indy the lead and ultimately, the win. Despite being outshot 30-16, Indy defeated Fort Wayne, 2-1. ====================================================================== INDIANA SOFTBALL PARKER LAUNCHES HOOSIERS INTO THE WIN COLUMN BLOOMINGTON, Ind. ––– Indiana picked up its 13th win by run rule this season on Friday (March 13) when it defeated Rutgers, 12-2 in five innings, at Andy Mohr Field. Indiana’s Avery Parker powered the Hoosiers to victory over Rutgers with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the fifth frame. The Hoosiers have won four in a row and are now 20-5 on the year and 3-1 in Big Ten play. GAME 1: INDIANA 12, RUTGERS 2 KEY MOMENTS • The Hoosiers went 1-2-3 at the top of the first inning with a ground out to Alex Cooper at shortstop, a strikeout by pitcher Taylor Hess and a flyball to right fielder Hannah Haberstroh. • A leadoff double by Aly VanBrandt put the Hoosiers in scoring position early. • A sac-fly to the warning track of centerfield gave VanBrandt plenty of time to find home plate and put Indiana on the board with a 1-0 lead at the end of the first frame. • Indiana’s defense worked efficiently at the top of the second inning, recording three outs in three at-bats from the Scarlet Knights. • Haberstroh stole second base, drawing a pick-off attempt from home to second by Rutgers’ backstop. The throw to second allowed pinch runner Neveah Nash to score from third base to put IU up 3-0 to end the second inning. • Senior Ellie Goins sent a no-doubter three-run homer to center field on the first pitch of the at-bat. Runs from Madalyn Strader, Josie Bird and Goins moved the Hoosiers to a 6-0 lead. • Samantha Delhoyo hit a two-run homer to center field in the top of the fifth frame. The homerun put the Scarlet Knights on the board and moved the score to 6-2. • Despite the two runs scored by Rutgers in the fifth, the Hoosiers maintained momentum. Alex Cooper grounded out to second base and advanced runners around the bags for one run batted in. After three consecutive balls, Avery Parker sent a home run deep into right center field. The three-run, walk-off homer sealed the run rule in the fifth frame of play. NOTABLES • Indiana has won four games in a row dating back to the Saturday (March 7) won over Minnesota in their Big Ten opening series. • Three Hoosiers had a multiple RBI game: VanBrandt (2), Parker (4), Goins (3). • Ellie Goins’ home run marked her first in the cream and crimson. The longball was her third of the season and Goins’ career. • Junior Taylor Hess improved her pitching record to 6-1. UP NEXT Indiana and Rutgers will face off for game two of the series on Saturday (March 14) for a 2 p.m. first pitch. ====================================================================== INDIANA BASEBALL HOOSIERS FALL LATE IN SERIES OPENER EUGENE, Ore. – Despite a great pitching performance from a trio of arms, the Indiana Baseball team (7-10, 1-3 B1G) couldn’t find a way to win the series opener on Friday (March 13) evening against Oregon. IU’s offense stalled after the fourth inning as Oregon tied the game in the sixth and took the lead in the seventh in a 3-2 victory at PK Park. The Hoosiers were just 1-for-15 with runners on base in the contest. IU moved its top two starting pitchers back a day, handing graduate student right-handed pitcher Reagan Rivera the ball on Friday evening. The veteran delivered four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit with three strikeouts. Graduate student relievers Conner Linn and Gavin Seebold (L, 1-1) gave up just three runs in the final four frames. It’s the 10th time this season that IU has allowed five-or-fewer runs. Redshirt freshman designated hitter Brayden Ricketts got the scoring started in the first inning. He doubled to dead center and scored after a pair of wild pitches. Freshman second baseman Landen Fry added to the lead in the fourth inning with an RBI single up the middle to score sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley. IU stranded runners on base in each of the final four frames without bringing them home. The tying run was left at second base in the ninth. The Hoosiers will send graduate student southpaw ace Tony Neubeck to the mound tomorrow (March 14) in hopes of evening the series in Eugene. The game will be carried on B1G+ at 5:05 p.m. ET/2:05 p.m. PT and will be streamed on the radio at iuhoosiers.com/watch. Scoring Recap Top First IU scored early in the game again. Brayden Ricketts doubled off the wall and came home on a pair of wild pitches from the Oregon starter. Indiana 1, Oregon 0 Top Fourth Landen Fry delivered a big hit, scoring Jake Hanley on an RBI single up the middle. Indiana 2, Oregon 0 Bottom Fifth Oregon answered in the fifth when a slow chopper worked its way up the middle off the bat of Ryan Cooney. Indiana 2, Oregon 1 Bottom Sixth Oregon tied the game on a mammoth home run from Maddox Molony. Indiana 2, Oregon 2 Bottom Seventh A leadoff double from Burke-Lee Mabeus and a sacrifice bunt gave Oregon a runner in scoring position with one out. Cooney provided his second RBI of the day with a sacrifice fly to center field. It proved to be the winning run. Oregon 3, Indiana 2 Top Hoosier Performers #24 Rivera, Reagan 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 K #42 Ricketts, Brayden 2-4, R, 2B #25 Fry, Landen 2-4, RBI Inside the Box Score • IU walked just four batters and committed zero errors in the defeat. • Each team had just five hits – four of Oregon’s went for extra bases while just one for IU did. • Just three players for IU had hits – Brayden Ricketts and Landen Fry each had multi-hit efforts. Notes to Know • Graduate student right-handed pitcher Reagan Rivera gave IU a nice start on Friday evening. He went four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out three batters. It’s the second time this season (vs. UCF – Feb. 21, 2026) that he’s pitched at least four innings without allowing a run. • Graduate student right-handed pitcher Gavin Seebold finally gave up his first runs of the season. Still, he limited it to just two runs over three innings. Dating back to last year, he’s made 11-consecutive appearances without allowing more than two runs. In that stretch, 10 of the 11 outings have been multiple-inning efforts. • Redshirt freshman designated hitter Brayden Ricketts and freshman second baseman Landen Fry each had a pair of base knocks in the game. Ricketts’ double in the first inning helped open the scoring while Fry produced an RBI single in the fourth. Both guys have five multi-hit efforts on the season. Up Next These two sides will play the middle game of the three-game set on Saturday (March 14) afternoon. IU is set to send veteran southpaw Tony Neubeck to the mound. Tomorrow’s game will be streamed on B1G+ and will be carried on the Indiana Sports Radio Network via IUHoosiers.com/Audio. ====================================================================== PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL #18 PURDUE ROLLS #11 NEBRASKA TO MOVE INTO BIG TEN SEMIFINALS #18 Purdue 74, #11 Nebraska 58 (Postgame Notes) 18-ranked Purdue moved into the Big Ten Tournament semifinals with a 74-58 win over No. 11-ranked and second-seeded Nebraska on Friday night at the United Center. The Boilermakers moved to 25-8 with the victory. Matt Painter now has 12, 25-win seasons at Purdue, the second most in Big Ten history behind Tom Izzo’s 16. Purdue improved to 5-4 this season against ranked teams, but is 5-0 away from Mackey Arena against ranked teams. Purdue is 13-3 on the season away from Mackey Arena, winning eight of the games by at least 10 points. The 16-point margin is Purdue’s largest in the Big Ten Tournament since a 76-59 win over Michigan in the 2016 semifinals. Purdue has not trailed in the Big Ten Tournament, winning both games over Northwestern and Nebraska wire-to-wire. Purdue is now 9-3 in the Big Ten Tournament since the 2022 event, the most wins in the tournament among all Big Ten teams (Wisconsin – 8). Purdue has reached the semifinals for the fourth time in the last five seasons. The Boilermakers will be making their 11th semifinals appearance. Purdue had 20 assists on 26 made field goals, and in two Big Ten Tournament games, Purdue has 45 assists on 56 made field goals Purdue trailed on the glass 15-14 at halftime, but outrebounded the Huskers 23-14 in the second half for a 37-29 advantage. Braden Smith dished out 10 more assists in the win over Nebraska, and now has 26 assists against five turnovers during the Big Ten Tournament. Smith has 1,055 career assists, needing 22 helpers to pass Bobby Hurley (1,076 assists) for the most in NCAA history. Smith has 44 assists in his last four games. Fletcher Loyer scored 19 points with four rebounds and two steals, making 4-of-9 from long range. Since the start of February, Loyer is 43-of-90 (.478) since the start of February from 3-point range. Oscar Cluff had 12 points and nine rebounds, going 6-of-8 from the field. Trey Kaufman-Renn had 10 points, nine rebounds and three assists in the victory. CHICAGO (AP) — Fletcher Loyer scored 19 points, Braden Smith collected 10 more assists and No. 18 Purdue beat No. 11 Nebraska 74-58 on Friday night in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. C.J. Cox and Oscar Cluff each had 12 points for the Boilermakers, and Trey Kaufman-Renn finished with 10 points and nine rebounds. Smith set a Big Ten Tournament record and matched a career high with 16 assists in an 81-68 victory over Northwestern on Thursday. The senior guard needs 22 more assists to break Bobby Hurley’s NCAA record of 1,076 assists in 140 games for Duke from 1989-93. Purdue (25-8) advanced to the Big Ten semifinals for the fourth time in the last five years, bouncing back nicely after closing the regular season with four losses in six games. It will play UCLA on Saturday. Pryce Sandford scored 15 points for Nebraska, which dropped to 6-14 all-time in the Big Ten tourney. Rienk Mast finished with 11. The Cornhuskers trailed 48-30 with 17 minutes left, and closed within 58-50 on Cale Jacobsen’s driving layup with 6:53 remaining. The Boilermakers responded with a 14-2 run, capped by Loyer’s 3 and a dunk by Cluff with 3:26 to go. Cox also connected from long range during the decisive stretch. Purdue beat Nebraska 80-77 in overtime in their regular-season meeting on Feb. 10. Kaufman-Renn grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds in the victory, helping the Boilermakers to a 54-37 advantage on the glass. Purdue enjoyed a 37-29 rebounding advantage this time around, and outscored Nebraska 26-18 in the paint. ====================================================================== PURDUE SOFTBALL BOILERS TAKE DOWN BUCKEYES IN SLUGFEST WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Boilers defeated Ohio State 12-6 in a slugfest at Bittinger Stadium on Friday night, moving to 1-0 in Big Ten Conference play and 20-6 on the season. Purdue had 12 hits while scoring 12 runs to take down the Buckeyes in game one of the three-game series. The last time Purdue defeated Ohio State was during the Big Ten Tournament in 2025, upsetting the No. 21 ranked team in the country at the time. BOILER BITS Offensive Highlights Moriah Polar: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, 2B, 3 R Anna Moore: 3-for-3, 2 RBI, 3 R Khloe Banks: 2-for-4, 2B, 2 R Delaney Reefe: 2-for-4, 3 RBI, 2B Pitching Breakdown Julia Gossett: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 11 BF Brianna Fontenot: (W, 7-3) 5.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 23 BF The Buckeye bats began hot, starting the game with a home run over the left field wall before Gossett worked her way back, striking out one and forcing a double play. In the bottom of the inning, Moriah Polar, the new national hits leader, continued her streak, beating out an infield single. Anna Moore, the reigning freshman of the week, followed with a walk. An error from Ohio State loaded the bases for Bella Douglas who was hit by a pitch to force in the tying run. Delaney Reefe took the lead for the Boilers on a two-RBI double, but Douglas was thrown out on the relay at the plate to end the first. The Hawkeyes tied it back up in the top of the third on the back of two solo homers, forcing the pitching change from the Boilers, bringing in freshman Bri Fontenot. In the bottom of the inning, the Boilers retook the lead, plating two runs on a single up the middle from Haley Painter. Painter’s single scored Polar and Moore, who got aboard earlier in the inning on back-to-back singles, including Polar’s 50th hit of the season. Relief pitcher, Fontenot, stood tall in the top of the fourth, striking out her second batter of the game, and keeping the Buckeyes off of the basepaths. Ashlynn Campbell started Purdue in the bottom of the fourth with a single through the right side, followed by another from Khloe Banks. With two on base, Polar came to the plate, earning her third hit of the day, a two-RBI double to center which brought Purdue out to a 7-3 lead. The Boilers added one more to the inning, on an infield single Moore beat out and an errant throw from the Buckeyes, which brought Polar around. Other than a solo homer from the Buckeyes in the top of the fifth, the inning was quiet, with the Boilers going down in order. The Purdue bats exploded in the bottom of the sixth, plating four runs on three hits and one Ohio State error. Banks led off the inning with a double up the middle before scoring on another RBI single from Moore. An RBI fielder’s choice from Bella Douglas plated the second run of the inning before Moore came around to score on another errant throw from Ohio State. Julia Gossett picked up an RBI on a sacrifice fly to center, and Reefe came through again, sending another RBI single up the middle to score the fourth run of the inning. The Buckeyes fought back in the top of the seventh, plating one run, but Fontenot shut down the threat, earning her first-career conference victory and moving to 7-3 on the season. For updates on Purdue Softball, follow the Boilermakers on Twitter (@PurdueSoftball), Instagram (@purduesoftball), and Facebook (Purdue Softball). ====================================================================== PURDUE BASEBALL 5 HOMERS POWER PURDUE’S 14 UNANSWERED RUNS IN WIN AT UMD COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Dylan Drake connected for a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning, the most significant of Purdue Baseball’s five homers as the Boilermakers reeled off 14 unanswered runs to defeat Maryland 16-5 Friday. Purdue (11-5, 2-2 Big Ten) overcame a 4-2 deficit entering the fifth inning, blowing the game open with a snowman (8-spot) on the scoreboard in the top of the ninth. Brandon Rogers, Ross Highfill, Ali Banks and Sam Flores joined Drake as Boilermakers to go deep. Highfill led off the top of the seventh with a game-tying blast to center field. Banks, Drake and Highfill all hit their first homers for Purdue. Flores went deep for the third game in a row and for the fourth time in the last five games. The Boilermakers blasted a Maryland (10-7, 0-1 Big Ten) team that was 5-0 at home entering the night, scoring a combined 77 runs in those five games. Purdue starter Cole Van Assen retired the final seven batters he faced during his third trip through the UMD lineup, working a season-high six innings of four-run ball on a night in which the wind was blowing out to left field. Thomas Howard impressed again as the first Boilermaker out of the bullpen, retiring six of the seven batters he faced. He likely would have had an opportunity to close out the win, but Purdue opted not to send him back to the mound after batting for more than 30 minutes as part of its eight-run ninth inning. FRIDAY NOTABLES • The Boilermakers hit five home runs for the first time since tying the program record with six in an April 2024 win at Northwestern. Five different Purdue players also homered in that victory. It was the program’s third five-homer game during head coach Greg Goff’s tenure (2020-present). • Dylan Drake connected for the Boilers’ second grand slam of the season. Jake Parr (May 2021) was the last Purdue player whose first home run was a grand slam. • Drake hit the grand slam off UMD’s top relief pitcher, Logan Hastings. Entering the night, the righthander had conceded just two runs on 10 hits in 18 2/3 innings this season. He had not surrendered a home run. • Purdue has scored 33 runs over the last two games, its most in consecutive games since racking up 34 in home wins vs. Michigan State (21-1) and Ball State (13-3) in April 2024. • The Boilermakers have scored at least four runs in a frame five times over the last two games, accounting for 27 of the 33 runs as part of the extended rallies. They have posted big innings featuring eight, six, five and four (twice) runs. The eight-run inning was Purdue’s most prolific since also posting a snowman on the board in a home win vs. Ball State in May of last season. • Purdue improved to 4-1 on Fridays at Maryland in its five trips to College Park since UMD joined the Big Ten in time for the 2014-15 school year. STREAKS EXTENDED • Brandon Rogers: 10-game on-base; 9-game on-base in Big Ten play (since April 27, 2025) • Aaron Manias: 7-game on-base Flores and Rogers both delivered an RBI double in their first at-bats of the night, helping Purdue score in the first two innings. Flores finished the night 3-for-5 with three RBI and Rogers was 2-for-4 with three RBI, scoring a combined four runs. Banks and Flores both went deep in the eight-run ninth inning. Rogers made a diving catch in center field to end the third inning and led off the top of the fifth with his first home run of the season. Aaron Manias drew a leadoff walk in the eighth inning to help set the stage for Drake’s grand slam. Flores followed with a single and CJ Richmond battled back from a 1-2 count to draw a walk to load the bases. Hastings left a breaking ball up in the zone and Drake hit it over the batter’s eye in center field. Van Assen, Howard and Noah Filer teamed up to keep UMD without a hit for 17 consecutive plate appearances from the final out of the fourth inning until a two-out RBI single in the ninth snapped the streak. Van Assen and Howard retired 11 straight batters during that stretch. The 2-3-4-5 portion of the Terps’ lineup was a combined 0-for-13 with three walks (all to 3-hole hitter Ryan Costello) and an RBI groundout. Howard has surrendered only seven hits over 13 1/3 innings of one-run ball in his six relief appearances. The lone run came on a solo homer in last week’s 2-1 victory vs. Oregon. The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. ===================================================================== NOTRE DAME SWIMMING AND DIVING THREE DIVIERS QUALIFY FOR NCAA’S YPSILANTI, Mich. — After three days of competition at Zone C Championships on the campus of Eastern Michigan, three Irish divers have qualified for the 2026 NCAA Championships — Grace Courtney, Daniel Knapp and Ben Nguyen. All three student-athletes are seniors. Courtney, who qualified for NCAA Championships as a sophomore and junior as well, will compete in the 3-meter at the meet after finishing sixth this weekend with a score of 621.05. After electing not to compete last season, Knapp has qualified for his third NCAA Championships as well; he went to the meet in 2023 and 2024. He placed second this weekend in the 3-meter with a score of 760.80. Like Courtney, Nguyen qualified for NCAA Championships the last two seasons and will return this season in the platform after finishing sixth in Ypsilanti with a score of 670.00. He is the school record holder in the event as well. The 2026 Women’s NCAA Championships will take place March 18-21 in Atlanta at the McAuley Aquatic Center on the campus of Georgia Tech. Carli Cronk (200 fly, 400 IM), Emily Hamill (100 back, 200 back) and Lainey Mullins (200 fly) qualified for the meet on the swimming side in individual events, and Becky Rentz and Hollie Widdows will join them for relays. The men’s meet will also be at the McAuley Aquatic Center and will be the following week, March 25-28. Tommy Janton (100 back, 200 back), Jeremy Kelly (200 IM) and Marcus Reyes-Gentry (100 back) qualified in individual events. ==================================================================== NOTRE DAME BASEBALL TEN-RUN INNING PROPELS IRISH PAST CARDINALS LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Down 6-0 in the third inning, the Notre Dame baseball team outscored Louisville 14-5 to take a 14-11 win at Jim Patterson Stadium to open the weekend. Louisville plated a run in the bottom of the first inning for a quick lead, but Jack Radel needed just eight pitches to retire the side in order in the bottom of the second. The Cardinals, however, pushed five runs across in the bottom of the third to gain a 6-0 advantage. The Irish offense erupted in the top of the fourth. Davis Johnson, Mason Barth and Jamie Zee led off the fourth with consecutive singles, and Drew Berkland got the Irish on the scoreboard with a nine-pitch walk to drive in Johnson. Noah Coy then lofted a grand slam just beyond the right field fence to get the Irish right back in the mix to make it 6-5. The rally continued as Mark Quatrani and Bino Watters each drew a walk, and Parker Brzustewicz was hit by a pitch to load the bases again. Jayce Lee was hit by a pitch, and Quatrani came in to score to knot the game up at 6-6. Davis Johnson then crushed the second pitch of his at-bat over the right field fence for the second grand slam of the inning as the Irish scored 10 runs without an out being recorded in the fourth. Louisville had a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 10-8 game as the fourth inning took nearly an hour to complete at Jim Patterson Stadium. Will Jaisle struck out a pair, and Parker Brzustewicz made a strong pick on a throw in the bottom of the fifth as the Irish forced the Cardinals into stranding a pair of runners on base. Jayce Lee and Davis Johnson drew walks to start the sixth inning, and Jamie Zee drew a one-out walk to load the bases. Drew Berkland punched a grounder the other way to use the ground out to drive in Lee for an 11-8 lead. Lee then drew a two-out walk in the top of the seventh, and Davis Johnson ripped a double to right field as Lee came around to score for a 12-8 Irish advantage. Eli Thurmond capped off a one-two-three bottom of the seventh with a strikeout to roll the game over to the eighth inning. The offense continued to provide as Notre Dame put another run on the scoreboard in the top of the eighth. Drew Berkland and Mark Quatrani each laced singles, and Bino Watters delivered a two-out opposite-side single to drive in Berkland for a 13-8 Irish lead. Jayce Lee sped around first for a one-out double in the top of the ninth for the Irish. Two batters later, Lee took full advantage of a wild pitch that took a Notre Dame bounce as the sophomore sprinted around from second to score to make it a 14-8 score. The Cardinals put three runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the ninth, but the Irish closed out the win by forcing Louisville into stranding a runner with a first-pitch ground out. In what was John P. and Catherine Murphy Head Baseball Coach Shawn Stiffler’s 100th win at the helm of the team, the Irish victory marked the first loss for Louisville in an ACC opener since joining the league in 2015. Every batter in the Irish lineup drew at least one walk in the win. Davis Johnson went 3-for-5 with a grand slam, a double, five RBI and two runs scored. Noah Coy added a grand slam on a 2-for-5 effort for his first home run of the season. Drew Berkland had a pair of hits, including a double, while scoring a pair and driving in two. Jayce Lee scored four runs, drove in one and had a double. Bino Watters tallied two hits, scored a run and drove one in for the Irish. Mason Barth and Mark Quatrani each added a hit and scored a run. Jack Radel went three complete with three strikeouts. Kellan Klosterman added a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning, and Will Jaisle picked up the win in relief after going 1.1 with two strikeouts and not allowing a hit. Eli Thurmond put up two scoreless innings with two strikeouts, and Noah Rooney closed out the final 2.0 on the bump with a pair of Ks. The Irish (11-4, 3-1 ACC) are set to face the Cardinals in game two of the series on Saturday starting at 6:00 p.m. ET. ==================================================================== NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL IRISH DROP SERIES OPENER AT NO. 19/20 STANFORD STANFORD, Calif. – The University of Notre Dame softball team fell Friday night to No. 19/20 Stanford 2-7. The Irish are now 10-16 on the year and 0-4 in ACC play. Freshman Ava Zachary extended her hitting streak to nine games and her on-base streak to 10 games after clobbering her third home run of the season in the first inning. Zachary is tied for the team lead in homers and is second on the team with 13 RBI. Mickey Winchell logged a double and a walk in this one, extending her on-base streak to 10 games. She also scored her 15th run of the season in the opening frame this evening. Notre Dame will look to bounce back in game two of the series tomorrow with first pitch at 5:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. PT on ACC Network Extra. How it happened For the fifth time in the last six games, Notre Dame scored in the first inning. With the count 2-2, Zachary hit a no-doubt two-run homer that sailed over the right field fence to score Winchell, who drew a walk to leadoff the game. The Irish led by a pair of runs before taking to the field defensively. Micaela Kastor made her 12th start of the season and threw two scoreless innings to start off her evening. The Cardinal manufactured their first run of the game in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of an Irish error to get on the board. But Notre Dame led nationally ranked Stanford 2-1 after three innings of play. The lead didn’t last long for the Irish unfortunately. Stanford put up five in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead, followed by an insurance run in the sixth to make it 7-2. After allowing the two runs in the first inning, Cardinal pitching only allowed two hits in the final six innings against Notre Dame. ==================================================================== BUTLER BASEBALL WICHITA STATE TAKES GAME TWO OF SERIES, RHOADES HOMERS IN FIFTH-CONSECUTIVE GAME WICHITA, Kan. – Butler fell to Wichita State 14-8 on Friday afternoon. With the loss, Butler moves to 4-14 on the season and the Shockers improve to 13-6. Matthew Rhoades is currently tied for second nationally in home runs with 12 this season after hitting a home run in the fourth inning. BULLDOG HIGHLIGHTS Rhoades has now homered in five-straight games and has a homer in seven of his last eight games. The junior has 12 home runs to his credit, which ranks second nationally. Danny Gavin and Gavin Gilmore each recorded a hit and a run scored. David Ayers went 1-for-4 at the dish with a double and two RBIs. Jack Zeller recorded a double, a run scored and an RBI. Connor Sackett recorded a multi-hit game, while hitting his first homer of the season and the second of his Butler career. Logan Baker tallied a hit, a run scored and an RBI. HOW IT HAPPENED Wichita State got on the board first in the bottom of the first frame as an RBI double plated a run for the Shockers. Butler was able to close out the inning, limiting the damage to one. The Shockers added three runs in the second on two hits and two walks. The home side took the 4-0 advantage into the third. The Dawgs were retired in order in the third as the Shockers held BU to one hit through the first three frames. Butler retired the Wichita State side in order in the bottom half of the frame as the deficit stood at four heading into the fourth. Rhoades put the Dawgs on the board in the fourth, belting his 12th homer of the season. Wichita State responded with a three-run inning as the home side took the 7-1 advantage into the fifth. Wichita State tacked on four more in the fifth as the Shockers took the 11-1 advantage into the sixth. Butler loaded the bases in the top of the sixth behind two walks and a single. Ayers stepped up to the dish and hit a bases-clearing double. In the ensuing at-bat, Zeller doubled, bringing home Ayers as the Dawgs cut the deficit to six. A single from Sackett put runners on the corners for BU. Logan Baker put down a bunt and a throwing error allowed him to advance to second. Sackett moved to third and Zeller scored as BU had runners on second and third with one out. Butler was unable to scratch any more runs across as the deficit stood at five heading into the bottom half of the inning. The Shockers responded with a three-run inning as the home side took the 14-6 lead into the seventh. The seventh was the first inning of the game that was scoreless for both sides. Sackett belted a solo shot in the eighth as the Dawgs looked to start a two-out rally. In the ensuing at-bat, Baker singled and Chris Lewis walked, putting two on for BU. Gavin then earned a walk to load the bases for Butler with Rhoades coming to the dish. Rhoades earned Butler’s third-consecutive walk, which brought in a run for BU. Wichita State was able to secure the third out of the inning while limiting the damage to two in the frame. Despite loading the bases in the ninth, Butler was unable to mount a comeback, dropping the contest 14-8. UP NEXT The Bulldogs will return to action tomorrow for the final two games of the series as the two sides will play a doubleheader starting at 2:05 p.m. ET. The second game is scheduled to start at 5:35 p.m. ET. A link to live stats and a live stream are available on Butlersports.com. ==================================================================== BUTLER SOFTBALL BUTLER TAKES GAME ONE AT VILLANOVA IN BIG EAST OPENER VILLANOVA, Pa. – In its first BIG EAST contest of the season, the Butler softball team defeated Villanova, 6-2, in the opening game of a three-game series. The Bulldogs (8-9, 1-0 BIG EAST) scored in the first inning and never trailed. The Wildcats (5-20, 2-2 BIG EAST) threatened multiple times, including the final two innings, but Butler’s Katie Petran and her defense withstood the pressure to produce a complete-game victory. In the first inning, with Cate Lehner on second, a Hailey Conger single put Butler on the board. The Bulldogs pushed two more across on four total bunts in their half of the inning. In the bottom half, Villanova answered with one run, but the Wildcats still trailed, 3-1. Two innings later, Nova’s Maranda Runco hit a solo home run to close the gap to just one run. In the fifth, a Paxton Law double, along with a Lehner bunt single, put two Butler runners on base. Kayla Preiss then pushed them across with a single to center field. The Butler lead was back to three. One inning later, Conger singled home Rachel Hunt, and the Bulldogs increased their lead to 6-2. Villanova loaded the bases and threatened in the bottom of the sixth, but the Butler defense held. In the final half inning, the Wildcats loaded the bases again. With one out, Runco once again stepped to the plate. This time, Petran neutralized the threat with a strikeout. An ensuing pop up ended the game. Petran (3-3) started in the circle for Butler and earned a complete-game victory. In 7.0 innings, she allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Bulldog Bits Law’s double was her first this season and the second of her career. Petran’s complete-game win was her third this season, and it was the 25th win of her career. Up Next Butler remains in Villanova for game two of the three-game BIG EAST series. Saturday’s first pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. ==================================================================== BALL STATE BASEBALL CARDINALS SCORE 17 RUNS AT BLUSTERY SHEBEK TO GET PAST EASTERN MICHIGAN MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State scored 17 runs on 18 hits Friday afternoon to earn a 17-13 decision in the first of a three-game series against Eastern Michigan at Shebek Stadium. Ball State (8-8, 3-1 MAC) won its third straight home game and third straight game in the Mid-American Conference. The Eagles (4-14, 0-4 MAC) remained winless in the MAC. Battling blustery winds in the Muncie area that measured more than 50 miles per hour, heavy gusts blew out of the ballpark to center and right field — contributing to a combined 30 runs on 33 hits by the Cardinals and Eagles. The Cardinals also were the beneficiaries of five EMU errors. Reliever John Chambers (2-3) fired 6.1 innings for Ball State and quieted the EMU bats after the fourth inning to earn his second win of the season. Both clubs traded runs in the early going, with EMU leading 2-0 in the top of the first and Ryan Muizelaar’s three-run blast to right field putting Ball State ahead in the bottom half. EMU answered with six runs in the second inning, combining three singles with a pair of Cardinals errors, and Ball State added two on an RBI grounder by Gavin Balius and a solo shot by Jacob Gillis. Eastern led 8-5 threw two innings, but the scoring continued. In the third, EMU struck for two to begin the inning. Ball State got four when the first two batters reached on errors, then Kenskey Thomas belted a two-run homer to right, and Brayden Huebner scampered home on a wild pitch. The Eagles added another pair in the fourth, for a 12-9 advantage, and kept the Cardinals off the scoreboard despite a single and hit-by-pitch to lead-off batters Muizelaar and Brett Griffiths. Ball State took control in the fifth behind Chambers, though. Responsible for the Eagles’ four runs in the third and fourth, he allowed just one hit in the fifth and two in the sixth, and kept EMU scoreless for four straight innings. EMU’s 1-2-3 seventh inning was the windy game’s only half-inning with a minimum three batters. Following EMU’s scoreless fifth, Ball State batters went to work, sending nine Cardinals to the plate and scoring four, on five hits. Muizelaar’s bases-loaded single drove in two Ball State runs and Gillis’ sacrifice fly plated another. Thomas picked up his third RBI with a single to cap Ball State’s scoring in the fifth. And after Gillis’ double drove in Balius in the sixth, Thomas’ second homer of the day — a three-run, 448-foot no-doubter to right — provided the proverbial nail in EMU’s coffin in the seventh inning to deliver a 17-12 lead. The Eagles scored their final run in the ninth. Thomas paced the Ball State hit parade with three hits and six RBI. Muizelaar added three hits and five RBI. Huebner, batting from the leadoff spot, batted 4-of=6 on the day. Gillis and Griffiths also added three hits as Ball State’s first six hitters in the lineup combined to belt all 18 hits and bat .500 for the day (18-of-36). Ball State and Eastern Michigan meet again Saturday at 1 p.m., for game two of the series. ==================================================================== BALL STATE SOFTBALL SOFTBALL DROPS MAC OPENER TO AKRON MUNCIE, Ind. – – The Ball State softball team opened Mid-American Conference play with an 18-6 setback to Akron on a blustery Friday afternoon at the Ball State Softball Stadium. While the Zips (9-16; 1-0 MAC) jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, the Cardinals (11-8; 0-1 MAC) managed to battle back and tie the score at 6-6 after three innings. The big plays in the rally came in the bottom of the third when junior shortstop Maia Pietrzak drove in two with a double to left-center field. Redshirt junior catcher Skylinn Pogue followed with an RBI single to left, tying the score. Unfortunately, Akron countered with five in the top of the fourth and never looked back. Despite the loss, Pietrzak had a strong day for the home team, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Freshman center fielder Paige Kelley also logged a pair of hits, while five other Ball State players collected one on the day. The Cardinals will look to avenge today’s setback Saturday afternoon with a 1 p.m. doubleheader with the Zips back at the Ball State softball stadium. SCORING SUMMARY: Ball State 6 – Akron 18 T1 – Akron’s Sophia Wygast opened the scoring with a three-run homer to center field (3-0) T1 – Sydney Selker drove in two more with a single to left (5-0) B1 – Senior pitcher / designated player Ella Whitney got Ball State on the board with an RBI single to center (5-1) B1 – Senior left fielder Ashlee Lovett cut the Akron lead to three with a sac fly to center (5-2) B2 – Pietrzak picked up her first RBI of the game on an RBI single up the middle (5-3) T3 – Meagan Lee pushed Akron back ahead by three with an RBI single to right center (6-3) B3 – Pietrzak drove in two more with a single to left center (6-5) B3 – Pogue tied the score with an RBI single to left (6-6) T4 – Akron regained the lead on a Selker RBI fielder’s choice, with Ball State getting the runner out at third (7-6) T4 – A pinch hit grand slam from Kenzie Gatti pushed the Zips back ahead by five (11-6) T5 – Wygast collected her fourth RBI of the game with an RBI double to center (12-6) T7 – A two-run double from Haley Glass extended the lead to eight (14-6) T7 – Selker upped her RBI total to five with a two-run blast to deep left field (16-6) T7 – Delaney Jenkinson followed with a solo blast to right (17-6) T7 – Lily Sullivan capped the scoring with a sac fly to left field (18-6) ==================================================================== INDIANA STATE BASEBALL GONZAGA POWERS PAST INDIANA STATE IN FRIDAY NIGHT SERIES OPENER TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Gonzaga connected on three home runs in a five-run fourth inning and Indiana State’s late rally behind Ryan Karst and Emil Estrella was not enough to put the Sycamores back in the game in falling 7-4 in the Friday night series opener at Bob Warn Field. The Sycamores (7-10) trailed 7-0 after the first 3.5 innings before the offense started to get into the flow of the game against Bulldog (5-11) starter Erik Hoffberg (2-2). Emil Estrella led off the bottom of the fourth getting hit by a pitch and Carter Beck followed with a double to left center as the Sycamores threatened. Caden Miller connected on an RBI sacrifice fly to right field to push the first Indiana State run on the scoreboard. Indiana State again utilized the double in the sixth inning as Eddie Alonso connected on a leadoff two-base hit inside the third base bag and down the line and Nick Sutherlin singled him home as the Sycamores continued to chip away at the lead. Ryan Karst turned in the best performance of his Indiana State career coming in relief in the fifth inning and limited Gonzaga to just one hit and one walk while striking out four to keep the Sycamores in the game. Karst retired the first nine batters he faced and induced a ground ball double play in the eighth inning, before turning the ball over to Colby Morse in the ninth. Morse worked a shutout frame pitching the Sycamores out of a bases-loaded jam to keep it a 7-2 contest. Indiana State rallied with two outs against Gonzaga reliever Garrett Gores as Eddie Alonso worked a full-count walk, before Emil Estrella launched a two-run home run over the left field wall to cut the deficit down to 7-4. That was as close as the Sycamores could get the rest of the way as Gores retired Carter Beck for the final out to secure the win. Weston Fulk had two of Indiana State’s eight hits in the contest and added a line drive double off the left field wall to pace the Sycamores. Emil Estrella drove in two RBIs and scored two runs, while Eddie Alonso added a pair of runs scored. Jack Armstrong (2-1) took the loss on the mound as the Sycamore starting pitcher went 4.0 innings allowing eight hits and seven runs (six earned), while striking out two. Bo Shinkle led the Gonzaga offense with a three-hit outing, including a double and two stolen bases. Noah Meffert, Hudson Shupe, and Ricky Sanchez all homered in the win. Erik Hoffberg recorded his second win of the season going 7.0 innings allowing six hits and two runs while striking out seven. Gores worked the final 2.0 innings allowing two hits and two runs while walking three. How They Scored Ryder Young put Gonzaga on the board in the top of the first inning as Emil Estrella misplayed his fly ball to right field, allowing Bo Shinkle to score on the play and make it a 1-0 game. Gonzaga made it 2-0 in the top of the second as Bo Shinkle singled home Hudson Shupe to double the Bulldog lead. Gonzaga plated five runs in the top of the fourth inning as Hudson Shupe and Ricky Sanchez connected on back-to-back solo home runs to right field, before Noah Meffert added a three-run shot to left center to stretch the advantage to 7-0. Indiana State took one back in the bottom of the fourth as Caden Miller connected on a sacrifice fly to right field scoring Emil Estrella to make it a 7-1 game. Nick Sutherlin helped the Sycamores capitalize on an Eddie Alonso leadoff double by connecting on an RBI single to center field in the bottom of the sixth to cut the score to 7-2. Emil Estrella put the final two runs on the board in the bottom of the ninth as the senior right fielder connected on a two-run shot over the left field wall scoring Eddie Alonso to provide the final 7-4 scoring margin. News and Notes Caden Miller ran his on-base streak to eight consecutive games after drawing a pair of walks in Friday night’s game. The first baseman added an RBI on a sacrifice fly marking the seventh game in the last eight that he’s driven in at least one run. Emil Estrella connected on his team-leading third home run of the 2026 season in the ninth inning. Weston Fulk recorded his fourth multi-hit game of his career and first since he went 4-for-5 last season against Illinois State on May 16, 2025. Ryan Karst worked a career-high 4.0 innings in relief on the mound and set a new personal-high with four strikeouts in the contest. Indiana State recorded four extra-base hits, including three doubles in the contest, extending their streak to 17 consecutive games with a double and nine consecutive games with multiple two-baggers. Up Next Indiana State hosts Gonzaga in the second game of the weekend series with first pitch in Saturday’s contest is set for 2 p.m. ET. The game will be carried on 105.5 The Legend. =================================================================== INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL KELSEY TIES PROGRAM SINGLE-GAME SCORING RECORD IN SYCAMORES’ QUARTERFINAL LOSS TO RACERS CORALVILLE, Iowa – Tierney Kelsey tied the Indiana State single-game scoring record with 46 points Friday afternoon, as the Sycamores bowed out of the MVC Tournament in a 105-88 defeat to regular season champion Murray State. Kelsey’s performance matched program legend Melanie Boeglin’s record, which had stood alone for 20 years. The sophomore guard posted the third-highest scoring game in MVC Tournament history and the third-highest scoring performance in a Division I game this season. Indiana State went back-and-forth with the regular season champions in the opening quarter, before Murray State took command in the second. The Racers built a large halftime lead by outscoring the Blue and White 31-13 in the second, but the Sycamores never backed down. Indiana State outscored Murray State 58-50 across the final 20 minutes of action, with Kelsey scoring 35 in the second half, but a valiant effort wasn’t enough to send the Sycamores to the semifinals. First Half Kennedy Claybrooks opened the Sycamores’ scoring with a layup, and Kelsey got her record-setting afternoon started with a jumper to keep pace with Murray State early on. Baskets from Flowers and Kelsey kept the Trees within a pair midway through the opening frame, with Kelsey adding another basket to keep the Sycamores on even footing. Kelsey tacked on a three-ball to keep it a one-possession game late in the period, but a 5-0 run from Murray State to close the quarter had Indiana State down 24-19 after the first. Baskets from Claybrooks and Flowers kept the Sycamores within seven early in the second quarter, before things spiraled for the Blue and White. Murray State went on a 7-0 run spanning less than 90 seconds to push its lead to double-digits, before free throws from Kelsey and Clemisha Prackett momentarily halted the Racers’ momentum. Samiyah Briggs added a transition layup for the Trees, but Murray State closed the half on a 15-2 run and led 55-30 at the intermission. Second Half Indiana State shook off its poor second quarter, with Flowers and Kelsey going to work early to cut into the Sycamore deficit. Kelsey scored six straight for the Sycamores, including a three-point play, to give the Blue and White some momentum, while Prackett tacked on five points, including an and-one, midway through the third. Jayci Allen and Prackett tacked on to the Sycamores’ tally late in the frame, while Kelsey scored the Sycamores’ last eight points in the period, including a trey and a three-point play, but Murray State maintained an 81-60 lead entering the fourth. Kelsey and Flowers opened the fourth with layups, with the former tacking on a jumper to cut the Racer lead down to 20. Allen added a basket of her own, before Murray State went on a 7-0 run to extend its lead back out to 95-68. Layups from Flowers and Kelsey midway through showed that the Sycamores weren’t quitting despite their deficit, with Kelsey catching fire down the stretch. The sophomore guard knocked down a three and tacked on another three-point play, while also dishing out an assist on a layup from Allen. Kelsey scored seven of Indiana State’s last nine points, tying the program single-game scoring record in the closing moments, but it was Murray State advancing to the semifinals in a 105-88 defeat for the Sycamores. News and Notes: Tierney Kelsey’s 46 points tied the Indiana State single-game record, are No. 3 in an NCAA Division I game this season and are No. 3 in in Valley Tournament single-game history (only Jackie Stiles had more in a game—56 3/10/2000 vs. Evansville and 47 against Drake 3/10/2001). Kelsey’s 13 free throws made and 15 attempted both tied for third in MVC Tournament history. Her 15 field goals made are tied for No. 4 in MVC Tournament history. Kelsey also pulled down a season-high seven rebounds in Friday’s game. She led the Sycamores in points (46), rebounds (seven) and assists (four) in the quarterfinal matchup. The Sycamores’ 30-point third quarter featured 18 by Kelsey and was Indiana State’s fourth 30-point quarter of the year. Kelsey also added 17 in the fourth, with 35 of her program-record 46 points coming in the second half. The 193 points scored in Friday’s game were a Valley tournament record for two teams in a game – previous was 186 by Murray State (96) vs. Drake (90) in last year’s tournament. Amerie Flowers was an efficient 7-for-9 from the field in posting her second straight tournament game in double-figures, finishing with 14 points and five rebounds. Indiana State’s 32 fouls were a Valley Tournament single-game record. Murray State’s 33 free throws made and 43 free throws attempted were both MVC Tournament records. Indiana State closed its season at 10-22 overall and 5-15 in conference play. The Sycamores more than doubled their overall (four) and conference (two) win totals from the 2024-25 campaign. Da’Naria Washington, Kennedy Claybrooks and Kayla Smith closed out their collegiate careers by drawing the starting nod for the Sycamores, with Samiyah Briggs also coming off the bench in her final collegiate game. Up Next Indiana State’s season ends at 10-22. The Sycamores more than doubled their overall and conference win totals from the 2024-25 campaign. ==================================================================== INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL JERAS HOMERS TWICE IN DOUBLEHEADER SPLIT AGAINST UIC TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Emi Jeras homered and drove in five runs in the second game of Friday’s doubleheader to lead an Indiana State offense that bounced back from an early 14-2 loss to top UIC at Price Field, 9-1. Jeras struck with a three-run home run in the first inning to set the tone for the Sycamores (14-10) in the second game. She added a two-run double in the third inning as Indiana State scored in three of the five innings played to secure the victory. Lauren Sackett (8-5) picked up the win in the circle for the Sycamores in game two, going the full 5.0 innings while allowing five hits and one run while striking out two. Sackett effectively navigated through the Flames’ lineup, keeping UIC off the board in four of her five frames. In the opening contest, UIC (12-12-1) used a nine-run third inning to propel itself to a 14-2 victory over Indiana State. UIC’s Larissa Ortiz homered and drove in three runs for the team, while adding three hits in the UIC win. Emi Jeras provided the offensive spark in game one as well, hitting a two-run home run in the fourth inning to keep the Sycamores on the scoreboard. Hannah Welch and Lauren Marsicek each added hits in the early loss. Caylee Gaytan (5-3) was charged with the loss in the opening contest. Gaytan started the game and went 2.1 innings, allowing seven runs on four hits before returning to the circle in the fifth inning to close out the frame. How They Scored – Game 1 UIC: Larissa Ortiz hit a two-run home run to left, scoring Siena Stickney (2-0). UIC: Siena Stickney reached on an error, scoring Nina Pesare (3-0). UIC: Larissa Ortiz singled to left field, scoring Sam Tourtillott (4-0). UIC: Emilia Bartholomew doubled to center field, scoring Siena Stickney and Ari O’Connell (6-0). UIC: Grace Taylor hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Larissa Ortiz (7-0). UIC: Cameran Rios singled to center field, scoring Emilia Bartholomew (8-0). UIC: Ari O’Connell doubled to right center, scoring Sam Tourtillott, Nina Pesare, and Cameran Rios (11-0). UIC: Grace Taylor homered to left field, scoring Emily Brecht (13-0). Indiana State: Emi Jeras hit a two-run home run to center field, scoring Hannah Welch (13-2). UIC: Sophie Gerochi hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Siena Stickney (14-2). How They Scored – Game 2 Indiana State: Emi Jeras homered to left, scoring Mallory Chavez and Morgan Goodrich (3-0). UIC: Cameran Rios hit a solo home run to center (3-1). Indiana State: Emi Jeras doubled to right center, scoring Hannah Welch and Mallory Chavez (5-1). Indiana State: Claire Connelly doubled to center field, scoring Emi Jeras (6-1). Indiana State: Lauren Marsicek singled to center field, scoring Bella Pusateri (7-1). Indiana State: Madison Poulson reached on an error, scoring Ireland Riley (8-1). Indiana State: Mallory Chavez walked with the bases loaded, scoring Lauren Marsicek (9-1) News and Notes Emi Jeras finished the doubleheader with two home runs, a double, and seven RBIs. Lauren Sackett earned her team-leading eighth win of the season in the game two victory. Morgan Goodrich extended her impact on the base paths, recording a stolen ball in both the first and second games. Indiana State recorded its 14th win of the season, surpassing their record from the start of the day. Up Next Indiana State and UIC close out the weekend series on Saturday at noon, with first pitch set for 12 p.m. ET at Price Field. ====================================================================== PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL MEN’S VOLLEYBALL SET FOR REMATCH AGAINST NO. 16 BUCKEYES FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball team looks to get back at No. 16 Ohio State on Saturday (March 14) at the Gates Sports Center.Game Day InformationWho: No. 16 Ohio StateWhen: Saturday, March 14 | 2 PMWhere: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports CenterWatch: ESPN+Live Stats:LinkTickets:LinkGame Notes:MIVA | Purdue Fort Wayne | Ohio State Know Your Foe No. 16 Ohio State is 9-8 on the season, 4-5 in MIVA play for seventh in the standings. Middle blocker Eliel Salva-Torres is sixth in the nation in blocks per set (1.26) during the season and leads the MIVA during association play with 1.47 a set. Setter Daniel Henwood Rodriguez averages 10.22 assists per set on the year, sixth best in the nation, and 10.45 during MIVA play, second in the association). The Buckeyes rank fifth in the nation in kills per set (12.79) and seventh for assists per set (11.95) as a team. During MIVA play, Ohio State ranks: first in blocks per set (2.63), second in points per set (16.76) and kills per set (12.74), third in assists per set (11.87) and digs per set (9.00). Libero Drew Hudson sits third during MIVA play for digs per set (2.10). Series History Ohio State leads the series history over the Mastodons with a record of 85-41, winning the last three. The Buckeyes swept the ‘Dons earlier in the season (Feb. 21). Last Time Out The Mastodons fell at No. 14 Lewis 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-21) on Thursday (March 5) evening at Neil Carey Arena. Logan Muir finished with 11 kills and seven digs. Hunter Hopkins and Carlo Huisden each had five kills. Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball team defeated No. 8 Loyola Chicago in four sets (23-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-15) on Saturday evening (March 7). Carlo Huisden and Logan Muir each finished with 10 kills in the match. Hunter Hopkins notched 31 assists and nine digs in the contest. ‘Dons This Season No. 19 Purdue Fort Wayne is 9-6 on the season, an even 4-4 in MIVA play for sixth in the standings. Purdue Fort Wayne owns wins over (RV) NJIT, No. 20 Charleston, No. 12 McKendree and No. 8 Loyola Chicago, while suffering five of their six losses to ranked opponents: No. 12 CSUN, No. 13 Lindenwood, No. 13 Ohio State, No. 10 Ball State and No. 14 Lewis. Australian setter Hunter Hopkins ranks ninth in the nation in assists per set this season, averaging 9.95 a frame. Preseason All-MIVA selection Logan Muir leads the association in points per set (4.73) and kills per set (3.88), also sitting second in service aces per set with 0.54. Blocked By Fozzy! Kaden Fosdick was selected as the MIVA’s Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday (Feb.10). The junior aided the Mastodons to a 2-0 weekend and into a four match win streak. Fosdick rejected a total of 12 attacks against Northern Kentucky (Feb. 6) and Daemen (Feb. 8) for an average of 2.00 blocks per set, best in the MIVA for the week. The Wisconsin native had seven blocks and a dig during Purdue Fort Wayne’s first MIVA victory over the Norse. Fosdick had another five blocks in the victory over the Wildcats. ‘Dons In Five Purdue Fort Wayne is 4-1 this season in five-set matches, all at home, only losing the season opener to Missouri S&T. The Mastodons have beaten (RV) NJIT, Maryville, Daemen and No. 12 McKendree in the fifth set this year. Preseason All-MIVA Logan Muir was selected for the Preseason All-MIVA Team on December 15. Muir was named to the 2025 All-MIVA Second Team following last season. The Junior led the Mastodons in points (464.5), kills (391) and service aces (41) last year. He was second in the MIVA in kills per set (4.39), aces per set (0.41) and points per set (5.19) during conference play. Muir’s 5.09 points per set ranked fifth in the nation. The California native also was 10th in the MIVA in hitting percentage with .299. Muir recorded double-digit kills in 19 of the ‘Dons’ 26 matches. He hit a career-high 23 kills in three sets at McKendree, the third most in the program’s rally scoring era. Coming Up The ‘Dons host No. 10 Ball State for a rematch on March 21. ====================================================================== EVANSVILLE BASEBALL MCCORMACK TURNS IN SEASON-BEST PERFORMANCE AS ACES DROP SERIES-OPENER AT XAVIER CINCINNATI, Ohio – Forced to dip into its bullpen early, the University of Evansville baseball team battled to give itself a chance, ultimately falling to Xavier, 7-5, in the Aces series-opener on Friday afternoon in Cincinnati, Ohio. Challenged by an early exit from starting left-handed pitcher Kenton Deverman, Evansville saw relief pitchers Owen Byberg and Chris McCormack steady the ship for the Aces. Deverman pitched just the first inning before giving way to Byberg, allowing a pair of hits in a scoreless inning of work. Byberg pitched three innings in relief allowing four earned runs, but matched a season-best with five strikeouts. In what was debatably his best performance as an Ace, McCormack pitched the final four innings of the contest, allowing just a pair of hits while tallying four strikeouts. For the Musketeers, starter Ryan Piech earned the win, allowing five runs in six innings of work, while striking-out seven. At the plate, five Aces recorded a hit in the game with sophomore Drew McConnell and freshman Ximi Baftiri leading the way with a home run and two RBI a piece. Evansville’s offense was the highlight early for the visitors with Evansville putting a run on the board in the top of the first as freshman Wyatt Pennington ripping a double down the left field line and into the corner that scored junior Reid Haire easily from second base. In the bottom half of the first inning, Deverman took the mound for the Aces and allowed two hits to the first two batters he faced, but settled in, inducing a ground-out, foul -out, and finally a fly-out to centerfield to end an eventful first frame. The offense stayed hot for the Aces in the top of the second as McConnell slapped a solo shot to left center field to lead-off the top of the second inning, lifting UE’s lead to 2-0. As the bottom of the second got set to begin, Deverman’s afternoon came to an end as the Aces went to the bullpen for Byberg. Xavier took advantage of the early move to relief pitching, plating four runs in the bottom of the second, capped by a two-run home run by Musketeer right fielder Clay Burdette that gave the home side a 4-2 lead. In the third, Byberg settled in, sitting the Xavier bats down in order, including a pair of strikeouts. The top of the fourth saw the Aces answer back off the bat of Baftiri. The third baseman clubbed a two-run shot to left field, his third homer of the season, that tied the game back at four a piece. Unfortunately for UE, the tie was short-lived as Xavier answered with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the fourth inning, utilizing a two-run double and an RBI sac fly to retake a three-run lead. The righty reliever McCormack came on to begin the bottom of the fifth on the mound for Evansville and provided the Aces with a chance to mount a comeback. After walking the first batter he faced, McCormack induced a double-play and another groundout to get out of the fifth. Evansville notched another run in the top of the sixth as redshirt sophomore Charlie Longmeier leadoff with a double to left that nearly cleared the tall fence down the line and two batters later, McConnell grounded out to first base, allowing Longmeier to score. Despite the steadiness on the mound, offensively, Evansville was able to draw no closer, sending just 10 men to the plate over the final three innings in the 7-5 loss. Evansville will resume its series with the Musketeers with a 1 PM matchup with Xavier on Saturday afternoon in Cincinnati, Ohio. ====================================================================== EVANSVILLE SOFTBALL BRUINS SWEEP FRIDAY DOUBLEHEADER NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Friday’s doubleheader saw the University of Evansville softball team drop a pair of games to Belmont. The opening game was a pitcher’s duel that saw the Bruins take a 3-0 win before the second contest saw Belmont win by a final score of 11-3. Game 1 – Belmont 3, UE 0 Belmont pitcher Maya Johnson struck out 19 batters while allowing one hit in a 3-0 win for the Bruins. Angela Valentine picked up the hit for the Purple Aces. Looking to grab the early momentum, UE put two runners on in the first as Taylor Howe and Morgan Adams both reached on a walk. A strike out ended the threat and the Bruins would score the opening run of the day in the bottom of the first. It remained a 1-0 game until the bottom of the fifth when Belmont added two more runs to chase UE starter Kate Ridgway. Reliever Sophia Otten limited the damage after entering with the bases loaded and no outs. After allowing a walk, Otten recorded the final three outs to keep it a 3-0 game. From that point on, Johnson retired the final six batters in order to secure the win. Ridgway threw four innings with three earned runs scoring. She struck out five batters. Otten threw the final two innings. Game 2 – Belmont 11, UE 3 (6 innings) Evansville scored the first run of the day before Belmont responded with seven runs in the next three innings before finishing with an 11-3 victory. Taylor Howe opened the scoring in the top half of the first. After reaching on a 1-out single, Howe scored on an infield single from Eliza Piggott. It did not take long for Belmont to counter as Lydia Vanderwoude hit a homer to lead off the bottom of the frame before they took a 2-1 lead. The Bruins added two scored in the second and three in the third to go up 7-1. Evansville scored twice in the top of the fourth to get back within four. Eliza Piggott led things off with a solo home run. Jess Willsey followed with a triple before scoring on an RBI single by Ashtyn Holbrook. Belmont countered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth and would finish the day with the 11-3 win. Piggott recorded two of UE’s six hits in the contest. Alexis Tucker made the start with nine runs, eight earned, scoring in four innings. Belmont registered 11 hits as Lizzie Ozim went 3-3 with two home runs, seven RBI, and three runs scored. UE will look to take the series finale on Saturday at 1 p.m. ====================================================================== EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ACES ADVANCE TO MVC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS WITH HISTORIC WIN OVER BELMONT CORALVILLE, Iowa – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team became the first-ever 10 seed to advance to the semifinals of the men’s or women’s MVC Basketball Tournament on Friday night, taking down 2nd-seeded Belmont 76-63. Evansville advances to Saturday’s semifinal round for the first time since 2017 and will take on 3rd-seeded Illinois State at 4 PM at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. With the win, Evansville advances to the semifinal round for the first time since 2017. The win marks Evansville’s first over Belmont since November 22, 1998. Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind./Hamilton Heights) was excellent for the Aces, scoring a game-high 24 points on 8-for-13 shooting while adding six rebounds and five assists. Runner went 6-for-7 from the free throw line, tying her program record for free throws made in a season at 206. Kylee Norkus (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) finished just shy of a double-double, scoring 11 points to go with eight rebounds. Additionally, Norkus went 8-for-10 at the charity stripe. Sydney Huber (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Mount Vernon) and Mireia Mustaros (Barcelona, Spain/Odessa College) also scored in double figures, adding 10 points apiece, while Elle Snyder (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) grabbed a team-leading nine boards. Both teams struggled offensively in the early going, with Belmont taking an 8-5 lead at the first media timeout. The defensive battled continued for the remainder of the quarter, and the Bruins took a 10-9 leading heading into the second. Belmont remained in front early in the second quarter, stretching their lead to seven with 5:54 to go in the half. However, the Aces made a run, starting with a triple by BreAunna Ward (St. Louis, Mo./John Burroughs School). From there, Runner knocked down a three and a jumper, Norkus drilled a three, and Mustaros converted an and-1 to highlight an 18-5 Aces run to end the half, giving Evansville a 34-28 lead. Coming out of halftime, Evansville continued to control the game, with a layup from Runner at 7:25 mark in the third quarter to give the Aces a 40-30 lead. Evansville got the lead up to 13 with less than a minute to go in the quarter on a triple by Huber before taking a 52-42 lead into the fourth quarter. Evansville continued to maintain a double digit lead in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, scoring on five of their first seven possessions of the quarter, punctuated by another Huber three to go up 64-50. From there, the Aces iced the game at the free throw line, going 10-for-15 down the stretch to secure the 76-63 win and punch their ticket to semifinal Saturday. Evansville will take on 3rd-seeded Illinois State on Saturday for a trip to Sunday’s MVC Championship Game. Tip-off against the Redbirds is set for 4 PM. ===================================================================== SOUTHERN INDIANA SOFTBALL USI’S COMEBACK EFFORT FALLS SHORT IN SERIES OPENER AT WESTERN ILLINOIS MACOMB, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Softball tried to rally back from an early five-run deficit in the series opener at Western Illinois University on Friday, but the Screaming Eagles’ comeback effort came up just short in a 5-3 loss. USI Softball (6-15, 3-1 OVC) suffered its first setback in conference play with Friday’s result following a conference-opening sweep last week. Meanwhile, Western Illinois (6-13, 1-2 OVC) snapped a six-game losing streak and picked up its first conference win on Friday. The host Leathernecks jumped on the scoreboard early in Friday’s series opener, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Western Illinois tacked on one more run on a home run in the bottom of the second to take a 5-0 lead. USI started its comeback effort in the top of the fourth, as freshman infielder Jadyn Tinsley led off with a double and later scored on an RBI groundout by freshman infielder Abbey Booher to make it a four-run difference. The Screaming Eagles chipped away even more with two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Following a one-out single by senior outfielder Caroline Stapleton, freshman outfielder Katelyn Marx drove Stapleton in with an RBI triple. In the next at-bat, junior infielder Sydney Long doubled to score Marx and make the score 5-3 Leathernecks. Despite USI getting runners in scoring position in the sixth and seventh innings, Western Illinois pitched its way out of the jams and kept the Eagles off the scoreboard for the rest of the game. Stapleton and Marx each had two hits to account for half of USI’s eight hits. Marx, Long, and Booher each tallied an RBI. Freshman pitcher Anna Kemp (2-6) took the loss in Friday’s start. Sophomore pitcher Kylie Witthaus came on in relief to settle things down and had a strong appearance, striking out six and allowing only two runs – one earned – in 5.2 innings of work. Western Illinois starting pitcher Libby Spaulding (4-6) tossed a complete game for the win, striking out three and giving up three runs. The Screaming Eagles and Leathernecks conclude their series on Saturday with a Noon doubleheader. Both games can be seen with an ESPN+ subscription. Additional coverage and live stat links are available on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com. ====================================================================== SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL SCREAMING EAGLES’ RALLY FALLS SHORT AT SIU CARBONDALE, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball rallied in the final frames, but lost to Southern Illinois University, 10-7, Friday evening at Itchy Jones Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. USI is 12-6 this season, while SIU goes to 7-9. The Salukis got off to a fast start in the opening game of the series, scoring five runs in the opening frame and a pair of tallies in the second for a 7-0 advantage. USI battled back by cutting the deficit to 7-2 with runs coming on singles by graduate centerfielder Khi Holiday and senior first baseman Patrick McLellan in the third. The Screaming Eagles cut the deficit further in the fourth when senior catcher Micajah Wall hit a home run to left field to make the score 7-3. SIU bounced back to re-extend the margin to seven runs, 10-3, with two tallies in the fourth and one in the sixth. USI closed the seven-run gap to three with a four-run seventh inning by manufacturing runs. The Screaming Eagles scored once on a bases-loaded walk, a wild pitch, and RBI singles by senior shortstop Clayton Slack and junior pinch hitter Evan Zapp. After leaving the bases jammed in the seventh, USI would get a runner on in the eighth and the ninth before SIU closed the door on the Screaming Eagles. At the plate, USI senior leftfielder Hunter Miller and graduate rightfielder Jesse Velders led the Screaming Eagles with two hits each. McLellan finished a team-high two RBIs. On the mound, junior right-hander Eben Hansen started and took the loss for USI. Hansen (1-1) allowed five runs on five hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning of work. Up Next for the Screaming Eagles: USI concludes the three-game series Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader in Carbondale. Saturday’s single game was converted to a doubleheader due to the forecast of inclement weather on Sunday. The Screaming Eagles are scheduled to end their five-game road swing Tuesday when they visit Bellarmine University for a 1 p.m. (CDT) single game in Louisville, Kentucky. ====================================================================== VALPO SOFTBALL BEACONS SPLIT MVC TWINBILL AT MURRAY STATE It was a pair of one-run decisions in Missouri Valley Conference play for the Valpo softball team Friday in a doubleheader at Murray State, as the Beacons took down the host Racers, 3-2, in the opener before MSU took a back-and-forth game in extra innings, 7-6, in the nightcap. Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) tied the program record for runs scored in a game in the nightcap, crossing the plate four times. How It Happened – Game One Valpo opened the scoring in the top of the third, as Kayden Krug (Milford, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) led off the frame with a single and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly from Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon). A solo homer for the Racers evened the score in the bottom of the fourth. The Beacons answered immediately in their next turn at the plate, as with two in scoring position and two outs, Rodas delivered again, driving in both with a base knock up the middle. Murray State got a runner to third with two outs in the fifth and with one out in the sixth, but both times, Valpo was able to escape without a run scoring. The Racers connected on another solo homer with one out in the seventh to cut the Beacons’ lead to one run. A subsequent double put the potential tying run in scoring position with one out, but a fly ball and a strikeout closed out the Valpo win. How It Happened – Game Two Valpo struck immediately in the top of the first, as Vrastil led off the game with a single and scored on a home run by Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead]). Vrastil crossed the plate again in the third inning, scoring on a sac fly from Rodas after leading off the inning with a single to make it 3-0 Valpo. The Racers plated three in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game. It was Vrastil and Rodas teaming up again for a run in the top of the fifth, as the latter’s single brought home the former to restore the Beacons’ lead. Murray State took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth and added another in the bottom of the sixth to carry a two-run lead into the final inning of regulation. Rodas plated Vrastil again in the top of the seventh thanks to an RBI double, and a subsequent sacrifice fly from Gallagher brought home Marissa Jackson (Willis, Mich./Huron) to tie the game at 6-6. Valpo still had a runner on second with one out in the top of the seventh, while Murray State had the same in the bottom of the seventh and the Beacons had a leadoff double from Krug in the top of the eighth, but neither team was able to take advantage of those situations. Murray State walked off in the bottom of the eighth on a single with the bases loaded and one out. Inside the Games Valpo’s win over Murray State in the opener was the first in program history, as the Beacons were 0-5 against the Racers (all of which came in series in 2023 and 2024) entering the day. The Beacons went to extra innings for the first time this season in the nightcap. Gallagher extended her on-base streak to open the season to 23 straight games, as she drew a walk in the opener before going 1-for-2 with a homer and a sac fly in the nightcap. Her 23-game on-base streak is tied for third-longest by a Valpo player in the last two decades. Gallagher’s home run in the nightcap was her team-best fourth of the year. She also tallied three RBIs in the second game of the day, her second three-RBI game of the season. Vrastil tallied four runs in the second game of the day, matching a program single-game record which had been accomplished 11 times previously. The sophomore notched multiple hits in both games, giving her ten multi-hit games on the season. She also swiped two bases in the opener, giving her 17 steals this year — tied with her output last year for tenth-best in a single season in program history. After entering the day with just three games of three RBIs or better in her collegiate career, Rodas hit the three-RBI mark in both games Friday. The senior went 2-for-3 at the plate to hit the three-RBI mark in the nightcap, her fifth multi-hit game of the year. Krug reached base three times in the opener, tallying a pair of hits as she scored two runs — her fourth multi-hit game and first multi-run game of the season. Azalya Lopez (Corona, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt [MSU Moorhead]) improved to 2-3 on the season as she tossed 3.2 innings of one-run relief in the opener. Sydney McDermott (Stout, Ohio/Portsmouth West) took the loss in relief in the nightcap, falling to 7-5. Next Up Valpo (10-13, 1-3 MVC) goes after the series victory Saturday afternoon with a single game at 1 p.m. ====================================================================== VALPO BASEBALL VALPO DROPS SERIES OPENER AT SIUE One inning plagued the Valparaiso University baseball team as a 10-run third for SIUE was the difference in a 13-3, seven-inning defeat in Friday’s series opener in Edwardsville, Ill. How It Happened Valpo struck first in the opening inning as redshirt freshman Javin Gauthier (De Pere, Wis. / De Pere) and redshirt junior Thomas Cooper (Brentwood, Tenn. / Ravenwood) had back-to-back doubles, the second of which pushed across two runs to start the scoring. Later in the inning, redshirt senior Gavin Bennett (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) stroked a two-out, run-scoring single that extended the lead to 3-0. Redshirt junior Adam Guazzo (Huntley, Ill. / Huntley) opened on the mound for the Beacons and left after two scoreless innings in which he yielded just two hits. He snagged a line drive to record the final out of the second inning, keeping Valpo in front 3-0. The third inning started with an error and a walk, then SIUE got on the board with a double that carried with the wind to right. The Cougars added two on a bloop single to right that tied the game at three. The Cougars continued to pour it on in that inning, totaling 10 runs on four hits, two errors, four walks and two hit batters. Senior Hunter Frost (Farmington, Minn. / Farmington) worked a scoreless fourth, but the Cougars added three runs in the bottom of the fifth, extending the lead to 13-3. All three runners who crossed the dish in the fifth reached via free passes, two on walks and one on an HBP. Freshman RHP Cayden Ray (Owensboro, Ky. / Owensboro) took over in the bottom of the sixth and flipped a scoreless inning. Inside the Game Gauthier led the Beacons with two hits, his fifth multi-hit game on the young season. Guazzo has logged seven scoreless innings over his last three starts. SIUE held a narrow 9-8 edge in the hit column. Free bases hurt the Beacons as Valpo walked seven, hit four batters and committed two errors. SIUE pitcher Tim Teixeira struck out eight and walked none in a seven-inning complete game. Up Next The Beacons (5-9) will continue the series at 1 p.m. on Saturday against the Cougars. Visit valpoathletics.com for a link to live stats. ==================================================================== UINDY BASEBALL HOUNDS FALL SHORT IN FRIDAY NIGHT DOUBLEHEADER BOLIVAR, Mo. — The University of Indianapolis faced off against Southwest Baptist University in a closely contested doubleheader on Friday at Dodson Field, falling 6-7 in game one, then 7-8 in game two. Austin Bode recorded his seventh home run of the season with four hits on the day. GAME 1 | UIndy 6, Southwest Baptist 7 In the first game, the Greyhounds’ offense was highlighted by two triples and six RBIs, but it was not enough to overcome Southwest Baptist’s early scoring surge. Ryker Hughes pitched 2 innings, allowing 6 hits and 5 runs, with 3 earned runs, while striking out 3 batters and issuing 3 walks. He faced 16 batters and threw a total of 61 pitches, with 34 strikes. Griffin Hallahan relieved Hughes and pitched 4 innings, giving up 5 hits and 3 earned runs, while striking out 4 and walking 1. Hallahan threw 58 pitches with 41 strikes, maintaining a WHIP of 1.50 over his outing. Indianapolis responded to an early deficit in the second inning when Bret Perry tripled to right field, driving in Austin Pokley and Gavin Duran. Perry then stole home, putting Indianapolis ahead with a 3–2 lead. However, Southwest Baptist countered with two runs in their half, reclaiming a 4–3 advantage. In the fifth inning, the visitors cut into the deficit with Austin Bode’s RBI triple that scored Garrett Rusch. Solen Munson followed with a double to drive in Bode, bringing Indianapolis within one run at 7–5. The Greyhounds made a late push in the seventh inning. Chase Mason singled and advanced on an error, allowing Rusch to score. Pokley then singled to bring home Bode, closing the gap to 8–7. Despite the effort, Southwest Baptist maintained their lead, concluding the game with a final score of 8–7. Bode contributed significantly with a triple, one hit, and two runs scored. Rusch reached base twice on walks and scored two runs. Perry added a triple and drove in two runs with his performance. Munson recorded a double and drove in a run during the game. GAME 2 | UIndy 7, Southwest Baptist 8 In the second game, the Greyhounds struck first with Austin Bode hitting a solo home run to right field in the first inning. Solen Munson walked and later scored on Chase Mason’s double to left field, giving Indianapolis an early 2–0 lead. In the third inning, Ryan Degroot walked and advanced to third on subsequent plays. Mason delivered with a single to left field, driving in Degroot and extending the lead to 3–0 through three innings. The fifth inning saw Munson hit a home run to right center. Mason doubled and later scored on a groundout by Luke Smock, adding two more runs for the Greyhounds, who led 5–1 after five innings. However, the game turned in the eighth inning when Carter Thomas pinch-hit and singled, later scoring on a double by Bode. Southwest Baptist responded with four runs in their half, including a two-RBI single by Raydley Legito and a sacrifice fly, tying the game at 6–6. Both teams went scoreless in the ninth and tenth innings, sending the game to the eleventh. In the bottom half, Southwest Baptist’s Jared Pugrad hit a double to left center, scoring Reese Ruderman and sealing a dramatic 7–6 victory for Southwest Baptist in extra innings. Bode again contributed significantly, recording three hits, including a home run and a double, while driving in two runs. Munson added two hits and a home run, scoring twice and stealing a base. Mason recorded three hits, including two doubles, and drove in two runs. Aidan Pearson pitched 6 innings, allowing one earned run and striking out five batters. UP NEXT The two squads will return to Dodson Field tomorrow for another doubleheader, with game one starting at noon. ====================================================================== UINDY WRESTLING GRAY GARNERS ALL-AMERICA HONORS, ADVANCES TO FINAL DAY OF NATIONALS SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The UIndy wrestling team entered Friday with five wrestlers in the NCAA DII National Championships, with Nathan Smith (125), Gavin Garcia (149), Michael Ortega (157), Ethan Farnell (197) and Cale Gray (285), all earning the rights to compete for the Greyhounds. Gray was the lone wrestler who advanced the second day of the NCAA DII National Championships, after going 3-1 on Friday. With his second day appearance, Cale also earned All-American status for the first time since 2022-23. This year’s edition saw wrestlers from 49 NCAA Division II schools competing in Sioux Falls, S.D. at the Denny Sanford Premier Center. HOW IT HAPPENED Gray garnered All-American status for UIndy after going 3-1 on day one. He opened his day in the championship preliminary bracket at 285, looking to earn a spot in the main draw. He used a reversal with 46 seconds left to capture the winning two points needed to earn a 4-3 decision over Nathan Coley. He dropped his next match to the No. 7 seed Luke Tweeton in a rematch of the Midwest Classic Third Place match. But unranked, Gray reeled off two straight wins over No. 15 Jake Powell via a second period pin, and a comeback win in his next match against No. 9 Tyler Doyle. Gray picked up a take down against Doyle with 16 seconds left, before getting his second take down of the match in sudden victory. He will now face the No. 5 seed Freddie Retter from Kutztown. GLVC Freshman of the Year, Farnell, ended an impressive rookie campaign on Friday. He dropped his opening match to Jackson Kinsella from Grand Valley, but bounced back sudden victory decision with a take down and two-point near fall over Caleb Moore. Farnell ended his day with a sudden victory defeat to the No. 14 seed Marvelous Rutledge. Ortega was making his first appearance for the Greyhounds at nationals and opened up his day with a win in the championship preliminary to earn his spot in the main draw. He stormed past Mike Zacur of Seton Hill via an 8-1 decision. Ortega fell behind early in his next two matches versus Brent Nicolosi and Basil Othman, and wasn’t able to recover, dropping his second and third matches to bow out in the consolation first round. Garcia was another Greyhound who saw his season come to a close today, after dropping his opening match against the No. 5 seed, Rudy Lopez from Northern State, he rebounded in the consolation preliminary bracket against Isham Peace from Lander. Garcia picked up a first period takedown and was able to hold on the rest of the way for the 3-2 win and move into the main bracket. Garcia then dropped his final match of the day to Sabian Russell from Quincy by default in the second period of the consolation first round. Smith concluded his 2026 season going 0-2 on Friday, with losses to Grand Valley’s No. 3 Jack Parker, and Western Colorado’s No. 5 Devin Gomez, both via decision. Smith wrapped up an impressive season that saw him in the top-15 of the NWCA Rankings at multiple points this season at 125, as well as earning a runner-up finish at the Super Regional IV. UP NEXT Gray will compete tomorrow at day two of nationals tomorrow, first facing off against Kutztown’s Freddie Retter. ==================================================================== UINDY WOMEN’S LAX HOUNDS COMPLETE COLORADO ROAD TRIP SWEEP AGAINST #15 REGIS DENVER, CO – The No. 3 UIndy women’s lacrosse team capped off its Colorado road trip with its third ranked win of the season against No. 15 Regis, 15-11. Three Greyhounds netted a hat trick in today’s game; Megan Gehrt, Olivia Bladon and Reese Fahlke. This is the second straight game in which Fahlke has scored a hat trick, making her only the ninth true freshman in program history to score a hat trick in back-to-back games. She joins the short list of; Cara Brown, Grace Gunneson, Jess Soenen, Julia O’Brien, Lauren Hardoy, Olivia Bladon, Quinn Malcolm, and Sydney Hauffman. The defense was all over the Rangers’ attack today, tying a season-high 11 caused turnovers, a feat the Hounds also eclipsed against Grand Valley and Tampa. UIndy has now tied the all-time series between these two teams, 4-4, and extended its win streak over the Rangers to three. It is also the first ever win for the Hounds away from home against Regis. INS & OUTS The Greyhounds set the tone early, grabbing five times in the first quarter, which is the fourth time this season UIndy has done so. Fahlke got the scoring started just 48 seconds into the game. Bladon, Elle Cimini, Gehrt, and Maggie Durkin all joined Fahlke on the stat sheet in the first quarter. UIndy pulled away in the second quarter after Bladon and Regis’ Krista Munsinger traded goals to open the period, the Greyhounds reeled off three straight goals from Fahlke, Ella Fornek, and Gehrt to take a 9-3 lead. Regis gained a little momentum headed to the break, including a free position goal with 10 seconds left to cut the lead to 9-5. But the Hounds responded accordingly, netting four consecutive to start the third quarter to push its lead out to eight, 13-5. Malaena Michielin got herself on the stat sheet with a goal and assist to bring her season total to 33 points, 24 goals and nine assists. Michielin has recorded a goal or assist in 21 straight games dating back to last season. The Rangers outscored the Hounds 6-2 the rest of the way, but Bladon and Cimini were able to put the finishing touches with two fourth quarter goals to complete UIndy’s top-15 road win, 15-11. INSIDE THE BOX – The defensive duo of Mariah Whitfield and Hollis Rang combined for six of the Hounds’ 11 caused turnovers today, and six of the team’s 15 ground balls today – Alexa Versaci had four assists today, her most in a game since she had five against Missouri Western last season. – Fornek tied her career high in draw controls with five, which she also had against Florida Southern in 2024. – Amanda Hurry had three ground balls today, the fifth time she’s had at least three in a game in her Greyhound career. UP NEXT The Greyhounds return home to face Northern Michigan on Sunday Mar. 15 at 11 a.m., in what will be the Greyhounds’ final game until Mar. 29. Sunday’s match up between the two will be the seventh all-time meeting, with UIndy leading 6-0 in the series. =================================================================== MARIAN BASEBALL BASEBALL’S PECINA DRILLS WALK-OFF HIT IN GAME-ONE UPSET OVER NO. 24 HUNTINGTON; KNIGHTS SPLIT DH INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian baseball team landed its second top-25 win of the season on Friday afternoon in game one of the team’s doubleheader against No. 24 Huntington, coming from behind to walk off the Foresters 12-11 on a River Pecina ground-rule single. Marian would come up one run short in the second game of the twin bill, losing 6-5, snapping the team’s decade-best 10-game winning streak. Marian is 15-4 and 9-1 in Crossroads League play following the loss. Game One | Marian 12-11 Huntington Marian struck first in the opening game of the series, getting a pair of scoreless innings from Chris Adams to set the tone before driving in a run in the bottom of the second. The first run of the game came on an RBI double from Tate Bender, who roped a ball deep in right-center field to score Cole McManus, after the designated hitter led off the inning with a four-pitch walk. The 1-0 lead would be Marian’s only lead of the game until the final inning, as Huntington struck big in the top of the third. Adams, who had already had issues with walks in the first two frames, gave up a pair of free passes to the first two batters he faced before yielding an RBI single to Jace Fowler. After two more walks, Adams faced a bases-loaded jam and did not win the matchup as he allowed a grand slam to Owen Willard, seeing the ball leave the park to make the game a 6-1 score. Marian did not wait long to start the comeback, responding in the same tone that Adams did. The Knights’ pitcher threw a pair of emphatic strikeouts to get out of the third, and in the home half, River Pecina continued his massive week as he launched a three-run home run, scoring Landon Sarkey and Hector Corona to get back within two. The game would stay scoreless in the fourth after the home run with Adams responding with a clean frame, but in the fifth, the senior was tagged for three runs, allowing three base hits before exiting the game. Adams left one out to get in the fifth inning, which reliever Kaeb Stebbins picked up with an inning-ending strikeout. Huntington held its 9-4 edge until the sixth inning, when the Knights were able to claw back with three runs. A double from Tate Bender led off the big inning, with the freshman eventually scoring on Landon Sarkey’s fielder’s choice that knocked out starter RJ Anglin. Hector Corona quickly attacked reliever Keegan Shovlain with an RBI single, and Sarkey would reach home later in the inning on a failed pickoff attempt, making it a 9-7 contest. The Foresters would respond in the top of the seventh and push its lead to four runs again, getting a pair of doubles against Stebbins to take an 11-7 advantage. The game quickly moved to the bottom of the eighth after the pair of Huntington runs, with both Stebbins and Shovlain logging three-up, three-down innings. In the bottom of the eighth, Marian was able to scratch back two runs, as Landon Sarkey homered to right field, bringing the Knights back within a pair of runs after his long ball against new reliever Aidan Micinski. Stebbins would keep the game at two runs, and gave Marian a chance entering the bottom of the ninth, trailing 11-9. In the final frame, Ty Jarvis got Marian rolling as he was hit by a pitch against closer Dylan Eggl. Jarvis was lifted for his courtesy runner, Judah Hennessy, with the junior rounding to third on a pair of wild pitches. Tate Bender walked behind Jarvis to give Marian two aboard, and Nathan Pinarski followed Bender with an RBI groundout, scoring the courtesy. The inning continued as Brayden Coffey and Landon Sarkey earned free passes from the wild closer Eggl, and Hector Corona would level the game as he ripped an RBI fielder’s choice into left field, making it an 11-11 game with two outs. Down to the final out, River Pecina roped a 2-2 fast ball into deep center field, clearing the fence on the hop as his ground-rule single drove home Sarkey from second base, giving Marian a walk-off 12-11 victory. Pecina was the hero of game one, going 4-6 with a home run and four RBI, hitting his first career walk-off. Landon Sarkey went 3-5 in the win and scored four times, driving in three runs with his home run. Tate Bender and Brayden Coffey each had two-hit games, with both of Bender’s landing in for doubles. On the hill, Stebbins (3-0) earned the win in relief, pitching 4.1 innings of two-run ball out of the bullpen. Stebbins struck out three in his second win of the season. Chris Adams took a no-decision, allowing nine runs and six hits. The team’s leader in strikeouts finished the game with eight K’s on the afternoon. Game Two | Marian 5-6 Huntington The Knights would not share the same fortune in the second act on Friday, as Evan Cooke took the loss in a tightly contested game. The junior allowed an unearned run in the first inning as a pair of passed balls allowed a lead-off single to cross the plate, while later in the third inning, Cooke surrendered two singles, with the second being a Cam Clarkson RBI base hit. The pair of innings allowed Huntington to take a 2-0 lead on Marian, who struggled to get going offensively against Max Engle. Marian stranded a single in the first inning, while in the second, the team went down in order. Marian would respond with a run in the bottom of the third inning, as Brayden Coffey singled with one out, and following Landon Sarkey’s base knock, River Pecina clipped an RBI base hit to make it a 2-1 game. The run got Cooke back into the flow of the game, as he retired the side in order with three straight groundouts to Coffey at shortstop. Cooke would then strike out the side in the fifth inning to carry the 2-1 score, and in the home half, Marian had a chance to strike after Brayden Coffey tripled, but the junior would later be thrown out at the plate. In the top of the sixth inning, Huntington extended its lead, as Cooke allowed a pinch-hit, three-run home run to Owen Imel, putting the visitors in front 5-1. Marian would claw a run back in the bottom of the sixth as Johnny Roeder plated Hector Corona, but in the ensuing frame, Huntington added the score to their ledger as Cam Clarkson ripped an RBI single off Brady Armstrong. The exchange of runs saw Marian trailing 6-2 entering the bottom of the seventh. The Knights would make things interesting in the final half inning as two men reached in front of Cole McManus, with the senior shooting a ball out of the park, hitting a clutch three-run home run to make it a one-run game. McManus made the score and forced a pitching change to Gabe Hamrick, who quickly got Zach Bale to fly out to the deepest part of MU Ballpark, with Bale missing a game-tying home run by the width of the warning track. Hector Corona would follow the flyout with a single to give Marian hope, but the dream was shattered as Hamrick got Roeder to go down on strikes, ending the game in a 6-5 defeat. In the loss, Marian collected 10 base hits, with Coffey and Sarkey combining for five in the top two spots of the order. Corona finished the game with two hits, and McManus had a team-high three RBI. Cooke (3-1) took the loss on the hill, allowing five hits and five runs, three of which were earned. Cooke pitched eight strikeouts in the loss, and walked a season-low one batter. Marian and Huntington will resume the series on Saturday afternoon, game one of the day is set for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch. ==================================================================== MARIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NO. 1 MARIAN ADVANCES TO NAIA SECOND ROUND AFTER 96-67 WIN OVER HASKELL INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian women’s basketball team is advancing to the NAIA National Tournament Second Round, as Marian handled their First Round contest on Friday night, pulling away in the fourth quarter to take a landslide 96-67 victory over Haskell Indian Nations. Marian’s win stamps a date for Saturday’s Second Round, as the Knights move to 30-2 overall on the season, and 10-0 in postseason games played on their home floor. Marian had to shake off some rust as they returned to action for the first time in 11 days, falling behind early in the game as Haskell scored the first five points of the game. It took a steal from Kiley McNally to start the Marian offense, as the senior turned the giveaway into seven unanswered points, helping bring the Knights level 7-7. The spark from McNally gave the Knights some life, as Madisyn Bailey and Taylor Double pushed Marian into the lead. The three-pointer from Double sprang the Knights on a 14-2 run, as Marian pushed the lead into double figures as the quarter pushed past the media timeout. Bailey finished the first quarter with eight points, hitting a free throw in the waning seconds to cap a 25-15 start. The Knights would start the second quarter stronger than the first, as Kenna Kirby knocked down an early three-point shot to increase the lead to 13 points. Kirby’s three-pointer forced a timeout from Haskell, and quickly derailed the Knights’ early momentum, as the Fighting Indians scored a quick layup out of the break to ignite a 7-0 run. With the lead cut down to six, the Knights were forced to rely on the defense that had taken them into the national tournament, getting two steals that turned into a pair of layups for Kirby. The lead pushed back to double figures following Kirby’s 4-0 run, Marian turned to three-point shooting, getting a pair of makes from downtown from Aubrey Frank, while a third trifecta from Kennedy Coleman gave the Knights a 41-27 edge. A late basket from Emily Grim closed out Marian’s first half scoring, helping Marian take a 43-32 lead at the break. In the third quarter, Marian made an early statement, as Abbey McNally got back on the court after sitting a majority of the first half in foul trouble, scoring four of Marian’s first six points to open the quarter. The resurgence of McNally gave the Knights a new energy, as the lead teetered near 20 points following Zoe Wheeler’s layup. Marian remained in control as the quarter progressed, with a series of Aubrey Frank baskets pushing the advantage on the Fighting Indians to 22 points at a 64-42 clip. The second of Frank’s scores came with 2:46 to play in the third and forced a Haskell timeout, which would give the road team one final spurt. Haskell out-scored Marian 11-4 in the final two minutes of the third, cutting the Knights’ lead down to 15 at a 68-53 count entering the fourth quarter. Marian made up the Haskell points quickly as the fourth quarter began, roaring into the final stanza on a one-sided 16-0 run. Abbey McNally scored six points in the run, and Kenna Kirby’s fastbreak layup four minutes into the quarter gave Marian a commanding 84-53 advantage. The large run into the fourth quarter put the game on ice, as Marian rotated in their bench over the final six minutes, leading by as many as 32-points as they closed the NAIA First Round with a 29-point victory, winning 96-67. The daunting Marian defense forced 29 turnovers in the win, which led to 19 steals as a team. Madisyn Bailey and Kiley McNally each had four steals in the win, with each player finishing with 12 points on the night. Abbey McNally scored a team-high 19 points in the win, grabbing seven rebounds in her 18 minutes of play. Bailey would finish the night with 10 assists, logging her third double-double of the year. Kenna Kirby scored 14 points to lead the bench, and Aubrey Frank finished the night with 11 points. =================================================================== MARIAN SOFTBALL KNIGHTS SWEEP FORESTERS IN FIRST CL ROAD GAMES OF ’26 Huntington, Ind. – The Marian Softball team swept the Huntington Foresters Friday evening on the road. After the pair of wins, the Knights move to 11-2 overall on the year and 3-1 in the Crossroads League. Game 1 | Marian 12-6 Huntington After a scoreless inning for both sides, the Knights were able to strike first with Abbey Hoffman hitting a three-run home run to score both Karly Anderson and Alyssa Donaldson. Mati Hughes was able to extend the lead with a double to left field, scoring Delaney Rundle. In the next at-bat, Ally Malone struck with a single to score Abby Madere and take the 6-0 lead. As the inning turned over, Huntington struck out a double, bringing Marian’s lead down by one. Marian quickly fought back with a single from Madere to score Hofmann and bring the game back within a six-point margin. The Foresters were able to hold Marian scoreless in the fourth, striking for themselves with three runs scored off a home run, double, and single. With the score 7-4 in favor of Marian, Hughes struck again with a single to right field to score Rundle. Huntington continued to push back with a single to score two runners and bring the score within two. Marian was able to shut down the Foresters’ push with Madere reaching on an error scoring Hofmann, followed by Hughes doubling to left center to score Rundle. The Knights were not done there, with Malone following up with a single to score Madere, and Lily Wendt hitting a sacrifice fly to score Hughes. Huntington attempted a comeback with a walk, but Marian was able to put down the next two batters with a strikeout looking and a groundout to Malone at shortstop, ending the game with a 12-6 win for the Knights. Abbey Hofmann, Abby Madere, Mati Hughes, Ally Malone, and Lily Wendt led the way, all going 3-5 from the plate, with Hofmann, Hughes, and Malone all recording three RBIs. Madere and Wendt also recorded one RBI each. Hughes recorded a pair of doubles while Hofmann recorded one double and a home run. Delaney Rundle recorded the singular stolen base of the game. In the circle, Macy Coan gained the start and took the win, pitching five innings, only giving up nine hits and six runs off of her 92 pitches in her 24 batters faced. Coan also recorded four strikeouts in her outing. Lexi Smith came in for the final two innings in relief, giving up no hits and striking out two of her six batters faced. Game 2 | Marian 21-9 Huntington Marian struck first with Delaney Rundle scoring off a sacrifice fly from Abby Madere, Huntington was quick to follow up with a trio of runs to take the 3-1 lead over the Knights. Karly Anderson got the runs rolling with a single to score Lily Wendt and Ally Malone, bringing the game tied at three. The Knights continued to strike with Anderson scoring off of an error by the center fielder off of Hofmann’s hit. In the next inning, Ally Malone and Hofmann homered back-to-back, with Hofmann hitting a grand slam to put Marian up 9-3. The Foresters fought back with a run in the third inning, but the Knights fought back hard with five more runs scored from Madere, Hughes, Mallorie Beutel, Wendt, and Alex Kiemeyer. Huntington had an equally big fourth inning with five runs scored, bringing the game 14-9 in favor of Marian. The fireworks continued for Marian with a single from Kiemeyer to score Beutel, Wendt, and Malone, followed up by a grand slam from Madere to put the Knights in the lead 21-9. After a pair of walks from Huntington the Knights were able to record three quick outs to take their run-rule win in the fifth inning. Abby Madere and Ally Malone led the Knights, going 3-5 from the plate, while Madere led the Knights in RBIs with six, and Malone had two. Abbey Hofmann also had six RBIs, while Alex Kiemeyer had three and Karly Anderson had two. In the circle, Alayna Tesnar recorded 3.2 innings pitched, giving up eight hits. Katie Lackman came in as relief, pitching 1.1 innings, facing four batters and striking out one. Marian will be back in action tomorrow, returning home to take on Goshen College in a doubleheader, with game one scheduled for 1 PM and game two for 3 PM. ===================================================================== SMALL INDIANA COLLEGE SPORTS WEB SITES UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/ MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/ INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/ EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/ WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/ FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/ ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/ ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/ DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/ HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/ MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/ HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/ OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/ IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/ IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/ PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/ INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/ ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/ GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/ HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/ VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index ========================================================= “SPORTS EXTRA” TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY 1954 Hank Aaron, filling in for Bobby Thomson, who broke his ankle yesterday, starts his first game wearing a Braves uniform. The 20-year-old from Mobile (AL) makes such an impression that the club offers him a major league contract after he collects three hits, including a home run, in the spring training game against the Red Sox. 1961 The Mets lure former Yankee general manager George Weiss out of retirement to become the club’s first president, reportedly offering the four-time The Sporting News Executive of the Year a five-year deal at $100,000 annually. During the 67-year-old New Haven native’s five years in the post, the expansion team will compile a record of 260–547 (.322), finishing last four times. 1993 The Reds announced that team president Marge Schott’s Saint Bernard will not be allowed on the Riverfront Stadium field this season. The mandate to ban Schottzie 02 comes from the MLB Executive Council, which has received numerous player complaints about dogs running on the field. 1995 The players’ union makes it clear that if the owners use replacement players during regular-season games and the results count, the strike will continue. The NLRB also announced that the board is considering charging MLB owners with two counts of unfair labor practices. 2003 Cablevision, maintaining its “long-standing philosophy” of allowing customers to choose whether to receive paid programming, agrees to a one-year interim deal to offer YES Network to New York Yankees fans for a fee, ending a bitter, costly yearlong feud. The arrangement makes YES a premium channel rather than a basic cable channel, dropping the new network’s previous mandate that every subscriber pay for it regardless of the viewer’s choice. 2003 Baseball suspends Montreal outfielder Vladimir Guerrero for three regular-season games and Marlin starter Brad Penny for five after igniting an exhibition game bench-clearing brawl earlier in the week. After being hit in the chest, the Expo All-Star, with a bat in his left hand, swings his right fist around Florida catcher Matt Treanor, trying to restrain him, missing the starting pitcher, who retaliated with a punch that also missed its mark. 2003 “Must be in the front row!”- BOB UECKER, a quip from beer commercials that has become a famous cry in ballparks nationwide. Bob Uecker, the Brewers’ TV/radio play-by-play announcer, is chosen for induction into the broadcasters’ wing of the Hall of Fame as the Ford C. Frick Award recipient. The 68-year-old former backup catcher, a member of Milwaukee’s broadcast crew since 1971, is best known for the humor he has brought to the game through his starring role in the cult movie Major League and the Miller Lite beer commercials. 2003 Dependent on passing a physical, free agent Kenny Lofton agrees to a one-year pact to play with the Pirates this season. The 35-year-old leadoff man would likely start in center, moving Brian Giles to left with left fielder Reggie Sanders going to right field. 2006 Terry Francona agrees to a two-year contract extension, keeping the skipper at the helm through 2008. The Red Sox manager replaced Grady Little in December 2003 and promptly brought Boston to its first World Championship in 86 years. 2006 Washington, D.C., officials unveil the design for the Nationals’ new home, scheduled to open in 2008. The glass-and-steel 41,000-seat ballpark will feature pale stone chosen to complement the nation’s capital’s familiar skyline. 2006 Avoiding a trial scheduled to begin on Opening Day, Major League Baseball settles a lawsuit with an Atlanta-based company claiming it owned the trademark rights to the Washington Nationals. MLB sued Bygone Sports LLC, asking the court to declare that the trademark for the name Nationals does not belong to the company because its sole purpose in filing the September 2002 trademark application was to capitalize on the renaming of the team that recently shifted from Montreal to Washington. 2008 The Padres’ new left-hander starter, Randy Wolf, struggles in a 6-2 spring training exhibition loss to the Brewers in Peoria, Arizona. The pitcher’s brother, Jim, is little help as the home plate umpire, an occurrence not allowed during a regular-season game and marking the only time it has ever happened when the San Diego hurler gives up three runs in four innings. ========================================================= TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY On March 14 in … 1899 – Stanley Cup of hockey: Montréal Shamrocks beat Winnipeg Victorias, 6-2. 1903 – Stanley Cup: Ottawa Silver Seven sweep Rat Portage Thisles in two games. 1908 – Stanley Cup hockey: Montréal Wanderers beat Toronto Trolley Leaguers, 6-4. 1923 – Pete Parker on CKCK radio out of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, makes world’s first play-by-play radio broadcast of a professional hockey game, as Edmonton beat Regina 1-0. 1939 – England draw with South Africa in cricket at Durban on the 10th day. 1954 – Milwaukee Braves’ Henry Aaron homers in his first exhibition game. 1954 – Louise Suggs wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship. 1954 – NBA Baltimore Bullets end a 32-game road losing streak. 1960 – Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia Warriors) sets NBA playoff record of 53 points. 1961 – George Weiss becomes president of New York Mets. 1962 – Gordie Howe (Detroit Red Wings) is second NHL player to score 500 goals. 1963 – San Francisco’s Guy Rodgers ties NBA record with 28 assists. 1967 – First NFL-AFL common draft, Baltimore Colts pick Bubba Smith. 1969 – Seymour Nurse scores 258 in his last Test Cricket innings, West Indies versus New Zealand. 1972 – NBA’s Cincinnati Royals announce they are moving to Kansas City. 1976 – Jockey Bill Shoemaker wins his 7,000th race. 1978 – NFL permanently adds 7th official (side judge). 1980 – World Ice Dance Championship in Dortmund, Federal Republic of Germany won by Krisztina Regoczy and Andras Sallay (Hungary). 1980 – World Ice Pairs Figure Skating Championship in Dortmund won by Marina Cherkasova and Sergei Shakhrai (USSR). 1980 – World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Dortmund won by Anett Potzsch. 1980 – World Men’s Figure Skating Championship in Dortmund won by Jan Hoffmann (German Democratic Republic). 1980 – In Poland, a plane crashes during an emergency landing near Warsaw, killing a 14-man American boxing team and 73 others. 1982 – Sally Little wins LPGA Olympia Gold Golf Classic. 1982 – Sidath Wettimuny scores Sri Lanka’s first Test Cricket century. 1987 – New York Mets’ Darryl Strawberry charges Boston Red Sox pitcher Al Nipper during spring training exhibition game, causes bench clearing brawl. 1987 – Providence, with Billy Donovan’s 25 points, beats Austin Peay 90-87. 1987 – Skier Piotr Fijas jumps record 194 metres. 1991 – World Ice Dance Championship in Munich won by Isabel and Phil Duchesnay (France). 1991 – World Ice Pairs Figure Skating Championship in Munich won by N Mishkutenok and A Dmitriev (USSR). 1991 – World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Munich won by Kristi Yamaguchi (USA). 1991 – World Men’s Figure Skating Championship in Munich won by Kurt Browning (Canada). 1993 – Johan Koss skates world record 5 km (6:06.57). 1993 – Meg Mallon wins LPGA Ping/Welch’s Golf Championship. 1993 – Cricketer Ricky Ponting, aged 18 years 84 days, hits twin tons for Tasmania. 1995 – The US National Labor Relations Board announces it will charge Major League Baseball owners with two counts of unfair labor practices. 1996 – Australia beat West Indies by five runs in amazing cricket World Cup semi-final. 1997 – 68-year-old Gordie Howe signs AHL contract with Syracuse Crunch. 1997 – Olympics gold medalist Michael Johnson wins 67th James E Sullivan Award. 2003 – The Milwaukee Brewers’ TV/radio play-by-play announcer, Bob Uecker is chosen for induction into the broadcasters’ wing of the Hall of Fame as the recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award. 2006 – Washington D.C. officials unveil the designs for a new 41,000-seat ballpark. 2009 – Annamay Pierse of Canada sets a new world’s record in the women’s 200-metre breaststroke swimming event, recording 2:17.50 at the short-course swimming championships in Toronto, Ontario. 2022 – At Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, NHL regular season game: Arizona Coyotes beats Ottawa Senators by score 5-3. Births of sports figures on March 14 1914 – Birth of Fiorenzo Marini in Italy; épée (Olympics-gold-1960). 1920 – Birth of Dorothy Tyler-Odam in Great Britain; high jumper (Olympics-silver-1936, 1948). 1921 – Birth of Lis Hartel in Denmark; equestrian dressage (Olympics-silver-1952, 1956). 1930 – Birth of Ray Flockton; cricket player (prolific New South Wales batsman of 1950s). 1931 – Birth of Bob Goalby; golfer (British Open-1968, Canadian Open-1968, New Zealand-1970). 1936 – Birth of Bob Charles in Carterton, New Zealand; PGA golfer (1963 Houston Open). 1937 – Birth of Peter van der Merwe; cricket player (South African captain of mid-1960s). 1938 – Birth of Johnny Gleeson; cricket player (mystery spinner for Australia 1966-72). 1946 – Birth of Wes Unseld; NBA all-star (Baltimore Bullets, Most Valuable Player 1969). 1953 – Birth of Tim McKee; American 400-metre medley swimmer (Olympics-silver-1972). 1956 – Birth of Tessa Sanderson in Kingston, Jamaica; British javelin thrower (Olympics-gold-1984). 1958 – Birth of Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre; Prince of Monaco/bobsledder (Olympics-1988). 1960 – Birth of Kirby Puckett; centerfielder (Minnesota Twins) (dies 2006). 1960 – Birth of George Horvath in Sweden; pentathlete (Olympics-1980). 1960 – Birth of Helen Hopkins in Donneybrook, Australia; golfer (Australian International 1983). 1961 – Birth of Grigoriy Kornev; Russian speed walker (world record 5 km). 1963 – Birth of Bruce Reid; cricket player (brilliant left-arm Australia pace bowler 1985-92). 1964 – Birth of Donald Evans; NFL defensive end/tackle (New York Jets). 1965 – Birth of John Stephenson; cricket player (England opening bat in one Test versus Australia 1989). 1965 – Birth of Kevin Brown in Mcintyre, Georgia, USA; pitcher (Florida Marlins). 1966 – Birth of Darcy Wakaluk in Pincher Creek, Alberta, Canada; NHL goalie (Dallas Stars). 1966 – Birth of Tertius Bosch; cricket player (South African pace bowler 1992). 1967 – Birth of Vijay Yadav; cricket player (Indian wicket-keeper between More and Mongia). 1969 – Birth of Greg Biekert; NFL linebacker (Oakland Raiders). 1969 – Birth of Larry Johnson; NBA forward (Charlotte Hornets, New York Knicks). 1969 – Birth of Ty[rel] Bennion in Seattle, Washington, USA; rower (Olympics-1996). 1970 – Birth of Thomas McLemore; NFL tight end (Indianapolis Colts). 1971 – Birth of Ernie Brown; Canadian Football League defensive tackle (Calgary Stampeders). 1972 – Birth of Antowain Smith; running back (Buffalo Bills). 1972 – Birth of Aris Brimanis in Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NHL defenseman (Philadelphia Flyers). 1972 – Birth of Clover Maitland; Australian field hockey goal keeper (Olympics-1996). 1972 – Birth of Tom Barndt; NFL/WLAF guard (Kansas City Chiefs, Scottish Claymores). 1973 – Birth of Chris Sullivan; defensive end (New England Patriots). 1974 – Birth of Justine Joyce; Australian rower (Olympics-1996). 1976 – Birth of Sarah Elizabeth Ulmer in Auckland, New Zealand; 3k independent pursuit cyclist (Olympics-1996). Deaths of sports figures on March 14 1925 – Walter Camp, father of American football, dies at age 65. 1981 – Ken Barrington, cricket player (82 Tests for England, 6806 runs), dies. 1996 – Dewi Lorwerth Ellis Bebb, rugby international/journalist, dies at age 57. ========================================================== TV SPORTS TODAY Saturday, 3/14/26 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC PLAYOFFSTIME ETTVWBBC Quarterfinals: Puerto Rico vs Italy3:00pmFS1WBBC Quarterfinals: Venezuela vs Japan9:00pmFOXMLB SPRING TRAININGTIME ETTVDetroit Tigers vs Toronto Blue Jays1:07pmMLBNArizona Diamondbacks vs San Francisco Giants4:05pmMLBNHouston Astros vs New York Mets6:05pmMLBNNBA REGULAR SEASONTIME ETTVBrooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers1:00pmYESNBCS-PHIMilwaukee Bucks vs Atlanta Hawks3:00pmFanDuel Sports ATLFanDuel Sports MILCharlotte Hornets vs San Antonio Spurs3:30pmPrimeFanDuel Sports CHAFanDuel Sports SWWashington Wizards vs Boston Celtics6:00pmNBATVMNMTNBCS-BOSOrlando Magic vs Miami Heat8:00pmFanDuel Sports FLFanDuel Sports SunDenver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers8:30pmABCESPN UnlimitedSacramento Kings vs Los Angeles Clippers10:30pmESPNESPN UnlimitedNHL REGULAR SEASONTIME ETTVAnaheim Ducks vs Ottawa Senators1:00 PMVictory+SNBoston Bruins vs Washington Capitals3:00pmABCESPN UnlimitedColorado Avalanche vs Winnipeg Jets4:00pmALTSNNew York Rangers vs Minnesota Wild6:00pmMSGFanDuel Sports NorthToronto Maple Leafs vs Buffalo Sabres7:00pmNHLNMSG-BUFSNSan Jose Sharks vs Montreal Canadiens7:00pmNBCS-CASNCarolina Hurricanes vs Tampa Bay Lightning7:00pmFanDuel Sports WestMSGSNLos Angeles Kings vs New Jersey Devils7:00pmFanDuel Sports WestMSGSNCalgary Flames vs New York Islanders7:00pmMSGSN2SNColumbus Blue Jackets vs Philadelphia Flyers7:30pmFanDuel Sports OhioNBCS-PHIDetroit Red Wings vs Dallas Stars8:00pmFanDuel Sports DETVictory+Pittsburgh Penguins vs Utah Mammoth9:00pmATTSN-PITUtah16Chicago Blackhawks vs Vegas Golden Knights10:00pmScrippsCHSNSeattle Kraken vs Vancouver Canucks10:00pmKONGSNMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALLTIME ETTVAmerica East Championship11:00amESPN2Ivy League Semifinal11:00amESPNUBig Ten Semifinal1:00pmCBSSEC Semifinal1:00pmESPNMEAC Championship1:00pmESPN2Atlantic 10 Semifinal1:00pmCBS Sports NetworkIvy League Semifinal2:00pmESPNEWSAmerican Semifinal3:00pmESPN2Big Ten Semifinal3:30pmCBSSEC Semifinal3:30pmESPNAtlantic 10 Semifinal3:30pmCBSSNAmerican Semifinal5:30pmESPN2Mountain West Championship6:00pmCBSBig 12 Championship6:00pmESPNBig East Championship6:30pmFOXSWAC Championship7:30pmESPNUMAC Championship8:00pmESPN2Conference USA Championship8:30pmCBSSNACC Championship8:30pmESPNBig West Championship10:00pmESPN2WAC Championship11:59pmESPN2MOTORSPORTSTIME ETTVXfinity: The LiUNA!5:30pmCWGOLFTIME ETTVPGA Tour: Players Championship2:00pmNBCSOCCERTIME ETTVLa Liga: Girona vs Athletic Club8:00amESPN+Serie A: Internazionale vs Atalanta9:00amParamount+Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern München9:30amESPN+Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund vs Augsburg9:30amESPN+Bundesliga: Eintracht Frankfurt vs Heidenheim9:30amESPN+Bundesliga: Hoffenheim vs Wolfsburg9:30amESPN+EPL: Burnley vs AFC Bournemouth10:00amPeacockEPL: Sunderland vs Brighton & Hove Albion10:00amPeacockLa Liga: Atlético Madrid vs Getafe10:15amESPN+Ligue 1: Lorient vs Lens11:00ambeIN SportsfuboTVSerie A: Napoli vs Lecce12:00pmParamount+EPL: Arsenal vs Everton12:30pmPeacockEPL: Chelsea vs Newcastle United12:30pmPeacockBundesliga: Hamburger SV vs Köln12:30pmESPN+La Liga: Real Oviedo vs Valencia12:30pmESPN+MLS: Toronto FC vs New York RB1:00pmMLS Season PassLigue 1: Angers SCO vs Nice1:00pmbeIN SportsfuboTVSerie A: Udinese vs Juventus2:45pmParamount+EPL: West Ham United vs Manchester City3:00pmPeacockMLS: Atlanta United vs Philadelphia Union3:00pmFOXMLS Season PassLa Liga: Real Madrid vs Elche3:00pmESPN+Ligue 1: Monaco vs Brest3:05pmbeIN SportsfuboTVMLS: Columbus Crew vs Nashville SC6:00pmFS1MLS Season PassMLS: DC United vs Inter Miami4:30pmMLS Season PassLiga MX: Atlético San Luis vs Pachuca7:00pmVIXMLS: Charlotte vs Inter Miami7:30pmMLS Season PassMLS: New York City vs Colorado Rapids7:30pmMLS Season PassMLS: Orlando City SC vs CF Montréal7:30pmMLS Season PassMLS: Chicago Fire vs DC United8:30pmMLS Season PassMLS: Dallas vs San Diego8:30pmMLS Season PassMLS: Houston Dynamo vs Portland Timbers8:30pmMLS Season PassLiga MX: León vs Tijuana9:00pmVIXMLS: LA Galaxy vs Sporting KC9:30pmMLS Season PassMLS: Real Salt Lake vs Austin9:30pmMLS Season PassMLS: Portland Los Angeles FC vs St. Louis City10:30pmMLS Season PassLiga MX: Pumas UNAM vs Cruz Azul11:00pmVIXCOLLEGE BASEBALLTIME ETTVMississippi St. at Arkansas2:00pmSECNTennessee at Georgia5:00pmSECNNotre Dame at Louisville6:00pmACCNLSU at Vanderbilt8:00pmSECNCOLLEGE SOFTBALLTIME ETTVFlorida at Kentucky12:00pmSECNVirginia Tech at Duke2:00pmACCN Sunday, 3/15/26 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC PLAYOFFSTIME ETTVWBBC Semifinals8:00pmFS1MLB SPRING TRAININGTIME ETTVAtlanta Braves vs Philadelphia Phillies1:05pmMLBNArizona Diamondbacks vs San Diego Padres4:10pmMLBNNBA REGULAR SEASONTIME ETTVMinnesota Timberwolves vs Oklahoma City Thunder1:00pmABCESPN UnlimitedIndiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks3:30pmFanDuel Sports INDFanDuel Sports MILDetroit Pistons vs Toronto Raptors3:30pmFanDuel Sports DETSNDallas Mavericks vs Cleveland Cavaliers3:30pmKFAAFanDuel Sports OhioPortland Trail Blazers vs Philadelphia 76ers6:00pmRip CityNBCS-PHIGolden State Warriors vs New York Knicks8:00pmNBCPeacockUtah Jazz vs Sacramento Kings10:KJZZESPNNBCS-CANHL REGULAR SEASONTIME ETTVSt. Louis Blues vs Winnipeg Jets3:00pmNHLNFanDuel Sports MWSNSan Jose Sharks vs Ottawa Senators5:00pmNBCS-CASNAnaheim Ducks vs Montreal Canadiens7:00pmVictory+SNToronto Maple Leafs vs Minnesota Wild7:30pmTNTMAXNashville Predators vs Edmonton Oilers8:00pmFanDuel Sports NSHSNFlorida Panthers vs Seattle Kraken8:00pmKONGScrippsMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALLTIME ETTVIvy League Championship12:00pmESPN2Atlantic 10 Championship1:00pmCBSSEC Championship1:00 PMESPNAmerican Championship3:15pmESPNBig Ten Championship3:30pmCBSNCAA Selection Show6:00pmCBSMOTORSPORTSTIME ETTVFormula One: Chinese Grand Prix3:00amApple TVIndyCar: Grand Prix of Arlington12:30pmFOXNASCAR Cup: Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube4:00pmFS1COLLEGE BASEBALLTIME ETTVFlorida St. at Wake Forest3:00pmACCNLSU at Vanderbilt4:00pmSECNCOLLEGE SOFTBALLTIME ETTVGeorgia Tech at Virginia1:00pmACCNAuburn at Oklahoma1:00pmSECNVirginia Tech at Duke6:00pmACCNTexas A&M at LSU7:00pmSECNGOLFTIME ETTVPGA Tour: Players Championship1:00pmNBCSOCCERTIME ETTVSerie A: Verona vs Genoa6:30amParamount+La Liga: Mallorca vs Espanyol8:00amESPN+Ligue 1: Strasbourg vs Metz9:00ambeIN SportsfuboTVSerie A: Pisa vs Cagliari9:00amParamount+Serie A: Sassuolo vs Bologna9:00amParamount+Ligue 1: Strasbourg vs Paris9:00ambeIN SportsfuboTVBundesliga: Werder Bremen vs Mainz 059:30amESPN+EPL: Manchester United vs Aston Villa10:00amPeacockEPL: Crystal Palace vs Leeds United10:00amPeacockEPL: Nottingham Forest vs Fulham10:00amPeacockLa Liga: Barcelona vs Sevilla10:15amESPN+Ligue 1: Strasbourg vs Paris11:15ambeIN SportsfuboTVLigue 1: Le Havre vs Olympique Lyonnais11:15ambeIN SportsfuboTVLigue 1: Metz vs Toulouse11:15ambeIN SportsfuboTVBundesliga: Freiburg vs Union Berlin11:30amESPN+Serie A: Como vs Roma12:00pmParamount+EPL: Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur12:30pmPeacockLa Liga: Real Betis vs Celta de Vigo12:30pmESPN+MLS: New England vs Cincinnati2:30pmMLS Season PassBundesliga: Stuttgart vs RB Leipzig2:30pmESPN+Serie A: Lazio vs Milan2:45pmParamount+Ligue 1: Rennes vs Lille2:45pmbeIN SportsfuboTVLa Liga: Real Sociedad vs Osasuna3:00pmESPN+MLS: Vancouver Whitecaps vs Minnesota United4:30pmMLS Season PassMLS: SJ Earthquakes vs Seattle Sounders FC7:00pmMLS Season PassLiga MX: América vs Mazatlán9:00pmVIX About The Author troyderengowski61@gmail.com See author's posts Post navigation THE INDIANA SRN “SCOREBOARD” MARCH 13, 2026 THE INDIANA SRN “SCOREBOARD” MARCH 14
