“THE SCOREBOARD” INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SCORES https://www.maxpreps.com/in/baseball/scores/?date=4/2/2026 ========================================================== INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL SCORES https://www.maxpreps.com/in/softball/scores/?date=4/2/2026 ========================================================== NCAA TOURNAMENT MEN’S SCHEDULE/SCORES SATURDAY, APRIL 4 (FINAL FOUR) (2) UCONN VS. (3) ILLINOIS, 6:09 P.M. | TBS/TNT/TRUTV (1) MICHIGAN VS. (1) ARIZONA, 8:49 P.M. | TBS/TNT/TRUTV ==== MONDAY, APRIL 6 (NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP) UCONN / ILLINOIS VS. MICHIGAN / ARIZONA, 8:50 P.M. | TBS/TNT/TRUTV =========================================================== MEN’S NIT SCORES THURSDAY APRIL 2 TULSA 74 NEW MEXICO 69 AUBURN 88 ILLINOIS STATE 66 ========================================================== NCAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT FRIDAY APRIL 3 SOUTH CAROLINA VS. UCONN 7:00 TEXAS VS. UCLA 9:30 ========================================================== WOMEN’S NIT SATURDAY APRIL 4 ILLINOIS STATE VS. MARSHALL 3:00 ========================================================== COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES #14 COASTAL CAROLINA 12 S. ALABAMA 2 #8 SOUTHERN MISS 10 OLD DOMINION 4 OLE MISS 6 #21 FLORIDA 4 SOUTH CAROLINA 9 #2 TEXAS 1 #5 GEORGIA 10 #4 MISSISSIPPI STATE 9 VANDERBILT 14 #20 TEXAS A&M 8 #18 AUBURN 10 #17 ARKANSAS 2 #9 OREGON STATE 2 LAMAR 0 #16 ALABAMA 10 #11 OKLAHOMA 7 #25 ARIZONA STATE 6 ARIZONA 4 #3 GEORGIA TECH 17 CALIFORNIA 2 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7 NOTRE DAME 3 BUTLER 8 VILLANOVA 6 WASHINGTON 6 VALPARAISO 3 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS EDWARDSVILLE 4 SOUTHERN INDIANA 2 ========================================================== COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES #23 ARIZONA STATE 8 KANSAS 5 ST. MARY’S 5 #16 WASHINGTON 2 #18 DUKE 5 #17 VIRGINIA 2 CLEMSON 4 #11 VIRGINIA TECH 2 #8 TENNESSEE 3 SOUTH CAROLINA 1 #9 FLORIDA STATE 7 NOTRE DAME 2 #10 UCLA 9 HAWAII 5 #24 CENTRAL FLORIDA 17 UTAH 0 KANSAS 11 #23 ARIZONA STATE 7 #15 TEXAS A&M 3 #12 GEORGIA 2 #1 TEXAS 9 #4 ALABAMA 1 #22 LSU 9 MISSOURI 1 #2 TEXAS TECH 11 BYU 1 #3 OKLAHOMA 10 KENTUCKY 2 #16 WASHINGTON 6 #25 STANFORD 3 #21 GRAND CANYON 4 NEVADA 3 CREIGHTON 8 BUTLER 5 BUTLER 6 CREIGHTON 5 MOREHEAD STATE 2 SOUTHERN INDIANA 1 MOREHEAD STATE 10 SOUTHERN INDIANA 6 ========================================================== MEN’S COLLEGE HOCKEY SCORES FROZEN FOUR THURSDAY, APRIL 9 WISCONSIN VS. NORTH DAKOTA 5:00 DENVER VS. MICHIGAN 8:30 ========================================================== MEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL SCORES #20 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 3 QUEENS 0 #9 LOYOLA CHICAGO 3 #12 MCKENDREE 0 #7 BALL STATE 3 NORTHERN KENTUCKY 0 #16 LEWIS 3 #11 LINDENWOOD 0 #6 PEPPERDINE 3 #1 UCLA 2 #8 UC SANTA BARBARA 3 #18 CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE 0 #10 BYU 3 VANGUARD 0 ========================================================== DIVISION 1 MEN’S LAX SCORES NO GAMES SCHEDULED ========================================================== DIVISION 1 WOMEN’S LAX SCORES #6 MICHIGAN 10 OHIO STATE 6 ========================================================== NBA SCORES DETROIT 113 MINNESOTA 108 CHARLOTTE 127 PHOENIX 107 OKLAHOMA CITY 139 LA LAKERS 96 CLEVELAND 118 GOLDEN STATE 111 PORTLAND 118 NEW ORLEANS 106 SAN ANTONIO 118 LA CLIPPERS 99 ========================================================== NBA G-LEAGUE SCORES NO GAMES SCHEDULED ========================================================== NHL SCORES TAMPA BAY 6 PITTSBURGH 3 CAROLINA 5 COLUMBUS 1 OTTAWA 4 BUFFALO 1 MONTRÉAL 3 NY RANGERS 2 FLORIDA 2 BOSTON 1 DETROIT 4 PHILADELPHIA 2 NEW JERSEY 7 WASHINGTON 3 MINNESOTA 5 VANCOUVER 2 DALLAS 3 WINNIPEG 0 EDMONTON 3 CHICAGO 1 SAN JOSE 4 TORONTO 1 VEGAS 6 CALGARY 3 UTAH 6 SEATTLE 2 NASHVILLE 5 LOS ANGELES 4 ========================================================== MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL MINNESOTA 5 KANSAS CITY 1 ATLANTA 17 ARIZONA 2 SAN FRANCISCO 7 NY METS 2 TORONTO AT CHICAGO WHITE SOX POSTPONED ========================================================== MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL COLUMBUS 9 INDIANAPOLIS 8 ========================================================== WOMEN’S PRO VOLLEYBALL SCORES OMAHA 3 ATLANTA 1 ========================================================== UFL SCORES NO GAMES SCHEDULED ========================================================== MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER NO GAMES SCHEDULED ========================================================== NATIONAL SPORTS NEWS RELEASES MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL ILLINOIS VS. UCONN GAME NOTES (ILLINOIS NOTES) HEAD COACH BRAD UNDERWOOD Career Record: 302-136 (.689), 13th season At Illinois: 193-109 (.639), 9th season Big Ten: 107-71 (.601) NCAA Tournament at Illinois / All-Time: 10-5 (.667), 6th appearance / 12-9 (.571), 10th appearance ILLINOIS NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY Appearances / Streak: 36th / 6 Record: 50-36 (.581) Final Four Appearances: 6 (2026, 2005, 1989, 1952, 1951, 1949) NCAA TOURNAMENT FINAL FOUR OPPONENT – 2 SEED UCONN Series Record / Streak: UConn leads 4-1 / UConn W-4 Last Meeting: #5 UConn 74, #13 Illinois 61 (11/28/25 at Madison Square Garden, New York) Record at Neutral Sites: UConn leads 2-0 Record in NCAA Tournament: UConn leads 1-0 Last NCAA Tournament Meeting: #1 UConn 77, #10 Illinois 52 (3/30/24 at TD Garden, Boston / Elite 8) Underwood vs. UConn at Illinois / All-Time: 0-2 / 1-2 FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL UNDER HEAD COACH BRAD UNDERWOOD • 2026 Final Four; UI’s first since 2005 NCAA Runner-Up • Two NCAA Elite Eights in the last three years • 8-2 over last three NCAA Tournaments • Big Ten’s winningest team in conference play over the last seven seasons • One of four schools nationally with seven straight 20-win regular seasons • Six straight NCAA Tournament appearances (seventh precluded by COVID-19 cancelation in 2020) • One of 10 schools in the last six NCAA Tournaments • One of 12 schools with NCAA Tournament wins in at least five of the last six years • Top-two Big Ten finishes in four of the last six years • 96 B1G wins since 2019-20, the most in school history over a seven-year period • Five AP Top-25 finishes in last seven years, including two in the Top 10 • Five All-Americans (four consensus) • 22 All-Big Ten selections (eight first team) • 2024 NCAA Elite Eight • 2024 Big Ten Tournament Champions • 2022 Big Ten Regular Season Champions • 2021 NCAA Tourney No. 1 seed (fourth in school history) • 2021 Big Ten Tournament Champions FIGHTING ILLINI NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES • The No. 3-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini – 2026 NCAA Tournament South Regional Champions – travel to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., to compete in the program’s sixth Final Four and its first since 2005. • Illinois faces East Regional Champion and No. 2-seeded UConn in the first National Semifinal matchup, slated to tip off on Saturday at 5:09 p.m. CT (6:09 p.m. ET). The Final Four matchup between the Fighting Illini and the Huskies will be televised on TBS, TNT, and truTV. • The winner of Saturday’s National Semifinal between Illinois and UConn will advance to National Championship game to face either No. 1 seed and West Regional Champion Arizona or No. 1 seed and Midwest Regional Champion Michigan, Monday, April 6, at 7:50 p.m. CT (8:50 p.m. ET) on TBS, TNT, and truTV. • Illinois’ run to the Final Four began with opening weekend victories over 14 seed Penn (105-70) and 11 seed VCU (76-55) in Rounds 1 and 2, respectively, in Greenville, S.C. The Illini then defeated 2 seed and No. 5-ranked Houston (65-55) in the Sweet 16, followed by an Elite Eight victory over Big Ten rival and 9 seed Iowa (71-59) at Toyota Center in Houston. • Illinois is making its 36th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and sixth* straight (*seventh precluded by cancellation of 2020 Tournament due to COVID-19). » Illinois is tied for 18th among all schools, fifth among B1G schools, for most NCAA Tournament appearances. • Illinois’ Elite Eight victory over Iowa marked its 28th win of the season, the fourth-most in program history. Brad Underwood is the first head coach in Illinois program history to win 28+ games in multiple seasons. 1. 2005 – Bruce Weber, 37-2 – National Runner-Up 2. 1989 – Lou Henson, 31-5 – Final Four 3. 2024 – Brad Underwood, 29-9 – Elite Eight 4. 2026 – Brad Underwood, 28-8 – Final Four • Illinois is making its sixth trip to the Final Four, and first since finishing as national runner-up in 2005: » 2026 Final Four – Brad Underwood » 1952 Third Place – Harry Combes » 2005 Runner-Up – Bruce Weber » 1951 Third Place – Harry Combes » 1989 Final Four – Lou Henson » 1949 Third Place – Harry Combes • Illinois’ six Final Four appearances are second-most among teams yet to win a national title, trailing only Houston (7), which Illinois defeated in this year’s Sweet 16. • Illinois is No. 4 in kenpom with a net rating of +34.41, third among the teams competing at the Final Four behind No. 1 Michigan (+39.02) and No. 2 Arizona (+38.76), and ahead of No. 9 UConn (+29.11). • Illinois is one of only three Big Ten teams – and one of just 10 teams nationally – to earn a bid in each of the last six NCAA Tournaments. Illinois’ six-year streak is tied for the nation’s seventh-longest active streak. • Illinois’ active streak of six straight NCAA Tournament appearances is its longest since participating eight years in a row from 2000 through 2007. • Illinois is one of three B1G teams (MSU & UCLA) to advance in the NCAA Tournament five of the last six years. • The Fighting Illini will compete in the sixth Final Four in program history, and the program’s third since the field expanded to 32 teams in 1975. Illinois is 1-4 in its five previous National Semifinal matchups: » 2026 National Semifinal (Indianapolis, Ind.) – #3 Illinois vs. #2 UConn » 2005 National Semifinal (St. Louis, Mo.) – #1 Illinois 72, #4 Louisville 57 » 1989 National Semifinal (Seattle, Wash.) – #3 Michigan 83, #1 Illinois 81 » 1952 National Semifinal (Seattle, Wash.) – St. John’s 61, Illinois 59 » 1951 East Regional Final/National Semifinal (New York, N.Y.) – Kentucky 76, Illinois 74 » 1949 East Regional Final/National Semifinal (New York, N.Y.) – Kentucky 76, Illinois 47 • With Illinois and Michigan both advancing to the National Semifinal, it marks the ninth time since 1976 that the Big Ten Conference has produced two of the Final Four participants. It is the second time that the National Semifinal round has featured both the Fighting Illini and Wolverines, who also matched up in the 1989 Final Four. » 2026 – #1 Michigan and #3 Illinois » 2015 – #1 Wisconsin (runner-up) and #7 Michigan State » 2005 – #1 Illinois (runner-up) and #5 Michigan State » 2000 – #1 Michigan State (champion) and #8 Wisconsin » 1999 – #1 Michigan State and #4 Ohio State » 1992 – #6 Michigan (runner-up) and #2 Indiana » 1989 – #3 Michigan (champion) and #1 Illinois » 1980 – #6 Purdue (third place) and #5 Iowa » 1976 – Indiana (champion) and Michigan (runner-up) • Brad Underwood is just the second head coach in school history to lead Illinois to at least six straight NCAA Tournaments, joining Lou Henson (eight straight from 1983-90). • Brad Underwood joins Lou Henson as the only Illinois head coaches in the modern era to twice lead the Fighting Illini to the Elite Eight or beyond: » 2026 Final Four – Brad Underwood » 2001 Elite Eight – Bill Self » 2024 Elite Eight – Brad Underwood » 1989 Final Four – Lou Henson » 2005 Runner-Up – Bruce Weber » 1984 Elite Eight – Lou Henson • Illinois has compiled a 50-36 (.581) record all-time in NCAA Tournament games. • Illinois’ 50 NCAA Tournament wins rank 18th among all schools, and fourth among the Final Four participants: » UConn – 76 wins (8th) » Michigan – 72 wins (9th) » Arizona – 66 wins (13th) » Illinois – 50 wins (18th) Illinois’ 50 NCAA Tournament wins are second among teams yet to win a national title, trailing only Purdue (53). • Since 1975, when the field was increased to 32 teams, Illinois has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen 10 times, the Elite Eight six times, and the Final Four three times. • Head Coach Brad Underwood has brought Illinois back among the nation’s elite college basketball programs. » His rebuild in Champaign brought success during Year 3 of his tenure, leading the Illini to a top-25 finish and what would have been an NCAA Tournament bid before the 2020 postseason was canceled due to COVID-19. » Underwood directed Illinois to a Big Ten Tournament title and No. 1 seed in 2021, as Illinois played in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013. » Underwood guided the Illini to a Big Ten Regular Season Championship and 4 seed in 2022, advancing to the Round of 32 for the second straight season. » In 2023, Underwood guided the Illini to the NCAA tournament for a third straight season as a 9 seed. » Illinois earned its fourth straight NCAA Tournament bid in 2024 after capturing the Big Ten Tournament title. As a 3 seed, Illinois advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 2005 behind star Terrence Shannon Jr., who averaged 23.3 points, the highest NCAA Tournament scoring average in school history. » Underwood’s NCAA streak extended to five in 2025. The 6 seed Illini earned an 86-73 win in Round 1 vs. 11 seed Xavier. It marked the fourth season in the previous five with an NCAA Tourney win for the Fighting Illini. » In his sixth-straight appearance, Underwood has led the Illini to the program’s first Final Four in 21 seasons since the 2005 national runner-up team. After dominant wins over Penn (105-70) and VCU (76-55) in the first and second rounds, respectively, the Illini defeated 2 seed Houston (65-55) in the Sweet 16, then rallied from a 10-point first-half deficit to beat Big Ten rival Iowa (71-59) to claim the program’s sixth Final Four berth. • Underwood is making his 10th trip to the NCAA Tournament with his third program in 13 seasons as a Div. I head coach. He previously led Stephen F. Austin to three consecutive appearances from 2014-2016, advancing to the Round of 32 in 2014 and 2016. He then took Oklahoma State to the Tournament in his lone season in Stillwater in 2017. Underwood owns a 12-9 career record in the NCAA Tournament, with a 10-5 mark at the helm of the Fighting Illini. • Underwood has led the Illini to an 8-2 record over the last three NCAA Tournaments. COMPLETE NOTES: https://fightingillini.com/documents/2026/4/1/37_-_ILLINI_MBB_Notes-NCAA_Final_Four_4-4-26.pdf ====== (UCONN NOTES) Six-Time NCAA Champions – 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023 and 2024 UConn has now reached six-straight NCAA Tournaments, a program record. In the span it has amassed a 17-3 March Madness record, won the 2023 and 2024 NCAA titles and advanced to the 2026 Final Four. The Huskies are the first team in over a decade to reach three Final Fours in a four-year span. Dan Hurley is in his eighth season as the 19th head coach in the history of UConn men’s basketball and his 16th season overall as a Division I head coach. Hurley owns a collegiate coaching record of 349-179 (.661) in his 16 seasons — two at Wagner College, six at the University of Rhode Island and eight at UConn (198-74, .728). Connecticut is playing in the Final Four for the eighth time – reaching college basketball’s ultimate destination in 1999, 2004, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024 and 2026. The Huskies are 12-1 on the Final Four stage, with that .923 winning percentage by far the best in the history of the Big Dance. SETTING THE SCENE: UConn continues play in its sixth-straight NCAA Tournament, a new program record for consecutive trips. Playing as the two-seed in the East Region the Huskies advanced to the Final Four for the eighth time, all since 1999, with a dramatic instant classic Elite Eight triumph over top overall seed Duke on Sunday. It sets up UConn’s fifth all-time meeting with the South Regional champion, Illinois, including one earlier this season. HOW WE GOT HERE On March 20 in First Round, the Huskies held off 15-seed Furman in an 82-71 win in First Round action. Tarris Reed Jr. turned in one of the most dominant performances in the history of the big dance in the win, scoring a career-high 31 points and pulling down a ridiculous 27 rebounds, also a new personal-best. Alex Karaban added 22 points while Braylon Mullins scored 12 with a career-high six assists. Reed Jr. out-rebounded Furman by his lonesome as UConn finished +21 on the glass and out-scored the Paladins 46-24 in the paint. On March 22 in the Second Round, UConn trailed early but took a five-point lead to the break and then used a decisive 14-0 second half run to take down seven-seed UCLA by a score 73-57 in Second Round play. Karaban poured in a career-high 27 points, shooting 9-of16 from the floor, 4-of-8 from three and 5-for-5 from the free throw line. Reed Jr. posted his eighth double-double in his last 12 games with 10 points and 13 rebounds along with three blocks, while Mullins scored 17 and grabbed four rebounds. Malachi Smith dished out six assists in a season-high 33 minutes. On March 27 in the Sweet 16, UConn ripped off a 25-6 start and took an eight-point lead to the half against three-seed Michigan State. The Spartans pulled back ahead briefly midway through the second half, but the Huskies immediately re-took the edge and held it the rest of the way thanks to clutch late shooting and free throws. Reed Jr. led all players with 20 points and added five rebounds with four assists, while Karaban scored 17 with seven caroms along with hitting the biggest shot of the game, a 3-pointer to push a one-point lead to four with 1:39 to play and lead to the eventual 67-63 final. THIS IS MARCH: The Huskies play in the 2026 NCAA Tournament with an all-time record of 76-33 in the Big Dance. UConn’s first bid came in 1951 and it has made 39 total appearances, reaching the Round of 16 a total of 20 times, the Elite Eight on 14 occasions, eight Final Fours and six national titles (1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024). UConn is playing as a two-seed for the seventh time – its most common seed, also earned in 1994, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2004 and 2005. Connecticut has been a top-four ‘protected’ seed in 14 of its 27 appearances since seeding began in 1979. UConn is now 13-4 in the Sweet 16 and 8-5 in the Elite Eight since 1979. The Huskies have won a staggering 18 games in a row in the second weekend or later, a streak dating back to 2011. Connecticut is 6-1 in its prior seven National Semifinal trips. UConn’s 12-1 record on the Final Four stage (semifinals and title game) is by far the best in March Madness history. DAN DOMINATING THE DANCE: Under Dan Hurley, UConn has made the last six March Madness fields and compiled a 17-3 record with titles in 2023 and 2024. Hurley is 19-5 over his eight all-time trips to the NCAA Tournament, with his .792 winning percentage in the dance the BEST among active coaches and the third best in the history of the NCAA Tournament amongst coaches with at least 15 games coached in the tournament. He is also tops among active coaches with no minimums and is off to one of the best 24-game starts to his March Madness career in history. CXOMPLETE NOTES: https://fightingillini.com/documents/2026/4/2/37_-_UConn_-_NCAA_Final_Four.pdf ARIZONA VS. MICHIGAN (ARIZONA NOTES) [1] #2 ARIZONA WILDCATS Record: 36-2, 15-2 Big 12 AP/Coaches Poll: 2 | 2 NET / KenPom: 3 | 2 KenPom Off (4) | Def (2) Head Coach: Tommy Lloyd Record at UA (yrs): 148-35 (5th) Overall Record: Same STARTING FIVE 1) The Wildcats are in the Final Four for the first time since 2001 and the fifth time in program history (1988, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2026). 2) Arizona is seeking its second national championship in program history after winning the 1997 title at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. 3) Arizona’s all-time record in the NCAA Tournament to 66-38 (.635), including a 10-4 mark under head coach Tommy Lloyd. 4) The Wildcats are 10-4 versus top 10 opponents in five seasons under Tommy Lloyd, including a 4-0 mark this season with all of them coming on the road or at a neutral site. 5) The 36 wins this season sets a program single-season record, one better than the 35 wins in 1987-88. • Arizona leads the all-time series with Michigan, 9-2, including an 80-62 win in Las Vegas on Nov. 21, 2021. • This will be the first meeting between the two teams in the NCAA Tournament. • Jaden Bradley has earned Third Team All-American honors from The Sporting News, NABC and USBWA. The Rochester, N.Y. native is also a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award and the Naismith National Player of the Year Award. His 1,202 points at Arizona rank 37th in school history. • Koa Peat was named West Region Most Outstanding Player after averaging 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds 2.5 assists in wins over Arkansas and Purdue last week. • Brayden Burries scored 23 points against Arkansas in the Sweet 16, the second-most points scored by an Arizona freshman in an NCAA Tournament game. He was an Honorable Mention All-American pick by the USBWA and Associated Press. • Peat has scored 492 points this season, as he and Burries (613) look to become the first Arizona freshman duo to both score 500 or more points in the same season. • Burries and Deandre Ayton (704) are the only Arizona freshmen to surpass 600 points in a season. • Entering the Final Four, Arizona leads the tournament in FTM (99) and FTA (130) and has a scoring margin of +20.5 points per game in the NCAA Tournament. • Arizona is 35-15 (.700) against Top 25 teams under head coach Tommy Lloyd. It is the best winning percentage in the country and the second-most wins in that span (Tennessee – 36). • The 7-point halftime deficit to Purdue in the Elite Eight was the largest halftime deficit Arizona has ever overcome to win an NCAA tournament game. • Through four games in the NCAA Tournament, opponents are shooting 27.9% on 104 attempts from the 3-point line while Arizona is connecting at 43.4% clip on 53 attempts. • Arizona makes an average of 19.7 free throws per game, while their opponents make just 12.2. That difference of +7.5 is the best in the country this season. • The Wildcats have won 14 games against AP Top 25 teams this season, the most in the country and the most by a team in a season since the AP Poll started in 1949-50. • Tommy Lloyd has 148 wins as a head coach, an NCAA record for most wins in his first five seasons. COMPLETE NOTES: https://arizonawildcats.com/documents/2026/4/1/39_-_Arizona_Notes_-_NCAA_Final_Four1.pdf ====== (MICHIGAN NOTES) ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Big Ten regular-season champion and No. 1 Midwest seed University of Michigan men’s basketball team (35-3, 19-1 Big Ten), ranked No. 3 nationally, will take on Big 12 regular-season and tournament champion Arizona (36-2, 16-2 Big 12), the No. 1 seed in the West and No. 2-ranked team, in the second national semifinal Saturday (April 4) at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The evening’s action begins with No. 2 seed UConn (33-5, 17-3 Big Ten) facing No. 3 seed Illinois (28-8, 15-5 Big Ten). The winners will advance to Monday’s (April 6) national championship game. All contests will air on TBS, with additional coverage on TNT and truTV, and feature Ian Eagle, Grant Hill, Bill Raftery and Tracy Wolfson on the call. Notes • Michigan is making its ninth Final Four and third in the last 10 NCAA Tournaments appearances. The Wolverines hold a 7-1 all-time record in national semifinals and have reached the national title game from each of their last seven Final Fours. • U-M punched its ticket to the Final Four with wins over No. 16 Howard (101-80), No. 9 Saint Louis (95-72), No. 4 Alabama (90-77) and No. 6 Tennessee (95-62). • The Wolverines have now advanced to seven consecutive Sweet 16s and have reached the Elite Eight five times in their last 10 NCAA Tournament appearances. • Michigan has consistently filled the stat sheet, recording at least 90 points, 25 field goals, 15 assists, 10 three-pointers and eight blocks in each of its four NCAA Tournament games. Six players are averaging double figures in scoring, with a seventh just shy at 9.5 points per game. Yaxel Lendeborg leads the way at 21.0 points per game. • Lendeborg has posted three straight 20-point performances, tallying 25 against Saint Louis, 23 against Alabama and 27 against Tennessee. During that stretch, he has added 25 rebounds and 13 assists while shooting 61.3 percent from the field and 70.0 percent from beyond the arc, hitting at least three three-pointers in each game. • He becomes the first Wolverine since Juwan Howard (1994) to record three consecutive 20-point games in the NCAA Tournament and just the fourth in program history, joining Glen Rice (6; 1989), Howard and Cazzie Russell (3; 1965). • Elliot Cadeau has recorded at least seven assists in four straight games. His 33 total assists rank third in a single NCAA Tournament in program history, behind Rumeal Robinson (56; 1989) and Trey Burke (38; 2013). • Against Tennessee, Cadeau added eight points and 10 assists for his fifth career game with double-digit assists. He also surpassed 1,000 career points (1,003) and 600 career assists (603) across his time at Michigan and North Carolina. • Cadeau’s 10-assist performance marked the 10th such game in Michigan NCAA Tournament history, joining Rumeal Robinson (3), Gary Grant (2), Zavier Simpson, Derrick Walton Jr., Trey Burke and Jalen Rose. • With two blocks against Tennessee, Aday Mara extended his single-season blocks record, becoming the first Wolverine to reach 100 and surpassing Roy Tarpley’s previous mark of 97 set in 1985-86. • Michigan’s 35-3 record sets a new program standard for wins. The Wolverines are the first Big Ten team to finish 30-plus games over .500 since Wisconsin in 2014-15 and hold a +14.3 average margin of victory in 12 games (10-2) against ranked opponents, including four wins by 30 or more points. • Michigan is making its ninth Final Four appearance and third in the last 10 NCAA Tournaments; U-M is 7-1 all-time in national semifinal games and has reached the national title game in each of its last seven Final Four appearances. • U-MM punched its ticket to the Final Four with wins over No. 16 Howard (101-80), No. 9 Saint Louis (95-72), No. 4 Alabama (90-77) and No. 6 Tennessee (95-62). • During its 2026 run, the Wolverines reached their seven straight Sweet 16s in their last seven NCAA Tournament appearances and made their fifth Elite Eight in the last 10 NCAA trips. • U-M has 90+ points, 25+ field goals, 15+ assists, 10+ three-pointers and 8+ blocks in all four NCAA Tournament games. Six Wolverines are averaging double figures in the NCAA Tournament, with a seventh at 9.5 points per game. Yaxel Lendeborg leads at 21.0 points per game. • Lendeborg has three straight 20-plus point games, scoring 25 against Saint Louis, 23 against Alabama, and 27 against Tennessee. He has added 25 rebounds and 13 assists in that stretch while shooting 61.3 percent from the field and 70.0 percent from three, with at least three triples in each game. • Lendeborg is the first Wolverine with three straight 20-point NCAA Tournament games since Juwan Howard had four in a row in 1994. He is the fourth Wolverine to do it, joining Glen Rice (6; 1989), Howard, and Cazzie Russell (3; 1965). • Elliot Cadeau has four straight games with seven-plus assists. His 33 total assists are the third most by a Wolverine in a single NCAA Tournament, trailing Rumeal Robinson (56; 1989) and Trey Burke (38; 2013). • Quietly, against Tennessee, Cadeau posted eight points and 10 assists, his fifth career 10+ assist game, while surpassing 1,000 career points (1,003) and 600 career assists (603) across his time at Michigan and North Carolina. • Cadeau’s 10 assist game vs. Tennessee was the 10th such performance in U-M NCAA Tournament history, joining Rumeal Robinson (3), Gary Grant (2), Zavier Simpson, Derrick Walton Jr., Trey Burke, and Jalen Rose. • With two blocks against Tennessee, Aday Mara extended his single-season blocks record and became the first Wolverine to reach 100, surpassing Roy Tarpley’s previous mark of 97 set in 1985-86. COMPLETE NOTES: https://mgoblue.com/documents/2026/3/31/20260331-bkm-notes-arizona.pdf BIG MEN, BIGGER LINEUPS: HOW LENGTH, SIZE GOT ILLINOIS, UCONN, ARIZONA, MICHIGAN TO THE FINAL FOUR INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tarris Reed Jr. sat at his locker Thursday, fielding questions about his run as the interior-scoring, rebound-snagging force in UConn’s latest Final Four push. Yet he wasn’t the main attraction. That’s because across the room, an even bigger gaggle of reporters waited for freshman guard Braylon Mullins — the Indiana kid who hit an all-timer of a shot to send the Huskies back to the sport’s biggest stage — to return for his own round of interviews. “Guards are the ones that hit the big shots,” Reed said Thursday when asked about big men getting their due, adding with a grin: “We just do our job, we do the dirty work — and we’re used to doing it our whole life so we have fun doing it.” Maybe so, but there’s no minimalizing the impact of size this week in Indianapolis. Not with the Final Four boasting its biggest quartet of teams going back roughly two decades, starting with guys such as Reed, Michigan’s Aday Mara, Arizona’s Koa Peat and Illinois’ 7-foot Ivisic twins as anchors to lineups with size radiating all the way out to the perimeter. Length, height and bulk The average height of the Final Four teams is nearly 79.1 inches, or roughly 6 feet 6, according to KenPom’s analytics site. That edges last year’s average of nearly 78.3 inches for the biggest of any Final Four going back to the start of KenPom’s data in 2007. Illinois (28-8) is Division I’s tallest team with an average roster height of nearly 6-7 (80 inches), while Arizona (36-2) is seventh at nearly 6-6 (79 inches). Michigan (35-3) and UConn (33-5) are in the top 30 nationally with nearly identical averages slightly behind the Wildcats. Consider it a sign of the premium each team put on building a roster to overwhelm teams inside, on the glass and with game-altering length spanning the gaps between. That kind of size, strength and wingspan creates trouble cascading through the matchups. ACC Network analyst Luke Hancock said teams are also thriving by finding power forwards and centers capable of stepping outside to stretch defenses further and create space, eliminating the ability for a defense to simply collapse on a lone big man. “Guards still win in March,” said Hancock, the most outstanding player of the 2013 Final Four in Louisville’s later-vacated title run. “But I think these guys have become almost like a necessary component. If you want to win championships, you need a big 4 and a monster 5.” And it’s manifesting in several ways as March Madness reaches its final act. Defensive edge The Illini have had the best defensive tournament efficiency of the Final Four teams while dominating the glass to complete those stops. Their roster includes an influx of European talent, including Tomislav (7-1) and Zvonimir Ivisic (7-2), as well as 6-9 forward David Mirkovic from Montenegro. The Illini also brings 6-9, 235-pound graduate Ben Humrichous off the bench, while the outlier in the big lineup is 6-2 senior guard Kylan Boswell as a strong backcourt defender. The South Region champion has allowed .976 points per possession in the NCAA Tournament to lead the remaining four teams. Throw in the fact that Illinois is outrebounding opponents by 16.3 per game, and it’s been a perfectly timed boost to an already elite offense with those forwards and centers capable of hitting from behind the arc, too. “Playing in the summer, you could tell it’s a little bit harder to do some things just because you’ve got Z at the rim, who’s 7-foot-2 and a great shot blocker,” 6-6 forward Jake Davis said. “You got Tommy down there. So anybody you’re going up against in practice is super tall. … We’ve just got a bunch of length everywhere. And you could tell early on that we could cause problems for other teams.” Reed’s presence The Illini will be tested against Reed, a 6-foot-11, 265-pound senior whose scoring (21.8) and rebounding (13.5) averages in the tournament are the best of any player still standing. That included opening the tournament with a video game-type stat line of 31 points and 27 rebounds against Furman, making him the first player with 30-plus points and 25-plus rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game since Houston’s Elvin Hayes did it twice in 1968. He’s coming off a 26-point showing in the comeback from 19 down to stun Duke in the Elite Eight. “He’s a monster,” said UConn senior Alex Karaban, who was part of the Huskies’ 2023 and 2024 title winners. “He’s been so dominant. He’s really playing like the most dominant player in college basketball right now.” Wearing them down When it comes to the No. 1 seeds, the Wolverines have hummed with 90-plus points in four tournament wins. The Wildcats have been right behind in offensive efficiency despite being shooting fewer 3-pointers than just about every other Division I team all season. Their meeting Saturday matches strengths. Michigan has used the 7-3, 255-pound Mara to protect the paint, flanked by a pair of versatile 6-9 forwards in Associated Press first-team All-American Yaxel Lendeborg (240 pounds) and Morez Johnson Jr. (250). “Our size definitely makes it tougher for smaller guards,” Lendeborg said. “Because we’re so versatile … we can switch and guard point guards, make their life a little harder. And you know, we’re all strong bodies too. So we try to wear down teams. “And then, toward the end of the game, that’s when we usually make our runs when we need it.” Michigan will be tested against the Wildcats with 7-2 center Motiejus Krivas (10.4 points, 8.2 rebounds) and Peat, a 6-8, 235-pound freshman considered a strong NBA prospect. “If you don’t have the big to defend other bigs, you can’t compete at this level in my opinion,” Hancock said. “How do you make it so you’re really tough to guard and you have an advantage? It’s the 4-men in this Final Four who are just so talented and the diversity of their skill sets — they can do so many things. That is the ultimate to me.” UCONN’S BRAYLON MULLINS FINDS IT DIFFICULT TO TURN THE PAGE ON HIS INCREDIBLE SHOT AT THE FINAL FOUR INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Everywhere UConn guard Braylon Mullins looked Sunday night and Monday, he saw the same thing — another replay of his heroic 35-foot, game-winning 3-pointer to beat Duke. He couldn’t avoid it. Eventually, though, the freshman guard decided he needed to turn off the television, tune out the chatter and move on. “The first day, it was countless,” Mullins said Thursday when asked how many times he’d seen the replay. “I was like every scroll on the feed. But it’s just after the first day, I was like ‘Hey, you’ve got to scroll past it. You’ve got to move on, flip the page.’” Of course, just because Mullins — and the Huskies — want to leave that memorable moment in the past doesn’t mean others will, as they found out in Indianapolis. On the first day of Final Four weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium, Mullins’ interviews with national television and radio outlets ran long, delaying his arrival to the locker room. When he finally made it, a horde of reporters swarmed his locker and, naturally, the topic turned to the shot that sent UConn to its third Final Four in four years. “It’s insane just knowing that shot’s going to be played every March Madness and I’m a part of that moment,” he said. “That’s something I can cherish.” Banner time Dan Hurley made one thing perfectly clear: UConn doesn’t intend to settle for anything less than leaving Indianapolis with another title. In his first seven seasons with the Huskies, he already won back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024. The run ended with a 77-75 second-round loss to eventual national champ Florida last season, but now UConn is back looking for the school’s seventh title — the first coming in 1999. “Everyone that comes to the Final Four gets a beautiful watch, but only one group is going to get a ring,” the coach said. “So get off social media, stop injecting the dopamine into your arm and get serious about the preparation and the practice because we don’t hang banners for Final Fours at UConn. We hang national championship banners. If you want to hang a banner, you’ve got to get your eyes off social media, get your face out of the phone and get locked in on Illinois.” No distractions Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said Thursday he isn’t focusing on anything beyond his team’s goal of winning a national championship. That includes questions about him as a potential candidate to fill the coaching vacancy at blueblood program North Carolina. “Listen, I’ve got my full focus on this team,” Lloyd said.” Nothing is distracting me. That’s just how I’ve decided to approach it.” UNC fired Hubert Davis on March 24 after five seasons, leaving the job vacant for nearly 10 days. “I’m a simple guy. I am kind of just one thing at a time,” Lloyd said. “I’m not a multitasker. You can ask my wife. I’m 100% locked in on Arizona basketball right now, and I’m excited to see what this team can do.” No newcomer this time At least Michigan coach Dusty May has a better idea of what to expect at this Final Four. It’s his second trip to the sport’s biggest stage in four seasons, the other coming in 2023 with a 35-win Florida Atlantic upstart. He recalled spending a full day talking to other coaches who had reached the Final Four “about what to do and what not to do and how to prepare.” This year’s Michigan team ranked no lower than fourth in the AP Top 25 poll after November, and the Wolverines ranked No. 1 according to KenPom in 58 of 94 daily rankings between Christmas and the start of March Madness. “I think here we probably clinched an NCAA Tournament bid after Players Era (tournament) in November, so just the entire thing has felt different,” May said. Gardner’s return For Arizona director of player relations Jason Gardner, this is not just another tourney trip. It’s a homecoming. The two-time All-American point guard led the Wildcats to a national runner-up finish in 2001 in their last Final Four appearance prior to this year. But before he played at Arizona, he had quite the reputation in Indiana where he won the state’s prestigious Mr. Basketball Award in 1999. He later spent five seasons coaching IUPUI, now known as IU-Indianapolis, and spent one season as head coach at North Central High School in Indy, where he played prep ball. And now his son, Jason Gardner Jr., is considered a top recruit out of Fishers High School in suburban Indy. “No matter where you go, there’s always an argument about which state is better, who has the best players, who has the most NBA guys?” Gardner said. “The good thing about Indiana is that everybody knows the coaching in Indiana is great, the players are very good, so being from Indiana everybody knows what basketball means and I think always kind of gives the state a leg up.” The twin towers Illinois post players Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic certainly fit the term of “twin towers” — in more ways than one. Both top 7 feet, grew up in Croatia and played club basketball in Europe before attending college in the U.S. and eventually reuniting this season with the Fighting Illini. The 7-foot-1 Tomislav, the older brother by four minutes, starts. Zvonimir comes off the bench. Injuries made it difficult to get the two working in sync early this season. “There were some challenges early because of Tommy’s tonsillitis. He hurts his knee. Those were kind of in the formative times of practice where Tommy missed a lot of them,” Underwood said. “Their chemistry is unbelievable. Their competitiveness is unbelievable. They go at each other all the time. They’re very different people, even though they’re twins, and yet their synergy is really fun to see.” FORMER KOKOMO STAR FLORY BIDUNGA REPORTEDLY TO ENTER TRANSFER PORTAL, EXPLORE NBA DRAFT Flory Bidunga will enter the transfer portal and explore his NBA draft potential, according to a report from ESPN. The 2024 Indiana Mr. Basketball from Kokomo was named the Big 12 defensive player of the year last season at Kansas as he averaged 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocked shots per game. Bidunga was named first team All-Big 12 as a sophomore. =============================================================== WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL UCLA AND TEXAS GET FINAL FOUR REMATCH OF LONGHORNS’ EARLY-SEASON WIN PHOENIX (AP) — UCLA’s bid to play for a first NCAA championship came to a harsh end with a blowout loss to eventual national champion UConn in the women’s Final Four. The Bruins are back, along with the rest of last year’s Final Four teams, and hope to have better luck in the desert. Standing in the way is Texas, the only team to be the beat them in what was otherwise a dominating season. “For us, it’s just coming out ready to go,” UCLA guard Gabriela Jaquez said on Thursday. “The main thing is being ready to play, coming out to get every loose ball, play as a team, just playing like we know how to play.” The Bruins (35-1) spent most of the season pushing around opponents, winning by an average of 20.9 points per game — fifth nationally — on their way to a school record for wins. The Longhorns (35-3) became the bully when the teams met Nov. 26 at the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas. Texas’ physical guards harried the Bruins into a string of turnovers to lead by 20 at halftime and staved off UCLA’s late charge to win 76-65. UCLA also had a hard time getting the ball to All-American center Lauren Betts, who had a season-low eight points on just eight shots. “Coming out with a certain level of aggression is important and I’m going to make sure I do that,” Betts said. UCLA rebounded to beat Duke by 30 the next day, kicking off a school-record streak of 28 straight wins that included four double-digit wins in the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns kept rolling, opening the season with 18 straight wins before consecutive setbacks at No. 5 LSU and No 4 South Carolina. The losses frustrated Texas coach Vic Schaefer, but his irritation peaked a month later with a 16-point loss at Vanderbilt that had him saying his team was “soft” and “had no heart.” The Longhorns responded by dominating every team they went against after that, winning 12 straight games by an average of 26.5 points per game. That included a 17-point win over South Carolina in the SEC tournament title game and four straight NCAA Tournament blowouts in which they allowed an average of 49.4 points per game. Texas, in the Final Four for the fifth time, is seeking its first national championship since going undefeated in 1986. “Right now, they’re playing as good as any team I’ve ever had,” said Schaefer, in his fifth season as Texas’ coach. Limiting turnovers A huge key in Friday’s second Final Four game will be whether UCLA can handle Texas’ pressure. The Longhorns hounded the Bruins into 20 turnovers, converting those into 18 points. UCLA had similar problems taking care of the call against Duke in the Elite Eight, turning it over 12 times to trail at halftime for the second time this season. The Bruins rallied from the eight-point deficit to win 70-58, but finished with 18 turnovers. The Longhorns have big, physical guards who put constant pressure on ballhandlers, a big reason they force 22 turnovers per game. All-American impact Another key will be the performance of the teams’ two first-team AP All-Americans. Betts had a dominating season, averaging 18.5 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 60.1% from the field to be named an All-American for the second straight season — a year after becoming the program’s first women’s All-American. She’s the fourth player in NCAA history with at least 600 points, 300 rebounds, 100 assists and 70 blocks in a season. Texas junior Madison Booker has the size of a forward at 6-foot-1, but the skills of a guard, making her a brutal matchup for any opposing team. Booker averaged 19.3 points on 51.6% shooting, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and led the team with 83 steals. She’s the only player in women’s NCAA history with at least 1,500 points, 900 assists, 600 rebounds and 350 steals. Numbers Schaefer is the only coach in women’s Division I history to lead two programs to multiple Final Fours. He took Mississippi State to the national title game in 2017 and 2018. … UCLA won an AIAW national championship in 1978, four years before the NCAA began running women’s college basketball. … Texas has held an opponent to single digits scoring in a quarter 28 times this season and has forced 30 5-second violations. … The Longhorns had 16 wins against ranked opponents this season, UCLA 14. … UCLA’s starting five accounts for 79.2% of its scoring at 67.2 points per game. UCONN AND SOUTH CAROLINA MEET AGAIN WITH PLACE IN NCAA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AT STAKE PHOENIX (AP) — Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma have met on women’s basketball’s biggest stage the past few years with a national championship on the line. Now they’ll play a game earlier as South Carolina and UConn tip off in the Final Four on Friday. UCLA and Texas play in the second national semifinal game of March Madness. The Huskies and Gamecocks played last season for the title and UConn came away with an 82-59 rout for the school’s 12th national championship. UConn also beat South Carolina during the 2024-25 regular season. “This is a different South Carolina team than the one we played last year,” Auriemma said. “Our two wins against them last year don’t really mean anything going into tomorrow. The way (the championship game) was played has no bearing on tomorrow. They have added some really key pieces. I think they’re a much better team than they were last year.” The Gamecocks also feel last season’s games are in the past and don’t have much bearing on Friday’s rematch. The two teams didn’t play during the regular season for the first time in more than a decade. “I just remember getting beat by 20, honestly,” South Carolina guard Raven Johnson said. “We got new players in. This is their first time experiencing the Final Four. I think Coach Staley, the other coaches, are doing a good job of keeping the main thing the main thing and keeping us ready when the moment is here.” UConn has continued winning since the championship game, going 38-0 this season so far. They enter the Final Four undefeated for the ninth time and are riding a 54-game winning streak. Sensational sophomore Sarah Strong, who was honored as the AP Player of the Year on Thursday, is a big reason why. Last ride for Fudd Azzi Fudd is trying not to think about how her UConn career will end this weekend either with another championship or a loss. She’s focused on staying in the moment. The All-America guard will be a potential lottery pick in the WNBA draft in a few weeks. “I feel like I’ve been kind of in denial thinking about how this is my last weekend. I know, but I haven’t really accepted that yet,” said Fudd, who was the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four last year. “I’m really just trying to enjoy every single moment. … I’m trying not to think about that. I mean, I feel like this program has left such an impact on me, I can’t even begin. I don’t know. I don’t know. I have no idea (smiling).” Fudd has been healthy this season and has been one of the faces of the tournament. She’s averaging 17.5 points while shooting 48.5% from the field, 45.5% from the 3-point line and 95.5% from the foul line. “If we win tomorrow and if we win Sunday, Azzi will be crowned one of the greatest of all time. If we don’t win tomorrow and we don’t even get a chance to play on Sunday, she’s going to feel like this was a disappointing year for her,” Auriemma said. “I try to make it that it’s November, don’t think about January. Hey, it’s January, don’t think about March. Let’s just enjoy what we’ve got right now.” For the Hall of Fame coach, getting to the Final Four was all that Fudd had to really do. “Once we won, once we beat Notre Dame to get here, to me Azzi’s job was done,” he said. “What happens here the next game, that’s all just bonus. ’Cause getting here is the hard part, you know?” Not playing like freshmen UConn’s Blanca Quinonez and South Carolina’s Agot Makeer have raised their play in the NCAA Tournament. Quinonez is averaging 17.3 points in the NCAAs — second to Strong. She also averaging 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.3 blocks. Auriemma has been impressed with her confidence. “Her belief in herself I think is one of the things that separates her. I think a lot of kids today, they don’t necessarily have that belief. They don’t necessarily have that level of confidence,” Auriemma said. “They walk around like they do, but they really don’t. Hers is real. I think it’s infectious, you know?” Staley sees similar characteristics in Makeer, who had a career-high 18 points in the Elite Eight win over TCU. “For us, Gotti thinks highly of herself and her talents, which she should,” Staley said. ‘I think that is the thing that propelled her to play like she’s playing, is she thinks very highly of herself.” Both Quinonez and Makeer missed time this season with injuries. UConn’s young star had shoulder issues and Makeer had ankle problems and a concussion. Now they are healthy and playing well. “I feel like my mindset changed. Starting in the SEC Tournament, I just started approaching games differently,” Makeer said. “And I feel like it wasn’t just one-dimensional thinking. I just wanted to go and do whatever I can to get the team to win. So just in this tournament, I’ve just thought whatever I can do to get this team a win is what I need to do.” RUSTY IN CRUNCH TIME, WOMEN’S FINAL FOUR TEAMS BRACE FOR TIGHT GAMES AFTER SO MANY BLOWOUTS PHOENIX (AP) — This year’s Final Four at the women’s NCAA Tournament features a quartet of powerhouse programs, teams that have overwhelmed almost all of their opponents with superior talent and veteran coaching. They have size. They are athletic. They have pedigree. But they haven’t faced a ton of on-court adversity — particularly in March. That could change on Friday night when UConn faces South Carolina and Texas meets UCLA in the national semifinals at Mortgage Matchup Center. After beating up on inferior adversaries for the majority of March, it’s time for the game’s elite to pick on someone their own size. Here’s how they’re preparing for potential clutch moments this weekend. South Carolina (35-3) The Gamecocks have had a few tough losses this season, including two to Texas. They also dropped a road game against Oklahoma, blowing a seven-point halftime lead before losing in overtime. South Carolina got its revenge last week, beating the Sooners in the Sweet 16. The Gamecocks haven’t faced much friction in the NCAA Tournament, winning their four games by an average of 40.3 points. Coach Dawn Staley said the way to stay fresh for late-game situations is to simulate them in practice so that players are comfortable when tense moments come. For instance, during last week’s regional in Sacramento, the coach said they made sure to go over sidelines inbounds plays since the benches were in a spot that was different than most of the games they had played. Guard Raven Johnson said Staley did a good job of ramping up the intensity after the early-season setbacks, holding them to the program’s standard that has been built over the past two decades. “When we took losses throughout the season, I think practices, they shifted,” Johnson said. “They were hard. She was on our butts. She was a different person. “I think that made us come closer. That made us realize that people here, this is their first time ever experiencing things like this. We had to remind them that our standard here is very high. We had to remind them in practice, good habits are contagious. When you have good habits, they carry on into the game.” UConn (38-0) The Huskies’ dominance has been historic. They’ve won their 38 games by an average of 37.8 points, which is on track to rank third all-time behind its record 40.6 in 2015 and 39.7 in 2016. On-court adversity hasn’t been common. The Huskies played a tight game against Michigan early in the year, pulling out a 72-69 win on Nov. 21. They also trailed by one point against North Carolina after one quarter in the Sweet 16 before pulling away for a 63-42 victory. Other than that, it’s been pretty smooth sailing. Azzi Fudd said she’s confident the Huskies will be ready to execute in a tight fourth quarter if needed. “You simulate as much as you can in practice, which the coaches have done for us all year long,” Fudd said. “At the end of the day, the habits that we’ve built in practices and games will definitely help keep us settled, keep us calm, keep us together this weekend.” Texas (35-3) Texas played a difficult schedule, going 14-3 against nationally ranked teams before March Madness even started. The Longhorns are the one team in the Final Four that has had a two-game losing streak, dropping back-to-back games to LSU and South Carolina in mid-January. In that regard, they might be the most battle-tested team remaining. Texas also might be the hottest team in the nation at the moment. The Longhorns are on a 12-game winning streak, which includes a 78-61 win over South Carolina in the SEC Tournament and a 77-41 win over Michigan in the Elite Eight. Coach Vic Schaefer said he’s not concerned about the lack of close games. He believes his team has proven its mettle thanks to the tough schedule. “I’ve got a fifth-year point guard and I’ve got Madison Booker, who has been in those games and those wars,” Schaefer said. “I stopped worrying about this group about three or four weeks ago. What they’ve done and how they’ve done it — at some point you’ve got to step back and go ‘OK, they’re good.’” Texas has won its games by an average of 29.1 points this season and by 35.5 in the tournament. UCLA (35-1) The Bruins are the only team remaining that has experienced a recent brush with a loss, trailing by eight points at halftime against Duke in the Elite Eight before rallying for a relatively comfortable 70-58 win. Their lone loss came at the hands of their upcoming opponent — Texas. Senior guard Gabriela Jaquez said the Duke game was a great learning moment heading into what she hopes are two more games. “We never want to be down, but it’s really important to respond quickly,” Jaquez said. “In the Duke game, we should have responded quicker, but it’s OK, we responded at halftime. In the Final Four, all these teams are really good. They’ve worked hard all season, they’re going to be ready, they’re going to be prepared.” UCLA has won its games by an average of 28 points this season, including 27 in the tournament. ================================================================== NBA NBA ROUNDUP: LUKA DONCIC HURT IN LAKERS’ BLOWOUT LOSS TO THUNDER Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points, Luguentz Dort started hot on both ends of the floor and Jalen Williams came up big all around as the Oklahoma City Thunder blew out the Los Angeles Lakers 139-96 at home Thursday. The Thunder have won four consecutive games and 16 of their last 17. Not only was the Lakers’ four-game winning streak snapped, but Luka Doncic suffered a strained left hamstring in the second half with the game out of reach. Lakers coach JJ Redick said after the game that Doncic will undergo an MRI on Friday to determine the extent of the injury. An already bad night for Doncic got even worse early in the third quarter when he was dribbling into the lane and began to elevate for a mid-range jumper. But just as he came off the floor, Doncic came down grabbing his left hamstring and quickly fell to the floor. He finished with 12 points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field. The Thunder controlled the game from the jump, building a double-digit lead less than four minutes in. That lead didn’t drop below 23 after the first quarter. Shortly after Doncic’s injury, the Thunder got a scare when Dort crashed to the floor after his legs came out from under him as he went to the basket. He left the game and didn’t return. Dort scored 14 and Williams finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Pistons 113, Timberwolves 108 Daniss Jenkins had 26 points, eight assists and five rebounds and host Detroit downed Minnesota to bring its magic number to clinch the top Eastern Conference playoff seed down to one. Jalen Duren supplied 22 points and 14 rebounds and Duncan Robinson had 15 points for the Pistons, who trailed by one entering the fourth quarter before taking command with an 18-3 run. Julius Randle scored 27 points and added six rebounds and six assists for the Timberwolves. Naz Reid had 19 points and six rebounds, while Ayo Dosunmu also scored 19 with five rebounds and four assists. Spurs 118, Clippers 99 De’Aaron Fox scored 22 points with eight rebounds, Stephon Castle added 20 points and San Antonio increased its winning streak to 11 with a victory over Los Angeles at Inglewood, Calif., while playing without Victor Wembanyama. Dylan Harper scored 19 points and Devin Vassell had 14 points with 10 rebounds as the Spurs improved to 27-2 since Feb. 1. Wembanyama was given his second night off since Jan. 6 to rest lingering ankle soreness on the second night of the final back-to-back of the season. Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 18. It was Leonard’s 53rd consecutive game of at least 20 points. John Collins scored 15 points for Los Angeles, which has already clinched a spot in the play-in tournament but fell into ninth place in the West. Hornets 127, Suns 107 Miles Bridges poured in 25 points and once Charlotte got rolling, it cruised to a victory against visiting Phoenix. Kon Knueppel scored 20 and Coby White racked up 19 off the bench, while Brandon Miller supplied 17 and LaMelo Ball provided 15 points and 11 assists as the Hornets won for the seventh time in their last nine games to continue pushing for a guaranteed spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Jalen Green finished with 25 points and Devin Booker scored 17 of his 22 points in the first half for the Suns, who attempted only six free throws until late in the game. Dillon Brooks and Grayson Allen each had 13 points and Mark Williams posted 12. Cavaliers 118, Warriors 111 Max Strus capped a 24-point performance with two late 3-pointers, James Harden drove for a clinching hoop in the final seconds and Cleveland outlasted Golden State in San Francisco. Harden finished with 19 points and Donovan Mitchell had a game-high-tying 25 for the Cavaliers, who moved within one game of the New York Knicks in their duel for third place in the Eastern Conference. Gui Santos and Brandin Podziemski matched Mitchell with 25 points apiece for the Warriors, whose third consecutive defeat left them solidly in 10th place in the West. Trail Blazers 118, Pelicans 106 Jrue Holiday and Toumani Camara combined to knock down 13 of their team’s 20 made 3-pointers and Portland rallied in the second half to hold off visiting New Orleans. Holiday led Portland with 27 points, connecting on seven of his 15 3-point attempts — the last of which effectively put away the win. The Blazers, who hold the eighth spot in the Western Conference, have won three straight and five of six. Holiday combined with Camara, who scored 23 points, and Deni Avdija with 26 points to produce all but 42 of Portland’s scoring. New Orleans remained within striking distance thanks in part to Jeremiah Fears’ team-high 21 points. Fellow reserve Derik Queen added 12 points, seven assists and six rebounds. =================================================================== NFL KIRK COUSINS AND RAIDERS AGREE TO A DEAL AS VETERAN IS EXPECTED TO HELP FERNANDO MENDOZA TRANSITION HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Kirk Cousins agreed to a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, his agent Mike McCartney announced Thursday morning, giving them a veteran quarterback to help ease the expected selection of Fernando Mendoza with the top draft pick. Cousins’ most recent team, Atlanta, will pay $8.7 million this season and Las Vegas will handle the remaining $1.3 million. Another $10 million in guaranteed money will come next March. The Raiders also have a two-year, $80 million option. Cousins later posted “The Autumn Wind…” in a nod to the Raiders’ theme that is played before every home game and was made famous by NFL Films. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak and general manager John Spytek telegraphed this kind of move, saying they wouldn’t want to throw a rookie quarterback into the starting lineup. It’s been a poorly kept secret that rookie likely will be Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy en route to leading Indiana to its first and highly unlikely national championship. “Ideally, you don’t want him to start from Day One,” Kubiak said Tuesday at the NFL owners meetings. “You’d love him to be able to learn behind somebody. That’s in a perfect world. It doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes they have to play from Day One and it’s our job as coaches to get them ready to go. I think it does help the player if they can sit behind a mature adult and watch how they run the show.” Cousins, 37, has played 14 seasons in the league, including the past two in Atlanta. The Falcons signed him to a four-year, $180 million deal only to draft Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick just six weeks later. Cousins went 12-10 in starting 22 of 34 games. His 16 interceptions in 2024 led the league despite playing in just 14 games. The Falcons released him heading into free agency. He is 88-77-2 as a starter with Washington, Minnesota and Atlanta. His greatest success came in 2022 when Cousins quarterbacked the Vikings to a 13-4 record. Mendoza had his pro day on Wednesday at the Indiana facility in front of all 32 teams. ==================================================================== MLB MLB ROUNDUP: EIGHT-RUN 5TH PROPELS BRAVES TO ROUT OF DIAMONDBACKS Matt Olson, Dominic Smith and Mauricio Dubon all hit solo homers and the Atlanta Braves hit four overall while cruising to a 17-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night in Phoenix. None of the homers came in an eight-run fifth inning that allowed Atlanta to turn its first road game into a blowout. Jorge Mateo ripped a pinch-hit, two-run homer and Olson and Mike Yastrzemski added RBI doubles in a five-run ninth when Arizona catcher James McCann was finishing out the contest on the mound. Olson had three hits and three RBIs and Yastrzemski, Austin Riley and Michael Harris II had two RBIs apiece as the Braves won for the fifth time in their first seven games. Jordan Lawlar smacked his first career homer for Arizona, which had a three-game winning streak snapped. Ildemaro Vargas had an RBI double in the ninth. Reynaldo Lopez (1-0) gave up one run and four hits over five innings for Atlanta. He struck out three and walked one. Arizona starter Ryne Nelson (0-1) allowed seven runs (two earned) and three hits over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out three and walked three. Giants 7, Mets 2 Six players had an RBI apiece Thursday night for host San Francisco, which rolled past New York in the opener of a four-game series. Luis Arraez delivered a game-tying RBI triple in the first and Matt Chapman followed two pitches later with the go-ahead run-scoring double for the Giants. Bo Bichette had an RBI double in the first and Mark Vientos homered in the second for the Mets, who have lost three straight. Robbie Ray (1-1) earned the win by allowing two runs on three hits over 5 1/3 innings. Mets starter David Peterson (0-1) gave up six runs (five earned) on nine hits and two walks while striking out five over 4 1/3 innings. The nine hits allowed tied a career high for Peterson. Twins 5, Royals 1 Taj Bradley threw six scoreless innings and visiting Minnesota belted three home runs in a victory over Kansas City. Bradley (1-0) surrendered just five hits, striking out three and walking one for Minnesota, which salvaged the three-game series after dropping the first two. Matt Wallner, Kody Clemens and Josh Bell each homered in the ninth inning for the Twins, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Cole Ragans (0-2) suffered the loss despite not allowing an earned run. Ragans gave up four hits, striking out eight and walking one. Kansas City had its three-game winning streak halted. ================================================================== NHL NHL ROUNDUP: WILD SURGE PAST CANUCKS, SECURE PLAYOFF SPOT Matt Boldy and Ryan Hartman each scored a pair of goals and the Minnesota Wild finished strong for a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks to clinch a playoff berth Thursday night in Saint Paul, Minn. Kirill Kaprizov notched a goal and an assist for Minnesota (42-21-12, 96 points), which secured a spot in the postseason for the second straight season and the sixth time in the past seven years. Mats Zuccarello tallied a pair of assists, and Filip Gustavsson stopped 30 of 32 shots to earn the victory. The Wild trailed 2-1 after one period before scoring two goals in the second and two more in the third to secure a comfortable victory which made them the third Central Division team to punch their postseason ticket. Tom Willander and Jake DeBrusk scored one goal each for Vancouver, which got 34 saves from Nikita Tolopilo. Hurricanes 5, Blue Jackets 1 Logan Stankoven scored two goals as Carolina started fast and cruised past visiting Columbus. The victory clinched Carolina a playoff spot for the eighth consecutive season. The Hurricanes sit in first place in the Eastern Conference, and are 6-2-0 in their last eight. Sebastian Aho and Taylor Hall each had two assists. Alexander Nikishin, Jordan Martinook, and Andrei Svechnikov scored the team’s other goals. Frederik Andersen stopped a paltry nine of 10 shots. The Blue Jackets have been outscored 19-9 during a five-game (0-4-1) winless streak. The slump has dropped Columbus out of a playoff position in the crowded East postseason race. Denton Mateychuk scored the Jackets’ only goal, and Elvis Merzlikins stopped 16 of 21 shots. Golden Knights 6, Flames 3 Mitch Marner scored a hat trick and also had two assists as Vegas rallied for a victory over Calgary in Las Vegas. It was the sixth five-point games of Marner’s career and his fourth career hat trick. Ivan Barbashev had a goal and two assists and Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden also scored for Vegas, which remained three points behind co-leaders Anaheim and Edmonton in third place in the Pacific Division with six games remaining. Shea Theodore had two assists to hit the 400-point mark in his career, and Carter Hart, making his first start since Jan. 8 after missing 33 games with a lower-body injury, made 19 saves. Blake Coleman scored two goals and Morgan Frost also scored for Calgary, while Dustin Wolf finished with 28 saves. Canadiens 3, Rangers 2 Cole Caufield scored twice, including the tiebreaking goal with 5:05 remaining in the third period, as Montreal recovered from blowing a two-goal lead and extended its season-high winning streak to seven with a victory over host New York. Caufield scored his 48th and 49th goals in spectacular fashion as the Canadiens won seventh straight for the first time since Oct. 18-Nov. 2, 2016. Caufield scored for the fourth straight game and has nine goals during the win streak. His next tally will give him Montreal’s first 50-goal season since Stephane Richer had 51 during the 1989-90 season. Alex Newhook also scored and Jacob Fowler made 22 saves. Adam Fox and Will Cuylle scored in a nearly five-minute span earlier in the third to make it a one-goal game. Igor Shesterkin stopped 22 shots as the Rangers had their three-game winning streak snapped. Predators 5, Kings 4 (SO) Jonathan Marchessault had a goal and an assist and Luke Evangelista scored the lone goal in the eight-round shootout to lift visiting Nashville to a victory against Los Angeles. Filip Forsberg, Zachary L’Heureux and Steven Stamkos also scored, and Juuse Saros made 29 saves and did not allow a goal in the shootout. The Predators ended a three-game losing streak and moved ahead of the Kings into third place in the Western Conference wild-card race. Adrian Kempe scored two goals, Joel Armia had a goal and an assist, Scott Laughton scored and Darcy Kuemper made 30 saves for the Kings, who have lost six of eight (2-2-4) and are fourth in the West’s wild-card race. Panthers 2, Bruins 1 Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves to lead Florida to a win over Boston in Sunrise, Fla. Mackie Samoskevich and Sam Bennett scored for Florida, with Samoskevich notching a career-high three-game goal streak. Fraser Minten scored and Jeremy Swayman made 22 saves for the Bruins, who had their four-game winning streak snapped but remain the top wild-card team in the Eastern Conference. Senators 4, Sabres 1 Lars Eller broke a tie early in the third period to propel Ottawa to a crucial win against visiting Buffalo. Dylan Cozens, Ridly Greig and Shane Pinto also scored for the Senators, who moved back into the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Linus Ullmark made 21 saves. Mattias Samuelsson scored and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 20 saves for the Sabres, who will have to wait to clinch their first playoff berth since 2011. Lightning 6, Penguins 3 Anthony Cirelli recorded his second career hat trick, Zemgus Girgensons notched his 100th career goal and host Tampa Bay tallied five straight goals to reach 100 points in a win over Pittsburgh. Trailing 2-1 to open the second period, the Lightning got Cirelli’s short-handed goal, Brayden Point’s score and Girgensons’ century milestone to improve to 8-2-2 in their last 12 games and move into a tie atop the Atlantic Division with Buffalo with a game in hand. Pittsburgh’s Egor Chinakhov scored twice, and Rickard Rakell tallied for the seventh time in six games. Stuart Skinner made 27 saves. Devils 7, Capitals 3 Jack Hughes collected two goals and three assists and Jesper Bratt also recorded a five-point performance, fueling New Jersey to a victory over Washington in Newark, N.J. Hughes boosted his point total to 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 18 games since the Olympic break. Bratt had a goal and four assists as the Devils posted their 11th win in their last 16 games and dealt a blow to the postseason aspirations of the Capitals. Washington resides three points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Dawson Mercer scored twice, Cody Glass and Dougie Hamilton also tallied and Jake Allen made 29 saves for New Jersey. Tom Wilson and Pierre-Luc Dubois each collected a goal and an assist and rookie defenseman Cole Hutson also tallied for the Capitals. Logan Thompson yielded six goals on 29 shots. Mammoth 6, Kraken 2 Logan Cooley scored twice and had an assist and Dylan Guenther had a goal and two assists as Utah rallied from an early two-goal deficit to defeat host Seattle. Nick Schmaltz added a goal and an assist, JJ Peterka and Michael Carcone also tallied and Kailer Yamamoto had two assists for the Mammoth (39-30-6, 84 points), who won their second straight games to maintain their five-point lead atop the Western Conference’s wild-card standings. Goaltender Karel Vejmelka made 25 saves. Jordan Eberle and Bobby McCann scored for the Kraken (32-31-11, 75 points), who suffered their third straight loss and saw their postseason hopes continue to dwindle. Joey Daccord stopped 25 of 31 shots. Sharks 4, Maple Leafs 1 San Jose ran its winning streak to four games and continued their push for a playoff spot with a victory over visiting Toronto. Zack Ostapchuk, Collin Graf, William Eklund and Adam Gaudette all scored for the Sharks, who are tied with the Predators in the Western Conference for the second wild-card spot. Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic made 18 saves. John Tavares scored for the Maple Leafs, who have dropped two of three games on their four-game road trip that concludes in Los Angeles on Saturday. Goalie Anthony Stolarz stopped 21 shots. Red Wings 4, Flyers 2 Alex DeBrincat scored twice and Patrick Kane had a goal and two assists as Detroit posted a critical road win over Philadelphia. Lucas Raymond also scored for Detroit, which had lost four of its last five games, all in regulation. With the win, the Red Wings jumped ahead of the Flyers in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Tyson Foerster scored for the Flyers after missing the previous four months with an upper-body injury. Travis Konecny also scored for Philadelphia, while Samuel Ersson made 15 saves. Stars 3, Jets 0 Jake Oettinger made 22 saves for his 15th career shutout and host Dallas defeated Winnipeg. It was Oettinger’s third shutout of the season and the sixth time the Jets have been shut out. Arttu Hyry and Adam Erne had a goal and an assist each and Matt Duchene also scored for the Stars, who snapped their two-game losing streak and had been 1-4-2 in their previous seven. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 18 shots for the Jets, who had won four out of their last five and are chasing a Western Conference wild-card playoff spot. Oilers 3, Blackhawks 1 Streaking Edmonton pulled into a tie in points for the top spot in the Pacific Division after earning a home victory over Chicago. Adam Henrique scored for the first time in 51 games, while Matt Savoie and Vasily Podkolzin also tallied for the Oilers en route to their season-best fifth consecutive victory. Tristan Jarry made 17 saves for Edmonton, which has played one more game than Anaheim, the other team atop the division. Nick Lardis tallied the Blackhawks’ lone goal. Spencer Knight made 31 saves for Chicago. Arvid Soderblom had four saves in a brief replacement of Knight due to a skate issue. ================================================================== GOLF MICKELSON PULLS OUT OF THE MASTERS, WHICH WILL BE WITHOUT LEFTY AND WOODS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1994 AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Three-time champion Phil Mickelson withdrew from the Masters on Thursday, citing a personal health matter with his family that kept him out of all but one of the five LIV Golf events this year. “Unfortunately I will not play in the Masters Tournament next week and will be out for an extended period of time as my family continues to navigate a personal health matter,” Mickelson posted on social media. Tiger Woods said Tuesday he was taking an indefinite leave to seek treatment after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence in a Feb. 27 crash in Florida. It will be the first time neither Woods nor Mickelson will be at the Masters since 1994, when Woods was a senior in high school and Mickelson had broken his leg while skiing earlier that year. Mickelson called the Masters “definitely the most special week of the year,” and his record reflects that. He won his first major at Augusta National in 2004, the last player to win the Masters by one shot with a birdie putt on the 72nd hole. He also won in 2006 and in 2010, one of only eight players to win the Masters at least three times. Mickelson has not shared details of the personal family matter. He sat out LIV’s four events to start the year and returned in South Africa two weeks ago, tying for 48th in the 57-man field. “It’s just fun to be back playing,” he said in South Africa. The only other time Mickelson missed the Masters was in 2022, when he took a leave of absence after inflammatory remarks as the Saudi-funded LIV Golf was preparing to launch. Mickelson accused the PGA Tour of “obnoxious greed” in a Golf Digest interview. In an interview with author Alan Shipnuck for his book on Mickelson, he dismissed Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reshape the PGA Tour. The remarks cost him corporate sponsorships. Mickelson joined LIV later that year. The Masters starts April 9 with a 91-man field, with one spot still available if the winner of this week’s Texas Open is not already eligible. AFTER CRASH, TIGER WOODS TOLD DEPUTY HE WAS ‘TALKING TO THE PRESIDENT,’ BODY CAMERA SHOWS After crashing his SUV last week in Florida, Tiger Woods took out his phone and told a deputy, “I was just talking to the president,” according to body camera footage released Thursday showing Woods’ arrest on a DUI charge. The phone conversation was not captured on video, but Woods could be heard saying, “Thank you so much,” as he hung up and the deputy approached. It wasn’t clear if Woods was referring to President Donald Trump, whose former daughter-in-law, Vanessa Trump, is dating Woods. Shortly after the golfer’s March 27 arrest, Trump was asked about Woods and told reporters: “I feel so badly. He’s got some difficulty. Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person. Amazing man. But, some difficulty.” The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Trump spoke to Woods after the crash. The footage also shows how Woods appeared to be astonished as he was handcuffed after failing a sobriety test and a video from the back of the patrol car shows the handcuffed golfer hiccupping, yawning and repeatedly appearing to nod off during the 15-minute ride. Woods told authorities he was looking at his phone and changing the radio station when his speeding Land Rover clipped the back of a truck and rolled onto its side on a residential road on Jupiter Island. No one was injured. “I looked down at my phone, and all of a sudden — boom,” Woods told an officer as he knelt on a lawn, prior to his arrest. Body camera footage shows Martin County Sheriff’s Deputy Tatiana Levenar then conducting a roadside sobriety test and telling Woods: “I do believe your normal faculties are impaired, and you’re under an unknown substance, so at this time you’re under arrest for DUI.” “I’m being arrested?” Woods responded. “Yes, sir,” Levenar said. After handcuffing Woods, authorities searched his pockets and found two white pills. “That’s a Norco,” Woods said after an officer pulled out the pills, referring to a painkiller that contains acetaminophen and the opioid hydrocodone. Authorities would later confirm that Woods was in possession of hydrocodone. In the body camera footage, Woods told Levenar that he had not drunk any alcohol and that he had taken “a few” medications earlier in the day, though Woods’ words are muted in the released video as he describes some of the drugs. At the sheriff’s office complex, after Woods was escorted into the “DUI room” where drivers are tested for being under the influence, Woods said, “I’m not drunk. I’m on a prescription medication,” according to a supplemental sheriff’s office report released Thursday. Woods, 50, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to suspicion of driving under the influence. He posted a statement Tuesday night saying that he was stepping away indefinitely “to seek treatment and focus on my health.” Woods agreed to a Breathalyzer test that showed no signs of alcohol, but he refused a urine test, authorities said. Under a change to Florida law last year, refusing an officer’s request to take a breath, blood or urine test became a misdemeanor, even for a first offense. During the field sobriety test, deputies noticed Woods limping and that he had a compression sock over his right knee. Woods explained he had undergone seven back surgeries and over 20 surgeries on his right leg, and that his ankle seizes up while walking. Woods, who was hiccupping during questioning, continuously moved his head during one of the sobriety tests and deputies had to tell him several times to keep his head straight, according to an arrest report. “Based on my observations of Woods, how he performed the exercises and based on my training, knowledge, and experience, I believed that Woods normal faculties were impaired, and he was unable to safely operate the motor vehicle,” Levenar wrote. Woods is the most influential figure in golf and has become as recognizable as any athlete in the world. The first person of Black heritage to win the Masters in 1997, he has captivated golf fans with records likely never to be broken. His injuries have kept him from accomplishing more, including from a 2021 Los Angeles car crash that damaged his right leg so badly he said doctors considered amputation. He has not played an official event since the 2024 British Open. He was recovering from a seventh back surgery in October and was trying to return at the Masters, where he is a five-time champion. LAUREN COUGHLIN, NASA HATAOKA, MIYU YAMASHITA TIED FOR ARAMCO LEAD Lauren Coughlin and Japan’s Nasa Hataoka and Miyu Yamashita formed a three-way tie atop the leaderboard after one round of the inaugural Aramco Championship on Thursday in Las Vegas. The leaders posted rounds of 5-under-par 67 at Shadow Creek Golf Course. Three more are on their tails at 4-under 68: World No. 2 Nelly Korda, Jing Yan and South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim, who has won two straight LPGA Tour events entering the week. The Aramco Championship, co-sanctioned by the LPGA and Ladies European Tour, features a purse of $4 million and replaces the T-Mobile Match Play on the schedule. Coughlin, 33, is trying to get back in contention for an LPGA victory after winning her first two titles in 2024 and being shut out in 2025. She could have been the outright first-round leader after collecting six birdies through 17 holes, but she made her only misstep of the day with a bogey at her final hole, the par-4 ninth. “I feel like I know this place really well,” said Coughlin, who lost in the final of the Match Play last year. “Been in a lot of the places (on the course) that you don’t want to be, so I feel like I’ve been able to … I just know the spots that I need to land it to a lot of the pins, where to miss if you have to.” Hataoka’s round was the inverse of Coughlin’s. She bogeyed the first hole, immediately bounced back at the second and went on to total six birdies. “Before tournament get (started) we talk about my goal is 5-under total for four days,” Hataoka said. “It was (not a) windier condition. That’s why I made so many good birdies today.” Yamashita stood at 1 over through her first eight holes but turned it around thanks to an eagle 3 at the 18th hole and four birdies on her second nine, the front side. “The course is tough, but it’s fun to figure it out,” Yamashita said through a translator. “So there is always a chance of making bogey, but I want to play patience in golf.” Korda played her first round with her sister Jessica Korda, who recently returned to competition after giving birth to her first child. “I’m super rusty obviously but I had such a fun time,” said Jessica Korda, who posted 3-over 75. “Her and Charley (Hull) are just such great players. I’ve been on the commentating side and the spectating side, and being inside (the ropes) is so much fun.” MARK HUBBARD EMERGES FROM THE PACK WITH VALERO TEXAS OPEN LEAD Mark Hubbard birdied the 18th hole to complete a 6-under-par 30 on the back nine and grab a one-shot lead at the Valero Texas Open when play was suspended Thursday at TPC San Antonio. Hubbard emerged from a six-way tie for the lead and signed for a 7-under 65 late in the day. The 36-year-old has never won on the PGA Tour. After the start of the tournament was delayed by 90 minutes due to inclement weather, 24 players were unable to finish their rounds before darkness fell Thursday evening. The highlight of Hubbard’s round was a four-birdie stretch from Nos. 11-14, featuring a 24-foot birdie putt at No. 12. Then he stuck his tee shot at the par-3 16th to about 6 feet of the cup to set up another birdie, and he cleaned up a 3-footer for birdie at the par-5 last. “I always thought the back nine’s a little gettable out here,” Hubbard said. “That front nine there’s a couple tough par 4s, you’re just hanging on, but the back you can get it going, especially with the wind direction. … I just hit it really well with my irons, and if you’re in the fairways, just kind of frees me up.” World No. 11 Robert MacIntyre of Scotland and Tony Finau stand out from the group tied at 6-under 66, also featuring Davis Thompson, Andrew Putnam and Steven Fisk. MacIntyre posted a bogey-free round with five of his six birdies occurring on the back nine, including back-to-back at Nos. 17 and 18. MacIntyre said the conditions were “a lot trickier” in the afternoon. “The wind got up pretty much as we were going to tee off, I knew it was going to be tough, but you have to take your chances,” he said. “Almost on the back nine, a finishing stretch, some big opportunities and thankfully today I’d done that.” Finau started his round on the back nine and followed a 9-foot birdie putt at the par-3 13th with an eagle at the par-5 14th. He rolled in a downhill, right-to-left putt from 41 1/2 feet. The six-time PGA Tour winner has fallen out of the top 100 in the world rankings and is currently not on the list for the Masters next week. The only way for him to qualify now is by winning in Texas. “I feel like I’m really close to putting together a string of good golf tournaments,” Finau said. “I’ve had some good days during tournaments, whether that’s in the first round, the final round, but I haven’t been able to put together I feel like really strong finishes and four days of good golf. “So I’m off to a good start this week. I’ll just be looking to capitalize on three more days of good golf.” Will Zalatoris, Englishman Tommy Fleetwood and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg are part of an eight-way knot at 5-under 67. Like Finau, Zalatoris has not secured his place at Augusta National yet. That’s because his world ranking has also fallen off in recent years as a chronic back injury cost him time. This week is just his fourth start of the season. If he wins this week to make the Masters field, there’s reason to believe he can do damage. He has three top-10 finishes in four starts, most notably placing second in his debut in 2021. “After everything that I’ve kind of gone through, I’m just glad that I’m able to do this,” said Zalatoris, who holed a 31-foot putt for birdie at No. 18 Thursday. “I think there were probably a few moments that I thought I was done just considering the pain that I was in day to day, but the fact that I’m able to come out and do this again and stripe it the way I did and still have 178 (mph) ball speed, you know, after everything I’ve been through, it’s still really encouraging. If anything, it’s kind of been a blessing too having this time off and not be able to hit balls because I think everybody knows I needed to work on my putting, and that’s all I’ve done for basically the last two years and how to learn to use the broomstick and it’s paid off.” Defending champion Brian Harman opened with an even-par 72. =============================================================== INDIANA SPORTS TEAM RELEASES INDIANA PACERS GAME PREVIEW: PACERS AT HORNETS The Pacers’ offense is rolling, and the Blue & Gold aim to continue their positive momentum when they visit the Queen City on Friday. Indiana can extend its winning streak to three straight when it takes on the Charlotte Hornets (40-36) at Spectrum Center. The Pacers are 2-1 against Charlotte this season, but dropped their last contest to the Hornets, 133-109, on Feb. 26. After posting a 135-115 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Pacers routed the Chicago Bulls 145-126 on Wednesday at United Center. The Pacers have shot at least 56 percent in each of their last two games and made a combined 38 3-pointers, including 20 against Chicago. The Pacers recorded a season-high 49 assists and 145 points against the Bulls. The 49 assists are the second-most by the Blue & Gold in a game in franchise history. Eleven different players recorded a basket against the Bulls, with each player scoring at least eight points. Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 25 points in 22 minutes, Ethan Thompson scored a career-high 24 points on five made 3-pointers, and Jay Huff and Kobe Brown scored 17 points each. Charlotte will be on the second leg of a back-to-back when it hosts the Pacers, as it will take on the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night. The Hornets are 10-5 on the second legs of back-to-backs this season. The Hornets have been one of the hottest teams in the league in the second half of the season, winning 27 of their last 30 games entering their game against the Suns. Charlotte, which has already clinched at least a play-in spot, currently sits in eighth place in the Eastern Conference and could finish anywhere between fifth and 10th before the postseason begins. Charlotte leads the league in total 3-pointers made and ranks fifth in offensive rating (118.2). The Hornets are also third in second-chance points per game (17.5) and fifth in rebounds per game (46.2). Brandon Miller leads the Hornets with 20.3 points per game, LaMelo Ball is averaging 19.7 points and seven assists per game, and Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Knueppel is logging 18.9 points and 5.4 rebounds nightly. Miles Bridges is also posting 17.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while Coby White, who was acquired via a midseason trade from Chicago, is fitting right in with his new team, scoring 15.7 per game. After taking on the Hornets, the Pacers will conclude their three-game road trip Sunday at the Cleveland Cavaliers. Just six games remain on the schedule for the Pacers this season. Probable Starters Pacers: G – Ethan Thompson , G – Quenton Jackson, F – Kobe Brown, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Jay Huff Hornets: G – LaMelo Ball, G – Brandon Miller, F – Miles Bridges, F – Kon Knueppel, C – Moussa Diabate Injury Report Pacers: T.J. McConnell – questionable (right hamstring soreness), Andrew Nembhard – questionable (lower back injury management) Aaron Nesmith – questionable (cervical strain), Jarace Walker – out (lower back bruise), Ivica Zubac – out (rib fracture), Tyrese Haliburton – out (right Achilles tendon tear), Johnny Furphy – out (right ACL tear). Hornets: PJ Hall – questionable (right ankle soreness). Last Meeting Feb. 26, 2026: The Hornets led by 21 points at halftime and never looked back in a 133-109 win over the Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Charlotte outscored Indiana 36-12 in the second quarter, holding the Pacers to just 15.8 percent shooting in the period, before holding on for the win. The Hornets shot 55.8 percent as a team overall and made 22 total 3-pointers. Indiana shot 47.1 percent with 11 made treys. Brandon Miller topped the Hornets with 33 points on 11-for-19 shooting, rookie Kon Knueppel scored 28 points on eight made 3-pointers, LaMelo Ball scored 20 points, and Moussa Diabete had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Andrew Nembhard topped the Pacers with 20 points and Micah Potter supplied 19 points off the bench. Indiana was missing five players due to injuries, including starters Pascal Siakam, Aaron Nesmith, and Ivicia Zubac. Noteworthy The Pacers have recorded 30 or more assists in nine straight games, which is a franchise record. Indiana has a record of 77-57 against the Hornets all-time and have won three of their last four games against Charlotte. Pascal Siakam is one block away from recording 400 for his career. Broadcast Information (Where to Watch and Listen to Pacers Games >>) TV: FanDuel Sports Network – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host) Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host) =============================================================== INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS INDIANS WALKED OFF BY CLIPPERS IN NINTH COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Indianapolis Indians built two leads, including a dramatic rally in the seventh inning, but the Columbus Clippers prevailed 9-8 with a walk-off single by Travis Bazzana in the ninth inning on Thursday night at Huntington Park. With the Indians (0-6) leading 3-0 thanks in part to a two-run home run by Endy Rodríguez in the first and starter Noah Davis’ and Joe La Sorsa’s combined 5.0 hitless innings, Columbus (5-1) put up four runs in the sixth to take the first of three lead changes in the game’s final four innings. Indianapolis rallied then in the seventh to retake the lead, 8-4. Following a walk, hit batter and single by Tyler Callihan, Alika Williams drew a six-pitch walk to drive in the first run. One Endy Rodríguez sacrifice fly later, Ronny Simon roped a double off the right-field wall to clear the bases and take the four-run lead. The Clippers then matched the Indians seven-run seventh with four runs in the eighth and the game-winning score in the ninth, courtesy of a Milan Tolentino RBI double and Petey Halpin two-run home run ahead of Bazzana’s two-out game-winning knock against Brandan Bidois (L, 0-2). Codi Heuer (W, 1-0) issued a walk in the top of the ninth but earned the win after stranding the base runner. He was just one of two Clipper pitchers who did not surrender a run, with Columbus’ pitching staff surrendering six walks to Indy’s 10. Rodríguez and Simon finished the contest with a combined seven of Indy’s eight runs driven in. The Indians will try again for their first victory of 2026 on Friday night at Huntington Park, with first pitch is set for 6:15 PM. Nick Dombkowski (0-0, 11.25) is slated to start for Indy and be opposed by Columbus’ Rorik Maltrud (0-0, 9.00) =============================================================== INDY FUEL FUEL FACE BISON ON FRIDAY NIGHT IN BLOOMINGTON FISHERS- The Fuel will head to Bloomington to take on the Bison, who have slipped into sixth place in the Central division this week. After that, the Fuel have just one more home game against Kalamazoo before a five game road trip to end the regular season as they try to hold onto their playoff spot. LAST TIME OUT The last time these two teams met was on March 10, 2026 when the Fuel visited the Bison for their Education Day game. Despite keeping the score tied for most of the game, the Bison scored a late goal in the third period to give them the game-winning lead. Bloomington claimed the 4-3 win. BLOOMINGTON BLUES Despite spending most of their season in fourth place in the Central division, the Bison have fallen to sixth place due to the close race brewing between the middle four teams in the division. Just five points separated Bloomington and Indy, with Kalamazoo and Cincinnati sitting between them, tied at 68 points each. The Bison will look to string together a few wins to regain their playoff position. ================================================================== INDIANA BASEBALL BASEBALL CENTRAL: RUTGERS BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A new month of action gets underway as the Indiana Baseball team (10-18, 3-9 B1G) tries to erase some bad March memories. Rutgers (15-13, 4-5 B1G) visits town with a big chance to climb the conference standings. The Hoosiers will play three of four weekends at home in April after a long run of travel to begin the 2026 campaign. IU’s talented duo of sophomore outfielder Hogan Denny and sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley continue to lead the charge on offense this season. The two players have combined for 72 hits, 18 doubles, 11 home runs and 48 RBIs. With them batting in consecutive spots in the order, IU has a formidable punch in the middle of head coach Jeff Mercer’s lineup. Fellow sophomore outfielder Cole Decker has been a pleasant surprise this season. Since the end of the Oregon series, the Indiana native has come into his own offensively. He’s hitting .355 over the last 10 games (11-31) and is riding a team-best 13-game on-base streak. He’s reached base at a .512 clip in the last 10 games with eight walks, 11 hits and two hit-by-pitches. If IU is going to get back into the swing of things, it will begin with its starting pitching. Graduate student Tony Neubeck has been tremendous at Bart Kaufman Field and will hope to continue that this weekend. In two home starts this season, he’s worked 12.0 innings and allowed just four runs. He has 17 strikeouts to two walks on the mound in Bloomington. As it stands, this weekend’s series is set to begin Friday (April 3) at 6 p.m. With weather expected all weekend, all three start times are subject to change. Stay tuned to IU’s social media channels with any updates to the series schedule. Probable Starters Indiana vs. Rutgers • Friday: LHP Tony Neubeck, Gr. (2-3, 4.50 ERA) • Saturday: TBD (0-0, 0.00 ERA) • Sunday: LHP Brayton Thomas, So. (1-2, 5.13 ERA) (subject to change with any weather changes) Leading Off FRY GUY: Freshman second baseman Landen Fry is hitting .324 in his last 10 games. In the month of March alone, Fry had five multi-hit efforts. That includes a three-hit day against Nebraska last Sunday. He hit his first career home run in that same contest against the Huskers. ON BASE MACHINE: Sophomore outfielder Cole Decker is riding a team-best 13-game reached-base streak into the weekend. He has moved all over the lineup has provided a spark for the Hoosiers. In that 13-game stretch, he has hits in 10 of those ballgames. BIG TIME VOGEL: Redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Jacob Vogel has enjoyed a nice stretch of run over the past few weeks. He’s worked six consecutive scoreless outings. In that frame, he’s tossed 11.0 innings and collected eight strikeouts. DENNY DOUBLES: Sophomore outfielder Hogan Denny picked up his 11th double of the season on Tuesday at Evansville. He is tied for second in the Big Ten this season in doubles (11) and leads the team by a big margin. He’s got 16 extra-base hits this year for the Hoosiers. TO TAKEOVER: Freshman catcher Owen ten Oever had a week to remember despite not making a start. He has four pinch-hit base knocks in his last five appearances. That includes a memorable three-run home run on Saturday against Nebraska. He’s hitting .400 this year with four base hits in eight appearances. BATTLING BACK: Rutgers knocked Indiana out of the Big Ten Tournament in both 2022 and 2025. On the flip side, IU has swept Rutgers in each of the two home series (2019, 2024) in the Jeff Mercer era. The Hoosiers will go for another weekend win over the Scarlet Knights as April begins in 2026. BIG MASTALSKI: Freshman right-handed pitcher Ivan Mastalski has been brilliant for IU this season. He’s got a 2.75 ERA over 11 appearances. On the year, he’s allowed just six earned runs over 19.2 innings of action. He allowed just four earned runs in the month of March. COOP HOLDS IT DOWN: Sophomore shortstop Cooper Malamazian has been a mainstay in IU’s lineup the last two years. He’s played in 83 of 84 possible games during his time on campus. He’s got 84 base knocks in his career and is closing in on reaching 100 hits. Scouting the Opponent Rutgers • Rutgers is off to a 15-13 start this season and a 4-5 ledger in Big Ten play. A series win over Michigan State got the program off to a good start but the Scarlet Knights come to Bloomington with consecutive series losses to Illinois and Michigan. A midweek slipup to Hofstra has them on a three-game losing streak. • Steve Owens always has potent bats at the top of his lineup and that is no different this year. Junior outfielder Peyton Bonds is hitting .376 with 44 base knocks on the season. He’s got eight doubles, six home runs and has struck out just 17 times. He leads his team with a .452 on-base percentage and 12 stolen bases. • Although its struggled more in conference play, Rutgers’ pitching staff has held up nicely this year. A collective 4.82 ERA is boosted by a strong collection of middle and long relievers out of the bullpen. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Andrew Rondini has a 1.37 ERA over 19.2 innings of work. Four different pitchers have a sub 3.50 ERA in 13.2 innings or more. Inside the Series Rutgers • The Hoosiers have enjoyed great success over Rutgers, especially since they joined the conference for the 2015 baseball season. Head coach Jeff Mercer is 9-6 against Rutgers as the skipper and has swept them both times they’ve played a series in Bloomington (2019, 2024). • Rutgers has good success against Indiana away from Bart Kaufman Field. The Scarlet Knights won all four matchups in 2022 and effectively eliminated IU from the Big Ten Tournament in 2022 and 2025. ================================================================ INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CIEZKI SNAGS WBCA COACHES’ ALL-AMERICA HONORABLE MENTION ATLANTA – Indiana women’s basketball senior guard Shay Ciezki has picked up another All-American honor, this time by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association for the 2026 Division I Coaches’ All-America team. Ciezki earns a place on the honorable mention squad and the first player since 2024 to receive a spot on the postseason award. She is the 10th player in school history to pick up an honorable mention nod. She previously earned USBWA All-American honorable mention honors this season. In one of the most impressive single seasons in IU women’s basketball history, Ciezki averaged 228 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 addition, Ciezki is in the Top 10 in the nation in points per game, 3-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage. She became the fastest player to 1,000 points in IU history in 2025-26, hitting the career mark in her 60th game played for the program. She sits 30th all-time in scoring (1,097). Ciezki was named the Big Ten Player of the Week twice which led to All-Big Ten honors in 2025-26. She earned a place on the first team from the league’s media and second team from the league’s coaches. Ciezki will be participating 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. ==================================================================== NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HIDALGO NAMED WBCA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND ALL-AMERICAN PHOENIX — Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo has been named the WBCA Coaches’ Defensive Player of the Year as well as a WBCA All-American as announced on Thursday. Hidalgo became the second player in program history to be named to the WBCA All-America team three times in her career, joining former standout Skylar Diggins. Hidalgo is the first to earn the WBCA Defensive Player of the Year accolades. The phenom has already been named the ACC Player of the Year, Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year along with Naismith All-America, USBWA All-America and USA Today All-America First Teams. The point guard averaged 25.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.6 steals and 5.2 assists per game. Hidalgo is the only women’s or men’s player at the DI level since the 1999-00 season to average at least 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals per game over an entire season. Hidalgo set multiple NCAA steals records over the course of the season, including the single-season record with 202 during the 2025-26 campaign. She became the first women’s or men’s player to reach the 200-steal milestone in a season since steals became an official stat in 1988. The Merchantville, New Jersey, native also set the record for most steals in a single NCAA Tournament with 29 over the course of four games. Hidalgo had back-to-back eight steal performances in wins over Fairfield and Ohio State before setting the program record for steals in an NCAA Tournament game with 10 in the win over Vanderbilt in the Sweet Sixteen. Hidalgo then added three more against UConn in the Elite Eight. The junior turned in many incredible performances this season while breaking records along the way. Hidalgo set the all-time record for steals in a game and the program’s single-game scoring record against Akron, finishing with 44 points and 16 rebounds. Arguably even more impressive, Hidalgo recorded just the second 30-point triple double in women’s NCAA Tournament history in the Sweet Sixteen win over Vanderbilt, finishing with 31 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals and seven assists. She has the career program scoring records for 30-point games (19), 20-point games (80) and consecutive games in double figures (103). Hidalgo broke the program’s record for career steals (481) and season steals (202). The standout became the fastest player in ACC and program history to reach 2,000 career points, accomplishing the feat in 86 games. Hidalgo played her best down the final stretch of the season, scoring 20 or more points in each of her last 11 games of the season, averaging 26.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 6.0 steals and 5.9 assists per game. ================================================================== NOTRE DAME MEN’S LAX GAME EIGHT PREVIEW: #1 RICHMOND SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The No. 4/5 Fighting Irish wrap up the non-conference portion of the schedule with a marquee matchup against No. 1/1 Richmond at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 4 in Evanston, Illinois. The game will be streamed on ACCNX. The game will be played at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium as part of the second annual Lacrosse Day in Chicago event. The Northwestern women’s team will take on USC following the men’s game as part of the showcase event. GAME DETAILSLocation: Evanston, Illinois | Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin StadiumSchedule: April 4 — 12:30 p.m. ETTickets: Purchase HereStream: ACCNXLive Stats: FightingIrish.comTwitter Updates: @NDlacrosseFor a more in-depth look at the matchup – Game Notes: Notre Dame THE RICHMOND SERIES • Saturday will be the fourth meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Richmond. The Irish hold a narrow lead in the series with a record of 2-1 entering the weekend. • The Irish and Spiders played three times, once each during 2018, 2019 and 2020. • The two sides last played during the shortened 2020 season with the Irish recording a 13-5 win at Arlotta Stadium on Feb. 23. RESUME BUILDING • Notre Dame has never shied away from playing the top teams in the country and has racked up wins, especially over the last few seasons. • The Fighting Irish are 26-8 against ranked teams since the beginning of the 2023 season. • Fifteen of the 26 wins have come in blowout fashion with the Irish winning by five or more goals. • Furthermore, Notre Dame has faired just as well against the best of the best, posting a record of 19-5 against teams ranked in the top 10 of the USILA poll at the time of the matchup since the beginning of the 2023 season. • The Irish are 3-0 against ranked opposition this season and 2-0 against top-10 teams (Georgetown and Ohio State). ND VS. TOP-RANKED TEAMS • Saturday’s game against No. 1 Richmond will mark the 11th time the Irish have faced the USILA’s top-ranked team in program history. • Notre Dame enters the matchup with a record of 5-5 against No. 1 teams. • However, since 2015 the Irish have especially excelled against No. 1 opponents, posting a mark of 5-1 in those matchups. • The last time Notre Dame faced the top-ranked team was in the 2023 NCAA Championship final against Duke, as the Irish won by a score of 13-9 to capture the program’s first national title. HIGH-POWERED OFFENSE • Notre Dame boasts one of the best attacks in the country heading into the weekend, averaging 14.0 goals per game which ranks seventh in the nation. • The Irish also rank seventh in the country in points per game with a mark of 22.0 through seven contests. • The Fighting Irish are sharing the ball at a high rate, averaging 8.0 assists per game, which ranks 12th in the nation. • Notre Dame has been efficient shooting the ball, posting the seventh-best mark in the country shooting at a clip of 33.4 percent. EVERYBODY EATS • The Irish can beat you in a number of ways, as the attack has been very balanced through the first half of the season. • The four attackman rotation has paid early dividends with each having at least 14 points through seven games. • Josh Yago (17G, 7A) leads the team in points with 24 closely followed by Brock Luke Miller (13G, 7A) and Brock Behrman (11G, 8A). Teddy Lally (7G, 7A) has excelled off the bench, adding 14 points to bolster the unit. • Will Maheras has paced the midfield with 13 points (10G, 6A). Matt Jeffery (8G, 4A) has added 12 points Jalen Seymour (8G, 2A) has recorded 10 while Will Angrick (5G, 2A) has seven on the season. • Eighteen different players have registered a goal this season and 21 have tallied at least one point during the 2026 season, including 17 with multiple points. INSTANT IMPACT • A number of newcomers to the 2026 squad wasted no time making a first impression. • Graduate transfer Josh Yago leads the team in points with 24 (17G, 7A) after posting at least three points in six of seven games this season, including a season-high five-point effort in the win over No. 3 Georgetown which helped the grad student earn ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors. • Teddy Lally has 14 points on the year off seven goals and seven assists. The freshman has recorded multiple points in four of seven games this season. • Aidan Diaz-Matos scored a goal within the first minute of the season opener off a faceoff win and is 49-of-88 at the dot on the year and leads the team in ground balls with 28. • Junior transfer Tyler Spano has won 43-of-78 faceoffs at the dot with the Irish and is second on the team in ground balls with 24. • Miguel Iglesias has made an impact at both ends of the field as a SSDM, scoring a goal in two games while also putting in sound defensive shifts. • Christopher Iuliano has played multiple positions for the Irish, filling in at close defense against Bellarmine and playing LSM for the majority of the season while also registering shifts on the wings for faceoffs. The freshman has nine ground balls and six caused turnovers. LOCKDOWN DEFENSE • Preseason All-Americans Will Donovan and Shawn Lyght each return to the defensive unit along with other starting close defenders Will Gallagher and Nate Schwitzenberg. • Notre Dame held Maryland to eight goals in College Park, which is tied for the Terps lowest scoring output in a home game since the advent of the shot clock in 2019. • Schwitzenberg earned ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors following the ranked road win. • Notre Dame then allowed just eight goals in the road win over Ohio State and four in the victory over Michigan, its lowest goal output in a game this season. • Thomas Ricciardelli made a season-high 14 saves in the win over Ohio State, earning ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors. • The Irish had their most disruptive performance of the season in the win over No. 3 Georgetown, limiting the Hoyas to just nine goals while recording a season-high 19 caused turnovers. • Lyght finished the contest against Georgetown with a season-high three caused turnovers and two ground balls. • Donovan has been a menace to opposing attacks, recording nine caused turnovers and 23 ground balls. • The short-stick defensive midfield unit that consists of Christian Alacqua, Chris Reinhardt, Kyle Bergen and Miguel Iglesias has impressed this season as well. LYGHTS OUT • Lyght enters the 2026 campaign as the top defensive player in the country, having been named the USA Lacrosse Preseason Defenseman of the Year. • The junior was selected as the Schmeisser Award co-winner following an incredible sophomore season in 2025. • The defenseman was named ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Year following the 2025 regular season as voted on by the league’s coaches. • Lyght was also named a USA Lacrosse First Team All-American following the 2025 regular season. • In the win over UNC last season, Lyght held UNC’s prolific attackman Owen Duffy to just one assist on the day, matching his career low for points in a game. • Lyght consistently draws the No. 1 option for the opposing attack throughout the season. BACK BETWEEN THE PIPES • Goalie Thomas Ricciardelli returns in goal after earning the starting job in 2025. • The senior is 6-1 on the season, making 67 saves while allowing 8.27 goals per game, ranking seventh in the country. • Ricciardelli has recorded a save percentag of .500 or better in six of seven games this season. • The New Canaan, Connecticut, native allowed a season-low four goals while making 11 saves in the win over Michigan on March 14. • Ricciardelli impressed in his debut season, leading the ACC and ranking sixth in the country goals against average (9.14). • The shot stopper made 158 saves during the 2025 campaign while allowing 121 goals. • The goalie saved at least 50 percent of shots he faced in 10 of 14 games last season. • In his first NCAA Tournament appearance, Ricciardelli turned in an incredible performance against No. 2 Ohio State, making 15 saves while allowing just six goals for a mark of 71.4 percent. MIDFIELD EXPERIENCE AND DEPTH • While the Irish replaced all three starters at attack from last season, the midfield has plenty of experience returning to the 2026 roster. • Notre Dame’s top two attacking midfield units have combined for 55 points, coming from 35 goals and 20 assists. • Will Maheras leads the midfield unit with 16 points off 10 goals and six assists. • Matt Jeffery also has double-digit points with 12 off eight goals and four assists. • Will Angrick, Will Maheras, Matt Jeffery, Fisher Finley, Max Busenkell and Jalen Seymour all saw significant playing time last season. • The six players combined to record 92 points off 56 goals and 36 assists last season over 14 games. • Angrick led the way with 27 points on 15 goals and 12 assists during the 2025 campaign. FROM THE GRIDIRON TO THE LACROSSE FIELD • Two Notre Dame lacrosse players on the 2026 squad also are on the football roster, as Matt Jeffery and Dylan Faison are both dual-sport athletes. • Jeffery was the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2025 after making an impact in the midfield. • Faison was the No. 1 ranked incoming player in the class of 2026 before he reclassified and joined the Irish for this spring semester. • Jeffery has been productive in his sophomore campaign, posting 12 points off eight goals and four assists despite drawing a pole in the majority of matchups. RECORD-BREAKING DAY • The Fighting Irish turned in the best offensive performance in seasons history against Bellarmine on Feb. 17. • Notre Dame scored a program-record 29 goals, surpassing the previous mark of 28 against Mount Union which stood since the 1983 season. • The Irish also set the program record for points in a game with 48 off 29 goals and 19 assists. • Thirteen players combined to score the 29 goals with Brock Behrman, Will Maheras and Jalen Seymour each recording the first hat tricks of their career. • Brock Behrman led the team with seven points off four goals and three assists, all career highs. CORRIGAN ALL-TIME DI PROGRAM WINS LEADER • With the win over No. 1 Duke on April 10, 2021, Baumer Family Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach Kevin Corrigan broke the NCAA record for most wins at a DI program with 311, passing Bob Shillinglaw (Delaware). • Corrigan became just the third coach in NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse history to reach the 300-win mark at a single school with the win over Marquette on April 10, 2019. • Corrigan is one of just four active Division I coaches to reach the 300-win mark in his career. • Corrigan has an overall record of 376-181 in his 40 seasons of coaching. • The head coach is 366-166 in his 38 seasons at Notre Dame. • Corrigan is the longest tenured men’s lacrosse coach at the DI level. ==================================================================== NOTRE DAME BASEBALL IRISH STYMIED BY WOLFPACK IN SERIES OPENER RALEIGH, N.C. – The Notre Dame baseball team fell in a 7-3 final at NC State in the series opener on Thursday night. Caden Crowell forced the Wolfpack into stranding a lead-off double with a pair of strikeouts on either side of a ground out fielder’s choice in the bottom of the first. Davis Johnson dropped a single into center field, and Dylan Passo came in to run for the junior. Jayce Lee drew a walk, and a Parker Brzustewicz fly ball allowed the pair to move into scoring position. Mason Barth drilled the first pitch of his at-bat down the left field line for a two-RBI double as Passo and Lee both scored easily on the play for the 2-0 lead. The Wolfpack scored five in the bottom of the second to gain a 5-2 advantage. Mark Quatrani got the Irish back on track with an opposite-field solo home run in the top of the third to make it 5-3. Xavier Hirsch started a big double play before Drew Berkland made a sliding catch in center field to retire the Wolfpack quickly in the bottom of the third. Hirsch then forced NC State into stranding a runner on second in the fourth with a strikeout and a ground out to end the inning. Hirsch needed just six pitches to retire the Wolfpack in order in the bottom of the sixth. Hirsch closed out the bottom of the seventh with a strikeout as the score remained 5-3. NC State, however, added a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it a 7-3 score. Mason Barth had a pair of hits with a double and drove in a pair for the Irish. Mark Quatrani belted a solo home run and was hit by a pitch. Dylan Passo and Jayce Lee each had a hit and scored a run. Bino Watters and Davis Johnson each added a hit. Drew Berkland had his 21-game hitting streak snapped. It was the longest hitting streak by an Irish player since Notre Dame joined the ACC. Caden Crowell suffered the loss on the mound after going 2.0 and striking out three. Xavier Hirsch went a career-best 5.0 innings on the mound, allowing just three hits and striking out two while not surrendering a run. Oisin Lee had a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning of work, and Will Jaisle added a strikeout in one-third of an inning. The Irish (15-10, 6-7 ACC) look to even the series on Friday night when they take on NC State in game two starting at 6:00 p.m. ET. RADEL NAMED TO GOLDEN SPIKES MIDSEASON WATCH LIST CARY, N.C. – Notre Dame right-handed pitcher Jack Radel was named to the 2026 Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List. Radel was one of 45 amateur baseball players named to the midseason watch list. Additionally, he is one of 17 pitchers to earn the midseason recognition from USA Baseball. As of the March 31 NCAA Division I statistical rankings, Radel ranked seventh in WHIP (0.76), 23rd in strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.71), 24th in hits allowed per nine innings (5.27) and 26th in total strikeouts (54). The Sioux Falls, South Dakota native was also ranked among the nation’s leaders in walks allowed per nine innings (1.54), earned run average (2.41) and strikeouts per nine innings (11.85). A two-time ACC Pitcher of the Week in the 2026 season, he was also recognized by Perfect Game as a Midseason All-American Second Team honoree earlier this week. The semifinalists for the award will be announced on May 14 by USA Baseball. ==================================================================== NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL HAGAN HITS A PAIR OF HOME RUNS IN LOSS AT #6/10 FLORIDA STATE TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The University of Notre Dame softball team battled against No. 6/10 Florida State Thursday night, but ultimately fell 2-7. The Irish are now 16-20 on the year and 5-8 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Starting at designated player, freshman Lily Hagan hit a pair of home runs on the night to account for both Irish runs. It was her first career multi-home run game and the first by a Notre Dame player this year. She’s the first Irish freshman since Addison Amaral on April 27, 2024 to hit multiple home runs in a single game. Fellow freshman Ava Zachary drew three walks, while Mickey Winchell, Caitlyn Early and Caroline O’Brien all logged singles. In the circle, Notre Dame struck out eight Seminoles on the night, led by five from starter Micaela Kastor. Notre Dame will look to even the series tomorrow evening at 6:00 p.m. ET on ACC Network Extra. How it happened Mickey Winchell led off the game with an infield single, working a seven pitch at-bat to begin the game. After a one-out walk from Ava Zachary, the Irish had two on and one out. But back-to-back strikeouts stranded the pair as Florida State starter Jazzy Francik escaped the threat. After the Seminoles put three on the board in the bottom of the first half, Lily Hagan didn’t waste any time getting a run back, launching the first pitch of the second inning way over the left field wall and across the street onto Florida State’s campus to cut the Seminole lead to two. With two in scoring position and one out in the bottom of the second, Kastor dug in, striking out back-to-back Seminoles hitters to dance around danger in the bottom of the second. Florida State tacked on a pair of runs in the third and fifth innings to make it 7-1. In the top of the sixth, Hagan launched her second home run of the game, a blast out to left center to make it 7-2 FSU. Hagan then trotted out to the circle to pitch the bottom of the sixth and tossed a scoreless frame. Zachary drew her third walk of the game in the top of the seventh, but a double play erased her and ended the game for the Seminoles. =================================================================== BUTLER BASEBALL BULLDOGS DOWN VILLANOVA 8-6 IN BIG EAST OPENER PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – Butler defeated Villanova 8-6 on Thursday afternoon in the Bulldogs 2026 BIG EAST opener. With the win, Butler improves to 9-20 and 1-0 in BIG EAST play while the Wildcats slide to 10-15 and 0-1 in conference action. BULLDOG HIGHLIGHTS Grayson Bradberry was solid on the mound, tossing 5.0 innings, allowing five hits and three earned runs while punching out three en route to his third win of the season. Connor Sackett was 2-for-2 with a double and five RBIs. Matthew Rhoades went 1-for-4 with a run scored. Gavin Gilmore tallied two hits, a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs. David Ayers was hit by a pitch three times. Will White hit his first collegiate homer in the game. Easton Moore went 1-for-2 with a run scored. Alex Christie recorded a hit. Logan Crock earned two walks. HOW IT HAPPENED Butler loaded the bases with one out in the first as the Wildcats found themselves in a jam early. An RBI single to right field from Sackett scored two for the Dawgs as BU jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. Villanova got out of the jam with a double play but Butler retired the Wildcats in order, taking the two-run advantage into the second. The Butler offense wasted no time in the second as White hit a leadoff solo homer, giving Butler a 3-0 lead. After an RBI single from Gilmore, BU had the bases loaded with two outs. Sackett stepped up to the dish and laced a double to left center that cleared the bases as the senior was able to advance to third on the throw. Butler’s five-run inning gave the Dawgs a 7-0 lead heading into the bottom of the second. Bradberry retired the Wildcats in order as the Butler lead stood at seven. Villanova got on the board in the third with a leadoff homer from Mark Giallusi. The Wildcats tacked on two more in the frame on an RBI single as Villanova trailed 7-3 heading to the fourth. Gilmore hit a solo home run in the fourth, marking the only run of the frame from either side as Butler took the five-run advantage into the fifth. The fifth and sixth frames were scoreless for both sides. Villanova retired the Butler side in order in the seventh as the Wildcats came to the plate down five. VU was able to scratch one across in the eighth, but the Butler defense stood tall, getting out of a bases-loaded jam. In the ninth, BU was able to put two on with two outs. The Bulldogs were unable to bring either runner home as the Dawgs took the 8-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth. Villanova hit a two-run home run with no outs, cutting the Butler lead to two. Villanova was able to put two on with two outs as the Dawgs clung to the two-run lead. BU was able to grab the final out, thwarting the Wildcats’ comeback efforts, securing the 8-6 victory. UP NEXT Butler and Villanova will return to action tomorrow for game two of the series. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. at Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth and fans can stream the game live on ESPN+. ================================================================== BUTLER SOFTBALL BUTLER WALKS IT OFF IN GAME TWO, SPLITS DOUBLEHEADER TO OPEN SERIES WITH CREIGHTON INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler softball team had a dramatic walk-off victory in extra innings of game two in a series with Creighton after dropping an extra-inning game earlier in the day. The Bluejays (19-20, 8-3 BIG EAST) took game one, 8-5, while the Bulldogs (17-11, 9-2 BIG EAST) responded with a 6-5 victory. Butler currently sits atop the BIG EAST standings with Providence and Creighton directly behind in the second and third spots. Hailey Conger and Kayla Preiss each had four hits on the day, and the pair combined for seven RBIs. Conger hit the bases-loaded walk-off single in the eighth inning of game two. Game 1: Creighton 8, Butler 5 (8 innings) Butler scored a pair of runs in the first inning on back-to-back doubles from Makena Alexander and Preiss. Three batters later, Kieli Ryan singled to drive home Preiss. Creighton got one back in the second and then took the lead, 4-3, using two hits and an error in the third. The Bulldogs tied the game at four in the fifth inning when Preiss knocked in Conger with her second double of the game. The Bluejays then took the lead back, 5-4, scoring a single run in the sixth. Down a run with two outs in the seventh, Butler rallied. After a Conger single and an Alexander walk, Preiss singled to send Conger home and tie the game at five. In the top of the eighth, Creighton hit a two-run home run followed by a solo home run to provide a three-run margin. In the bottom half, the Dawgs threatened with runners on second and third and only one out, but two infield outs gave the game to the Bluejays. Katie Petran (7-4) pitched a complete game and took the loss. In 8.0 innings, she allowed eight runs (six earned) on eight hits and three walks with three strikeouts. Game 2: Butler 6, Creighton 5 (8 innings) Creighton used a sacrifice fly to score one in the top of the first inning, but Butler answered with three in the bottom half. With the bases loaded, Olivia Robards singled to plate one. Alona Boydston then hit a sacrifice fly, and Ryan singled, allowing Preiss to score. It was 3-1 Bulldogs after one complete. In the second, the Bluejays cut the deficit to one run using two hits and an error. Butler pushed its lead to 5-2 with a pair of runs in the fourth. With the bases loaded, Olivia Roberts crossed on a wild pitch. Then, Paxton Law tagged and scored on a caught foul ball in deep right field. The Dawgs held the three-run lead into the sixth. Creighton used two hits, including a two-RBI triple, along with a pair of walks to tie the game at five. With no scoring in the seventh, the game went to extras. In the bottom of the eighth, Butler loaded the bases with just one out. The Dawgs attempted to score on a bunt, but the Bluejays got the force at home. One batter later, Conger singled to left center, pushing Roberts across for the winning run. Rylyn Dyer (5.0-IP, 5R, 4ER, 10H, 2BB, K) started in the circle for Butler and pitched into the sixth inning. Alyx Johnson (4-0) provided relief and picked up the win. In 3.0 innings, she kept Creighton scoreless, allowing only one hit with one walk. Bulldog Bits With two doubles in game one, Preiss now has six this season. Alexander’s double in game one was her eighth this season and the 20th of her career. Paxton Law’s double in game one was her third this season. Johnson’s win in the circle was her fourth this season. She has no losses in 12 total appearances. Up Next Butler and Creighton will play the rubber match of the series tomorrow, Friday, April 3. First pitch is currently scheduled for 12 p.m. =================================================================== BALL STATE BASEBALL BASEBALL FALLS IN SERIES OPENER AT MIAMI OXFORD, Ohio – The Ball State baseball team cut a four-run deficit down to one in the middle innings of Thursday’s game at Miami but fell 14-4 to the RedHawks in the series opener at McKie Field. The Cardinals (15-13, 10-3 Mid-American Conference) trailed 4-0 after the hosts (18-10, 8-5 MAC) scored one run in the first inning and three runs in the second. Ball State got back-to-back-to-back run- scoring singles from Brayden Huebner, Brett Griffiths and Jacob Gillis in the top of the fifth to cut Miami’s edge to 4-3. After the RedHawks hit a solo home run in the bottom half of the fifth frame, the Cardinals responded with an RBI double from Huebner to plate Kenskey Thomas that made the score 5-4. Miami scored four runs in the sixth and five in the seventh to secure the seven-inning victory. Huebner went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI, while Gillis and Thomas chipped in two hits each to lead the Ball State offense. Brendan Garza (3-3) struck out nine but allowed five runs in 5.0 innings to suffer the loss. Zac Sohosky (3-0) worked 5.1 innings of four-run ball for the RedHawks to be credited with the win. The duo of Evan Applewick (double, homer, five RBI) and Tommy Harrison (3-for-4, home run, three RBI) in the middle of the Miami lineup led the way for the RedHawks. Game two of the series is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday. =================================================================== BALL STATE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL CARDINALS SWEEP THE NORSE FOR 13TH CONSECUTIVE HOME VICTORY MUNCIE, Ind. – The seventh-ranked Ball State men’s volleyball team continued its dominant run inside Worthen Arena Thursday evening, picking up a swift straight-set victory (25-21, 25-20, 25-17) versus Northern Kentucky. With the win, the Cardinals (21-3, 12-2 MIVA) maintain their standing at the top of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association while claiming their 13th consecutive win at home this season and extending their win streak to six. While undefeated at home, BSU has dropped just six sets in Worthen compared to 39 won. Ball State’s offense was firing away versus the Norse (5-15 2-11 MIVA), as the team finished with a.375 hitting percentage while holding NKU to a .208 clip. Junior setter Lucas Machado was the engine behind the efficiency, tallying 27 assists. Machado was also a presence on defense, claiming a team-best three blocks and four digs. MIVA Offensive Player of the Week Patrick Rogers captured his second straight double-double of 2026, striking down a match-high 14 kills on.423 hitting with 10 digs. The senior totaled seven digs in set two alone. Wil Basilio and Ryan Louis provided significant support, contributing seven and six kills respectively. Daniel Gunther and Jacob Surette were nearly perfect at the net, each recording five kills as Gunther hit .833 and Surette hit .714. Gunther also paced the Cardinals in service aces, claiming two. Ball State set the tone in the opening frame as Rogers and Gunther combined for eight kills while Ball State fended off a late Norse push. BSU remained efficient throughout sets two and three, letting the Norse see just one lead change in set two before wrapping up the night with a 6-2 run to close the match in the third. The Cardinals look to close out the regular season at home with two conference rematches. The men battle No. 16 Lewis for beach day on April 9, with first serve scheduled for 7 p.m. Ball State then attempts to complete the conference avenge tour as it celebrates senior night versus No. 9 Loyola on April 11 at 4 p.m. ================================================================= BALL STATE MEN’S TENNIS BALL STATE MEN’S TENNIS FALLS TO RIVAL WESTERN MICHIGAN IN 5-2 DECISION KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Ball State men’s tennis team (9-10, 4-4 MAC) dropped a hard-fought Mid-American Conference match to rival Western Michigan (13-9, 6-2 MAC) by a score of 5-2 on Thursday afternoon at the West Hills Athletic Club. The Broncos gained early momentum by clinching the doubles point, forcing the Cardinals to play from behind heading into singles. Western Michigan’s depth proved decisive as they secured four of the six singles matches to protect their home court. Despite the setback, Ball State showed grit in the middle of their singles lineup. The Cardinals briefly surged to a 2-1 lead over the Broncos thanks to dominant performances from Andrei Caragea and Broc Fletcher. Caragea swept Alex Antonopoulos 6-0, 6-2 at the No. 2 spot, while Fletcher continued his strong season with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Drew Evans at No. 6. However, the momentum shifted as the Broncos claimed the final four singles matches to clinch the win. The Cardinals look to bounce back on the road against UIC this April 9 at 1 p.m. ET. ================================================================ BALL STATE MEN’S GOLF MEN’S GOLFERS TAKE AIM AT TOP-RANKED EVENT IN NASHVILLE THIS WEEKEND FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Ball State men’s golfers take part in the Mason Rudolph Championship this weekend at Vanderbilt Legends Club, where 14 top Division I teams will vie for a tournament title. Among the cast of high-caliber participants are five top 20 teams, and nine in the top 100. Leading the rankings around the par-71, 7,100-yard track this weekend are top-ranked Auburn, host and No. 11-ranked Vanderbilt, No. 12 Tennessee and No. 13 Mississippi. UNC Charlotte ranks 19th entering the tournament, followed by top 100 challengers Kentucky (48), NC State (58), Mississippi State (71) and Princeton (89). The Cardinals slot among the back half of the field that includes Furman, Middle Tennessee State, Northern Illinois and Western Kentucky. Leading this week’s Ball State lineup are freshmen Luke Johnston and Samuel Harris who continue to lead the Cardinals this season with stroke averages of 70.76 and 72.76, respectively. No. 3 in the lineup this week is junior Avery Mahoney, No. 4 is sophomore Happy Gilmore and No. 5 is junior transfer Cameron Young. Gilmore was the Cardinals’ top finisher, earlier this week, at the Don Benbow Invitational in Indianapolis. Tournament play begins at 9 a.m., Friday, beginning 54 holes of championship-level play with 18 holes each day. ESPN+ will carry action on the 18th hole during Sunday’s action, beginning at 4 p.m. ================================================================= INDIANA STATE TRACK TREES OPEN OUTDOOR HOME SLATE WITH PACESETTER SPORTS INVITATIONAL TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State plays host to its first outdoor home meet of the 2026 season Friday and Saturday, welcoming competition to the John McNichols Memorial Track at the Gibson Track and Field Complex for the Pacesetter Sports Invitational. Friday’s action begins at 1 p.m. with the hammer throw and javelin, with the first events on the track slated for 5:30 p.m. Saturday’s busy slate from Terre Haute kicks off at noon. 2026 Pacesetter Sports InvitationalDateFriday, April 3 | 1 p.m. // Saturday, April 4 | NoonLocation // VenueTerre Haute, Ind. // Gibson Track and Field ComplexMeet InfoMeet Info // Meet Schedule // Heat SheetsLive StatsLive ResultsTickets$5 Admission (will be collected at the gate)Social Media@IndStXCTF // @IndStAthletics Meetday Info There is a $5 admission fee for home track meets, which will be collected at the main gate. Parking is available in Lot K (Chestnut Street, behind the Imperial Lanes bowling alley). Additional parking can be found in campus lots located within a 10-minute walk of the complex. 1st Street/Riverside Road is closed. DO NOT park in the Annex or Riverfront Lofts parking lots. Any cars who park in the lots for the apartment complexes by the track and field complex (Annex and Riverfront Lofts) and any non-Indiana State University lots will be towed at the owner’s expense. Last Time Out Indiana State’s 2026 outdoor track and field season got off on the right foot, as the Sycamores accounted for 14 first-place finishes at the EIU Big Blue Classic. Janiya Bowman broke Indiana State’s school record in the long jump, which stood since 2006, with her wind-legal mark of 6.27m (20-7). Aliseonna Garnett also recorded a career-best mark in the discus to move into the top five in program history in the event, while Emma Yoder cracked the top 10 in program history in the hammer throw. The Blue and White secured sweeps of the top spots in the 100 and 110m hurdles, 4x400m relay and discus. Record-Setting Start Indiana State redshirt junior sprinter/jumper Janiya Bowman picked up right where she left off after claiming MVC Indoor Championship MVP honors. The Plainfield, Illinois, native shattered Indiana State’s school record in the long jump, which had stood since 2006, with her final attempt of the competition measuring in at 6.27m (20-7). She also broke Eastern Illinois’ facility record in the process, while recording the best wind-legal mark in the Missouri Valley Conference since 2012. Bowman owns the top mark in both the MVC and Great Lakes Region this season, while also ranking fourth in NCAA East Region qualifying and ninth in the nation in the long jump. Bowman was inexplicably not named MVC Field Athlete of the Week by the league office, despite being the highest-ranked women’s athlete in any event in the conference and one of just two athletes in the conference to rank in the top 10 nationally in an event this season (Bradley’s Kaden Kingsmith, who was named MVC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week, was the other). Starting Off Strong Indiana State accounted for the top spot in three of the four hurdles events in the season-opening EIU Big Blue Classic, headlined by a sweep of the top three in the 110m hurdles. Collin Forrest paced the Trees in the event at 14.07, with David Carnell and Parker Doyle right behind with times of 14.22 and 14.34, respectively. Carnell also claimed a win in the 400m hurdles with a career-best time of 54.85. Rachel Mehringer started her outdoor season in a big way Saturday, cruising to a win in the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.29 to rank among the national leaders. Aubrey Runyon also nabbed a top-three finish for the Blue and White with a time of 13.98 in her outdoor collegiate debut. Forrest, Carnell and Doyle account for three of the top four 110m hurdles times in the MVC through the opening weekend, while Mehringer and Runyon occupy the top two spots in the conference in the 100m hurdles. Carnell’s 400m hurdles time also ranks second in the MVC. AG’s Big Weekend Indiana State junior thrower Aliseonna Garnett was responsible for a large portion of the Sycamores’ strong season-opening efforts in the EIU Big Blue Classic. Garnett nabbed wins in both the shot put (14.35m/47-1) and discus (53.71m/176-2), with her mark in the discus representing a top-five mark in program history. She also nabbed a top-three finish in the discus with a career-best mark of 52.70m (172-11), and was the only athlete in the field to claim top-three finishes in each of the three events. Garnett owns top-three marks in the conference in all three events she competed in during the Sycamores’ season opener. The Indianapolis native owns the top mark in the discus by more than five meters, while ranking second in the shot put and third in the hammer throw. She ranked higher than this week’s MVC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week in both the discus and hammer throw while trailing by less than five centimeters in the shot put. Home Sweet Home The Pacesetter Sports Invitational is the first of four home outdoor meets for Indiana State this season, with the Sycamores set to host the Gibson Invitational April 16-18 and the Sycamore Open May 8 during the regular season. Indiana State is also the MVC Outdoor Championship host for the second time in the last three seasons, with the conference championships coming to Terre Haute May 16-17. Indiana State has seen plenty of success in its home meets during recent years. The Sycamores have placed first on both the men’s and women’s side in every scored home meet since the start of the 2021-22 season, a figure which includes Indiana State’s 2024 MVC Outdoor Championships sweep. Up Next Indiana State heads south for the Crimson Tide Invitational April 10 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. ====================================================================== INDIANA STATE BASEBALL SYCAMORES POWER PAST UIC IN OFFENSIVE SLUGFEST ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State’s offensive output was on full display across the lineup on Thursday afternoon as the Sycamores slugged their way to a 20-10 win over UIC in eight innings in the series opener at Bob Warn Field. Ten different Indiana State (15-14, 5-2) players hit safely, eight different Sycamores recorded multiple hits, five players combined for six home runs, while five additional players combined for eight doubles as the Sycamores erased an early lead with 12 runs over the final three innings in the MVC series opening win. UIC (8-18-1, 3-4) took the early 5-1 lead behind Jake Busson and Vidal Colon home runs in the first three innings, before the Sycamore offense came to life in the bottom of the third frame. Indiana State sent 11 batters to the plate in an inning highlighted by Mason Roell (two-run), Colin Sander (solo), and Carter Beck (three-run) home runs in building an 8-5 lead. After UIC rallied back with four runs of their own highlighted by Thomas Curry’s three-run home run to take the 9-8 lead, Indiana State responded again in the sixth. The Sycamores utilized the long ball again as Emil Estrella led off the bottom of the inning with a solo home run to tie the game. Caden Miller and Nick Sutherlin added back-to-back doubles with Sutherlin driving home Miller to retake the lead, with Colin Sander (RBI fielder’s choice) and Caleb Niehaus (RBI single) both driving in runs and Jeremy Martinez scoring on a wild pitch. Indiana State continued to build off their lead with Caleb Niehaus providing the big blow in the seventh inning on a three-run home run to left center, his first of the season, to stake the Sycamroes to the 17-9 lead. Indiana State closed out the game in the next frame with Colin Sander providing the final hit of the contest with a two-run single to right center scoring Mason Roell and Nick Sutherlin to activate the Valley’s 10-run mercy rule in the eighth inning. Mason Roell wrapped up the day with four of Indiana State’s 24 hits in the game with Roell, Colin Sander, and Caleb Niehaus all driving in four RBIs. Carter Beck, Emil Estrella, and Nick Sutherlin all had three hits apiece, while Caden Miller, Colin Sander, and Jeremy Martinez all had two hits in the contest. Jack Armstrong (3-2) picked up the win in relief on Thursday afternoon as the senior right-hander allowed three hits and a run while striking out three in 3.0 innings. Hunter Small worked 2.0 innings allowing three hits and five runs (four earned) in the start, while Breyllin Suriel worked the final 3.0 innings allowing just one run the rest of the way. UIC’s Ashton Kampa went 4-for-4 for the day from the plate and added a double as the Flames recorded 11 hits overall in the contest. Thomas Curry and Vidal Colon both connected on three-run home runs, while Jake Busson added a solo home run in the loss. Mason Lei (2-4) took the loss on Thursday allowing 12 hits and eight runs (five earned) over 4.2 innings. Bobby Barrera, Aidan Terronez, Jacob Jakubowski, and George Eisenhardt also saw action on the mound. How They Scored UIC took the early lead in the top of the first inning as Jake Busson connected on a two-out solo home run and Thomas Curry scored on a Sycamore throwing error to put the Flames ahead 2-0. Indiana State took one back in the bottom of the second inning on Mason Roell’s solo home run to left field to make it a 2-1 ballgame. Vidal Colon added to the UIC lead in the top of the third inning with a three-run home run over the left field wall to extend the advantage to 5-1. The Sycamores powered back in a seven-run bottom of the third inning as Mason Roell (two-run), Colin Sander (solo), and Carter Beck (three-run) all homered in the inning to put Indiana State ahead 8-5. UIC battled back with patience at the plate as Colin Husko drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the fifth inning to cut the score down to 8-6. The Flames retook the lead in the top of the sixth as Thomas Curry connected on a three-run home run to left field scoring Jake Busson and Lucas Smith to put UIC ahead 9-8. Indiana State responded with a five-run sixth inning sparked by Emil Estrella’s solo home run, while Nick Sutherlin (RBI double), Colin Sander (RBI fielder’s choice), and Caleb Niehaus (RBI single) all drove in runs. Jeremy Martinez capped the scoring in the inning by scoring on a wild pitch to put the Sycamores ahead 13-9. Indiana State added to the lead in the seventh as Nick Sutherlin and Mason Roell hit back-to-back doubles for the first run, while Caleb Niehaus launched a three-run home run to left center to make it a 17-9 Sycamore lead. UIC plated a run in the top of the eighth on Sean Cody’s RBI single scoring Ashton Kampa to put the score at 17-10. The Sycamores walked the game off in the bottom of the eight as Caden Miller’s line drive sacrifice fly scored Carter Beck, before Colin Sander connected on the game-ending two-run single to right field scoring both Mason Roell and Nick Sutherlin to provide the final 20-10 scoring line. News and Notes Carter Beck extended his hitting streak to 11 consecutive games on Thursday afternoon as the junior outfielder recorded his 11th consecutive multi-hit game after going 3-for-6 from the plate. Mason Roell recorded his second multi-homer game of the 2026 season as the sophomore third baseman homered in both the second and third innings on Thursday afternoon. Mason Roell becomes the second Sycamore to post two multi-homer games of the season, joining Emil Estrella (Mar. 7 at Western Kentucky, Mar. 22 against Bradley). The Sycamores hit back-to-back home runs for the second time in the 2026 season as Mason Roell and Colin Sander connected in the third inning. It marked the first time the Sycamores achieved the feat since Eddie Alonso and Jeremy Martinez went back-to-back in the fifth inning on February 22 against UMass Lowell. Indiana State hit three home runs in the third inning as Mason Roell, Colin Sander, and Carter Beck all went deep in the frame on Thursday night. It marked the second time the Sycamores have hit three homers in the same inning and first since February 22 against UMass Lowell went Nick Sutherlin, Eddie Alonso, and Jeremy Martinez all homered in the fifth inning against the River Hawks. Indiana State powered six home runs on Thursday afternoon with Mason Roell (2), Colin Sander, Carter Beck, Emil Estrella, and Caleb Niehaus driving the ball deep for the Sycamores in the game. It marked the Sycamores’ most home runs since connecting on six back on April 24, 2022, against Evansville. Indiana State’s eight doubles on Thursday afternoon equals a season-high for the Sycamores and ties the most for the team since February 16, 2025, when Indiana State connected on eight doubles against Wagner. The Sycamores recorded 24 hits on Thursday afternoon marking their second 20-hit game of the 2026 season and first since connecting on 20 on March 22 against Bradley. Indiana State’s 24-hit game was the most by the Sycamores since February 16, 2025, when the Sycamores connected on 34 hits against Wagner. Ten different Indiana State players recorded hits on Thursday with eight different players recording multi-hit contests. Up Next Indiana State is scheduled to continue the series against UIC on Friday evening with first pitch at Bob Warn Field set for 6:30 p.m. The game will be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend. =================================================================== PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL MASTODON MVB SWEEPS QUEENS CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball team topped Queens in straight sets (25-19, 25-18, 25-12) on Thursday night (April 2). Set one began fairly contested, the Mastodons owned a 15-12 lead at the media timeout. The ‘Dons hit three service aces in the set and boasted a .560 hitting percentage to pull away to a 25-19 set victory. Purdue Fort Wayne turned up the defensive intensity going into the second frame, holding the Lions to a .111 hitting percentage. Similar to the first set, no team held a major run and the gap remained close at a 15-11 Mastodon lead at the media. The ‘Dons slowly pulled away, taking a two set lead at 25-18. The final set belonged to Purdue Fort Wayne. The Mastodons held their three largest scoring stretches during the frame, two during a 12-3 run for a 15-7 lead at the break. The ‘Dons extended their lead following six straight unanswered points, including two service aces and a kill from Logan Muir. Purdue Fort Wayne finished the set at a .600 hitting percentage, holding Queens to -.250 in the set. The Mastodons finished off the frame at 25-12 to complete the sweep. The ‘Dons hit six service aces in the match, three coming from Muir. Purdue Fort Wayne hit .448 through the course of the match and held the Lions to .100. Muir led the match with 12 kills. Hunter Hopkins recorded 37 assists and five digs in the contest. No. 20 Purdue Fort Wayne moves to an even 10-10 on the year, 5-8 in MIVA play. Queens falls to 6-18 for the season, 1-14 in MIVA play.The ‘Dons finish out their Charlotte road trip with round two against Queens tomorrow (April 3) at 6 p.m. ================================================================= SOUTHERN INDIANA SOFTBALL USI DROPS THURSDAY DOUBLEHEADER AGAINST MOREHEAD STATE EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball fell in both games of Thursday’s home doubleheader against Morehead State University, coming up just short in the series opener, 2-1, before Morehead State rallied in the seventh inning to take the second game, 10-6. With Thursday’s results, USI Softball dropped to 10-21 overall and 7-7 in Ohio Valley Conference play. Meanwhile, Morehead State snapped a five-game losing streak and doubled its season win total by improving to 4-24 overall and 3-11 in conference action. The day began with a low-scoring pitcher’s duel, as all three combined runs between the two teams were scored in the third inning. Morehead State scored twice on a single in the top half of the frame, while USI tallied one back in the home half of the inning on a sac fly by junior outfielder Kate Satkoski. Outside of the third inning, it was a battle of the pitchers. USI sophomore pitcher Kylie Witthaus (2-6) suffered a hard-luck loss after tossing a complete game with one earned run allowed off seven hits with two strikeouts. Morehead State starting pitcher Ainsley Stubbs (4-8) recorded her first win of the day after pitching the first four innings and surrendered one run before giving the ball to Rylie Burney for the final three innings to notch her first save of the season. At the plate, USI totaled six hits in game one. Satkoski and junior catcher Alyssa Mumaw each tallied a pair of hits. The Screaming Eagles jumped out first to a 1-0 lead in game two off an RBI double by freshman infielder Jadyn Tinsley, but Morehead State evened the game at one in the top of the second inning. USI reclaimed the lead with a couple of runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 3-1 advantage after an RBI single by junior infielder Sydney Long and a sac fly from Mumaw. USI built on its lead with three runs in the home half of the fourth to surge ahead 6-1. Sophomore Jordan Mackey drove in the first run of the inning on an RBI single before two bases-loaded walks later in the inning scored two more. Despite the five-run difference, USI ran into trouble in the top of the seventh. Morehead State rallied and scored nine runs to take the lead, 10-6, before closing out the comeback effort in the bottom of the seventh. Each side posted 10 hits in the second game. Senior outfielder Caroline Stapleton, freshman outfielder Katelyn Marx, Mackey, and Long all finished with two-hit games. Mumaw and Tinsley collected two RBIs apiece. On the pitching side, freshman pitcher Elly Robbins took a no-decision after starting the first 6.1 innings, giving up six runs and four earned with two strikeouts. Freshman pitcher Anna Kemp (3-9) was dealt the loss in relief, allowing four runs but only one earned. Stubbs registered her second win of the day as the third Morehead State pitcher used in game two. Stubbs pitched 3.1 scoreless innings. The Screaming Eagles look to respond and snap a six-game losing skid in Friday’s series finale against Morehead State. First pitch is at Noon from USI Softball Field. Coverage and live stat links for this week’s series are available on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com. ==================================================================== SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL SCREAMING EAGLES DROP GAME ONE TO COUGARS, 4-2 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball suffered a tough loss to SIU Edwardsville, 4-2, to open the Ohio Valley Conference series Thursday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. USI is 18-12 this season and 3-4 in the OVC, while SIUE is 15-14, 7-0 OVC. USI spotted SIUE a 3-0 lead through the top of the fifth before the offense could scratch the scoreboard. The Screaming Eagles were able to shrink the deficit to 3-2 with a tally in the bottom of the fifth and sixth. USI senior catcher Micajah Wall scored the first run of the day for the Screaming Eagles when graduate pinch hitter/leftfielder Jesse Velders reached on a fielder’s choice in the fifth. The Screaming Eagles pushed across their second run of the game in the sixth when junior third baseman Parker Martin scored on a groundout by graduate rightfielder Noah Foster. The 3-2 score would be as close as USI would come in the 4-2 loss. SIUE scored an insurance run in the ninth, while USI stranded a runner in the eighth and ninth before the Cougars closed the game. On the mound, junior right-hander Abdriel Figueroa started and took the loss. Figueroa (2-2) allowed three runs, two earned, on nine hits and a walk in five innings of work. Up Next for the Screaming Eagles: USI and SIUE continue the series Friday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at the USI Baseball Field. The third game of the series was moved from Saturday to Friday due to the forecast of heavy rain. Following the USI-SIUE series, the Screaming Eagles finish their four-game homestand Monday when Bellarmine visits the USI Baseball Field for a 3 p.m. contest. USI hits the road for five games after the homestand, beginning at Butler Tuesday; continuing with a three-game set at Eastern Illinois April 10-12; and concluding at Ball State April 15. ================================================================== VALPO BASEBALL BEACONS TURN TRIPLE PLAY, HOMER TWICE IN SERIES-OPENING SETBACK AT WASHINGTON The Valparaiso University baseball team turned the program’s first triple play since 2015 and launched a pair of home runs, but host Washington prevailed 6-3 on Thursday night at Husky Ballpark in Seattle. Cal Schembra (Greenwood, Ind. / Center Grove) and Case Sullivan (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel) cracked home runs for the Beacons. How It Happened Washington scored twice on a bases-loaded walk and an RBI single in the bottom of the first, but the Beacons turned the rare triple play to get out of the inning without further damage. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Washington’s Blake Wilson bounced one back to the mound, and pitcher Adam Guazzo (Huntley, Ill. / Huntley) threw home for the force, then catcher Eli Riley (Zanesville, Ind. / Norwell) fired on to first for the second out. A Washington runner tried to score from second on the throw to first, and the return throw from Schembra to Riley easily cut down the runner to complete the triple play. Washington led off the bottom of the third with a solo homer to extend the lead to 3-0. Schembra connected on a drive that carried over the right-field wall for a solo home run in the fourth, getting the Beacons on the board at 3-1. A bases-loaded hit by pitch and a sac fly in the bottom of the fourth accounted for two Washington runs as the Huskies expanded the lead to four at 5-1. Valpo got the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh thanks to two walks and a hit batter, but stranded the bags full as Washington escaped the inning still on top 5-1. The Huskies added a run on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh to make it 6-1. The Beacons got back within four in the top of the eighth as Brayden Pleau (Appleton, Wis. / Kimberly) made Washington pay for two walks with a two-out, run-scoring single to make it 6-2. At the stroke of midnight back home, Sullivan powered one 365 feet over the left-field wall just past the pitch clock to make it 6-3. That stood as the game’s final score. Inside the Game The triple play was Valpo’s first since April 12, 2015, when pitcher Ben Mahar came in with two on and nobody out and Valpo leading by six in the top of the seventh against Oakland. As the legend goes, head coach Brian Schmack gave the ball to Mahar and said, “Might as well turn the first triple play in program history.” Two pitches later, Schmack’s tongue-in-cheek remark became a reality as shortstop Spencer Mahoney let the ball bounce on a soft line drive, gloved it on a short hop, fed Jeff Edwards for the force at second, then Edwards tagged future big leaguer Michael Brosseau for the second out and then threw to first for the triple play. Schembra’s home run was his fourth of the season. Schembra had a pair of extra-base hits, as he also recorded a double, his seventh of the season, moving into a tie for the team lead. After not homering in his first 21 games of the season, Sullivan went deep for the second straight game on Thursday. He has nine home runs over his two seasons at Valpo. Valpo has played three different Big Ten teams in the last 10 days, and all three games have been decided by four runs or fewer. Valpo batters struck out a season-high 17 times on Thursday. There was some traffic on the bases for the Beacons, who drew six walks and had a hit batter to go along with five hits. The bullpen played a big role in keeping it close, as Justin Bultemeier (Decatur, Ind. / Adams Central) and Christian Hack (Oak Forest, Ill. / Tinley Park) combined to cover 4 2/3 innings while allowing just one run. Up Next The Beacons (7-18) and Huskies will continue the series on Friday night at 9 p.m. CT in Seattle. The game will air on B1G+. ================================================================ 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 1901 Although Christy Mathewson tried to return the money, the A’s owner, Connie Mack, accused him of reneging on his contract to play the 1901 season with the fledgling American League team. After meeting with the A’s manager in January, ‘Big Six’ committed his services to Philadelphia when he received a signing bonus, but then used that offer to secure a richer contract from the Giants. 1923 Happy Felsch and Swede Risberg file a suit against the White Sox for back salary and $400,000 in damages. Both expelled players, acquitted for allegedly fixing the 1919 World Series, were still banned from baseball by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, even though they were found not guilty of the wrongdoing in a much-publicized court case. 1950 Considered a well-guarded secret, Mel Parnell reveals he pitched all but three of his 39 games for Boston last season with a sore elbow. The 27-year-old ‘Dusty’ finished the season 25-7 with a 2.77 ERA for the second-place Red Sox. 1961 New York investors Jack P. Schleifer and Milton Schwartz take a title to Connie Mack Stadium, formerly known as Shibe Park, in hopes of developing the property as an industrial center with bowling alleys and a restaurant when the Phillies move to a proposed new ballpark in the northeastern part of the city. In 1991, the 52-year-old ballpark, home to the A’s (1909-1954) and the Phillies (1938-1970), will eventually become the site of Deliverance Evangelistic Church. 1966 In a special lottery, Tom Seaver picks the Mets from names tossed in a hat that includes the Phillies and Indians, signing with New York for a reported $50,000 bonus. After MLB voided his son’s contract with the Braves, Tom’s dad threatened a lawsuit because the right-hander’s college team had played two exhibition games, but signing a pro contract also prevented the future Hall of Famer from playing on the collegiate level. 1966 In his first at-bat against Juan Marichal since the pitcher’s bat-yielding incident last season, Johnny Roseboro hits a three-run inside-the-park home run in the Dodgers’ 8-4 victory over the Giants. Before starting the spring training contest, San Francisco GM Chub Feeney attempted to arrange a handshake between the combatants, with the Los Angeles catcher, who has a $110,000 lawsuit pending against the right-hander and the hurler’s team, declining the offer. 1967 Al Jackson, competing for a spot in the Cardinals’ rotation to replace an injured Steve Carlton, gives up twenty hits over nine innings in an exhibition game. The southpaw’s poor outing comes against the Tulsa Oilers, the Redbirds’ Class AA minor league team in the Texas League. 1968 Detroit trades left-hander Hank Aguirre to the Dodgers for minor leaguer Fred Moulder, the player to be named later. The All-Star southpaw, better known for being the worst hitter in major league history, will compile a .085 batting average during his 16-year major league career, striking out an astounding 236 times in his 388 at-bats (61%). 1969 The Phillies trade first baseman Bill White to the Cardinals for infielder Jerry Buchek and utility player Jim Hutto. White will retire after one season in St. Louis, eventually becoming the president of the National League after a 17-year stint as the Yankee broadcasting partner of the long-time legendary voice of the Bronx Bombers, Phil Rizzuto. 1974 The Indians trade Pedro Guerrero to the Dodgers for pitcher Bruce Ellingsen, who appears in only 16 games for Cleveland in his only year in the majors. The 17-year-old infielder/outfielder will compile a .309 batting average, becoming a five-team All-Star during his 11 seasons with the team. 1984 On Opening Day, Tiger rookie Barbaro Garbey becomes the first Cuban refugee to play in the majors when he grounds out in the seventh inning as a pinch-hitter for Dave Bergman. The 27-year-old utility player will stay in the game, playing first base in Detroit’s 8-1 rout of Minnesota in the Metrodome. 1985 The Players’ Association agrees to the owners’ proposal of expanding the League Championship Series to best-of-seven. The LCS started as a best-of-five series in 1969 when the leagues divided into divisions, with the Orioles and Mets sweeping their opponents in three games. 1987 The Cubs trade starter Dennis Eckersley and prospect Dan Rohn to the A’s for three minor leaguers who will never appear in a major league game. The future Hall of Famer known as ‘Eck’ becomes one of the game’s top relievers, saving 320 games during his nine-year tenure with Oakland. 1989 The Mets win their 11th consecutive home opener, beating St. Louis at Shea Stadium, 8-4. The Amazins have won on Opening Day in 18 of the last 20 seasons. 1989 In his first major league at-bat, Mariners’ center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. doubles off Oakland’s Dave Stewart. The 19-year-old ‘Junior,’ the son of an active major league outfielder playing with the Reds, will establish himself as one of the game’s superstars before retiring in 2010. 1990 Billy Hatcher, who is in the delivery room with his pregnant wife when the phone rings, is informed by Pirates manager Jim Leyland that he has been traded but doesn’t ask which team now has his services. After his daughter Chelsea is born, the former Pittsburgh outfielder gets a call at home from Cincinnati general manager Bob Quinn to welcome him to the Reds. 1994 The new season begins with the first Sunday night opener in major league history, a game not embraced by local fans or Reds’ owner Marge Schott. On a frigid Easter Sunday evening at Riverfront Stadium, the Cardinals beat the Reds in the controversial contest, 6-4, in front of the smallest Opening Day crowd in the ballpark’s 24-year history. 2000 After missing last season due to undergoing treatments for lymphatic cancer, Braves’ first baseman Andres Galarraga makes a dramatic return on Opening Day, homering in the seventh inning to break up a scoreless tie. The 38-year-old first baseman’s home run, followed by Andruw Jones’ back-to-back shot, gives Atlanta a 2-0 victory over the Rockies at Turner Field. 2000 With their 8-0 and 21-1 victories over the Clafin Panthers, the Savannah State Nine extends its consecutive-game winning streak to 42 games. The Tigers’ twin sweep sets an NCAA record, eclipsing the Marietta College of Ohio record of 40 straight wins established by the Division II school last year. 2002 Barry Bonds becomes the second player in baseball history to begin a season with consecutive two-homer games. Eddie Mathews also hit a pair of homers in the Braves’ first two games against the Pirates to start the 1958 season. 2005 Alex Sanchez becomes the first major leaguer publicly identified under baseball’s new steroid policy. The Tampa Bay outfielder receives a ten-day suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. 2006 Sportsnet NY, the Mets’ new team-owned network, broadcasts its first regular-season baseball game. During the third inning of New York’s 3-2 victory over the Nationals, SNY will experience technical difficulties, blacking out the telecast for nearly 20 minutes. 2006 Seattle’s Kenji Johjima becomes the first Japanese catcher to start a major league game. The Mariners’ 30-year-old backstop homers in his debut in the team’s 5-3 loss to the Angels. 2007 Marcus and Brian Giles bat first and second in San Diego’s Opening Day lineup in the Padres’ 7-0 victory over the Giants. Skipper Bud Black’s batting order marks the first time brothers hit one and two in a game since Matty and Jesus Alou did it for San Francisco in 1965. 2008 A three-and-a-half-pound red-tailed hawk, known to nest at the historic ballpark, attacks a Memorial Boulevard Middle School student during a Fenway Park tour. The 13-year-old from Bristol (CT), treated for a small scalp scratch at a local hospital, has a familiar name to Red Sox fans: Alexa Rodriguez, similar to the much-detested Yankee third baseman, who is also 13 (uniform number). 2008 In a dazzling debut, Reds right-hander Johnny Cueto fans ten batters in an overpowering seven-inning performance when Cincinnati beats the visiting Diamondbacks, 3-2. Using a 96-mph fastball and devastating changeup, the 22-year-old rookie, who started pitching in the low minors last season, strikes out eight of the first 13 Arizona batters he faces. 2008 At Comerica Park in Detroit, the Royals beat the Tigers, 4-1, completing a season-opening three-game sweep. The victories mark the first time Kansas City had started the year with a sweep on the road since 1977, when the team also won the first three away contests of the season in the Motor City. 2008 The Dodgers announce, twenty minutes before their game, that reliever Hong-Chih Kuo will start in place of Chad Billingsley, who, in turn, will be in the bullpen. The unusual move, made due to the threat of rain at the start of the contest, is also employed by the Giants, with Merkin Valdez beginning the game with the announced starter and eventual winner, Tim Lincecum, entering the game in the fourth inning. 2009 The Mets, obligated only to pay the major league minimum of $400,000, sign Gary Sheffield (.225, 19, 57), hoping to add a much-needed right-handed bat to the lineup. The Tigers unexpectedly released the 40-year-old offensively challenged outfielder with 499 career home runs earlier in the week despite having $14 million left on his contract. 2009 On a damp and chilly New York night, the Mets and Yankees open their new stadiums with exhibition games. The double debut in the Big Apple sees each team win when the Amazins beat the Red Sox, 4-3, and the Bronx Bombers, launching three homers to defeat the Cubs, 7-4. 2010 Adam Lind (.305, 35, 114) and the Blue Jays agree to an $18 million, four-year contract that includes three additional years with a club option. The 26-year-old outfielder, flanked by several teammates, announces the deal at a press conference held before an exhibition game in Houston. 2011 Ranger teammates Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz become the first pair of players to homer in each of the first three games in a season playing for the same team. The duo’s weekend of round-trippers contributes to Texas’ sweep of their season-opening series against the visiting Red Sox. 2016 On Opening Day in Kansas City, with the team’s theme of “We Are The Champions” playing in the background, over 2,000 fans will participate in the Relay the Way event, establishing a new record when they line up to complete the longest first pitch in baseball history. The ball, tossed hand to glove for four hours, travels a distance of nine miles and raises over $100,000 for the Royals’ Urban Youth Academy charity. 2016 For the first time, teams from the previous World Series face each other on Opening Day when the Mets drop a 4-3 decision to the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. During pregame ceremonies, Kansas City, which defeated the New York in the Fall Classic in five games, hoists the World Champion banner for the first time since beating the Cardinals in 1985. ========================================================= TV SPORTS TODAY Friday, 4/3/2026 MLB REGULAR SEASONTIME ETTVLos Angeles Dodgers vs Washington Nationals1:05pmNationals.TVSNLASt. Louis Cardinals vs Detroit Tigers1:10pmCardinals.TVSN-DETMiami Marlins vs New York Yankees1:35pmMLBNYESMarlins.TVSan Diego Padres vs Boston Red Sox2:10pmNESNPadres.TVCincinnati Reds vs Texas Rangers4:05pmMLBNReds.TVRSNTampa Bay Rays vs Minnesota Twins4:10pmTwins.TVRays.TVChicago Cubs vs Cleveland Guardians4:10pmMARQGuardians.TVPhiladelphia Phillies vs Colorado Rockies4:10pmRockies.TVNBCS-PHIBaltimore Orioles vs Pittsburgh Pirates4:12pmMASNSN-PITMilwaukee Brewers vs Kansas City Royals7:40pmApple TVSeattle Mariners vs Los Angeles Angels9:38pmMLBNROOTFanDuel Sports WestHouston Astros vs Athletics9:40pmNBCS-CASCHNAtlanta Braves vs Arizona Diamondbacks9:40pmApple TVNew York Mets vs San Francisco Giants10:15pmPeacokSNYNBCS-BAYNBA REGULAR SEASONTIME ETTVMinnesota Timberwolves vs Philadelphia 76ers7:00pmFanDuel Sports NorthNBCS-PHIIndiana Pacers vs Charlotte Hornets7:00pmFanDuel Sports CHAFanDuel Sports INDAtlanta Hawks vs Brooklyn Nets7:30pmFanDuel Sports ATLYESChicago Bulls vs New York Knicks7:30pmNBATVCHSNMSGBoston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks8:00pmFanDuel Sports MILNBCS-BOSToronto Raptors vs Memphis Grizzlies8:00pmSNFanDuel Sports MEMUtah Jazz vs Houston Rockets8:00pmKJZZSCHNOrlando Magic vs Dallas Mavericks8:30pmFanDuel Sports FLKFAANew Orleans Pelicans vs Sacramento Kings10:00pmGCSNNBCS-CANHL REGULAR SEASONTIME ETTVPhiladelphia Flyers vs New York Islanders7:00pmMSGSNNBCS-PHISt. Louis Blues vs Anaheim Ducks10:00pmVictory+FanDuel Sports MWCOLLEGE BASEBALLTIME ETTVLSU at Tennessee5:30pmSECNLouisville at Duke6:00pmACCNCOLLEGE SOFTBALLTIME ETTVTexas at Alabama8:30pmSECNLouisville at Duke6:00pmACCNUFLTIME ETTVDC Defenders vs Columbus Aviators8:00pmFOXMOTORSPORTSTIME ETTVNASCAR Truck: Black’s Tire 2004:30pmFS1GOLFTIME ETTVPGA Tour: Valero Texas Open4:00pmGOLFLPGA Tour: Aramco Championship7:00pmGOLFSOCCERTIME ETTVLigue 1: PSG vs Toulouse2:45pmFanatizbeIN SportsfuboTVLa Liga: Rayo Vallecano vs Elche3:00pmESPN+fuboTVLiga MX: Puebla vs Juárez9:00pmVIXLiga MX: Necaxa vs Mazatlán11:00pmVIX About The Author troyderengowski61@gmail.com See author's posts Post navigation THE INDIANA SRN “SCOREBOARD” APRIL 2 THE INDIANA SRN “SCOREBOARD” APRIL 3
