“THE SCOREBOARD” INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL STATE FINALS SATURDAY MARCH 28 SESSION 1 10:30 AM ET | CLASS 1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP BARR-REEVE (27-1) VS. TRITON (25-3) APPROX. 12:45 PM ET | CLASS 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PARKE HERITAGE (26-4) VS. WESTVIEW (27-1) SESSION 2 6 PM ET | CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (24-5) VS. NEW HAVEN (22-7) APPROX. 8:15 PM ET | CLASS 4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP MT. VERNON (FORTVILLE) (27-3) VS. CROWN POINT (25-1) CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: https://www.ihsaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2025-26%20Boys%20Basketball%20Preview.pdf =========================================================== NCAA TOURNAMENT MEN’S SCHEDULE/SCORES THURSDAY, MARCH 26 (SWEET 16) (2) PURDUE VS. (11) TEXAS, 7:10 P.M. | CBS (4) NEBRASKA VS. (9) IOWA, 7:30 P.M. | TBS/TRUTV (1) ARIZONA VS. (4) ARKANSAS, 9:45 P.M. | CBS (2) HOUSTON VS. (3) ILLINOIS, 10:05 P.M. | TBS/TRUTV FRIDAY, MARCH 27 (SWEET 16) (1) DUKE VS. (5) ST. JOHN’S, 7:10 P.M. | CBS (1) MICHIGAN VS. (4) ALABAMA, 7:35 P.M. | TBS/TRUTV (2) UCONN VS. (3) MICHIGAN STATE, 9:45 P.M. | CBS (2) IOWA STATE VS. (6) TENNESSEE, 10:10 P.M. | TBS/TRUTV =========================================================== MEN’S NIT SCORES NO GAMES SCHEDULED ========================================================== NCAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT FRIDAY MARCH 27 NOTRE DAME VS. VANDERBILT 2:30 NORTH CAROLINA VS. UCONN 5:00 MINNESOTA VS. UCLA 7:30 DUKE VS. LSU 10:00 SATURDAY MARCH 28 LOUISVILLE VS. MICHIGAN 12:30 KENTUCKY VS. TEXAS 3:00 OKLAHOMA VS. SOUTH CAROLINA 5:00 VIRGINIA VS. TCU 7:30 ========================================================== WOMEN’S NIT FRIDAY MARCH 27 PURDUE FT. WAYNE VS. ARKANSAS STATE 2:00 GEORGE WASHINGTON VS. LOYOLA IL 6:00 MARSHALL VS. YOUNGSTOWN STATE 6:30 ABELINE CHRISTIAN VS. ILLINOIS STATE 7:30 ========================================================== COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES KENNESAW STATE 10 #7 GEORGIA 7 #16 OREGON STATE 12 #12 USC 4 #23 NOTRE DAME 14 WESTERN MICHIGAN 3 CAMPBELL 7 #14 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 2 FLORIDA 5 #10 FLORIDA STATE 0 #9 VIRGINIA 16 MARYLAND 6 #17 WEST VIRGINIA 3 MARSHALL 0 #21 TENNESSEE 4 USC UPSTATE 2 #13 NORTH CAROLINA 9 SOUTH CAROLINA 1 #19 KENTUCKY 14 MURRAY STATE 4 #15 COASTAL CAROLINA 11 CLEMSON 9 #24 NEBRASKA 14 KANSAS STATE 9 #5 AUBURN 10 S. ALABAMA 0 MEMPHIS 6 #18 OLE MISS 2 #25 TEXAS A&M 5 HOUSTON CHRISTIE 1 #4 ARKANSAS 15 CENTRAL ARKANSAS 2 #6 MISSISSIPPI STATE 12 #11 SOUTHERN MISS 0 HOUSTON 9 #2 TEXAS 7 #20 OREGON 6 UC SAN DIEGO 0 #1 UCLA 6 LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 2 BUTLER 11 TOLEDO 1 MICHIGAN STATE 19 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 8 RUTGERS 8 DELAWARE 0 WASHINGTON 11 PEPPERDINE 2 PURDUE 3 VALPARAISO 2 OAKLAND 7 MICHIGAN 6 WRIGHT STATE 10 OHIO STATE 8 PENN STATE 8 ST. BONAVENTURE 6 INDIANA STATE 5 INDIANA 4 IOWA 11 ILLINOIS STATE 0 MISSOURI 5 ILLINOIS 1 BUTLER 11 TOLEDO 1 SOUTHERN INDIANA 13 BALL STATE 3 ========================================================== COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES #16 WASHINGTON 7 LOYOLA CHICAGO 0 #4 TENNESSEE 8 TENNESSEE TECH 0 #10 FLORIDA STATE 8 N. FLORIDA 0 #2 TEXAS TECH 12 TARLETON 0 #15 TEXAS A&M 18 SAM HOUSTON 3 #9 ARKANSAS 11 CENTRAL ARKANSAS 2 #22 LSU 9 LOUISIANA TECH 0 #13 ARIZONA 9 #21 GRAND CANYON 5 BUTLER 7 BALL STATE 6 RUTGERS 14 SETON HALL 4 IOWA 2 ST. THOMAS 1 IOWA 4 ST. THOMAS 3 NORTHERN IOWA 10 ILLINOIS 4 TOLEDO 5 MICHIGAN STATE 3 ========================================================== MEN’S COLLEGE HOCKEY SCORES NCAA HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP THURSDAY MARCH 26 #3 MICHIGAN STATE VS. UCONN 1:30 QUINNIPIAC VS. PROVIDENCE 5:00 WISCONSIN VS. DARTMOUTH 5:00 #2 NORTH DAKOTA VS. MERRIMACK 8:30 FRIDAY MARCH 27 #4 WESTERN MICHIGAN VS. MINNESOTA STATE 2:30 #1 MICHIGAN VS. BENTLEY 5:30 CORNELL VS. DENVER 6:00 PENN STATE VS. MINNESOTA DULUTH 9:00 ========================================================== MEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL SCORES #8 UC SANTA BARBARA 3 CAL LUTHERAN 1 ========================================================== DIVISION 1 MEN’S LAX SCORES #3 HARVARD 14 #20 BOSTON 11 ========================================================== DIVISION 1 WOMEN’S LAX SCORES #5 SYRACUSE 10 ALBANY 8 #24 PITTSBURGH 16 YOUNGSTOWN STATE 5 #13 NOTRE DAME 20 ROBERT MORRIS 2 ========================================================== NBA SCORES CHARLOTTE 134 SACRAMENTO 90 NEW YORK 121 NEW ORLEANS 116 CLEVELAND 136 ORLANDO 131 DENVER 125 PHOENIX 123 ========================================================== NBA G-LEAGUE SCORES MAINE 130 CLEVELAND 105 WESTCHESTER 114 LONG ISLAND 104 SALT LAKE CITY 131 SANTA CRUZ 119 RIO GRANDE VALLEY 120 OKLAHOMA CITY 105 BIRMINGHAM 134 WINDY CITY 133 MEXICO CITY 112 VALLEY 99 STOCKTON 115 S. BAY 114 ========================================================== NHL SCORES OTTAWA 3 DETROIT 2 TORONTO 4 BOSTON 2 CHICAGO 4 NY ISLANDERS 3 COLORADO 6 PITTSBURGH 2 FLORIDA 5 SEATTLE 4 COLUMBUS 3 PHILADELPHIA 2 MONTRÉAL 5 CAROLINA 2 TAMPA BAY 6 MINNESOTA 3 WINNIPEG 4 VEGAS 1 ST. LOUIS 3 WASHINGTON 0 NEW JERSEY 6 DALLAS 4 NASHVILLE 6 SAN JOSE 3 CALGARY 3 LOS ANGELES 2 EDMONTON 5 UTAH 2 ANAHEIM 5 VANCOUVER 3 ========================================================== MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ATLANTA 3 TAMPA BAY 2 MINNESOTA 15 BOSTON 6 TEXAS 4 KANSAS CITY 1 NY YANKEES 8 CHICAGO CUBS 3 DETROIT 11 COLORADO 8 CLEVELAND 10 ARIZONA 5 MILWAUKEE 4 CINCINNATI 1 LA ANGELS 3 LA DODGERS 0 HOUSTON 6 SUGAR LAND 5 SAN FRANCISCO 8 MONTERREY 2 ========================================================== WOMEN’S PRO VOLLEYBALL SCORES COLUMBUS 3 ORLANDO 0 ========================================================== MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER NO GAMES SCHEDULED ========================================================== NATIONAL SPORTS NEWS RELEASES MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL HUBERT DAVIS OUT AS NORTH CAROLINA COACH A first-round NCAA Tournament collapse marked the end for Hubert Davis as North Carolina’s coach, as the school fired him Tuesday night. “We appreciate all that Hubert has done for Carolina as a player, assistant coach, head coach and community leader — he has helped make special memories we will never forget,” North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham said in a statement. “This was not an easy decision because of Hubert’s tremendous character and all he has given to the program, but we must move forward in a way that allows our team to compete more consistently at an elite level.” Davis, who played for the program from 1988-92 and served as an assistant coach from 2012-21, is owed $5.3 million on the remaining portion of his contract, according to multiple reports. The eighth-seeded Tar Heels led VCU by 19 points in the second half on Thursday in Greenville, S.C., before the 11th-seeded Rams rallied for an 82-78 overtime win. The result left North Carolina with a 24-9 mark on the season. The Tar Heels tied for fourth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season with a 12-6 record, highlighted by a 71-68 home victory over archrival Duke on Feb. 7. North Carolina bowed out of the NCAA Tournament in the Round of 64 for the second year. In 2025, the Tar Heels got past San Diego State in a First Four game , then lost as an 11th seed to sixth-seeded Ole Miss 71-64. Davis achieved his best results in his first season on the job after taking over at his alma mater following Roy Williams’ retirement. The Tar Heels went 29-10 in 2021-22, reaching the NCAA championship game before falling to Kansas. North Carolina didn’t make the NCAA field the next year, then reached the Sweet 16 in 2024. Games Overall, Davis posted a 125-54 mark, including a 68-30 record in ACC games. NCAA TOURNAMENT SETS VIEWERSHIP RECORD FOR FIRST TWO ROUNDS March Madness delivered a first-week ratings surge, with the men’s NCAA Tournament averaging 10.1 million viewers across CBS, TNT, TBS and truTV, making it the most-watched tournament ever through the first two rounds, according to Nielsen Big Data. The opening round set the tone. First-round games averaged an all-time best 9.5 million viewers, up 9% from last year, before the round of 32 climbed again to an 11.0 million average, a 7% rise from last year and the most-watched second round since 1993. The biggest spike occurred Sunday during the early prime-time window, when the combined audience reached 19.7 million — the largest single first-week window on record. That stretch included St. John’s late thriller over Kansas, Iowa’s upset of top-seeded Florida and Tennessee’s win over Virginia, a series of close finishes that kept viewers from flipping away. The broadcasters hope the audience spike will carry into the next phase of the bracket, with the Sweet 16 scheduled to begin on Thursday. The weekend also set the stage for a conference-heavy second week, with Big Ten teams making up a large share of the remaining field (six of 16 teams). ============================================================== NBA NBA ROUNDUP: HORNETS SINK 26 TREYS, PUMMEL KINGS Charlotte matched a franchise record by making 26 3-pointers, including Coby White’s 6-for-8 performance off the bench, and the red-hot Hornets blasted the visiting Sacramento Kings 134-90 on Tuesday. The Hornets earned its fourth consecutive win — all of which have come by double digits — and their 12th victory in the past 15 games behind its long-range barrage. White, who led all scorers with 27 points, was one of eight Hornets to hit at least one 3-pointer. Seven made multiple triples, including LaMelo Ball, who went 6 of 13 from deep on his way to 20 points. Sacramento, opening a five-game Eastern Conference road swing, took their third loss in four games. The 90 points equaled the Kings’ second-lowest performance of the season. Daeqwon Plowden scored a team-high 22 points. Cavaliers 136, Magic 131 Donovan Mitchell scored 16 of his 42 points in the third quarter and James Harden added 26 points and seven assists, lifting Cleveland to a victory over visiting Orlando. Evan Mobley made all eight of his field-goal attempts and finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Cavaliers, who have won four consecutive games. Paolo Banchero had 36 points, going 13-for-15 from the foul line, and Tristan da Silva scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter for the Magic. Orlando lost its sixth in a row — immediately after winning seven straight — to fall into a tie for eighth in the East. Knicks 121, Pelicans 116 Jalen Brunson scored 32 points, Karl-Anthony Towns produced a double-double and New York won its seventh consecutive game, defeating visiting New Orleans. Towns finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks, and OG Anunoby also scored 21 points. Zion Williamson scored 22, Jeremiah Fears put up 21 and Saddiq Bey had 18 for the Pelicans, who have lost two in a row after a 5-1 run. ================================================================= NHL NHL ROUNDUP: CONNOR MCDAVID HITS 400-GOAL MILESTONE IN OILERS’ WIN Connor McDavid scored his 400th and 401st career goals, the first of which gave the Edmonton Oilers the lead for good in a 5-2 win against the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday in Salt Lake City. Eight seconds after Utah’s Lawson Crouse tied the game 2-2 at 11:59 of the second period, McDavid caught a break on a 2-on-1 and put the puck off the crossbar and in to put the Oilers back on top. Jack Roslovic also scored twice and Evan Bouchard had three assists for the Oilers (35-28-9, 79 points), who had lost two consecutive games but passed the Vegas Golden Knights for second place in the Pacific Division. Matt Savoie added a goal, and Tristan Jarry made 16 saves. Alexander Kerfoot scored for the Mammoth (37-29-6, 80 points), who had won three of their previous four games. They still hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot. Vitek Vanecek stopped all 10 shots he faced in relief of Karel Vejmelka, who allowed four goals on 15 shots over the first two periods. Games Panthers 5, Kraken 4 (SO) Vinnie Hinostroza scored the only goal in the shootout, and Paul Maurice coached his 2,000th game as host Florida defeated Seattle. Maurice, 59, ranks second in the NHL for most games as a head coach, behind only Hall of Famer Scotty Bowman (2,141). Seattle trailed 4-1 with less than six minutes remaining before tying the game on goals by Matty Beniers, Jordan Eberle and Bobby McMann. Sergei Bobrovsky made 22 saves and had three stops in the shootout to earn the win for the Panthers. Nolan Foote, Eetu Luostarinen, Carter Verhaeghe and Noah Gregor scored Florida’s goals. Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad also reached a milestone as he played his 800th game. Avalanche 6, Penguins 2 Martin Necas scored twice and Scott Wedgewood made 30 saves in Colorado’s road victory over Pittsburgh. Sam Malinski had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, who are on a three-game winning streak and a four-game points streak (3-0-1). Nathan MacKinnon, Parker Kelly and Ross Colton scored Colorado’s other goals. Egor Chinakhov and Rickard Rakell scored for the Penguins, who fell into third place in the Metropolitan Division after going 1-2-1 with 21 goals allowed over the past four games. Arturs Silovs stopped 24 of 29 shots. Canadiens 5, Hurricanes 2 Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky scored 3 1/2 minutes apart in the second period and Jakub Dobes made 41 saves, helping host Montreal rally past Carolina. Oliver Kapanen, Ivan Demidov and Jake Evans also scored for the Canadiens, who posted their sixth win in nine games. Montreal’s 24th comeback win of the season tied a franchise record. Nikolaj Ehlers and Jordan Staal tallied in the first period for the Hurricanes, whose three-game winning streak ended. Frederik Andersen turned aside 14 shots. Maple Leafs 4, Bruins 2 Matthew Knies scored twice, while William Nylander had the eventual game-winner and added an assist to lead visiting Toronto to a win over Boston. Max Domi also scored, John Tavares dished out three assists and Anthony Stolarz made 18 saves for the Maple Leafs, who erased an early 1-0 deficit with two goals in both the second and third periods. The win was just the third since the Olympic break for Toronto (3-8-4). Elias Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy scored and Jeremy Swayman made 31 saves for Boston, which was on a five-game point streak (3-0-2). Toronto held a 35-20 edge in shots on goal and went 2-for-4 on the power play, while Boston was 1-for-5. Lightning 6, Wild 3 Erik Cernak scored a quirky tiebreaking goal with less than three minutes left and Tampa Bay opened a season-high seven-game homestand with five unanswered tallies in a win over Minnesota. Tampa Bay’s Darren Raddysh scored and recorded two assists. Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel each posted a goal and an assist. Pontus Holmberg was awarded the final goal while being fouled on a breakaway with 24 seconds remaining, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves. Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and an assist for the Wild. Mats Zuccarello and Brock Faber each scored, and Filip Gustavsson stopped 19 shots. Blues 3, Capitals 0 Joel Hofer made 21 saves and the Blues defeated Washington in St. Louis. It was Hofer’s sixth shutout of the season and the eighth of his career. Jimmy Snuggerud, Ott Stenberg and Jordan Kyrou scored for the Blues, who have points in 10 of 11 (8-1-2). St. Louis, opening a three-game homestand, remains on the fringe of the Western Conference wild-card race. Washington opened a three-game road trip and entered the game on a five-game point streak (3-0-2). The Capitals ended the night six points behind the Ottawa Senators for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. Logan Thompson made 24 saves. Ducks 5, Canucks 3 Mikael Granlund scored twice and John Carlson had three assists for visiting Anaheim in a win against Vancouver. Alex Killorn had a goal and an assist, Leo Carlsson logged two assists and Lukas Dostal made 27 saves for the Ducks, who stretched their point streak to five games (4-0-1). Mason McTavish and Troy Terry also scored for Anaheim, which earned its 24th come-from-behind win, tied for the league lead. Jake DeBrusk, Brock Boeser and Drew O’Connor scored, Filip Hronek and Elias Pettersson had two assists each for the Canucks, who have lost three in a row. Kevin Lankinen turned aside 29 shots. Predators 6, Sharks 3 Jonathan Marchessault had three assists and Nashville scored five goals in the first period and cruised to a win over visiting San Jose. Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists, Brady Skjei a goal and an assist and Matthew Wood, Roman Josi, Luke Evangelista and Steven Stamkos tallied for the Predators, who won their fifth straight. Ryan O’Reilly notched two assists and Juuse Saros made 27 saves. Will Smith scored twice and Adam Gaudette chipped in a goal for the Sharks, who have lost five in a row. Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 13 shots. Jets 4, Golden Knights 1 Mark Scheifele scored a goal, recorded two assists and got in a fight for a “Gordie Howe hat trick” as host Winnipeg downed Vegas. Kyle Connor had a goal and an assist and Alex Iafallo and Cole Perfetti also scored goals for the Jets, who are 2-0-1 in the past three games. Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves. Rasmus Andersson scored a goal and Adin Hill finished with 17 saves for the Golden Knights, who lost for the fourth time in the past five games. Devils 6, Stars 4 Visiting New Jersey scored four times in its first five shots and then held off Dallas’ rally. Jack Hughes’ hot streak continued as the Olympic hero scored twice. Jesper Bratt added a goal and an assist, while Connor Brown, Tino Meier and Dougie Hamilton also scored for the Devils. Jake Allen made 23 saves to secure his second win in his last seven starts. Wyatt Johnston scored two goals to reach 40 for the season and assisted on Jason Robertson’s 39th. Mavrik Bourque finished with a goal. Robertson added two assists, as did Thomas Harley. Blue Jackets 3, Flyers 2 Zach Werenski and Mason Marchment each delivered a goal and an assist as Columbus rebounded from a rare regulation defeat to post a road win over host Philadelphia. Columbus had been 8-0-4 in its previous 12 games before falling to the New York Islanders 1-0 on Sunday. With Tuesday’s bounce-back victory, the Blue Jackets jumped over the Pittsburgh Penguins for second place in the Metropolitan Division while the Flyers missed a key opportunity to gain ground in the wild-card race. Games Mathieu Olivier also scored for Columbus while Jet Greaves turned aside 24 shots. Sean Couturier and Jamie Drysdale tallied for the Flyers, while Dan Vladar finished with 16 saves. Flames 3, Kings 2 (SO) Yegor Sharangovich scored the winner in the fourth round of a shootout as host Calgary topped Los Angeles and ran its winning streak to a season-best four games. Olli Maatta and Zayne Parekh tallied during regulation for the Flames. Dustin Wolf made 23 saves through regulation and overtime. Quinton Byfield netted both regulation-time goals for the Kings, who are 0-1-3 in the past four games. Darcy Kuemper stopped 21 shots through regulation and overtime. Senators 3, Red Wings 2 Carter Yakemchuk scored a second-period goal and added an assist in his NHL debut as streaking Ottawa edged host Detroit. Brady Tkachuk scored his 20th goal of the season for the Senators, who have won four straight and nine of their last 11 games. Lars Eller scored the other goal for the Senators, who vaulted ahead of the Red Wings in the playoff chase with the win. Linus Ullmark made 32 saves for the Senators, who currently occupy the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Detroit captain Dylan Larkin scored in his return to action on a third-period power play. Larkin had missed the previous seven games due to a lower body injury. Dominik Shine also scored for the Red Wings, while John Gibson stopped 18 shots. Blackhawks 4, Islanders 3 Nick Lardis, Ilya Mikheyev, Tyler Bertuzzi and Frank Nazar scored consecutive goals in a 13-minute span bridging the first and second periods for Chicago, which held off a furious rally to edge New York in Elmont, N.Y. Arvid Soderblom made 44 saves — including 21 in the third period — for the Blackhawks, who won for the second time in six games (2-2-2). Anders Lee scored in the opening minute of the first before Simon Holmstrom and Calum Ritchie collected goals in the third for New York. The Islanders took their third loss in four games (1-3-0) as they fell level with the Ottawa Senators for the second and final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Islanders starting goalie David Rittich was pulled after giving up three goals on 12 first-period shots. Ilya Sorokin took the loss after stopping 11 of the 12 shots he faced. ================================================================= MLB SPRING TRAINING ROUNDUP: RANGER SUAREZ ROCKED AS TWINS ROUT RED SOX Ranger Suarez completed a rocky spring training with his new squad, allowing eight earned runs over 4 1/3 innings on Tuesday as the Minnesota Twins routed the Boston Red Sox 15-6 in Fort Myers, Fla. Suarez, who signed a five-year, $130 million contract in January, gave up a pair of home runs among nine Minnesota hits. He walked one, fanned four and finished the Grapefruit League slate with an 11.00 ERA. The Red Sox built an early 5-2 lead, but Brooks Lee cut the deficit to 5-4 with a long ball in the bottom of the second. Byron Buxton gave the Twins the lead for good with another two-run shot in the fifth as Minnesota scored nine runs over the fifth and sixth innings. Victor Caratini added a two-run blast, Kody Clemens hit a solo shot and James Outman hit a pair of two-run homers in the sixth and seventh. Trevor Story went 1-for-3 with two RBIs for Boston and finished the Grapefruit League with a .404 batting average. Braves 3, Rays 2 Mike Yastrzemski hit his sixth home run of the spring and Atlanta held off Tampa Bay in North Port, Fla. Yastrzemski’s solo shot in the fourth inning gave the Braves a 2-1 lead. Drake Baldwin, Eli White and Jorge Mateo all went 2-for-3, with Baldwin and Mateo picking up RBI doubles. Starter Grant Holmes allowed two runs on four hits and three walks, fanning four in 5 1/3 innings. He finished spring training with a 1.02 ERA as the Braves earned a Grapefruit League-best 21 wins. Carson Williams — is who expected to start the season at shortstop for the Rays due to Taylor Walls’ injury — and Cooper Flemming each collected RBI singles. Rangers 4, Royals 1 Jack Leiter threw four shutout innings as Texas blanked Kansas City in Arlington, Texas. Leiter, who will fill a spot in the back end of the Rangers’ rotation, allowed only two hits and struck out six. Joc Pederson contributed a solo homer in the fourth inning. Seth Lugo went four innings for the Royals, permitting three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks. He fanned four batters and is slated to start Sunday in Atlanta. Nick Loftin doubled and scored for Kansas City in the eighth. REPORTS: CUBS, PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG AGREE ON 6-YEAR, $115M DEAL A day after news broke that the Chicago Cubs and Pete Crow-Armstrong were finalizing a contract extension, multiple media outlets reported the specifics on Tuesday. The center fielder reportedly is receiving a six-year, $115 million deal. It’s quite a present one day before Crow-Armstrong’s 24th birthday on Wednesday. Last season, Crow-Armstrong received his first All-Star selection, won a Gold Glove and ended up ninth in National League MVP voting. In his third major league campaign, Crow-Armstrong got off to a great start in 2025, hitting .265/.302/.544 with 25 homers and 71 RBIs in 95 games before the All-Star break. He faltered in the second half, however, batting .216/.262/.372 with six homers and 24 RBIs in 62 games. He ended the year at .247/.287/.481 with 31 homers and 95 RBIs. Crow-Armstrong also amassed 37 doubles and 35 stolen bases, becoming the first Cub with 30-plus doubles, homers and steals in the same season. Crow-Armstrong, through 293 major league games, has a .240/.285/.437 batting line with 50 doubles, 10 triples, 41 homers, 143 RBIs and 64 steals. Chosen by the Mets in the first round (19th overall) of the 2020 draft, Crow-Armstrong was sent to the Cubs in the July 2021 trade that moved infielder Javier Baez and right-hander Trevor Williams to New York. The Cubs begin the season on Thursday at home against the Washington Nationals. AL CENTRAL CAPSULES: CAN TIGERS PITCH WAY BACK INTO PLAYOFFS? Chicago White Sox 2025 record: 60-102 (5th place, AL Central) He gone: C Korey Lee, OF Luis Robert, OF Mike Tauchman New faces: INF Luisangel Acuna, RHP Seranthony Dominguez, RHP Erick Fedde, RHP Jordan Hicks, LHP Anthony Kay, INF Munetaka Murakami, C Reese McGuire, LHP Sean Newcomb Biggest question entering Opening Day: Adding Murakami to the mix offers plenty of intrigue as the Japanese slugger aims to prove he can master major league pitching. That the 26-year-old signed merely for two years, however, surely makes Chicago’s young core and fans wonder if he’ll be around for the hopeful light at the end of this latest rebuild tunnel. That likely won’t flicker for long in 2026, even as SS Colson Montgomery delivered on his power potential last season (21 HRs in 71 games) while fellow youngsters — including 2B Chase Meidroth, C Kyle Teel and RHP Shane Smith — filled in nicely as building blocks. 2026 outlook: A charter member of the American League, the White Sox have endured three straight 100-loss seasons, bringing the franchise’s all-time total to seven. In that respect, there’s nowhere to go but up. Given the questions about rotation and bullpen depth, however, the White Sox might not duplicate their 19-win jump from 2024 to 2025. But Murakami adds pop to a lineup of budding stars. Cleveland Guardians 2025 record 88-74 (1st place, AL Central) He gone: OF Lane Thomas, LHP Sam Hentges, RHP Jakob Junis, RHP Triston McKenzie, LHP John Means New faces: INF Rhys Hoskins, RHP Shawn Armstrong Biggest question entering Opening Day: Well, it’s a familiar one. Do the Guardians have enough offense outside of consistent standout Jose Ramirez? While the team signed Ramirez, a seven-time All-Star, to a seven-year, $175 million contract extension through 2032, Cleveland did little to address the rest of the offense — save for signing Hoskins to a minor-league deal. The Guardians again are banking on a bevy of pitchers to limit the damage, thereby reducing the burden on Ramirez. All eyes are on Bo Naylor and Chase DeLauter to step up at the plate, and the latter has excelled against Cactus League pitching this spring (3 HRs/10 RBIs, .459 BA through Monday). 2026 outlook: Cleveland’s bid for a third consecutive AL Central title and fourth in five seasons likely will hinge on pitching. Right-handers Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee will highlight the rotation, while left-handers Joey Cantillo and Parker Messick provide some promise. Armstrong is a proven high-leverage reliever, and Erik Sabrowski could bridge the gap to closer Cade Smith. Detroit Tigers 2025 record: 87-75 (2nd place, AL Central) He gone: INF Andy Ibanez, OF Justyn-Henry Malloy, RHP Tommy Kahnle, RHP Chris Paddack New faces: INF Kevin McGonigle, RHP Justin Verlander, RHP Drew Anderson, LHP Framber Valdez, RHP Kenley Jansen Biggest question entering Opening Day: Tarik Skubal’s impending free agency hangs over the organization like a developing thunderstorm. The two-time Cy Young Award winner has a giant payday awaiting him at the end of the rainbow next offseason, and the Tigers may not be able to retain him. If this season goes off the rails for the Tigers, Skubal could be dealt by the trade deadline on Aug. 3. The good news is the uber-competitive Skubal is fully invested in bringing a long-awaited championship to the Motor City, and the Tigers have the talent to make it happen. The surprise free-agent additions of Valdez and Verlander give Detroit arguably the best rotation in the American League. Jansen provides manager A.J. Hinch another closing option to go with Kyle Finnegan and Will Vest while McGonigle, the No. 2 prospect in baseball, could give the lineup a jolt. 2026 outlook: The Tigers appeared to have the division title until a September swoon last season. They redeemed themselves by defeating division rival Cleveland in the wild-card round but didn’t generate enough offense against Seattle in the division series. Starting pitching makes Detroit the clear favorite in the division in 2026. If McGonigle contributes and Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson and Kerry Carpenter continue to provide pop in the middle of the order, the Tigers could reach the World Series for the first time since 2012. Kansas City Royals 2025 record: 82-80 (3rd place, AL Central) He gone: RHP Jonathan Bowlan, OF Mike Yastrzemski, OF Randal Grichuk, LHP Angel Zerpa New faces: OF Isaac Collins, OF Starling Marte, OF Lane Thomas, LHP Matt Strahm Biggest question entering Opening Day: Did the Royals do enough to add offense after missing the playoffs last season? The early returns would indicate Kansas City has plenty of juice with All-Star Bobby Witt Jr. at shortstop and World Baseball Classic MVP Maikel Garcia standing out on the international stage as an encore to his 2025 breakout season (16 HRs, 74 RBIs, .286 BA). Carter Jensen has breakout potential, but the natural catcher squeezes into the lineup initially as a designated hitter. Thomas had 11 hits in 43 spring at-bats through Monday. He signed only a one-year deal, and a slow start could lead to a quick hook. Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez appeared good to go during their WBC stints. 2026 outlook: The only team with single-digit wins in spring training (through Monday), Kansas City can’t wave goodbye to the Cactus League soon enough. Run production was modest, but the core of the lineup largely was missing while serving on WBC rosters. Now, will the Royals be ready for the curtain to lift on Opening Day in Atlanta? Cole Ragans was an All-Star last season, and if he pitches to quality ace expectations, the team has other young arms that could be ready to fill the void if veterans Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha falter. Garcia flexed star potential in the WBC, and Kansas City’s versatile pieces could add up to being better than expected. Minnesota Twins 2025 record: 70-92 (4th place, AL Central) He gone: INF Edouard Julien, C Christian Vazquez New faces: LHP Anthony Banda, INF Josh Bell, C Victor Caratini, INF Tristan Gray, RHP Zak Kent Biggest question entering Opening Day: The biggest offseason changes for the Twins took place off the field. The Pohlad family still owns the franchise, but Tom Pohlad took over primary ownership duties from his brother, Joe. Not long after Tom took charge, the organization announced it had parted ways with former team president Derek Falvey. A few months before that surprise announcement, Falvey fired Rocco Baldelli as manager and replaced him with ex-Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton. Amid all the changes to management and the front office, the Twins invested little into their team on the field. OF Byron Buxton and 3B Royce Lewis offer a high upside but a significant injury risk. RHP Pablo Lopez was supposed to anchor an above-average rotation, but he suffered a season-ending elbow injury in his first action in spring training. That leaves right-handers Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober to try to anchor a pitching staff that might not receive much run support, considering Minnesota was 23rd in runs in 2025. 2026 outlook: Tom Pohlad told a reporter that he found it “ridiculous” that the Twins’ over-under wins total was set at 73.5 wins. He wants to see vast improvement on the field this season. It’s great to want more wins, but ownership didn’t spend much money in the offseason. The team’s biggest free-agency splash involved signing veteran 1B Josh Bell to a one-year, $7 million deal. This could be a long, losing season in Minnesota. Ryan, C Ryan Jeffers or other valuable veterans could be gone by the trade deadline. AL WEST CAPSULES: CAN MARINERS REACH NEXT LEVEL IN 2026? Athletics 2025 record 76-86 (4th place, AL West) He gone: OF JJ Bleday, RHP Oswaldo Bido, C Willie MacIver, LHP Sean Newcomb, INF Max Schuemann, RHP Mitch Spence New faces: RHP Scott Barlow, RHP Aaron Civale, UTL Andy Ibanez, RHP Mark Leiter Jr., 2B/LF Jeff McNeil Biggest question entering Opening Day: The Athletics are all about being competitive when they begin play in Las Vegas in 2028, but the club has enough talent to top .500 this season if the starting pitching takes a step forward. RHP Luis Severino openly criticized the home digs in West Sacramento last season — he was 2-9 with a 6.01 ERA in 15 starts at the ballpark — and he needs to have a much better attitude about it this year as the club’s top pitcher. LHPs Jeffrey Springs and Jacob Lopez are streaky but highly effective when performing well. The Athletics have young stars in 1B Nick Kurtz (2025 Rookie of the Year), SS Jacob Wilson (Rookie of the Year runner-up), LF Tyler Soderstrom and RF Lawrence Butler to go with veterans such as two-time All-Star DH Brent Rooker, C Shea Langeliers and offseason acquisition McNeil, the 2022 National League batting champion. 2026 Outlook: The Athletics were crushed by a 3-24 stretch during a 29-day span early last season, and the rest of the campaign was focused on development. While the future remains more important than the present, the A’s have the type of offense that can outscore opponents. However, the team needs better pitching before it can seriously think about the playoffs. Houston Astros 2025 record 87-75 (2nd place, AL West) He gone: C Victor Caratini, INF Mauricio Dubon, RHP Luis Garcia, OF Chas McCormick, OF Jacob Melton, OF Jesus Sanchez, LHP Framber Valdez New faces: SS Nick Allen, RHP Mike Burrows, RHP Tatsuya Imai, OF Joey Loperfido, RHP Nate Pearson, RHP Ryan Weiss Biggest question entering Opening Day: Houston has RHPs Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier at the top of the rotation but will badly miss workhorse Valdez, who exited as a free agent. Houston traded for Burrows from the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he will be heavily counted on, as will Imai, an import from Japan who will turn 28 in May and had a 1.92 ERA and five complete games for the Seibu Lions last season. Injury-prone RHP Lance McCullers is slated to be in the rotation but has made just 63 appearances (60 starts) over the last seven seasons. Offensively, SS Carlos Correa needs to regain the form of his first Houston stint (2015-21). He was a big disappointment for most of his 3 1/2 seasons with the Minnesota Twins and had just six homers in 200 at-bats after the Astros reacquired him last season. 2026 Outlook: The Astros missed the postseason last year after eight straight appearances (including two World Series titles) and will have to fight for a berth this season. Keeping slugger Yordan Alvarez healthy (48 games in 2025) will be a big key as Houston missed his power bat after he topped 30 homers in each of the previous four seasons. Los Angeles Angels 2025 record 72-90 (5th place, AL West) He gone: LHP Tyler Anderson, RHP Brock Burke, LHP Andrew Chafin, RHP Kyle Hendricks, RHP Kenley Jansen, 3B Anthony Rendon, INF Luis Rengifo, OF Taylor Ward New faces: 2B Vaughn Grissom, OF Josh Lowe, RHP Alek Manoah, LHP Drew Pomeranz, RHP Grayson Rodriguez, RHP Jordan Romano, LHP Brent Suter, RHP Kirby Yates Biggest question entering Opening Day: Let’s say it all together: Can Mike Trout remain healthy? Oh, no, not that one. This one: Will Trout ever play like last decade’s version of himself? He played in 130 games last season after playing in 82 or fewer games in three of the previous four full campaigns. Trout batted just .232 in 2025, with 178 strikeouts, a meager 64 RBIs and a .439 slugging percentage, well off his .628 or higher mark in each year from 2017-19. He hit 26 homers last season. The Angels have moved him back to center field, too. For Trout, 34, expectations can be for another year like last season. A team that was inconsistent on offense traded OF Taylor Ward (career-best 36 homers) for Rodriguez in hopes of shoring up the pitching behind reliable RHP Jose Soriano and LHP Yusei Kikuchi. 2026 Outlook: The Angels haven’t qualified for the postseason since 2014 — when they were swept by the Kansas City Royals — and the only folks feeling they’ll get there this year likely are people employed by the club. Los Angeles has some good young players in SS Zach Neto, C Logan O’Hoppe and RF Jo Adell, but there isn’t enough talent or pitching to compete with the top teams in the division. Seattle Mariners 2025 record 90-72 (1st place, AL West) He gone: LHP Caleb Ferguson, C Harry Ford, RHP Jackson Kowar, LUP Gregory Santos, 3B Eugenio Suarez, LHP Trent Thornton, 3B Ben Williamson New faces: INF Brendan Donovan, LHP Jose Ferrer, C Andrew Knizner, OF Rob Refsnyder Biggest question entering Opening Day: The Mariners fell one loss short of reaching the World Series for the first time in franchise history, and expectations are high this year. The person who most needs to deliver is C Cal Raleigh, as in this: Can he come close to his historic 60-homer, 125-RBI effort from last season? Somehow, 35 homers and 90 RBIs would seem like a letdown. Re-signing Josh Naylor, who excelled in the postseason, also was a big plus, as was the trade to obtain Brendan Donovan. Julio Rodriguez has two 30-homer, 30-steal campaigns in his four MLB seasons, but the Mariners need him to trim his strikeouts (152 last season). The rotation — led by RHPs Logan Gilbert and Luis Castillo — remains among the best in the majors, and shutdown closer Andres Munoz (38 saves) is ultra-reliable. 2026 Outlook: Seattle reached the American League Championship Series three times between 1995-2001 and then didn’t make the playoffs for 21 years. So last season’s success has created Seahawks-like enthusiasm that another deep run is on the agenda. The Mariners appear to have the best team in the AL West and should easily be part of the playoffs. Returning to the ALCS is a possibility. Texas Rangers 2025 record 81-81 (3rd place, AL West) He gone: RHP Shawn Armstrong, LHP Patrick Corbin, LHP Danny Coulombe, OF Adolis Garcia, RHP Jon Gray, C Jonah Heim, RHP Merrill Kelly, RHP Tyler Mahle, RHP Phil Maton, LHP Hoby Milner, 2B Marcus Semien, 1B Rowdy Tellez, RHP Jacob Webb New faces: RHP Tyler Alexander, LHP Jalen Beeks, LHP MacKenzie Gore, C Danny Jansen, RHP Jakob Junis, RHP Chris Martin, LHP Jordan Montgomery, OF Brandon Nimmo Biggest question entering Opening Day: Texas moved on from key 2023 World Series title cogs Garcia and Semien, and even manager Bruce Bochy agreed it was time for a change and parted ways with the club. Skip Schumaker is his replacement. Keeping SS Corey Seager healthy has been a chore, and Texas isn’t going to compete for a playoff spot if he plays in just 102 games again. The five-time All-Star has missed 142 games over the past three seasons. Seager needs new running mates after the offseason housecleaning, and OFs Wyatt Langford (team-best 22 homers in 2025) and Nimmo (average of 24 HRs over the best three seasons) are the best bets. Trading for Gore gives Texas a nice big three in the rotation along with RHPs Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. Two-time Cy Young Award winner deGrom made 30 starts last season, his highest work rate since 2019. 2026 Outlook: The Rangers could be a contender if Seager rakes and deGrom dominates, but they also could be a middling team like last season. Texas has largely revamped the pitching staff, especially the bullpen, but will remain a team that relies on offense. That leaves the Rangers likely competing for the final AL wild-card spot. AL EAST CAPSULES: CAN BLUE JAYS HOLD OFF YANKS, RED SOX ONCE AGAIN? Toronto Blue Jays2025 record 94-68 (1st place, AL East)He gone: SS Bo Bichette, RHP Chris Bassitt, RHP Seranthony Dominguez, 1B Ty France, INF Isiah Kiner-FalefaNew faces: RHP Dylan Cease, 3B Kazuma Okamoto, RHP Tyler Rogers, RHP Cody Ponce, RHP Chase Lee Biggest question entering Opening Day: How can Toronto build off its best season in over 30 years? The Blue Jays came one win shy of their first championship in 32 years, losing Game 7 of the World Series at home to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Salt was then poured in the wound when top free-agent outfielder Kyle Tucker signed with Los Angeles over heavy interest from Toronto. Still, the Blue Jays spent quite a bit in free agency, giving Dylan Cease the largest free-agent contract in franchise history (seven years, $210 million). Pair him with returning veterans Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer as well as another free-agent signing in Cody Ponce, who found impressive form in South Korea, and Japanese signee Kazuma Okamoto and the Blue Jays are clearly trying to spend their way into continued contention. 2026 Outlook: Through the heartbreak of last season, Toronto doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Between a rotation that appears likely to be among the best in the majors and returning offensive stars in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer with a new slugger in Okamoto, it wouldn’t be remotely surprising if the Blue Jays repeat as AL East champs. New York Yankees2025 record 94-68 (2nd place, AL East)He gone: RHP Devin Williams, RHP Luke Weaver, RHP Jonathan LoaisigaNew faces: LHP Ryan Weathers, INF Max Schuemann Biggest question entering Opening Day: Will the decision to run it back with minimal newcomers pay off? New York certainly could have paid up to add any number of prominent free-agent names to its rotation or lineup. Instead, the Yankees spent their available money to re-sign players who were on their 2025 roster. They inked Cody Bellinger to a five-year, $162.5 million contract and extended a qualifying offer to Trent Grisham after both opted out of their contracts. They also re-signed Ryan Yarbrough, Amed Rosario and Paul Blackburn, electing to basically enter 2026 with their 2025 roster, with the hope for better injury luck. But it feels entirely possible that the Yankees are once again sitting in second place in August and wishing they had pursued that outside top free-agent arm or bat to push their roster over the top. 2026 Outlook: Any team that has three-time American League MVP Aaron Judge is going to have a good chance of being competitive. And considering the Yankees lost the AL East on a tiebreaker last season despite getting zero starts from ace Gerrit Cole, they should be right back in the mix this season as he returns from Tommy John surgery. Boston Red Sox2025 record 89-73 (3rd place, AL East)He gone: 3B Alex Bregman, RHP Lucas Giolito, RHP Hunter DobbinsNew faces: LHP Ranger Suarez, 1B Willson Contreras, RHP Sonny Gray, RHP Johan Oviedo, 3B Caleb Durbin, INF Isiah Kiner-Falefa Biggest question entering Opening Day: Did the Red Sox make the right moves to compete in a crowded AL East? Boston took a step forward in 2025, jumping from .500 to a wild-card berth five games back of the Blue Jays and Yankees. They followed that up with a splashy offseason in which they added a pair of established starting pitchers in Ranger Suarez (five years, $130 million) and the aging Sonny Gray. The Red Sox did lose Alex Bregman just one season into his three-year deal and didn’t land one of the top free-agent position players, but they brought in Caleb Durbin coming off a productive rookie season in Milwaukee to replace him and improved at first base by trading for Willson Contreras. Games 2026 Outlook: It’ll be hard to pull the AL East title away from Toronto or New York. But with some sizable offseason moves — especially to bolster the rotation — and some budding stars like World Baseball Classic standout Roman Anthony, who is getting some MVP buzz at 21 years old, the Red Sox appear talented enough to contend if things break right. Tampa Bay Rays2025 record 77-85 (4th place, AL East)He gone: 2B Brandon Lowe, RHP Shane Baz, OF Josh Lowe, RHP Pete FairbanksNew faces: OF Cedric Mullins, 2B/OF Gavin Lux, RHP Nick Martinez, LHP Steven Matz, OF Jake Fraley Biggest question entering Opening Day: What can Tampa Bay get from Shane McClanahan? In his first three major league seasons from 2021-23, McClanahan was exceptional on the mound, posting a 33-16 record and 3.02 ERA across 74 starts. But he hasn’t pitched in a regular-season game since August 2023, missing 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and sitting out 2025 with a nerve injury in his left arm. He returned to the mound this spring and has looked good. A return to form for the southpaw ace feels like a requirement for the Rays to keep up in a brutally talented division as the team returns to Tropicana Field after playing elsewhere in the city last season due to damage caused by Hurricane Milton. 2026 Outlook: The Rays always are the team that does more with less in a division loaded with big spenders. That’s especially true now that Baltimore and Toronto really are opening up the checkbooks. This team, which shipped off roster mainstays in Brandon Lowe and Shane Baz to acquire prospects, doesn’t have the look of one that will contend this season. Baltimore Orioles2025 record: 75-87 (5th place, AL East)He gone: RHP Grayson Rodriguez, RHP Tomoyuki SuganoNew faces: 1B Pete Alonso, RHP Chris Bassitt, RHP Shane Baz, OF Taylor Ward, RHP Ryan Helsley Biggest question entering Opening Day: Will a roster rehaul restore Baltimore’s good vibes? The 2023 and ‘24 Orioles were a great story, rising from a rough stretch to put together the franchise’s first back-to-back 90-win seasons since the early 1980s. A disastrous 2025 season made Baltimore a surprise seller at the trade deadline and set the stage for an important offseason that the front office seemed to sense given the moves it made. Signing former Met Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million contract was a huge splash. Trading for Taylor Ward and Shane Baz and signing former Blue Jay Chris Bassitt also were high-upside moves. Will they be enough to help Baltimore rediscover its recent glory? 2026 Outlook: Alonso gives the Orioles some major pop (264 homers in the last seven seasons). Pairing him with a lineup full of young potential superstars including Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson means a return to form is very much on the table, especially if the top arms carry over the success they’ve had this spring. But the margin for error won’t be very big in the AL East. ================================================================== GOLF NEWS GOLF GLANCE: MASTERS SPOT ON LINE IN HOUSTON; LPGA HITS ARIZONA One of the final Masters spots is on the line at this week’s PGA Tour stop in Houston, while the LPGA Tour hits Arizona, the DP World Tour continues its Asia Swing and the Champions visit southern California. PGA TOURTHIS WEEK: Texas Children’s Houston Open, March 26-29Course: Memorial Park Golf Course (Par 70, 7,475 Yards)Purse: $9.9M (Winner: $1.782M)Defending Champion: Min Woo LeeFedEx Cup Leader: Jacob BridgemanHOW TO FOLLOWTV: Thursday-Friday: 3-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Sunday: 8:15 a.m.-7 p.m.X: @TCHouOpenNOTES: The field includes 18 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking. … The winner will earn a spot in the Masters next month if not already exempt. Thirty players in the field have already qualified to play at Augusta National. … World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler withdrew Tuesday due to the impending birth of his second child with his wife, Meredith. He was replaced in the field by Matt Kuchar. … Woo set the tournament scoring record at Memorial Park of 260 with his one-shot victory over Scheffler and Gary Woodland last year. … Brooks Koepka, who will be making his sixth start in his return to the PGA Tour, assisted in the 2019 renovation of Memorial Park along with Tom Doak and Houston Astros owner Jim Crane. … Sponsor exemptions include Texas A&M alum Bronson Burgoon, Texas alum Cole Hammer and Mason Howell, an 18-year-old who has committed to the University of Georgia.BEST BETS: Lee (+1500 at DraftKings) is seeking to become the first player to successfully defend his title at Memorial Park. … Chris Gotterup (+2050) is a four-time PGA Tour winner and the only two-time winner on tour this year. … Sam Burns (+2350) bookended a pair of missed cuts with a T6 at Pebble Beach and a T13 at The Players. … Jake Knapp (+2400) is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 42 who has yet to qualify for the Masters. … Michael Thorbjornsen (+3200) is still seeking his first win on tour, but played in the final group at The Players, carding a 77 to finish T22. … Marco Penge (+3200) is coming off a T4 last week, his best result so far in 2026 after winning the Open de Espana in October. … Sungjae Im (+6100) held the lead after each of the first three rounds last week before being undone by a 74 on Sunday that dropped him to T4.Last Tournament: Valspar Championship (Matt Fitzpatrick)Next Tournament: Valero Texas Open, San Antonio, April 2-5 LPGA TOURTHIS WEEK: Ford Championship, Chandler, Ariz., March 26-29Course: Whirlwind Golf Club, Cattail Course (Par 72, 6,675 Yards)Purse: $2.25MDefending Champion: Hyo Joo KimRace to CME Globe Leader: Nelly KordaHOW TO FOLLOW:TV: Thursday-Sunday: 6-7 p.m. ET (GolfChannel.com), 7-9 p.m. (Golf Channel)X: @LPGANOTES: World No. 2 Nelly Korda, who won the inaugural Ford Championship in 2024, finished one shot off the lead last week to follow up her win in the weather-shortened Tournament of Champions. She is joined in this week’s field by World No. 1 Jenno Thitikul and No. 3 Charley Hull as well as her sister, Jessica, a six-time winner who will tee it up on the LPGA Tour for the first time since 2023. Jessica Korda, 33, has taken time off for maternity leave after recovering from a back injury. … Lizette Salas, who has been sidelined since 2024 due to her own back injury, is also in the field along with Lexi Thompson. … Kim overcame a four-shot deficit to win last year, beating Lilia Vu with a birdie on the first playoff hole.Last Tournament: Fortinet Founders Cup (Kim)Next Tournament: Aramco Championship, Las Vegas, April 2-5 DP WORLD TOURTHIS WEEK: Hero Indian Open, New Delhi, March 26-29Course: DLF G&CC (Par 72, 7,416 Yards)Purse: $2.25MDefending Champion: Eugenio ChacarraRace to Dubai Leader: Patrick ReedHOW TO FOLLOWTV: Thursday-Friday: 3:30-8:30 a.m.; Saturday, 4-8:30 a.m.; Sunday: 2:30-7:30 a.m. (Golf Channel)X: @DPWorldTourNOTES: Chacarra won by two shots last year for his maiden DP World Tour title, and was one of only three players to finish under par. … Akshay Bhatia, who won the Arnold Palmer Invitational earlier this month, is in the field. … The is the second of the four-event Asia Swing, with DP World Tour members competing for a total prize fund of $10.6 million. … The player who finishes first in the Asia Swing will earn a place in all events in Phase Two of the DP World Tour season, the Back 9 and a $200,000 bonus. Japan’s Keita Nakajima won last year’s Asia Swing. … The three leading DP World Tour members will qualify for the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club from May 14-17.Last Tournament: Hainan Classic (Jordan Gumberg)Next Tournament: China Open, Shanghai, April 23-26 PGA TOUR CHAMPIONSTHIS WEEK: Hoag Classic, Newport Beach, Calif., March 27-29Course: Newport Beach Country Club (Par 71, 6,725 Yards)Purse: $2.2M (Winner: $330,000)Defending Champion: Miguel Angel JimenezCharles Schwab Cup leader: Stewart CinkHOW TO FOLLOWTV: Friday: 3-6 p.m. ET (GolfChannel.com); 10 p.m.-Midnight (Golf Channel — Tape Delay); Saturday-Sunday: 4-5 p.m. (GolfChannel.com), 5-7 p.m. (Golf Channel)X: @ChampionsTourNOTES: This is the fifth of 28 events on the 2026 schedule. … Two-time event winner Ernie Els (2020, 2023) is in the field.Last Tournament: Cologuard Classic (Steven Alker)Next Tournament: Senior PGA Championship, Bradenton, Fla., April 16-19 LIV GOLF LEAGUETHIS WEEK: OFF.2026 Season Leaders: Individual: Jon Rahm; Team: Ripper GCX: @livgolf_leagueLast Event: LIV Golf South Africa (Individual: Bryson DeChambeau; Team: Crushers GC)Next Event: LIV Golf Mexico City, April 16-19 TIGER WOODS TAGS IN FOR JUPITER LINKS, BUT LAGC WIN TGL’S SOFI CUP Tiger Woods’ return to competition didn’t last all that long, but it might have been an important step for the golfing great. Woods played in the TGL’s SoFi Cup finals Tuesday night in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., though his presence in the lineup wasn’t enough for Jupiter Links. Los Angeles GC was a convincing 9-2 winner in a match that lasted barely 90 minutes. It ended early enough that Woods didn’t even get to take part in the singles portion of the match. Woods described the result as getting “our (butts) kicked in the end.” “They steamrolled us in the end, but it’s good to be back,” Woods said. This was Woods’ first competitive golf since February 2025, when he appeared in TGL’s inaugural season. He’s about six months removed from lumbar disk replacement last fall on top of a surgery for an Achilles rupture from earlier in the year. He hasn’t played in a regular tournament since the 2024 Open Championship. It’s unclear if Woods will compete in next month’s Masters. Woods, a five-time Masters champion, took his first shot Tuesday on the green — a putt from about 25 feet away that came up short. Soon after, he helped his team capture its first point with a 3-wood — calculated at 272 virtual yards — to put the Jupiter Links in position for a score. In some ways, there was the appearance of a vintage Woods. He wore a red shirt and close-up views of him showed sweat on his face. He had a stern stare, reminding viewers of the focus that often led to some of his most memorable performances. He also missed a short putt, banging his putter on the ball after it lipped out and rolled away from the hole. That misfire resulted in Jupiter Links falling behind for the first time in the match at 3-2. Woods, captain for Jupiter Links, was in Match 2 of the best-of-three finals on the Palm Beach State College campus. “I’ve been a cheerleader all these matches, and I want to contribute,” he said prior to the match. Woods, 50, joined teammates Max Homa and Tom Kim, replacing Kevin Kisner in the lineup. The team faced off with Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Sahith Theegala. Los Angeles GC won Monday’s Match 1. Tuesday’s result in Match 2 meant a decisive match wasn’t needed later Tuesday night. In the inaugural TGL finals last year, the Atlanta Drive GC swept New York Golf Club 2-0. ===================================================================== INDIANA SPORTS TEAM RELEASES INDIANA PACERS GAME PREVIEW: PACERS VS LAKERS The Indiana Pacers (16-56) host the Los Angeles Lakers (46-26) in the second and final meeting between the two teams on Wednesday. After snapping a franchise-record 16-game losing streak with a win over the Magic on Monday, Indiana seeks to earn its first win in Gainbridge Fieldhouse since Jan. 31 with a victory over the Lakers. Pascal Siakam led the Pacers in scoring on Monday as he poured in 37 points along with six rebounds, and Andrew Nembhard notched 13 points and 14 assists with just two turnovers. Indiana found a groove against Orlando as it scored a season-high 44 points in the third quarter, and surged to its first win since Feb. 11 in Brooklyn. Los Angeles also snapped a streak on Monday. The Lakers fell to the Pistons, 113-110, in a game that abruptly ended their nine-game winning streak. Luka Doncic recorded 32 points in that contest – his 10th straight game of 30 or more points – alongside Austin Reaves, who scored 24 points and five assists. Doncic’s electric offense was a problem for the Pacers the last time they met with the Lakers as he scored 44 points in just three quarters before sitting out the fourth. Containing Doncic is a key to Indiana’s success on Wednesday. Los Angeles leads the NBA in field goal percentage this season as it connects on nearly 50 percent (49.9 percent) of all of its shots from the floor. Defense has been inconsistent, however, as the Lakers slide in at 20th out of 30 teams in defensive rating. The Lakers are currently third in the Western Conference and are eight games behind the Spurs for the second seed. Los Angeles fends off Denver in fourth, who trails by just two games in the race for postseason positioning. The matchup with the Lakers on Wednesday kicks off a three-game homestand for the Pacers, who will host the Clippers on Friday and the Heat on Sunday following the contest against the Lakers on Wednesday. Projected Starters Pacers: G – Andrew Nembhard, G – Aaron Nesmith, F – Jarace Walker, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Jay Huff Lakers: G – Luka Doncic, G – Austin Reaves, F – Marcus Smart, F – LeBron James, C – Deandre Ayton Injury Report Pacers: Johnny Furphy – out (right ACL tear), Tyrese Haliburton – out (right Achilles tear), Ivica Zubac – out (rib fracture) Lakers: Rui Hachimura – questionable (sore right calf), Marcus Smart – questionable (ankle) Last Meeting March 6, 2026: The Lakers downed the Pacers, 128-117, behind Luka Doncic’s 44 points in 32 minutes. Los Angeles hosted Indiana in early March as the Lakers grabbed a fourth victory in five games. Doncic was unstoppable — he recorded 44 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks in just three quarters. Pascal Siakam led the charge for the Pacers as he notched 26 points, five rebounds, and three assists. The Blue and Gold made 47 percent of its field goals, but struggled from distance. The Pacers converted just 23 percent of their 3-point attempts. The Lakers knocked down 46 percent of their triples, and Doncic connected on seven himself. Indiana recorded just seven turnovers to Los Angeles’s 13, but couldn’t overcome Doncic’s eruption of scoring, and fell to the Lakers. The loss marked Indiana’s eighth straight since the All-Star break. Noteworthy The Pacers are 35-68 against the Lakers all-time. Wednesday’s matchup with the Lakers is the final meeting between Indiana and Los Angeles this season. The Lakers lead the season series, 1-0. Indiana’s last home win was on Jan. 31 over the Atlanta Hawks. Broadcast Information (Where to Watch and Listen to Pacers Games >>) TV: FanDuel Sports Network/WTHR – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host) Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (studio host) ================================================================== INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS POSITION PREVIEW: POSITION PLAYERS INDIANAPOLIS – With Opening Day less than a week away, the 2026 Indianapolis Indians position player group is solidifying. As final roster decisions are taking place, several Young Bucs will etch themselves into the lineup. Infielders 1B Nick Cimillo: Cimillo, 26, aims for his Triple-A debut with Indy after spending all of 2025 with Double-A Altoona, hitting .239 (96-for-401) with 26 doubles, four triples, 20 home runs, 71 RBI and a .793 OPS. He was one of the Eastern League’s best power hitters last season, finishing tied for second in home runs and extra-base hits (50) and fourth in RBI and total bases (190). Cimillo was selected by Pittsburgh in the 16th round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft from Rutgers (N.J.) University. Konnor Griffin: Griffin, 19, enters the season as the No. 1 overall prospect in baseball according to both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America after rising through the minors in 2025. The shortstop began the season with Single-A Bradenton and made his professional debut on April 4, hitting .338 (70-for-207) with 10 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 36 RBI, 49 runs, 26 stolen bases and a .932 OPS across 50 games and leading the Florida State League in batting average, total bases (111) and runs in his time with the club. Griffin was promoted to High-A Greensboro in June and played in in 51 games for the Grasshoppers, hitting .325 (63-for-194) with 11 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 36 RBI, 48 runs, 33 stolen bases and a .942 OPS with the team, leading the South Atlantic League in average, hits, runs, stolen bases, OPS and total bases (99) in his time with Greensboro. He made his way to Double-A Altoona in late August, tearing up the competition down the stretch as he posted a .337 average (28-for-83) with two doubles, five home runs, 22 RBI, 20 runs and a .960 OPS across 21 games. He was named the Young Bucs Honus Wagner Player of the Year and Bill Mazeroski Defender of the Year following the campaign. The young phenom was selected by Pittsburgh as the ninth overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft out of Jackson (Miss.) Prep High School. Termarr Johnson: Johnson, 21, enters the season as Pittsburgh’s No. 7 prospect according to both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. Primarily a second baseman, the left-handed-hitting infielder played in 119 games with Double-A Altoona in 2025 and hit .272 (118-for-434) with 15 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 35 RBI, 59 walks, 67 runs, 20 stolen bases and a .745 OPS, ranking among Eastern League leaders in runs (6th), on-base percentage (6th, .363), hits (T-6th), batting average (8th) and walks (T-8th). Johnson has previously ranked as a Top 100 prospect for both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America and was selected by Pittsburgh as the fourth overall pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of Mays (Atlanta) High School. C/1B Endy Rodríguez: Rodríguez, 25, aims for a resurgence in 2026 after missing most of the previous two seasons due to injury. The switch hitter began the season with Pittsburgh and was placed on the 10-day injured list on April 15 with a right hand laceration before appearing in eight games with Indianapolis on a rehab assignment. Rodríguez returned to Pittsburgh for three games in June but missed the remainder of the season after landing on the injured list with right elbow inflammation. Across 374 career minor league games, he has hit .292 (406-for-1389) with 102 doubles, 16 triples, 53 home runs and .884 OPS. Rodríguez was originally signed by New York (NL) as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2018, and was traded to Pittsburgh as part of a three-team trade with New York (NL) and San Diego on Jan. 19, 2021. C Shawn Ross: Ross, 26, could be set for a return to Indianapolis after splitting the 2025 campaign between Double-A Altoona and the Circle City. In 33 games with Indy, Ross hit .183 (20-for-109) with four doubles and three home runs. The Puerto Rico native was signed by Pittsburgh as a non-drafted free agent on Dec. 1, 2022. UTIL Enmanuel Valdez: Valdez, 27, began the 2025 season with Pittsburgh and appeared in 31 games, hitting .209 (19-for-91) with four doubles, two triples and two home runs prior to being placed on the 10-day injured list on May 9 with left shoulder inflammation. He was subsequently transferred to the 60-day IL and his season concluded after undergoing left shoulder surgery. Across 156 major league games between Boston and Pittsburgh, Valdez hit .230 (99-for-431) with 24 doubles, two triples and 14 home runs. The Dominican Republic native was traded to Pittsburgh from Boston on Dec. 15, 2024, and was originally signed by Houston as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2015. UTIL Davis Wendzel: Wendzel, 28, was signed by Pittsburgh as a minor league free agent on Dec. 15, 2025, after spending majority of last season with Triple-A Louisville in Cincinnati’s system. He appeared in 94 games with the Bats, hitting .251 (77-for-307) with 17 doubles, 13 home runs and a .779 OPS. The veteran infielder made his major league debut in 2024 with Texas and was originally selected by the club in the first round (41st overall) of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft from Baylor (Texas) University. Outfielders UTIL Tyler Callihan: Callihan, 25, is a utility player that recently joined Pittsburgh after being traded from Cincinnati in exchange for Kyle Nicolas on March 4, 2026. Callihan began the 2025 season with Triple-A Louisville and hit .303 (27-for-89) with four doubles, two triples, four home runs and a .938 OPS across 24 games. He made his major league debut with the Reds on April 30 (1) vs. St. Louis and appeared in four games with the team before fracturing his left forearm colliding with the wall on May 5 at Atlanta to end his season. Callihan was selected by Cincinnati in the third round (85th overall) of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Providence (Fla.) High School. Dominic Fletcher: Fletcher, 28, signed with Pittsburgh as a minor league free agent on Dec. 12, 2025, after splitting last season between Triple-A Charlotte and Chicago (AL). Fletcher spent most of the season with Charlotte, hitting .260 (105-for-404) with 19 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs, 68 RBI and a .770 OPS across 105 games. He made a brief stint with the White Sox to conclude the season, hitting .219 (7-for-32) in 12 Sept. games. Fletcher has family ties to the majors as the brother of pitcher and former infielder David Fletcher. He was originally selected by Arizona in the first round (75th overall) of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Cypress (Calif.) High School. Jhostynxon Garcia: Garcia, 23, enters the season as Pittsburgh’s No. 5 prospect (Baseball America) and No. 6 (MLB Pipeline) following his trade from Boston on Dec. 4, 2025. Nicknamed “The Password” due to the unique spelling and pronunciation of his name, the powerful outfielder hit .271 (86-for-317) with 12 doubles, three triples, 18 home runs and an .832 OPS across 81 games with Triple-A Worcester last season. He made his major league debut with Boston on Aug. 22, 2025, at New York (AL) and played in five games with the club last season. Mitch Jebb: Jebb, 23, spent the full 2025 season with Double-A Altoona and appeared in 122 games, hitting .265 (118-for-445) with 11 doubles, six triples, 34 RBI, 59 walks, 33 stolen bases, a .350 on-base percentage and .667 OPS. Known as a premier baserunner, he has compiled 87 stolen bases across 269 career games and has stolen 30-plus in each of the last two seasons. Jebb was drafted by Pittsburgh in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of Michigan State (East Lansing) University. Ronny Simon: Simon, 25, returns to Indianapolis following a strong 2025 campaign with the club after being claimed on waivers by Pittsburgh from Miami on June 2, 2025. Simon began last season with Triple-A Jacksonville and made his major league debut with Miami on April 21 vs. Cincinnati before being designated for assignment by the club on May 19 following 19 games with the Marlins. He appeared in 54 games with Indianapolis, hitting .284 (60-for-211) with nine doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 30 RBI, a team-leading 24 stolen bases and an .817 OPS. Simon set a Victory Field single-season record with four leadoff home runs on the season and became the second player in the Victory Field era (also: Brian Bixler, 2009) to hit leadoff home runs in back-to-back games. The Dominican Republic native was originally signed by Chicago (NL) as a non-drafted free agent on June 23, 2018. Esmerlyn Valdez: Valdez, 22, enters the season as Pittsburgh’s No. 11 prospect according to both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline after being named the organization’s Young Bucs Willie Stargell Slugger of the Year and South Atlantic League Most Valuable Player in 2025. In 72 games with High-A Greensboro, he hit .303 (84-for-277) with a .977 OPS and ranked among league leaders in slugging (1st, .592), home runs (2nd, 20), extra-base hits (2nd, 39), total bases (4th, 164), and RBI (10th, 57). The Dominican Republic native was signed by Pittsburgh as a non-drafted free agent on Jan. 15, 2021. The Indians open the 2026 season at Victory Field on Friday, March 27 vs. the St. Paul Saints, the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. Full season, half season and mini plans are on sale, and group and premium reservations may also be made. For more on the Indians, visit IndyIndians.com or contact the Victory Field Box Office at (317) 269-3545 or Tickets@IndyIndians.com. POSITION PREVIEW: PITCHERS INDIANAPOLIS – With eager anticipation for Opening Day, the 2026 Indianapolis Indians pitching staff begins to take shape as final major league spots are yet to be decided. A mix of veterans and Young Bucs preparing for their big-league debut round out the potential roster in the Circle City. Starting Pitchers RHP Wilber Dotel: Dotel, 23, enters the season as Pittsburgh’s No. 13 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. He spent the full season with Double-A Altoona with a 7-9 record, 4.15 ERA (58er/125.2ip), 131 strikeouts, 1.23 WHIP and .234 batting average against (111-for-474) across 27 starts. The right-hander set career bests in starts, innings and strikeouts, ranking among the Eastern League in starts (1st), strikeouts (3rd), opponent average (3rd), WHIP (4th) and innings (5th). He has spent the past five seasons in the Pittsburgh farm system in hopes of his Triple-A debut in 2026. Dotel was signed by Pittsburgh as a non-drafted free agent from the Dominican Republic on Oct. 13, 2020. RHP Thomas Harrington: Harrington, 24, is set to headline the Indianapolis rotation after splitting the 2025 season between Pittsburgh and Indianapolis. The Pirates’ No. 14 prospect (MLB Pipeline) had his contract selected by the Pirates on April 1, 2025, and made his major league debut that day at Tampa Bay. The Pirates No. 14 prospect (MLB Pipeline) appeared in 21 games (20 starts) for Indy, posting a 7-9 record, 5.34 ERA (57er/96.0ip) and 90 strikeouts. Harrington was selected by Pittsburgh in the first round (36th overall) of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of Campbell University (Buies Creek, N.C.) and has spent the past three seasons as a Young Buc. RHP Antwone Kelly: Kelly, 22, returned to camp recently after representing Team Netherlands in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Pittsburgh’s No. 9 prospect according to MLB Pipeline split the 2025 season between High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona and made 25 starts, going 3-3 with a 3.02 ERA (36er/107.1ip), 116 strikeouts, 1.06 WHIP and .208 batting average against (81-for-390). As one of the best performers in Pittsburgh’s farm last season, he ranked among the organization’s full-season minor leaguers in ERA (1st), batting average against (1st), WHIP (2nd), strikeouts (T-4th) and innings pitched (6th). The Aruba native was signed by Pittsburgh as a non-drafted free agent on Jan. 15, 2021, and has spent his full career with the club. His contract was first selected by Pittsburgh on Nov. 18, 2025. Relief Pitchers RHP Brandan Bidois: Bidois, 24, was one of the top arms in the Pittsburgh farm in 2025, climbing all four levels of the organization’s full-season affiliates. Along his stints with Single-A Bradenton, High-A Greensboro, Double-A Altoona and Indianapolis, he compiled an 8-0 record, 0.74 ERA (5er/61.0ip), 69 strikeouts, 0.80 WHIP and .110 batting average against (22-for-200) across 40 games with 35 of those being scoreless outings. He made national headlines down the stretch as he did not allow a hit to 64 consecutive batters across 12 outings (18.0 innings) beginning on July 29 with Altoona at Portland through Sept. 9 with Indianapolis vs. Iowa. The Australia native was signed by Pittsburgh as a non-drafted free agent on Sept. 21, 2019. RHP Beau Burrows: Burrows, 29, carries a decade of professional experience with him into the 2026 season. After signing with Pittsburgh last season on a minor league contract, he again signed a minors deal with the club on Nov. 26, 2025. Burrows appeared at all four levels of the Pirates’ full-season system, logging a 3-3 record, 2.94 ERA (16er/49.0ip), 49 strikeouts, 0.90 WHIP and .158 batting average against (27-for-171) across 37 games (1 start). The veteran right-hander was selected by Detroit in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of Weatherford High School (Texas) and has appeared for Detroit and Minnesota at the major league level. RHP Michael Darrell-Hicks: Darrell-Hicks, 28, returns to Indianapolis after appearing in 15 games in 2025. The right-hander split time between Triple-A Salt Lake and Los Angeles (AL) prior to being claimed on waivers by Pittsburgh on June 13, 2025, and made his major league debut on April 11, 2025, with Los Angeles (AL) at Houston. Darrell-Hicks’ season ended early after being placed on the 7-day injured list on Aug. 14, 2025. He was originally signed by Los Angeles (AL) as a non-drafted free agent on July 26, 2022, from Jacksonville (Fla.) University. RHP Noah Davis: Davis, 28, joins the Pittsburgh organization after signing a minor league contract with the club on Jan. 5, 2026. He spent the 2025 season between the Los Angeles (NL) and Minnesota organizations between Triple-A and the majors. The veteran right-hander made 21 appearances (2 starts) with Oklahoma City, going 3-0 with a 3.94 ERA (14er/32.0ip), 38 strikeouts, and five games with the Dodgers prior to being designated for assignment on July 11, 2025. He was traded to Minnesota from Los Angeles (NL) on July 14 and spent most of his time with St. Paul for the remainder of the campaign. Davis has spent time in the farm systems of Cincinnati, Colorado, Los Angeles (NL) and Minnesota, logging time in the majors with the latter three. He was selected by Cincinnati in the 11th round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of California Santa Barbara. LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: Mosqueda, 26, signed with Pittsburgh as a minor league free agent on Nov. 14, 2025, after spending all of 2025 with Triple-A Memphis. The lefty led the team with 55 appearances and logged a 5-5 record, 4.52 ERA (33er/65.2ip), 68 strikeouts and a 1.25 WHIP. Mosqueda has spent the past three seasons in Triple-A with Worcester (2023), Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (2024) and Memphis. He is yet to make his major league debut and his journey has included stops in the systems of Boston, New York (AL) and St. Louis. The Venezuela native was signed by Boston as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2015. LHP Evan Sisk: Sisk, 28, begins his first full season in the Pittsburgh organization after being traded from Kansas City on July 31, 2025. He spent most of the year at the Triple-A level, combining a 0-2 record with a 4.38 ERA (37.0ip/18er) and 42 strikeouts in 38 games between Omaha and Indianapolis. The southpaw had a stellar start to the 2025 campaign with Omaha, posting a 0.47 ERA (1er/19.1ip) across his first 19 appearances. He additionally made 19 appearances in the big leagues (14 with Pittsburgh) after making his major league debut with Kansas City on April 15, 2025, at New York (AL). Sisk was drafted by St. Louis in the 16th round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft from the College of Charleston (S.C.) and has spent time in the organizations of St. Louis, Minnesota, Kansas City and Pittsburgh. The Indians open the 2026 season at Victory Field on Friday, March 27 vs. the St. Paul Saints, the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. Full season, half season and mini plans are on sale, and group and premium reservations may also be made. For more on the Indians, visit IndyIndians.com or contact the Victory Field Box Office at (317) 269-3545 or Tickets@IndyIndians.com. ===================================================================== INDY ELEVEN RENDON, QUINN USL-C “TEAM OF THE WEEK” (Mar. 24, 2026) Tampa, Fla. – Indy Eleven forward Bruno Rendon and midfielder Aodhan Quinn have been selected to the USL Championship “Team of the Week” after helping the Boys in Blue earn a 2-1 victory over Eastern Conference rival Detroit City FC in the Home Opener on Saturday at Carroll Stadium. Rendon recorded an assist on forward Dylan Sing’s first Boys in Blue goal in the 43rd minute to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. Midfielder Josh O’Brien set up the scoring sequence with a run up the right sideline, hesitating and then playing a cheeky ball behind the defensive line into the box near the end line that Rendon chased down and chipped to the near post, where Sing headed it home. O’Brien set up the game-winning goal in the 62nd, heading an errant clearance to Rendon, who chested it down and struck a left-footed laser for the game winner. That score is a finalist for the USL Championship “Goal of the Week”, with fan voting ending tomorrow at midnight. The 25-year-old Rendon tied for team-high honors with four shots and two shots on target on Saturday, adding two chances created, five completed passes in the final third, three crosses attempted, and two aerial duels won. On the season, Rendon is ranked in the USL Championship Top Ten in three categories–tied for seventh in assists (1) and tied for ninth in goals (1) and shots (6). It marks the third time in two seasons with the Boys in Blue that Rendon has earned “Team of the Week” honors. He earned the accolade in Week 3 and Week 33 in 2025. The Matanzas, Cuba, native joined Indy Eleven after earning USL League One “Defender of the Year” in 2024 for Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC under Coach Eamon Zayed, the Boys in Blue franchise scoring leader. Rendon helped Northern Colorado to its best-ever season and the inaugural USL Cup championship, scoring nine goals in eight Cup matches. Captain Aodhan Quinn led Indy Eleven with four chances created, nine crosses attempted, and 11 completed passes (nine in the final third), adding three tackles won and two shots against Detroit City FC. The 2025 USL Golden Playmaker award winner is second in the USL-C in chances created (10), tied for third in blocks (4), and fifth in crosses (17) this season. The three-time All-League selection is the USL-C career leader in games started (278) and he ranks second in assists (61) and minutes (24,318), and third in appearances (292). He is the only player in league history to have recorded 50 goals and 60 assists in regular-season play and the first player in USL-C history to record double-digit assists in a season three times, including a franchise-record 11 in 2025. The Boys in Blue travel to Hartford Athletic on Saturday for a 5 pm match on ESPN+. Indy Eleven will have two home games at Carroll Stadium next week–Tue. Mar. 31 for a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Second Round match vs. Union Omaha at 7 p.m., and Sat. Apr. 4 against the defending USL champion Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. Ticket options available include pro-rated Season Tickets and Flex Mini-Plans. Season Ticket Benefits (starting at $13.50 per game) include Season Parking Pass, unlimited ticket exchanges, and a 20% discount on all Indy Eleven merchandise. Flex Mini Plans include vouchers to be redeemed for any 2026 regular season home match. For questions, call (317) 685-1100 during business hours or email tickets@indyeleven.com. ================================================================== INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CIEZKI TO PARTICIPATE IN 2026 CELSIUS WOMEN’S 3-POINT CHAMPIONSHIP INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana women’s basketball senior guard Shay Ciezki will participate in the 2026 Celsius Women’s 3-Point Championship as part of the 37th annual State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships on Friday, April 3 at 7 p.m. ET at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The event will be broadcast nationally on ESPN on Sunday, April 5 at Noon ET. The State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships invites a collection of the nation’s elite men’s and women’s college basketball players to compete for slam dunk and 3-point shooting bragging rights. The night features the yearly Slam Dunk Championship, the E*TRADE Men’s 3-Point Championship, the Celsius Women’s 3-Point Championship and the team shootout. The winners of the Men’s and Women’s 3-Point Championships will then compete in the Skechers Battle of the Champions. The Hoosiers will be represented in the contest for the second time in three seasons, following up on Sara Scalia winning the event in 2024 in Phoenix. Alum Aulani Sinclair also won the event in 2011. In one of the most impressive single seasons in IU women’s basketball history, Ciezki averaged 22.8 points per game and scored 708 points while knocking down 79 3-pointers She finished second in a single season in school history while setting the school record for points per game in a single season. She is the second player in NCAA Division I women’s basketball to average a 50/40/90 while scoring 20+ or more (Eva Hodges, William & Mary 2019). The Buffalo, N.Y. native shot 52.6 percent from the floor, 44.6 percent from the 3-point line and 90.8 percent at the free throw line. She scored in double figures in 30 of 31 games played in her senior season, scoring 20 points or more 23 time and had seven 30-point games. In her four-year career, Ciezki connected on 264 3-pointers and holds a career average from beyond-the-arc of 40.5 percent. Her 79 3-pointers made this season ranks third all-time in a single season. Tickets for the 2026 State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships start at $29 and are now on sale by visiting here. A complete roster of participants in the 2026 State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships will be released in the days leading up to the event. For more information, visit CollegeSlam.com, or follow on X (@CollegeSLAM) and Instagram (@College_Slam). INDIANA BASEBALL FIRST MIDWEEK DEFEAT OF THE YEAR BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana Baseball team (10-14, 3-6 B1G) couldn’t overcome a series of mistakes as it dropped its first midweek game of the campaign. Visiting Indiana State took advantage of an error in the fifth inning and a pair of free passes in the eighth inning in a 5-4 win over IU on Tuesday (March 24) at Bart Kaufman Field. It’s the second-straight year that Indiana State has won in Bloomington. IU’s pitching staff was rolling through the first five innings before a throwing error from third baseman Will Moore handed the Sycamores new life. With freshman right-handed pitcher Ivan Mastalski deep into his second inning of work, Indiana State singled in a pair of runs to tie the game. The Hoosiers would get the lead back in the seventh inning on an RBI single from sophomore Jake Hanley. Sophomore shortstop Cooper Malamazian had the chance to add insurance in the frame but struck out with the bases loaded. In total, IU left nine runners on base in the loss. Junior right-handed pitcher Jackson Yarberry (L, 0-3) went out for a second inning of work in the eighth but struggled to find the same command he had in the seventh. After a pair of walks and an RBI double tied the game, IU turned the ball over to graduate student right-handed pitcher Kaden Jacobi. He got the final two outs but not before Indiana State plated two more to take the lead. IU had a chance to win the game in the ninth but left the game-tying run on base. Freshman catcher Owen ten Oever had a pinch-hit single and came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Hanley. However, the Hoosiers couldn’t muster more than the one run in the inning. The loss to Indiana State was the first midweek defeat of the year. Up next for head coach Jeff Mercer and the Hoosiers is a trip to Nebraska to face the No. 24 Cornhuskers at Haymarket Park. The series will get underway on Friday (March 27) evening at 7 p.m. ET on B1G+. Scoring Recap Bottom First Caleb Koskie clubbed a ball off the wall to bring home Hogan Denny on an RBI double Indiana 1, Indiana State 0 Bottom Fourth Landen Fry singled in the second run of the game. Indiana 2, Indiana State 0 Top Fifth After an error extended the inning, Andrew Ortiz and Carter Beck each singled home runs to tie the game. Indiana 2, Indiana State 2 Bottom Seventh Jake Hanley came through with a clutch hit to left-center field as IU took the lead back. Indiana 3, Indiana State 2 Top Eighth In an inning where IU needed a zero, the Sycamores plated three. Jorge Cartagena doubled to left field to tie the game. He would come around to score on a wild pitch as the visitors took the lead. A sacrifice fly from Colin Sander doubled the lead in the eighth. Indiana State 5, Indiana 3 Bottom Ninth Hanley brought home Owen ten Oever on a sacrifice fly. Indiana State 5, Indiana 4 Top Hoosier Performers #2 Denny, Hogan 2-4, R, BB #28 Linn, Conner 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K #34 Hanley, Jake 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI Inside the Box Score • IU’s pitching staff allowed just five runs – three earned – in the defeat. • Hogan Denny and Cole Decker produced multi-hit days for IU. • Four different IU pitchers recorded multiple strikeouts. Notes to Know • Graduate student southpaw Conner Linn continues to impress in his midweek starts. He’s thrown 6.2 scoreless innings in the past two Tuesday contests. Against Indiana State, he worked three scoreless while allowing just one hit. Linn has struck out seven batters in his past two outings. • Sophomore outfielder Cole Decker has been rock solid in the IU lineup since the start of the Oregon series. He’s now riding a seven-game hitting streak after the second multi-hit game of his career. His batting average dipped back under .200 on March 13th but is now up to .268 after eight hits in his last seven games. • Sophomore outfielder Hogan Denny collected a pair of base knocks in his eighth multi-hit game of the season. Over the last six games, the Indiana native has provided 10 hits. He’s had at least two base knocks in four of the five midweek contests this season. Up Next The final weekend of March will take the Hoosiers to Lincoln to face Nebraska in a Big Ten series. All three games will be streamed on B1G+ and will be carried on the Indiana Sports Radio Network via IUHoosiers.com/Audio. ============================================================= PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL PURDUE VS. TEXAS GAMEDAY INFORMATION GAMEDAY INFORMATION — NCAA SWEET 16 [2 seed] Purdue (29-8) vs. [11 seed] Texas (21-14) Thursday, March 26, 2026 | 7:10 p.m. ET, 4:10 p.m. PT San Jose, California | SAP Center (19,000) TELEVISION: CBS (Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson, Allie LaForce) RADIO: Purdue Global Radio Network (Rob Blackman, Bobby Riddell) PURDUE’S NUMBERS • Overall: 29-8 | Big Ten: 13-7 • Home: 12-5 | Away: 8-3 | Neutral: 9-0 • NCAA NET: 9th | KenPom: 8th • Off. Eff.: 1st | Def. Eff.: 33rh THE SCENE SETTER • The second-seeded Purdue Boilermakers aim for their third Elite Eight in the last seven years when it faces a surging Texas squad in a West Region Sweet 16 match-up in San Jose, California, on Thursday. The Boilermakers are making their third straight Sweet 16 appearance and seventh in the last nine tournaments. Prior to 2019, it had been since 2000 that the Boilermakers made the Elite Eight. • A win over the Longhorns would advance Purdue to Saturday’s Elite Eight against the winner of Arizona and Arkansas. THE MATCHUP • Purdue and Texas will meet for the seventh time in series history with the Longhorns owning a 4-2 advantage. It will mark the first meeting since a 81-71 Purdue victory in the 2022 NCAA Tournament second round. • The teams have faced each other four times in the NCAA Tournament, splitting the four meetings. Texas won in 1990 (2nd rd.) and 2003 (2nd rd.), while Purdue won in 1999 (1st rd.) and 2022 (2nd rd.). • The four meetings against Texas are the most in the NCAA Tournament against a single opponent for the Boilermakers. • Matt Painter is 1-2 against Texas, with the lone win being the 2022 NCAA Tournament victory. Texas topped Purdue 70-66 in Mackey Arena in Nov. 2019, and 72-68 in Austin in Dec. 2018, despite 40 points from Carsen Edwards. • Purdue will be playing its first NCAA Tournament game in California. Purdue is 9-4 all-time in the West Region. BOILERMAKER QUICK HITTERS • Coming off a pair of double-digit wins in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, Purdue looks to keep it going when it faces 11th-seeded Texas in the West Region Sweet 16. • Matt Painter and Duke’s Jon Scheyer are the only coaches remaining in the NCAA Tournament coaching at their alma maters. • A win over Texas would give Purdue its 30th win of the season for just the third time in school history (2017-18 – 30; 2023-24 – 34). • Purdue’s nine NCAA Tournament victories since the start of the 2023-24 season are tied for the most in the country (Alabama, Connecticut, Duke, Houston). • Purdue and Houston are the only programs in America to have recorded at least 29 wins in four of the last five seasons (Houston – 5 seasons; Purdue – 4 seasons). • Purdue has played the most games in the country against teams that reached the Sweet 16, posting a 6-4 record (Alabama, Iowa State, Iowa 2x, Illinois, Michigan 2x, Michigan State, Nebraska 2x). • Purdue leads the NCAA Tournament field (all teams) in 3-point field goal percentage during the tournament, making 22-of-38 (.579) from deep. Michigan is next at 46.8 percent. • During Purdue’s six-game winning streak, the Boilermakers are shooting 51.8 percent from the field, 40.3 percent from 3-point range and 78.3 percent from the free throw line. Purdue, Arkansas and Michigan State are the only teams to shoot 50-40-75 since March 1. • Purdue is 17-3 away from Mackey Arena this season, including 9-0 in neutral-site games. • In the win over Miami, Fla., Purdue won an NCAA Tournament game when trailing at halftime for the first time since 2010 (2nd round vs. Texas A&M). Purdue outscored the Hurricanes 41-29 in the second half. COMPLETE GAME NOTES: https://purduesports.com/documents/856c6917-4273-43c9-8cf4-f693039741bb.pdf ================================================================= NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S LAX IRISH DOMINATE ROBERT MORRIS WITH 20-2 WIN AT HOME SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-3, 3-3) defeated the Robert Morris Colonials (3-7, 1-1) in dominant fashion with a 20-2 victory on Tuesday night at Arlotta Stadium. The Irish are now 5-1 on their home turf this season with two regular season home games remaining. It was another strong performance from the Irish as Notre Dame scored 20 goals for the third time this season, following a 22-goal performance on Saturday with a 22-3 win over Florida State. The two goals allowed against Robert Morris is the fewest goals allowed this season since the 25-0 shutout against Central Michigan.The Irish have now held their opponents to single-digit scoring eight times and to five goals or fewer four times this season. Junior Kate Timarky led the way with four goals and a career-high four assists to tie her career-high eight points. She also recorded two ground balls in the win. This is her eighth hat trick of the season and fifth straight game with three or more goals. She’s now second in the ACC with 37 goals this season and is also second with an average of 3.36 goals per game. Sophomore Madison Rassas also finished with four goals, four points, and three ground balls in the win. She’s recorded five hat tricks this season and is fifth in the ACC with 31 goals so far this year. Freshman Charley Bacigalupo recorded her second career hat trick and caused a career-high two turnovers. Freshman Grace Maroney also scored her second career hat trick in the win. Senior Emma Murphy and junior Meghan O’Hare each scored two goals and were followed by senior Abby Lyons and sophomore Katie Mallaber, who each scored one goal a piece in the win. Freshman Uma Kowalski won a game-best 12 draw controls as the Irish won the draw battle 17-7. The Irish led 6-1 at the end of the first period and after holding the Colonials scoreless in the second period, Notre Dame scored eight unanswered goals in the second to post a 14-1 lead at halftime. The trio of Rassas, Bacigalupo, and Maroney each had first half tricks. O’Hare opened the third quarter with back-to-back goals and was followed by Timarky back-to-back goals before Robert Morris scored the final goal of the period. With Notre Dame leading 18-2 heading into the fourth quarter, Rassas and Mallaber would score the last two Irish goals to cap off the 20-2 victory at home. UP NEXT The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will host Cal on Saturday, March 28 for Senior Day at 1 p.m. The Irish will celebrate their seniors, graduate students, and managers ahead of the game starting on Saturday. ================================================================= NOTRE DAME BASEBALL IRISH POWER PAST BRONCOS SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The No. 23 Notre Dame baseball team took a 14-3 win in seven innings over visiting Western Michigan on Tuesday evening at Frank Eck Stadium. The Broncos scored a run in the first at-bats of the game, and the Irish quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning. Drew Berkland led off with a single to center field, and Noah Coy laced a double down the right field line to plate Berkland from first. Mark Quatrani then drilled the first pitch of his at-bat 418 feet to deep left field to put the Irish ahead 3-1. Bino Watters went back-to-back with a solo shot to left-center field. Davis Johnson drew a walk and stole second before Dylan Passo hit a single to put runners on the corners. Mason Barth used a sacrifice fly to drive in Johnson as the Irish went up 5-1. Kellan Klosterman retired the side in order in the top of the second. Drew Berkland walked to lead off the second, and Noah Coy advanced Berkland with a sacrifice bunt. Berkland stole third, and Bino Watters singled through the right side to give the Irish a 6-1 advantage. The Broncos scored a run in the third inning to make it a 6-2 score. Dylan Singleton came in and got the Irish out of a jam by forcing Western Michigan into stranding bases loaded. The Irish posted six runs in the bottom of the third. Mason Barth reached on an error and moved to second, and Jamie Zee hit a double off the top of the wall in left-center field to drive in Barth. Drew Berkland added a triple to plate Zee, and Noah Coy bounced a ground out to second, which allowed Berkland to score. Mark Quatrani drew a walk, and Bino Watters bounced a single through the right side. Jayce Lee hit a line-drive home run over the left field fence to put the Irish ahead 12-2. After Western Michigan scored a run in the top of the fourth, the Irish came right back with offense in the bottom half of the inning. Jamie Zee led off with a single, and Drew Berkland drew a walk. A fly out allowed Zee to tag up to third, and Mark Quatrani drove in Zee with a single to left field as Berkland advanced to third. Bino Watters beat the shift with a single through the left side to drive in Berkland. Neither side put up a run over the next two innings of play. Aiden Zerr induced a ground out for the first out of the seventh, and Garrett Snyder closed out the game with a foul pop up and a strikeout for the 14-3 win in seven innings. Bino Watters went 4-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBI. Drew Berkland went 2-for-2 at the dish with a triple, two walks, a stolen base, an RBI and four runs. Mark Quatrani was 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run, three RBI and two runs. Jayce Lee had a home run, three RBI and a run. Noah Coy had a double, drove in two runs and scored once in the win. Dylan Passo added a 2-for-5 effort, and Jamie Zee went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs. Mason Barth and Davis Johnson each scored once. Kellan Klosterman had the start and went 2.1 on the mound with a pair of strikeouts. Dylan Singleton posted two strikeouts over 1.2 innings of work. Aiden Zerr went 2.1 with two strikeouts and no runs allowed while earning the win in relief. Garrett Snyder added 0.2 innings on the night with a strikeout. The Irish continue their homestand with an ACC series this weekend at Frank Eck Stadium when they host North Carolina for a three-game stint starting on Friday, March 27 at 4:30 p.m. ET. ==================================================================== BUSOUTH BEND, Ind. – The No. 23 Notre Dame baseball team took a 14-3 win in seven innings over visiting Western Michigan on Tuesday evening at Frank Eck Stadium. The Broncos scored a run in the first at-bats of the game, and the Irish quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning. Drew Berkland led off with a single to center field, and Noah Coy laced a double down the right field line to plate Berkland from first. Mark Quatrani then drilled the first pitch of his at-bat 418 feet to deep left field to put the Irish ahead 3-1. Bino Watters went back-to-back with a solo shot to left-center field. Davis Johnson drew a walk and stole second before Dylan Passo hit a single to put runners on the corners. Mason Barth used a sacrifice fly to drive in Johnson as the Irish went up 5-1. Kellan Klosterman retired the side in order in the top of the second. Drew Berkland walked to lead off the second, and Noah Coy advanced Berkland with a sacrifice bunt. Berkland stole third, and Bino Watters singled through the right side to give the Irish a 6-1 advantage. The Broncos scored a run in the third inning to make it a 6-2 score. Dylan Singleton came in and got the Irish out of a jam by forcing Western Michigan into stranding bases loaded. The Irish posted six runs in the bottom of the third. Mason Barth reached on an error and moved to second, and Jamie Zee hit a double off the top of the wall in left-center field to drive in Barth. Drew Berkland added a triple to plate Zee, and Noah Coy bounced a ground out to second, which allowed Berkland to score. Mark Quatrani drew a walk, and Bino Watters bounced a single through the right side. Jayce Lee hit a line-drive home run over the left field fence to put the Irish ahead 12-2. After Western Michigan scored a run in the top of the fourth, the Irish came right back with offense in the bottom half of the inning. Jamie Zee led off with a single, and Drew Berkland drew a walk. A fly out allowed Zee to tag up to third, and Mark Quatrani drove in Zee with a single to left field as Berkland advanced to third. Bino Watters beat the shift with a single through the left side to drive in Berkland. Neither side put up a run over the next two innings of play. Aiden Zerr induced a ground out for the first out of the seventh, and Garrett Snyder closed out the game with a foul pop up and a strikeout for the 14-3 win in seven innings. Bino Watters went 4-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBI. Drew Berkland went 2-for-2 at the dish with a triple, two walks, a stolen base, an RBI and four runs. Mark Quatrani was 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run, three RBI and two runs. Jayce Lee had a home run, three RBI and a run. Noah Coy had a double, drove in two runs and scored once in the win. Dylan Passo added a 2-for-5 effort, and Jamie Zee went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs. Mason Barth and Davis Johnson each scored once. Kellan Klosterman had the start and went 2.1 on the mound with a pair of strikeouts. Dylan Singleton posted two strikeouts over 1.2 innings of work. Aiden Zerr went 2.1 with two strikeouts and no runs allowed while earning the win in relief. Garrett Snyder added 0.2 innings on the night with a strikeout. The Irish continue their homestand with an ACC series this weekend at Frank Eck Stadium when they host North Carolina for a three-game stint starting on Friday, March 27 at 4:30 p.m. ==================================================================== BUTLER SOFTBALL BUTLER HOLDS OFF BALL STATE IN NON-CONFERENCE ACTION MUNCIE, Ind. – The Butler softball team won its eighth-straight game, defeating Ball State in a midweek contest by the score of 7-6. The Bulldogs (14-9, 6-0 BIG EAST) scored in the first inning and never trailed, though the Cardinals (12-13, 1-5 MAC) tied the game at five in the third. Two Butler runs in the fifth provided the cushion needed for the victory. Butler got on the board early thanks to back-to-back RBI-doubles from Olivia Robards and Alona Boydston that plated three. Ball State answered in the bottom half with a two-run home run, but the Dawgs were up, 3-2, after one. The following inning, with Erin Clark on second base, Hailey Conger reached on a bunt single. An errant throw allowed Clark to continue home, and Butler was back to a two-run lead. Makena Alexander led off the third with a solo home run. The 5-2 lead was short-lived, as the Cardinals used four hits and an error in their half to score three and tie the game at five. Butler regained the lead in the fifth with back-to-back solo home runs. Olivia Roberts hit the first bomb of her career, and one batter later, Alexander hit her second of the game. Ball State got one back in the bottom half, but the Dawgs remained in front, 7-6, and were six outs from victory. Katie Petran (1.0-IP, 2R, 2H, 2K) started in the circle for Butler and pitched the first inning. Rylyn Dyer (1.0-IP, 3R, 0ER, 3H, K) entered at the top of the second and pitched well into the third. She was relieved by Maren Berger (1-2) who entered in the third, pitched through the fourth, and was credited with the win. In 2.0 innings of work, Berger allowed only one hit and no runs, facing seven batters and producing one strikeout. Alyx Johnson (2.0-IP, R, 3H, K) covered the fifth and sixth innings, and Kate Murray retired the side in the seventh to pick up a save. Bulldog Bits With two home runs in the contest, Alexander has six in the past seven games. She now has 11 this season and 23 in her career. The home run by Roberts was a career first. The double by Robards was her ninth this season and the 20th of her career. Boydston’s double was her second this season and in her career. Berger’s win in the circle was her first as a Butler Bulldog. Murray’s save was a career first, and it represented the first save for the Butler pitching staff this season. Up Next Butler will travel this weekend to Queens, N.Y., for a three-game BIG EAST series at St. John’s. First pitch of game one is scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m. =================================================================== BUTLER BASEBALL DAWGS TOP TOLEDO 11-1 AT VICTORY FIELD INDIANAPOLIS – Butler took down Toledo 11-1 in eight innings at Victory Field on Tuesday evening. Grayson Bradberry was stellar on the mound, throwing six scoreless and striking out five. The Bulldogs were firing on all cylinders offensively, notching 12 hits including three multi-hit performances. With the win, Butler advances to 6-19 on the season while Toledo falls to 11-11. BULLDOG HIGHLIGHTS Grayson Bradberry had his best outing of the season on the mound, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing just four hits. The freshman matched his season high in strikeouts with five. David Ayers went 3-for-5 with two singles and a solo homer, his eighth of the season. Ayers also swiped three bags, marking his first career game with multiple stolen bases. Gunnar Duncan went 3-for-4 with a career high four RBIs, the first multi-RBI game of his career. Easton Moore went 2-for-3 with a double, a single and two runs. Charlie Schebler doubled and scored a run. Gavin Gilmore notched an RBI single, two walks and two runs. Connor Sackett recorded his eighth RBI of the season. Logan Crock walked and drove in a run. Logan Baker and Jack Zeller each tallied a hit. HOW IT HAPPENED In the bottom of the first, Butler was able to scratch across its first run of the day as two errors and two stolen bases allowed Ayers to make his way around the diamond, putting Butler on the board first Moore began the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff double. In the ensuing at-bat, Gavin Gilmore ripped a single to left, scoring Moore. Two batters later, Duncan drove home Gilmore with an RBI single, extending Butler’s lead to 3-0 heading into the fifth. Toledo loaded the bases in the top of the fifth, but Bradberry was able to get out of the jam to keep the BU lead at 3-0. Ayers hit a solo shot in the bottom half of the inning, extending the Butler advantage to four. Three of the first four batters reached for BU to begin the sixth, loading the bases with one out. Duncan notched his second RBI single of the game, and Crock drove home a run with a sacrifice fly. The Bulldogs led 6-0 entering the seventh. An RBI double from the Rockets got Toledo on the board in the seventh. Butler was unable to scratch any runs across in the bottom half of the frame as the lead stood at 6-1 heading into the eighth. Butler tacked on two more in the eighth behind an RBI single from Duncan as the Butler lead grew to seven (8-1). The Bulldog offense wasn’t done yet as an RBI single from Ayers scored another before a double steal scratched another across for the Dawgs. BU loaded the bases and Toledo walked a run in as Butler secured the 11-1 victory in eight innings. UP NEXT The Bulldogs will return to action this weekend as the Dawgs travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to take on UW-Milwaukee. Game one of the series is scheduled for Friday, March 27, with first pitch coming at 4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT. More information about the series will be available on Butlersports.com. ==================================================================== IU INDY SWIMMING IU INDY SENDS THREE TO THE NCAA MEN’S SWIM AND DIVE CHAMPIONSHIPS THIS WEEK ATLANTA, Ga. – The IU Indy men’s swim and dive teams send three Jags to compete in the NCAA Championships this week with Sebastian Otero, Logan Kelly and Yassin Abdelghany all set to compete. The meet kicks off on Wednesday, March 25 but the Jags’ three won’t compete until Thursday, March 26. Otero makes his third consecutive appearance after qualifying in the 1-meter dive at the NCAA Zone C Championships. Otero swept the Horizon League for the fourth year in a row, going undefeated at the Horizon League Championships during his four years at IU Indy. He will look to capitalize on his stellar career with his final NCAA Championship appearance in the 1-meter dive on Thursday, March 26. Prelims are set for approximately 6:27 PM. Logan Kelly will make his second NCAA Championship appearance after qualifying in the 100 breast and 200 breast. Kelly made his first NCAA Championship appearance back in 2022 when he became the first IU Indy men’s swimmer in program history to qualify for the event. He makes his return after clocking a time of 1:52.21 to earn the 200 breast title at the Horizon League Championships. He was also invited to participate in the 100 breast after clocking a 51.56 earlier in the season. Kelly is set to swim the 100 breast prelims at approximately 11:00 AM on Thursday, March 26 followed by the 200 breast on Friday, March 27 at around 10:16 AM. Yassin Abdelghany makes his first appearance for the Jags at the NCAA Championships this year after clocking three new Horizon League Championship records to qualify in three different events. Abdelghany took the title in the 50 free qualifying for the NCAAs with a time of 18.91. He qualified in the 100 fly with a Horizon League title time of 45.23 and the 100 free with a fast time of 42.28. Abdelghany will swim the prelims for the 100 fly on Thursday, March 26 at 10:00 AM. He then will compete in the 50 free on Friday, March 27 around 11:07 AM and the 100 free on Saturday at 10:15 AM. All sessions of the meet can be streamed on ESPN+. For more information visit the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships Central. =============================================================== BALL STATE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL MVB TO CONCLUDE ROAD SCHEDULE AT NO. 11 LINDENWOOD AND NO. 12 MCKENDREE This Week in Ball State Men’s Volleyball: The Ball State men’s volleyball program continues its road schedule with a pair of out of state stops this week. The Cardinals begin at Lindenwood to battle for the top spot of the MVIA on March 26 at 8 p.m. The men then travel to McKendree on March 28 with first serve at 5 p.m. Last Serve: Ball State swept Purdue Fort Wayne (25-21, 25-17, 25-23) Saturday (March 21) to reclaim possession of first place in the conference standings while taking the season series over the Mastodons. The Cardinals hit .348 and held PFW to .185, committing just nine errors compared to the PFW’s 20. Patrick Rogers led the way on offense with 11 kills on .400 hitting, adding three aces and blocks, while Will Patterson charged the defense with a season-high seven blocks. 18-3 in the Iandolo Era: After taking the reigns of the program this past summer, head coach Mike Iandolo has marched the Cardinals to a 18-3 record to begin his first year in the position — the team’s best winning percentage since Iandolo’s first year as an assistant coach in 2022, ending 23-4. The dominant campaign led to a conference regular season and tournament championship, as well a No. 2 national ranking and national semifinal appearance. Unbeaten at Worthen: At 12-straight wins inside Worthen Arena in 2026, Ball State is three wins away from completing the regular season with an unblemished record at home for the first time since the 2002 team went 13-0. That year’s team ended the season 16-0 inside Worthen, taking three wins to claim what was the program’s 14th MIVA tournament title. The 2002 season was in the middle of a 26-match home streak that stretched from March 16, 2001 to Jan. 31, 2003. Including last year’s 3-1 Senior Day win over McKendree (March 29), Ball State currently holds a 13-match streak on its home court which sits as the 10th-longest in program history. Machado Climbs the Record Book: Junior setter Lucas Machado has tallied 669 assists so far in 2026, raising his career total to 2,192 and placing him ninth in the program’s record book for career assists. As the primary general of the floor Machado has guided Ball State to a .376 hitting percentage, and if maintained, it would serve as the best team clip in program history. The current all-time percentage is .373, averaged in 1997. Rogers AVCA POTY Watchlist: Senior outside hitter Patrick Rogers has been named as one of 15 members honored in the first ever watchlist for the American Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Year award. The inaugural watch list was compiled by the AVCA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Awards committee. Semifinalists for the award are to be announced in early April, and the final four will be named prior to the 2026 National Collegiate Championship May 9-11. The 2026 AVCA Player of the Year is to be revealed during the championship banquet. Match History – Lindenwood: In the all-time series between these two teams, which dates back to 2001, the Cardinals hold a 26-5 advantage, including nine wins in the teams’ last 10 meetings. When these two conference rivals met earlier this season (Feb. 13), Ball State bested the Lions in four sets (21-25, 25-16, 25-14, 25-14) inside Worthen Arena. Scouting Lindenwood: Thursday’s contest will have a heavy influence on the top of the regular season standings as the final stretch approaches, with the Lions trailing right behind the Cardinals at 8-2. Ball State has the chance to hand the Lions its first loss at home, with Lindenwood currently sitting at 9-0 inside Hyland Arena. Most recently, Lindenwood picked up back-to-back victories over Queens on March 19 and 21. Lincoln Giest was awarded the MIVA Defensive Player of the Week honor Tuesday morning after averaging 2.25 digs/set last week against the Royals. Geist tallied nine digs in each match as he helped hold Queens to a .057 hitting percentage. As a unit, Lindenwood ranks fourth in the MIVA in hitting percentage (.322), assists (11.86/set) and kills (12.51/set). The Lions are also sixth in digs (7.79/set) and ninth in blocks (1.59/set) while leading the conference in service aces (2.24/set). Offensive standouts include Luke Craft and Brendan Louthain, with Craft ranking seventh in the conference in kills (3.07/set) and Louthain following in eighth (3.05/set). Louthain also contributes heavily to the ace effort, averaging 0.46/set to place himself second in the MIVA. Zach Solomon leads the conference with 0.67/set and leads the MIVA in assists (10.68). His assist average translates to third in the NCAA rankings, while his ace average paces the nation. Match history – McKendree: Going back to 2014, Ball State holds the lead in the all-time series, leading 18-8 which includes a 8-2 advantage in the last 10 contests. In Lebanon, Illi., the series is tied 6-6. The Cardinals were last victorious over Mckendree at home on Feb. 12, taking down the Bearcats in four sets (25-19, 25-20, 26-28, 25-16). Scouting McKendree: The Bearcats sit fourth in the league at 6-4, holding an eight-match win streak that includes wins over then No. 8 Lindenwood (March 13) and then No. 15 Ohio State (March 7). Last week, McKendree saw a pair of wins over Harvard (March 17 and 18), taking both matches in straight sets. The team’s streak also includes two wins over Queens (Feb. 27 and 28) as well as wins over Northern Kentucky (March 5) and Belmont Abbey (March 10). Within those eight wins, the Bearcats have dropped a total of just five sets. Prior to Saturday, McKendree meets No. 20 Purdue Fort Wayne at home on March 26. In the MIVA, the Bearcats are fifth in hitting percentage (.287), assists (11.75/set), kills (12.44/set), blocks (2.19/set) and aces (1.57/set). The team leads the league in digs (9.95/set), which translates to eighth in the nation. Sam Hoskins and Bryce Wetjen lead McKendree’s attacking, with Hoskins averaging 3.63 kills/set on .383 hitting and Wetjen averaging 3.22 kills on a .234 clip. Hoskins’ average ranking fourth in the MIVA, while Wetjen’s puts him sixth. Nathan Flayter ranks third in the league in assists, averaging 10.19/set. Defensively, Rolen Lively leads the team in blocks (0.97/set), ranking fourth in the conference. Flayter leads in digs (2.25/set), ranking second in the MIVA. AVCA Top 20 Poll: Ball State entered the 2026 season ranked #16 in the AVCA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Preseason Poll with a total of 144 points. Heading into this week’s action, the Cardinals are the highest ranked MIVA team, sitting at No. 7 with 319 votes. ==================================================================== BALL STATE FOOTBALL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED FOR UREMOVICH’S SECOND SEASON AT BALL STATE MUNCIE, Ind. – The Mid-American Conference has announced its 2026 football schedule, completing a 12-game slate for Ball State that begins with Big Ten powerhouse Ohio State, followed by a home opener against non-league foe Stony Brook, at Scheumann Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 12. Key dates highlighting the schedule begin with that home opener against Stony Brook, showcasing Ball State’s Family Weekend in the Cardinals’ first meeting against the Seawolves. The Cardinals open MAC play on Sept. 26 at Kent State, then host Community Day, Oct. 3, when Ball State welcomes Toledo. The University and football program celebrate homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 24, when the Cardinals host MAC newcomer Sacramento State in the Hornets’ first visit to Muncie. In its second year under coach Mike Uremovich, Ball State visits Columbus, Ohio on Sept. 5 to open the 2026 campaign, facing the Buckeyes in one of three first-time matchups on the schedule. A week later, the Cardinals face Stony Brook before traveling in consecutive weeks to non-league foe Liberty, then Kent State. After the Toledo matchup, Ball State battles a second Big Ten opponent, Northwestern, in the season’s final non-conference bout on Oct. 10. The Cardinals will be the second team on the Wildcats’ schedule to play in their newly renovated Ryan Field, scheduled to open just a week earlier. Ball State stays on the road to battle Bowling Green, Oct. 17, before returning for its annual homecoming celebration that commemorates the 100th anniversary of the University’s first homecoming in 1926. From that point forward, the Cardinals play four straight November games in the MAC, including three consecutive midweek #MAC-tion games – Wednesday, Nov. 4 at Massachusetts; Wednesday, Nov. 11 at home against Buffalo; and Tuesday, Nov. 17 at Ohio. Ball State closes the regular season at home against Central Michigan on Nov. 28, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Ball State plays its 52nd season in the MAC this season, though gone is a rivalry with Northern Illinois and added to the slate are Sacramento State and UMass, whom the Cardinals have never met before in MAC play. Sac State enters the league for football this fall, following the Minutemen’s entrance into the MAC in all sports in 2025-26. Also absent in the MAC’s eight-team league rotation is a Redbird Rivalry game with Miami (OH). It is the first time since 1984 that neither the Huskies or RedHawks are on the Ball State schedule. The MAC Championship Game is scheduled Saturday, Dec. 5. “As we begin spring practice, it’s exciting to see our official schedule released for the fall,” said Uremovich. “Once again, we have a very challenging non-conference schedule, which will prepare us for the always-competitive Mid-American Conference play. We have had a great offseason to this point and I am really excited to see these guys on the field the next few weeks, as we prepare for the 2026 season.” Season tickets for Ball State football are available at BallStateSports.com/FootballTickets or by calling 1-888-BSU-TICKET. 2026 Ball State Football Schedule Saturday, Sept. 5 at Ohio State Saturday, Sept. 12 Stony Brook (Family Weekend) Saturday, Sept. 19 at Liberty Saturday, Sept. 26 * at Kent State Saturday, Oct. 3 * Toledo (Community Day) Saturday, Oct. 10 at Northwestern Saturday, Oct. 17 * at Bowling Green Saturday, Oct. 24 * Sacramento State (Homecoming) Wednesday, Nov. 4 * at Massachusetts Wednesday, Nov. 11 * Buffalo Tuesday, Nov. 17 * at Ohio Saturday, Nov. 28 * Central Michigan Game times to be determined * denotes Mid-American Conference game ================================================================= BALL STATE BASEBALL BASEBALL SUFFERS SETBACK IN TUESDAY ROAD GAME AT USI EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Ball State baseball scored three early runs but fell 13-3 to Southern Indiana on Tuesday evening at the USI Baseball Field. The Cardinals (12-11) got the scoring started in the top of the first on a Brady Davidson RBI single to plate Brayden Huebner. After USI (16-9) tallied three runs in the bottom half of the opening frame, Huebner brought home John Colligan and Gavin Balius with a double to knot the score at 3-3. The hosts scored three runs each in the third and fourth innings and four in the seventh to secure the win. Ball State got hits from Huebner, Davidson, Colligan, Balius, Jacob Gillis and Kenskey Thomas on the night. Gillis and Huebner both had a double and a walk. The Screaming Eagles got hits from nine different student-athletes and 5.0 shutout innings from its relief pitchers. Levin East (3-2) struck out five in 3.0 frames of two-hit ball to be credited with the win. Alex Burden (1-1) started for the Cardinals and allowed five runs (three earned) in 2.0 innings to suffer the loss. Next up for Ball State is a three-game series at home against Ohio starting Friday at 3 p.m. ================================================================= INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SAUNDERS NAMED TO WBCA THIRTY UNDER 30 ATLANTA – Indiana State assistant coach and director of player development Kietta Saunders was named a 2025-26 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Thirty Under 30 honoree, the organization announced Tuesday afternoon. “The WBCA is pleased to recognize this up-and-coming talent in our coaching family,” WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew said. “We celebrate their effort on the basketball court as teachers and equally applaud the extensive role they play in impacting the lives of their student-athletes.” The WBCA Thirty Under 30 program, presented by Morgan Stanley Global Sports and Entertainment, was created to recognize 30 up-and-coming women’s basketball coaches age 30 and under at all levels of the game. Recipients must be 30 or under as of April 1 of the current season. Nominations included community service involvement, mentorship and impact on others, professional manner and attitude, and professional association involvement, in addition to on-court coaching abilities. “Morgan Stanley is proud to celebrate the outstanding young leaders recognized in the 2026 class of the WBCA Thirty Under 30 program,” said John Ludwig, global sports and entertainment director, for Morgan Stanley. “These trailblazing coaches exemplify dedication, innovation, and a passion for shaping the future of women’s basketball. Their impact extends far beyond the court, inspiring the next generation of athletes and leaders. We applaud their commitment to excellence and look forward to seeing their continued success in the sport.” Saunders just completed her first season as assistant coach and director of player development at Indiana State, where she helped the Sycamores to their best offensive season in nearly 20 years. Indiana State ranked among the national leaders in bench points (third, 31.8 points per game), free throws made (fourth, 17.2 per game) and free throws attempted (fourth, 23.9 per game), while playing at an up-tempo pace which ranked in the top 10 in Division I this season. The Sycamores also led the MVC in offensive rebounds at 13.6 per contest, while ranking second the MVC in total rebounds at 40.0 per game. Indiana State ranked in the top 60 nationally in both offensive and total rebounds, while ranking in the top 50 nationally in scoring offense at 74.6 points per game. The Trees’ 74.6 points per contest was the highest scoring average for Indiana State since the 2006-07 campaign (77.6), and marked the first time since that 2006-07 season that Indiana State ranked in the top 50 nationally in scoring. Saunders played an instrumental role in the development of Indiana State’s guards, which included 2026 MVC All-Tournament Team selection Tierney Kelsey. Kelsey tied the program single-game scoring record with 46 points in the quarterfinals against Murray State, a mark which ranked third in all of Division I this season and third in MVC Tournament history. She finished the season with the highest scoring average (15.6) for an Indiana State player since the 2007-08 campaign (Laura Rudolphi, 15.9) and most points (499) by a Sycamore since the 2005-06 season (Melanie Boeglin, 600). Saunders also worked with Kennedy Claybrooks, who ranked third in the MVC in assists per game this season at 4.7 and had a pair of games with double-digit assists, while each of Indiana State’s guards who were part of the Sycamore rotation averaged at least six points per game this season. Saunders became the first Sycamore assistant to be selected to the Thirty Under 30 list since the 2018-19 campaign, when Roman Tubner, who is currently an assistant coach at Tennessee, earned the honor. She joins Illinois State assistant Mannie Robinson as the only two MVC representatives selected. Saunders will be recognized alongside all Thirty Under 30 honorees at the 2026 Final Four in Phoenix. 2026 WBCA Thirty Under 30 Honorees Rachel Balzer, Longwood Octavia Barnes, Texas State Maggie Berigan, McDaniel College Daejah Bernard, Arizona State Victor Chavarin, Sierra Pacific HS Cydni Cole, Roanoke Paige Corkins, American Sydney-Anne Cottrell, Alabama Princess Davis, North Texas Kathleen Doyle, DePaul Armando Dunn, WPI Alex Frazier, Denver Elizabeth Fruendt, Missouri Alexa Gordon, Kent State Shayna Gore, Youngstown State Janelle Harrison, Ary Jordynn Hernandez, Colorado Terran Hoyt, Oklahoma State Christine Mabry, Dickinson Katelyn McCann, Bowdoin Hannah McGlone, Winona State Mannie Robinson, Illinois State Ty Rozier, Fairleigh Dickinson Caleb Samson, Syracuse Kietta Saunders, Indiana State Sydney Shelton, Lipscomb Brook Swift, Johns Hopkins Emry Tsitouris, Lenoir-Rhyne Madi Wallace, Evangel Meagan Woodward, Eastern Oklahoma State Megan Yawman, Carnegie Mellon Shelby Zoeckler, Cleveland State =================================================================== INDIANA STATE BASEBALL SYCAMORES RALLY BACK TO TOP INDIANA, 5-4, IN MIDWEEK ROAD CONTEST BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana State rallied for three runs in the top of the eighth inning and Hunter Small and Jack Armstrong shut the Hoosiers’ offense down late in relief as the Sycamores topped Indiana on Tuesday night at Bart Kaufman Field, 5-4. Trailing 3-2 after Indiana (10-14) took the lead in the bottom of the seventh on Jake Hanley’s RBI double, the Sycamore (11-13) offense went to work on IU reliever Jackson Yarberry (0-3). Caden Miller and Mason Roell both drew walks to put the Sycamores on the base paths with one out, and Jorge Cartagena made the free runners count with a double down the left field line scoring pinch-runner Caleb Niehaus from second to tie the game up at 3-3. IU turned the ball over to Kaden Jacobi and the right-hander promptly threw a pitch to the backstop allowing Roell to score on the wild pitch and put the Sycamores ahead 4-3. Colin Sander followed with a sacrifice fly to left field deep enough to score Cartagena and put Indiana State ahead 5-3. Small (1-2) retired the Hoosier offense in order in the bottom of the eighth. After the Sycamores did not add insurance in the ninth, the Indiana State reliever ran into trouble in the ninth as IU put runners on the corners with one out following Owen ten Oever and Hogan Denny singles. Jack Armstrong (S, 1) entered the game and recorded the second out on Jake Hanley’s sacrifice fly allowing ten Oever to score and cut the deficit to 5-4. The final out came on Caleb Koskie’s grounder to third with Indiana State second baseman Colin Sander holding his foot on second base long enough to record the final fielder’s choice to secure the Indiana State win. The Sycamores rallied back from an early 2-0 deficit as IU built an early lead on a Koskie RBI double in the first and Landen Fry’s RBI single in the fourth inning. Indiana State evened the game in the top of the fifth as the Sycamores took advantage of an IU error to plate two runs courtesy of back-to-back RBI singles off the bats of Andrew Ortiz and Carter Beck, setting the stage for the late inning scoring. Andrew Ortiz finished with three of Indiana State’s seven hits in the game as the Sycamore outfielder recorded his second consecutive three-hit game. Carter Beck added two hits and an RBI, while Mason Roell singled, walked twice, and scored two runs. Indiana State utilized nine pitchers on the mound on Tuesday night wrapping up the evening with Small and Armstrong. Small worked 1.2 innings allowing two hits and a run while striking out four, while Armstrong retired both batters he faced. Spencer Johnsen, Colby Morse, Owen Roberts, Breyllin Suriel, Brady Banker, Trevor Fenters, and Jaxon Sparks combined to go the first 6.2 innings on the mound allowing six hits and three runs in shutting down the IU offense. Hogan Denny and Cole Decker had two hits apiece for the Hoosiers as Indiana combined for nine hits overall in the game. Jake Hanley and Caleb Koskie both doubled, while Denny added a stolen base in the loss. IU utilized seven pitchers in Tuesday’s game with Jackson Yarberry taking the loss after allowing three hits and three runs while striking out two over 1.1 innings of work. Conner Linn worked 3.0 shutout innings in the start, while Ivan Mastalski, Michael Sarhatt, Reagan Rivera, Kaden Jacobi, and Jacob Vogel also pitched in the contest. How They Scored Indiana took the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Caleb Koskie connected on an RBI double to left field scoring Hogan Denny to put the Hoosiers ahead early. The Hoosiers made it a 2-0 game in the bottom of the fourth as Caleb Koskie scored on Landen Fry’s RBI single to right field. Indiana State answered in the top of the fifth as the Sycamores tied the game up at 2-2. Andrew Ortiz singled home Mason Roell for the first run, while Carter Beck connected on an RBI base hit bringing home Nomar Garcia to even the score. IU went back ahead in the bottom of the seventh inning as Mateo Noto scored on Jake Hanley’s RBI double to left center field to give the Hoosiers the 3-2 lead. The Sycamores took the lead with a three-run rally in the top of the eighth inning. Jorge Cartagena drove in the first run with an RBI double to left field scoring Caleb Niehaus. Mason Roell scored on a wild pitch, and then Colin Sander brought home Cartagena on a sacrifice fly to put Indiana State head 5-3. Jake Hanley drove in the final IU run with a sacrifice fly to left field scoring Owen ten Oever in the bottom of the ninth inning to provide the final margin. News and Notes Indiana State improved to 4-1 against the Big Ten in the 2026 season following Tuesday’s win over the Hoosiers. The Sycamores have topped Penn State (twice), Illinois, and Indiana so far on the year with games against Purdue (two), Illinois, and Indiana still to play in 2026. Indiana State recorded its second consecutive win in Bloomington, Ind. against the Hoosiers after taking the 7-5 victory on April 15, 2025, before tonight’s 5-4 win at Bart Kaufman Field. The two-game winning streak marked the first time Indiana State has won back-to-back games in Bloomington since the Sycamores won three in a row over the Hoosiers from 2015-17. Andrew Ortiz continues to swing the hot bat recording his second consecutive three-hit game and third overall in his career. Carter Beck posted his team-leading 11th multi-hit game of the season. Mason Roell reached base in three of his four plate appearances in the game after connecting on a single and drawing two walks. Indiana State utilized nine pitchers in Tuesday night’s game, one shy of their season-high 10 pitchers used last Wednesday, March 18, against Illinois. Hunter Small recorded his first win in the Indiana State Blue & White after throwing 1.2 innings while striking out four in relief. Jack Armstrong recorded his first save as a Sycamore after retiring the final two outs of the game in the ninth inning. Up Next Indiana State is back in Missouri Valley play this weekend as the Sycamores head to Emory G. Bauer Field at Valparaiso University for a three-game series scheduled to run March 27-29 in Valparaiso, Ind. All three games will be carried live on 105.5 The Legend, while Sunday’s series finale is set to be picked up by ESPN+. =================================================================== PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S GOLF GOTTMAN SECURES 10TH AT NKU JULIE INVITATIONAL BATAVIA, Ohio – Thanks to a 79-76-77-232 tournament, Purdue Fort Wayne’s Lillian Gottman tied for 10th place at the NKU Julie Invitational on Tuesday (March 24), giving the junior her first top-10 finish of the season. In her final round of the event, Gottman turned in a scorecard with 12 pars and a birdie. The birdie came on hole three, in the middle of a seven-hole bogey-free stretch. While Tuesday was her first top-10 of the year, it was her fourth as a Division I student-athlete. Playing as an individual, Lara Dommach was the Mastodons’ second-best finisher, shooting 78-80-79-237 for 21st place. Her final round featured eight pars and was highlighted by back-to-back birdies on holes four and five. Emily Gottman shot 87-75-79-241, good for 28th place. The freshman put together a 12-par performance on Tuesday and wrapped up the round with a birdie on hole nine, the 379-yard par-4. Fresh off her Horizon League Golfer of the Week performance, Natalie Papa shot 83-78-82-243, which put her in 36th place. She was 1-under in her last nine holes of the day thanks to birdies on holes one and three. Hunar Mittal shot 89-82-79-250 for 54th place. She also birdies holes one and three, while also snagging one on hole eight. Louise Ekesall was the last firing for the team score, and she shot 86-82-84-252 for 58th. The sophomore had 11 pars in round three. Like Dommach, Lillie Cone also played as an individual, shooting 93-82-82-257, which was good for 59th. As a team, the Mastodons shot 335-311-317-963 for ninth place, topping Horizon League foe Detroit Mercy in the process. Oakland won the event with a 913. Purdue Fort Wayne will be back in action on April 12-13 at the Boilermaker Spring Classic in West Lafayette, Indiana. ==================================================================== PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NELSON’S 37 POWERS LATE RALLY IN WNIT WIN OVER SOUTH ALABAMA FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne erased an eight-point deficit with less than four minutes remaining in a 77-72 victory over South Alabama in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament Second Round on Tuesday (March 24). The win advances the Mastodons to the WNIT Super 16 for a third consecutive season. Next up for the Mastodons is a trip to Arkansas State on Friday (March 27) with a tentative start time of 2 p.m. ET. Purdue Fort Wayne is one of two schools in the country to make the Super 16 in each of the last three seasons. The other is Illinois State. A big reason for the comeback was Alana Nelson. The Springport, Michigan native finished with a season-high 37 points on 14-of-19 shooting with four assists, three rebounds and two steals. Nelson did most of her damage in the first and fourth quarters. She scored 15 points in a first quarter that saw the ‘Dons lead 26-23 after 10 minutes. Nelson scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to finish the late Mastodon rally. South Alabama took a 69-61 lead with 3:42 on the clock. Then Nelson kicked it into another gear. She hit a turnaround jumper to start a 16-3 Mastodon run that lasted until the final buzzer. She had 10of the points, highlighting the stretch with back-to-back 3-pointers to put the ‘Dons up 74-69 with 59 seconds remaining, with the Gates Sports Center erupting louder with each bucket. Purdue Fort Wayne forced five South Alabama turnovers in the final three-plus minutes, part of the 29 they forced on the evening. Nelson’s 37 points put her in the top-10 in program history in single-game scoring, with the third-highest mark in a Division I game. Jordan Reid swiped seven steals, a career-high and tied for the fourth-most in a game in Mastodon history. Purdue Fort Wayne shot 42.3 percent (30-of-71) from the floor while the Jaguars finished at 28-of-55 for 50.9 percent. The Mastodons scored 30 points off the Jaguars’ 29 turnovers. Lili Krasovec had 12 points, including four points in the key 13-0 run. The game featured 15 lead changes and five ties. Purdue Fort Wayne improves to 21-13. South Alabama closes the season 17-19. ==================================================================== SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S GOLF EAGLES FINISH FOURTEENTH AT APSU INTERCOLLEGIATE DICKSON, Tenn.- University of Southern Indiana Men’s Golf finished the Austin Peay State Intercollegiate on Tuesday afternoon in Dickson, Tennessee. The team finished fourteenth overall, posting a team score of 916 over the three-round event. Round 1 The Screaming Eagles began the tournament with a first-round team score of 315 (+27), placing 15th overall. Graduate student Wade Worthington paced the squad with a 75 (+3), finishing three strokes ahead of freshman Ingtawan Wangrungwichaisri, who carded a 78 (+6). Senior Carter Goebel posted an 80 (+8) in the opening round, while sophomore Chandler Ornelas completed the team scoring with an 82 (+10). Round 2 The opening day concluded with the second round of play, where Worthington continued his strong performance with another 75 (+3). Goebel showed improvement, shaving four strokes off his first-round score to finish with a 76 (+4), while Ornelas matched him with a 76 (+4) of his own. Sophomore Alex Peck rounded out the team’s scoring with a second-round 78 (+6). Round 3 Closing out the event, Worthington delivered the team’s top performance of the tournament with an even-par 72. Goebel and Ornelas also turned in strong rounds, each carding a 73 (+1), while Wangrungwichaisri completed the scoring with a 78 (+6). Up Next The team will return to the course for the Don Benbow Butler Spring Invitational in Indianapolis, Indiana, on March 30-31. This event will be hosted at the Highland Golf and Country Club. ================================================================= USI BASEBALL USI FINISHES HOMESTAND WITH BIG 13-3 VICTORY EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball ended its four-game homestand with a big 13-3 victory over Ball State University Tuesday evening at the USI Baseball Field. USI, which defeated Ball State for the first time in the series, is 16-9 this season, while BSU falls to 12-11 this spring. Both teams battled back and forth for the lead through the first three frames. Ball State took the early 1-0 lead in the top of the first, while USI pushed three runners across to grab the lead in the bottom half of the frame, 3-1. USI senior first baseman Patrick McLellan and senior designated hitter Micajah Wall had RBI-singles, while graduate rightfielder Noah Foster had a RBI-double to cap off the scoring. After Ball State tied the game, 3-3, in the top of the second, USI took the lead for good in the bottom of the third with its second three-run frame, 6-3. USI would go on to score three more in the fourth and closed out the game early with a four-run seventh for the 13-3 victory. McLellan led the way for USI at the plate, going three-for-four with three runs scored and a RBI, while Wall was two-for-three with three RBIs. The Screaming Eagles, as a team, had 10 hits and took advantage of eight walks allowed by Ball State. On the bump, junior right-hander Levin East posted his team-best third victory of the season in relief. East (3-2) threw three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out five. USI senior left-hander Jake Porter started and got the no-decision after allowing three runs on three hits and three walks, while striking out two. Junior right-hander Eben Hansen followed East to the mound and closed out the game by throwing two scoreless innings, allowing a hit and striking out one. Up Next for the Screaming Eagles: The Screaming Eagles, who are 2-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play, return to league action this weekend (March 27-29) when they travel to Little Rock for a three-game conference series. Game time Friday is set for 6 p.m., with the series continuing Saturday at 4 p.m. and concluding Sunday at 1 p.m. The Trojans are 14-10 and 3-0 in the OVC after sweeping Tennessee Tech to open OVC play. Little Rock was scheduled to play Arkansas-Pine Bluff this evening. In the series between USI and Little Rock since both teams joined the OVC in 2023, the Trojans lead the series, 7-3, after splitting four games in 2025. USI won the series at the USI Baseball Field last year, but Little Rock knocked out the Screaming Eagles out of the OVC Championship last year in the first round. The next OVC action for USI will be on the road March 27-29 when it travels to Little Rock for a three-game series. Following the series at Little Rock, USI will conclude the four-game road swing with a visit to Middle Tennessee State March 31 for a 4 p.m. matchup in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. =================================================================== VALPO WOMEN’S GOLF ESTRIDGE STROKES PERSONAL BEST IN ROUND 3 AT THE JULIE Freshman Katie Estridge (Biloxi, Miss. / Biloxi) turned in the best round of her young collegiate career on Tuesday, leading the Valparaiso University women’s golf team at The Julie Invitational, hosted by Northern Kentucky at the par-71, 5861-yard Elks Run Golf Course in Batavia, Ohio. How It Happened Estridge turned in a Round-3 score of 76, seven strokes better than her best round of the event prior to Tuesday. She golfed even on 14 holes and did not have any doubles or worse throughout the day. Estridge finished the tournament with a team-best 243. Her Tuesday score outdid her previous season low of 77. Senior Taylor Skibinski (Michigan City, Ind. / Michigan City) was second on the team for the tournament, finalizing a 248 with her 83 on Tuesday. Freshmen had the top two scores in Tuesday’s round, as Nora Meek (Beavercreek, Ohio / Beavercreek) carded an 81, seven strokes better than her Round 1 and Round 2 scores and one stroke away from a personal best. The Beacons closed the event with their best round of the tournament, compiling a team score of 328 on Tuesday to finish at 1007 over the 54 holes. Thoughts from Head Coach Jill McCoy “Katie had a great round today and played very consistently. We’re looking forward to some time practicing outside again and gearing up for ISU.” Up Next The Beacons will compete in the Indiana State Spring Invitational hosted at the Country Club of Terre Haute beginning on Sunday, April 12. A link to live scoring will be available on ValpoAthleitcs.com. ==================================================================== VALPO SOFTBALL SOFTBALL HEADS TO PURDUE, HOSTS INDIANA STATE THIS WEEK Valpo (13-16, 2-6 MVC) March 25 – at RV Purdue (23-8, 4-2 B1G) – 4 p.m. CT March 27 – Indiana State (15-15, 4-4 MVC) – noon DH March 28 – Indiana State – 2 p.m. Next Up in Valpo Softball: A four-game week awaits the Valpo softball team this week, as the Beacons make the short trip to West Lafayette for a Wednesday afternoon game against a Purdue squad receiving votes in the NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball top-25 polls before returning home to the Valpo Softball Complex for a weekend series against Indiana State. Previously: Valpo limited the MVC’s top offense in its home opener last Saturday to earn a 4-3 win over UNI, which was picked second in the MVC preseason poll, but the Panthers’ bats awoke as they claimed the series victory with 13-0 and 11-6 wins. Looking Ahead: It’s a light week next week for the Beacons, as only a Friday afternoon doubleheader at Illinois State is on the docket. Following Valpo Softball: Wednesday’s game at Purdue is scheduled for broadcast on BTN+, while all three games of the Indiana State series are slated for broadcast on ESPN+. All games will have live stats available via ValpoAthletics.com. Most home games and most MVC road games will be broadcast on ESPN+, while select nonconference games will have video streams depending on the host. Head Coach Mike Armitage (33-46 [.418] at Valpo, 2nd season; 102-113 [.474] overall, 5th season): Mike Armitage is in his second season as head coach of the Valpo softball program after being hired as head coach on June 6, 2024. In his first year at Valpo, Armitage guided the Beacons to 20 wins – the program’s winningest season since 2018 and an 11-win improvement over the previous season. Valpo posted a six-win improvement within MVC play, finishing with its highest total of Valley wins, its most MVC series wins and its best Valley regular season finish since 2018 as well. Prior to Valpo, Armitage spent three seasons as head coach at Minnesota State Moorhead, posting the first back-to-back 30-win seasons in MSUM program history in 2023 and 2024 after inheriting a Dragons program which had not finished above .500 since 2007. Series Records: Purdue – Valpo owns an 8-26-2 record all-time against the Boilermakers, but the two programs have not matched up since April 24, 2013 – a 4-2 Purdue win in West Lafayette. Valpo’s last victory in the series was a 3-2 win in Valparaiso on April 16, 2009. Indiana State – Valpo is 7-24 in program history versus the Sycamores, including a 5-16 mark since joining the MVC prior to the 2018 season. Last season, the teams split two games – Indiana State winning 6-2 and Valpo prevailing 3-2 in 11 innings – before the finale was canceled due to weather. Kayden Krug and Madison Vrastil each had three hits over the two games, while Azalya Lopez earned the win in the circle with nine innings of relief work and drove in the game-winning run at the plate. Scouting the Opposition: Purdue – The Boilermakers enter the week with a 23-8 overall record and are 4-2 in Big Ten play, most recently dropping two of three last weekend against Oregon. Moriah Polar leads the Purdue offense with a .584 batting average – which ranks third nationally – and 35 RBIs. In the circle, Julia Gossett has seen the most action, tossing 83.1 innings with a 9-5 record, a 2.02 ERA and 108 strikeouts. Indiana State – The Sycamores enter the week with a 15-15 record and are also .500 in MVC play at 4-4. For the second straight week, Valpo is taking on a team which had their bye in the Valley schedule the previous weekend, as Indiana State dropped two games to Ohio State and one game to Louisville last weekend. Morgan Goodrich has a team-best .392 batting average, while Mallory Chavez has a team-high 24 RBIs. Caylee Gaytan and Lauren Sackett have split the vast majority of innings in the circle – Gaytan is 5-5 with a 2.94 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 81 innings, while Sackett is 9-8 with a 3.56 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 82.2 innings. Power-ing Up the Schedule: Since head coach Mike Armitage’s arrival prior to last season, Valpo has had a marked increase in challenging higher-level opposition in midweek competition. This year’s slate features five scheduled midweek games against Power Four and Big East competition (although the DePaul game was rained out), while last year’s schedule had three such games. In the four years prior to Armitage taking over the program, Valpo had a combined two midweek games against such competition. More BBs Than Ks: As we’ve moved past the halfway mark of the season, it’s time to start looking at season-long trends, and one thing which jumps out immediately is this year’s team has more walks (119) than strikeouts (104). Five regulars in the starting lineup have struck out six or fewer times, while five players have walked at least ten times. No team in program history has ever finished a season with more walks than strikeouts – the 2012 team owns the best single-season ratio (191 BB/251 K; .761), while last year’s team was close behind (170 BB/224 K; .759). Nice Round Numbers: Only three players in program history have hit at least .400 in a season, only four have gotten on base at a .500 clip and only five have slugged at a .600 clip. But this year’s team has players threatening to add to those ranks. Entering this week, Madison Vrastil is hitting .402 – good for fifth in the MVC. Meanwhile, Mack Gallagher owns a .510 on-base percentage – sixth in the Valley – and a .618 slugging percentage. Peeking at the Record Book: While there’s still 24 scheduled games left in the regular season, the program’s single-season record book is already being impacted. Vrastil has swiped 20 bases this year, good for second in the MVC and already tied for eighth in a single season in program history – with 37 career steals, she ranks seventh in program history on that chart as well. She has also been errorless in the field, looking to join just three players in program history with a 1.000 season fielding percentage with at least 100 chances. Gallagher has drawn 25 walks this year, tied for the most by any Valley player and just two shy of the program’s single-season top-10 – with 61 career walks, she is also just two away from the career top-10 as well. As a team, Valpo’s on-base percentage of .397 is on pace to break the single-season record in that category, currently held by the 2015 team at .381. Marked Improvement: Take a look at Valpo’s top six hitters, and you see notable year-over-year improvement from 2025 to 2026. All six – Madison Vrastil, Marissa Jackson, Kim Rodas, Mack Gallagher, Kayden Krug and Kaia Garnica – have seen their batting average go up at least 26 points, with Jackson, Rodas and Gallagher boasting batting averages at least 100 points higher than 2025. That translates to OPS as well, as the sextet has an average 211 point increase in their OPS from 2025 to 2026. V on Fire: Madison Vrastil has been on a roll at the plate recently. On an eight-game hitting streak dating back to the series opener at Murray State, Vrastil has tallied multiple hits in six of those games – including her first career four-hit game at IU Indy. Over that stretch, Vrastil is 16-for-31, raising her season batting average 54 points in the process. Last weekend against a UNI team picked to finish second in the Valley this year, Vrastil went 5-for-9 with two walks. Single-Game Records: Vrastil has impacted Valpo’s single-game record book on a pair of occasions this season. The sophomore stole four bases on the season’s opening day against Green Bay, establishing a new program single-game record, as the previous mark of three had been accomplished 14 times. More recently, Vrastil twice in a three-day span (March 13 nightcap at Murray State; March 15 opener at IU Indy) scored four runs in a single game, the 12th and 13th times in program history a player scored four runs in a game. Vrastil joins former Valpo greats Sara Strickland and Sam Stewart as the only players in program history to twice score four runs in a game. Streak Comes to a Close: Senior Mack Gallagher made it a 27-game on-base streak to open the season with a key two-run double in the series-opening win Saturday against UNI, but saw that streak come to an end in the nightcap that day as she went 0-for-2 in the run-rule loss. Maybe Gallagher started a new streak in the series finale, though, as she went 2-for-3 on Sunday, her sixth multi-hit game of the year and the 13th time she has reached base multiple times – she has reached twice in six games, three times in three games and four times in four games. Helping Hand From the Outfield: Outfield assists are not an everyday occurrence in softball – Valpo entered its series finale with UNI Sunday with seven outfield assists in its first 28 games this year. So when center fielder Marissa Jackson doubled up a baserunner in the fifth inning of the finale against the Panthers, and then Jackson and left fielder Kayden Krug were part of back-to-back putouts on the basepaths in the seventh inning, it was a rare sight indeed. It was the first time Valpo tallied three outfield assists in a single game since its Horizon League Tournament opener against Butler on May 10, 2012, while Jackson became the first Valpo outfielder with multiple assists in the same game since Taylor Lawson had a pair at Northern Illinois on April 14, 2015. Walk This Way: Valpo’s collective discerning eye at the plate has led to plenty of free bases. The Beacons have drawn five or more walks 10 times this season, highlighted by a 10-walk performance in the opening-weekend win over Oakland – tied for fifth-most in a single game in program history. With 119 walks on the season, Valpo is easily more than halfway to the program single-season record. Nonconference Success: Valpo hit MVC play with a winning record, as the Beacons sat at 9-8 through four weekends of play. This is the second straight season the Beacons have carried a winning record into Valley action, as they were 11-9 going into their MVC opener in 2025. Prior to last year, it had been since 2018 (12-8) that Valpo opened conference play with a winning record. A Perfect Start: Valpo swept its four games on opening weekend at the DePaul Dome Tournament, starting 4-0 for the fifth time in program history and just the second time against all D-I opponents. The 2017 squad started 5-0 for the best start by a Valpo team, while the 1986, 2000 and 2002 teams all faced at least two non D-I opponents en route to a 4-0 start. Who’s Back: Valpo returns 15 letterwinners from last year’s squad for the 2026 campaign, a group which accounted for 85.3% of the team’s at-bats and 100% of the innings pitched last season. The Beacons also return two pitchers – Mia Carroll-Greeves and Kayla Purdy – who sat out the entirety of their first season on campus in 2025. Who’s New: Valpo welcomes six newcomers to the program this season. Transfers Grace Hollopeter and Cadan Brinkman join from Purdue Fort Wayne and Campbell, respectively, while Addie Young, Jenna Flessner, Lillian Martinez and Ava Goodman come in as true freshmen. A Large Roster: Do the math from the above two notes, and you find that this year’s Valpo softball roster is comprised of 23 players. While that is one shy of last year’s team, which featured a program-record 24 players, it is still the second-largest roster in program history. Looking Back at 2025: Valpo won 20 games in 2025, more wins than the previous two seasons combined and its highest win total since the 2018 season. The Beacons won nine MVC games, also their highest total since 2018. Offensively, Valpo scored the most runs in a season since 2017, while on the mound, the pitching staff’s ERA was the program’s lowest since 2018. Lopez Earns Preseason Honor: Senior Azalya Lopez was named to the preseason All-MVC First Team for her work in the circle and at the plate. Lopez – a Second Team All-MVC choice last season in her first year at Valpo – posted 10 wins, four saves, a 2.89 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 138 innings of work in 2025 while allowing opponents to hit just .218 off of her — the tenth-best mark in a single season in program history. She tied for the MVC lead in saves, ranked fifth in strikeouts and opponents’ batting average, and eighth in ERA and wins. At the plate, the two-time MVC Newcomer of the Week hit .254 with 14 runs scored and 25 RBIs. Lopez led the team with 10 doubles and ranked second in both RBIs and walks (23). She found her groove in the batter’s box during conference play, hitting a team-best .307 in MVC play with an .835 OPS. Soaring Sophomores: A pair of Beacons who had strong freshman campaigns are back for their sophomore season in 2026. Madison Vrastil hit a team-high .333 as a rookie and posted an .818 OPS. Vrastil moved into 10th on Valpo’s single-season steals chart with 17, third-most among MVC players, and ranked ninth in the Valley with 57 hits. She opened her career with a 22-game on-base streak, tied for the fourth-longest by a Valpo player since 1999. In the circle, Erin Metz appeared in 44 games as a rookie, recording six wins and tying for the MVC lead with four saves while posting a 3.35 ERA and striking out 77 batters in 92 innings of work. She was named MVC Pitcher of the Week April 7 after going 4-0 with a 1.34 ERA the previous week, becoming the first Valpo pitcher to pick up the win in four consecutive games since 2008. Return of the Mack: In addition to Lopez, head coach Mike Armitage had senior Mack Gallagher come with him from MSU Moorhead to Valpo, and Gallagher made a big impact in her first season as a Beacon in 2025. Gallagher ranked second on the team with a .392 on-base percentage, thanks in large part to drawing 36 walks – third-most by a Valpo player in a single season in program history, tied for second among MVC players and tied for 48th nationally in walks per game. She led the Beacons with six home runs and 30 RBIs as well. ================================================================= VALPO FOOTBALL VALPO FOOTBALL SETS SEASON OPENER; BEGINS SPRING PRACTICE The Valparaiso University football program has announced an addition to the team’s schedule for the 2026 season, finalizing a Week-0 game against Lawrence Tech on Saturday, Aug. 29 at Brown Field. This will mark the first matchup between the Beacons and Blue Devils, who are members of the NAIA Mid-States Football Association. This will be the first game of Year 2 under head coach Andy Waddle. This marks the third scheduled nonconference game for the Beacons, who will visit Murray State (Sept. 12) and Indiana State (Sept. 19) prior to the start of Pioneer Football League play with the Sept. 26 Homecoming game vs. Butler. Click here for the full schedule. Preparation for that Aug. 29 season opener begins on Tuesday as the Brown & Gold kick off spring practice. The 2026 Spring Game is set for Saturday, April 25 at Brown Field. ================================================================ VALPO BASEBALL PLEAU RECORDS FOUR HITS; PURDUE NIPS VALPO IN MIDWEEK CONTEST The Valparaiso University baseball team received solid pitching from the six hurlers who took the mound and the Beacons tied the game with two runs in the top of the seventh, but host Purdue responded with a run in the last of the seventh which stood as the difference in a 3-2 Boilermaker victory on Tuesday at Alexander Field in West Lafayette, Ind. How It Happened Starting pitcher Spencer Boynton (Tampa, Fla. / Seffner Christian) worked out of trouble in each of the first two innings. The Boilermakers had two in scoring position with only one away in the first, but Boynton notched his second and third strikeouts of the inning to keep it scoreless. In the second, Purdue mounted another threat that featured men at the corners with nobody out, but a strikeout on a pitch-clock violation and a 6-4-3 double play helped Boynton wiggle out of the jam. Valpo had its first scoring chance in the third when Brayden Pleau (Appleton, Wis. / Kimberly) ripped a leadoff double, but he was eventually stranded at third. Purdue broke through in the third, scoring twice (one earned) including an RBI double by Sam Flores that plated the first run. The Beacons loaded the bases with two hits and a walk in the fourth, but stranded the maximum. Purdue attempted a double steal with runners at the corners and two outs in the fifth, and on the return throw to the plate, the runner went in standing up and there was a collision, but Valpo catcher Eli Riley (Zanesville, Ind. / Norwell) held on to the ball for the third out of the inning, keeping the deficit at two. Lefty Christian Hack (Oak Forest, Ill. / Tinley Park) struck out a pair as part of a scoreless sixth that saw Purdue waste a one-out double. Valpo tied the game by scoring twice in the top of the seventh. A run-scoring single by Javin Gauthier (De Pere, Wis. / De Pere) pushed across the first run, then Gauthier came around to score as freshman Cal Schembra (Greenwood, Ind. / Center Grove) poked a double down the right-field line. Both of the runs came after two were out in the inning. The first two batters of the bottom of the seventh were retired, but the next two were each hit by a pitch, and the first of those eventually scored on a single to put the Boilermakers back in front 3-2. Baffa worked a scoreless eighth to keep Valpo within striking distance, but the Beacons couldn’t muster up any offense in the top of the ninth. Inside the Game Pleau went 4-for-4, surpassing his previous season high of three hits on Feb. 28 at Alabama State. He accounted for four of the team’s seven hits. The last nine matchups between the Beacons and Boilermakers dating back to 2012 have all been decided by four runs or fewer. The last 10 games between the two teams dating back to 2010 have all been decided by five runs or fewer. Valpo’s last three games have all been decided by two runs or fewer. The Beacons fell to 1-5 in one-run games this season and 2-14 in one-run games in 2025 and 2026 combined. Valpo pitching displayed good control in the midweek contest, permitting just two walks. None of the first five Beacons who toed the rubber on Tuesday issued a base on balls. Purdue held a 10-7 edge in the hit column. Purdue stranded 11, while Valpo left 10 on base. Up Next The Beacons (6-14) will finally open the home portion of the season by hosting a three-game series against Indiana State this weekend. The series opener is currently scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday, but please check back to ValpoAthletics.com for potential weather-related schedule changes. ===================================================================== UINDY SOFTBALL SOFTBALL REMAINS AT #9 IN DII COACHES POLL LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The UIndy softball team stayed put in this week’s NFCA/GoRout Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll, holding steady at No. 9. The Greyhounds are coming off a 3-1 weekend in GLVC play and now sit at 26-2 on the season.NFCA DII COACHES POLL RKTEAM (1st-place votes)PTSRECPREV1.West Texas A&M (16)40029-312.Cal State San Marcos38328-323.Cal State East Bay35024-444.AUM34826-465.North Georgia32825-556.Saint Leo32227-2-187.Pittsburg State32130-1118.Southern Arkansas29228-379.UIndy25926-2910.Angelo State25827-61011.Missouri Southern25327-5312.Oklahoma Christian20826-71213.Lenoir-Rhyne20721-51514.Colorado Christian19230-21315.West Florida17424-61816.Central Oklahoma16425-61717.Oklahoma Baptist12828-51418.McKendree12523-51619.Francis Marion11026-91920.Montevallo8225-62321.Concordia7633-112222.Shippensburg4612-62123.Winona State4425-4RV24.Florida Tech4124-6-1RV25.Cal State Monterey Bay3422-920 Others receiving votes: Bloomsburg (19), Franklin Pierce (19), Carson-Newman (12), Northwest Nazarene (3), East Stroudsburg (2). ================================================================= UINDY MEN’S TRACK LE CADRE NAMED DII MIDWEST INDOOR TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NEW ORLEANS— University of Indianapolis junior Josue Le Cadre was voted the Midwest Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, the United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Monday. The Nantes, France native now holds indoor and outdoor Midwest Track Athlete of the Year honors. FROM USTFCCCA Le Cadre won the 800 meters at the NCAA DII Indoor Championships in 1:47.17, which is the fifth-fastest performance in NCAA DII history. He also anchored the runner-up distance medley relay in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Earlier in the season, Le Cadre became the second-fastest man in NCAA DII history over 800 meters with his 1:46.97 clocking at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational – one of two efforts that earned him National Athlete of the Week honors. ================================================================= MARIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL MARIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CAPTURES THIRD NAIA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SIOUX CITY, Iowa – A program defined by excellence reached another milestone Tuesday night in the Tyson Events Center, as the Marian women’s basketball team silenced a home crowd for the two-time defending national champion Dordt Defenders and completed a thrilling championship game, as the Knights won their third NAIA National Championship with a 73-61 victory. Marian’s championship win completes the season with a program-best 35-2 overall record. Playing in front of its largest and most raucous crowd of the season in the final game of the season, Marian opened the championship game on a breakneck pace, as running the game through their point guard Madisyn Bailey. Bailey was the aggressor from the tip and scored the first points in the national championship, leading the charge on the defensive end to force the Defenders to a 1-6 start from the floor. The defense also forced multiple turnovers in the opening stand, leading to Abbey McNally and Kiley McNally pushing Marian in front 10-2. A three-point play from Bailey gave the Knights momentum going into the media timeout, as she answered a Defenders’ basket with a three-point play, giving her team a 13-5 lead. Dordt would chop back at Marian’s lead in the two minutes coming out of the timeout, but Marian had answers, regaining their footing on defense and going through Eva Fisher and Kennedy Coleman. The pair of reserves scored in the final two minutes of the opening quarter to push Marian in front 19-12, as the score would hold going into the second quarter after Coleman blocked the final shot of the quarter from Dordt. Madisyn Bailey continued her big night moments into the second quarter, sinking a trifecta in the first two minutes of the half to push Marian in front by double figures. The 22-12 lead would carry until the eight-minute mark as Dordt was able to score its first points of the period, going on a 9-1 run to shrink the lead to two points. Marian never faltered despite the roar from the crowd growing, as Olivia Faust silenced Dordt with a three-pointer, keeping Marian in control with a 26-22 edge. Dordt would gradually respond, taking its first lead of the game with 1:51 to play in the first half, as Gracie Schoonhoven dropped in a basket to give the Iowa team a 27-26 lead. Marian would quickly counter with an Abbey McNally jumper, but the Defenders again went back to Schoonhoven, with her jumper in the final 90 second putting Dordt back on top. A three-pointer from Oliva Harazin for Dordt would seal their first half lead, as Marian entered the locker room trailing 32-28. Trailing at halftime for the first time since the Crossroads League Championship game, Marian had a new obstacle to overcome, but did so methodically, running the offense through Madisyn Bailey. Bailey got the team on the board first in the half with a pair of free throws, and calmly answered a Dordt shot with a three-pointer, bringing Marian back within a point. The scoring went back and forth as Dordt answered Abbey McNally’s basket, but with 6:04 remaining, the Knights were finally able to flip a switch. A layup from Bailey pulled Marian within a point, and after the sophomore forced a miss from Macy Sievers, the Knights were off and running, going inside to McNally to take a 39-38 lead. The Defenders answered the lead change with a three-pointer, but it would be the last time that they pulled in front, as Bailey leveled the game after a Marian timeout at 41 with 4:53 to play. The two charity stripe shots gave the Knights new life, as the defense continued to force missed shots, which led to open looks on offense, as an Olivia Faust three-pointer gave Marian the lead once again. Marian scored five more points to go on a 10-0 after the Faust three, solidifying its hold on the game. Dordt would cut Marian’s run with five unanswered points, but the Knights again had the answer, this time in the form of two Kenna Kirby triples. The senior’s six points in the final 51 seconds of the third quarter gave Marian breathing room heading into the fourth quarter, as the Knights led 55-46. The nine-point lead would be threatened by Dordt in the final stanza, but Marian stayed true to its game, not allowing the Defenders to creep within two possessions. The McNally twins played a pivotal role in keeping the momentum in favor of the Knights, getting to the foul line to work the lead back to double figures. A steal and fastbreak layup for Kiley McNally with 4:35 to play in the game jumped Marian’s lead to 13 points. The 13-point, 63-50 edge, would be too much for Dordt to overcome in the final four minutes of the game, as Marian’s defensive prowess made shots difficult to come by in the winning moments. Dordt would come as close as seven points, but could not get past the Knights, as Marian anchored down and kept in control. Marian would close the game strong with four made free throws in the final minute, getting a punctuation mark on the team’s third-ever NAIA Championship in women’s basketball as senior Kenna Kirby completed her career with a three-point play, a poetic finish as the Knights ended the game victorious 73-61. The highlights of Marian’s championship were seemingly endless, with Madisyn Bailey making play after play for the Knights, scoring a career-high 23 points in the title game, while grabbing five rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Bailey’s shining moment came on the defensive end, holding Macy Sievers under her scoring average while forcing eight turnovers against the opposition’s point guard’s primary defender. Abbey McNally’s career came to an end with a dominant 17-point, 15-rebound double-double, anchoring her 66th career double-double performance as she also had one steal and three blocked shots. Kenna Kirby had a dominant performance with 14 points and five rebounds, and Kiley McNally scored eight points to go with 12 rebounds. Olivia Faust scored seven points off the bench, and Kennedy Coleman and Eva Fisher each ended with two points in the championship win. Marian’s defense held the Dordt attack with a 35 percent shooting night, and kept the defending champs 25 points under its per-game average. Marian won the game on the glass 49-35, and forced 15 Dordt turnovers. Marian’s national championship is the 10th in school history, joining a recent hot streak of title runs as the championship is the third of the 2025-26 school year. The championship is the third in women’s basketball, with the sport now boasting the most team NAIA championships in school history. Head coach Suntana Anderson became the 10th female head coach to win an NAIA women’s basketball national championship, and became the fourth different female head coach to lead the Knights to an NAIA Red Banner, joining Katie Gearlds, Ashlee Pritchard, and Katie Wise-Butler. Seven of Marian’s 10 NAIA Championships were coached by a female head coach. After the game, Kiley McNally was named Second Team All-Tournament, while Madisyn Bailey was named First Team All-Tournament. Abbey McNally was named the 2026 NAIA National Tournament MVP, joining Lakan Hasser-Smith and Joana Soeiro as previous winners. Marian’s 35-2 record is a program best, setting the highest winning percentage in program history. The Knights won three championships in the 2025-26 season, sweeping the Crossroads League regular season and tournament titles, and capping off the season on an 18-game winning streak, bringing home the NAIA National Championship. ABBEY MCNALLY NAMED WBCA NAIA PLAYER OF THE YEAR ATLANTA, Ga. – On Monday afternoon, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced its NAIA All-America and yearly awards for the 2025-26 season. For the fourth time in program history, the Marian women’s basketball team has been honored with the top player in the NAIA by the WBCA, as Abbey McNally was tabbed as the National Player of the Year. Abbey McNally of Marian University (Indiana) is the 2026 WBCA NAIA Player of the Year. She headlines the 2026 WBCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America team. “The WBCA is proud to announce Abbey McNally as the 2026 WBCA NAIA Player of the Year,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle M. Donehew. “Abbey is most deserving of this distinguished honor. The WBCA family of coaches congratulates Abbey on her hard work, dedication, and exceptional play during the 2025-26 season.” McNally is enjoying a record-setting season and is on the verge of becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer, as the senior has guided the Knights to the NAIA National Semifinals for the first time since 2017. McNally earned her second consecutive Crossroads League Player of the Year honor earlier this season and was also named as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year for a third consecutive year. As a senior, McNally has broken her school record for single-season scoring with 688 total points this season, averaging 19.7 points per game and 10.9 rebounds per game. McNally eclipsed 2000 career points earlier this season and is 49 points shy of tying Ella Collier for the career record, and on Saturday night, she passed 1400 career rebounds, advancing further in the record books as the all-time leading rebounder in women’s basketball history in the Crossroads League. The senior has 58 steals and 47 blocks this year, along with 27 assists in 35 games played. McNally broke the program’s field goals made, free throws made, free throws attempts, and games started records this season, and will end the season with the top field goal percentage in program history. The honor from the senior is the fourth overall in program history, as she joins Imani Guy and Ella Collier as honorees. Collier was named Player of the Year twice in her career. ================================================================= MARIAN FOOTBALL MARIAN FOOTBALL UNVEILS 2026 SCHEDULE INDIANAPOLIS – With the end of the football program’s spring football practice session approaching, the Knights and head coach Ted Karras Jr. have released the completed schedule for the 2026 season. Marian’s 2026 season will feature an 11-game regular season for the second consecutive year, marking the first time since the 2008-2010 seasons that the team will play a minimum of 11 games during the season. The upcoming season marks Marian’s third year in the MSFA Midwest League, as the Knights come off an 8-4 record. Marian will play five of its 11 games at home this fall, while six contests will be on the road, including the season opener on Thursday, August 27, when the Knights travel to the south side of Indianapolis to face UIndy. After the opener against UIndy, Marian will play two more games away from home, traveling to Defiance College for the first road meeting of the series, while spending the following weekend, September 12, in Fort Wayne for a night game with Saint Francis. This upcoming season, Saint Francis returns to the MSFA Mideast League, making this meeting the first-ever regular-season non-conference matchup between the two teams. The crossover games between MSFA Mideast opponents continues when the Knights play their first home game of the season on September 19, taking on Madonna University on Family Weekend. The team will spend the following week idle on its bye, and then continue a lengthy home stretch as the calendar flips to October, welcoming Taylor back to Indianapolis on October 3. The meeting with Taylor will be the first played in Indianapolis since the 2022 season, while Marian will be riding a 16-game winning streak entering that contest. On October 10, the Knights will host their 2026 Homecoming game, as they face rival Indiana Wesleyan for the third consecutive season at Ascension St. Vincent Field. Marian’s homestand will conclude on October 17, as the team begins MSFA Midwest League action with a home date against Olivet Nazarene. October concludes with a pair of road conference games, with Marian traveling to newcomer Saint Mary of the Woods on October 24, and ending the month with a Halloween matchup in Joliet at Saint Francis (Ill.). The Knights return home on November 7 for their Senior Day game against Saint Xavier and conclude the regular season on the road at Judson on November 14. The NAIA Football Championship Series will run from November 21 through December 19, with the NAIA National Championship game to once again be hosted in Fort Worth, Texas. All matchups in the First, Second, Quarterfinal, and Semifinal Rounds will be held at Campus Sites around the NAIA. All times listed on the team’s online schedule are subject to change, and any such changes will be announced on MUKnights.com. Tickets for the 2026 season will go on sale during the summer months, along with updates to parking changes for M-Club tailgating. Marian football ends their spring practices this Saturday, as the team plays its annual Blue vs White Spring Game. The game begins at 12:00 p.m. at Ascension St. Vincent Field. ==================================================================== 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 1910 Hugh Chalmers, the president of the Chalmers Motor Car Company of Detroit, announces his Model 30, one of the most luxurious autos of its day, will be awarded to the player with the highest batting average this season. Nap Lajoie goes 8-for-9, beating out seven bunts, when Browns’ Red Corriden purposely plays deep at third base, raising the Indian infielder’s final average to .384 to surpass Ty Cobb for the controversial batting title. 1914 Babe Ruth makes the first start of his professional career, defeating the world champion Philadelphia, 6-2, in an exhibition game played in Wilmington (NC). The 19-year-old left-hander tosses a complete game for the International League’s Baltimore Orioles, allowing 13 hits and four walks in the Port City newly constructed Sunset Park. 1917 The Giants sign their skipper, John McGraw, to a five-year contract for $200,000. The deal makes Mugsy, who will lead the New York to 10 National League pennants and three World Series championships during his 31-year tenure with the team, the highest-paid figure in major league baseball. 1934 For the third time in six days, track and field Olympian medalist (javelin, hurdles, high jump) Babe Didrikson takes the mound to face a major league team. The Orleans Pelicans’ hurler pitches two scoreless innings against the Indians and lines out in her only at-bat. 1935 The Cubs sell 32-year-old right-hander Pat Malone to the Yankees. The former 20-game winner (1929, 1930) will go 12-4 in 1936 but will post only a 19-13 record in his three-year tenure with the Bronx Bombers. 1945 Tryouts are granted to pitcher Terris McDuffie and first baseman Dave Thomas when a group of blacks appears at the Dodger offices in Brooklyn. The two players will work out at Ebbets Field in front of Branch Rickey on April 7. 1959 The Cardinals trade Sam Jones, who will become a first-time All-Star with his new club, to the Giants for first baseman/outfielder Bill White and third baseman Ray Jablonski. The 33-year-old right-hander, called Toothpick Sam by his teammates, will be a distant runner-up to Early Wynn for the Cy Young Award this season, posting a 21-15 record and a league-leading ERA of 2.83 for San Francisco. 1962 The Cubs, who haven’t had a manager since 1960, chose Elvin Tappe to be the team’s first head coach of the campaign after he posted a 42-54 record last year, the best by far of the four who led the club as members of Chicago’s college of coaches. When he gets off to a 4-16 start as the skipper, the 35-year-old veteran returns to the bench, playing 26 games as a backup catcher for the ninth-place team. 1963 The Reds sell journeyman pitcher Johnny Klippstein to the Phillies. After going 7-7 over two seasons with Philadelphia, the 37-year-old box salesman will help the Twins win the pennant in 1965, posting a 9-3 record. 1981 The Phillies trade Bob Walk to the Braves for outfielder Gary Matthews. The team’s new center fielder provides outstanding defense and has three solid seasons at the plate for Philadelphia. In contrast, Atlanta’s new right-hander will compile a 12-13 record with a 4.85 ERA during his three-year tenure with the club. 1985 The news is terrible for the Cubs when Circuit Court Judge Richard L. Curry rules that the existing laws banning night games are constitutional. The Chicago west-side club brought suit after giving up a home playoff game last season due to Wrigley’s lack of lights. 1989 The Pirates and Indians swap shortstops, with Jay Bell going to the Steel City and Felix Fermin joining the Tribe. Pittsburgh’s new slick infielder will be the team’s starting shortstop for the next eight seasons, winning a Gold Glove in 1993. 1997 The Indians send Kenny Lofton (.317, 14, 67) and Alan Embree (3-1, 2.79) to the Braves for Marquis Grissom (.262, 10, 57) and David Justice (.337, 30, 88). The deal saves Atlanta $5.8 million in salaries and helps the team sign hurlers Greg Maddux ($57.5 million, five-year) and Tom Glavine ($34 million, four-year). 2006 Acknowledging he may never play again, Jeff Bagwell announces he will start the season on the disabled list and seek consultation to determine if removing bone spurs from his shoulder would help prolong his career. The 37-year-old first baseman must stay on the injured list all season for the Astros to collect $15.6 million of the $17 million guaranteed contract from an insurance claim filed in January. 2008 In Japan’s Tokyo Dome, the Red Sox beat the A’s, 6-5, in the earliest major league opener ever played. Manny Ramirez’s tenth-inning double gives Hideki Okajima the victory, who used to pitch in this stadium for the hometown Yomiuri Giants. 2008 At the corner of Carnegie and Ontario Avenues, Cleveland’s Brilliant Electric Sign Co. installs the brand-new Progressive Field sign on the ballpark, which was known as Jacob Field since 1994. Progressive, a major insurance corporation headquartered in nearby Mayfield, agreed to pay the team $57.6 million for 16 years of naming rights. 2008 Miguel Cabrera (.320, 34, 119), acquired by the Tigers in a trade at the winter meetings with the Marlins, agrees to a $152.3 million, eight-year deal to play with the team. The All-Star third baseman, who had previously agreed to an $11.3 million, one-year contract in January, will compile a .326 batting average and hit 270 home runs during the span of the deal. 2024 The Mets announce that the team will wear patches on the sleeves of their uniforms this season to honor Bud Harrelson, best remembered for his fight with the Reds’ Pete Rose in Game 3 of the 1973 NLCS at Shea Stadium. The 79-year-old former scrappy shortstop, a member of the club’s Hall of Fame who played 11 seasons with the Amazins’ before serving as its manager and as a coach, died in January after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. ========================================================= TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY On March 25 in … 1876 – Glasgow hosts first soccer match between Scotland and Wales (4-0). 1889 – First Test Cricket match played at Newlands, Cape Town versus England. 1907 – Stanley Cup: Montréal Wanderers lose to Kenora Thistles but outscore them in two game set but outscore them 12-8 and win cup. 1910 – Chalmers Auto Company offers a new car to each leagues’ batting champion. 1916 – Heavyweight Jess Willard and Franc Moran fight to no decision in 10 rounds for boxing title (New York City, New York). 1924 – Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens (NHL) sweep Calgary Tigers (WCHL) in two games (second of 1924). 1934 – First Golf Masters Championship: Horton Smith wins, shooting a 284. 1936 – Detroit Red Wings beat Montréal Maroons 1-0 in NHL longest game (2 hours 56 minutes 30 seconds; 9 periods). 1937 – It is revealed Quaker Oats pays baseball player Babe Ruth $25,000 per year for ads. 1937 – Lionel Conacher misses on first NHL Stanley Cup penalty shot. 1938 – First US-bred horse (Battleship) to win Grand National Steeplechase. 1947 – 9th NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Holy Cross beats Oklahoma 58-47. 1947 – Last day of Test cricket for Walter Hammond (versus New Zealand, Christchurch). 1957 – NBA modifies the free-throw rule. 1958 – Sugar Ray Robinson is first boxing champion to win five times. 1959 – Bill White traded to Saint Louis Cardinals for pitchers Sam Jones and Don Choate. 1960 – Ford Frick voids Cleveland Indians-Boston Red Sox deal as Sam White retires. 1961 – 23rd NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Cincinnati beats Ohio State 70-65 (overtime). 1961 – Third place game is one of the wildest contests in NCAA Tournament history as Saint Joseph’s defeats Utah 127-120 in four overtimes. 1967 – 29th NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Dayton 79-64. 1967 – UCLA wins its third national basketball championship in four years. 1971 – Boston Patriots become New England Patriots. 1972 – 34th NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Florida 81-76; UCLA’s 6th consecutive national basketball title. 1972 – Bobby Hull becomes the second NHL player to score 600 goals. 1973 – Carol Mann wins LPGA Sears Women’s Golf Classic. 1979 – Major riot at Bourda prevents day’s play in WSC Supertest. 1979 – Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Sahara National Pro-Am Golf Tournament. 1982 – Wayne Gretzky becomes first NHL player to score 200 points in a season. 1983 – Pavel Pegov skates world record 1000 metre (1:12.58). 1983 – Christa Rothenburger skates world record 500 metre ladies (39.69 seconds). 1984 – Betsy King wins LPGA Women’s Kemper Golf Open. 1990 – Pat Bradley wins LPGA Standard Register Turquoise Golf Classic. 1991 – Allan Border takes 5-68 versus West Indies at Bourda, Georgetown. 1992 – Imran Khan scores 72 and takes 1-43 off 6 2 overs in last ODI. 1992 – Pakistan defeats England by 22 runs to win World Cup. 1994 – Gunda Niemann skates ladies world record 3 km (4:09.32). 1994 – Yasunori Miyabe skates world record 1000 metre (1:12.37). 1995 – Boxer Mike Tyson released from jail after serving three years. 1996 – World Ice Dance Championship in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, won by Gritshuk and Platov (Russia). 1996 – World Ice Pairs Figure Skating Championship in Edmonton won by Eltsova and Bushkov (Russia). 1996 – World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Edmonton won by Michelle Kwan (USA). 1996 – World Men’s Figure Skating Championship in Edmonton won by Todd Eldredge (USA). 1997 – Cleveland Indians trade Lofton and Embree to Atlanta Braves for Grissom and Justice. 2007 – Ozeki Hakuho clinches the Emperor’s Cup at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament (Haru Basho) in Osaka, Japan. 2008 – The American Major League Baseball Season opens, with the Boston Red Sox beating Oakland Athletics 6-5 in Japan. 2022 – At Scotiabank Saddledrome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, NHL regular season game: Calgary Flames beats Arizona Coyotes by score 4-2. 2022 – At Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, USA, NHL regular season game: Colorado Avalanche beats Philadelphia Flyers by score 6-3. 2022 – At Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, NHL regular season game: Winnipeg Jets beats Columbus Blue Jackets by score 4-3. 2022 – At Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, USA, NHL regular season game: New York Rangers beats Pittsburgh Penguins by score 5-1. 2022 – At KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, USA, NHL regular season game: Washington Capitals beats Buffalo Sabres by score 4-3. Births of sports figures on March 25 1868 – Birth of Bill Lockwood; cricket player (England all-rounder in 12 Tests 1893-1902). 1878 – Birth of Henry graaf de Baillet-Latour; Belgian President of International Olympic Committee (1925-42). 1909 – Birth of Dutch (Emil) Leonard; baseball pitcher (Boston Red Sox, 1.01 ERA 1914). 1926 – Birth of Laszlo Papp in Hungary; Olympics boxer (gold-1948, 1952, 1956). 1927 – Birth of Leslie Claudius in India; field hockey (Olympics-gold-1948, 1952, 1956). 1931 – Birth of Bohumil Golián in Czechoslovakia; volleyball player (Olympics-bronze-1968). 1943 – Birth of Pavel Lednev in USSR; pentathlete (Olympics-gold-1980). 1944 – Birth of Ross Duncan; cricket player (one Test Australia versus England 1971, 0-30). 1953 – Birth of Haroon Rashid; cricket player (Pakistani and WSC batsman late 1970s). 1956 – Birth of Sonia M Lannaman in England; 4X100 metre relayer (Olympics-bronze-1980). 1958 – Birth of María Caridad in Colón, Cuba; javelin thrower, (Olympics-gold-1980). 1958 – Birth of Yograj Singh; cricket player (Indian pace bowler early 1980s). 1961 – Birth of Mark David Brooks in Fort Worth, Texas, USA; PGA golfer (1994 Kemper Open). 1964 – Birth of Eric Woods in California, USA; Canadian Tour golfer (1993 Xerox British Columbia Open). 1964 – Birth of Ken Wregget in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada; NHL goalie (Pittsburgh Penguins). 1965 – Birth of Avery Johnson; NBA guard (San Antonio Spurs). 1966 – Birth of David Hohl in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; freestyle wrestler (Olympics-9-1992, 1996). 1966 – Birth of Jeff Cross; NFL defensive end (Miami Dolphins). 1966 – Birth of Tom Glavine in Concord, Massachusetts, USA; pitcher (Atlanta Braves, Cy Young 1991). 1967 – Birth of Debi Thomas; American figure skater (Olympics-bronze-1988). 1967 – Birth of Takayuki Miura; hockey defenseman (Team Japan 1998). 1968 – Birth of Dixon Edwards; NFL linebacker (Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings). 1968 – Birth of Errol Martin; Canadian Football League linebacker (Edmonton Eskimos). 1968 – Birth of Peter Blackburn in Australia; badminton player (Olympics-1996). 1969 – Birth of Dale Davis; NBA forward (Indiana Pacers). 1969 – Birth of Dan Wilson in Arlington Height, Illinois, USA; catcher (Seattle Mariners). 1969 – Birth of Guy Newman; Australian water polo goalie (Olympics-1996). 1969 – Birth of Scott Sanders in Hannibal, Missouri, USA; pitcher (San Diego Padres). 1970 – Birth of Shawn Antoski in Brantford, Ontario, Canada; NHL left wing (Philadelphia Flyers). 1971 – Birth of Aashish Kapoor; cricket player (Indian off-spin batsman 1994-). 1971 – Birth of Andre Bolduc; Canadian Football League slot back (Edmonton Eskimos). 1971 – Birth of Cammi Granato; ice hockey forward (USA, Olympics-1998). 1971 – Birth of Perry Klein; NFL quarterback (Atlanta Falcons). 1971 – Birth of Sheryl Swoopes in Lubbock, Texas, USA; WNBA forward (Houston Comets, Olympics-gold-1996). 1972 – Birth of Demet Edwards; WLAF defensive tackle (Barcelona Dragons). 1972 – Birth of Howard Battle in Biloxi, Mississippi, USA; infielder (Philadelphia Phillies). 1972 – Birth of Lawrence Moten; NBA guard (Vancouver Grizzlies). 1973 – Birth of Andrei Nikolishin in Vorkuta, Russia; NHL center (Hartford Whalers). 1973 – Birth of Bob Sura; NBA guard (Cleveland Cavaliers). 1973 – Birth of Ray Zellars; NFL fullback (New Orleans Saints). 1974 – Birth of Mike Adams; wide receiver (Pittsburgh Steelers). 1974 – Birth of Vyninka Arlow in Australia; diver (Olympics-1996). 1975 – Birth of Miguel Mejia San Pedro de Macoris; outfielder (Saint Louis Cardinals). Deaths of sports figures on March 25 1924 – John Reedman, cricket player (Test for Australia 1894, 17 and 4, 1 for 24), dies. 1951 – Edward Collins, Hall of Fame infielder (Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Athletics), dies at age 63. 1969 – Norman Gallichan, cricket player (one Test for New Zealand, 30 and 2, 3-113), dies. ========================================================== TV SPORTS TODAY (All times Eastern) Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts Wednesday, March 25 AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL (MEN’S) 4:30 a.m. (Thursday) FS2 — AFL: Adelaide at Geelong COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S) 7 p.m. ESPN2 — NIT Tournament: Illinois St. at Dayton, Quarterfinal 9 p.m. ESPN2 — NIT Tournament: Nevada at Auburn, Quarterfinal COLLEGE LACROSSE (WOMEN’S) 6 p.m. ESPNU — Northwestern at North Carolina COLLEGE SOFTBALL 5:30 p.m. SECN — Louisville at Kentucky 6 p.m. ACCN — Arizona St. at NC State 7:30 p.m. SECN — Clemson at South Carolina 8 p.m. ACCN — Liberty at Virginia GOLF 3:30 a.m. (Thursday) GOLF — DP World Tour: Hero Indian Open, First Round, DLF G&CC, New Delhi, India MLB BASEBALL 8:05 p.m. NETFLIX — N.Y. Yankees at San Francisco NBA BASKETBALL 7:10 p.m. ESPN — Atlanta at Detroit 9:35 p.m. ESPN — Houston at Minnesota NHL HOCKEY 7:30 p.m. TNT — Boston at Buffalo TRUTV — Boston at Buffalo SOCCER (WOMEN’S) 1:40 p.m. CBSSN — UEFA Champions League: Barcelona at Real Madrid, Quarterfinal – Leg 1 3:55 p.m. CBSSN — UEFA Champions League: Bayern Munich at Manchester United, Quarterfinal – Leg 1 10 p.m. CBSSN — NWSL: Portland at San Diego TENNIS 1 p.m. TENNIS CHANNEL — Miami-WTA/ATP – Live; ATP Quarterfinal 1 & 2; WTA Quarterfinal 3 & 4; ATP Doubles 2nd Round VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S) 7 p.m. CBSSN — Major League Volleyball: Indy at Grand Rapids 8 p.m. USA — League One Volleyball: Nebraska at Atlanta About The Author troyderengowski61@gmail.com See author's posts Post navigation THE INDIANA SRN “SCOREBOARD” MARCH 24 THE INDIANA SRN “SCOREBOARD” MARCH 25
