“THE SCOREBOARD” ===== BASEBALL SEMI-STATE PAIRINGS NORTH 1. LAPORTE (SCHREIBER FIELD) G1: NORTHWOOD VS. NORWELL G2: ANDREAN VS. DEKALB CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER 2. LAFAYETTE JEFFERSON (LOEB STADIUM) G1: FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK CHRISTIAN VS. NORTH MIAMI G2: ROSSVILLE VS. KOUTS CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER 3. GRIFFITH (GARY STEEL YARD) G1: ZIONSVILLE VS. LAKE CENTRAL G2: PENN VS. FORT WAYNE SNIDER CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER 4. OAK HILL G1: LAPEL/LCC VS. BLUFFTON G2: EASTBROOK VS. LAKELAND CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER SOUTH 5. MITCHELL G1: HAUSER VS. NORTH DAVIESSG2: GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN VS. NORTHEAST DUBOIS CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER 6. LAWRENCE CENTRAL G1: UNIVERSITY VS. EVANSVILLE MATER DEI G2: HERITAGE CHRISTIAN VS. SULLIVAN CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER 7. CASTLE (UNIVERSITY OF EVANSVILLE) G1: EVANSVILLE NORTH VS. CENTER GROVE G2: BLOOMINGTON SOUTH VS. NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER 8. JASPER (RUXER FIELD) G1: PROVIDENCE VS. GUERIN CATHOLIC G2: GIBSON SOUTHERN VS. INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER ================================== INDIANA SOFTBALL STATE FINALS FRIDAY, JUNE 12 5:30 PM ET / 4:30 CT | CLASS 3A | NEW PALESTINE (24-7) VS. NORTH SEMI-STATE WINNER 8 PM ET / 7 CT | CLASS 4A | TERRE HAUTE NORTH VIGO (30-1) VS. NORTH SEMI-STATE WINNER SATURDAY, JUNE 13 4:30 PM ET / 3:30 CT | CLASS 1A | BARR-REEVE (29-2) VS. NORTH SEMI-STATE WINNER 7 PM ET / 6 CT | CLASS 2A | TECUMSEH (28-4) VS. WESTERN BOONE (22-7) ====================================== INDIANA BOYS GOLF REGIONALS 1. LAKE CENTRAL | SANDY PINES GC THURS, 8 AM CT | RESULTS FEEDER SECTIONALS: (SECTIONALS 1-5) 2. WARSAW COMMUNITY | STONEHENGE GC THURS, 8 AM ET | RESULTS FEEDER SECTIONALS: (SECTIONALS 6-10) 3. HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) | COYOTE CROSSING GC FRI, 9 AM ET | RESULTS FEEDER SECTIONALS: (SECTIONALS 11-15) 4. YORKTOWN | THE PLAYERS CLUB THURS, 8 AM ET | RESULTS FEEDER SECTIONALS: (SECTIONALS 16-20) 5. WASHINGTON | COUNTRY OAKS GC THURS, 8:30 AM ET | RESULTS FEEDER SECTIONALS: (SECTIONALS 21-25) 6. PROVIDENCE | CHAMPIONS POINTE GC THURS, 8 AM ET | RESULTS FEEDER SECTIONALS: (SECTIONALS 26-30) ==================================== NBA PLAYOFFS 2026 NBA FINALS SAN ANTONIO VS. NEW YORK GAME 1: NEW YORK 105 SAN ANTONIO 95 GAME 2: NEW YORK 105 SAN ANTONIO 104 JUNE 8: SAN ANTONIO 115 NEW YORK 111 JUNE 10: NEW YORK 107 SAN ANTONIO 106 JUNE 13: NBA FINALS 2026 – GAME 5 ON ABC, 8:30 ET* JUNE 16: NBA FINALS 2026 – GAME 6 ON ABC, 8:30 ET* JUNE 19: NBA FINALS 2026 – GAME 7 ON ABC, 8:30 ET* * = IF NECESSARY ==================================== NHL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE STANLEY CUP FINAL GAME 1: VEGAS 5 CAROLINA 4 GAME 2: CAROLINA 4 VEGAS 3 OT GAME 3: VEGAS 5 CAROLINA 4 2 OT GAME 4: CAROLINA 5 AT VEGAS 3 *GAME 5: CAROLINA 4 VEGAS 2 *GAME 6: CAROLINA AT VEGAS, 8 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, JUNE 14 (ABC, SN, CBC, TVAS) *GAME 7: VEGAS AT CAROLINA, 8 P.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 (ABC, SN, CBC, TVAS) * – IF NECESSARY =================================== MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL METS 5, CARDINALS 4 DODGERS 8, PIRATES 6 TIGERS 11, TWINS 0 MARLINS 2, DIAMONDBACKS 0 CUBS 9, ROCKIES 3 RANGERS 4, ROYALS 2 ORIOLES 7, MARINERS 5 =================================== MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL INDIANAPOLIS 11 COLUMBUS 6 PEORIA 16 SOUTH BEND 7 DAYTON 5 FT. WAYNE 4 =================================== COLLEGE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES FRIDAY JUNE 12 TROY VS. WEST VIRGINIA OLE MISS VS. NORTH CAROLINA SATURDAY JUNE 13 OKLAHOMA VS. ALABAMA TEXAS VS. GEORGIA ===== TV SCHEDULE: MEN’S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES: FRIDAY, JUNE 12 – SUNDAY/MONDAY 21/22 | CHARLES SCHWAB FIELD IN OMAHA, NE GAME 1 | 2 P.M. FRIDAY, JUNE 12 ON ESPN GAME 2 | 7 P.M. FRIDAY, JUNE 12 ON ESPN GAME 3 | 3 P.M. SATURDAY, JUNE 13 ON ESPN GAME 4 | 8 P.M. SATURDAY, JUNE 13 ON ESPN GAME 5 | 2 P.M. SUNDAY, JUNE 14 ON ESPN GAME 6 | 7 P.M. SUNDAY, JUNE 14 ON ESPN GAME 7 | 2 P.M. MONDAY, JUNE 15 ON ESPN GAME 8 | 7 P.M. MONDAY, JUNE 15 ON ESPN GAME 9 | 2 P.M. TUESDAY, JUNE 16 ON ESPN GAME 10 | 8 P.M. TUESDAY, JUNE 16 ON ESPN GAME 11 | 2 P.M. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 ON ESPN GAME 12 | 7 P.M. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 ON ESPN BRACKET 1 | TBD THURSDAY, JUNE 18 ON ESPN (IF NECESSARY) BRACKET 2 | TBD THURSDAY, JUNE 18 ON ESPN (IF NECESSARY) CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES GAME 1 | TBD SATURDAY, JUNE 20 ON ESPN CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES GAME 2 | 2:30 P.M. SUNDAY, JUNE 21 ON ABC CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES GAME 3 | 7 P.M. MONDAY, JUNE 22 ON ESPN (IF NECESSARY) =================================== WNBA FEVER 114 SKY 106 OT LIBERTY 104 DREAM 90 WINGS 85 MERCURY 70 ACES 105 FIRE 89 =================================== UFL SCORES FINALS JUNE 13 DEFENDERS VS. KINGS =============================== MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER NO GAMES SCHEDULED =============================== WORLD CUP STAGE FIXTURES THURSDAY, 11 JUNE 2026 MEXICO 2 SOUTH AFRICA 0 KOREA REPUBLIC 2 CZECHIA 1 FRIDAY, 12 JUNE 2026 CANADA V BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – GROUP B – TORONTO STADIUM USA V PARAGUAY – GROUP D – LOS ANGELES STADIUM SATURDAY, 13 JUNE 2026 HAITI V SCOTLAND – GROUP C – BOSTON STADIUM AUSTRALIA V TÜRKIYE – GROUP D – BC PLACE VANCOUVER BRAZIL V MOROCCO – GROUP C – NEW YORK NEW JERSEY STADIUM QATAR V SWITZERLAND – GROUP B – SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA STADIUM SUNDAY, 14 JUNE 2026 CÔTE D’IVOIRE V ECUADOR – GROUP E – PHILADELPHIA STADIUM GERMANY V CURAÇAO – GROUP E – HOUSTON STADIUM NETHERLANDS V JAPAN – GROUP F – DALLAS STADIUM SWEDEN V TUNISIA – GROUP F – ESTADIO MONTERREY MONDAY, 15 JUNE 2026 SAUDI ARABIA V URUGUAY – GROUP H – MIAMI STADIUM SPAIN V CABO VERDE – GROUP H – ATLANTA STADIUM IR IRAN V NEW ZEALAND – GROUP G – LOS ANGELES STADIUM BELGIUM V EGYPT – GROUP G – SEATTLE STADIUM TUESDAY, 16 JUNE 2026 FRANCE V SENEGAL – GROUP I – NEW YORK NEW JERSEY STADIUM IRAQ V NORWAY – GROUP I – BOSTON STADIUM ARGENTINA V ALGERIA – GROUP J – KANSAS CITY STADIUM AUSTRIA V JORDAN – GROUP J – SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA STADIUM WEDNESDAY, 17 JUNE 2026 GHANA V PANAMA – GROUP L – TORONTO STADIUM ENGLAND V CROATIA – GROUP L – DALLAS STADIUM PORTUGAL V CONGO DR – GROUP K – HOUSTON STADIUM UZBEKISTAN V COLOMBIA – GROUP K – MEXICO CITY STADIUM THURSDAY, 18 JUNE 2026 CZECHIA V SOUTH AFRICA – GROUP A – ATLANTA STADIUM SWITZERLAND V BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – GROUP B – LOS ANGELES STADIUM CANADA V QATAR – GROUP B – BC PLACE VANCOUVER MEXICO V KOREA REPUBLIC – GROUP A – ESTADIO GUADALAJARA FRIDAY, 19 JUNE 2026 BRAZIL V HAITI – GROUP C – PHILADELPHIA STADIUM SCOTLAND V MOROCCO – GROUP C – BOSTON STADIUM TÜRKIYE V PARAGUAY – GROUP D – SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA STADIUM USA V AUSTRALIA – GROUP D – SEATTLE STADIUM SATURDAY, 20 JUNE 2026 GERMANY V CÔTE D’IVOIRE – GROUP E – TORONTO STADIUM ECUADOR V CURAÇAO – GROUP E – KANSAS CITY STADIUM NETHERLANDS V SWEDEN – GROUP F – HOUSTON STADIUM TUNISIA V JAPAN – GROUP F – ESTADIO MONTERREY SUNDAY, 21 JUNE 2026 URUGUAY V CABO VERDE – GROUP H – MIAMI STADIUM SPAIN V SAUDI ARABIA – GROUP H – ATLANTA STADIUM BELGIUM V IR IRAN – GROUP G – LOS ANGELES STADIUM NEW ZEALAND V EGYPT – GROUP G – BC PLACE VANCOUVER MONDAY, 22 JUNE 2026 NORWAY V SENEGAL – GROUP I – NEW YORK NEW JERSEY STADIUM FRANCE V IRAQ – GROUP I – PHILADELPHIA STADIUM ARGENTINA V AUSTRIA – GROUP J – DALLAS STADIUM JORDAN V ALGERIA – GROUP J – SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA STADIUM TUESDAY, 23 JUNE 2026 ENGLAND V GHANA – GROUP L – BOSTON STADIUM PANAMA V CROATIA – GROUP L – TORONTO STADIUM PORTUGAL V UZBEKISTAN – GROUP K – HOUSTON STADIUM COLOMBIA V CONGO DR – GROUP K – ESTADIO GUADALAJARA WEDNESDAY, 24 JUNE 2026 SCOTLAND V BRAZIL – GROUP C – MIAMI STADIUM MOROCCO V HAITI – GROUP C – ATLANTA STADIUM SWITZERLAND V CANADA – GROUP B – BC PLACE VANCOUVER BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA V QATAR – GROUP B – SEATTLE STADIUM CZECHIA V MEXICO – GROUP A – MEXICO CITY STADIUM SOUTH AFRICA V KOREA REPUBLIC – GROUP A – ESTADIO MONTERREY THURSDAY, 25 JUNE 2026 CURAÇAO V CÔTE D’IVOIRE – GROUP E – PHILADELPHIA STADIUM ECUADOR V GERMANY – GROUP E – NEW YORK NEW JERSEY STADIUM JAPAN V SWEDEN – GROUP F – DALLAS STADIUM TUNISIA V NETHERLANDS – GROUP F – KANSAS CITY STADIUM TÜRKIYE V USA – GROUP D – LOS ANGELES STADIUM PARAGUAY V AUSTRALIA – GROUP D – SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA STADIUM FRIDAY, 26 JUNE 2026 NORWAY V FRANCE – GROUP I – BOSTON STADIUM SENEGAL V IRAQ – GROUP I – TORONTO STADIUM EGYPT V IR IRAN – GROUP G – SEATTLE STADIUM NEW ZEALAND V BELGIUM – GROUP G – BC PLACE VANCOUVER CABO VERDE V SAUDI ARABIA – GROUP H – HOUSTON STADIUM URUGUAY V SPAIN – GROUP H – ESTADIO GUADALAJARA SATURDAY, 27 JUNE 2026 PANAMA V ENGLAND – GROUP L – NEW YORK NEW JERSEY STADIUM CROATIA V GHANA – GROUP L – PHILADELPHIA STADIUM ALGERIA V AUSTRIA – GROUP J – KANSAS CITY STADIUM JORDAN V ARGENTINA – GROUP J – DALLAS STADIUM COLOMBIA V PORTUGAL – GROUP K – MIAMI STADIUM CONGO DR V UZBEKISTAN – GROUP K – ATLANTA STADIUM =============================== MAJOR NATIONAL HEADLINES/RELEASES NHL PLAYOFFS SVECHNIKOV, AHO STRIKE AS HURRICANES TOP GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4-2 TO MOVE WITHIN A WIN OF THE STANLEY CUP RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes had spent the NHL playoffs waiting for their power play to get going, along with top-line performers Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho. And they had spent the first four games of the Stanley Cup Final being outplayed in critical second-period sequences. On Thursday night, it all came together, aligning to bring the Hurricanes within a victory of winning the Cup. Svechnikov scored twice and Aho added a second-period goal in a breakout offensive game for both, helping the Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 for a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. “I liked our effort for sure, and I hope we’re getting better,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I think there’s certain areas of our game that are starting to look a lot like we need it to look. But I do think there’s still another level that we’re going to need to get to find that next one.” Captain Jordan Staal found the net again for the fifth straight game in this series after Vegas had taken a 1-0 first-period lead, while Brandon Bussi finished with 23 saves in his second career postseason start. Game 6 is Sunday night in Las Vegas, with the Hurricanes playing for the chance to hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time since Brind’Amour captained them to the title in 2006. Aho’s goal in the second period marked his first of the series, coming when Sean Walker found him cutting to the left side after Jordan Martinook — swapped with Seth Jarvis to work alongside Aho and Svechnikov on the top line — won a puck battle behind the net on the forecheck. Then there was Svechnikov, who entered Thursday with four postseason goals before striking twice on the power play. On the first, he whipped the puck past Carter Hart on the right side for a 2-1 lead in the second period. On the second, he had a short putaway at the post off a sharp feed from Nikolaj Ehlers for a 4-1 lead, one of three assist for Ehlers on the night that included him having two delay-of-game penalties for putting a puck over the glass. Before those second-period scores, Vegas had outscored Carolina 9-1 in the second period during the series. And unlike most multi-goal leads in what has been a wild and thrilling series, this one held up with Bussi doing enough to stave off Vegas’ late push to climb back in it. “It required everything we have,” Staal said on the ESPN broadcast. Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice for Vegas, finding the net for the first time since Game 1 of the Western Conference Final sweep of Presidents’ Trophy winner Colorado. “I thought we were still doing some good things,” Vegas’ Jack Eichel said. “We had chances.” Hart entered this one as the first goaltender in Stanley Cup Final history to give up at least four goals in each of the first four games, then did it again to continue a difficult series while finishing with 20 saves. Asked if he considered swapping to backup Adin Hill, coach John Tortorella responded: “That could be the stupidest question I’ve heard.” Vegas had twice before been in a 2-2 series in these playoffs, in the first round against Utah and the second round against Anaheim. Both times, the Golden Knights won Game 5 and closed out the series in Game 6. This time, they’ll have to win on home ice to force the series back to Carolina for a Game 7 on Wednesday night. And they’ll have to take two in a row against a Hurricanes team that hasn’t suffered consecutive losses since mid-January. Not that Tortorella was fazed. “We’ll be back here,” he said confidently, saying he would leave his clothes behind at the team’s hotel in expectation of returning to North Carolina. Vegas played much of the night without center William Karlsson, who was being checked out on the bench for an apparent upper-body injury. Karlsson skated to the tunnel midway through the second period and didn’t return. Tortorella said the center was “not going to be with us, probably” in the coming games. ========================================== NBA PLAYOFFS OG ANUNOBY PUTS THE KNICKS ON THE VERGE OF A TITLE AND HIMSELF IN THE DISCUSSION FOR NBA FINALS MVP NEW YORK (AP) — When OG Anunoby is introduced at Madison Square Garden, it sounds like a 20,000-person singalong. The anticipation builds as the public address announcer begins to reveal the second starter, a 6-foot-7 forward from Indiana. When he finally reaches the player’s name, the fans scream it right along with him. “O! … G! … AN-UN-OBY!!!!” Early Thursday morning, fans again chanted Anunoby’s name, this time in a bar outside the arena as they celebrated one of the most memorable moments in New York Knicks history. Anunoby’s tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining in Game 4 put the Knicks on the verge of a title and moved him into the discussion for NBA Finals MVP. Anunoby is not the kind of player who usually wins awards, and he might be the least-known of the Knicks’ starters. But his teammates understand Anunoby’s value far exceeds his reputation. “So regardless of what the outside world thinks of him, we know what we have in our locker room, and we have a superstar in that locker room,” guard Jalen Brunson said. Anunoby is the only player on the Knicks’ postseason roster who has won a ring, but he was injured and didn’t play for Toronto in the 2019 NBA Finals. But there’s no way New York would have a chance at its first championship since 1973 if he wasn’t front and center now. From scoring to stopping, Anunoby might to be asked to do more than any Knicks player. He not only finished with 33 points in Game 4 but also made the biggest defensive play of the game when he chased down De’Aaron Fox to block his shot with 11 seconds left and the Spurs leading 106-105. Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said that’s what he expects from a player who seems to save his best for the biggest moments. “Every time I talk to him, I say, I already know what OG Anunoby is going to do in the fourth quarter, and he did exactly what I thought he would do,” Towns said. “He gave us a chance to win, and that’s all you could ask for from the best two-way player in the NBA.” The Knicks couldn’t believe Anunoby was only voted to the All-Defensive second team, certain there aren’t five better defenders in the NBA. It was those defensive skills that made him most attractive when the Knicks acquired him from the Raptors in 2023, giving up two of their most promising players on a developing team in RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. Anunoby was also known as a reliable 3-point shooter from the corners, and he made one as time expired to give the Raptors a victory over Boston in the 2020 playoffs. He hardly celebrated after the shot went through, just as he was one of the few people inside Madison Square Garden who appeared completely calm after his basket in Game 4. “Just, the game wasn’t over,” Anunoby explained. “I looked up to see the time. If it would have been 0:00, I would have been more excited, but it was just 1.2 left. So just knowing, get a stop now, just stay with it, staying present, not getting too happy because the game is not over yet.” Anunoby is averaging 23.8 points in the series, shooting 58% from the field and 55.6% from 3-point range. He finished 10 for 15 in Game 4, including 7 for 9 behind the arc. When Anunoby limped off the court with a hamstring injury late in the Knicks’ victory over Philadelphia in Game 2 of the second round, there was concern this run could be in jeopardy just as it was picking up steam. When Anunoby was hurt at the same time in the 2024 playoffs, the Knicks blew a 2-0 lead against Indiana and ultimately lost the series in Game 7, when Anunoby gamely tried to return after missing four games but it was clear he could hardly move and was yanked after five minutes. This injury was not as bad. Helped by extended time off when the Knicks swept the 76ers, Anunoby was able to return in time for the start of the Eastern Conference finals. Having him on the floor now — and soaring through the air in the final seconds of Game 4 — could be what it takes to end a 53-year title drought. “OG, he’s been amazing since he’s got here,” fellow forward Josh Hart said. “This whole playoff run, he’s been amazing on both ends of the ball. He’s a winning player and he made a winning play.” ===== THE SPURS ARE STILL BELIEVERS, BUT IT’S THE KNICKS WHO ARE 1 GAME FROM WINNING THE NBA TITLE SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama surely knew he was overstating the obvious, when he pointed out that there are two possible outcomes for Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday night. — San Antonio wins and extends the series. — New York wins and becomes NBA champions. That’s it. It’s one or the other. After 1,321 games — 1,230 in the regular season, 84 in the playoffs, six more in the play-in tournament and one between the Spurs and Knicks that decided the NBA Cup — it really is that simple. If Wembanyama and the Spurs win in San Antonio, the season lives for at least one more game. If the Knicks win, all that’ll be left in this season will be a parade. The Spurs trail the series 3-1 and Wembanyama understands the reality. Of the previous 38 teams that trailed 3-1 in the NBA Finals, 37 wound up watching the other team celebrate the title. And if that bit of history didn’t look daunting enough, the Spurs will try to climb out of this 3-1 hole after the biggest collapse in NBA Finals history — wasting a 29-point lead in a Game 4 loss at New York. “I think it’s going to go one of two ways,” Wembanyama said shortly after Wednesday’s 107-106 loss in Game 4, a game where the Spurs were outscored 55-25 in the final 21 1/2 minutes. “One of two ways. A bad one and a good one. The bad one would be giving up. The good one would be getting stronger through this, getting more together. I know this is what we’re going to do.” Thursday was an off day for the teams, at least in terms of formal practices. Both sides are scheduled to practice in San Antonio on Friday, and then Game 5 is there on Saturday night — with the Knicks one win away from what would be their first championship in 53 years. New York won Games 1 and 2 of the finals in San Antonio — rallying from double-digit deficits in both games — to take command of the series. The Knicks, with a win Saturday, would become the first team since Houston in 1995 to go 3-0 on the Spurs’ floor in a single postseason series. “Our mentality has to be 0-0, the way it’s been,” Knicks guard Jalen Brunson said, repeating the mantra he’s cited time and time again in this postseason run. “It has to be that way, and I feel like us moving forward with that mindset can really benefit us. There’s nothing to celebrate. It’s not over yet, not even close.” It’s common sense for the team with a 3-1 lead to hold off on celebrating. But in this case, there’s also some truth to what Brunson is saying. Yes, the 3-1 deficit has been proven to be virtually insurmountable in NBA history; the only team that successfully escaped its grip in the finals was LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, when they rallied to beat the Golden State Warriors for that title. This series, however, isn’t exactly a statistical runaway. The Knicks have outscored the Spurs by a total of eight points over the four games. Shooting is basically even; the Knicks are at 44%, the Spurs at 43%. The Knicks have made 52 3-pointers, the Spurs 49. Free-throw percentage, Knicks 79%, Spurs 78%. The Knicks have three more rebounds and both teams have exactly 90 assists through four games. “Just take this one game at a time,” said Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, who took heavy criticism for electing to try a layup — which was blocked — in the final seconds of Game 4 instead of taking time off the clock with a one-point lead. “It obviously looks like a steep hill, but this is something that’s happened before. Take this thing one game at a time. We’ve been in a position to win all these games. We’ve been up double digits. We have to figure out what we need to do to be able to put some of these games away.” It has been a baffling problem for the Spurs. They led Game 1 by one with 1:51 left, then lost after the Knicks finished on an 11-0 run. They had the ball in a tie game with 11 seconds left in Game 2, then lost after Wembanyama threw a pass that Stephon Castle never saw and became a turnover that led to Brunson’s game-winning free throw. And now, this — a 29-point lead wasted in Game 4, and they still led by one until Anunoby’s tip-in with 2.1 seconds left. “We have to try to put this behind us,” Fox said. If they don’t, the Knicks’ 53-year wait for a title could end Saturday night. ================================ NFL DESHAUN WATSON ISN’T WORRIED ABOUT HOW HE’S PERCEIVED AS HE COMPETES FOR BROWNS’ STARTING JOB BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Deshaun Watson knows he can’t change the public perception of him or the results of his first four seasons with the Cleveland Browns. That’s why the embattled 10-year veteran quarterback is focusing on winning back the Browns’ starting job, something that seemed unfathomable a year ago, when Watson was recovering from tearing Achilles tendon twice and it appeared he would never play for Cleveland again. “At the end of the day, I can’t control what people support. I think that’s their own opinion,” Watson said Wednesday, speaking to reporters for the first time in nearly two years. “I think that all I can do is just put out the best person I am, showcase who I am as a person, as a player, as a teammate, and what I represent as an individual. So outside of that, I can’t focus on what the outside is saying.” If Watson is named the starter for the Browns’ opener on Sept. 13 at Jacksonville, it will be 693 days between starts. His last game was in Week 7 of the 2024 season against the Cincinnati Bengals, when he ruptured his right Achilles tendon during the second quarter on a draw play. Watson tore the tendon again two months later and was declared out for the 2025 season. Owner Jimmy Haslam said during last year’s owners meetings that the Browns “took a big swing and miss” when they sent three first-round picks to Houston for Watson in 2022 and signed him to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal that could end up as the worst contract in NFL history. Despite Haslam’s proclamation, Watson still believed he would get another chance after conversations with the front office, Haslam and his wife and co-owner, Dee. “The relationship is great. Dee and Jimmy were at my wedding. We talk all the time. He calls me whenever,” Watson said. Watson and Sanders remain in tight competition for the starting job Watson and Shedeur Sanders have appeared evenly matched during offseason workouts. Coach Todd Monken had hoped to name a starter before training camp, but said, “Both played well enough to earn the right to compete to start.” Watson likes Monken’s system because it resembles what he played under during his five seasons with the Houston Texans from 2017 to 2021. “It’s a lot of responsibility on the quarterback, and I think that’s what I had in Houston with Bill O’Brien. It was pretty much that Tom Brady tree and everything relied on the quarterback operation,” Watson said. “He’s given a lot of responsibility to us, and you’ve got to own the responsibilities, situations, and decisions on the field. That’s something I’m very comfortable with.” When asked about the quarterback competition, Sanders downplayed any indication that there is one. “I think the way y’all look at things is different than how we look at things,” Sanders said. “Y’all look at it as like a competition. That’s really nothing I’m just focused on. I’m focused on developing as a player, like doing everything, getting as comfortable as I can in the offense in the scheme, and playing with that confidence I had.” Now a married man, Watson says he has changed his life No matter what happens during training camp and the upcoming season, Watson said he’s in a great place mentally. He credits his wife, Jilly Anais, whom he married last July, for the change in outlook. “I think the biggest thing is, I’m an introvert now, so I don’t really get into all the outside stuff and noise as I used to,” he said. “I used to be a social person back in the day and kind of more open, but now I’m just kind of watching my surroundings and my moves and just kind of focus on the things that I need to focus on.” Watson’s biggest focus going into the season is playing all 17 games. In 2022, he missed the first 11 games because of a league suspension resulting from his alleged sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. He made six starts in 2023 before a season-ending shoulder injury and started seven last year before the Achilles tendon injury. Watson is 9-10 with Cleveland with 19 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions and an 80.7 passer rating. “I can’t look in the past. I can’t look in the rearview mirror. Obviously, you know those situations, and you have those experiences, but at the same time, you’ve got to keep pushing forward. If I keep stepping forward and standing 10 toes down, then I’ll be good,” he said. ===== DOLPHINS AGREE TO A 3-YEAR EXTENSION WITH CENTER AARON BREWER, AP SOURCE SAYS MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins and veteran center Aaron Brewer have agreed to a three-year contract extension, a person familiar with the deal said Wednesday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Dolphins had not announced the extension or financial details. Brewer’s deal is worth $52.5 million with $37 million guaranteed, per Spotrac.com. According to the website, Brewer’s average salary of $17.5 million through 2029 makes him the third-highest-paid center in the NFL behind Las Vegas’ Tyler Linderbaum ($27 million) and Kansas City’s Creed Humphrey ($18 million). Brewer, an undrafted free agent out of Texas State in 2020, has started 33 games for Miami over the past two seasons and earned second-team All-Pro honors last season. He was also a finalist for the NFL’s inaugural Protector of the Year award given to the league’s best offensive lineman. He was in the final year of his deal and was set to make $1.22 million in 2026. ESPN first reported the extension. Brewer, 28, played his first four NFL seasons with the Tennessee Titans before signing with Miami in 2024. A captain and respected veteran in Miami’s young locker room, he participated in the Dolphins’ offseason program despite contract negotiations. “I know one way to go about things and that’s work and keep my head down and keep doing that,” Brewer said during minicamp. “So that’s what I come out here and do every day, lead the guys. I hope to be here for the long run, so I’m trying to pour everything in me into everyone around me and make us the best team we can be.” The Dolphins recently signed Pro Bowl running back De’Von Achane to a four-year contract extension worth $64 million, and they are expected to get a deal done with veteran linebacker Jordyn Brooks during the offseason. ===== A THIRD-GENERATION RYAN IS COACHING THE JETS, BUT ON OFFENSE AND WITHOUT THE BRAVADO FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Seth Ryan made no Super Bowl guarantees or any other headline-worthy declarations. The son of Rex Ryan is off to a much quieter start to his New York Jets coaching career than his often brash, bold and boisterous father, who was the face — and voice — of the franchise as the head coach from 2009 to 2014. “We’re gonna do the best that we can,” a smiling Seth Ryan said Wednesday. “That’s what you’re getting from me.” It’s not exactly like father, like son. Or even like grandfather, like grandson in the case of Ryan, whose late grandad Buddy was the defensive line coach on the Jets’ Super Bowl-winning squad in 1969. Seth Ryan, now 32 and the third generation of a coaching family to be on the sideline for the Jets, called an audible a few years ago. While Buddy, Rex and even uncle Rob made their names in the NFL as defensive whizzes, Seth decided on another coaching path. “In my family, we have kind of a saying with all the coaches,” he said. “So my grandfather told my dad, ‘I need you to be a little bit better than me.’ My dad told me, ‘I need you to be better than me.’ “So I chose offense to make sure that was gonna happen.” Ryan and Glenn are excited to work together again Ryan was hired by coach Aaron Glenn in February to be the Jets’ pass game coordinator, working closely with offensive coordinator Frank Reich and quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave. Glenn was familiar with Ryan from their four years together in Detroit, where Glenn was the defensive coordinator and Ryan the assistant wide receivers coach. After Glenn overhauled his Jets coaching staff during the offseason, he reached out to Ryan, who was the Lions’ assistant tight ends coach last season. “The possibility of getting on his staff was something I’ve been wanting to do and was so thankful I got the call,” Ryan said. “I love AG. I love what he’s doing and what he is building here and something that aligns with my core values.” And he couldn’t wait to let his father know where he was heading. “I won’t repeat exactly what he said,” Ryan said with a big laugh. “But there was a lot of excitement and he was like, ‘Man, I can’t wait for you to be there and hopefully help turn this around and help be a part of that.” Ryan returns to the fields he roamed as a kid Ryan is now roaming the same halls his father once strolled. And he’s back on the fields on which he once ran as a kid while the Rex Ryan-led Jets were making consecutive trips to the AFC championship game. “I’m not blind to the fact how much this really means to myself and my family,” Seth Ryan said. “This is an organization I’ve been trying to get to for my career and I grew up here, went to high school in Summit, my wife is from Jersey. You know, this means a lot to our family.” The Jets haven’t been to the playoffs in 15 seasons, dating to the last of those two AFC championship game runs in January 2011. Rex Ryan interviewed last year for the job that eventually was given to Glenn, hoping to come back to the franchise and return it to the postseason. Instead, he’ll get the chance to watch his son try to help do so. “It would be really unbelievable because I was here (for) those AFC championship seasons,” Seth Ryan said. “And I got to be on the field for that and I saw what the fans were like and how amazing it really was, the stadium atmosphere and just the energy around the team. So that’s something I hope to build and replicate here.” Ryan was a role player in college before turning to coaching Ryan was a walk-on and backup wide receiver for four seasons at Clemson and was on Dabo Swinney’s College Football Playoff national championship-winning squad in January 2017. He was the holder on field goals and extra points and played special teams. While playing in the NFL was never a realistic possibility, coaching seemed a given because of his bloodlines and hunger to learn the game. His first opportunity came in 2017 as a coaching intern for the Chargers under then-coach Anthony Lynn, who was previously an assistant on Rex’s staff with the Jets. Ryan became an offensive quality control coach in 2019 and worked a bit with current Jets quarterback Geno Smith, who was a backup at the time. After Lynn was fired after the 2020 season, he went to Detroit to be the Lions’ offensive coordinator — and took Seth with him. “I mean, it’s all I’ve known,” Ryan said. “I grew up in it with my dad, he grew up with it with my grandfather. It’s all I’ve ever known. So this is just, you know, this is normal for us. “And so I’m glad that I can still be representing the Ryan family in the NFL.” ===== BRONCOS, SEAN PAYTON AGREE TO 5-YEAR DEAL THROUGH 2030 Sean Payton agreed to terms Thursday on a new five-year contract with the Denver Broncos that spans through the 2030 season. The deal replaces the final two years Payton, 62, had remaining on his existing deal. Financial terms were not disclosed. “Sean Payton has led an impressive turnaround over the past three seasons, instilling a winning culture with high expectations,” Broncos owner Greg Penner said in a news release. “I appreciate the close partnership he shares with (general manager) George Paton, along with the alignment and stability across our football operations. “We’re thrilled for Sean to continue leading our team as head coach, building on our progress during such an exciting time for the Broncos.” Payton guided the Broncos to a 14-3 record and an appearance in the AFC Championship Game last season. He is 32-19 during his three seasons at the helm in Denver. The Broncos acquired Payton from the New Orleans Saints in 2023. Denver traded a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and a second-round selection in 2024 to New Orleans. The Broncos received a third-round pick in 2024 to complete that deal. The new five-year contract links Payton and Paton through the 2030 season. Paton, who signed his deal in May, joined Denver as the GM in 2021 after 14 seasons in the Minnesota Vikings’ front office (2007-20). Payton spent 15 seasons as the head coach of the Saints (2006-11, 2013-21), highlighted by a Super Bowl XLIV title during the 2009 season. He also was named the NFL Coach of the Year in 2006. Payton owns a 184-108 record as the head coach of the Saints and Broncos. His win total is second only to Kansas City’s Andy Reid (279) among active NFL coaches. ===== PANTHERS AND WIDE RECEIVER JALEN COKER AGREE ON $35M CONTRACT EXTENSION, AP SOURCE SAYS CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers and wide receiver Jalen Coker agreed to terms Thursday night on a three-year, $35 million contract extension that will keep him with the team through 2019, according to a person familiar with the situation. Panthers coach Dave Canales declared late last season that Coker, signed as an undrafted free agent out of Holy Cross in 2024, would be the team’s starting wide receiver moving forward. Canales and the Panthers reaffirmed their commitment to him with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. It’s rare when teams extend exclusive rights free agents, but the Panthers were convinced Coker is a valuable part of their future. He had 43 catches for 394 yards and three touchdowns last season after missing the first month of the season with an injury. He came on strong toward the end of the year and eventually replaced Xavier Legette, Carolina’s first-round pick in 2024, in the starting lineup alongside Tetairoa McMillan, last year’s AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. Coker had a breakout performance in Carolina’s NFC wild-card playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams with nine catches for 124 yards and a touchdown. Coker didn’t receive much attention from top level Division I college programs coming out of high school and settled on attending Holy Cross. He promised his mother he would not transfer and would stick it out there and get his degree. He played four years at Holy Cross and caught 163 passes for 2,684 yards and a school-record 31 touchdowns. ===== VIKINGS TO START TRAINING CAMP WITH THE MURRAY-MCCARTHY TURN-TAKING AT QB BEFORE DECLARING A STARTER EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The challenge for Kyler Murray as a newcomer to the Minnesota Vikings learning a complex offense has an extra dimension. He has to take turns. Committed to staging a legitimate competition for their starting quarterback position, at least during this less-urgent part of the offseason, the Vikings have divided the time in drills with the first team between Murray and incumbent J.J. McCarthy. That’s the way they’ll start training camp next month, too. “You’ve got to put it together in a way that challenges those guys and see who responds, see who handles adversity well, and ultimately see who elevates the offense,” coach Kevin O’Connell said after the last practice of minicamp on Thursday. “It’s an open competition, and I want to see these guys in very unique and in many ways difficult circumstances elevate themselves and their games to help the Minnesota Vikings.” There’s no deadline for the decision, O’Connell said, though for the Vikings to be at their best for the Sept. 13 regular-season opener against the Green Bay Packers they’ll likely declare their starter at least a couple of weeks in advance of that. The frequency and quality of repetitions during open-to-the-public practices in training camp will undoubtedly stoke the embers of speculation that fuel the popularity of this sport, but the coaching staff has a plan for putting both quarterbacks in as many meaningful situations as they can once the pads come on in camp. “I wouldn’t read much into who gets what on which days,” O’Connell said, well aware of the intense scrutiny on this team’s quarterback depth chart for a third straight year since McCarthy was drafted 10th overall in 2024. “I know me saying that was the waste of the time that it took to say it, but we’re going to put together a way where we can put them in the different aspects of situational football that they need to get.” Murray, the first overall pick in the 2019 draft who was cut by the Arizona Cardinals and signed with the Vikings for the veteran minimum salary for this year so he can try to cash in as a free agent for 2027, has been the presumptive favorite for the job even if he’s newer to the system. “Now having to split reps, me already being behind, not getting the amount of reps you would typically want a guy to get learning an offense, that’s probably the toughest part,” Murray said this week. Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said McCarthy’s offseason has “been a continuous upward arrow or him.” From O’Connell to wide receiver Justin Jefferson, all of the Vikings who’ve been publicly asked about McCarthy’s progress from his mostly rough 2025 debut have remarked about sharpened skills and fundamentals. But at some point if Murray becomes the team’s long-term choice, McCarthy might well find himself playing elsewhere. “I think I’ve made it very clear I wanted to be here, before I got here. I love this organization. I love the coaching staff. I absolutely love these players to death,” McCarthy said. “This is where I want to be. I feel like I can thrive in this system.” The Vikings clearly still believe that to some degree, at least if patience were not part of the equation. “It’s probably going to end up being a difficult decision,” O’Connell said, “just based on where I know those guys are going to go.” ===== KLINT KUBIAK: RAIDERS ROOKIE FERNANDO MENDOZA IMPROVING FAST AS TRAINING CAMP LOOMS HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Fernando Mendoza has received in offseason practices a taste of what’s to come, however the true glare of the spotlight won’t begin to truly focus on him until late July when the Las Vegas Raiders opening training camp. Then everything will be dissected — his passes, his play behind center, which section of the depth chart he is quarterbacking. That comes with being the No. 1 overall draft pick, especially at that position. “I’m really working hard with (the) coaching staff, who’s pushing me and have done a phenomenal job of relaying and communicating the information needed,” Mendoza said. “It’s up to me to take full advantage of that, and I feel like I’ve been growing every day from the first day of OTAs, then (Tuesday) in minicamp. I feel like I’m leaps and bounds ahead of where I was.” Though the Raiders aren’t forcing Mendoza to come in and immediately be the team’s franchise QB — all indications point to veteran Kirk Cousins entering the season as the starter — that doesn’t mean coaches have held back in hitting the rookie with the playbook. “He’s gotten a ton better, putting the work in,” coach Klint Kubiak said. “I think it is an adjustment, but with anyone coming into the league, you got to put the work into it and he’s done that. We’re going to ask him to play under center, we’re going to ask him to play in the gun, we’re going to ask him to play in the pistol. All of our quarterbacks. That’s not just us, that’s a leaguewide thing. “But the things we’ve asked him to improve on, he’s been diligent at.” Mendoza said he went through a similar transition after transferring from California to Indiana and experienced a rough spring practice, not looking like the player who would that season win the Heisman Trophy and stunningly lead the Hoosiers to their first national championship. That experience, he said, has made taking in so much new — information, teammates, coaches, system — that he’s handled it better than a year ago. “I’m growing,” Mendoza said. “This isn’t the Super Bowl today.” He might not be the starter, yet, but Mendoza is getting that kind of treatment. Mendoza enthusiastically cranked the horn with his Raiders teammates cheering him on at Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes. A Mendoza bobblehead of him with the famous Las Vegas welcome sign also was unveiled. The quarterbacks room of Mendoza, Cousins and Aidan O’Connell has worked together, but there’s also a competition. Cousins made it clear he’s not in Las Vegas to serve as Mendoza’s mentor. “I’m learning a lot from them, too, and asking questions of them,” Cousins said. “It’s always been a working force together in the quarterback room, and that’s what it is. Nobody’s leading more than someone else. “I’ve always felt I prepare my best during the season when we can all kind of be together in that room in the evening, going over things together rather than working in our own silos. I think when we can kind of all be given feedback on each other, that’s when I think the best ideas come out.” Kubiak agreed with Cousins’ assessment. “We never ask anybody to be a mentor,” Kubiak said. “If you’re on the roster, it’s to play and to play really well for the team. That’s the quarterback’s job, all three of them, is to get ready to play and win games at a high level. Then when everybody’s doing that, they’re pushing each other, it creates competition, and the whole roster gets better. All I want from our quarterbacks is to be competitive and to all prepare like they’re starters.” Dean misses minicamp Linebacker Nakobe Dean, who signed a three-year, $36 million contract with the Raiders, did not practice the two days of mandatory minicamp this week. Kubiak wouldn’t tip his hand on if Dean is injured. “Nakobe’s been here every day,” Kubiak said. “He didn’t practice, but all injuries and things like that, I don’t want to talk about this time of year. We just want to get all our guys healthy to training camp. That’s really the most important thing.” Dean played four seasons with Philadelphia, making 226 tackles, 19 for loss and 7 1/2 sacks. ===== EX-LB DARRON LEE INDICTED ON FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN GIRLFRIEND’S DEATH Former NFL linebacker Darron Lee has been indicted on a charge of first-degree murder in the case of his girlfriend’s death earlier this year. A grand jury returned the indictment on Tuesday, USA Today and others reported. Hamilton County (Tenn.) District Attorney Coty Wamp told local outlet WTVC that prosecutors dismissed a charge of tampering with evidence and “will focus solely on the murder.” Wamp also said that the death penalty is still under consideration for Lee, with a pending decision in the coming weeks. At a preliminary hearing in March, prosecutors presented evidence that included Lee’s ChatGPT logs. Those showed he had asked the AI chatbot how to deal with an unresponsive person, as well as what injuries would be consistent with someone falling in the shower. The victim, 29-year-old Gabriella Perpetuo, was found by first responders on Feb. 5 at the couple’s rental home in the small town of Ooltewah, Tenn., about 20 minutes from Lee’s hometown of Chattanooga. Paramedics had arrived on the scene and attempted life-saving measures, but the victim succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene. Lee was identified as a suspect and taken into custody. Detective Brian Lockhart gave testimony that the victim sustained “severe injuries, including severe brain trauma, a broken neck, bruising across her body, a large bite mark on her shoulder and thigh, stab wounds to her legs and significant facial trauma.” Lee told investigators that Perpetuo had narcolepsy and likely fell in the shower. Lockhart described a different scene. “There was blood going up the staircase, on the hand railing there was blood, on the walls there was blood, on the floor in the living room there was blood, in the floor on the hallway and the stairs … there was blood in just about every room except one,” Lockhart testified. Lee previously faced legal issues in 2023, when he was charged in three assaults involving his mother, the mother of his child and another man. He also was charged with a felony drug possession charge when he failed to show up for his court date related to that case later in the year. He pleaded guilty to two lesser counts in 2025. Lee, 31, was part of the Ohio State team that won the 2014 national championship before he was selected 20th overall in the 2016 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. Lee played parts of five seasons with the Jets (2016-18), Kansas City Chiefs (2019) and Buffalo Bills (2020). =============================== COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEXAS AG WADES INTO BIG 12’S BRENDAN SORSBY DELIBERATIONS With the Big 12 weighing how to handle the court-mandated eligibility of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, the office of Texas attorney general Ken Paxton warned the conference against sanctioning the Red Raiders. The 15 Big 12 athletic directors excluding Texas Tech met Tuesday and unanimously expressed their opposition to Sorsby playing for the Red Raiders. The conference presidents met Thursday and a full board meeting is scheduled for Monday, with the Big 12 pondering how to proceed. Earlier this week, a district court judge in Texas granted Sorsby a temporary injunction, stopping the NCAA from ruling him ineligible. The NCAA had reached that decision after court documents filed by Sorsby’s legal team showed the quarterback placed at least 40 bets on the Indiana football team while a member of the program in 2022 and 2023. In all, he wagered about $90,000 over a four-year period. He entered an addiction treatment program on April 27. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark wrote in a statement on Thursday, “Shortly before the start of today’s Big 12 Executive Board meeting, the Conference received a letter from the Texas Attorney General’s office notifying the Conference of potential legal action from Texas Tech if the Conference pursues certain actions under its Bylaws. We are taking time with our legal counsel to understand the concerns of the state and will meet again with the full Board next week. “We moved forward with our Executive Board today in preparation for our full Board meeting on Monday. We had a good and informative discussion. Sentiment among the Executive Board was no different from what we heard from the ADs earlier this week.” The NCAA went to the Court of Appeals for the Seventh District of Texas in Amarillo, Texas, earlier this week and asked for an “accelerated appeal” of the temporary injunction that restored Sorsby’s eligibility. ================================== MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL MLB ROUNDUP: JUAN SOTO’S HOMER POWERS METS PAST CARDINALS Juan Soto went 2-for-4 and hit the go-ahead home run in the seventh inning as the New York Mets avoided a sweep against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals with a 5-4 win on Thursday. Bo Bichette and Jared Young homered in the first inning for the Mets. After New York starter Christian Scott allowed four runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings, Brooks Raley (2-1) worked a scoreless seventh. Devin Williams tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his ninth save. Alec Burleson, Lars Nootbaar and Jimmy Crooks went deep for the Cardinals, who saw their win streak end at six games. Burleson extended his hitting streak to 11 games. JoJo Romero (0-2) served up Soto’s homer. Dodgers 8, Pirates 6 Shohei Ohtani homered for the second time in as many games and reached base four times before exiting due to left knee inflammation in Los Angeles’ victory at Pittsburgh. Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski exited in the fifth inning after taking a comebacker off his leg and colliding with the batter at first base. The Dodgers called the ailment a right hamstring contusion. Manager Dave Roberts downplayed the injuries to Ohtani and Wrobleski postgame. Kyle Tucker and Miguel Rojas each drove in two runs for the Dodgers, who won the decisive game of the three-game series. Pittsburgh’s Rafael Flores Jr. hit his first career homer, and he and Jake Mangum each had an RBI double in the eighth inning. Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller (5-4) permitted five runs on seven hits in four innings. Tigers 11, Twins 0 Colt Keith blasted his first homer of the season and drove in three runs as host Detroit rolled to a win over Minnesota to claim its third straight series victory. The Tigers also got homers from Spencer Torkelson, Wenceel Perez, Riley Greene, Gleyber Torres and Zach McKinstry. Dillon Dingler added three hits and a run. Keider Montero (3-4) held the Twins to four hits in 6 1/3 innings before Tyler Holton and Beau Brieske finished the shutout. Twins starter Zebby Matthews (2-4) gave up seven runs and nine hits — including three homers — in six innings. Royce Lewis had two of Minnesota’s five hits. Marlins 2, Diamondbacks 0 Tyler Phillips pitched five-plus scoreless innings as host Miami won its fifth straight game, defeating Arizona. Xavier Edwards hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning and Jakob Marsee added an RBI single in the fourth as the Marlins won for the eighth time in nine games. Phillips (1-1) allowed just two hits and two walks while fanning five. He lowered his ERA to 1.86. Merrill Kelly (5-5) yielded two runs on four hits in six innings for the Diamondbacks, who have been shut out in back-to-back games. Arizona is 3-10 over its past 13 games. Cubs 9, Rockies 3 Seiya Suzuki hit a grand slam, Alex Bregman and Carson Kelly also went deep and Chicago beat Colorado in Denver to salvage the finale of a three-game series. Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch had two hits apiece to back a solid outing by Edward Cabrera (4-3), who allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. Brett Sullivan homered twice — the first multi-homer game of his career — and singled for the Rockies. Cole Carrigg hit his first career home run and singled, Troy Johnston had three hits and Willi Castro singled twice for Colorado. Rangers 4, Royals 2 Corey Seager homered to help Texas defeat host Kansas City in a game that was delayed 2 hours, 20 minutes because of rain and threatening weather. Ezequiel Duran was 2-for-4 with two runs and Brandon Nimmo finished 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Rangers, who took the rubber match of the series and have won three of their last four to get back to .500 for the first time since May 1. Texas reliever Jacob Latz (2-1) struck out three over the final two hitless innings. Kansas City starter Michael Wacha (4-5) allowed four runs and nine hits in seven innings. Orioles 7, Mariners 5 Adley Rutschman drove in three runs as Baltimore beat visiting Seattle to gain a split of a four-game series. Colton Cowser and Pete Alonso homered for the Orioles, who have won two in a row following a four-game skid. Tyler Wells (1-1) got the victory with three innings of hitless relief. Andrew Kittredge pitched the ninth for his first save of the season. Cole Young homered to begin the game and finished with three hits, and Julio Rodriguez notched two hits for the Mariners. Seattle’s Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone smashed back-to-back home runs. Bryan Woo (5-5) lasted five innings, giving up seven runs and seven hits. ===== TIGERS’ TARIK SKUBAL (ELBOW) TO RETURN TO MOUND VS. GUARDIANS Two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal will return from the injured list on Saturday as the Tigers take on the host Cleveland Guardians, Detroit manager A.J. Hinch announced Thursday. Skubal, a left-hander, underwent surgery on May 6 to remove a loose body from his pitching elbow. “We’re adding the best pitcher in baseball back to our mix,” Hinch said Thursday. “It’s hard to describe what that boost will be.” Skubal, 29, experienced discomfort in his April 29 start against the Atlanta Braves in a 4-3 loss. He allowed two runs in seven innings and didn’t figure into the decision. “I need to keep the game of baseball as the game of baseball, especially not trying to make up for the last five weeks I’ve been gone,” Skubal said Tuesday, via the Detroit Free Press. “I can’t do that with one pitch or one outing. That’ll be the challenge — to keep the game as the game.” Skubal is 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA in seven starts this season. He has struck out 45 batters and walked only six in 43 1/3 innings. Five of his starts were quality starts. He has a 57-39 record and a 3.06 ERA in seven seasons and 144 games (141 starts) for the Tigers since 2020. He has struck out 934 batters compared to 178 walks in 810 innings. The Tigers finished last season with an 87-75 record, one game back of the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central. They defeated Cleveland in the wild-card round, then lost to the Seattle Mariners in the AL Division Series. This season, the Tigers have fallen to fourth place in the Central with a 28-40 record. ============================= COLLEGE BASEBALL MOUNTAINEERS’ ASCENT TO CWS STARTED AFTER FORTUITOUS DECISION TO KEEP PROGRAM AFTER ENTRY TO BIG 12 OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Oliver Luck had a decision to make in the fall of 2011, a few weeks after the Big 12 announced the addition of West Virginia effective the following year. Should he recommend dropping what had been a mediocre Big East baseball program or commit to giving the Mountaineers what they needed to be competitive going forward in one of the sport’s top conferences? “Obviously, I was biased toward the latter,” Luck, the school’s athletic director at the time, said this week. It’s been apparent for years Luck made the right choice but never more than now with the Mountaineers set to play in the College World Series for the first time. They will face Troy, also making its CWS debut, on Friday. For West Virginia, the trip to Omaha is the realization of the vision Randy Mazey had when he was hired as coach in June 2012, the summer before his team’s first Big 12 season. Relying on players from traditional recruiting areas in and around the state, as the Mountaineers continue to do, those early teams were surprisingly competitive. The Mountaineers in 2017 earned their first NCAA Tournament bid in 21 years, hosted a regional in 2019 and were on the road for regionals in 2023. They reached their first super regional in 2024, and after Mazey retired and handed off the program to longtime assistant Steve Sabins, they made supers again in 2025 and 2026. “Looking back, the 14-year timeline based on where the program was, on the brink of extinction, that’s probably the timeline that should have taken place,” Mazey said. This year’s Mountaineers (45-15) set a school record for wins and their style of play fits well at Schwab Field. Teams that can take advantage of the gaps in the cavernous outfield are rewarded, and West Virginia ranks among the national leaders in doubles and, with over 100 steals, can take the extra base. Maxx Yehl (9-2, 2.10 ERA) and Chansen Cole (10-1, 2.81) lead a pitching staff that has a 3.76 ERA, best among the eight CWS teams. “I said about halfway through this season that this team not only can go to Omaha but this is a team that can win it,” Mazey said. Jedd Gyorko has seen the worst and the best of the program’s history. He was the Mountaineers’ star shortstop from 2008-10, played eight years in the major leagues and is now special assistant to Sabins. It’s 980 miles from Morgantown to Omaha but, from a baseball perspective, the distance was far greater for Gyorko and his teammates. “It was more of a pipe dream back then,” Gyorko said. “You thought about it and you wanted to make it happen. When you look at what it takes, we were pretty far away from being there back then.” Until 2015, the Mountaineers played at the dilapidated Hawley Field. Bad bounces on the infield were common — “Hawley hops,” they called them — and there was no clubhouse. If a coach or player needed to use the restroom during a game, they would use the same one as the few fans who showed up. The Mountaineers had to play their 2013 home conference series more than 150 miles away, in Charleston or Beckley, because Hawley Field didn’t meet Big 12 standards. “We used to change into our uniforms in the parking lot behind right field right next to the tennis courts,” Gyorko said. “That was our clubhouse back in the day. We wanted to play ball, and that’s what was most important.” Now the Mountaineers have some of the best baseball facilities in the country. The Kendrick Family Ballpark, originally Magnolia County Ballpark, opened in 2015 and a state-of-the-art baseball biomechanics center used by Paul Skenes of the nearby Pittsburgh Pirates, among others, opened a year ago. Luck, who lives in Colorado, planned to drive to Omaha to join the thousands of Mountaineers fans who have jumped on the team’s bandwagon. Luck signed off on West Virginia’s commitment to baseball 15 years ago, but he said it took Mazey, Sabins and a host of others to make the Omaha dream come true. “It’s a great thing not just for the university community but the entire state,” he said. “The Mountaineers are the flagship school and there are no professional teams in the state. When WVU plays the major sports, the entire state rallies around it. As you can imagine, I’m over the moon.” =============================== WORLD CUP SOCCER SOUTH KOREA RALLY IN SECOND HALF, TOP CZECH REPUBLIC IN OPENER Hwang In-beom and Oh Hyeon-gyu scored second-half goals as South Korea rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic in the World Cup opener for both teams on Thursday in Zapopan, Mexico. Oh’s tiebreaking goal in the 80th minute, off a centering pass from Hwang, gave South Korea three points in Group A. Mexico also has three points in Group A after beating South Africa 2-0 in the World Cup opener earlier Thursday. Kim Seung-gyu had three saves for South Korea, two of them late in the match to preserve the victory. Ladislav Krejci scored on a header in the 59th minute for Czech Republic, who were playing in their first World Cup match in 20 years. Matej Kovar made four saves for Czech Republic, who are level with South Africa at the bottom of the group with two games remaining for each team. Games South Korea controlled the run of play in a scoreless first half with an 8-2 advantage in shots. Four of those shots were on target to no avail. Krejci broke through before the midway point of the second half when he scored on a header from the edge of the 6-yard box off a long sideline throw-in from Vladimir Coufal. South Korea finally found the back of the net in the 67th minute when Hwang chased down a long pass into the box from Lee Kang-in. Hwang stopped the ball’s momentum while forcing Kovar to commit, then chipped the ball into the right side of the goal to tie the score. South Korea took a 2-1 lead 13 minutes later when Hwang sent in a centering pass from the right side of the box and Oh scored off Kovar’s right shoulder. That came two minutes after the Czech Republic appeared to retake the lead on a Tomas Soucek free-kick header that was disallowed due to an offside call. Kim made a diving stop off a shot from Adam Hlozek in the 82nd minute, and another on a dive in the fourth minute of stoppage time on a shot from Michal Sadilek. ===== MEXICO KICK OFF WORLD CUP WITH 2-0 WIN OVER 9-MAN SOUTH AFRICA Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez both scored their first career World Cup goals, and co-hosts Mexico kicked off the 2026 edition with a comfortable 2-0 win over nine-man South Africa on Thursday afternoon to open Group A in Mexico City. The Colombian-born Quinones scored only nine minutes into his World Cup debut, having secured Mexican citizenship in October 2023 and making his first appearance for El Tri a month later. The 35-year-old Jimenez finally broke through in his seventh World Cup appearance, coming almost six years after he suffered a nearly career-ending head injury playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English Premier League. Cesar Montes took the lone blemish for Mexico, sent off in second-half stoppage time with the third red card of the match brandished by Wilton Sampaio. Montes took out Khuliso Mudau as he tried to dribble into the penalty area, and was ruled to have denied an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. Manager Javier Aguirre comfortably guided Mexico (1-0-0, 3 points) to their first victory in eight times playing in the opener of a World Cup. He was also on the field when Mexico last began a home World Cup with a 2-1 win over Belgium at the same Estadio Azteca in 1986. South Africa (0-1-0, 0 points) rarely threatened with even numbers in their first World Cup match since hosting the event in 2010. They were reduced to 10 when Sampaio judged Sphephelo Sithole had hauled down Brian Gutierrez during an obvious goal-scoring opportunity early in the second half. It was nine men in the 84th minute following a video review that showed Themba Zwane had deliberately struck a Mexico player. Jimenez had already forced South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams into an excellent lunging save in the fifth minute before Quinones put El Tri in front. Williams hurt himself on Mexico’s opener when he played an ill-advised pass to Sithole at the top of the penalty arc. Sithole was still careless in losing the ball to pressure from Erik Lira, and as Quinones seized upon the turnover and fired a low finish, Williams was also beaten unflatteringly between his legs. Jimenez doubled Mexico’s advantage when he ran to the back post and headed Roberto Alvarado’s cross from the top right corner of the area low between Williams and his near post. ===== USMNT D CHRIS RICHARDS (ANKLE) AVAILABLE FOR SELECTION VS. PARAGUAY After U.S. men’s national team defender Chris Richards told reporters Wednesday he’s ready for the World Cup after being limited with an ankle injury, manager Mauricio Pochettino confirmed Thursday that Richards is available for selection. “Chris is available to be selected, and then we will decide if he starts from the beginning of the game or is on the bench,” Pochettino said Thursday in his final press conference before the U.S. open Group D play Friday night against Paraguay in Inglewood, Calif. Richards, 26, who sustained a pair of torn ligaments in his left ankle while playing for Premier League side Crystal Palace on May 17, missed the U.S.’s two warm-up friendlies against Senegal (May 31) and Germany (June 6). However, he has been a full participant at practice this week for the first time since the injury. Games “I’m ready to go,” Richards told reporters Wednesday, adding that he has not been informed of any minutes restrictions. “It’s the World Cup. I was going to make myself ready regardless. … If there’s any time to sacrifice yourself, it’s now. I know I’m able to play Friday but I don’t make those decisions.” Pochettino said in his press conference that the decision regarding whether Richards will start or be available off the bench has been made. However, he didn’t disclose who would be in the starting 11, which he said is “already decided.” =================================== GOLF PAUL WARING, JEFFREY KANG WD FROM RBC CANADIAN OPEN Paul Waring and Jeffrey Kang withdrew from the RBC Canadian Open on Thursday at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ontario. Waring was dealing with an illness during the first round, per PGA Tour Communications. Kang withdrew prior to the first round and was replaced by Jeremy Paul, who will be paired with Christo Lamprecht and Sean O’Hair. Waring, 41, is a two-time winner on the European Tour. The Englishman got off to a good start at the Texas Children’s Houston Open in March, carding a first-round 63 before it fell apart en route to a T39 finish. Kang, 34, has yet to win on the PGA Tour, however he recorded a T6 finish at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April. Like Kang, Paul also has yet to win on the PGA Tour. Paul, 32, finished T8 at the Puerto Rico Open in March. ===== BROOKS KOEPKA AMONG 6 CO-LEADERS AT RBC CANADIAN OPEN Brooks Koepka is one of six players tied atop the leaderboard after one round of the RBC Canadian Open on Thursday in Caledon, Ontario. The five-time major winner shot a 6-under-par 64 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley’s North course. Koepka matched Sahith Theegala, Eric Cole, Sam Burn and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo, and by the end of the day, Canada native Matthew Anderson made it six at 6 under. By day’s end, 12 players formed a logjam at 5-under 65, one behind the leaders. The group included Canadian Adam Svensson, Irishman Shane Lowry and Tony Finau, who is aiming to turn around a disappointing season and qualify for next month’s Open Championship. As for Koepka, he has been back on the PGA Tour since January after more than three years away with LIV Golf. He’s placed in the top 20 in six events this year, but a win this weekend would be his first in a standard PGA Tour event since the 2021 WM Phoenix Open. “It’s just a matter of going out and playing golf. I think I’ve gotten more comfortable as the weeks have gone on,” Koepka said. “… We’ve got a big one next week (the U.S. Open), so the game better be sharp.” Games Koepka shot a 5-under 30 on the back nine with three sets of consecutive birdies, including Nos. 17-18, against one bogey. He was among the leaders in the field in putting, having made a 17 1/2-footer for birdie at the par-4 ninth hole and a 19-foot birdie at the par-3 14th. “I’ve played great this year. Like I said, it’s just the putting that’s held me back and trying to be mechanical, trying to be maybe too much in the stroke and figure everything out,” Koepka said. “But it was nice today to at least kind of turn the brain off and go from there.” Of the other co-leaders, Grillo is enjoying a particularly stellar week. At nearby Lambton Golf and Country Club on Monday, Grillo earned medalist honors after 36 holes of U.S. Open qualifying. He carried that form into Thursday and birdied five of his first eight holes. “I putted well on the front nine and not a lot of action on the back nine,” Grillo said. “I was able to make some good saves and a great drive on 18. I was somehow able to miss the green from 160 yards. I was able to make 4. Yeah, good overall. Played from the fairway, which is kind of important out here.” Anderson, who plays on the Korn Ferry Tour, is the surprise low Canadian after one round. Of the six co-leaders, he was the only player to stay bogey-free. The Mississauga, Ontario native said his parents and some other family and friends are on hand to support him this week. “It was a long day,” Anderson said. “I’m going to get a good sleep. I’m going to just try my best to take it one shot at a time just like I did today and full send on every shot like I try and do. As long as we do that, I’ll be happy with whatever happens.” Other Canadians in the mix include Taylor Pendrith (4-under 66) and Nick Taylor (3-under 67). Taylor was the first Canadian since 1954 to win his national open when he sank a 72-foot eagle putt to win a playoff in 2023. England’s Tommy Fleetwood, who was on the wrong side of that playoff, opened Thursday with a 3-under 67, as did countryman Matt Fitzpatrick. The top three finishers in Canada not otherwise exempt will qualify for the Open at Royal Birkdale. Finau has yet to play in a major this year and failed to qualify for the U.S. Open; he’s well aware a high finish this week could do the job. “I feel really close,” Finau said of his game. “I was just talking to my son last night about it. And he always asks me how I’m feeling before a tournament, and I told him, I said, ‘I’m driving it as good as I have all year, my iron play is starting to come around and the putter’s felt good over the last five, six weeks.’ I feel like it’s all starting to come around, you just never know when it’s going to click. But this was a good start to hopefully a good week.” ===== GEMMA DRYBURGH, NICOLE BROCH ESTRUP AMONG 3 TEAMS TIED FOR DOW LEAD Gemma Dryburgh of Scotland and Nicole Broch Estrup of Denmark were one of three teams to shoot a 3-under-par 67 to share the lead at the first round of the Dow Championship on Thursday at Midland (Mich.) Country Club. Dryburgh and Broch Estrup are tied with Camille Boyd and China’s Michelle Zhang as well as Gurleen Kaur and Australia’s Hira Naveed. Nine teams posted a 2-under 68, including twin sisters Chizzy and Aki Iwai of Japan, the Swedish duo of Linn Grant and Maja Stark and Ireland’s Leona Maguire playing with Lindy Duncan. The LPGA’s lone team event features 72 two-woman teams. They’ll play foursomes (alternate shot) on Thursday and four-ball (best ball) on Friday; after a 36-hole cut, it will be foursomes on Saturday and four-ball on Sunday. Foursomes is considered the more challenging of the two formats, but Dryburgh and Broch Estrup weren’t fazed as they converted five birdies. Their only stumble was consecutive bogeys at Nos. 2-3 after opening with three birdies on the back nine. Dryburgh and Broch Estrup have more than golf in common. Both recently became mothers. “I think most of what we talked about was our sons today,” Dryburgh said. Dryburgh said her son is a little older than Broch Estrup’s, but bonding over motherhood came naturally. “And in general it gives another perspective on life,” Broch Estrup said. “Especially this week is all about having fun, and playing with another mom is just — you know, we had a lot of fun today and, again, it was stress-free.” Zhang and Boyd also turned in a card with five birdies and two bogeys. Both rookies, the 21-year-old Zhang and 23-year-old Boyd are hunting for their first LPGA victories. “I think it’s just super exciting,” Zhang said. “We haven’t had the best season this year so far, but just going out there we’re always nervous. But kind of putting it into perspective this week. Hitting a bad shot, it’s OK. Like I know Camille got me.” Likewise, Kaur and Naveed are searching for their first wins after each joined the tour in 2024. They were happy with their strategy of Kaur teeing off on the odd-numbered holes and Naveed taking the evens, with Naveed adding that Kaur “holed some phenomenal putts.” “I think we encouraged each other really well today, and, again, that goes with our friendship and just being comfortable with each other and being able to pick each other up when we’re feeling down,” Naveed said. Duncan and Maguire could be a team to watch. Maguire has plenty of team golf experience playing the Solheim Cup and is hungry to end a nearly two-year winless rut. “I think you come off one the most stressful weeks of the year at the U.S. Open at (Riviera Country Club) to somewhere like this is definitely a nice break, but it’s also a week you really want to do well at,” Maguire said. “It’s a different kind of golf.” Juli Inkster, the 65-year-old World Golf Hall of Famer, entered the tournament with Angel Yin and the pair opened with a 1-under 69. Inkster is in fine shape to become the oldest player to make the cut in an LPGA event, something she nearly accomplished last summer but missed by one stroke at the Standard Portland Classic. World No. 1 Nelly Korda, winner of the first two majors of the year, teamed up with Germany’s Olivia Cowan and opened with an even-par 70. South Korea’s Somi Lee and Jin Hee Im, the defending champions, also shot 70. ===== REPORT: PIF HAS ONLY FUNDED A THIRD OF WHAT LIV GOLF NEEDS FOR ’26 Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which is pulling funding from LIV Golf after this year, has only provided a third of what the circuit requires to make it through the rest of this season, the Financial Times reported Thursday. LIV Golf needs $600 million to cover the remainder of the 2026 schedule, per the report. The PIF paid $66 million in early May and $130 million in early June, according to the report. The PIF declined to comment on the Financial Times’ report other than to refer to its statement from April that “the substantial investment required by LIV Golf over a longer term is no longer consistent with the current phase of PIF’s investment strategy.” The money behind LIV and its big player contracts and tournament paydays, the PIF announced in April that it would bankroll LIV only through the 2026 season. It has put an estimated $6 billion toward the league so far. LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil was interviewed Tuesday on CNBC Tuesday and said the league trusted the PIF would fund the league through this year. “I can say they’ve been terrific partners so far, and you have to take an incredible organization like PIF at their word,” O’Neil said. “They’ve been very public about funding us through the season, so we are full steam ahead.” O’Neil was pressed on recent reports that LIV’s final four events this season may not go on as planned as PIF ponders pulling its funding even sooner. One tournament, LIV Golf Louisiana, was scheduled for the final week of June but was postponed not long after the initial news broke about PIF’s pullout. With PIF backing away and its governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan stepping down as LIV Golf’s chairman, the league has begun wooing new investors, reportedly seeking around $250-350 million in investment capital to kickstart a “LIV 2.0” plan. O’Neil, a longtime sports executive in his second year as LIV’s CEO, was asked directly whether he could guarantee the final four events in England, New Jersey, Indianapolis and Michigan will take place this summer. “What I can guarantee is a heck of a return if you come invest in this business,” O’Neil replied. LIV is on a 47-day break to accommodate the U.S. Open and The Open Championship, and the league could look different — or not return — after that break, Front Office Sports reported earlier this week. The circuit is set to return at LIV Golf UK from July 23-26. “Every remaining tournament is on the fence,” an executive with one of LIV’s partners told the outlet. “I truly don’t think anyone knows,” the executive continued. “LIV Golf doesn’t know if or when the PIF will shut off the spigot.” LIV is trying to hold on through 2026 and reboot next year without Saudi involvement. It’s making pitches to potential investors and partnering with an investment banking adviser. It also is pinching pennies, where possible, and designing a plan to lower event purses. ===== REPORT: PHIL MICKELSON ACCUSED OF INAPPROPRIATE CONTACT WITH GOLF CLUB EMPLOYEE Six-time major champion Phil Mickelson is no longer a member of a private golf club near his hometown outside of San Diego after a female club employee accused him of inappropriate contact earlier this spring, Golf Digest reported Thursday. Mickelson allegedly made nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact with the employee at the clubhouse before a round of golf at The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., according to the report. The employee immediately reported the incident to supervisors, per the report. Club officials initiated a review and investigation and confronted Mickelson on the course, per the report. He was told to vacate the premises and left the course. Golf Digest withheld the employee’s name to protect her privacy, and she declined to participate in the publication’s story. Mickelson declined to comment directly on the allegations, while a spokesperson issued a statement: “Any misunderstanding has been cleared up. Phil continues to attend to a family health matter and is uncertain when he will be able to return to professional golf.” Mickelson, who turns 56 on Tuesday, stepped away from competition in February for family reasons. He played in mid-March at LIV Golf’s South Africa tournament, finishing tied for 48th. He skipped April’s Masters, where he is a three-time champion. The Farms issued a statement after Golf Digest presented its reporting on the alleged incident, while not mentioning Mickelson by name. “The Farms Golf Club is committed to maintaining a golf club environment that is safe, respectful and reflects the highest standards of conduct,” the club’s statement read. “All members are required to adhere to our Code of Conduct, and any allegations of misconduct are taken seriously. Following a staff member report of member misconduct, the Club provided immediate and ongoing support to the staff member, conducted a thorough independent investigation of the incident and took decisive action. This individual is no longer a member of The Farms Golf Club. “The Farms conducts thorough reviews of all reported matters according to California Law and takes appropriate action when warranted, consistent with our commitment to integrity, excellence and accountability. To protect the safety and privacy of our staff and members, we are unable to speak further on this matter. We appreciate your understanding.” Tom Clare, a defamation attorney representing Mickelson, also issued a statement on Wednesday: “There is a great deal of misinformation circulating and, while Phil’s full attention is devoted to a private family health matter, he has retained defamation counsel and is determined to hold accountable any publication or individual trafficking in speculation or false rumors.” ============================= TENNIS WIMBLEDON INCREASES PURSE BY 20%, BUT STILL SHY OF PLAYERS’ DEMANDS Players will be competing for a share of a record $86 million tournament purse at Wimbledon, which opens June 29 in London. Tournament organizers announced the amount on Thursday. The increased total puts the Wimbledon prize money slightly ahead of the U.S. Open purse. The new prize money is a 20% increase from 2025, but still not what the players have been seeking. They want 22% of tournament revenues at the Grand Slam events by 2030 at the latest. Under the calculations of the players, the Wimbledon purse should be about $93.5 million this year, Front Office Sports reported Thursday. “This announcement recognises the success of The Championships, and that we operate a sustainable programme that allows us not only to increase prize money, but also to invest in facilities, the grass court season and support British and international tennis,” Wimbledon chair Debbie Jevans said in a news release. “We are clear that as Wimbledon grows, the players will continue to share in that success.” At the recently concluded French Open in Paris, players united to express their displeasure over tournament pay and limited their media appearances as a form of protest. French Open organizers raised the purse by 9.5%, but the new amount still was only 15% of the revenues, Front Office Sports reported. At Wimbledon, men’s and women’s singles champions will earn about $4.8 million each. The money earmarked for qualifying rose 25% to nearly $8.3 million. Jevans, at a news conference, said she hopes the increase satisfies the players. “I believe what we have done is right and appropriate so I would hope the players would welcome it. It’s a significant amount of money,” she said. According to the news release, players have seen a substantial increase in pay over the past decade. Singles champions prize money is up by 80%, first-round allocation has risen by 160% and prize money for qualifying has grown by 393%. ================================= INDIANA SPORTS NEWS AND HEADLINES INDIANA FEVER Commissioner’s Cup play resumed in Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday on the heels of Caitlin Clark’s heroic shot to beat the Mystics – and the buzzer – on Monday. The Fever defeated the Chicago Sky, 114-106, behind a pair of 30-point double-doubles from Clark and Aliyah Boston. It marked the first time two WNBA teammates have ever recorded 30-point double-doubles in the same game, as Clark and Boston tallied just the seventh and eighth 30-point double-doubles in Fever franchise history. “We’re good friends,” Clark said of Boston. “That always helps. Like, yeah, you can be teammates and play basketball, but if you like, really care for each other and love each other off the court – and I think that goes for our whole team – when you have that bond and you truly get to know somebody and build a relationship with them, like that helps, because when you’re on the court, you’re going to go through moments of adversity.” Indiana was feeling the pressure of that adversity heading into the fourth quarter. The Fever trailed by six points, and momentum was swinging in the Sky’s direction after an 18-4 run to close the third. Indiana led by as many as 19 points earlier in the contest, but Chicago’s Sydney Taylor had a hot hand. Taylor scored 25 points on 9-for-10 shooting through the third quarter. Indiana was down, 79-73, to open the fourth quarter as Clark earned two consecutive trips to the free throw line. She cut the Chicago lead to two points in the initial 36 seconds of the frame, 79-77. Clark then sent a pass between two defenders to find Boston, who put away a layup to bring her scoring total to 19 points while knotting the game at 81. Nearly eight minutes remained on the clock, but the momentum was beginning to shift. An offensive foul on Boston was overturned, and she went on to convert two more layups and a free throw, giving Indiana a three-point lead with under six minutes to go. The Sky fought back into it, and trailed by just a point when Jacy Sheldon stole the ball and raced down the floor toward the basket. Myisha Hines-Allen pursued her the length of the court, the two rose in tandem toward the basket, and Hines-Allen executed a volleyball spike of Sheldon’s shot as the Fieldhouse erupted. Momentum was firmly with the Fever. Under four minutes remained, but the result was far from final. Chicago didn’t go down easy, and crept back within three points with 19 seconds to play. Still trailing by three, the Sky inbounded the ball with five seconds on the clock. Indiana native Skylar Diggins took the pass from Taylor and drilled a 3-pointer to send it to overtime. The Fever left no doubt in the extra period as Clark and Boston combined to score 12 of Indiana’s 16 overtime points. Boston led the Fever with a new career-high of 34 points and 12 rebounds, while Clark notched 32 points, seven rebounds, and 10 assists. Clark set a new career-high in free throws made as she went 15-for-15 from the stripe. “Their synergy was just really good,” coach Stephanie White said. “I think that their timing – and we talked a lot about being on time in our reads and in our passes – and I felt like tonight in those situations, especially with those two, they were often on time and on target.” Clark is now tied with Fever great Tamika Catchings for most 30-point double-doubles in franchise history with three such performances, and Boston trails the two of them with two 30-point double-doubles of her own. “They’re so young, but they’re elite at what they do,” White said of Clark and Boston. “…When you have a point guard and you have a center that are special, you can build a team around that.” Clark, Boston, and the Fever are back in action on Saturday in Connecticut as they take on the Sun. The matchup is one of Indiana’s final two Commissioner’s Cup games. ================================ INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS Three different Indianapolis Indians players homered en route to their 11-6 victory against the Columbus Clippers on Thursday night at Victory Field. Enmanuel Valdez hit a three-run homer in the first, Derek Berg launched a go-ahead 432-foot rocket in the third and Dominic Fletcher capped the barrage in the fifth. After taking an early lead, the Indians (27-39) found themselves in a tie game, 6-6, with the Clippers (36-29) going into the bottom of the fifth inning. Nick Cimillo gave Indy the lead on a double to center field that sent Jhostynxon Garcia home, followed by Fletcher’s two-run homer to stretch the lead to 9-6. The Indians did not look back from there, tagging on an additional two runs off a passed ball and a throwing error by third baseman Kody Huff to put the game out of reach. Cam Sanders started on the mound for the Indians, giving up no runs in his 1.0-inning outing. He was followed by Thomas Harrington who allowed a total of four runs throughout his 1.2 innings, then Noah Murdock (1.1ip), Beau Burrows (W, 2-0) who allowed an additional two runs, Justin Meis (1.0ip), Yunior Marte (1.0ip) and Derek Diamond (1.0ip) completed the bullpen game for Indianapolis. Ryan Webb started for the Clippers giving up six runs in his 3.0 innings, followed by Pedro Avila (L, 2-6) who tossed 4.0 innings and allowed five runs. The six-game series between the Clippers and Indians will continue Friday night with the first pitch at 7:05 PM. RHP Khristian Curtis (0-0, -.–) will take the mound for the Indians, set for his Triple-A debut, with LHP Logan Allen (2-1, 4.94) taking the hill for Columbus. =============================== INDIANA BASEBALL CARY, N.C. – The summer of Hogan Denny continues. Following a breakout campaign in 2026, the rising junior outfielder/catcher was invited to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp. He will report to North Carolina at the end of the month for the annual Stars v. Stripes Series at the USA Baseball Training Complex. That group will also play in a series of exhibition games against local summer league teams. From there, a team of collegiate players will be selected to the inaugural World Collegiate Baseball Championship this July in Taiwan. Teams from Japan, South Korea and a fourth wild card participant will play against each other in an elite showcase of premier international talent. Those games are set to be contested from July 11th through the 15th. Denny was an Opening Day starter as a freshman in 2025 but really came into his own during his sophomore campaign. He started in 51 of 54 contests (missing three through injury) and hit .357 with 74 hits, 63 runs scored, 18 doubles, 14 home runs and 44 RBIs. He had more free passes (28 walks, 10 hit-by-pitches) than he did strikeouts (32) on the season and reached base at a .452 clip. This is the seventh time that an IU player has taken part in the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Camp. Former All-American outfielder Devin Taylor, who is now in Double-A in the Athletics’ organization, was fantastic in his summer stint back in 2024. Four Hoosiers participated in the event and went on to play at least a season in the big leagues (Morandini, Dickerson, Schwarber and Travis). The First Team All-Big Ten outfielder will headline a deep core of rising junior position players for head coach Jeff Mercer and the Hoosiers in the spring. He is one of six returning players that hit .300 or better (min. 30 games played) in Bloomington last season. =============================== PURDUE MEN’S TRACK EUGENE, Ore. – Purdue Track & Field’s men’s program opened up the NCAA Outdoor Championships with Samuel Vessat (400m) and the 4x400m relay earning spots in the NCAA finals, while Seamus Malaski earned a pair of Second Team All-American honors. Vessat Notes • Vessat ran 44.85 to finish second in his heat and earn the No. 3 seed heading into the finals. The time fell just 0.03s shy of his own school record. • With his qualification to Eugene, Vessat became just the third Boilermaker to qualify for NCAAs in the outdoor 400m and is now the first to qualify for the finals. Brian Faust (2019) and Nicholas Parks (2016) both finished as Honorable Mention All-American after finishing 21st and 24th, respectively. • The junior was the only Big Ten athlete to qualify for the 400m finals and one of two non-SEC athletes, joined by Georgetown’s Jaden Marchan. • The final is scheduled for 9:02 p.m. ET / 6:02 p.m. PT on ESPN2. Men’s 4x400m Notes • The relay team of Victory Achakpoekri, Vessat, Jax Coleman and Zyan Greene ran 3:01.73 to earn an automatic qualifier to the finals after finishing second in its heat (tied for sixth overall). • Relay Splits: Achakpoekri (46.06), Vessat (44.36), Coleman (46.21), Greene (45.12). • The 2026 team is the first by Purdue to make the finals since the 2016 team finished sixth. The Boilermakers have qualified for NCAAs four times in school history. • Purdue entered the meet with the third-best mark from regionals (3:00.92) and sixth in the country. • The final is scheduled for 10:21 p.m. ET / 7:21 p.m. PT on ESPN2. Malaski Notes • Malaski earned two Second Team All-American when he finished 14th in the shot put (18.67m / 61-03.00) and 16th in the hammer (66.19m / 217-02). • He is the first Boilermaker to earn first or second team honors in either event since Chukwuebuka Enekwechi doubled as a First Team All-American in 2016. • Malaski (2026) and Enekwechi (2016) are the only two Boilermakers to earn All-American status in the hammer throw, shot put and weight throw in the same season. • The redshirt freshman was the only athlete in the country this season to compete in both the hammer and shot put at nationals. • Malaski was the third-highest freshman finisher in the hammer and fourth highest in the shot put. Next Up Alexia Smith (400m) and Britannie Johnson (shot put) start Purdue’s women’s nationals on Saturday beginning at 9:41 p.m. ET / 6:41 p.m. PT. =============================== PURDUE WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD EUGENE, Ore. – Purdue Track & Field’s Alexia Smith (400m) earned Second Team All-American and Britannie Johnson (shot put) added Honorable Mention All-American. Smith Notes • In her first NCAAs appearance, Smith finished 12th in the 400m (51.52). • Smith put together Purdue’s fourth All-American campaign in the 400m outdoors joining two-time honoree Brionna Thomas (2017-18) and Chloe Abbott (2018). • A successful junior season for Smith ends as an All-American, two-time Big Ten silver medalist and Purdue 400m record holder. Johnson Notes • Johnson’s concluded her season with a 20th-place finish in the shot put after she threw 16.02m (52-06.75). • She was the first Boilermaker to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships since Dani Bunch’s three-year run from 2012-14. • Johnson’s outdoor season featured two podium finishes at Big Tens, the No. 3 shot put and No. 4 discus throws in Purdue history. Next Up Purdue is qualified for the 400m, 4x400m and two in the triple jump on Friday starting at 8:10 p.m. ET / 5:10 p.m. PT. =============================== NOTRE DAME MEN’S TRACK EUGENE, ORE.- The University of Notre Dame Track and Field team’s Obiora Okeke competed in the shot put final at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Wednesday night. Obiora Okeke finished 18th with a mark of 18.16m (59’ 7”). Okeke’s best throw was his final attempt. Amaya Aramini (10,000m) and Sophie Novak (3000m Steeplechase) will be in action tomorrow night in Eugene. Shot Put 18. Obiora Okeke- 18.16m (59’ 7”) =============================== BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL Marko Maric, a 7-0 forward from Croatia, has signed with Butler and head coach Ronald Nored. He will join the Bulldogs beginning with the upcoming 2026-27 season. “Marko is a unique talent who brings a high level of versatility to our frontcourt,” said Nored. “With a seven-foot frame, his ability to stretch the floor and make plays on the perimeter is something that fits perfectly with how we want to play. Beyond his skill, he has a great feel for the game and a competitive drive that our fans will love.” Maric most recently played for Novi Zagreb in the Croatian Prva Liga. He averaged 9.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.3 assists per game. He shot 37 percent from three-point range. He represented his native Croatia in the 2025 FIBA U18 Eurobasket (Division B). He previously played for KK Split and Kosarkaska Akademija Mrav in Croatia. While playing for Novi Zagreb’s top team during the 2025-26 season, Maric would also play some games in the junior division. In a junior division game against Bosco in March, Maric scored 91 points to go along with 27 rebounds and 14 blocks. That was his final game in the junior division. ABOUT THE BULLDOGS: Butler alum Ronald Nored takes over head coaching duties at his alma mater after spending the last decade on coaching staffs in the NBA. The Bulldogs return five players from last season’s roster, headlined by starters Jalen Jackson and Drayton Jones. Jackson helped the Bulldogs to the 2025 Greenbrier Tip-Off title and 5-1 start to the 2025-26 season before missing the remainder of the campaign due to injury. Butler’s newcomers include Asim Djulovic, who starred for Mega Superbet in his native Serbia, and Samu Adler, who led his Salon Vilpas team to the Korisliiga league title and earned Player of the Year honors in his native Finland. Three of the team’s incoming transfers averaged double figures last season: Treyson Anderson (North Dakota State), Jordan Ellerbee (Florida Gulf Coast), and Christian Moore (The Citadel); that trio joins two power conference additions in Eduardo Klafke (Ole Miss) and Samis Calderon (Kansas). TICKET INFORMATION: Season tickets for the upcoming 2026-27 basketball season are on sale now at butlersports.com/seasontickets. The Bulldogs will once again host all 10 BIG EAST rivals at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Fans can email tickets@butler.edu or call the ticket office at 317-940-3647 for more information on securing season tickets. ========================== IU INDY MEN’S BASKETBALL INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indianapolis men’s basketball program has announced the additions of 10 student-athletes for the upcoming season as head coach Ben Howlett finalized his roster for the 2026-2027 campaign. The spring recruiting class consists of eight transfers and two true freshman additions with three of the transfers coming from other Division I programs. “We’re excited about this group of young men. Our staff has worked tirelessly to identify players to fit our system and build this roster,” Howlett said. “We’re bringing in a great group of young men. From how hard they work in the classroom to how hard they compete, we couldn’t be more excited for this group. “It’s a really versatile group. We like guys that can play both ends of the floor and we really value guys that have a good feel for the game. It’s going to take some work to put it all together, but this group is going to represent IU Indianapolis well and make for an exciting season in our first year inside James T. Morris Arena.” Below is a rundown of the 10 new additions with pertinent details on each. The group joins three returners in Reece Hagy, Garrett Sever and Kameron Tinsley and two early signees in Trey Drexler and Kaloyan Kolev. Antoine Arnett / 6-foot-7 / Somerdale, N.J. (California Univ. [Pa.] transfer) -Spent the past four years at Cal U. Pa., including a redshirt season -Named All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Second Team last season -Averaged 15.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season while shooting 50 percent from the field -Scored in double-digits 24 times last season with a pair of double-doubles -Had a career-high 26 points against Concord on Nov. 22, 2025 Jason Clarke Jr. / 6-foot / Silver Spring, Md. (Appalachian State transfer) -Played two seasons at Appalachian State, totaling 33 games -Averaged 3.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game last season with a 2.67 assist-to-turnover ratio -Scored a career-high 11 points at Marshall on Jan. 3, 2026 -Was the VISAA Division II Player of the Year as a high school senior at The Miller School after averaging 17.5 points per game Pat Curtin / 6-foot-3 / Ellicott City, Md. (Bucknell transfer) -Played last season at Bucknell, averaging 12.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game as a true freshman, knocking down 42.2 percent from the field -Scored a season-high 25 points on two different occasions -Finished his prep career as Glenelg Country School’s all-time leading scorer with 1,806 points -Was the 2024-25 Baltimore Sun Metro Player of the Year, MIAA A Conference Player of the Year and Howard County Times Player of the Year Gus Etchison / 5-foot-11 / Arcadia, Ind. (Idaho State transfer) -Has 1,071 collegiate points from three different stops (Western Michigan, Marian, Idaho State) in 103 career games -Played last season at Idaho State, averaging 8.8 points and 2.1 assists per game -Earned Lou Henson Award National Player of the Week and Big Sky Player of the Week after a 36-point, 8-assist outburst against Montana State on Feb. 21, 2026 -Spent two years at nearby Marian University, including earning First Team All-Crossroads League honors in 2024 when he averaged 22.8 points per game -Began his career at Western Michigan, playing two seasons for the Broncos, totaling 36 games Tarik Fadel Mula / 6-foot-6 / Cologne, Germany (Archbishop McNicholas [Ohio] HS) -Comes to IU Indy from Archbishop McNicholas (Ohio) High School where he averaged 13.1 points and 3.5 assists per game -Played for the 17U UA Rise team this past summer as well as for the Ohio Champion Boys AAU squad -Began his high school career in the Orlando area, playing at East River, Orlando Christian Prep and Pathways -Averaged 13.7 points per game during his time at Pathways -Originally from Germany, played for the Rheinstars Koln club before coming to the U.S. in Summer 2022 Peyton Heiss / 6-foot-4 / Plain City, Ohio (Mount Vernon Nazarene transfer) -Played the past two seasons at Mount Vernon Nazarene -Named First Team All-Crossroads League as a sophomore after averaging 15.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game with 69 made threes -Started all 58 games the past two seasons at MVNU, totaling 701 points -Named First Team All-Ohio and Central District Division II Player of the Year as a senior at Jonathan Alder High School Precious Idiaru / 6-foot-10 / Speyer, Germany (Gannon transfer) -Helped Gannon to a 34-3 record and NCAA Division II National Championship in 2025-26 -Earned Second Team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference honors after averaging 11.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game -Scored in double-digits 23 times including a pair of 19-point performances -Spent his first two collegiate seasons at UMKC, including a redshirt season, before playing at Longwood in 2023-24 -Also has experience with the German National Team Landon Osswald / 6-foot-5 / Fishers, Ind. (Hamilton Southeastern HS) -Non-scholarship addition joins the program from nearby Hamilton Southeastern High School -Named IBCA Large School All-State and First Team All-Hoosier Crossroads Conference as a senior -Averaged 14.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting better than 55 percent from the floor -Played AAU with Grand Park Premier Markus Pastorcic-Straun / 6-foot-3 / Toronto, Ontario (Colorado School of Mines transfer) -Spent the past three seasons at Colorado School of Mines -Averaged 20.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season while only appearing in 15 games due to injury -Was Second Team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in 2025 after averaging 11.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game -Scored 885 career points in 81 games the past three seasons -Tallied a career-high 32 points against Nebraska Kearney on Nov. 8, 2025 Manasseh Stackhouse / 6-foot-7 / Zion, Ill. (Cloud County C.C. transfer) -Named Second Team All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference last season after averaging 13.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game -Scored in double-digits 23 times with five games of 20-or-more last season and nine double-doubles -Originally committed to Milwaukee in 2024 before attending Cloud County -Named Division 1 WBCA All-State and Southeast Conference Co-Player of the Year as a senior at Kenosha Indian Trail (Wisc.) High School -Averaged 25.5 points and 14.0 rebounds a game his senior year of high school ================================== INDIANA STATE SWIMMING AND DIVING TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State Director of Athletics Nathan Christensen announced a contract extension for head women’s swimming and diving coach Josh Christensen. The deal was announced on Thursday afternoon and will run through June 30, 2029. “Josh has built one of the premier swimming and diving programs in the Missouri Valley Conference, and this extension reflects the tremendous impact he continues to make on our department,” said Director of Athletics Nathan Christensen. “The back-to-back conference championships, national-level performances, and consistent success in the pool speak for themselves, but what makes Josh truly special is the culture he has created. He develops young women who excel as students, competitors, and leaders, while representing Indiana State with pride and integrity. We are excited to continue building on this momentum under Josh’s leadership and look forward to the future of Sycamore Swimming & Diving.” “I am grateful for the confidence Nathan Christensen and President Godard have in our coaching staff and greatly appreciate the excellent leadership they provide for the athletic department and university as a whole,” said Josh Christensen. “I am excited about their vision for the future. We want to continue to build a program the represents Indiana State University and Sycamore Athletics in the best way possible, in and out of the water. I believe the best is yet to come for Sycamore Swimming & Diving!” The Sycamores continued their success under Christensen in the 2025-26 season as Indiana State claimed its second consecutive Missouri Valley Conference Championship scoring 1,236 points across the four-day meet to top both Southern Illinois (1,161) and Missouri State (1,117). Christensen was voted by his peers across the conference as the MVC Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season as well. The Sycamores posted three event winners and the 200-yard Medley Relay to top the field for their second consecutive title. Overall, Indiana State placed 10 athletes on the MVC All-Conference First Team and 10 more on the MVC All-Conference Honorable Mention squad. Indiana State was back in the postseason following their successes in the pool highlighted by freshman Grace Cummings becoming the first Sycamore to qualify for the NCAAs in the 1650-yard Freestyle, where she went on to earn CSCAA All-American status after setting Indiana State and MVC records in both the 1000-yard and 1650-yard events in placing 15th overall in the field. An additional 10 Indiana State athletes went on to compete at the CSCAA NIC. For the season, the Sycamores rewrote the record book again with eight different school marks going down while 54 new entries were made on the Indiana State All-Time Performance List. The Sycamores have posted a 66-25 overall record in dual meet competition over the regular season under Christensen’s leadership. Overall, 116 Indiana State swimmers and divers have earned All-Conference accolades, including 20 at the recent 2026 MVC Championships. ================================== INDIANA STATE TRACK AND FIELD EUGENE, Ore. – Rachel Mehringer’s record-setting season will reach the pinnacle of the collegiate sports season, as the Sycamore standout hurdler advanced to the finals of the NCAA Outdoor National Championships Thursday night. Mehringer, making her second national championships appearance, finished third in her heat and fifth overall in the 100m hurdles semifinals with a time of 12.79. The Sycamore junior was the fastest athlete outside of the automatic qualifiers, with her time being quick enough to advance to her first national final. Thursday’s performance was her eighth time running below the 13-second mark, a feat which no athlete in MVC history had accomplished prior to this season. Her 12.79 also ranked third among wind-legal times in MVC history behind only her NCAA East First Round times of 12.72 and 12.75. Mehringer will have a chance to become Indiana State’s first First Team All-American in any event since Erin Reese in 2019 and the Sycamores’ first 100m hurdles First Team All-American in program history in Saturday’s final. Reese was the last Sycamore to score points at a national championship with a runner-up finish in the hammer throw in 2019. Mehringer’s storybook campaign will continue Saturday night when she races for the national championship in the 100m hurdles at 8:42 p.m. ET (5:42 p.m. PT). Lane assignments for that race will be announced after the conclusion of Thursday’s events. =============================== 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 JUNE 12 1880 – At the Worcester Agriculture Fairgrounds, Lee Richmond pitches the first perfect game in major league history, as the Ruby Legs beat Cleveland, 4 – 0. The 23-year-old rookie southpaw threw a no-hitter in a collegiate exhibition against the White Stockings last season. 1884 – Dissatisfied with umpire Jack Brennan’s calls, hundreds of fans storm the field at Oriole Park in an American Association game between the Orioles and Louisville Eclipse. One man wielding a large revolver threatens to shoot Brennan if he makes any more bad calls. Police have to be called in to clear the mob, and after the game, which ends in a 4 – 4 tie, Brennan is slugged to the ground by a fan and has to be taken to the Orioles clubhouse, then to OF Jim Clinton’s home for his own protection, before being whisked out of town on the first train. 1886 – St. Louis Maroons right-hander Charlie Sweeney, who will give up only nine round-trippers in 93 innings of work this season, sets a major league record when he gives up seven home runs in the team’s 14 – 7 loss to the Wolverines at Detroit’s Recreation Park. The post-1900 mark is six gopher balls, a dubious distinction shared by a number of pitcher. 1907 – Eight different Highlanders commit a total of eleven errors en route to a 16 – 4 loss to Detroit. Shortstop Kid Elberfeld commits four of the fielding miscues in the contest played in New York’s American League Park. 1922 – Hub Pruett of the St. Louis Browns strikes out Babe Ruth three consecutive times as St. Louis beat the New York Yankees, 7 – 1. 1928 – Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees collects 14 total bases with two triples and two home runs in a 15 – 7 victory over the Chicago White Sox. 1934 – Babe Ruth homers off Bobo Newsom of the St. Louis Browns at Yankee Stadium; the drive comes in the 4th inning to start the scoring for the home team. After the frame, the Yankees lead, 3 – 1, but rain washes out the remainder of the contest – including the long ball. This would have been Ruth’s tenth home run of the season. 1939: The Hall of Fame is officially dedicated at Cooperstown, New York. The greatest-ever gathering of members and future inductees of the Hall of Fame accept their plaques: Grover Alexander, Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins, Walter Johnson, Nap Lajoie, Connie Mack, Babe Ruth, George Sisler, Tris Speaker, Honus Wagner and Cy Young. In front of a record crowd of 23,864 fans at Ruppert Stadium in Newark, NJ, Lou Gehrig plays his last game in a Yankee uniform when he participates in an exhibition contest against the Kansas City Blues, the team’s American Association farm club. The “Iron Horse”, playing only three innings and batting eighth, grounds out weakly to second base in his only at-bat. 1949 – After piloting the team for 13 seasons, Charlie Grimm ends his tenure as the Cubs’ manager by splitting a doubleheader with the Braves. The 19,802 fans in attendance at Braves Field give the skipper, who will stay in the organization as Chicago’s vice-president, a long standing ovation when he takes his position in the third base coaching box for the last time. 1950 – Major League Baseball names Connie Mack as the Honorary American League manager of the All-Star Game. 1954 – Jim Wilson of the Milwaukee Braves pitches the year’s only no-hitter, blanking the Philadelphia Phillies, 2 – 0. 1956 – Roberto Clemente’s 5th-inning, two-out, two-run rope into Crosley Field’s right-centerfield bleachers vaults Pittsburgh past Cincinnati both in the game and in the standings, transforming a 3 – 2 deficit into a 4 – 3 lead and pushing Pittsburgh to the head of the class, atop the National League by half a game over the newly-demoted Redlegs. 1957 – Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals plays in his 823rd game for a new National League record consecutive game streak. The mark beats Gus Suhr’s old record. Cardinals hurler Larry Jackson beats the Philadelphia Phillies, 4 – 0, to improve his record to 8-2. He has now beaten every National League team this season. 1959 – Mike McCormick of the San Francisco Giants tosses a 3 – 0, five-inning no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies. Richie Ashburn singles in the top of the 6th for the Phillies, but the hit doesn’t count because the game is stopped by rain and reverts to the last completed inning. 1961 – Bill Veeck sells his interest in the Chicago White Sox to partner Arthur Allyn Jr. 1963 – Dave Nicholson of the White Sox matches a major league record by striking out seven times in a doubleheader. 1966 – Astros pitcher Dave Giusti tosses a complete game for an 8 – 4 victory over the Cubs. Giusti also goes 3-for-3 at the plate, including a double. John Bateman belts a two-run homer, Rusty Staub gets a two-run inside-the-park homer and Dave Nicholson adds a three-run shot. 1967 – The Chicago White Sox and Washington Senators play the longest night game in major league history until that point. The game goes 22 innings before Paul Casanova drives in Hank Allen with a single off John Buzhardt for a 6 – 5 Senators win after six hours and 38 minutes of play. 1969 – Roberto Clemente’s tape-measure two-run blast ties the game at three-all after six innings, en route to a come-from-behind 4 – 3 Pirate win over Houston. With two outs in the 9th, pinch-hitter Carl Taylor singles in the go-ahead run and Jim Bunning retires the Astros in order in the bottom of the frame, when Wynn hits a fly ball that sends left fielder Jose Pagan to the fence for the final out. 1970 – Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis no-hits the San Diego Padres, 2 – 0. Ellis receives all his support on two home runs by Willie Stargell. Ellis will later claim that he was suffering from the after-effects of his previous night’s LSD trip while pitching this gem. 1975 – Oakland Athletics outfielder Billy Williams hits his 400th career home run. 1977 – Tom Seaver makes his final appearance for [1977 Mets|New York Mets]], a complete game 3 – 1 win over the Astros that improves his record to 7-3; he will be sent to the Reds in a very unpopular trade in three days. 1979: Tigers skipper Les Moss, who was hired early in the offseason to replace Ralph Houk, is terminated 53 games into his first season as a major league manager, having compiled a 27-26 record with the team. Detroit makes the unusual managerial move to hire an unexpectedly available Sparky Anderson, the fired Reds skipper who will spend 17 seasons in Detroit, compiling a 1331-1248 (.516) record, and capturing a World Championship in 1984. The Mets enjoy the most productive inning in franchise history when ten runners cross the plate in the 6th fame of their 12 – 6 victory over the Reds at Shea Stadium. The highlight of the double-digit deluge is Doug Flynn’s three-run inside-the-park home run. 1981 – Thirteen games are canceled in the major leagues due to the players’ strike, which starts today. It will not be resolved until August, after a third of the season has been lost. 1983 – Hall of Famers Charlie Gehringer and Hank Greenberg have their uniform numbers retired by the Detroit Tigers in a ballpark ceremony. The digits 2 and 5, respectively, will join Al Kaline’s #6, retired in 1980, as the only numbers retired by the Tigers thus far. 1988: Mike Scott’s bid for his second career no-hitter ends one out short when Ken Oberkfell delivers a clean single to right with two outs in the top of the 9th . It’s the only sour note in a 5 – 0 whitewash over Atlanta by the Astros’ ace. Scott walks none and fans eight. Terry Puhl, Kevin Bass and Craig Reynolds contribute three hits each. Robin Yount hits for the Cycle in Milwaukee’s 16 – 2 blowout of the White Sox. 1990 – Cal Ripken, Jr. plays in his 1,308th consecutive game, moving into second-place on the all-time list ahead of former Yankees and Red Sox shortstop Everett Scott (1918-1925). 1994 – Carlos Pulido faces off against Wilson Alvarez in what is the first duel of starting pitchers born in Venezuela in major league history. Pulido’s Twins prevail over Alvarez’s White Sox, 6 – 2, as Pulido earns the third and final win of his big league career. 1997: After 126 years of major league play tradition, the first interleague game is played as the San Francisco Giants beat the host Texas Rangers, 4 – 3. Glenallen Hill becomes the National League’s first regular season designated hitter. On this first day of Interleague Play, the Rockies play the Mariners in the Kingdome. Both teams have highly potent offenses and questionable pitching, leading most to predict a high-scoring ballgame. And while the final score is 12-11 in the Mariners’ favor, not one home run is hit. There is an unusual 7-2-4-6-8 double play hit into by Quinton McCracken that ends the top of the 8th inning and a potential rally by Colorado. Neither starter survives the 4th inning (Rockies Starter Darren Holmes lasts 3 1/3 while M’s starter Derek Lowe is pulled after 1 2/3), all five Rockies pitchers allow at least one run, while four of the six M’s pitchers do so as well, including Greg McCarthy who faces two batters and is removed from the game while facing his second hitter. 2001 – The pitching-poor Rangers trade backup backstop Doug Mirabelli to the Red Sox for Double-A Trenton right-handed pitcher Justin Duchscherer (6-3, 2.44). Mirabelli will help fill the void created last week when Boston’s starting catcher Jason Varitek broke his right elbow. 2004 – In an Orioles-Giants interleague game, Barry Bonds hits a home run, the 675th of his career, and Rafael Palmeiro hits his 536th and 537th to move past Mickey Mantle into 11th place on the career list. It is only the third time in major league history that two players with 500 homers connect in the same game. Willie Mays and Ernie Banks did it in 1970, and Mays and Hank Aaron both homered in 1971. 2005: Tony Armas, Jr. pitches five scoreless innings and Junior Spivey hits a two-run home run as the Washington Nationals tie a franchise record with their tenth consecutive win, a 3 – 2 victory over the Seattle Mariners. Before relocating to the nation’s capital this season, the Nationals were known as the Montreal Expos, who won ten straight games three previous times in 1979, 1980 and 1997. Hee-Seop Choi hits three home runs in his first three at-bats, including a go-ahead solo shot in the 6th inning, to lead the Dodgers past Minnesota, 4 – 3. 2007: Justin Verlander throws the sixth no-hitter in Detroit Tigers history. Hitting 100 mph on the radar gun in the 9th inning, he shuts down the Brewers with 12 strikeouts, walking four. Magglio Ordonez makes a sliding catch on a shot by Corey Hart in the 7th to keep hope alive and later catches the final out of the contest. It is Detroit’s first no-hitter in 23 years, the second no-hitter of the season and the first ever at Comerica Park. Bill Hall is never retired despite batting three times against Verlander, drawing walks every time up. The Dodgers homer on three straight pitches off the Mets’ John Maine in the 2nd inning, as Wilson Betemit, Matt Kemp and Hong-Chih Kuo go yard. Kuo’s home run is the first ever in the major leagues by a native of Taiwan. 2010: Daniel Nava of the Red Sox hits the first pitch he sees as a major leaguer for a grand slam as Boston beats Philadelphia, 10 – 2. Kevin Kouzmanoff had been the only previous player to accomplish this feat, in 2006. Nava bails out emergency starter Scott Atchison, filling in for Daisuke Matsuzaka, who is placed on the disabled list before the game with a right forearm strain; Manny Delcarmen is the winner over Joe Blanton. The Phillies now fall to third in the NL East. Derek Jeter homers twice and Jorge Posada hits a grand slam in New York’s 9 – 3 win over Houston. Wandy Rodriguez (3-9) is the victim of the offensive surge, accomplished in the absence of Alex Rodriguez, still bothered by a groin injury. 2011: Francisco Liriano of the Twins flirts with his second no-hitter of the year, keeping Texas off the hit sheet until the 8th inning, when Adrian Beltre singles up the middle. The Twins win, 6 – 1, as Liriano gives up no walks but strikes out nine over eight innings; he had walked six in his no-no against the White Sox on May 3rd. The Red Sox spank the Blue Jays, 14 – 1, one day after handing them a 16 – 4 pasting, to extend their winning streak to nine games. David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis both homer and drive in four runs, and Adrian Gonzalez and Dustin Pedroia also go long in support of Jon Lester, who gives up only two hits in eight innings to go 9-2 on the year. Jose Bautista hits homer number 21 in the lone highlight for Toronto. Realignment is on the table again as Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association are in discussions to renew the collective bargaining agreement, which expires on December 11th. One of the options being discussed would see one team moving from the National League to the American League to create two 15-team leagues, with the Houston Astros the likeliest candidate for a move. The Kinston Indians defeat the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, 3 – 2, in a 23-inning marathon, the longest game in the history of the Carolina League. Fifteen players log eight or more at bats and both catchers, Zach Zaneski of Myrtle Beach and Roberto Pérez of Kinston, catch every inning before Kinston 2B Casey Frawley’s game-ending single. The contest at Kinston’s historic Grainger Stadium takes 6 hours and 27 minutes to complete. 2012 – Alex Rodriguez ties Lou Gehrig’s record by hitting his 23rd career grand slam off the Braves’ Jonny Venters. A-Rod’s 8th-inning blast allows the Yankees to tie the score, and Nick Swisher hits a two-run shot later that inning for a 6 – 4 win. 2015 – The Blue Jays score nine runs in the 7th inning to overcome an 8 – 1 deficit and defeat the Red Sox, 13 – 10. Among the inning’s highlights are a three-run triple by Russell Martin and a two-run homer by Justin Smoak, as the Jays’ first nine hitters of the frame all reach base. It is the Jays’ ninth straight win. 2016 – The University of California, Santa Barbara qualifies for the College World Series for the first time in school history thanks to a dramatic 4 – 3 win over the University of Louisville in the 2016 CWS Super Regionals. With Louisville ahead 3 – 0 in the 9th, pinch-hitter Sam Cohen hits a grand slam to stun the Cardinals. 2017 – Royce Lewis, a high school shortstop from California, is selected first overall by the Twins in the 2017 amateur draft. The Reds follow by picking Hunter Greene, who gained national publicity by hitting 102 mph on the radar gun at age 17. The Padres then choose P MacKenzie Gore, making it three high school players selected at the top of the draft, a first since 1990. 2018 – Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera suffers a season-ending injury when he tears a biceps tendon while swinging at pitch in the 3rd inning of a game against the Twins. He had already missed all but one game of May with a hamstring injury. 2022 – Matt Carpenter hits two homers and drives in seven runs for the Yankees in an 18 – 4 demolition of the Cubs, giving him six homers, ten runs scored and 13 RBIs in his first ten games with the team. Kyle Higashioka also goes deep twice for his first two homers of the season, the second one coming off a pitch from position player Frank Schwindel measured a 35.1 mph – the slowest ever tracked by Statcast. The Yankees have won 11 of their last 12 games. 2023 – J.T. Realmuto becomes the first Phillies player since 2004 to hit for the cycle, but his feat is in vain as his team loses to the Diamondbacks, 9 – 8. The D-Backs come back from an early 5 – 1 deficit, then almost blow the game by allowing three runs in the final three innings. D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo is ejected in the 3rd inning after objecting to young OF Corbin Carroll being hit by pitch by Matt Strahm in his first two plate appearances. 2024 – 21-year-old Padres centerfielder Jackson Merrill has the first two-homer game of his career; his second long ball, coming off Athletics closer Mason Miller in the 9th inning, is also his first walk-off homer , giving San Diego a 5 – 4 win. He is the youngest player in franchise history to hit a walk-off blast. Births[edit] 1850 – John Stedronsky, infielder (d. 1924) 1857 – Joe Hornung, outfielder (d. 1931) 1859 – Hi Ebright, catcher (d. 1916) 1859 – Michael Hurley, umpire (d. 1941) 1860 – Jack O’Brien, catcher (d. 1910) 1862 – Edgar Smith, outfielder (d. 1892) 1866 – Harry Spies, infielder (d. 1942) 1868 – Sol White, manager; Hall of Fame (d. 1955) 1873 – Pat Dillard, outfielder (d. 1907) 1879 – Red Dooin, catcher, manager (d. 1952) 1880 – Matty McIntyre, outfielder (d. 1920) 1884 – Elmer Johnson, catcher (d. 1966) 1884 – Otto Knabe, infielder, manager (d. 1961) 1884 – Brown Rogers, college coach (d. 1932) 1886 – Lou Schettler, pitcher (d. 1960) 1887 – Joe Agler, infielder (d. 1971) 1892 – Herman Gordon, pitcher (d. 1979) 1897 – Guy Lacy, infielder (d. 1953) 1900 – Charlie Barnabe, pitcher (d. 1977) 1904 – Bill Foster, pitcher; All-Star, Hall of Fame (d. 1978) 1914 – Shigeru Nagano, NPB outfielder (d. ????) 1914 – Pete Naktenis, pitcher (d. 2007) 1915 – Douglas Dean, minor league infielder (d. 1999) 1916 – Freddie Shepard, outfielder (d. 1999) 1918 – Bitsy Mott, infielder (d. 2001) 1920 – Thomas Lloyd, minor league catcher and manager (d. 2000) 1920 – Neal Russo, writer (d. 1996) 1921 – Richard Ronovsky, minor league outfielder (d. 2007) 1921 – Red Whitsett, scout (d. 2011) 1922 – Jim Mains, pitcher (d. 1969) 1924 – George H. W. Bush, President (d. 2018) 1928 – Jack Cusick, infielder (d. 1989) 1929 – Evelyn Keppel, AAGPBL catcher (d. 2006) 1930 – Billy Bowman, minor league pitcher (d. 2021) 1930 – Dutch Rennert, umpire (d. 2018) 1931 – Dale Davidson, umpire (d. 2021) 1931 – Rafael Ocasio, Puerto Rican national team catcher 1934 – Akio Yatsunami, NPB pitcher 1937 – Phil Mudrock, pitcher 1937 – Piet Tromp, international executive (d. 2019) 1938 – Takashi Higashida, NPB catcher 1940 – Del Bates, catcher (d. 2009) 1941 – Gerry Arrigo, pitcher 1943 – Sam Parrilla, outfielder (d. 1994) 1943 – Makoto Tsuchida, NPB outfielder (d. 1999) 1945 – Gary Jones, pitcher 1946 – Jim Strickland, pitcher 1948 – James Moyer, minor league pitcher 1950 – Richard Ben Cramer, author (d. 2013) 1951 – Dave Skaggs, catcher 1953 – Tatsuo Minemoto, NPB outfielder 1955 – Takahiro Yanagihara, NPB outfielder 1958 – Tom Lukish, minor league pitcher 1959 – Pat Adams, minor league infielder 1959 – Jong-hoon Park, KBO outfielder and manager 1960 – Darryl Banks, minor league pitcher 1961 – Dong-soo Park, KBO pitcher 1961 – Kazuhiko Takahashi, NPB pitcher 1962 – Darrel Akerfelds, pitcher (d. 2012) 1963 – Keith Miller, infielder 1964 – Mark Gilles, minor league pitcher 1965 – Brian Cisarik, minor league outfielder 1966 – Dan Freed, minor league pitcher 1966 – Kenji Fujimoto, NPB outfielder 1966 – David Shermet, college coach 1967 – Masashi Arikura, NPB pitcher 1967 – Jeff Bumgarner, minor league pitcher 1967 – Koichi Ikeue, NPB pitcher 1968 – Scott Aldred, pitcher 1970 – Damon Buford, outfielder 1971 – Ryan Klesko, outfielder; All-Star 1972 – Sang-ryul Chun, KBO outfielder 1972 – Scott Dawes, Australian national team catcher 1972 – Jose Garcia, minor league pitcher 1974 – Damon Hollins, outfielder 1974 – Tadahiro Hoshiyama, NPB pitcher 1974 – Hideki Matsui, outfielder; All-Star 1975 – Russ Chambliss, minor league outfielder 1975 – Makoto Sato, NPB pitcher 1976 – Donnie Moore, minor league outfielder 1976 – Chi-Hsin Yang, CPBL outfielder 1977 – Wilfredo Rodríguez, CPBL pitcher 1978 – Gary Espadas, minor league pitcher 1979 – Luca Bischeri, Serie A1 catcher 1979 – Scott Sturkie, minor league pitcher 1979 – Yuki Tanaka, NPB pitcher 1979 – Takeshi Tsuji, NPB outfielder 1980 – Nate Gold, minor league outfielder 1981 – Ricardo Nanita, minor league and NPB outfielder 1982 – Dong Wang, China Baseball League catcher 1982 – Andy Zamora, Cuban league outfielder 1983 – Leandro Hasegawa, Brazilian national team player 1983 – Kojiro Uehara, NPB pitcher 1984 – Roger Bernadina, outfielder 1984 – Kyle McClellan, pitcher 1985 – George Kontos, pitcher 1985 – Chan-Hsu Yang, CPBL infielder 1986 – Billy Killian, minor league catcher 1986 – Marcos Tabata, minor league pitcher 1988 – Mike Walker, minor league infielder 1988 – De-Long Yu, CPBL utility man 1989 – Dallas Beeler, pitcher 1989 – Jonathan Loáisiga, minor league infielder 1989 – Misael Siverio, minor league pitcher 1990 – Jed Bradley, pitcher 1990 – Seung-min Koo, KBO pitcher 1990 – Tharidu Madumal, Sri Lankan national team pitcher 1991 – Avisail Garcia, outfielder; All-Star 1991 – Alex Maldonado, minor league infielder 1993 – Parker Guinn, college coach 1993 – Sean Newcomb, pitcher 1993 – Yasutaka Shiomi, NPB outfielder 1994 – Tatsuya Morimoto, NPB infielder 1994 – Nellie Rodriguez, minor league infielder 1995 – Aaron Civale, pitcher 1995 – Jeremy Walker, pitcher 1996 – Thomas Szapucki, pitcher 1997 – Chase Dawson, minor league infielder 1997 – Akiyoshi Katsuno, NPB pitcher 1998 – Hunter Bigge, pitcher 1998 – Ching-Jung Chao, CPBL pitcher 1998 – Kai-Chi Lin, CPBL outfielder 1998 – Liam Sabiston, Great Britain national team pitcher 1998 – Shunsuke Suzuki, CPBL pitcher 2000 – Rui-Yang Ku Lin, NPB pitcher 2000 – Yoandy Rea, minor league catcher 2001 – Kaitlyn Ross, Canadian women’s national team catcher 2002 – Mathias LaCombe, drafted pitcher 2002 – Matheus Lelis, minor league catcher 2002 – Shun Okamoto, NPB pitcher 2003 – Ádám Piros, Hungarian national team pitcher 2005 – Kunitada Shinozaki, NPB pitcher Deaths[edit] 1884 – Frank Pidgeon, pre-MLB pitcher (b. 1825) 1890 – Warren White, infielder, manager (b. 1844) 1900 – Mox McQuery, infielder (b. 1861) 1902 – Tim Donahue, catcher (b. 1870) 1906 – Mike O’Connor, minor league infielder and manager (b. ????) 1907 – George Bryant, infielder (b. 1857) 1915 – Pat Crisham, infielder (b. 1877) 1918 – Larry Ressler, outfielder (b. 1848) 1923 – Cliff Carroll, outfielder (b. 1859) 1937 – Jim St. Vrain, pitcher (b. 1871) 1928 – Frank Wilson, umpire (b. 1887) 1938 – Buck Thrasher, outfielder (b. 1889) 1947 – Eugene Scott, catcher (b. 1889) 1948 – Rasty Wright, pitcher (b. 1895) 1949 – Oliver Marcelle, infielder (b. 1894) 1960 – Art Wilson, catcher (b. 1885) 1964 – Bud Connolly, infielder (b. 1901) 1964 – Walter Zink, pitcher (b. 1898) 1968 – Clarence Orme, infielder (b. 1899) 1969 – Joe Engel, pitcher (b. 1893) 1972 – Lefty Phillips, manager (b. 1919) 1973 – Irv Bartling, infielder (b. 1914) 1973 – Clint Blume, pitcher (b. 1898) 1979 – Bill Brenzel, catcher (b. 1910) 1980 – Dan Thomas, outfielder (b. 1951) 1982 – Webster McDonald, pitcher, manager (b. 1900) 1987 – Dick Tremblay, umpire (b. 1932) 1988 – Merle Settlemire, pitcher (b. 1903) 1990 – Glen Gorbous, outfielder (b. 1930) 1990 – George McNamara, outfielder (b. 1901) 1990 – Jim Walkup, pitcher (b. 1895) 1992 – Randy Moore, outfielder (b. 1906) 1993 – Warren Tappin, college coach (b. 1918) 1994 – Jim Brock, college coach (b. ????) 1994 – Minoru Nishida, NPB pitcher (b. 1935) 2002 – Hank Boney, pitcher (b. 1903) 2004 – Bill Sharp, minor league infielder (b. 1931) 2005 – Brandy Davis, outfielder (b. 1927) 2010 – Felix Maldonado, minor league outfielder and manager (b. 1938) 2011 – Bert Bradford, minor league infielder (b. 1923) 2012 – Hermán Ettedgui, broadcaster (b. 1917) 2013 – Len Boyer, minor league outfielder (b. 1946) 2015 – Andres Mora, outfielder; Salon de la Fama (b. 1955) 2017 – Bob Zick, pitcher (b. 1927) 2023 – Shigeru Sugishita, NPB pitcher and manager; Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame (b. 1925) ============================================== TV SPORTS TODAY (All times Eastern) Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts Friday, June 12 AUTO RACING 7:30 a.m. APPLE TV — Formula 1: Practice, Circuit de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain 11 a.m. APPLE TV — Formula 1: Practice, Circuit de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain 6:30 a.m. (Saturday) APPLE TV — Formula 1: Practice, Circuit de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain COLLEGE BASEBALL 2 p.m. ESPN — Men’s College World Series: TBD, Game 1, Omaha, Neb. 7 p.m. ESPN — Men’s College World Series: TBD, Game 2, Omaha, Neb. COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD (MEN’S) 8 p.m. ESPN — NCAA Tournament: Championships – Day 2, Eugene, Ore. GOLF 11 a.m. GOLF — LPGA Tour: Dow Championship, Second Round, Midland Country Club, Midland, Mich. 3 p.m. GOLF — PGA Tour: RBC Canadian Open, Second Round, TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course), Caledon, Ontario 6 p.m. GOLF — 2026 Curtis Cup: First Round, Bel-Air Country Club, Los Angeles 10 p.m. GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: Principal Charity Classic, First Round, Wakonda Club, Des Moines, Iowa (taped) MLB BASEBALL 7:10 p.m. APPLE TV — Arizona at Cincinnati APPLE TV — Atlanta at N.Y. Mets 7:30 p.m. MLBN — Regional Coverage: N.Y. Yankees at Toronto (7:37 p.m.) OR L.A. Dodgers at Chicago White Sox (7:40 p.m.) 10:30 p.m. MLBN — Regional Coverage: Chicago Cubs at San Francisco (joined in progress) (10:15 p.m.) OR Colorado at Athletics (joined in progress) (10:05 p.m.) SOCCER (MEN’S) 3 p.m. FOX — 2026 FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Group B, Toronto 9 p.m. FOX — 2026 FIFA World Cup Group Stage: U.S. vs. Paraguay, Group D, Inglewood, Calif. WNBA BASKETBALL 7:30 p.m. ION — Toronto at Washington 10 p.m. ION — Golden State at Seattle _____ Saturday, June 13 AUTO RACING 6:30 a.m. APPLE TV — Formula 1: Practice, Circuit de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain 10 a.m. APPLE TV — Formula 1: Qualifying, Circuit de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain 3 p.m. NBCSN — Pro Motocross Championship: Thunder Valley National, Thunder Valley Motocross Park, Lakewood, Colo. 4 p.m. CW — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: MillerTech Battery 250 presented by KOA, Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pa. NBC — Pro Motocross Championship: Thunder Valley National, Thunder Valley Motocross Park, Lakewood, Colo. BOWLING 1 p.m. CBS — PBA Tour: From Allen Park, Mich. COLLEGE BASEBALL 3 p.m. ESPN — Men’s College World Series: TBD, Game 3, Omaha, Neb. 8 p.m. ESPN — Men’s College World Series: TBD, Game 4, Omaha, Neb. COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD (WOMEN’S) 8 p.m. ESPN — NCAA Tournament: Championships – Day 2, Eugene, Ore. GOLF 1 p.m. GOLF — PGA Tour: RBC Canadian Open, Third Round, TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course), Caledon, Ontario 3 p.m. CBS — PGA Tour: RBC Canadian Open, Third Round, TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course), Caledon, Ontario GOLF — LPGA Tour: Dow Championship, Third Round, Midland Country Club, Midland, Mich. 5 p.m. GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: Principal Charity Classic, Second Round, Wakonda Club, Des Moines, Iowa 7 p.m. GOLF — 2026 Curtis Cup: Second Round, Bel-Air Country Club, Los Angeles MLB BASEBALL 2 p.m. MLBN — Regional Coverage: St. Louis at Minnesota (2:10 p.m.) OR Atlanta at N.Y. Mets (4:10 p.m.) 5 p.m. MLBN — Regional Coverage: L.A. Dodgers at Chicago White Sox (4:10 p.m.) OR Atlanta at N.Y. Mets (4:10 p.m.) 7 p.m. FOX — Regional Coverage: Houston at Kansas City (7:15 p.m.) OR Philadelphia at Milwaukee (7:15 p.m.) 10 p.m. MLBN — Regional Coverage: Tampa Bay at L.A. Angels (10:07 p.m.) OR Chicago Cubs at San Francisco (10:05 p.m.) NBA BASKETBALL 8:30 p.m. ABC — NBA Finals: New York at San Antonio, Game 5 (if necessary) SOCCER (MEN’S) 3 p.m. FOX — 2026 FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Qatar vs. Switzerland, Group B, Santa Clara, Calif. 6 p.m. FS1 — 2026 FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Brazil vs. Morocco, Group C, East Rutherford, N.J. 9 p.m. FS1 — 2026 FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Haiti vs. Scotland, Group C, Foxborough, Mass. Midnight FS1 — 2026 FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Australia vs. Turkey, Group D, Vancouver, British Columbia SOFTBALL Noon ESPN — Athletes Unlimited: Volts at Blaze 2 p.m. ESPN2 — Athletes Unlimited: Spark at Bandits 4 p.m. CBSSN — Athletes Unlimited: Cascade at Talons UFL FOOTBALL 3 p.m. ABC — 2026 United Bowl: TBD, Championship WNBA BASKETBALL 6 p.m. NBCSN — Indiana at Connecticut PEACOCK — Indiana at Connecticut 8 p.m. CBS — Minnesota at Las Vegas _____ Sunday, June 14 AUTO RACING 9 a.m. APPLE TV — Formula 1: MSC Cruises Gran Premio de Barcelona-Catalunya, Circuit de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain 3 p.m. PRIME VIDEO — NASCAR Cup Series: Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA, Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pa. COLLEGE BASEBALL 2 p.m. ESPN — Men’s College World Series: TBD, Game 5, Omaha, Neb. 7 p.m. ESPN — Men’s College World Series: TBD, Game 6, Omaha, Neb. GOLF Noon GOLF — LPGA Tour: Dow Championship, Final Round, Midland Country Club, Midland, Mich. 1 p.m. CBS — LPGA Tour: Dow Championship, Final Round, Midland Country Club, Midland, Mich. GOLF — PGA Tour: RBC Canadian Open, Final Round, TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course), Caledon, Ontario 3 p.m. CBS — PGA Tour: RBC Canadian Open, Final Round, TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course), Caledon, Ontario GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: Principal Charity Classic, Final Round, Wakonda Club, Des Moines, Iowa 6 p.m. GOLF — 2026 Curtis Cup: Final Round, Bel-Air Country Club, Los Angeles MLB BASEBALL Noon NBCSN — Miami at Pittsburgh (12:15 p.m.) PEACOCK — Miami at Pittsburgh (12:15 p.m.) 1:30 p.m. MLBN — Regional Coverage: N.Y. Yankees at Toronto (1:37 p.m.) OR San Diego at Baltimore (1:35 p.m.) 3 p.m. ABC — Chicago Cubs at San Francisco (3:10 p.m.) 7 p.m. NBC — Texas at Boston (7:20 p.m.) PEACOCK — Texas at Boston (7:20 p.m.) NHL HOCKEY 8 p.m. ABC — Stanley Cup Final: Carolina at Vegas, Game 6 (if necessary) SOCCER (MEN’S) 1 p.m. FOX — 2026 FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Germany vs. Curaçao, Group E, Houston 4 p.m. FOX — 2026 FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Netherlands vs. Japan, Group F, Arlington, Texas 7 p.m. FS1 — 2026 FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador, Group E, Philadelphia 10 p.m. FS1 — 2026 FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Sweden vs. Tunisia, Group F, Monterrey, Mexico SOFTBALL Noon ESPN2 — Athletes Unlimited: Spark at Bandits 8 p.m. MLBN — Athletes Unlimited: Cascade at Talons TRACK AND FIELD 4 p.m. NBC — USATF: From Los Angeles WNBA BASKETBALL 3 p.m. NBATV — Washington at New York About The Author troyderengowski61@gmail.com See author's posts Post navigation THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” THURSDAY JUNE 11, 2026
