“THE SCOREBOARD”
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
CARDINALS 13, YANKEES 7
PHILLIES 6, NATIONALS 3
CUBS 10, DODGERS 5
BLUE JAYS 3, ASTROS 1
PIRATES 4, BREWERS 3
GIANTS 5, RANGERS 1
RAYS 13, ROCKIES 9
DIAMONDBACKS 5, PADRES 1
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BASEBALL NEWS
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NFL NEWS
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NBA NEWS
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NHL NEWS
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MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
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WNBA SCORES
ACES 109 DREAM 87
LIBERTY 95 STORM 83
MERCURY 106 SKY 101
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INDIANA HS FOOTBALL SCHEDULES
https://scoreboard.homestead.com/football/teams.htm#load
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
https://www.maxpreps.com/in/volleyball
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER
https://www.maxpreps.com/in/soccer
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER
https://www.maxpreps.com/in/soccer/girls
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/boys/cross-country
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/girls/cross-country
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS TENNIS
https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/boys/tennis
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MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER SCOREBOARD
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 1 SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, AUG. 28
IDAHO AT CAL POLY | 10 P.M. | ESPN
SATURDAY, AUG. 29
TCU VS. NORTH CAROLINA (AVIVA STADIUM IN DUBLIN, IRELAND) | 12 P.M. | ESPN
SAN JOSE STATE AT USC | 3 P.M. | NBC
ALABAMA STATE VS. SOUTHERN (LEGION FIELD IN BIRMINGHAM, ALA.) | 3 P.M. | ESPNU
NC STATE AT VIRGINIA | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
JACKSONVILLE STATE AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE | 5:30 P.M. | CBSSN
SACRAMENTO STATE AT EASTERN MICHIGAN | 6:30 P.M. | ESPN+
HAWAI’I AT STANFORD | 7 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
NEW MEXICO STATE AT FLORIDA STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN UNLIMITED AND THE CW NETWORK
EAST TEXAS A&M AT MERCER | 7 P.M. | ESPN
HOWARD VS. ALABAMA A&M (CENTER PARC STADIUM IN ATLANTA) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M AT TARLETON STATE | 9 P.M. | ESPN2
MEMPHIS AT UNLV | 10 P.M. | FOX
WEEK 1
THURSDAY, SEPT. 3
UMASS AT RUTGERS | 6 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
BETHUNE-COOKMAN AT UCF | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
AKRON AT WAKE FOREST | 7 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
MERRIMACK AT DELAWARE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
WEST GEORGIA AT KENNESAW STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
UALBANY AT BUFFALO | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF AT MISSOURI | 8 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
COLORADO AT GEORGIA TECH | 8 P.M. | ESPN
EASTERN ILLINOIS AT MINNESOTA | 8 P.M. | PEACOCK
IDAHO AT UTAH | 9 P.M. | ESPNU
UAB AT ILLINOIS | 9 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
FRIDAY, SEPT. 3
SAN JOSE STATE AT EASTERN MICHIGAN | 6:30 P.M. | ESPN+
INDIANA STATE AT PURDUE | 7 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
NORTH CAROLINA A&T AT GEORGIA STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
UTEP AT OKLAHOMA | 8 P.M. | SECN+
LIU AT KANSAS | 8 P.M. | ESPNU
TOLEDO AT MICHIGAN STATE | 8 P.M. | FS1
MIAMI (FLA.) AT STANFORD | 9 P.M. | ESPN
FRESNO STATE AT USC | 9 P.M. | FOX
SATURDAY, SEPT. 4
EAST CAROLINA AT ALABAMA | 12 P.M. | ABC
OREGON STATE AT HOUSTON | 12 P.M. | ESPN
COASTAL CAROLINA AT WEST VIRGINIA | 12 P.M. | TNT/HBO MAX
NEW HAMPSHIRE AT SYRACUSE | 12 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
NORTH TEXAS AT INDIANA | 12 P.M. | FOX
OHIO AT NEBRASKA | 12 P.M. | FS1
BRYANT AT ARMY | 12 P.M. | CBSSN
TARLETON STATE AT BOWLING GREEN | 12 P.M. | ESPN+
LIBERTY AT JAMES MADISON | 12 P.M. | ESPNU
MIAMI (OHIO) AT PITT | 12:30 P.M. | ESPN UNLIMITED AND THE CW NETWORK
BALL STATE AT OHIO STATE | 12:30 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
KENT STATE AT SOUTH CAROLINA | 12:45 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
YOUNGSTOWN STATE AT KENTUCKY | 1 P.M. | SECN+
SE MISSOURI STATE AT IOWA STATE | 1 P.M. | ESPN+
DUQUESNE AT AIR FORCE | 1 P.M. | MW+
RHODE ISLAND AT TEMPLE | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
TENNESSEE STATE AT GEORGIA | 3 P.M. | SECN+
AUBURN VS. BAYLOR (MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM IN ATLANTA) | 3:30 P.M. | ABC
FURMAN AT TENNESSEE | 3:30 P.M. | SECN+
TEXAS STATE AT TEXAS | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
BOSTON COLLEGE AT CINCINNATI | 3:30 P.M. | FOX
TULANE AT DUKE | 3:30 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
BOISE STATE AT OREGON | 3:30 P.M. | CBS
MARSHALL AT PENN STATE | 3:30 P.M. | FS1
THE CITADEL AT CHARLOTTE | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
TOWSON AT NAVY | 3:30 P.M. | CBSSN
UT RIO GRANDE VALLEY AT UTSA | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
FORDHAM AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN UNLIMITED AND THE CW NETWORK
MAINE AT APP STATE | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
OKLAHOMA STATE AT TULSA | 3:45 P.M. | ESPNU
NORTH ALABAMA AT ARKANSAS | 4:15 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AT IOWA | 4:15 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
ALCORN STATE AT SOUTHERN MISS | 5 P.M. | ESPN+
WYOMING AT COLORADO STATE | 6 P.M. | USA NETWORK
NORFOLK STATE AT OLD DOMINION | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
MISSOURI STATE AT TEXAS A&M | 7 P.M. | ESPN
AUSTIN PEAY AT VANDERBILT | 7 P.M. | SECN+
ABILENE CHRISTIAN AT TEXAS TECH | 7 P.M. | FS1
NICHOLLS AT KANSAS STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
IDAHO STATE AT UTAH STATE | 7 P.M. | CBSSN
ARKANSAS STATE AT MEMPHIS | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
HOUSTON CHRISTIAN AT RICE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AT SOUTH FLORIDA | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
MURRAY STATE AT MIDDLE TENNESSEE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
EASTERN KENTUCKY AT JACKSONVILLE STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
CHARLESTON SOUTHERN AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
SE LOUISIANA AT SOUTH ALABAMA | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
SAM HOUSTON AT TROY | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
CLEMSON AT LSU | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
UL MONROE AT MISSISSIPPI STATE | 7:30 P.M. | ESPNU
VMI AT VIRGINIA TECH | 7:30 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
WESTERN MICHIGAN AT MICHIGAN | 7:30 P.M. | NBC
NORTHWESTERN STATE AT LOUISIANA TECH | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN+
FLORIDA ATLANTIC AT FLORIDA | 7:45 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
UTAH TECH AT BYU | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
HAMPTON AT MARYLAND | 8 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE AT NORTHWESTERN | 8 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
LAMAR AT LOUISIANA | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
MORGAN STATE AT ARIZONA STATE | 9 P.M. | ESPN+
MERCYHURST AT NEW MEXICO STATE | 9 P.M. | ESPN+
NORTHERN ARIZONA AT ARIZONA | 9:30 P.M. | ESPN+
PORTLAND STATE AT SAN DIEGO STATE | 9:30 P.M. | USA NETWORK
UNLV AT HAWAI’I | 10 P.M. | ESPN UNLIMITED AND THE CW NETWORK
CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT NEW MEXICO | 10 P.M. | FS1
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE AT SACRAMENTO STATE | 10 P.M. | ESPN+
UCLA AT CAL | 10:30 P.M. | ESPN
WESTERN KENTUCKY AT NEVADA | 10:30 P.M. | CBSSN
SUNDAY, SEPT. 6
TEXAS SOUTHERN AT PRAIRIE VIEW A&M | 12 P.M. | ESPN2
FLORIDA A&M VS. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE (HARD ROCK STADIUM IN MIAMI GARDENS, FLA.) | 3 P.M. | ESPN
WASHINGTON STATE AT WASHINGTON | 4 P.M. | NBC
OLE MISS VS. LOUISVILLE (NISSAN STADIUM IN NASHVILLE, TENN.) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
NOTRE DAME VS. WISCONSIN (LAMBEAU FIELD IN GREEN BAY, WIS.) | 7:30 P.M. | NBC
MONDAY, SEPT. 7
SMU AT FLORIDA STATE | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
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NFL PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE
NFL/HALL OF FAME GAME – AUG. 6
CAROLINA VS. ARIZONA – 8PM, NBC/PEACOCK
WEEK 1
THURSDAY – AUG. 13
DETROIT AT CINCINNATI – 7PM
GREEN BAY AT PITTSBURGH – 7PM
INDIANAPOLIS AT NEW ENGLAND – 7:30PM
LA CHARGERS AT HOUSTON – 8PM
ARIZONA AT LAS VEGAS – 8PM
TENNESSEE AT SAN FRANCISCO – 9PM
FRIDAY – AUG. 14
DENVER AT ATLANTA – 7PM
TAMPA BAY AT NY JETS – 7PM
MIAMI AT WASHINGTON – 7PM
SATURDAY – AUG. 15
CAROLINA AT BUFFALO – 1PM
CLEVELAND AT CHICAGO – 1PM
MINNESOTA AT NY GIANTS – 1PM
LA RAMS AT KANSAS CITY – 4PM
JACKSONVILLE AT NEW ORLEANS – 4PM
PHILADELPHIA AT BALTIMORE – 7PM
DALLAS AT SEATTLE – 8PM
WEEK 2
THURSDAY – AUG. 20
LAS VEGAS AT HOUSTON – 8PM, ESPN
SAN FRANCISCO AT LA CHARGERS – 10PM
FRIDAY – AUG. 21
NY JETS AT PITTSBURGH – 7PM
CAROLINA AT JACKSONVILLE – 7:30PM
GREEN BAY AT DENVER – 9PM
SATURDAY – AUG. 22
WASHINGTON AT DETROIT – 12PM
BUFFALO AT CLEVELAND – 1PM
ATLANTA AT INDIANAPOLIS – 1PM
BALTIMORE AT MINNESOTA – 1PM
NEW ORLEANS AT LA RAMS – 4PM
NY GIANTS AT MIAMI – 4PM
CHICAGO AT CINCINNATI – 7PM
PHILADELPHIA AT NEW ENGLAND – 7PM
KANSAS CITY AT TAMPA BAY – 7:30PM
DALLAS AT ARIZONA – 10PM
SUNDAY – AUG. 23
SEATTLE AT TENNESSEE – 8PM, FOX
WEEK 3
THURSDAY – AUG. 27
PITTSBURGH AT BUFFALO – 7PM
NEW ENGLAND AT CLEVELAND – 8PM, PRIME VIDEO
SAN FRANCISCO AT LAS VEGAS – 8PM
LA RAMS AT LA CHARGERS – 10PM
FRIDAY – AUG. 28
WASHINGTON AT BALTIMORE – 6PM
HOUSTON AT CAROLINA – 7PM
ATLANTA AT MIAMI – 7PM
TAMPA BAY AT JACKSONVILLE – 7:30PM
NY GIANTS AT NY JETS – 7:30PM
NEW ORLEANS AT DALLAS – 8PM
ARIZONA AT GREEN BAY – 8PM
SEATTLE AT KANSAS CITY – 8PM
CINCINNATI AT PHILADELPHIA – 8PM, CBS
MINNESOTA AT DENVER – 9PM
SATURDAY – AUG. 29
DETROIT AT INDIANAPOLIS – 1PM
CHICAGO AT TENNESSEE – 6PM
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2026 NFL TEAM SCHEDULES
https://www.nfl.com/schedules/2026/by-team
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2026 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE
WEEK DATE OPPONENT TV / TIME (ET)
WEEK 1 THU, AUG 13 @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS LOCAL (7:30 PM)
WEEK 2 SAT, AUG 22 VS. ATLANTA FALCONS LOCAL (1:00 PM)
WEEK 3 SAT, AUG 29 VS. DETROIT LIONS LOCAL (1:00 PM)
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2026 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
WEEK DATE OPPONENT TIME (ET) TV / STREAMING
1 SUN, SEPT 13 VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS 1:00 PM CBS
2 SUN, SEPT 20 @ KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 8:20 PM NBC
3 SUN, SEPT 27 VS. HOUSTON TEXANS 1:00 PM CBS
4 SUN, OCT 4 @ WASHINGTON COMMANDERS 9:30 AM NFL NET
5 SUN, OCT 11 @ PITTSBURGH STEELERS 1:00 PM CBS
6 SUN, OCT 18 VS. TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM FOX
7 SUN, OCT 25 @ MINNESOTA VIKINGS 1:00 PM CBS
8 SUN, NOV 1 @ JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 1:00 PM CBS
9 SUN, NOV 8 VS. DALLAS COWBOYS 1:00 PM FOX
10 SUN, NOV 15 VS. MIAMI DOLPHINS 1:00 PM CBS
11 THU, NOV 19 @ HOUSTON TEXANS 8:15 PM PRIME VIDEO
12 SUN, NOV 29 VS. NEW YORK GIANTS 1:00 PM FOX
13 BYE WEEK
14 SUN, DEC 13 @ PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 1:00 PM FOX
15 SUN, DEC 20 @ TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM CBS
16 TBD – FLEX VS. CINCINNATI BENGALS TBD TBD
17 SUN, JAN 3 @ CLEVELAND BROWNS 1:00 PM FOX
18 TBD – FLEX GAME VS. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS TBD TBD
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TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/SPORTS RELEASES
BEARS S COBY BRYANT CARTED OFF WITH APPARENT KNEE INJURY
Chicago Bears safety Coby Bryant was carted off the field at training camp on Monday with an apparent knee injury.
Multiple observers reported that the Bears’ major offseason acquisition went down grabbing his left knee during a practice rep. He was able to get onto the cart under his own power but was visibly emotional.
Bryant, 27, signed a three-year, $40 million contract in March after a stellar campaign with the Seattle Seahawks that ended with a Super Bowl LX win. He started 15 games in 2025, logging 66 tackles, four interceptions and a forced fumble.
A fourth-round draft pick by Seattle in 2022, Bryant has played in 58 games (34 starts) and posted 227 tackles, two sacks and seven interceptions.Sports betting odds
The Bears will await test results to see if Bryant will miss significant time.
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TEXANS BUILD DEPTH WITH VETERAN LB SIONE TAKITAKI
The Houston Texans bolstered their linebacker depth Monday with the signing of free agent Sione Takitaki.
Takitaki, 31, played his first five campaigns in Cleveland before spending one season each with New England and Minnesota.
He appeared in three games with the Vikings last season and contributed three tackles on special teams.
A third-round pick by the Browns in 2019, Takitaki has 292 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles in 86 career games (40 starts).
He returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown against Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020.
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PANTHERS REMAIN MUM ON BRYCE YOUNG’S CONTRACTUAL FUTURE AS THEY PONDER QB’S CEILING ENTERING YEAR 4
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers remain tight-lipped about the long-term contractual future of quarterback Bryce Young as he prepares to enter his fourth NFL season.
Panthers executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis said Monday he felt Young “ascended” to a new level last season, while adding that the 25-year-old’s ceiling is still “unknown.”
After being benched early in his second season, the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 responded by throwing for 3,011 yards with 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last year while going 8-8 as a starter and leading the Panthers to an NFC South championship.
Still, Young appears ready to enter the season without a long-term contract in place.
He is under contract this season for slightly more than $12 million. The team can pick up the fifth-year option on Young at anytime, which would mean paying him a projected $25.9 million in 2027.
But three years in, this is normally the time when NFL teams consider locking up a quarterback they drafted high — or one they consider a franchise-type player — with a long-term deal.
“I would say he ascended last year and there is still room for him to ascend,” said Tilis, who was the lead negotiator for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020 when they locked up Patrick Mahomes with a 10-year, $477 million deal. “His ceiling is currently unknown and I think that is exciting for us. He’s working hard to get himself there.”
When asked if the Panthers should have a better idea of where Young’s ceiling is by now, Tilis responded, “not necessarily. The team is growing, too. He’s going to ascend as the team ascends, and vice versa. The team is going to get better. So it’s all good.”
Tilis said Young is well-positioned to continue developing this season.
“The team is better, the coaches are good — Bryce is putting in the work, too. So it’s all there,” Tilis said. “We will just see how the year plays out. I think we are all really excited for what Bryce is going to show and how the team is going to do.”
When asked if that’s an indication the team may wait until after the season to consider a contract extension for Young, Tilis remained coy, saying those a discussions that will remain inside the organization and be discussed privately among himself, general manager Dan Morgan, head coach Dave Canales and team owner David Tepper.
“I want what is best for the organization so that is not for me (solely) to decide,” Tilis said. “It’s collaborative.”
Canales: Young is playing faster, making quicker decisions
Canales said he’s “really excited” to see what Young will do entering his third year in the current offensive system after watching him at training camp.
“The special plays still show up every day, moving up the spot, pushing up in the pocket, layering balls, all the accuracy — but the part that I’ve been really impressed with this camp is just his chemistry with our receivers,” Canales said.
Canales added Young is “playing so much faster” and making quicker decisions.
“It just seems like he’s eliminating things before the snap,” Canales said. “On his drop, he’s starting to eliminate and evaluate things and throwing really anticipatory throws. … So I love where he’s headed. I love that he’s all in. He seems to be really enjoying it and so we just keep taking it a day at a time and try to challenge ourselves that way.”
Kenny Pickett to start at QB in Hall of Fame game
Young is firmly entrenched as Carolina’s starting quarterback, but he won’t play in Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals in the Hall of Fame game, Canales said.
Canales said most of the team’s starters will sit out.
Kenny Pickett will start under center with Haynes King also expected to see action.
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PANTHERS WON’T PLAY BRYCE YOUNG IN HALL OF FAME GAME
The preseason opener became a day off for Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young.
Panthers coach Dave Canales said Monday he plans to give Kenny Pickett the start in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday night against the Arizona Cardinals in Canton, Ohio.
Undrafted rookie quarterback Haynes King could see the field early and is expected to play most of the second half for the Panthers.
Pickett, 28, spent last season as the primary backup to Geno Smith with the Las Vegas Raiders and started two games. He has also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles.
Sitting starters in the first game of the preseason is nothing new, and keeping quarterbacks under wraps for the Hall of Fame Game is standard practice.
“We have a good number of (non-starters) that will be helping out early on in the game, just because we don’t want to overload any one particular group on our team,” Canales said. “We do have practices leading into the game, and we have practices coming out of it, so I felt that with a number of guys being out there, being able to take a couple of series will really help the whole group, and we just need the football.
“I’m excited about it. Kenny is excited as well as the rest of the group.”
Right guard Robert Hunt (back) returned to practice on Monday. Canales also confirmed the Panthers activated defensive tackle Bobby Brown III from the non-football injury list.
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QB AARON RODGERS: STEELERS WANT ME TO PLAY IN PRESEASON GAMES VS. PACKERS, JETS
If Mike McCarthy wants Aaron Rodgers to play in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first two preseason games of the summer, the 42-year-old won’t refuse.
Rodgers told The Athletic over the weekend that he’s fine with McCarthy’s request to play in the exhibition games which happen to be against his former teams, the Packers and New York Jets.
McCarthy clarified his position on Monday, and made it known there is no line in the sand.
“Trust me, I have a lot of ideas,” McCarthy said. ” … We have plans, but being a healthy system, let’s see what happens. A lot can happen between now and (August 13).
“He’d like to play. I would like to see him play. But we won’t make a decision until we get all the way up to it because there’s more that goes into that than having one player play. It’s the culmination of players.”
Rodgers, who last played in a preseason game in 2023, told The Athletic that he told McCarthy, “if you want me to play, I’ll play,’” but continued, “I’m not saying I want to do it. But if he wants me to, I will.”
Rodgers is back for his second season as the Steelers’ starter with Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and rookie third-round pick Drew Allar vying for spots behind him. It’s also the second stint for Rodgers as McCarthy’s quarterback. They were paired with the Packers from 2006-18, including when the franchise won Super Bowl XLV over the Steelers.
“Just to be able to take this final lap with him, it’s awesome,” McCarthy said of reuniting with Rodgers, who guaranteed the 2026 season will be his last. “You always want to do a great job, but now to do it with him in his last chapter, it’s special.”
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LIONS RB JAHMYR GIBBS: ‘TIME WILL TELL’ HOW LONG HOLD-IN LASTS
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs said Monday that “only time will tell” how long his hold-in lasts at training camp.
Gibbs, 24, missed his fifth consecutive practice Monday as he continues to seek a long-term contract this offseason.
The three-time Pro Bowl selection was spotted on the sidelines for the second straight day, chatting with teammates between drills.
In a brief exchange with reporters, Gibbs said, “it’s not about that,” when asked if he needs a new deal before he gets back on the field.
Bijan Robinson has also taken the “hold in” stance with the Falcons, who exercised his fifth-year option before the 2026 draft. Robinson led the NFL in all-purpose yards (2,298). The Falcons selected Robinson eighth overall in the 2023 draft, five picks before Gibbs went at No. 12 to the Lions.Sports betting odds
Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is practicing with Indianapolis as he enters the final season of a three-year, $42 million contract. Taylor voiced confidence and trust in the Colts getting a deal done before the season begins not long after CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon said she would “love it if he would be a Colt for life.”
Gibbs is headed into his fourth NFL season and is due a $1.1 million base salary and a $2 million roster bonus. In April, the team picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract that will pay him a guaranteed $14.29 million in 2027.
Gibbs has racked up 5,029 yards from scrimmage with 49 touchdowns in 49 games (24 starts) across his first three seasons.
Last season, Gibbs started all 17 games and rushed for 1,223 yards with 13 touchdowns. As a receiver, he set career highs across the board with 77 catches for 616 yards and five scores.
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SEVERAL BIG-NAME NFL PLAYERS ENTER THIS SEASON WITH SOMETHING TO PROVE
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Breece Hall came to training camp with a new contract from the New York Jets and an intense desire to justify the big bucks.
“It makes me more hungry to keep proving I am who I say I am,” said the star running back, who received a three-year extension in May worth $45.75 million. “It’s making me want to do more than I’ve done in the past.”
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield said he feels “disrespected” by the Buccaneers for not getting the contract extension he sought and plans to play out the final season of his three-year, $100 million deal.
Several players know exactly how they feel, entering the season with something to prove because of either signing a big-money deal, looking for another contract, joining a new team, trying to overcome an injury or working to rebound from mediocre play.
A.J. BROWN, WR, PATRIOTS
The three-time Pro Bowl pick was traded by Philadelphia to New England in June for a 2028 first-round draft pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder. Brown, who’s still only 29, had 339 catches for 5,034 yards receiving with 32 touchdowns in four seasons with the Eagles — a tenure also marked by cryptic social media posts and comments that soured his relationship with the franchise, including quarterback Jalen Hurts. In New England, Brown gets a fresh start with his childhood favorite team.
JALEN CARTER, DT, EAGLES
The Eagles signed the ninth overall pick in 2023 to a four-year extension that included $106 million guaranteed through the 2031 season. The huge deal makes Carter the league’s highest-paid defensive tackle. It also comes after he had just three sacks last year while shoulder injuries limited him to 11 games. Carter said he feels the responsibility of living up to the contract and returning to his game-wrecking level of play.
KEON COLEMAN, WR, BILLS
The 23-year-old wide receiver has the talent to be a star for the Bills’ Josh Allen-led offense. But inconsistency and lapses in focus on and off the field have prevented Coleman from reaching that potential. He has been disciplined three times for being late to meetings. After having eight catches for 112 yards in Buffalo’s season opener, Coleman had just 30 receptions for 292 yards in 12 other games. He acknowledged in minicamp that this is a “make or break” season.
BREECE HALL, RB, JETS
Hall ran for 1,000 yards for the first time in his career last season and also had 350 yards receiving with five overall TDs while playing in 16 games. He was mentioned often in trade rumors last year, but remained with the Jets. With Frank Reich running the offense, Hall should continue to be a do-it-all bell cow out of the backfield with the hope — based on what the Jets paid him — he’ll firmly establish himself as one of the league’s top running backs.
BAKER MAYFIELD, QB, BUCCANEERS
The No. 1 overall pick in 2018 by Cleveland revived his career in Tampa Bay after replacing Tom Brady in 2023. Mayfield insists he has shown himself with the Buccaneers to be a franchise quarterback — and wants to be paid as such. In his first two seasons in Tampa Bay, he made the Pro Bowl and led the Buccaneers to NFC South titles. Mayfield got off to another terrific start last season, but fizzled down the stretch with injuries.
KYLER MURRAY, QB, VIKINGS
Arizona released Murray in the offseason, a disappointing end to what was a promising beginning for the 2019 top pick. He signed with Minnesota in March for the veteran minimum of $1.3 million, giving the Vikings a veteran to compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting job. Murray has been productive at his best as a dynamic dual threat. But he has had to deal with injuries and questions about his work ethic, something he’ll try to put to rest with the Vikings. But he needs to beat out McCarthy first.
MICHAEL PENIX JR., QB, FALCONS
The eighth overall pick in 2024 came to Atlanta as the Falcons’ possible quarterback of the future. Injuries and inconsistency have threatened those hopes. Penix opened last season as the starter, was benched late in Week 3 in favor of Kirk Cousins and then tore an ACL in Week 11. He’s working his way back from that injury this summer and the Falcons aren’t quite sure when he’ll be fully ready. Atlanta signed Tua Tagovailoa, who’s also currently banged up, in the offseason to compete with Penix.
RASHEE RICE, WR, CHIEFS
The 26-year-old wide receiver, who missed the Chiefs’ voluntary offseason workouts and mandatory minicamp, served a 30-day sentence in a Dallas County jail for violating the terms of his probation, stemming from his role in a car crash that left multiple people injured on a Texas highway. Rice also had surgery to clean debris in his right knee shortly before he was sentenced. When he has played, he has been a productive target for Patrick Mahomes with 156 catches for 1,797 yards and 14 touchdowns. But Rice has also played just 28 games in three seasons because of a suspension and injuries.
C.J. STROUD, QB, TEXANS
The second overall pick in 2023 had a terrific first season, winning AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, leading the Texans to the playoffs, making the Pro Bowl and giving Houston hope its franchise QB was in place. Stroud’s last two seasons might have caused some doubt. The Texans have made it to the postseason in each of his three NFL seasons, but Stroud had his worst performance in the divisional round against New England when he threw four first-half interceptions. The Texans exercised the fifth-year option on Stroud’s rookie contract in April and he’s eligible for an extension, with talks ongoing.
BRIAN THOMAS JR., WR, JAGUARS
The 2024 first-rounder set franchise rookie records for catches (87), yards receiving (1,282) and TD receptions (10), quickly emerging as Trevor Lawrence’s top target. But Thomas’ production nosedived last season with 48 catches for 707 yards and just two TDs. He also tied for second in the NFL with 10 drops. Thomas was impressive during offseason workouts and minicamp, and the hope is being in his second year in Liam Coen’s offense will help him more closely resemble the playmaker he was as a rookie.
DESHAUN WATSON, QB, BROWNS
Healthy again after tearing an Achilles tendon in 2024 and missing last season after reinjuring it, Watson’s competing with Shedeur Sanders for Cleveland’s starting job. And this could be the 30-year-old QB’s last chance to redeem himself. He has played in just 19 games since being acquired from Houston in 2022 for three first-round picks and then signing a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal. He was suspended by the NFL for the first 11 games that season for his alleged sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. If Watson starts in Week 1 for new coach Todd Monken, it’ll be his first game since Week 7 of the 2024 season.
MALIK WILLIS, QB, DOLPHINS
Tennessee thought Willis could potentially be its franchise QB when it drafted him in the third round in 2022. That never materialized and Willis was traded to Green Bay two years later. He rejuvenated his career last season while filling in for an injured Jordan Love and parlayed that into a three-year, $67.5 million deal with Miami. Willis will be the starter from Week 1, but the Dolphins are putting a lot of faith in a quarterback with only six NFL starts.
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2026 TEAM PREVIEW: BUFFALO BILLS
(SALTY PARKER-INDIANA SRN)
MAJOR CHANGES
– **Offense:** Joe Brady has transitioned from offensive coordinator to head coach, while the team has appointed Pete Carmichael Jr., a former senior offensive assistant for the Broncos, as the new offensive coordinator. Brady has confirmed that he will continue to call offensive plays.
– **Defense:** The team has hired Jim Leonhard, formerly the assistant head coach and defensive pass game coordinator for the Broncos, as the new defensive coordinator.
PERSONAL CHANGES
– The team has traded for wide receiver D.J. Moore, sending a second-round pick to the Bears.
– In free agency, they signed several veterans, including defensive end Bradley Chubb, safeties C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Geno Stone, cornerback Dee Alford, and center Lloyd Cushenberry.
– The draft focused heavily on enhancing defensive and offensive line depth, and they selected wide receiver Skyler Bell in the fourth round.
– Cornerback Taron Johnson has been traded to the Raiders.
– Several players, including offensive guard David Edwards, fullback Reggie Gilliam, defensive back Cam Lewis, safety Darnell Savage, offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark, and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, were lost to free agency.
– The team has released wide receiver Curtis Samuel, safety Taylor Rapp, and cornerback Dane Jackson ahead of free agency.
SCHEDULE
– **Divisional Games (6):** Two matchups each against the Dolphins, Patriots, and Jets.
– **AFC West (4):** Games against the Chargers, Chiefs, and away games at the Broncos and Raiders.
– **NFC North (4):** Home games against the Lions and Bears, along with away games at the Packers and Vikings.
– Additional games include the Ravens, an away game at the Rams, and an away game at the Texans.
PREDICTION
The assessment of the Buffalo Bills will mainly focus on evaluating their progress and performance moving forward. The team boasts one of the top offensive lines when healthy, a highly regarded quarterback, and an exceptional rusher in James Cook. With the continuity in play calling due to Joe Brady’s promotion to head coach, there are valid reasons for optimism regarding their offense. Historically, the Bills have finished third or higher in scoring for five of the last six seasons, with a single “disappointing” sixth-place finish as the exception. Analyst Mike Clay has projected the Bills for 26 passing touchdowns and 26 rushing touchdowns, assessments that align with the team’s prior accomplishments.
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2026 NFL TEAM PREVIEW: MIAMI DOLPHINS
SALTY PARKER-INDIANA SRN
MAJOR CHANGES
*Offensive Adjustments:* The organization has terminated former Head Coach Mike McDaniel and has appointed defensive-minded Head Coach Jeff Hafley in his place. Furthermore, Bobby Slowik has been hired as the new Offensive Coordinator.
*Defensive Modifications:* Coach Hafley has confirmed that he will assume the responsibility of calling defensive plays for the Dolphins in 2026. Additionally, Sean Duggan has been appointed as the new Defensive Coordinator.
PERSONAL CHANGES
It could be argued that no team underwent a more significant reshaping of its roster this offseason than the Dolphins.
The team has traded Wide Receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos in exchange for a first, third, and fourth-round pick swap. Furthermore, it has released Wide Receiver Tyreek Hill, Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, EDGE Bradley Chubb, Fullback Alec Ingold, and Kicker Jason Sanders.
The Dolphins also witnessed the departure of Punter Jake Bailey, Offensive Tackle Jake Borom, and Defensive Tackle Benito Jones in free agency.
In terms of new acquisitions, the team has signed Quarterback Malik Willis, Wide Receivers Tutu Atwell, Jalen Tolbert, EDGE Joshua Uche, Offensive Lineman Jamaree Salyer, Outside Linebacker David Ojabo, Offensive Tackle Charlie Heck, Cornerbacks Marco Wilson, Alex Austin, Darrell Baker Jr., Safety Zayne Anderson, and Kickers Zane Gonzalez and Riley Patterson. Additionally, Punter Seth Vernon and Long Snapper Tucker Addington have joined the roster.
The Dolphins drafted Offensive Guard Kadyn Proctor and Cornerback Chris Johnson in the first round, Linebacker Jakob Rodriguez in the second round, and Tight End Will Kacmarek, along with Wide Receivers Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas, in the third round. In total, the team added seven additional players among their 13 total draft selections.
SCHEDULE
*Divisional Games (6):*
Two games against the Bills, two against the Patriots, and two against the Jets.
*AFC West Opponents (4):*
Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, away match against the Las Vegas Raiders, and an away match against the Denver Broncos.
*NFC North Opponents (4):*
Home games against the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears, along with away matches against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. Additional games include the Cincinnati Bengals, an away match against the San Francisco 49ers, and one against the Indianapolis Colts.
PREDICTION
At this point, it is difficult to identify a discernible pathway to significant improvement for this unit in 2026. The situation is straightforward: creating an elaborate narrative that suggests the team may exceed its low expectations seems unproductive. In light of this, both time and energy would be better spent elsewhere.
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
JUDGE CLARIFIES NCAA ELIGIBILITY ORDER, WHICH COULD BLUNT ITS IMPACT ON NEW ‘5 FOR 5′ RULE
DENVER (AP) — The judge who granted some athletes the right to play another year in college issued a new order Sunday that makes clear that does not include football players who signed pro contracts this summer then had a change of heart.
U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney responded to an NCAA request for clarity about her Friday ruling that granted a fifth year to athletes who graduated high school in 2022 and were not included in the new NCAA rule that allows five seasons of eligibility for Division I players.
She said the decision still stands. But the clarification said her ruling had no impact on other NCAA rules, which would include its prohibition on players signing pro contracts, then coming back to college.
The NCAA filed its intention to appeal the case later Sunday night.
The ruling, as first written, had the potential to upend the upcoming college football season, where teams are starting camp planning on the “five for five” rule to take effect beginning next fall.
Extending it to players this fall granted hundreds a chance to return to school. In the direct aftermath of the decision, some media reports were listing players on NFL and CFL rosters who were signaling they’d be open to returning to school.
But that appears to be off the table after Sweeney’s clarification that said it was strictly about the players whose eligibility ended last school year. It did not extend beyond that — neither to rules regarding when athletes can enter the transfer portal nor to elements of the landmark House lawsuit settlement, which dictates how many players teams can put on rosters and how much schools can pay them.
The rulings out of U.S. District Court in Denver figures to impact sports differently. Football teams, for instance, have already started practice for this season, while baseball doesn’t start for a while.
In making decisions, teams figure to factor the NCAA’s appeal of Sweeney’s order and whether to risk bringing back players who could then be declared ineligible if her decision is overturned.
NCAA President Charlie Baker issued a statement after Sweeney’s initial ruling came out Friday, saying the ruling was potentially chaos-inducing and a reason Congress needs to pass the Protect College Sports Act. That bill, being considered in the Senate, includes lawsuit protection for the NCAA over eligibility rules, the likes of which they are defending in several courts around the country.
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NOTRE DAME AND USC AGREE TO RESUME FOOTBALL RIVALRY WITH A 4-GAME SERIES STARTING IN 2030
The Notre Dame-Southern California college football rivalry will start again in 2030.
The schools announced Monday they have agreed to a four-game home-and-home series. Notre Dame will play in Los Angeles on Aug. 31, 2030, and the Trojans will visit South Bend, Indiana, on Aug. 30, 2031. The meetings in 2032 and 2033 will be played in the first three weeks of the season.
The teams met each non-pandemic season from 1946-2025, typically in October or November, in what became known as “the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football.” The exception was the 2020 season when most schools played a conference-only schedule.
Negotiations for the continuation of the series became challenging after USC joined the Big Ten in 2024. The Trojans expressed that they did not want to play nonconference games after September. Notre Dame beat the Trojans 34-24 in South Bend last Oct. 18, and the series officially went on hiatus in December when the Irish announced they had filled the last open spot on their 2026 schedule with a game at BYU.
Notre Dame and USC first played in 1926 and the Irish lead the series 53-38-5. The series also was put on hold from 1943-45, during World War II.
The two schools have combined to win 22 national championships and produce 15 Heisman Trophy winners, and the discontinuation prompted consternation on both sides. Navy is the only team Notre Dame has played more than USC, at 98 meetings.
Notre Dame and USC play for the Jeweled Shillelagh Trophy, a tradition which began in 1952. The Jeweled Shillelagh Trophy is presented by the Notre Dame Club of Los Angeles. Notre Dame victories are marked by green-jeweled shamrocks while USC victories are marked by ruby-jeweled Trojan heads.
“USC’s historic rivalry with Notre Dame holds a special place in the history of college football, and we are happy to resume a series that means so much to the entire Trojan Family,” USC athletic director Jen Cohen said. “It remains important for us to play this game early in the season, as it allows us to schedule competitively with our Big Ten peers and takes into account the health and best interests of our student-athletes and program. We are excited for our fans, and we look forward to more memorable matchups and unforgettable games between the Trojans and the Irish.”
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BIG 10 TEAM PREVIEW: MICHIGAN STATE
No academic institution or athletic department is currently undertaking a more comprehensive reset than Michigan State University.
To provide context, the university has recently experienced the departure of both its president and athletic director, coinciding with Pat Fitzgerald’s return to head coaching after a three-year absence. The pivotal question arises: Can Pat Fitzgerald restore Michigan State’s competitive toughness?
Fitzgerald was dismissed from Northwestern University amid a hazing scandal within the program, an issue he claimed to have been unaware of. Subsequently, he received an undisclosed amount from a wrongful termination lawsuit.
On the field, Fitzgerald’s performance during the 2022 season at Northwestern was subpar, culminating in a record of 1-11. His combined record from 2019 to 2022 was 7-29, with an exception of a 7-2 record during the atypical 2020 season.
Thus, the present situation represents a critical juncture for Michigan State, as the program seeks to rebound from four consecutive losing seasons.
**Michigan State Key Statistics for 2025:**
– **Tackles for Loss:** Opponents: 93 for 425 yards; Michigan State: 55 for 226 yards
– **Fourth Quarter Scoring:** Opponents: 91; Michigan State: 65
– **Kickoff Return Average:** Michigan State: 25 yards; Opponents: 16.5 yards
**Offensive Overview:**
The Michigan State offense must enhance both its toughness and overall effectiveness. While there were moments of explosiveness last year, the offensive unit struggled to establish a consistent ground game and lacked sufficient push from the offensive line.
The introduction of new offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, who has most recently contributed to Alabama’s offensive strategy, represents a potential turning point. There are foundational elements to build upon, and improvements are anticipated from a unit that ranked 99th nationally last season.
**Strengths:**
The offensive line possesses considerable experience, although it has undergone significant changes. The established right side includes tackle Conner Moore and guard Luka Vincic, while the projected offensive front will feature tackle Ben Murawski (from UConn), center Trent Fraley (from North Dakota State), and guard Nick Sharpe (from South Carolina).
While Sheridan’s Alabama teams were not noted for their rushing prowess, Michigan State intends to adopt a more physical running approach. The Spartans achieved a 4-1 record when surpassing 115 rushing yards last season, with Cam Edwards emerging as a standout running back during his tenure at UConn.
The passing game has the potential to be unexpectedly effective. Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic demonstrated proficiency while stepping in for Aidan Chiles last year, throwing ten touchdown passes and only three interceptions. Additionally, the transfer portal has introduced promising talent, including KK Smith (from Notre Dame) and Fredrick Moore (from Michigan), to complement the speedy Crishon McCray.
**Areas for Improvement:**
Significant enhancements are imperative for the offensive line. Although the starting five is anticipated to be strong, last year’s dismal production drew widespread criticism from the college football community, resulting in the acquisition of seven offensive linemen.
Moreover, it is crucial to minimize defensive penetration into the backfield. While some issues can be attributed to Aidan Chiles’ indecisiveness, the offensive line allowed a troubling total of 37 sacks, ranking 124th nationally, and yielded 93 tackles for loss, ranking 129th.
Additionally, the departure of key pass catchers poses a challenge. Star tight end Jack Velling has joined the Atlanta Falcons, second-leading receiver Omar Kelly is attempting to secure a position with the Miami Dolphins, and Nick Marsh, who possesses first-round NFL Draft potential, has transferred to Indiana University.
**Player to Monitor**
Cam Edwards, Running Back, Senior
The Spartans have experienced the departure of Makhi Frazier to Ole Miss. However, they have acquired a number of running backs through the transfer portal, including Jaziun Patterson from Iowa, Marvi Parrish from Western Kentucky, and Kenneth Williams from Nebraska.
Among these acquisitions, Edwards possesses the potential to emerge as an outstanding performer immediately. The former UConn Husky has accumulated 2,688 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns over the past three seasons, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
**Defensive Overview**
Under the leadership of Pat Fitzgerald, the defensive unit is anticipated to exhibit significant improvement.
Effort was not an issue in the previous season with defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, who now benefits from an influx of quality transfers alongside a solid base of returning players.
While there are areas that require enhancement, it is expected that adjustments will be more a matter of refinement than a complete overhaul.
**Strengths**
Linebacker performance is critical under Fitzgerald’s coaching philosophy. Jordan Hall returns after leading the team with 88 tackles from his position at middle linebacker.
Dion Crawford contributed 40 tackles and 12 sacks during his last two seasons at Buffalo, while former Maryland linebacker Caleb Wheatland joins after a challenging season at Auburn.
The coaching staff has effectively addressed secondary gaps through the transfer portal. Cornerback Tre Bell from Iowa State represents one of the most promising signings, and safety Michael Richard from Louisiana Tech is expected to integrate seamlessly.
The recruitment approach reflects a strategy focused on depth, with multiple candidates prepared to compete for safety positions alongside veterans Nikai Martinez and Aveon Grose.
There is a pressing need for improvement in run defense, as the Spartans struggled significantly when opposing teams gained over 100 rushing yards, with a record of 0-7 in those instances, as opposed to 4-1 when they did not.
**Areas for Improvement**
The pass rush must demonstrate greater effectiveness. Last season, the Spartans recorded only 22 sacks, with instances of insufficient pressure occurring too frequently.
While the portal did not yield a substantial crop of seasoned pass rushers, any increase in production will be seen as progress.
Furthermore, increasing the number of takeaways is essential. Last season, the team recorded only four fumble recoveries and five interceptions, with very few having a meaningful impact on games. Notably, the Spartans managed only two takeaways in a narrow 20-17 defeat against Iowa—the only occasion they exceeded one turnover.
Attention is needed in the defensive tackle position. Although a few players are present—most notably the 335-pound Ben Roberts, who is expected to excel as one of the few key returning players—there has been a notable loss with Alex VanSumeren transferring to USC. Establishing a reliable rotation is imperative.
**Key Player to Monitor**
Kenny Soares, Edge Rusher, Senior
The former Northwestern Wildcat recorded 57 tackles and 2.5 sacks in three years. Last season, he transitioned into a run-stopping role, achieving 80 tackles and four tackles for loss at NC State. The Spartans require his ability to disrupt opposing offenses by penetrating into the backfield.
**Season Objectives**
There is an urgent need for the offensive line to improve, especially given its lack of depth. The emergence of effective pass rushers is crucial, and skill position players must exhibit greater explosiveness.
**Player of Focus**
Alessio Milivojevic, Quarterback, Sophomore
This season was expected to mark Aiden Chiles’ ascendance within the Michigan State program. However, due to inconsistencies last season, the offense required a rejuvenation, prompting the team to bring in Milivojevic.
Though his mobility is limited, he has demonstrated accuracy and leadership, particularly in late-game situations. Nevertheless, he may face competition from Florida Atlantic transfer Cam Fancher during fall camp.
**Primary Concern**
A significant concern remains whether the Spartans can sustain physicality throughout the duration of their contests. The challenges of the previous 4-8 season were compounded by a tendency for performance to decline at critical junctures, resulting in lopsided scores.
The offense lacked consistency in maintaining pace, the defense faltered in stopping opposing drives, and several games devolved into one-sided outcomes. Of the eight losses, six were by double digits, with the majority of them becoming routs. Overall, the team has suffered 24 losses by double digits over the past 46 games.
**Key Matchup**
Nebraska, September 26
While the highly anticipated contest against Northwestern and challenging games at Notre Dame and Michigan hold significance, the contest against Nebraska presents an opportunity to achieve a notable victory amid a demanding season.
**Transfer Portal Analysis**
The Michigan State program did not significantly benefit from the transfer portal, particularly with respect to losing notable players such as wide receiver Nick Marsh (Indiana), edge rusher Jalen Thompson (USC), and defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren (USC).
The departure of quarterback Aidan Chiles does not appear critical, unless he excels at Northwestern in the matches against the Spartans.
The coaching staff’s acquisitions through the portal may not feature marquee talents, yet there is sufficient experience arriving to address some immediate areas of need.
**Best Signing**
Ben Murawski, Offensive Tackle, University of Connecticut
The new cornerbacks, including Charles Brantley (Miami) and Tre Bell (Iowa State), have the potential to become significant contributors, and the addition of running back Cam Edwards from UConn represents a valuable asset.
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BIG 10 TEAM PREVIEW: OREGON
SALTY PARKER
In last year’s preview for the 2025 season, we indicated that “Oregon is our selection to win the national championship … next year in 2026.” Dan Lanning has significantly enhanced the program’s recruiting profile, positioning it to compete with elite programs traditionally known for their recruiting prowess. This achievement has been consistent, as Oregon, Alabama, and Ohio State are the only institutions to secure Top 5 recruiting classes for three consecutive years. Furthermore, Oregon expanded its success by signing two Top 5 transfer classes. Although the depth chart for 2025 was primarily composed of first-time starters, true freshmen, and sophomores, I anticipated that Oregon would finish third in the Big Ten, earning a playoff at-large bid, while noting that a genuine opportunity for a national title would materialize in 2026.
After five games, Oregon demonstrated that it was ahead of schedule. The team inflicted upon Oklahoma State its most significant defeat in a century (69-3) and dominated the final scheduled Civil War against Oregon State (41-7), both with substantial yardage advantages. Additionally, Oregon thwarted Penn State’s aspirations during a White Out crowd, prevailing in double overtime.
Following the end of their nation-leading home win streak at 18 games, interrupted by the eventual Heisman Trophy winner and national champion Indiana, Oregon swiftly regrouped. The team achieved a staggering victory over Rutgers with a +550 yardage margin and saw quarterback Dante Moore lead a critical game-winning drive against Iowa to prevent an upset. Oregon continued to secure victories by double digits for the remainder of the season.
This included the team’s inaugural home playoff game in school history, resulting in a 51-34 triumph over James Madison, and a dominant Peach Bowl performance, achieving a 23-0 shutout against fourth-ranked Texas Tech. However, the semifinal rematch against Indiana was unfavorably predetermined, as the Hoosiers capitalized on the opening pass, returning it for a Pick Six, and raced to a 35-7 halftime advantage, ultimately winning 56-22. Indiana’s momentum in the 2025 season proved insurmountable. Nonetheless, Oregon’s 13-2 campaign, characterized by a young roster, is anticipated to yield significant benefits in 2026 and subsequent seasons.
OFFENSE
Oregon football is looking strong with the return of quarterback Dante Moore for another year. After an impressive season where he threw for over 3,500 yards and 30 touchdowns, Moore is considered a top contender for the Heisman Trophy this year. He surprised many by choosing to stay in college instead of moving on to the NFL. Joining him at Oregon is Dylan Raiola, a highly-rated quarterback who transferred from Nebraska, and he plans to develop his skills before aiming for the starting position in 2027.
The team’s running back situation is a bit complex, especially after Noah Whittington graduated, having led the team in rushing yards last season. Injuries affected the group, but two talented freshmen, Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill, made a big impression with their performances—Davison scoring 15 touchdowns and Hill averaging an impressive 8.8 yards per carry. These two will likely lead the running back team in the upcoming season.
The wide receiver group also battled injuries last year, with star player Evan Stewart missing time during training camp and others like Gary Bryant and Dakorien Moore dealing with injuries throughout the season. However, now they are all back and healthy, forming a powerful trio with Jeremiah McClellan, a promising freshman who stepped up last season. This mix includes more top-rated recruits, such as Jalen Lott and Gatlin Bair, along with Iverson Hooks, who had a strong season last year with 900 receiving yards.
In the tight end position, Oregon is optimistic about Jamari Johnson, who performed well at the end of last season and is expected to fill the shoes of Kenyon Sadiq, who was drafted into the NFL. Competition will also come from two promising prospects, Andrew Olesh and Kendre Harrison.
On the offensive line, five players earned all-conference honors last year. While some key players have moved on, the team retains their center, Iapani Laloulu, and guard Dave Iuli. The coaching staff decided not to bring in any transfers this year, choosing instead to focus on developing their recruited talent. They will have new faces competing for positions, including four-star recruit Fox Crader and several highly-rated prospects who aim to secure spots on the line. Overall, the offensive team is filled with talent and ready to make an impact next season.
DEFENSE
Oregon was the only team with a Top 5 offense and a Top 5 defense per my opponent-adjusted metrics. Nine defenders earned All-Big Ten honors and eight starters are back.
The entire starting defensive line returned intact with Bear Alexander and A’Mauri Washington on the interior, and Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti off the ends. Uiagalelei led the Big Ten in sacks in the 2024 regular season, Tuioti has a high motor, and both are third-year starters. The front four is so strong, all four of their backups transferred out to other Power 4 schools with four- star grades. UNC starter D’Antre Robinson helped bolster the new two-deep, along with two five- stars Elijah Rushing and Anthony Jones, and two more Top200 guys in Nasir Wyatt and Aydin Breland.
Their leader in the middle Bryce Boettcher is gone after posting 136 tackles, an Oregon high since 1979. Jerry Mixon is a returning starter, and former Top100 Devon Jackson has sprinter speed and is poised to finally break out. The staff ignored the portal here, instead going with three four-star freshmen reserves. As if this roster wasn’t stacked enough, the secondary is simply unbelievable. I don’t think I’ve seen this amount of raw firepower in any defensive backfield in Pick Six Previews’ history – at least in recruiting ranking terms. Four five-stars, four more Top50’s, and four more Top100s. That softens the blow of losing All-American safety Dillon Thieneman. Brandon Finney and Ify Obidegwu both surged to starting roles as freshmen last year, Finney earned Freshman All-America honors, and they are joined by two more five-stars Na’eem Offord and Aaron Scott (Ohio State). Aaron Flowers is a returning starter at safety, they signed the #1 transfer safety, All-Big Ten Koi Perich (Minnesota), and have a pair of five-stars packing the two-deep in Trey McNutt and Jett Washington.
Good luck throwing the ball against Oregon the next few seasons.
OUTLOOK
Oregon is #2 in Game Grader over the past three-year average. Last year they finished #5 in Game Grader and #1 in opponent-adjusted yardage margin – and did so with a younger lineup. They are the only program to stack three straight top five recruiting classes and two top five transfer hauls.
Well, it’s 2026 and I am sticking to my call from back in July 2025. Oregon is our 2026 National Champion pick.
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REPORTS: MIAMI COACH MARIO CRISTOBAL LANDS LONG-TERM EXTENSION
After guiding his alma mater to the College Football Playoff’s national championship game last season, Miami coach Mario Cristobal agreed to a long-term contract extension on Monday, multiple media outlets reported.
Cristobal, a 55-year-old Miami native, is entering the fifth year of a 10-year deal slated to run through 2031. A new contract has yet to be announced.
In Cristobal’s fourth year at the helm, Miami won a school-record 13 games and tied a program mark with seven AP Top 25 victories.
In each season under Cristobal, the Hurricanes’ win has total increased, from five in 2022 to seven in 2023, 10 in 2024 and 13 in 2025. He is 35-19 at Miami after spending four seasons as Oregon’s coach.
After falling shy of its sixth national title in a loss to Indiana in January, Miami was voted as the overwhelming favorite to win the ACC championship in the preseason media poll last week.
Miami kicks off the 2026 season with an ACC matchup at Stanford on Sept. 4.
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S MAXWELL WATCH LIST
QB Liam Szarka, Air Force (Junior)
RB Jordan Gant, Akron (Senior)
WR Ryan Coleman-Williams, Alabama (Junior)
QB Noah Fifita, Arizona (Senior)
QB Cale Hellums, Army (Senior)
QB Byrum Brown, Auburn (Senior)
RB Jeremiah Cobb, Auburn (Senior)
QB DJ Lagway, Baylor (Junior)
QB Maddux Madsen, Boise State (Senior)
RB Dylan Riley, Boise State (Junior)
QB Bear Bachmeier, BYU (Sophomore)
RB LJ Martin, BYU (Senior)
QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Cal (Sophomore)
QB Julian Lewis, Colorado (R-Freshman)
QB Nick Minicucci, Delaware (Senior)
RB Nate Sheppard, Duke (Sophomore)
RB Jadan Baugh, Florida (Junior)
QB Caden Veltkamp, Florida Atlantic (Senior)
WR Duce Robinson, Florida State (Senior)
QB Gunner Stockton, Georgia (Senior)
RB Nate Frazier, Georgia (Junior)
RB Justice Haynes, Georgia Tech (Senior)
QB Micah Alejado, Hawaii (Sophomore)
QB Conner Weigman, Houston (Senior)
QB Josh Hoover, Indiana (Senior)
QB Caden Creel, Jacksonville State (Junior)
QB Avery Johnson, Kansas State (Senior)
RB Joe Jackson, Kansas State (Junior)
RB Isaac Brown, Louisville (Junior)
QB Sam Leavitt, LSU (Junior)
QB Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, Marshall (Senior)
QB Darian Mensah, Miami (Junior)
WR Malachi Toney, Miami (Sophomore)
RB Mark Fletcher, Miami (Senior)
RB Jordan Marshall, Michigan (Junior)
QB Bryce Underwood, Michigan (Sophomore)
RB Camryn Edwards, Michigan State (Senior)
RB Darius Taylor, Minnesota (Senior)
RB Ahmad Hardy, Missouri (Junior)
QB Braxton Woodson, Navy (Senior)
QB CJ Bailey, NC State (Junior)
QB Anthony Colandrea, Nebraska (Senior)
RB DJ Scott, North Dakota State (Junior)
RB Caleb Komolafe, Northwestern (Junior)
QB CJ Carr, Notre Dame (Sophomore)
RB Bo Jackson, Ohio State (Sophomore)
WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State (Junior)
QB Julian Sayin, Ohio State (Sophomore)
QB John Mateer, Oklahoma (Senior)
RB Caleb Hawkins, Oklahoma State (Sophomore)
QB Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State (Sophomore)
RB Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss (Junior)
QB Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss (Senior)
QB Dante Moore, Oregon (Senior)
QB Rocco Becht, Penn State (Senior)
QB Mason Heintschel, Pittsburgh (Sophomore)
RB Antwan Raymond, Rutgers (Junior)
RB Lucky Sutton, San Diego State (Senior)
QB Kevin Jennings, SMU (Senior)
QB LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina (Junior)
RB DeSean Bishop, Tennessee (Junior)
QB Arch Manning, Texas (Sophomore)
WR Cam Coleman, Texas (Junior)
QB Marcel Reed, Texas A&M (Junior)
WR Mario Craver, Texas A&M (Junior)
QB Brad Jackson, Texas State (Sophomore)
RB Cameron Dickey, Texas Tech (Junior)
QB Alonza Barnett, UCF (Senior)
QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA (Junior)
QB Jackson Arnold, UNLV (Senior)
RB Jai’Den Thomas, UNLV (Senior)
QB Jayden Maiava, USC (Senior)
RB Waymond Jordan, USC (Senior)
QB Devon Dampier, Utah (Senior)
RB Wayshawn Parker, Utah (Junior)
QB Owen McCown, UTSA (Senior)
QB Demond Williams, Washington (Junior)
RB Cam Cook, West Virginia (Senior)
QB Broc Lowry, Western Michigan (Junior)
RB Jalen Buckley, Western Michigan (Senior)
RB Samuel Harris, Wyoming (Sophomore)
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BASEBALL NEWS
REPORTS: GUARDIANS ACQUIRE LHP FOSTER GRIFFIN, 1B NATHANIEL LOWE
The Cleveland Guardians finished the trade deadline with a bang, adding breakout left-hander Foster Griffin from the Washington Nationals and first baseman/designated hitter Nathaniel Lowe from the Cincinnati Reds in the final 30 minutes before Monday’s deadline, according to multiple reports.
Cleveland sent left-handers Will Dion and Josh Hartle, right-hander Kendeglys Virguez and outfielder Nick Mitchell to Washington, and shipped off right-hander pitching prospect Alejandro Rivera in the deal to acquire Lowe from Cincinnati.
The Guardians previously acquired slugging outfielder Jo Adell from the Los Angeles Angels earlier on Monday.
Griffin, 31, has been one of the surprise successes in the majors this season. After spending the last three seasons in Japan’s NPB League, he made his first All-Star team in his return to the majors and has a 12-3 record with a 3.06 ERA in 22 starts spanning 129 1/3 innings, with 116 strikeouts and 30 walks.
The former first-round pick by the Kansas City Royals in 2014 had previously thrown just eight innings at the major league level between the 2020 and 2022 seasons.
Lowe, 31, was hitting .266 with 12 homers and 37 RBIs over 83 games in his first season with the Reds. He’s a career .264 hitter with 119 homers and 450 RBIs over eight major league seasons with the Rays (2019-20), Rangers (2021-24), Nationals (2025), Boston Red Sox (2025) and Reds.
Of the five players the Guardians shipped off in the two deals, only Hartle (No. 25) is on the list of MLB Pipeline’s top 30 prospects in the organization.MLB content
Dion, 26, made his major league debut in May and had a 0-0 record and 4.58 ERA in 12 relief appearances.
Hartle, 23, was a third-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft by Pittsburgh. He was traded to Cleveland that December and was 4-4 with a 3.86 ERA in 19 starts this season at Double-A Akron.
Virguez, 22, was 4-1 with a 4.13 ERA in 25 relief appearances this season between Akron and High-A Lake County.
Mitchell, 22, hit .240 with five homers, 39 RBIs and 19 stolen bases in 75 games this season for Akron.
Rivera, 19, is currently at Class-A Hill City and was 4-3 with a 3.06 ERA across two minor league levels this season.
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REPORTS: ROCKIES DEAL RHP ANTONIO SENZATELA TO BREWERS, RHP VICTOR VODNIK TO MARLINS
The Milwaukee Brewers added to their bullpen wealth shortly before the trade deadline on Monday by acquiring right-hander Antonio Senzatela from the Colorado Rockies, according to reports.
Colorado received Triple-A left-handed reliever Mark Manfredi and 19-year-old infielder Juan Martinez from Milwaukee.
The Rockies shifted Senzatela, 31, to the bullpen this year after he spent most of his first nine seasons in the rotation. He responded by producing a 9-2 record and a 3.61 ERA with three saves in 34 appearances.
Senzatela has fared better away from Coors Field this season. He posted a 2.57 ERA in 28 innings on the road versus a 4.81 ERA in 24 1/3 innings at home, which does not match his career splits.
Since making his big-league debut in 2017, Senzatela has posted a 5.27 ERA in 405 innings on the road compared to a 4.93 ERA in 469 1/3 innings at Coors Field.
Manfredi, 26, has compiled a 4-2 record with a 3.35 ERA and five saves this season between Triple-A Nashville and Double-A Biloxi. Martinez recently moved from Rookie ball to Class-A Wilson, where he posted a .209 average, one homer and six steals in 18 games.
The Rockies continued to sell at the deadline when they dealt right-handed reliever Victor Vodnik to the Miami Marlins for infielder Connor Norby and right-hander Aiden May, ESPN reported.
Vodnik, 26, has pitched in 155 games across four seasons out of the Rockies’ bullpen and amassed a 13-10 record, a 4.31 ERA and 23 saves. In 33 appearances this season, he is 3-3 with four saves and a 5.25 ERA.
Norby, 26, is batting .205 with four homers and 16 RBIs in 65 games this season. For his career with the Baltimore Orioles (2024) and Marlins (2024-26), Norby has batted .234 with 21 homers and 70 RBIs in 198 appearances.
May, 23, is a prospect currently at High-A Beloit, where he has gone 4-3 with a 3.80 ERA over 14 starts.
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REPORTS: RED SOX MOVE INF MARCELO MAYER TO GIANTS FOR LHP ERIK MILLER
The Boston Red Sox boosted their bullpen on Monday with the acquisition of left-handed reliever Erik Miller from the San Francisco Giants, per multiple reports.
The Giants received infielder Marcelo Mayer, who has long been considered one of the Red Sox’s ballyhooed prospects, to complete the deal.
Miller, 28, posted a 2-0 record with a 2.76 ERA and four saves in 38 appearances for the Giants this year. He has averaged 12.4 strikeouts and 6.1 walks per nine innings during his 32 2/3 innings of work.
Mayer, 23, has yet to fulfill his promise at the major league level since becoming the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.Baseball coverage
Prior to the 2024 season, Mayer was listed by MLB.com as the game’s No. 15 prospect–directly ahead of Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo and directly behind Detroit Tigers outfielder Max Clark and Washington Nationals outfielder Jason Wood.
While those four have made an impact with their teams, Mayer has recorded a .223/.278/.346 slash line in 114 games for the Red Sox since making his debut at the start of the 2025 season. He has posted seven home runs and three stolen bases in 364 plate appearances.
Mayer has not appeared in a game since June 25 due to a bone stress reaction in his left forearm. He remains on the 10-day injured list.
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REPORTS: CUBS ACQUIRE LHP CLAY HOLMES, OF TYRONE TAYLOR
The Chicago Cubs continued a major trade deadline surge by acquiring right-handed starter Clay Holmes and outfielder Tyrone Taylor from the New York Mets, according to multiple media reports.
The Cubs, who have already traded for right-hander Kevin Gausman from Toronto and reportedly left-hander Braxton Garrett from the Miami Marlins to bolster their rotation, are sending third baseman/shortstop Jefferson Rojas, the No. 2 prospect in their organization per MLB Pipeline, to New York in the deal.
The deal is still pending medical reviews, ESPN additionally reported.
Holmes, 33, has been out since mid-May when a hard-hit comebacker fractured his right fibula. However, he’s close to returning after making three rehab appearances in the minor leagues over the past two weeks.
Before the injury, he was enjoying a strong start to his season despite the Mets’ struggles, posting a 4-4 record and 2.39 ERA in his first nine starts.
He’s had an ERA of 3.60 or better in each of the last six seasons and has a career 40-34 record with a 3.53 ERA in 353 games (44 starts) with the Pirates (2018-21), Yankees (2021-24) and Mets (2025-26). He made a move to the starting rotation with the Mets after spending the majority of his career coming out of the bullpen, making 40 starts since 2025.
Taylor, 32, hit .241 with 10 homers and 28 RBIs in 67 games this season, missing a month with a right hip flexor strain. He’s a career .238 hitter with 60 homers and 226 RBIs over 641 games with the Brewers (2019-23) and Mets (2024-26).
Rojas, the No. 63 prospect in baseball on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list, has blown up since signing with the Cubs as an international prospect out of the Dominican Republic. Now 21, he’s hit .270 with 15 homers and 57 RBIs across 91 games this season for Double-A Knoxville.
In what has been a push-the-chips-in day of sorts for Chicago, the Cubs also reportedly acquired right-handed reliever Ryan Zeferjahn from the Angels.
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REPORTS: CUBS BOOST STAFF WITH RHP RYAN ZEFERJAHN, LHP BRAXTON GARRETT
The Chicago Cubs acquired a pair of pitchers in separate deals Monday, landing right-handed reliever Ryan Zeferjahn from the Los Angeles Angels and left-handed starter Braxton Garrett from the Miami Marlins, multiple outlets reported.
The Angels acquired catcher/designated hitter Moises Ballesteros and minor-league RHP Mason McGwire for Zeferjahn, per the Orange County Register.
In the swap for Garrett, the Cubs sent Triple-A first baseman Jonathon Long and minor league right-hander Jace Beck to the Marlins, per multiple reports.
Zeferjahn, 28, was 4-3 with four saves and a 3.66 ERA in 45 relief appearances for the Angels this season. He has stacked up 75 strikeouts versus 29 unintentional walks over 51 2/3 innings. He became a full-time big leaguer in 2025, when he went 6-5 with two saves and a 4.74 ERA in 62 appearances with Los Angeles.
Garrett, who turns 29 on Wednesday, was a key part of the Marlins’ rotation in 2022-23. He fashioned a 12-14 record and a 3.63 ERA in 48 appearances (47 starts) over those two seasons.
But Garrett has pitched just 41 1/3 innings since as he underwent Tommy John surgery in December 2024. It was the second major elbow surgery of his career.
Garrett has spent most of this season with Triple-A Jacksonville, where he compiled a 4-4 record and 2.90 ERA in 15 starts and one relief appearance. He posted 83 strikeouts versus 29 walks in 77 2/3 innings, which does not match the command he showed in 2022-23.
The Marlins gave him two starts this season and he managed an 0-1 record with a 14.84 ERA as he surrendered seven runs, seven hits and eight walks over 4 1/3 innings. His most recent appearance in the big leagues came May 19 versus Atlanta.
Ballesteros, 22, was regarded by Baseball America as the game’s No. 36 prospect before spending most of the first half of this season with the Cubs. After a fast start, he finished with a .231/.303/.385 slash line with six homers and 23 RBIs in 59 games before being sent to Triple-A Iowa.
McGwire, 22, is the son of former major league slugger Mark McGwire. He participated in the 2026 Futures Game two days before the MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia. He has split this season between the Cubs’ Single-A affiliates, South Bend and Myrtle Beach, and posted a 3-4 record with a 3.64 ERA over 59 1/3 innings. He compiled 72 strikeouts versus 24 walks.
Long, 24, has spent all of 2025 and 2026 with Triple-A Iowa and amassed a .296 average with 32 homers and 155 RBIs in 239 games.
Beck, 26, has split this season between Triple-A Iowa and Double-AA Knoxville. Over nine starts and 16 relief appearances, Beck has posted a 6-3 record with a 3.62 ERA. He has piled up an eye-popping 14.0 strikeouts per nine innings (116 whiffs in 74 2/3 innings).
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REPORTS: CARDINALS PITCHERS DUSTIN MAY, JOJO ROMERO HEADED TO BREWERS
The Milwaukee Brewers are adding depth to their starting rotation and bullpen with the additions of right-hander Dustin May and left-handed reliever JoJo Romero in an intra-division trade with the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, according to multiple media reports.
The Brewers are sending a pair of outfield prospects, Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale, to St. Louis in the deal, per MLB.com
Both May and Romero will be free agents at the end of this season.
May, 28, is 5-7 with a 4.38 ERA during his first season for the Cardinals. The Brewers are set to become the fourth team he’s played for in the last two seasons as the Los Angeles Dodgers traded him to Boston at last year’s trade deadline before he elected free agency and signed with St. Louis last December.Baseball coverage
His 21 starts this season are already two off his career high set last season. He battled injuries early in his career, undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2021, right arm surgery in 2023 and an esophageal tear in 2024.
Over seven major league seasons with the Dodgers (2019-23, 2025), Red Sox and Cardinals, May has a 24-27 record and 3.99 ERA over 92 outings (78 starts).
Romero, 29, has been sidelined since July 17, when he underwent an emergency appendectomy. However, he’s resumed baseball activities and is set to return to action this month. The southpaw is 1-3 with a 3.35 ERA over 44 relief appearances this season.
Over seven major league seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies (2020-22) and Cardinals (2022-26), Romero is 16-14 with a 3.51 ERA and 12 saves in 241 outings, all out of the bullpen.
Frias, an 18-year-old native of the Dominican Republic, signed an international contract with the Brewers in January 2025. He’s hit .342 with eight homers and 62 RBIs in 60 games at two different minor league levels this season, including .236 with four homers in 28 games at Low-A Wilson.
Ragsdale, 22, has risen fast since he was a seventh-round draft pick last year, ranking as the Brewers’ No. 13 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. He had a .316 average with 19 homers and 51 RBIs in 86 games this season between High-A Wisconsin and Double-A Biloxi.
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REPORT: YANKEES DEAL FOR LF HELIOT RAMOS FROM GIANTS
The New York Yankees are finalizing a trade to acquire left fielder Heliot Ramos from the San Francisco Giants, multiple outlets reported Monday.
The return was not yet known, but MLB.com reported that Yankees left-handed pitching prospect Henry LaLane was “believed to be” the primary piece going to San Francisco.
Ramos, 26, was batting .264 with nine home runs and 34 RBIs across 74 games for the Giants this season.
He’s played parts of five seasons with San Francisco since being drafted in the first round (19th overall) by the club in 2017. Ramos is a career .257 batter who’s hit 53 home runs and amassed 177 RBIs over 386 career games. He was an All-Star in 2024 and finished that season with career highs of 22 homers, 72 RBIs and a .269 average.MLB content
The Yankees needed help in left field after Cody Bellinger went on the injured list July 26 with a Grade 2 hamstring strain.
Ramos is the second acquisition the Yankees have made before the deadline, following lefty-hitting infielder Luis Garcia Jr. from the Washington Nationals in exchange for four pitchers on Sunday.
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REPORT: WHITE SOX ADD C JOEY BART IN DEAL WITH BRAVES
Catcher Joey Bart was traded for the second time in six weeks on Monday, with the Atlanta Braves sending him to the Chicago White Sox an hour before the trade deadline, multiple outlets reported.
Chicago will ship right-hander Duncan Davitt to Atlanta in return, according to MLB.com.
The Braves acquired Bart from the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 18 in exchange for right-hander Hunter Stratton.
Bart, 29, played in 21 games for the Pirates and 20 games for the Braves. On the whole, he has batted .226 and hit four home runs with 13 RBIs across those 41 appearances.
In seven MLB seasons with the San Francisco Giants (2020-23), Pirates (2024-26) and Braves, Bart is a .238 hitter with 32 home runs and 126 RBIs in 376 games.
The White Sox optioned Davitt to Triple-A Charlotte after his second career appearance Sunday. Davitt, 26, made his MLB debut on April 10 and has pitched two innings of relief with one run allowed. At Triple-A, he is 4-3 with a 6.22 ERA, 64 strikeouts and 25 walks over 21 games (10 starts).
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REPORTS: ASTROS SWAP SPENCER ARRIGHETTI FOR BLUE JAYS’ DAULTON VARSHO
The Houston Astros are finalizing a deal to acquire center fielder Daulton Varsho from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for right-handed starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti, The Athletic and MLB.com reported Monday.
Houston, which began the week with a 2 1/2-game lead in the American League West, added a former Gold Glove winner with playoff experience to its outfield.
Varsho, 30, is batting .243 this season with seven home runs, 19 doubles, 26 RBIs and nine stolen bases over 99 games. In 747 career games for the Arizona Diamondbacks (2020-22) and Blue Jays (2023-26), Varsho owns a .229 batting average with 106 home runs, 121 doubles, 321 RBIs and 62 steals.MLB news
He won the Gold Glove in 2024 and has totaled just three errors since the start of the 2025 season.
Arrighetti, 26, is in his third major league season since Houston selected him in the sixth round of the 2021 draft. In 17 starts this year, he has posted a 7-5 record with a 4.60 ERA, 87 strikeouts and 50 walks in 88 innings of work.
Across 53 games (52 starts) for the Astros, Arrighetti went 15-23 with a 4.66 ERA, 289 strikeouts and 135 walks in 268 1/3 innings.
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REPORTS: DODGERS ACQUIRE LHP KRIS BUBIC FROM ROYALS
The Los Angeles Dodgers added another starting pitcher with All-Star credentials on Monday by acquiring left-hander Kris Bubic from the Kansas City Royals, ESPN reported.
The two-time defending World Series champions pried two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal away from the Detroit Tigers over the weekend, in a deal that was made official Sunday.
Named an American League All-Star in 2025, Bubic is 3-2 with a 4.11 ERA through nine starts in his seventh season with the Royals. He is currently on the 60-day injured list, sidelined since mid-May with elbow and shoulder issues.
Bubic would give the Dodgers as many as 10 starting pitchers down the stretch, including three projected to return from injury before the end of the regular season. Bubic did pitch in 27 games out of the bullpen in 2024 when he had a 2.67 ERA.
Bubic, who turns 29 next month, is 22-38 with a 4.14 ERA in 126 career games (89 starts) with Kansas City. He has struck out 495 batters and walked 216 in 522 innings.
According to mlb.com, the Royals are set to receive right-handed prospect Carlos Duran in exchange. Duran, 25, is 3-2 with two saves and a 3.38 ERA in 37 games (two starts) this season at Triple-A Oklahoma City.
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RAYS ACQUIRE SLUGGING C/1B LIAM HICKS FROM MARLINS
The Tampa Bay Rays acquired catcher/first baseman Liam Hicks from the Miami Marlins on Monday for three minor leaguers, including two former first-round draft picks, multiple outlets reported.
Hicks, 27, is batting .282 with 14 home runs and 62 RBIs in 101 games this season, making 32 starts at catcher, 19 at first base and 39 as designated hitter.
In his second major league season, Hicks is a career .265 hitter with 20 home runs and 107 RBIs in 220 games.
The Marlins will receive shortstop Adrian Santana (Rays’ No. 27 prospect, per MLB Pipeline), infielder Brayden Taylor (No. 16) and right-hander Jacob Kisting (No. 26) in the deal.
Santana, 21, was a first-round draft pick (31st overall) by the Rays in 2023 and was batting a combined .311 with three home runs and 23 RBIs in 54 games at two separate affiliates, including 51 games with High-A Bowling Green.
Taylor, 24, is also a former first-round draft pick, selected 19th overall by the Rays in 2023. He was batting .284 with 17 home runs and 56 RBIs in 88 games at Double-A Montgomery.
Kisting, 23, is a former 14th-round draft pick in 2024, who was 6-0 with a 1.67 ERA in 18 appearances (16 starts) this season at Bowling Green.
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REPORTS: PIRATES ADD RHP LUKE WEAVER IN DEAL WITH METS
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired right-hander Luke Weaver from the New York Mets for minor league infielder Sammy Stafura, multiple outlets reported Monday.
Weaver, 32, was 2-1 with a 1.84 ERA in 42 relief outings for the Mets this season. A member of the New York Yankees the previous three seasons, Weaver signed a two-year, $22 million free-agent deal with the Mets in December.
Weaver was a starter as recently as 2023, when he pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners before he was claimed off waivers by the Yankees late in the season.
Weaver moved to the bullpen in 2024 after he re-signed with the Yankees and went 11-7 with 12 saves and a 3.21 ERA in 126 relief appearances over the next two seasons.
Stafura, 21, was a second-round draft pick by the Cincinnati Reds in 2023 and was sent to the Pirates at last year’s trade deadline in exchange for Ke’Bryan Hayes.
Between Class-A and High-A this season, the Cortland, N.Y., native was batting .276 with 20 home runs and 54 RBIs. A middle infielder, Stafura has played more shortstop than second base in the minor leagues.
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REPORT: O’S TRADE ALL-STAR C ADLEY RUTSCHMAN IN DIVISION TO RED SOX
The Boston Red Sox landed their catcher at the deadline, acquiring three-time All-Star Adley Rutschman in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles on Monday, according to multiple reports.
It was reported earlier Monday that the in-division trade was set to go through, pending medical testing and approval by Red Sox ownership.
The Athletic reported that right-hander Anthony Eyanson will be the centerpiece of the return package for Baltimore, which will also include major league catcher Carlos Narvaez and two additional prospects in right-hander Kyson Witherspoon and outfielder Enddy Azocar.
Rutschman, 28, is currently in the middle of his third injured list stint of the season. He was placed on the 10-day IL with left wrist inflammation on July 20 after previously missing time with a concussion and with left ankle inflammation.
When healthy, though, the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft has been effective. He hit .251 with eight homers and 47 RBIs in 67 games this season for the Orioles and is a career .254 hitter with 69 homers and 277 RBIs in 572 games since his major league debut in 2022.
Rutschman will be a free agent ahead of the 2028 season after his final year of arbitration in 2027, giving Boston 1 1/2 years of control.
Eyanson, 21, is the Red Sox’s No. 2 prospect and the No. 49 prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. The third-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft is 4-0 with a 1.32 ERA in 16 games (15 starts) in his first season of professional ball, with 10 of those starts coming at Double-A Portland.
Narvaez, 27, hit .187 with three homers and 10 RBIs in 62 games during his second season with Boston.
Witherspoon, 21, was Boston’s first-round draft pick (15th overall) in 2025 and is the organization’s fourth-ranked prospect. He’s 3-5 this season with a 4.78 ERA in 17 starts for High-A Greenville.
Azocar, 19, is hitting .286 with 18 homers and 63 RBIs over 85 games between Class-A and High-A this season.
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REPORTS: PHILLIES ADD 3-TIME BATTING CHAMP LUIS ARRAEZ
The Philadelphia Phillies are acquiring three-time batting champion Luis Arraez from the San Francisco Giants, multiple outlets reported ahead of Monday’s trade deadline.
The Phillies, who have dropped nine of their last 13 games, are the 29-year-old’s fifth team in five years.
Held out of the Giants’ lineup since Saturday due to cramps, Arraez leads the National League with a .324 batting average through 105 games. The second baseman has 23 doubles, seven triples, four homers, 43 RBIs, 52 runs and 10 steals.
USA Today reported that the Phillies are also receiving right-handed reliever Caleb Kilian. In exchange, the Giants get right-hander Ramon Marquez — Philadelphia’s No. 4-ranked prospect, per MLB Pipeline — and minor league reliever Marty Gair.MLB content
Kilian, 29, is 3-6 with eight saves and a 4.26 ERA in 45 appearances out of the San Francisco bullpen this season.
Marquez, 20, is 6-1 with a 1.68 ERA in 12 games (11 starts) between Class A stops, Clearwater and Jersey Shore. Gair, 23, has pitched for the same two squads in 2026, going 3-3 with a 4.50 ERA and six saves in 30 relief appearances.
Named an All-Star for the fourth time this season, Arraez won three consecutive batting titles with the Minnesota Twins in 2022 (.316), the Miami Marlins in 2023 (.354), and the Marlins and San Diego Padres in 2024 (.314).
Arraez leads all active players with a career .318 batting average to go with 192 doubles, 40 homers, 351 RBIs and 41 stolen bases in 946 games with the Twins (2019-22), Marlins (2023-24), Padres (2024-25) and Giants.
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BRAVES ACQUIRE VETERAN RELIEVER BRENT SUTER FROM ANGELS
The Atlanta Braves acquired reliever Brent Suter from the Los Angeles Angels on Monday in exchange for infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr.
Suter is 1-2 with a 4.12 ERA in 41 appearances (three starts) this season. The 36-year-old left-hander has struck out 55 batters and walked 17 in 63 1/3 innings.
Suter is 43-26 with three saves and a 3.62 ERA in 389 career appearances (50 starts) with the Milwaukee Brewers (2016-22), Colorado Rockies (2023), Cincinnati Reds (2024-25) and Angels.
Alvarez, 23, played in 66 games for the Braves in the 2024 and 2025 seasons, batting .216 with two homers and 15 RBIs while mostly playing third base.
A fifth-round pick by Atlanta in 2022, Alvarez is hitting .236 with two homers and 21 RBIs in 37 games this season at Triple-A Gwinnett.
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WHITE SOX ACQUIRE METS RELIEVER HUASCAR BRAZOBAN
The Chicago White Sox acquired reliever Huascar Brazoban from the New York Mets on Monday in exchange for two minor league pitchers.
The White Sox, who entered Monday with a three-game lead in the American League Central, bolstered their bullpen as the cellar-dwelling Mets continued to stockpile prospects.
Brazoban, 36, is 5-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 46 games (six starts) this season. The right-hander has struck out 49 batters and walked 23 through 52 2/3 innings.
Since debuting with Miami in 2022, Brazoban is 17-10 with two saves and a 3.49 ERA in 214 career games (nine starts) with the Marlins (2022-24) and Mets (2024-26).
Right-handers Gabe Davis and Zach Franklin headed to New York ahead of Monday’s trade deadline.
Davis, 22, is 0-5 with a 5.81 ERA in 18 starts this season between High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham.
Franklin, 27, is 2-2 with five saves and a 4.37 ERA in 33 appearances (one start) for Triple-A Charlotte.
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BLUE JAYS ACQUIRE RHP JOSE SORIANO FROM ANGELS
The Toronto Blue Jays acquired right-hander Jose Soriano from the Los Angeles Angels ahead of Monday’s trade deadline in exchange for three prospects.
Shortstop Arjun Nimmala, outfielder Eddie Micheletti Jr. and right-hander Angel Rivero headed to the Angels.
Soriano, 27, is 9-6 with a 3.29 ERA through 22 starts this season, his fourth with Los Angeles. He has struck out 127 batters and issued a league-high 57 walks in 123 innings.
Soriano has faced the Blue Jays twice this season, posting a 1-0 record with a 0.71 ERA, 11 strikeouts and one walk in 12 2/3 innings.
He is 26-27 with a 3.72 ERA in 113 games (73 starts) since making his major league debut with the Angels in 2023.
Nimmala, 20, was Toronto’s first-round pick (20th) overall in 2023 and is the team’s top-ranked prospect by Baseball America.
Nimmala has played at four levels this season, reaching Double-A New Hampshire. He hit a combined .265 with eight homers and 34 RBIs in 62 games.
Micheletti, 24, was an eighth-round selection out of Virginia Tech in 2024. He batted .251 with 14 homers and 45 RBIs in 93 games at New Hampshire.
Rivero, 19, signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela in January 2024. This season, he went 0-1 with one save and a 2.36 ERA in 12 games (nine starts) in rookie ball.
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GUARDIANS GRAB SLUGGER JO ADELL FROM ANGELS
The Cleveland Guardians added some right-handed pop to their lineup with the addition of outfielder Jo Adell in a trade Monday with the Los Angeles Angels.
The Angels received catcher prospect Jacob Cozart as the return piece in the trade-deadline deal.
Adell, selected 10th overall by Los Angeles in the 2017 MLB Draft, has blossomed over the last three seasons at the major league level. He ranked fourth in the American League with 37 home runs in 2025 and has 16 homers in 111 games this season.
Adell, 27, is also hitting .239, his best average in a full season. There is some swing-and-miss in his game, however, as he has accompanied his 73 homers over the last three seasons with 385 strikeouts in the same span.Sports betting odds
Cozart, 23, ranks as the No. 18 prospect in the Guardians’ organization, per MLB Pipeline. The 2024 second-round pick is hitting .239 with 10 homers and 44 RBIs in 79 games this season for Double-A Akron.
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REPORTS: MARINERS LAND OF TAYLOR WARD FROM ORIOLES
The Seattle Mariners acquired outfielder Taylor Ward from the Baltimore Orioles on Monday in exchange for three pitchers, per multiple reports.
Right-handers Alex Hoppe, Brock Moore and Harrison Kreiling are headed to the Orioles in the trade deadline deal.
Ward, 32, leads the American League with 87 walks and is batting .246 with seven homers and 30 RBIs in 111 games.
Baltimore acquired Ward in a trade last November that sent right-hander Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels.
Ward is a lifetime .247 hitter with 120 home runs and 375 RBIs in 815 games with the Angels (2018-25) and Orioles.
Hoppe, 27, made his major league debut in April and is 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA in 24 appearances out of the Seattle bullpen.
Moore, 26, has not reached the big leagues. He is 4-5 with four saves and a 3.72 ERA in 31 games (no starts) between High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas this season.
Kreiling, 24, also has not reached the majors. He has no decisions and a 1.69 ERA in four starts this season between rookie ball and Class-A Inland Empire.
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PHILLIES ACQUIRE LHP BROOKS RALEY FROM METS
The Philadelphia Phillies continued a busy start to trade deadline day on Monday morning with the addition of veteran reliever Brooks Raley from the New York Mets.
The Mets acquired two prospects, right-hander Luke Gabrysh and outfielder John Spikerman, in exchange.
The Phillies reportedly acquired three-time batting champion Luis Arraez and reliever Caleb Kilian from San Francisco earlier in the day.
Raley, 38, is in the middle of the best season of his career after returning from Tommy John surgery last July. He’s 5-5 with a 1.96 ERA in 45 relief appearances, striking out 40 and walking 15 in 41 1/3 innings.
He has allowed two total homers over his 83 appearances across the last three seasons with the Mets and is a pending free agent at the end of the season.
Over nine major league seasons, Raley has a 14-16 record and 3.60 ERA in 302 outings (five starts).
Gabrysh, 23, was a 15th-round pick by Philadelphia in 2024. He’s 3-8 with a 5.14 ERA in 18 games (17 starts) this season for High-A Jersey Shore this season.
Spikerman, 23, was a third-round pick in 2024. He’s hitting .252 with a .423 on-base percentage and 11 RBIs in 32 games between Low-A Clearwater and Jersey Shore.
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DODGERS REACQUIRE C BEN RORTVEDT FROM METS
The Los Angeles Dodgers reacquired catcher Ben Rortvedt on Monday, sending right-hander Chayce McDermott to the New York Mets.
Multiple outlets reported on the trade-deadline deal that brings Rortvedt back to Los Angeles, where he batted .224 in 18 games last September when starting backstop Will Smith got injured.
The Dodgers waived Rortvedt last November after winning the World Series, then claimed him off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds on Feb. 6 only to see him get selected off waivers by the Mets nine days later.
Rortvedt, 28, is a career .190 hitter with nine home runs and 52 RBIs in 227 games with the Minnesota Twins (2021), New York Yankees (2023), Tampa Bay Rays (2024-25) and Dodgers.
He did not play in a game for the Mets this season, batting .235 with six homers and 26 RBIs in 48 games at Triple-A Syracuse.
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RANGERS SEND INF JOSH SMITH TO BLUE JAYS FOR LHP ADAM MACKO
The Toronto Blue Jays acquired utility infielder Josh Smith in a trade with the Texas Rangers on Monday.
Smith, who has bounced between the major leagues and Triple-A this season, gets a fresh start in Toronto, while Texas is acquiring rookie left-hander Adam Macko, per the reports.
The Blue Jays are also set to receive minor league right-hander Josh Stephan in the deal.
Smith, 28, was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock last Friday. He was batting .213 with one home run and eight RBIs in 45 games for the Rangers, while seeing time at first, second and third base, along with left field. He batted .217 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in 23 games with Round Rock this season.
A career .234 hitter, Smith has 32 home runs and 136 RBIs over five seasons (501 games) with the Rangers and has played every defensive position aside for catcher at the major league level.
Macko, 25, made his major league debut in May for Toronto. The seventh-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft is 2-0 with a 4.91 ERA in 22 games (one start), walking 10 batters and striking out 23 in 22 innings.
Stephan, 24, is in his sixth season in the Rangers’ minor league system and was 6-5 with a 5.44 ERA in 21 appearances (19 starts) at Triple-A this season.
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REPORTS: PADRES ACQUIRE LHP ROBBIE RAY FROM GIANTS
The San Diego Padres have beefed up their starting rotation by adding former Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray in a trade with the San Francisco Giants on Monday, according to multiple reports.
The deal, which is not yet official, would net the Giants right-hander Miguel Mendez and shortstop Joniel Hernandez — the Padres’ No. 4 and No. 9 prospects, respectively, according to MLB Pipeline — per the New York Post and The Athletic.
Ray, 34, has been one of MLB’s best pitchers for the last two months. Since the start of June, the left-hander has delivered a 7-0 record with a 1.65 ERA in 10 appearances (nine starts). Only the Milwaukee Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski has fashioned a better ERA among starters.
For the year, Ray has posted a 3.08 ERA across 22 games (21 starts), which marks his lowest ERA since his Cy Young-winning campaign with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021. He’s 10-6 on the year with 107 strikeouts versus 57 walks across 122 2/3 innings.
Ray is set to make $26 million in 2026 and will be a free agent after this season.
Across 13 seasons in the big leagues, Ray has spent time with the Detroit Tigers (2014), Arizona Diamondbacks (2015-19), the Blue Jays (2020-21), the Seattle Mariners (2022-23) and the Giants (2024-26). In 287 career games (282 starts), he has produced a 98-87 record with a 3.87 ERA and two All-Star appearances to go along with his Cy Young.
Mendez, 24, has spent most of this season at Double-A San Antonio, where he owns a 2-2 record and a 4.93 ERA in 11 starts with 38 strikeouts and 17 walks across 34 2/3 innings.
Hernandez, a 17-year-old Cuba native, made his professional debut this year with the Padres’ Dominican Summer League team. He has compiled a .303/.424/.503 slash line with four home runs, four stolen bases, 38 runs and 43 RBIs in 41 games.
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REPORTS: WHITE SOX SET TO ACQUIRE OF BRENTON DOYLE FROM ROCKIES
The Chicago White Sox are set to bolster their lineup and defense with the addition of Rockies outfielder Brenton Doyle in a Monday trade, according to multiple media reports.
The deal, which is reportedly agreed to but pending medical review, would see Colorado acquire right-hander Mason Adams and shortstop Carlos Vielma from Chicago, per MLB.com.
Doyle, 28, missed two months earlier this season with a left oblique contusion and then a left groin strain during a rehab assignment. He returned to the major league roster on July 31.
He’s hitting .214 with one homer and five RBIs in 45 games this season. However, he’s been more productive the last two seasons for the Rockies, hitting .233 with 15 homers and 57 RBIs in 2025 and .260 with 23 homers and 72 RBIs.Baseball coverage
Over four major league seasons with Colorado, Doyle is hitting .233 with 49 homers, 182 RBIs and 79 stolen bases to go along with 484 strikeouts and 110 walks in 458 games. He won Gold Glove awards in each of his first two seasons in 2023 and ‘24.
Adams, 26, is the White Sox’s No. 8 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. He returned from Tommy John surgery early this season and is 3-4 with a 3.86 ERA in 14 games (12 starts) across three minor league levels. That includes 3-3 with a 4.25 ERA in nine games (seven starts) spanning 36 innings at Triple-A Charlotte.
Vielma, a 16-year-old from Venezuela, signed an international contract with Chicago in January. He hit .337 with one homer, six doubles and 21 RBIs in 34 games with the White Sox’s Dominican Summer League rookie-class affiliate.
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REPORT: VETERAN RANGERS RHP JACOB DEGROM INVOKES NO-TRADE CLAUSE
Despite reported trade interest, Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom will remain with the team after utilizing the no-trade clause in his contract, according to a report by The Athletic.
The team reportedly approached the two-time Cy Young winner about waiving his no-trade clause for a trade deadline deal that would send him to a contending team.
However, deGrom, who has full approval on any trades during the five-year, $185 million contract he signed in December 2022, has reportedly expressed that he’ll remain with the Rangers.
The Atlanta Braves have been repeatedly linked in reports the last few days about deGrom’s potential trade destinations.
deGrom, who is under contract with Texas through the 2027 season, is 7-7 with a 3.96 ERA in 21 starts this season. He earned his fifth career All-Star nod last season and won consecutive Cy Young Awards in 2018-19 with the New York Mets. He also boasts the best ERA (2.67) among all active starting pitchers.
The 38-year-old has a career 103-72 record over 269 starts across 13 seasons, with 1,986 strikeouts and 374 walks over 1,653 1/3 innings.
The Athletic also reported that Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi and shortstop Corey Seager could also be available for trades.
Eovaldi (10-9, 4.31 ERA this season) would have to waive his full no-trade clause. Seager (10 homers and 25 RBIs in 54 games this season), who just returned from a month on the injured list, has eight teams he can block a trade with, per his contract.
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MLB ROUNDUP: ALEC BURLESON’S 3 HRS HELP CARDINALS BASH YANKEES
Alec Burleson hit three two-run homers for the St. Louis Cardinals, who rallied for a 13-7 victory over the host New York Yankees after squandering a six-run lead on Monday night.
Burleson capped a seven-run eighth inning by hitting a 2-2 slider from Angel Chivilli (1-1) into the second deck in right for a 418-foot drive. He went deep off Cam Schlittler in the first and off Tim Hill in the fourth.
Rookies Nathan Church and Jimmie Crooks also homered in the eighth off Chivilli as the Cardinals matched their season high with five long balls. Gordon Graceffo (7-1) tossed two shutout innings for the victory.
Ryan McMahon, Jose Caballero and Luis Garcia Jr. (in his Yankees debut) homered to give New York a 7-6 lead in the seventh.MLB content
Phillies 6, Nationals 3
Derek Hill hit a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning to highlight Philadelphia’s comeback victory over visiting Washington.
Bryce Harper also homered for Philadelphia, which has won three in a row. Aaron Nola allowed three runs and six hits in six innings for the Phillies before Kyle Backhus (2-1), Orion Kerkering and Jhoan Duran (25th save) closed it out.
The Nationals received a strong effort from Andrew Alvarez, who was recalled from Triple-A Rochester earlier in the day. The left-hander allowed two runs on three hits before exiting after 6 1/3 innings. Abimelec Ortiz and Daylen Lile homered for Washington, which has lost six consecutive games.
Cubs 10, Dodgers 5
Seiya Suzuki, Kevin Alcantara, Carson Kelly and Michael Busch homered for Chicago in a win against visiting Los Angeles.
Busch also delivered a two-run single in the opener of a three-game series, and he and Kelly produced three RBIs apiece. Pete Crow-Armstrong scored twice for the Cubs. Matthew Boyd (7-1) pitched at least six innings for the sixth straight outing. He allowed five runs (four earned) and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernandez homered while Hernandez, Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Tucker each had two hits and a run for the Dodgers, who have lost four in a row to match their longest skids of the season. Justin Wrobleski (11-3) surrendered four home runs for the second straight start. He gave up seven runs and seven hits over 4 1/3 innings.
Blue Jays 3, Astros 1
Shane Bieber pitched effectively into the sixth inning, Alejandro Kirk slugged his fourth home run and visiting Toronto snapped Houston’s six-game winning streak.
After completing six trades over the past two days in the runup to the trade deadline on Monday, the Blue Jays rode a resilient effort from Bieber (3-2) to their fifth victory in seven games. Bieber allowed one run on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings as Toronto won for the fourth time in five games.
Astros right-hander Cristian Javier (1-2) gave up three runs on seven hits over six innings.
Pirates 4, Brewers 3
Spencer Horwitz drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double, Bubba Chandler pitched effectively into the sixth inning and visiting Pittsburgh held on to edge Milwaukee.
Pittsburgh led 4-0 after four innings, but Milwaukee rallied within 4-3 with a run in the fifth and two in the sixth. The Brewers, who entered with the best overall record in the majors, dropped to 1-6 this season against the division-rival Pirates.
Chandler (4-8) allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits in 5 2/3 innings for his first win since June 25. Brendan Sproat (3-7) allowed four runs on five hits in three-plus innings with three wild pitches for the Brewers.
Giants 5, Rangers 1
Jung Hoo Lee had two homers and three RBIs and Logan Webb tossed six shutout innings to lead San Francisco to a victory over Texas in Arlington, Texas.
Lee had three of his team’s six hits. Webb (7-7) struck out a season-best eight while giving up five hits for the Giants, who halted a three-game slide.
Ezequiel Duran homered and had four of the Rangers’ seven hits. Texas committed a season-high five errors while extending its season-worst losing streak to six. Cal Quantrill (4-4) gave up three runs (one earned) and four hits over six innings.
Rays 13, Rockies 9
Junior Caminero hit two home runs, Jonathan Aranda had four hits and Tampa Bay beat Colorado in Denver.
Richie Palacios also went deep among his two hits, Chandler Simpson, Cedric Mullins and Taylor Walls had two hits each and Ian Seymour tossed six strong innings for Tampa Bay. Seymour (8-3) allowed two runs on seven hits, fanned nine and didn’t walk a batter.
Ezequiel Tovar homered and singled three times, Mickey Moniak also went deep and tripled, and Kyle Karros, Cole Carrigg and Willi Castro had two hits each for Colorado. Michael Lorenzen (3-10) allowed seven runs on seven hits in three innings.
Diamondbacks 5, Padres 1
Brandon Pfaadt won his sixth straight decision, Tim Tawa had three hits including a three-run homer, and Arizona beat San Diego in Phoenix in a game matching National League wild-card contenders.
Pfaadt (6-1) gave up five hits and one unearned run in 6 2/3 innings. He is 6-0 with a 1.55 ERA in seven starts since being recalled from Triple-A Reno on June 30. Tawa homered with one out in the fourth, after Ketel Marte walked to open the inning and Adrian Del Castillo singled with one out off Michael King (6-8).
Luis Campusano had two hits for the Padres, who had won three in a row and eight of nine. King gave up three runs and five hits in five-plus innings.
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BIG 10 COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced Monday that 93 Big Ten volleyball matches will be nationally televised on Big Ten Network (BTN), FOX and FS1 during the 2026 season.
83 regular season matches will air nationally, while the inaugural Big Ten Volleyball Tournament will be carried across BTN, B1G+ and FOX.
FOX is set to air the Big Ten Volleyball Tournament Championship match at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 25, becoming the first-ever broadcast television network to carry a women’s college volleyball conference tournament championship match.
Tournament coverage begins Friday, November 20, on BTN. Second-round matches will stream on B1G+, while BTN will televise the opening round, quarterfinals and semifinals.
FOX’s coverage will also include Wisconsin at Nebraska on Saturday, October 10.
BTN will broadcast at least 72 matches, featuring all 18 conference schools on linear television. The network’s season coverage begins Saturday, August 29, with Miami at Michigan at 2 p.m. ET, followed by UConn at Penn State at 4 p.m. ET.
In addition, more than 160 matches will be streamed exclusively on B1G+, BTN’s subscription service. All Big Ten Network matches can also be streamed on FOX One, delivering live events and on-demand programming to Big Ten Network customers via the web, smartphones and tablets.
2026 Big Ten Volleyball Television Schedule
| DATE | MATCH | SITE | TV | TIME (ET) |
| August 22 | Wisconsin vs. Louisville | Milwaukee, Wis. | FOX | 4 p.m. |
| August 28 | Purdue vs. Creighton | Sioux Falls, S.D. | FOX | 7 p.m. |
| August 28 | Minnesota vs. Arizona State | Sioux Falls, S.D. | FOX | 9 p.m. |
| August 29 | Miami (Fla.) at Michigan | Ann Arbor, Mich. | BTN | 2 p.m. |
| August 29 | UConn at Penn State | University Park, Pa. | BTN | 4 p.m. |
| August 29 | USC vs. Arizona State | Sioux Falls, S.D. | FS1 | 3 p.m. |
| August 29 | Minnesota vs. Creighton | Sioux Falls, S.D. | FS1 | 5 p.m. |
| August 30 | Creighton vs. USC | Sioux Falls, S.D. | BTN | 1 p.m. |
| September 1 | LSU vs. Michigan State | Ann Arbor, Mich. | BTN | 4:30 p.m. |
| September 1 | Georgia vs. Indiana | West Lafayette, Ind. | FS1 | 6 p.m. |
| September 1 | South Carolina at Michigan | Ann Arbor, Mich. | BTN | 6:30 p.m. |
| September 1 | Texas A&M at Purdue | West Lafayette, Ind. | FS1 | 8 p.m. |
| September 1 | Florida vs. Minnesota | Madison, Wis. | BTN | 9 p.m. |
| September 2 | Auburn vs. Minnesota | Madison, Wis. | FS1 | 6 p.m. |
| September 2 | Florida at Wisconsin | Madison, Wis. | FS1 | 8 p.m. |
| September 2 | Texas A&M vs. Indiana | West Lafayette, Ind. | BTN | 5 p.m. |
| September 2 | Georgia at Purdue | West Lafayette, Ind. | BTN | 7 p.m. |
| September 3 | Auburn at Wisconsin | Madison, Wis. | FS1 | 8 p.m. |
| September 4 | Nebraska at DePaul | Chicago, Ill. | FS1 | 6 p.m. |
| September 6 | TCU at Purdue | West Lafayette, Ind. | BTN | 1 p.m. |
| September 6 | Washington State at Oregon | Eugene, Ore. | BTN | 3 p.m. |
| September 11 | Illinois at Marquette | Milwaukee, Wis. | FS1 | 6 p.m. |
| September 11 | Stanford vs. Penn State | Philadelphia, Pa. | BTN | 6 p.m. |
| September 11 | Baylor at Nebraska | Lincoln, Neb. | BTN | 8 p.m. |
| September 11 | Arizona at USC | Los Angeles, Calif. | BTN | 10 p.m. |
| September 15 | Villanova at Penn State | University Park, Pa. | FS1 | 7 p.m. |
| September 16 | Creighton at Nebraska | Lincoln, Neb. | BTN | 7 p.m. |
| September 16 | Drake at Iowa | Iowa City, Iowa | BTN | 9 p.m. |
| September 17 | Marquette at Wisconsin | Madison, Wis. | BTN | 8 p.m. |
| September 18 | South Florida at Penn State | University Park, Pa. | BTN | 6 p.m. |
| September 18 | North Carolina at Nebraska | Lincoln, Neb. | BTN | 8 p.m. |
| September 20 | Tennessee at Penn State | University Park, Pa. | BTN | 2 p.m. |
| September 26 | Ohio State at Nebraska | Lincoln, Neb. | BTN | 9 p.m. |
| September 27 | Washington at Michigan | Ann Arbor, Mich. | BTN | 12 p.m. |
| September 27 | Penn State at Michigan State | East Lansing, Mich. | BTN | 2 p.m. |
| September 27 | Wisconsin at Purdue | West Lafayette, Ind. | BTN | 4 p.m. |
| October 1 | Nebraska at Penn State | University Park, Pa. | BTN | 7 p.m. |
| October 1 | Indiana at Wisconsin | Madison, Wis. | BTN | 9 p.m. |
| October 2 | Purdue at Oregon | Eugene, Ore. | BTN | 9 p.m. |
| October 2 | Michigan at USC | Los Angeles, Calif. | BTN | 11 p.m. |
| October 4 | Indiana at Rutgers | Piscataway, N.J. | BTN | 2 p.m. |
| October 4 | Illinois at Oregon | Eugene, Ore. | BTN | 4 p.m. |
| October 4 | Wisconsin at Minnesota | Minneapolis, Minn. | BTN | 6 p.m. |
| October 8 | Nebraska at Indiana | Bloomington, Ind. | BTN | 6:30 p.m. |
| October 8 | Wisconsin at Illinois | Champaign, Ill. | BTN | 8:30 p.m. |
| October 9 | UCLA at Maryland | College Park, Md. | BTN | 6:30 p.m. |
| October 9 | USC at Purdue | West Lafayette, Ind. | BTN | 8:30 p.m. |
| October 10 | Wisconsin at Nebraska | Lincoln, Neb. | FOX | TBD |
| October 11 | Washington at Penn State | University Park, Pa. | BTN | 12 p.m. |
| October 11 | USC at Indiana | Bloomington, Ind. | BTN | 2p.m. |
| October 11 | Minnesota at Ohio State | Columbus, Ohio | BTN | 4 p.m. |
| October 11 | Illinois at Purdue | West Lafayette, Ind. | BTN | 6 p.m. |
| October 15 | Michigan State at Illinois | Champaign, Ill. | BTN | 7 p.m. |
| October 15 | Purdue at Iowa | Iowa City, Iowa | BTN | 9 p.m. |
| October 16 | Ohio State at USC | Los Angeles, Calif. | FS1 | 10 p.m. |
| October 17 | Purdue at Nebraska | Lincoln, Neb. | BTN | 5 p.m. or 9 p.m. |
| October 17 | Penn State at USC | Los Angeles, Calif. | BTN | 7 p.m. or 11 p.m. |
| October 18 | Wisconsin at Iowa | Iowa City, Iowa | BTN | 2 p.m. |
| October 18 | Rutgers at Oregon | Eugene, Ore. | BTN | 4 p.m. |
| October 22 | UCLA at Nebraska | Lincoln, Neb. | FS1 | 7 p.m. |
| October 23 | Indiana at Ohio State | Columbus, Ohio | BTN | 7 p.m. |
| October 23 | Washington at Wisconsin | Madison, Wis. | BTN | 9 p.m. |
| October 24 | UCLA at Iowa | Iowa City, Iowa | BTN | 7 p.m. |
| October 24 | USC at Nebraska | Lincoln, Neb. | BTN | 9 p.m. |
| October 25 | Michigan State at Maryland | College Park, Md. | BTN | 12 p.m. |
| October 25 | Michigan at Wisconsin | Madison, Wis. | FS1 | 1 p.m. |
| October 25 | Washington at Minnesota | Minneapolis, Minn. | BTN | 2 p.m. |
| October 25 | Penn State at Indiana | Bloomington, Ind. | FS1 | 3 p.m. |
| October 25 | Northwestern at Purdue | West Lafayette, Ind. | BTN | 4 p.m. |
| October 29 | Ohio State at Penn State | University Park, Pa. | BTN | 7 p.m. |
| October 29 | Northwestern at Illinois | Champaign, Ill. | BTN | 9 p.m. |
| October 30 | Indiana at Michigan State | East Lansing, Mich. | BTN | 6 p.m. |
| November 1 | Ohio State at Illinois | Champaign, Ill. | BTN | 1 p.m. |
| November 1 | Maryland at Washington | Seattle, Wash. | BTN | 3 p.m |
| November 1 | Wisconsin at UCLA | Los Angeles, Calif. | BTN | 5 p.m. |
| November 7 | UCLA at Purdue | West Lafayette, Ind. | BTN | 8 p.m. |
| November 7 | Nebraska at Oregon | Eugene, Ore. | BTN | 10 p.m. |
| November 8 | Penn State at Wisconsin | Madison, Wis. | FS1 | TBD |
| November 8 | Nebraska at Washington | Seattle, Wash. | FS1 | TBD |
| November 14 | Michigan State at Minnesota | Minneapolis, Minn. | BTN | 8 p.m. |
| November 14 | Washington at USC | Los Angeles, Calif. | BTN | 10 p.m. |
| November 17 | Minnesota at Nebraska | Lincoln, Neb. | BTN | 8:30 p.m. |
| November 17 | USC at UCLA | Los Angeles, Calif. | BTN | 10:30 p.m. |
| BIG 10 TOURNNovember 20 | TBD vs. TBD | Fishers, Ind. | BTN | 11 a.m. |
| November 20 | TBD vs. TBD | Fishers, Ind. | BTN | 1 p.m. |
| November 20 | TBD vs. TBD | Fishers, Ind. | BTN | 3 p.m. |
| November 21 | TBD vs. TBD | Fishers, Ind. | B1G+ | 12 p.m. |
| November 21 | TBD vs. TBD | Fishers, Ind. | B1G+ | 2 p.m. |
| November 21 | TBD vs. TBD | Fishers, Ind. | B1G+ | 6 p.m. |
| November 21 | TBD vs. TBD | Fishers, Ind. | B1G+ | 8 p.m. |
| November 22 | TBD vs. TBD | Fishers, Ind. | BTN | 12 p.m. |
| November 22 | TBD vs. TBD | Fishers, Ind. | BTN | 2 p.m. |
| November 22 | TBD vs. TBD | Fishers, Ind. | BTN | 6 p.m. |
| November 22 | TBD vs. TBD | Fishers, Ind. | BTN | 8 p.m. |
| November 24 | TBD vs. TBD | Fishers, Ind. | BTN | 6 p.m. |
| November 24 | TBD vs. TBD | Fishers, Ind. | BTN | 8 p.m. |
| November 25 | TBD vs. TBD | Fishers, Ind. | FOX | 8 p.m. |
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TOP INDIANA HEADLINES/SPORTS RELEASES
COLTS TRAINING CAMP MONDAY
(COLTS RELEASE)
WESTFIELD, Ind. – DeForest Buckner played a handful of snaps during a full-team period of practice last week, and the veteran defensive tackle said he’s hopeful to do the same at some point during the Colts’ four remaining training camp practices this week.
More importantly, Buckner said his neck has “responded well” to his early-camp workload, including those couple 11-on-11 reps.
“I’m just feeling everything out, everything for the first time with live reps,” Buckner said.
Buckner added he felt a “little” muscle soreness, but it was to be expected. Those 11-on-11 reps last week were Buckner’s first full-team action since Dec. 22, 2025, and represented a small yet important step in the three-time Pro Bowler’s process of working toward Week 1 of the 2026 season.
With the Colts putting pads on for the first time this training camp Monday, Buckner only participated in individual work on Monday. But this is a process that, again, will take time with Sept. 13, 2026 in mind.
“Just gradually increasing my reps throughout training camp, just bridging that gap,” Buckner said. “It’s our first time in pads today, I only did (individual) today and hoping to get some reps (Tuesday).”
There’s no questioning the impact Buckner has on the Colts’ defense when he’s on the field. Over his 10 years in the NFL, Buckner has 71.5 sacks, 188 QB hits and 97 tackles for a loss while earning first-team AP All-Pro honors in 2020 and second-team AP All-Pro honors in 2019 in addition to those three Pro Bowls (2018, 2021, 2023).
“He means everything to this defense,” head coach Shane Steichen said. “He’s been a pillar here for so long, 10-year-plus vet. He leads the right way, works the right way. Just to see him out there and get some reps is huge, and obviously that’s an ongoing conversation that he’ll have with myself and the trainers, and just make sure his body’s right and whatever he needs to get from a team standpoint, he’ll get throughout training camp.”
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COLTS SIGN CB MEKHI RODGERS, WAIVED-INJURED CB CAMERON MITCHELL
WESTFIELD, Ind. – The Indianapolis Colts today signed undrafted free agent cornerback Mekhi Rodgers and waived-injured cornerback Cameron Mitchell. If Mitchell clears waivers, he will revert to the Colts Injured Reserve list.
Rodgers, 6-1, 197 pounds, participated in the Colts’ 2026 Rookie Mini-Camp on a tryout basis. In 2025, he played in 13 games (one start) at James Madison and registered eight tackles (four solo) and one pass defensed. Prior to James Madison, Rodgers started all 11 games at Saint Francis in 2024 and totaled 25 tackles (19 solo) and seven passes defensed. He began his collegiate career at Hobart College (2022-23), where he appeared in 19 games (10 starts) and compiled 36 tackles (21 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, 10 passes defensed and three interceptions. Rodgers earned Honorable Mention All-Liberty League recognition in 2023.
Mitchell, 5-11, 191 pounds, was originally signed to the team’s practice squad on October 4, 2025. He has played in 40 career games (five starts) in his time with the Colts (2025-26) and Cleveland Browns (2023-25). Mitchell has compiled 59 tackles (45 solo), 4.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, eight passes defensed, one forced fumble and two special teams stops. In 2025, he appeared in eight games (one start) for Indianapolis and registered 18 tackles (14 solo), 2.0 tackles for loss and four passes defensed.
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COLTS CAMP PRESS CONFERENCE MONDAY: https://www.colts.com/video/deforest-buckner-shares-rehab-progress-grupe-shrader-discuss-competition-josh-downs-2026-training-camp-media-availability
COLTS COACH SHANE STEICHEN PRESSER: https://www.colts.com/video/shane-steichen-on-first-day-of-padded-practice-2026-training-camp-media-availability
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INDIANA FOOTBALL
INDIANA AND NOTRE DAME CANCEL HOME-AND-HOME SERIES SLATED TO BEGIN 2030 SEASON
Indiana and Notre Dame’s future home-and-home series has been cancelled, according to multiple reports. The Hoosiers and Fighting Irish had previously agreed to play a two-game series in the 2030-2031 seasons, beginning at Notre Dame Stadium in 2030 and returning to Memorial Stadium in 2031.
Notre Dame has reportedly agreed to a four-game series against USC beginning in 2030, presumably replacing the Indiana home-and-home. Indiana requested the cancellation of its series with Notre Dame, according to Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated.
It remains unclear how the Hoosiers plan to fill the Fighting Irish’s initial spot in the 2030 and 2031 non-conference schedule. Indiana currently has two non-conference games agreed upon for the 2030 season against Indiana State and Delaware, with both matchups in Bloomington. IU no longer has a third non-conference opponent in 2030 and zero non-conference opponents in 2031 following the cancellation of the Notre Dame series.
IU and Notre Dame initially agreed to a two-game series on April 19, 2021, per an IU Athletics press release.
The Hoosiers and Fighting Irish last played in the 2024 College Football Playoff First Round in South Bend. Notre Dame defeated Indiana 27-17 and finished as the 2024 national championship runner-up.
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INDIANA WOMEN’S SOCCER
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s soccer head coach Josh Rife has announced the 2026 regular season schedule. Tuesday afternoon.
Piper Coffield, Defender
Coffield earns her spot on the Players to Watch list as she looks to make a return to the pitch for the Hoosiers. A major contributor to the backline, Piper brings another scoring threat to the offense, scoring five goals through her first two seasons in Bloomington. She also brings plenty of starting experience, starting in 35 of 36 career appearances.
Emily Graham, Forward
Emily Arrives in Bloomington looking to make an immediate impact, being named to the Preseason Player to Watch List. Graham brings in Big Ten experience transferring in from Michigan State. She made eight appearances for the Spartans a year ago, scoring her first career goal in a win against Milwaukee.
Aleyna Quinn, Forward
Quinn earns a spot on the Player to Watch List for a second consecutive season, looking to continue making an impact on the frontline with the Hoosiers. Before missing the season with injury, she started the first four games as a forward. In those games, Aleyna recorded two goals on 10 shot attempts.
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INDIANA VOLLEYBALL
ROSEMONT, Ill. – For the first time in program history, the Indiana volleyball team will have double-digit matches broadcasted on national television. The Hoosiers will appear 10 times on three different channels (FS1, BTN and ESPN2) following a record-breaking 2025 campaign. A majority of the Big Ten Tournament will appear on BTN before the championship game airs live on FOX (Nov. 25).
Head coach Steve Aird will guide his team through a tough slate in 2026. That includes a trio of games against SEC programs that will feature on national television. IU will play Georgia (Sept. 1 – FS1), Texas A&M (Sept. 2 – BTN) and Tennessee (Sept. 6 – ESPN2) in the span of six days during the first week of September. Its matches against Georgia and Texas A&M are a part of the first Big Ten – SEC Challenge Week.
As conference action gets underway, the Hoosiers will play seven of their first 11 Big Ten matches on either BTN or FS1. That includes a run of four-straight matches between October 1st (at Wisconsin) and October 11th (USC). Matches against Nebraska (Oct. 8), USC (Oct. 11) and Penn State (Oct. 25) will put Wilkinson Hall on full display for a national audience.
The inaugural Big Ten Tournament will pit the top 15 teams in the league against each other in a single-elimination bracket at the Fishers Event Center. All but five games will be broadcasted on BTN. The championship match will air live on FOX, marking the first time a conference volleyball tournament match has been televised on a broadcast network.
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CHICAGO – Before fall camp gets underway tomorrow afternoon, the Indiana volleyball program sent head coach Steve Aird, junior setter Sade Ilawole and sophomore outside hitter Jaidyn Jager to Chicago as its representatives for the fifth-annual Big Ten Volleyball Media Day.
The trio of Hoosiers spent the day talking about the upcoming season in a press conference, live studio hits and various social media stations. Their time in the Windy City featured conversations about this year’s Big Ten Tournament, IU’s talented newcomers to the roster and the excitement level about volleyball in Bloomington.
Following a season that saw the program break NCAA-era records for wins (25) and Big Ten wins (14), IU returns a large core of its team to the court at Wilkinson Hall. Along with Jager, sophomore setter Teodora Krickovic, sophomore middle blocker Victoria Gray and sophomore defensive specialist Audrey Jackson each started at least 30 matches a season ago.
Here are takeaways from the Hoosiers’ annual trip to the Big Ten Network Studios.
The Next Step Ahead
IU played four spring matches and six matches on its Foreign Tour
It was a record season during the 2025 campaign but IU’s players and coaches will be quick to say that the past is the past. With a roster that includes preseason All-Big Ten selections in setter Teodora Krickovic and outside hitter Jaidyn Jager, the Hoosiers have a group of players that are ready to keep building.
IU added graduate student middle blocker Kiki Granberry and junior outside hitter Izzy Clark to the mix out of the transfer portal while freshman outside hitter Sara Snowbarger and freshman defensive specialist Ellie Hepler provide depth in key positions. 12 of 17 players from last year’s roster will return with experience under their belt.
“Right now, I just feel like the staff has done a great job.” Aird said. “We’ve got really good student-athletes. We’ve got some traction. Recruiting classes over the next few years are exceptional. I just think the pinwheel is starting to spin. Pushing the rock up the hill is the hardest part and getting people to buy into you from the beginning is the hardest part.”
Competition in the gym during the preseason will be at an all-time high as head coach Steve Aird preps for his ninth season at the helm in Bloomington. As it stands, all but two players on this year’s roster began their collegiate career with the Hoosiers.
Tough Opponents on the Horizon
The Hoosiers will play nine teams from last year’s final AVCA top-25 poll
Head coach Steve Aird wanted to design a schedule that would put his team in big environments against great opponents. Off the bat, the Hoosiers will face four SEC and ACC opponents in a 10-day span. Two of those (Georgia, Texas A&M) will come in the inaugural Big Ten-SEC Challenge, hosted by Purdue at Mackey Arena.
Purdue, Cal Poly, USC, Penn State and Nebraska will all make the trip to Wilkinson Hall as IU puts its incredible home environment to the test on a national state. During the last four seasons, the Hoosiers are 40-15 on their home court and have won 23-consecutive matches at Wilkinson Hall against unranked teams.
In total, 22 of IU’s 26 regular season matches will come against power conference opponents. That will set the program up as it prepares for a potential postseason run through the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments this fall.
“We’ve got a very daunting slate of matches to start the year,” Aird said. “We’ve gone up a weight class we think in quality and caliber of opponent. We’re not afraid to go and test the waters, so to speak.”
Sophomore Class Ready for Big Season
IU’s deep six-player sophomore class will handle a big load in Bloomington
IU needed a big season from its talented young players last year and they delivered. With a season of college volleyball under their belt, the second-year Hoosiers will be asked to carry a big load across key positions. Among those important contributors are outside hitter Jaidyn Jager and setter Teodora Krickovic, both selections to the Big Ten All-Preseason team.
Last year’s freshman class was the only in the country to have a different player with at least 1,000+ assists, 380+ kills, 100+ blocks. On top of that, four different players had at least 15 aces and four had at least 100 digs as IU continued to get great play from all over its lineup. Middle blocker Victoria Gray and defensive specialists Audrey Jackson, Avery Freeman and Hannah Leftridge all got valuable time on the court last year.
In total, IU’s six returning second-year players combined to play in 186 matches this season and will be crucial to success as the team marches forward in 2026.
“We’ve got good balance, good depth. I feel it’s the — will-over-skill thing for us is really important,” Aird said. “That’s something I’ve always taken from Coach [Russ] Rose. I don’t know if we have the top-end talent. I’m not sure if I’m the best coach in the conference, but we want to fight you from the beginning to the end. We don’t care where and how. I think that’s something the locker room is really locked into.”
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CHICAGO – The unofficial start to volleyball season began with the Big Ten’s fifth-annual Media Day on Monday (Aug. 3) in the Windy City. Head coach Steve Aird, junior setter Sade Ilawole and sophomore outside hitter Jaidyn Jager met with members of the media to discuss the season ahead in 2026.
A full transcription, provided by ASAP, can be found attached.
Full video is linked in the story.
Opening Statement…
AIRD: “Thank you, thank you, thank you for having us. Excited to be here. I want to start by thanking Commissioner Petitti and the Big Ten staff for the opportunity. We’ve been half a day, but it’s been amazing. We’re having a blast.
I want to thank President Whitten, Scott Dolson, the administration at Indiana for continuing to support the program and these young women as we continue to improve, chip away and get a little bit better every year. Administrations are a huge part of a program’s success and we’ve got a great one at Indiana. Super proud of them.
We’re coming off a fantastic year. I’ve joked earlier that it’s taken me a little bit longer than Coach [Curt] Cignetti to get good fast. But it’s been a labor of love. We’ve been working really hard over the last few years to develop elite-level athletes. Now we have a whole bunch of kids going on and playing professionally. Doing pretty well in the conference, pretty well nationally. Turning into what we hope to be a perennial top-20 program in the country.
It’s a very daunting slate of matches to start the year. We’ve gone up a weight class, we think, in quality and caliber of opponent. We’re not afraid to go and test the waters. Incredibly excited to host the Big Ten Tournament the first year in the state of Indiana. Lots of just really positive things happening at the school for the program, for volleyball in the state of Indiana. Especially proud and excited to be here representing them today.
With that, we will pass it out and take some questions.
On continuing to climb the latter in the Big Ten…
AIRD: “Well, I guess the best way I could describe it, it’s kind of like the pinwheel in business. I spend a lot of time studying business, CEOs and GMs. You find some athletes who buy into the vision of, hey, we’re going to be okay.
When I took the job, they had one conference win. It was an uphill battle. We knew it was going to take some time.
Then you get some kids who are tough, play hard, and you have a little bit of success. The community and the volleyball community gets excited. You’re able to recruit on that. You have more success. Just like businesses with products and marketing. Then it’s 2.0 and 3.0. The pinwheel starts to kind of fire.
So right now, I just feel like the staff has done a great job. We’ve got really good student-athletes. We’ve got some traction. Recruiting classes over the next few years are exceptional. I just think the pinwheel is starting to spin. Pushing the rock up the hill is the hardest part and getting people to buy into you from the beginning is the hardest part. At this point now, we feel like it’s starting to spin pretty good.
On how the foreign tour helped the program…
ILAWOLE: “I think the international trip we got really close to each other. We had different roommates in every city we went to. I think it was an opportunity to get outside of our bubbles and hang out with people that we don’t usually hang out with on the team. I think that helped grow our connection.
JAGER: “To further that, I think all of our connections have gotten so complex with every single person on the team. I think that’s a very unique thing to have. It helped all of our personalities grow, grow for the team.
On playing at the Fishers Event Center and the Big Ten Tournament…
JAGER: “I loved playing in such a big arena. It was so much fun just to be with, like, my best friends on the court, even off the court. Yeah, having the crowd on top of you and over you is such an amazing and interesting feeling.
ILAWOLE: “Yeah, I think our team loves playing in big arenas. I think we’re excited to go back there for the Big Ten tournament and hopefully have a little bit of a home-court advantage with some of our Bloomington fans coming to watch.”
On the talent of this year’s team…
AIRD: “We were a young team last year, although we lost some really elite talent. We still started and had young players. Five and six freshmen that were playing. We were just talking about Ellie [Hepler] and Sara [Snowbarger] and some of the young players. They’re just happy humans. I burn pretty hot and I’m pretty intense. Having those kids that every single day they’re grateful and happy and bouncing around.
Clearly, they can play. We’ve got good balance, good depth. I feel it’s the — the will-over-skill thing for us is really important. That’s something I’ve always taken from Coach [Russ] Rose. I don’t know if we have the top-end talent, I’m not sure if I’m the best coach in the conference, but we want to fight you from the beginning to the end. We don’t care where and how. I think that’s something the locker room is really locked into.
We want to compete and compete hard. If you win, great. If you don’t, it’s not that you didn’t empty it. So, a lot of the kids coming in I think are adding pieces. But the core and the foundation of the group I think is really strong. The returning team is pretty excited.”
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PURDUE SOFTBALL
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Head coach Maggie Frezzotti has rounded out her coaching staff for the 2026-27 season with the addition of Western Michigan’s Mike Wallace, and former Purdue baseball standout, Harry Shipley.
Wallace comes to West Lafayette with a wealth of softball knowledge, coaching for more than a decade, from youth softball programs to the collegiate level. In his most recent stop, in his home state of Michigan, Wallace helped to lead the Broncos to breaking five offensive program records, with the second-best batting average in program history (.292). Wallace also aided in the development of three players who earned all-conference honors in 2026.
Prior to Western Michigan, Wallace spent more than two decades in California where he was the District Athletic Director in the Central California area and led the Firecrackers, a national level travel ball organization. Wallace has worked with the 2025 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, NFCA All-Americans, three National Team members, a Gatorade State Player of Year, a State Player of the Year and numerous All-State and All-Region athletes.
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NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Irish quarterback CJ Carr has been named to the 2026 Maxwell Award Watch List. The award is presented annually to the most outstanding player in college football, recognizing excellence on the field and exceptional contributions to the game.
Six Notre Dame players have won the Maxwell Award on seven occasions in its history: TE Leon Hart (1949), HB John Lattner (1952 and 1953), LB Jim Lynch (1966), DE Ross Browner (1977), QB Brady Quinn (2006) and LB Manti Te’o (2012).
Carr started all 12 games last year, finishing the season with 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns. His 24 touchdowns were tied for the most passing touchdowns in a player’s first 12 career starts at Notre Dame since 1966. With Carr behind center last season, Notre Dame ranked second in the country in scoring offense (41.8).
The Saline, Michigan native threw a touchdown pass in all 12 games in 2025, the longest streak by an Irish quarterback since 2014. Carr totaled nine games with multiple touchdown throws a season ago while also rushing for three.
Among all returning Power 4 quarterbacks, Carr was first in yards per completion (14.06) and ranked second in yards per attempt (9.35) and touchdown rate (8.2%) last year.
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BUTLER WOMEN’S SOCCER
NEW YORK – Butler junior Chloe Brecht has been selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team as announced by the conference office on Monday, August 3.
The major awards and Preseason All-BIG EAST Team were voted on by the conference head coaches who could not cast ballots for their own team or their own student-athletes.
Brecht earned All-BIG EAST Third Team recognition in 2025. She finished the season with a pair of goals and also dished out four assists. It was her first season in a Butler uniform after transferring into the program following her freshman season at Pittsburgh.
As a team, the Bulldogs landed in the eighth spot in the 2026 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Georgetown led the conference with eight of 11 first-place votes, finishing with 98 points. UConn landed in the second position with a pair of first-place votes and 87 points. Xavier garnered the remaining first-place vote and finished third with 78 points. Creighton and Villanova rounded out the top five.
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2026 BIG EAST Preseason Awards
Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year
Peyton Kohls, Xavier, Sr., F
Preseason BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year
Lizzie Heller, Georgetown, Jr., M
Preseason BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Kaya Hanson, Georgetown, Sr., D
Preseason BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year
Hannah Dickinson, Villanova, Sr., GK
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team *
Jocelyn Leigh, Marquette, Jr., F
Courtnee Pickles, Providence, So., F
Se-Hanna Mars, UConn, R-So., F
Avrie Nelsen, Villanova, So., F
Peyton Kohls, Xavier, Sr., F ^
Chloe Brecht, Butler, Jr., M
Lizzie Heller, Georgetown, Jr., M
Thaea Mouratidis, Providence, Gr., M
Anaya Johnson, UConn, Sr., M ^
Gabby Koluch, Villanova, Sr., M
Kaya Hanson, Georgetown, Sr., D
Brooklynn Miltenberger, Xavier, Sr., D
Hannah Dickinson, Villanova, Sr., GK
^ unanimous selection
* Due to a tie in voting, there are 13 members on the preseason team.
BIG EAST Preseason Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Poll
(first-place votes)
1. Georgetown, 98 (8)
2. UConn, 89 (2)
3. Xavier, 78 (1)
4. Creighton, 73
5. Villanova, 66
6. Providence, 60
7. Marquette, 40
8. Butler, 39
9. St. John’s, 28
10. DePaul, 19
11. Seton Hall, 15
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BALL STATE SOFTBALL
MUNCIE, Ind. – – Ball State softball head coach Helen Peña rounded out her 2026 coaching staff Monday (Aug. 3) with the addition of Jackie Barley as assistant coach for the Cardinals.
“I’m excited to welcome Jackie to the Ball State softball family,” Peña exclaimed. “Her experience and success at various levels show her commitment to developing the athlete while also building strong and empowered young women. Her values align with ours, and I look forward to her contributing and helping our players be at their best and strive for excellence.”
A 12-year collegiate coaching veteran, Barley completed her first year in the same role at IU Indy this past spring, helping the Jaguars rank fourth in the Horizon League in on-base percentage (.374).
“I would like to thank Coach Peña for the opportunity to join the Ball State program and assist with player development on and off the field,” Barley said. “I’m very grateful to be joining the Cardinals and excited to get started!”
Prior to her lone season on the IU Indy staff, Barley spent four years as the associate head coach at Davenport University (2022-25), helping develop the program’s first Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Player of the Year. She would help the Panthers earn five All-Region and 17 All-GLIAC honors over her four seasons, while helping the 2022 squad produce the program’s highest league batting average in program history, at .316, since joining the NCAA Division II ranks.
She also helped Davenport’s student-athletes excel in the classroom, highlighted by the program earning the third-highest team GPA in Division II softball (3.789) during the 2022 campaign. Overall, she helped her student-athletes earn 34 Easton/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American Scholar Athlete honors and eight College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District accolades.
Barley culminated her two-season stint (2020-2021) as associate head coach at Malone University on the 2021 Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Coaching Staff of the Year. The 2021 Pioneers led the G-MAC with a program-record .328 team batting average, while setting program standards for home runs (33) and slugging percentage (.522).
Individually, Barley helped Malone catcher Bailey Byers earn both NFCA and Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association (D2CCA) First Team All-America honors, as well as CSC Academic All-America accolades.
Byers was also a finalist for the Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Player of the Year, while earning NFCA First Team All-Midwest Region, D2CCA Midwest Region Player of the Year, D2CCA First Team All-Midwest Region, G-MAC Player of the Year and G-MAC First Team All-Conference. She was also a two-time G-MAC Player of the Week and an NFCA Division II National Player of the Week.
Barley’s collegiate coaching resume also includes two seasons as associate head coach at Walsh University (2018-19), two seasons as assistant coach for a fledgling Lawrence Technological University (2016-17) and two seasons as assistant coach at Adrian College (2014-15).
Barley, a member of the 2008 United States team at the World Cup of Softball in Amsterdam, was set to make her collegiate playing debut at the University of Michigan for the 2009 season but was sidelined by injury.
She officially began her collegiate playing career at Madonna University in 2011 and went on to earn back-to-back Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) All-Conference First Team accolades as well as a pair of all-region honors. Barley was also named the 2012 WHAC Player of the Year after leading the conference with a .394 batting average, including 16 doubles, two triples and six home runs.
Her play helped Madonna earn the 2012 WHAC regular season and tournament titles, along with a berth in the pool play round of the NAIA National Championship.
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INDIANA STATE FOOTBALL
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Headlined by First Team All-MVFC selection Nic Yatsko, the Indiana State football team placed eight on the Phil Steele Preseason All-MVFC Team as announced by the organization on Monday afternoon.
Yatsko was the Sycamores lone First Team selection as the Freshman All-American safety returns to the field following a standout campaign. The Jerry Rice Award finalist was seventh in the MVFC in tackles per game (7.45) despite not earning a starting role until midway through the season.
Yatsko took over the starting nickel back role in the Sycamores’ 4-2-5 defense and capitalized with a nine-tackle game against Montana, while adding a career-high 14 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 1 FF, and 1 FR in the Sycamores’ win over SDSU. He wrapped up the season with a seven-tackle, 1.5 TFL, 1.0 sack game against Murray State and added a fumble recovery and two QB hurries. He finished the year tied for third on the team with 6.0 TFL and was second on the team with five QB hurries.
The Terre Haute, Ind. native was joined on the list by seven Sycamores honored on the Second Team with KeShon Singleton (WR), Drew Page (OL), Jayden Childers (DL), Xavian Andrews (DL), Sebastian Lopez (PK), Carson Weed (LS), and Torey French (PR) all receiving recognition.
Singleton returns to the field as the Sycamores’ top receiver as the redshirt sophomore finished second on the team with 25 receptions for 328 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 2025. The Springfield, Ill. native highlighted his season with a season-high six catches for 51 yards against Illinois State, while adding touchdown catches against both South Dakota and North Dakota.
Page, a 2025 captain, returns as the Sycamores’ center in the middle of the offensive line. The Noblesville, Ind. native blocked for an offense that posted six games with at least 100 rushing yards, including a season-high 322 yards against Southern Illinois, while Indiana State added a season-high 319 passing yards against Youngstown State.
Childers took over a starting role on the Sycamores’ defensive line in the 2025 season on his way to finishing with 23 total tackles, 4.0 tackles-for-loss, and 3.5 sacks. The Carmel, Ind. native highlighted his year with a three-tackle, three QB hurry game against Illinois State, while adding two tackles, 1.0 TFL, and a sack against both South Dakota and South Dakota State.
Andrews returns as the Sycamores’ top cornerback on the season after posting 63 total tackles and six pass breakups in his inaugural 2025 campaign at Indiana State. The Gaithersburg, Md. Native recorded a season-high 11 tackles and 1.0 tackles-for-loss against Illinois State, while adding at least eight tackles in three separate games.
Lopez was 6-for-9 in field goal attempts in the 2025 season in his first season as the starting placekicker for the Sycamores. The Fort Wayne, Ind. native converted on season-long 46-yard field goals against both North Dakota and South Dakota State, while adding 20 touchbacks over 36 kickoff attempts on the year.
Weed took over the starting role as the Sycamores’ long snapper early in the 2025 season and made the role his own throughout the year. The Greenwood, Ind. native was the primary snapper for all Indiana State punts, field goals, and PATs, while adding two tackles on the season coming against both North Dakota and Youngstown State.
French returns as the most experience punt returner for the Sycamores heading into the 2026 season as the Zion, Ill. native heads into his redshirt sophomore season. He recorded three returns for six yards in 2025, including a season-high two returns against South Dakota State.
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VALPO FOOTBALL
Six members of the Valparaiso University football team received preseason recognition as Phil Steele released the publication’s annual Preseason All-Pioneer Football League teams. Redshirt senior return specialist Chris Gundy (Smithfield, Va. / Smithfield) was named to the First Team.
After already being selected to the league’s Preseason All-PFL Team, redshirt sophomore linebacker Anthony Feltrinelli (Westfield, Ind. / Westfield) and redshirt junior defensive back Nic Lendino (Naperville, Ill. / Neuqua Valley) added Phil Steele Preseason All-PFL Second Team nods. The third-team trio of senior offensive lineman Noah Kline (Loveland, Ohio / Loveland), redshirt sophomore tight end Colin Hayes (Bloomington, Ill. / Bloomington Central Catholic) and senior defensive back Mark Johnson (Nashville, Tenn. / Lipscomb) rounded out the Phil Steele honorees for the Beacons.
Gundy was named to the Phil Steele All-PFL Third Team as a return specialist last season after accruing 315 kick return yards and leading the PFL in kick return average at 28.6.
Lendino finished 12th in the PFL and second on the team with 86 tackles in 2025, averaging 7.2 per game. He tied for eighth in the league in passes defended with eight and tied for sixth among PFL defenders with three interceptions. Lendino’s strong season helped him earn All-PFL Honorable Mention, PFSN All-PFL First Team, Phil Steele All-PFL Fourth Team and the team’s Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Feltrinelli burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman last season, when he ranked third in the PFL at 8.5 tackles per game and was one of three players league-wide to eclipse the 100-tackle precipice with 102 including 51 solos. Following his standout statistical season, Feltrinelli was named a Freshman All-American by Stats Perform FCS, FCS Football Central and Phil Steele. He also earned All-PFL Honorable Mention and was named to the Phil Steele All-PFL Fourth Team.
Johnson started all 12 games last season and became the first Valpo player in over two decades with an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery all in the same game. He finished in the top 20 in the PFL in total tackles with 70. Kline has started all 23 games over the last two seasons and has made 32 consecutive starts on Valpo’s offensive line dating back to the 2023 campaign. Hayes bookended the 2025 season with touchdown catches in the Aug. 30 opener vs. Virginia Lynchburg and the Nov. 22 season finale at Butler.
The Beacons will kick off the season on Aug. 29 vs. Lawrence Tech at Brown Field, the first of five home dates. Season tickets are on sale now at tickets.valpoathletics.com.
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VALPO FOOTBALL
The 2026-2027 Valparaiso University men’s basketball team took the court in a game situation for the first time as a group, defeating defending Canadian national champion Carleton 66-54 in international exhibition action on Monday as part of the Baha Mar Summer League in Nassau, The Bahamas.
How It Happened
The Beacons raced out to a 6-0 lead on early made triples by Sader Servilus (Montreal, Quebec, Canada / Fort Erie International) and Justus McNair (Joliet, Ill. / Joliet West).
Sophomore Carter Hopoi (Tauranga, New Zealand / Mount Maunganui College) threw down his first dunk of the game on a tip-in at the 12:46 mark of the first half, boosting the Beacon cushion to 10 at 16-6.
The Valpo lead was four at 19-15 with 8:48 left in the first half, then the Beacons went on an 11-0 run to build the lead to 15 at 30-15. Servilus hit his second 3 of the game to ignite the big burst.
A block on one end led to a McNair layup on the other end to build the lead to 19 with 15:56 to play, then Hopoi got a steal and his second dunk to widen the gap to 21.
Senior Dylan Moles (Greenfield, Ind. / Greenfield Central [Marian]) lifted the lead to 22 at 53-31 with 13:14 to play by swishing one in from distance.
The Ravens made a bit of a run late to cut what had been a 22-point lead to 10, creating a game that was not as close as the final 12-point margin would indicate.
Inside the Game
Valpo started its five returning scholarship letterwinners.
A dozen Beacons saw action in the game. All seven players who came off the bench saw their first game action in a Valpo uniform.
Sophomore JT Pettigrew (Lisle, Ill. / Bolingbrook) shared the team lead with 11 points and pulled down a team-best-tying seven rebounds. He scored nine of his 11 points after halftime.
McNair went 5-of-7 from the field to total 11 points while also contributing five rebounds.
Redshirt freshman Kobe Walker (Normal, Ill. / Normal Community) squeezed seven rebounds in only 10 minutes of action to tie for the team lead.
Sophomore Rakim Chaney (Rockford, Ill. / Rockford Auburn [212 Sports Academy]) was Valpo’s third double-figure scorer with 10 points along with a team-best four assists. He led the team in plus-minus at +13.
Sophomore Terron Garrett (St. Louis, Mo. / Vashon [Mineral Area College]) swiped a team-high four steals.
The Beacons had 12 steals contributing to 21 turnovers by the Ravens.
Valpo blocked eight shots in the game.
Inside the Foreign Tour
Valpo improved to 12-1 all-time in preseason Foreign Tour games.
This marked the third all-time matchup between Valpo and Carleton. The Brown & Gold previously prevailed 83-80 in overtime on a buzzer-beater by Daniel Sackey on Aug. 13, 2019 and lost 77-59 on Aug. 13, 2015, with this marking by far Valpo’s best result against the Ravens.
Carleton is the defending Canadian national collegiate champion. The Ravens went 27-9 overall and 17-5 in league play en route to the program’s 18th Canadian national crown.
Valpo is one of six NCAA Division-I programs playing against international competition in Nassau, The Bahamas this week as part of the Baha Mar Summer League. The Beacons are joined by Arkansas, Cincinnati, Louisville, South Carolina and Texas A&M.
The Beacons arrived in Nassau on Saturday and hosted a community service event with local youth on Sunday in Nassau.
Valpo previously played at Baha Mar as part of a regular-season, multi-team event in November 2021, beating Jacksonville State and Tulane but falling to Coastal Carolina.
This marked the first summer exhibition game as part of a Foreign Tour of the Roger Powell Jr. head coaching era. Valpo’s last Summer Tour took place in August 2019, when the team went to Canada.
This marks Valpo’s fourth all-time Foreign Tour, joining Cancun (2010-11) and Canada (2015-16 and 2019-20). The 2010-11 trip preceded a 23-win campaign that culminated in a postseason berth, the 2015-16 led into a 30-win season and an appearance in the Postseason NIT title game at Madison Square Garden. The 2019-20 season was also a memorable one, as Valpo won 19 games, made it to the title game of the MVC Tournament and earned a postseason berth before all postseason tournaments were canceled due to COVID-19.
Up Next
Valpo will play for a second consecutive day as the Beacons face off with Dalhousie University (Canada) at 6:30 p.m. CT / 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday night in Nassau, The Bahamas. The game will be broadcast on FloCollege with links to live video and stats available on ValpoAthletics.com.
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WABASH FOOTBALL
Wabash College was picked to finish third in the 2026 North Coast Athletic Conference Football Coaches’ Poll released Monday.
The Little Giants received 76 points to place third among the conference’s 10 teams in the annual preseason poll.
John Carroll, the 2025 NCAC champion, received six first-place votes and 95 points to earn the top spot. DePauw received the remaining four first-place votes and 93 points to place second.
Washington University in St. Louis, which joins the NCAC as a football-only member beginning this season, placed fourth with 68 points. Denison (57 points), Wittenberg (51), Ohio Wesleyan (38), Wooster (36), Kenyon (22), and Oberlin (14) completed the preseason poll.
Wabash finished 9-2 overall and 6-2 in conference play in 2025, placing third in the NCAC standings. The Little Giants represented the conference in the ForeverLawn Bowl, part of the Opendorse Bowl Series, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. Wabash defeated Ohio Northern 32-31.
Wabash opens the 2026 season Sept. 5 at home against Hampden-Sydney College in the renewal of The Gentlemen’s Classic. The Little Giants begin conference play Sept. 12 at home against Wittenberg.
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INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/
MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/
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ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
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TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1884 – Pud Galvin pitches the most lopsided no-hitter in major league history as the Buffalo Bisons stampede over the Detroit Wolverines, 18 – 0. It is the second career no-hitter for future Hall of Famer Galvin.
1897 – In the 2nd inning of the second game of a doubleheader between the Pirates and Reds in Cincinnati, OH, fans throw an empty beer bottle in the direction of umpire Tim Hurst. Hurst picks it up and throws it right back in the crowd. He is arrested and fined $100 dollars on a charge of assault and battery when the bottle hits a spectator, causing a gash over his right eye.
1900 – The Cardinals blow a 4 – 1 lead to the Giants, but come back against reliever Christy Mathewson, pitching his third straight game in relief, to take another lead, 8 – 7 in the 7th. St. Louis wins, 9 – 8, with John McGraw scoring the winning run in the 8th, handing Matty his first career decision. Matty will go 0-3 as a Giant before returning to Norfolk.
1901 – Cincinnati and Pittsburgh players are clocked while running from home plate to first base. The fastest time for the 90-foot sprint is three seconds flat, by Pirates OF Ginger Beaumont.
1905:
The Highlanders field a unique battery: Doc Newton pitching and Mike “Doc” Powers catching, but only Powers is a physician. The Highlanders beat St. Louis, 7 – 3.
At Boston, Harvard Eddie Grant makes his major league debut, collecting three hits for Cleveland. But Boston wins, 7 – 5. Grant will go hitless tomorrow in an 8 – 4 loss to Cy Young, and be sent down to the minors. He’ll resurface with the Phillies in 1907.
1906 – The Giants slow the Chicago express, stopping the Cubs, 7 – 4, behind Christy Mathewson and Hooks Wiltse. New York is just 4 1/2 games behind Chicago, but the Cubs will go 50-8 from August 1 to outdistance the pack.
1908:
The Giants take two from Cincinnati, winning 4 – 3 in 12 innings, and 4 – 1. Christy Mathewson wins both, relieving Joe McGinnity in the 9th inning of the opener and tossing nine innings in the nitecap; Andy Coakley loses both. New York moves into second place, five percentage points behind the Pirates. Despite the two losses, it is a relief for the Reds to score runs. Cincy had endured four straight shutout losses: 5 – 0 on July 30; 3 – 0 on the 31st; 6 – 0 on the 1st and 3rd.
At Brooklyn, the Superbas and St. Louis Cardinals play an entire game with one ball. Brooklyn wins, 3 – 0.
1910 – The Athletics’ Jack Coombs and Chicago’s Ed Walsh duel 16 innings to a 0 – 0 tie. Coombs gives up just three hits and strikes out 18 in what he calls his best game. Walsh gives up just six hits in 16 innings but the woeful Sox offense provides no support. Working with little rest, Walsh will win 18 of 19 starts in July, August, and September, finishing 30-9 with a 1.30 ERA. His 13 shutouts are the American League record; in 12 other games he gives up just one run.
1911 – Lee Tannehill of the White Sox, the only SS to execute two unassisted double plays in one season, makes both of them in the same game versus Washington. Walter Johnson still wins 1 – 0 for the Senators in the first game of a doubleheader. In the second game, Germany Schaefer famously steals first base for the Senators. In the bottom of the 9th, with Clyde Milan on third base, he steals second in an attempt to draw a throw, in order to allow Milan to score. When that fails, he leads off second, and breaks towards first base on the next pitch, making it safely, and then, while Sox manager Hugh Duffy is out arguing the call, he attempts to steal again. This time, Milan breaks for home and the White Sox throw him out to end the inning. The rules will be changed to prevent players from running the bases backwards in order to confuse the defence or make a mockery of the game, although backwards progress will still be allowed in case of genuine baserunning mistakes.
1914 – Red Sox owner Joseph Lannin offers the use of Fenway Park to Braves owner James Gaffney. With the Braves making a run for the pennant, Gaffney will take up the offer.
1915 – On a cold and damp day in St. Louis, the Giants sweep the Cardinals. In the opener, New York pounds Red Ames and Christy Mathewson coasts to a 10 – 0 lead after six innings, but the Cards come back to make it close, losing 11 – 9. Jeff Tesreau saves Matty’s 6th win of the year. New York takes the nitecap, 7 – 0.
1916 – The Browns’ Eddie Plank allows two hits and tops young Babe Ruth to give the Browns a 6 – 1 win over the first-place Red Sox. For the hot St. Louis Browns, it is their 14th win in a row, but the streak still leaves them in seventh place.
1921 – In Chicago, Billy Southworth leads the Braves to a 13 – 5 scalping of the Cubs by belting three doubles and home run. Mule Watson coasts to the win over Percy Jones.
1922 – The Cards pass New York and move into first again, as the Cubs score a 3 – 2 win over the Giants.
1925 – Every player in each team’s lineup has at least one putout in the Indians-Yankees game.
1926 – Stanford star fullback Ernie Nevers pitches his first complete game for the Browns, beating the A’s, 3 – 1. Nevers will be 6-12 in his brief baseball career, but he will win a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame playing with the Duluth Eskimos and Chicago Cardinals (1926-1931).
1927 – At Baltimore’s Maryland Park, Joe Strong of the Baltimore Black Sox beats Hilldale in an Eastern Colored League game, 2 – 1, pitching an 11-inning no-hitter. It is the longest no-hitter in Negro Leagues history.
1928 – A visiting team from Stanford University led by Harry Wolter plays the Australian national team in front of 15,000 spectators at the Agricultural Ground in Sydney, New South Wales. This marks the first time the national team has played an opponent from outside the country.
1929 – The Yankees take the opening game of two from the visiting Cleveland Indians, winning 12 – 0. In the second game, after trailing 6 – 5 with two out in the top of the 9th, Cleveland scores an American League record-tying nine runs, to win 14 – 6.
1930:
At Philadelphia, Lefty Grove helps himself to his 17th win by belting a three-run homer in the 2nd. Al Simmons adds two triples and a two-run homer as the A’s beat Boston, 13 – 4.
At Detroit, Charlie Gehringer hits a homer to center field with the bases loaded in the 12th inning to give the Tigers a 7 – 3 win over Chicago. It is Gehringer’s fourth hit and second homer as he drives in six runs, and Gehringer’s second 12th-inning homer in a month: he hit one against Cleveland on July 4th.
1931:
The Reds finally score, but lose to the Cubs, 4 – 2, in the first of two. Guy Bush beats Larry Benton. Chicago takes the nitecap, 7 – 3, behind Les Sweetland as Jack Ogden is pinned with the loss. Rookie OF Vince Barton has five hits in the two games, including a pair of homers in the second game.
Pittsburgh’s Heinie Meine gives up three Cardinal runs in the 6th inning, halting a scoreless streak by Buc hurlers at 45 innings. The Pirates’ streak includes shutouts over New York and Cincy in four consecutive games. The Cards win today, 7 – 1.
1932 – Bill Dickey returns to the Yankees’ lineup after his month’s suspension with a grand slam and three singles, as New York beats Chicago, 15 – 3.
1934 – Phillies P Reggie Grabowski surrenders 11 hits in the 9th inning of the second game against the Giants for a modern National League record. Eleven runs score in the inning, as New York wins, 21 – 4.
1935 – Walter Johnson resigns as Cleveland manager and is replaced by Steve O’Neill.
1936 – The Cardinals regain first place, beating the Cubs, 6 – 1, and dropping them to second place.
1937 – Joe Medwick again ties the major-league record with four extra-base hits in a game. It is the third time he has performed the feat.
1939 – Mike Kreevich of the Chicago White Sox equals the major league record by grounding into four successive double plays against the Washington Senators.
1940:
In Boston, the two teams dedicate the game in memory of Willard Hershberger, then Frank McCormick drives in six runs to lead the Reds to a 12 – 9 win over the Bees after Bucky Walters loses the opener, his third straight defeat.
Jimmie Foxx, who started as a catcher in 1925, is behind the plate for the Red Sox to catch a 7 – 3 win for long-time teammate Lefty Grove. Foxx cracks his 24th home run to start the Sox on an eight-game skein in which they will hit 20 homers.
1941 – At Ebbets Field, Dodger backstop Mickey Owen becomes the first catcher to handle three foul pop-ups in one inning.
1942:
The Giants-Dodgers game ends in a 1 – 1 tie as Pee Wee Reese’s grand slam in the top of the 9th is wiped out. As was the case the day before, the game is called because of the government’s 9:14 curfew on lights. It is the last twilight game played at the Polo Grounds. The Dodgers have held the National League lead for 144 days. Their margin over the Cardinals is ten games. From now until the season’s end, Brooklyn will win 17, lose 18.
Braves pitcher Jim Tobin clubs his sixth homer of the year, tying the National League record for homers by a pitcher, but he loses to the Phils, 4 – 2.
1945:
Two remarkable debut pitching performances by Senators’ rookies make the 15 – 4 loss to Boston a most memorable contest. The game which features Tom McBride tying a major league record by driving in six runs with a bases-loaded double and triple during the Red Sox’s 12-run 4th inning, sees Joe Cleary, the last major leaguer born in Ireland to debut in the 20th century, give up seven runs on five hits and three walks in his only big league appearance to finish with a career ERA of 189.00. In mop-up work, World War II veteran Bert Shepard, with an amputated leg as a result of being wounded in combat, hurls 5 1/3 innings, giving up just one run on three hits, also in his only major league appearance.
At Pittsburgh, Pirate catcher Bill Salkeld is 5 for 5, including hitting for the cycle, and drives in all five runs, but his Bucs lose, 6 – 5, to Cardinals reliever Harry Brecheen. Salkeld hits his only triple of the year in the cycle, half his career total. His offensive effort offsets a curious defensive stat: he has no putouts or assists in the game.
1948:
In St. Louis, the Browns spot the Red Sox six runs in the 1st inning, then come back with seven of their own in the bottom of the frame. St. Louis scores two in the 9th off reliever Ellis Kinder to win, 9 – 8.
Ernie Harwell begins as an announcer for the Dodgers calling a 5 – 4 win over the Cubs. The Dodgers had to trade a player, Cliff Dapper, to the Atlanta Crackers to acquire Harwell. Brooklyn scores a pair in the 1st, one on a steal of home by Jackie Robinson.
1953 – Yankees hurler Vic Raschi sets the record for RBI by a pitcher with seven, as the Yanks roll over Detroit, 15 – 0. Raschi singles in two in the 2nd, doubles home three in the 3rd, and singles home the last two in the 8th. His teammates fill his locker with bats after the game. Raschi’s major league record will be surpassed by Tony Cloninger in 1966, but his 7 RBI remains the record high for American League pitchers.
1955 – Ernie Banks hits three homers at Wrigley Field against three Pirate pitchers, as the Cubs win, 11 – 10.
1957 – Washington defeats Detroit, 4 – 3, as the Senators’ Roy Sievers hits his 30th home run, his sixth homer in six games, to tie an American League record held by Ken Williams and Lou Gehrig.
1958 – Roberto Clemente beats Juan Pizarro once again; Clemente’s 9th-inning, 400-footer puts Pittsburgh ahead of first-place Milwaukee, 4 – 3. In so doing, he not only brings last year’s cellar dwellers to within six games of first place, but also foils his fellow Puerto Rican yet again. Red Thisted of the Milwaukee Sentinel reports: “The sleepy engagement dragged along in the later innings with neither team making a move until Clemente laid into a Pizarro pitch in the final frame and rode the ball over the left centerfield wire.”
1960 – Believing that Chicago’s Jim Brewer is throwing at him, Reds 2B Billy Martin throws his bat toward the mound. Then, he advances to retrieve it from Brewer, who has picked it up. The two exchange words and Martin launches a hard overhand right that fractures the orbital bone of Brewer’s right eye. Both benches empty and Martin continues swinging, decking Frank Thomas. Brewer requires surgery and will be out of action for a month. The Cubs win, 5 – 3, on Ernie Banks’ homer. Martin will be fined $500 for the punch and Brewer and the Cubs will sue the combative infielder on August 22nd for $1,000,000. Years later, when the courts award Brewer $100,000, Martin’s comment will be, “How can they ever collect it? I haven’t got that kind of money,”
1961:
At Candlestick Park, Warren Spahn wins his 299th game, 2 – 1, over the Giants. He gets a bit of help from Hank Aaron who leads off the 7th and 9th with homers off Mike McCormick. The Giants’ only score is an Orlando Cepeda homer in the 5th.
With a little help from George Altman, the Cubs’ Bob Anderson outpitches Sandy Koufax, and beats the Dodgers, 4 – 2. Altman hits two homers off Koufax, the first time anyone has done that off the Dodgers lefty.
1962:
After a doubleheader loss to the Mets, 9 – 1 and 3 – 2 in 13 innings at the Polo Grounds, Reds manager Fred Hutchinson stays in the dugout instead of joining his players in the clubhouse. He then calls the clubhouse and tells the players to be out of there in 15 minutes. They do. Hutch has tickets for Zero Mostel’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, but doesn’t use them.
Visalia’s William Dawson sets a California League record by striking out 21 Reno batters. Visalia wins, 7 – 4.
1963 – In his first at-bat in two months after breaking his left foot, Mickey Mantle slams a pinch-hit home run in the 9th inning to beat the Orioles, 11 – 10.
1964:
Fred Hutchinson returns to manage the Reds. They respond by sweeping a pair, 5 – 2 and 4 – 2, from the Braves.
A’s starter John O’Donoghue gives up his third homer to Mickey Mantle this year, but that’s all he allows, as Kansas City tops visiting New York, 5 – 1.
1966 – Pinch-hit home runs by Mets John Stephenson and Ron Swoboda make the difference in New York’s 8 – 6 defeat of the Giants at Shea Stadium.
1967 – John Fetzer, president of the major league television committee, announces a $50 million, three-year deal with NBC to televise the World Series, All-Star Game, and 28 weekly telecasts.
1968:
In pre-game ceremonies at Busch Stadium honoring him, Stan Musial is joined by his 1941 Cardinals teammates. A ten-foot bronze statue of Musial is unveiled at one of the Stadium entrances. The crowd of 47,445 then watch as Bob Gibson battles the Cubs for 12 innings before Chicago’s Lee Elia singles home the winning run in the 13th. The Cubs win, 6 – 5.
The Red Sox top the Angels, 5 – 1, on the strength of Ken Harrelson’s grand slam.
1969 – The Reds win another squeaker, this time 1 – 0 over the Mets at Crosley Field. Jim Maloney (5-2) allows two hits and beats Jerry Koosman.
1970 – In San Diego, the Reds stomp the Padres, 12 – 1.
1971:
Bob Gibson wins his 200th game, a 7 – 2 victory over the Giants at St. Louis.
Tom Walker of Dallas-Fort Worth (Texas League) pitches a 15-inning no-hit win over Albuquerque.
1972:
Luis Aparicio returns after a six-week layoff with a broken finger and drives in a run as the Red Sox win, 2 – 0 over Baltimore. Marty Pattin allows two hits in beating Pat Dobson.
The Angels beat the Royals, 4 – 3, in ten innings. Vada Pinson shows the way home with five hits and three RBIs.
Bobby Murcer’s grand slam in the 7th clinches the Yankees’ 9 – 4 win over the Brewers. Murcer also scores twice on walks.
1973:
John Briggs of the Brewers goes 6 for 6 in a 9 – 4 win over the Indians. Jim Colborn (14-7) is the winner.
In an outstanding relief performance, the Yankees’ Lindy McDaniel comes to the rescue of Fritz Peterson, who exits with a muscle pull in the 2nd inning, and allows just one run in 13 innings to earn a 3 – 2 victory over the Tigers. Horace Clarke’s home run is the game winner.
1975 – At Fenway Park, 35,866 are on hand to watch the Orioles topple the Red Sox, 12 – 8. Despite the offense, Boston’s Denny Doyle has his 22-game hitting streak stopped.
1978 – Baltimore and Mike Flanagan hand Ron Guidry his second loss of the year, stopping the Yankees, 2 – 1.
1979:
During a 6 – 2 loss to the Astros, Braves knuckleballer Phil Niekro sets modern major league records with four wild pitches in one inning (the 5th) and six in one game.
At the Kingdome, the Mariners’ Ruppert Jones hits a foul ball that sticks in the speaker above the first base dugout. But the Athletics amass 11 fair hits to beat the Mariners, 5 – 3. Dwayne Murphy is 3 for 3 with a triple and a homer.
1980:
The Seattle Mariners fire manager Darrell Johnson and replace him with Maury Wills, who becomes the third African-American manager in major league history. Seattle has lost nine games in a row and 20 of 24 since the All-Star break.
The Reds score eight runs in the 7th en route to an 11 – 2 win over the San Diego Padres.
1982 – After driving in the winning run in a Mets 7 – 4 victory over the Cubs, Joel Youngblood is traded and later in the day flies to Philadelphia and singles for the Expos, becoming the first player to have a hit for two different teams in different cities on the same day.
1983 – While warming up before the 5th inning of the Yankees’ 3 – 1 win over the Blue Jays at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium, New York OF Dave Winfield accidentally kills a seagull with a thrown ball. After the game, Winfield is brought to the Ontario Provincial Police station on charges of cruelty to animals and is forced to post a $500 bond before being released. The charges will be dropped the following day.
1985:
In a day of milestones, Tom Seaver becomes the 17th pitcher to win 300 games and Rod Carew becomes the 16th player ever to collect 3,000 career hits. Seaver pitches the Chicago White Sox to a 4 – 1 six-hit victory at Yankee Stadium as 54,032 New Yorkers cheer him on. Carew hits a single to left off Frank Viola in the 3rd inning of the California Angels’ 6 – 5 win over the Minnesota Twins at Anaheim Stadium.
At Chicago, Dwight Gooden wins his club-record 11th straight game as the New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs, 4 – 1. Gooden triggers a three-run 3rd inning with a double.
1986 – White Sox pitcher Jose DeLeon (2-0) beats Boston’s Roger Clemens (17-4) for the second time in five days, 1 – 0 at Fenway Park. DeLeon and the White Sox also won 7 – 2 on July 30th.
1988 – Seattle’s John Rabb is suspended indefinitely for “failing to comply with the major league drug testing program.”
1989 – Dave Stieb retires the first 26 batters he faces before giving up two hits in a 2 – 1 win over the Yankees. The previous September, the Toronto Blue Jays’ hard-luck hurler lost back-to-back no-hit bids with two outs in the 9th inning.
1992 – At an auction, actor Charlie Sheen pays $93,500 for the “Mookie Ball” which went through Bill Buckner’s legs, capping the miraculous Mets comeback in Game 6 of the Fall Classic in 1986. Arthur Richman, the team’s traveling secretary, who was given the ball that night by right field umpire Ed Montague, gives all the proceeds of the sale to charity.
1993:
OF Tony Gwynn of the Padres gets six hits in San Diego’s 11 – 10 win over the Giants. It is the fourth time this season he has five or more hits in a game, tying a major league record set by Willie Keeler in 1897, and equaled by Ty Cobb and Stan Musial.
White Sox 3B Robin Ventura charges Nolan Ryan after a pitch hits him in the 3rd inning. Ryan gets Ventura in a headlock and throws six punches. Ventura is suspended two games for his actions, while Ryan is not disciplined.
1994 – Seattle defeats California, 4 – 2, as Rich Gossage notches the win in relief. It is Gossage’s 1,000th major league appearance on the mound, making him the third pitcher to ever reach that milestone. Only Hoyt Wilhelm (1,070) and Kent Tekulve (1,050) have gotten into more games as pitchers.
1996:
The Braves end their 17-game 20-day road trip, with a 6 – 4 win over the Dodgers. The extended road stay is caused by the Atlanta-based Olympics.
Jim Bunning, Earl Weaver, Bill Foster, and Ned Hanlon are inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame.
1997:
At Anaheim, Jose Valentin, Dave Nilsson, and Jeromy Burnitz homer in the 4th inning, all off Ken Hill, as Milwaukee beats Anaheim, 5 – 2, for its tenth victory in 12 games. The loss drops Anaheim into a tie for first place in the AL West with the idle Seattle Mariners.
Manny Ramirez homers and drives in four runs, and Jim Thome hits his 30th homer as the Indians beat Detroit, 7 – 2. Charles Nagy improves to 12-4 lifetime against the Tigers, his most wins against any club. Thome is the first Cleveland lefthanded hitter to hit 30 homers in successive seasons since Hal Trosky in 1936-1937. Scott Sanders (3-9), making his fourth start since being traded to Detroit from Seattle, is the loser. He has lost all three of his decisions in a Tigers uniform.
Kevin Tapani finally makes his Cubs debut, limiting Atlanta to five hits over seven plus innings, as the Cubs win, 3 – 1. Tapani (1-0) signed to a three-year, $11-million deal with the Cubs after winning 13 games for the White Sox last season, had surgery April 4th to remove scar tissue in his right index finger.
At Shea Stadium, the Mets top the Cards, 4 – 2, in a rain-interupted game. Rick Reed (10-4) wins his sixth straight, beating Manny Aybar, making his major league debut. Lance Johnson has a pair of RBI triples. Completing an unusual major league-minor league sweep, the Pittsfield Mets top the New Jersey Cardinals (NY-Penn League), 8 – 4, in the earlier nine-inning game.
The Twins beat the Blue Jays, 9 – 3, as Brad Radke ties a team record with his 12th straight win. Greg Colbrunn’s pinch-hit grand slam off Chris Carpenter is the big blow. Radke is only the third pitcher since 1950 to win 12 consecutive starts. Bob Gibson of St. Louis did it in 1968 and Pat Dobson did it with Baltimore in 1971.
1998:
Darryl Strawberry’s pinch-hit grand slam is the big blow in the Yankees’ nine-run 9th inning to come from behind to defeat the A’s, 10 – 5 in the second game of a doubleheader. It is Strawberry’s second pinch-hit slam of the season, setting a new American League record. It also matches the National League mark held by his former manager Davey Johnson and Mike Ivie, both set in 1978. New York also wins the first game of the twinbill, 10 – 4.
The Orioles’ Mike Mussina carries a no-hitter into the 8th before allowing a double to Frank Catalanotto. Broadcasting the game is the long-time voice of the Detroit Tigers, Ernie Harwell. Ernie is celebrating his golden anniversary, starting as an announcer for the Brooklyn Dodgers on this date in 1948.
Pittsburgh 1B Kevin Young goes 4 for 4, with four runs scored and four RBIs, to lead the Pirates to a 13 – 5 mauling of the Rockies. Three of Young’s hits are doubles.
1999:
The Mariners send veteran Butch Huskey to the Boston Red Sox for AAA pitcher Robert Ramsay.
Prior to a game with the Royals, with his team in the midst of a slump, Angels’ batting coach Rod Carew suggests the club use a single bat through the starting lineup as a way of loosening up the players. When leadoff hitter Orlando Palmeiro strikes out in bottom half of the 1st inning, he drops the bat for the next hitter to use. Umpire Tim Tschida sees this as an act of defiance and ejects Palmeiro from the game. Anaheim manager Terry Collins eventually convinces Tschida that Palmeiro wasn’t trying to show him up, and the umpire changes his decision and allows him to stay in the game. The Angels go on to defeat the Royals, 4 – 3.
2000:
The Blue Jays obtain OF Dave Martinez from the Rangers for a player to be named later. Martinez becomes the ninth major leaguer to play for four teams in a season. The last to do so was Dave Kingman, in 1977: before him, the four-in-one players were Frank Huelsman, 1904; Willis Hudlin, 1940; Paul Lehner, 1951; Ted Gray, 1955; Wes Covington, 1961; and Mike Kilkenny, 1972.
With 32 home games remaining, the Astros, who moved from the pitcher-friendly Astrodome to homer-haven Enron Field this season, set a franchise record by hitting 83 homers at home for the year.
The Padres obtain SS Desi Relaford from the Phillies in exchange for a player to be named.
2001:
In a 4 – 2 Mets win at Arizona, Mark Grace ends the game with a ground ball single, which hits pinch runner David Dellucci for the last out as Dellucci is charged with interference. It’s the D-backs seventh loss in nine games.
Braves’ 1B Wes Helms drives home a career-high seven runs with a triple and a pair of home runs as Atlanta defeats Milwaukee, 14 – 2. Helms had been hitless in his previous 18 at bats coming in to the game.
2002:
The Athletics defeat Detroit, 4 – 0, as Cory Lidle, Ricardo Rincon, Chad Bradford, and Billy Koch combine on the one-hit shutout. Tiger OF Wendell Magee’s single is the only Detroit safety.
The Braves edge the Cardinals, 2 – 1, as Damian Moss and John Smoltz combine on a one-hitter. Mike Matheny’s single is the only St. Louis hit.
Cincinnati defeats San Diego, 15 – 10, as LF Russell Branyan slugs three home runs and drives home five runs for the Reds.
2003 – Major League Baseball announces a five-year deal, which will generate more than $500 million in revenue, for global licensing rights for apparel and headgear. The seven companies involved in the deal include Majestic Athletic, New Era Cap, Twins Enterprises, Nike USA, Dynasty Apparel Industries, Drew Pearson International and VF Imagewear.
2004 – Continuing a tradition over a half a century old, the Cardinals announce their new ballpark scheduled to open in 2006, will also be known as Busch Stadium. In 1953, a month after Anheuser-Busch purchased the Cardinals, the brewery bought Sportsman’s Park renaming it Busch Stadium and then kept the name in its new downtown stadium which opened in 1966, calling the facility Busch Memorial Stadium.
2005 – After the team goes into a free fall from first place, the Orioles fire manager Lee Mazzilli (129-140) and replace him with bench coach Sam Perlozzo on an interim basis. Currently suffering an eight-game losing streak, the Birds have dropped 16 of their last 18 games.
2007:
In the 2nd inning of a 3 – 2 loss to the Padres, Barry Bonds hits his 755th career home run to tie Hank Aaron for the all-time record. Bonds’s blast comes off Clay Hensley, who had been suspended for steroid use in 2005.
At the age of 32 years, one month Alex Rodriguez becomes the youngest player to hit 500 home runs, ten months younger than Jimmie Foxx in 1940. Rodriguez hits a 1st-inning shot off the Royals’ Kyle Davies and the Yanks go on to a 16 – 8 win.
2008 – The Chunichi Dragons beat the Yomiuri Giants, 5 – 1. Going the distance is Masahiro Yamamoto, a week shy of his 43rd birthday. Yamamoto wins his 200th game in Nippon Pro Baseball, the 24th pitcher to do so. He joins the meikyukai. Yamamoto surpasses Kimiyasu Kudoh as the oldest hurler to 200 victories.
2009:
Yusmeiro Petit takes a no-hitter into the 8th inning, before combining with Leonel Rosales on a one-hitter for a 6 – 0 Diamondbacks win over Pittsburgh. The win snaps a personal seven-game losing streak for Petit and is the longest outing of his career so far.
Albert Pujols ends a brief slump with two home runs, including a 10th-inning grand slam, as the Cardinals beat the Mets, 12 – 7. The extra-inning blast comes after Mark DeRosa is plunked by Sean Green with the bases loaded to drive in the go-ahead run; it ties Ernie Banks’s National League record of five slams in a season, set in 1955, and is his League-leading 36th homer of the year.
2010:
On the third anniversary of his 500th home run, Alex Rodriguez hits the 600th homer of his career off Toronto’s Shaun Marcum, becoming the youngest player – and only the seventh all time – to reach the milestone. The Yankees win, 5 – 1, and with Tampa Bay’s 2 – 1 loss to Minnesota, regain a share of first place in the AL East.
Vicente Padilla throws a two-hit shutout as the Dodgers beat the Padres, 9 – 0. Padilla uses mainly slow breaking balls, including his version of the eephus pitch, to mystify San Diego’s batters, keeping them hitless until one out in the 7th. But it’s not all good news for the Dodgers: before the game, C Russell Martin is placed on the disabled list because of a torn muscle in his right hip and will be out for the remainder of the year.
Cuba’s Dalier Hinojosa throws a seven-inning perfect game, fanning 16 of 21 batters in a 14 – 0 win over Sri Lanka at the 2010 World University Championship.
The Phillies acquire veteran 1B Mike Sweeney from the Mariners, one day after placing Ryan Howard on the disabled list.
2011:
The Cubs complete a four-game sweep of the Pirates with a 7 – 6 win in Pittsburgh, as Carlos Pena, Geovany Soto and Blake DeWitt homer to send the Bucs to their seventh straight defeat. Pirates starter James McDonald gives up four runs in seven innings and drives in three himself, exiting the game with a 6 – 4 lead, but the Cubs rally for three runs in the 8th off four relievers, three of whom fail to record an out.
Cliff Lee pitches his fifth shutout of the year in a 3 – 0 Phillies defeat of San Francisco that may well be a preview of the postseason. The Phillies have now won seven in a row and have pulled to an 8 1/2 game lead in the NL East.
2013 – The Braves win their tenth straight, 4 – 1 over Philadelphia behind rookie Alex Wood, to extend their lead in the NL East to 12 1/2 games. It is the Braves’ second ten-game winning streak this season.
2015:
With the Tigers having a very disappointing season, owner Mike Ilitch fires General Manager Dave Dombrowski after 14 seasons, replacing him with Al Avila, the father of catcher Alex Avila.
The Salón de la Fama del Béisbol Venezolano announces its first class in almost two years and it is a large one to make up for the time lag. It includes major league infielder Ossie Blanco, Leonel Carrión (a star for the Águilas del Zulia and in the minor leagues, who only made the majors as a coach), journalist Carlos “Carlitos” González, major league infielder Remy Hermoso, executive Antonio Herrera Gutiérrez, 1930s pitcher Balbino Inojosa, 1960s pitcher Julián Ladera, executive Luis Rodolfo Machado, executive Pablo Morales, Venezuelan League founders Carlos Lavaud, Juan Reggeti and Martín Tovar Lange and the 1959 Venezuelan Pan American Games Team (which was the only Venezuelan national team to win a Pan American Games Gold).
2019 – The Puerto Rican national team wins its first baseball Gold ever in the Pan American Games. In the finale of the 2019 Pan American Games, they beat two-time defending champion Canada, 6 – 1, behind the strong pitching of Giovanni Soto and five relievers while employing a balanced offense; Kevin Luciano scores twice and Edwin Gómez drives in two. In the Bronze Medal Game, Nicaragua blanks Colombia, 6 – 0, behind the pitching of Jorge Bucardo, Wilton López and Wilber Bucardo while Norlando Valle goes 4 for 4. It is the first time neither Team USA nor Cuba gets a medal in baseball; in the past, both were frequent medalists.
2020 – After sitting down for a week following a COVID-19 outbreak among their players, the Marlins return to the field and shut out the Orioles, 4 – 0. It is even more remarkable as they have had to replace 18 of the players on their 30-man roster, digging deep into their reserves, and picking up a number of others off waivers.
2021:
Japan moves into the Gold Medal Game at the Tokyo Olympics (the baseball portion being held in Yokohama rather than Tokyo, though). Yoshinobu Yamamoto and three relievers combine to fan 15 South Korean batters. Tetsuto Yamada breaks a 2 – 2 tie in the bottom of the 8th with a three-run double off the left field wall; it is his second big hit against South Korea in recent years, following his homer in the 2019 Premier 12 finale.
Team USA keeps its hopes of Gold alive by beating the Dominican Republic, 3 – 1, sending the Dominicans to the Bronze Medal Game (to face the loser of tomorrow’s US-South Korea game, the winner going to the Gold Medal Game against Japan). Triston Casas hits a two-run homer in the 1st, his third of the Games, while Tyler Austin also goes deep to back strong pitching from Scott Kazmir, who throws five shutout innings for the win. Charlie Valerio takes David Robertson deep with two outs in the 9th for the only Dominican tally.
2022 – The Angels tie a record by hitting seven homers but still losing the game, 8 – 7 to the A’s, also setting a record for most runs scored in a game, all on solo homers. Shohei Ohtani hits a pair, followed by Kurt Suzuki, Taylor Ward, Jo Adell, Jared Walsh and Mickey Moniak. However, Oakland scores six times in the 3rd and adds a two-run blast by Ramon Laureano in the 4th to negate the Angels’ long balls.
2024 – With a 13 – 7 loss to the Twins, the White Sox’s losing streak reaches historic proportion at 20 games. It is a new franchise record and tied for third all-time, trailing only the 21 losses by the 1988 Baltimore Orioles to start that season, and the 23 consecutive losses by the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies. In today’s game, Chris Flexen allows eight runs in less than two innings, and the Twins never look back. The streak will reach 21 losses before the Sox snap it with a 5 – 1 win over Oakland on August 6th.
Births[edit]
1840 – George Rogers, umpire (d. 1918)
1845 – Phonney Martin, outfielder (d. 1933)
1853 – Pacer Smith, minor league pitcher (d. 1895)
1858 – A.J. Quinn, umpire (d. 1923)
1864 – Joe Stabell, outfielder (d. 1923)
1867 – Jake Beckley, infielder; Hall of Famer (d. 1918)
1869 – Mike Gaule, outfielder (d. 1918)
1874 – Alfred Smythe, minor league pitcher
1875 – Henry Clarke, pitcher (d. 1950)
1875 – Ray Nelson, infielder (d. 1961)
1878 – Harry Hinchman, infielder (d. 1933)
1879 – Paddy O’Connor, catcher (d. 1950)
1883 – Lew Moren, pitcher (d. 1966)
1885 – Tex Jones, infielder (d. 1938)
1886 – Bill Guthrie, umpire (d. 1950)
1890 – Dolf Luque, pitcher (d. 1957)
1891 – Jim Haislip, pitcher (d. 1970)
1894 – Jim Grant, pitcher (d. 1985)
1895 – Sid Benton, pitcher (d. 1977)
1895 – Sylvester Foreman, catcher (d. 1940)
1896 – Chick Galloway, infielder (d. 1969)
1896 – Cliff Lee, outfielder (d. 1980)
1899 – Ski Melillo, infielder, manager (d. 1963)
1901 – Pat Wright, minor league infielder (d. ????)
1902 – Homer Blankenship, pitcher (d. 1974)
1902 – Bill Hallahan, pitcher; All-Star (d. 1981)
1902 – Al Moore, outfielder (d. 1974)
1902 – Joe Strong, pitcher (d. 1986)
1902 – Babe Thomas, minor league infielder and manager (d. 1991)
1903 – Gaston Lewis, pitcher (d. 1989)
1907 – George Caster, pitcher (d. 1955)
1911 – Tuck Stainback, outfielder (d. 1992)
1912 – Henry Coppola, pitcher (d. 1990)
1912 – Allen McElreath, minor league outfielder (d. 1996)
1912 – Bill Schuster, infielder (d. 1987)
1915 – Luke Easter, infielder; All-Star (d. 1979)
1918 – Don Kolloway, infielder (d. 1994)
1918 – Frank McElyea, outfielder (d. 1987)
1919 – Ted Keck, college coach (d. 2010)
1919 – Joe Spencer, infielder (d. 2003)
1920 – Bob Keegan, pitcher; All-Star (d. 2001)
1921 – Maurice Richard, minor league infielder (d. 2000)
1921 – Harold Younker, trainer (d. 2016)
1923 – Alfonso Sarmiento, Salvadoran national team pitcher
1923 – Joe Simenic, researcher (d. 2015)
1929 – Joe Pignatano, catcher (d. 2022)
1930 – Gabe Gabler, pinch hitter (d. 2014)
1932 – Jim Coates, pitcher; All-Star (d. 2019)
1932 – Vince Costello, minor league infielder (d. 2019)
1934 – Charles Brockell, college coach (d. 2013)
1934 – Dallas Green, pitcher, manager (d. 2017)
1936 – Antonio Detrell, Division Honor player
1937 – Frank Kostro, infielder
1937 – Ray Oyler, infielder (d. 1981)
1938 – Tom Kelly, college coach
1939 – Dennis Higgins, pitcher (d. 2023)
1939 – Bob Meyer, pitcher
1941 – Domingo Rivera, minor league infielder and manager
1942 – Angel Bravo, outfielder
1942 – Yasuhide Iwamoto, NPB pitcher
1942 – Kikuo Sugimoto, NPB pitcher
1943 – Yutaka Kamata, NPB outfielder
1944 – Joe DiFabio, minor league pitcher (d. 2014)
1944 – Rich Nye, pitcher
1945 – Mike Davison, pitcher (d. 2013)
1945 – Akira Yano, NPB pitcher
1946 – Sal Artiaga, minor league executive (d. 2019)
1946 – Kevin Collins, infielder (d. 2016)
1947 – Ken Poulsen, infielder (d. 2017)
1948 – Johnny Grubb, outfielder; All-Star
1949 – Jack Donovan, minor league pitcher
1949 – Terry Humphrey, catcher
1949 – Yutaro Imai, NPB pitcher
1949 – Tadanori Murakami, Japanese national team catcher and manager
1950 – Shaun Howitt, minor league outfielder
1951 – Joe McIntosh, pitcher
1953 – Kazuo Onishi, NPB pitcher
1956 – Johnny Rodriguez, minor league manager
1957 – Ben Hayes, pitcher
1957 – Dave Stockstill, minor league outfielder and manager
1957 – Chia-Cheng Wu, Chinese Taipei national team outfielder
1959 – Mark Linger, Australian national team infielder
1960 – Steve Davis, pitcher (d. 2021)
1960 – Yonetoshi Kawamata, NPB outfielder
1960 – Rick Rembielak, college coach
1961 – Barack Obama, President
1961 – Mark Wasinger, infielder
1962 – Roger Clemens, pitcher; All-Star
1962 – John Farrell, pitcher
1964 – Ruben Rodriguez, catcher
1964 – B.J. Surhoff, outfielder; All-Star
1965 – Jeong-uk Heo, KBO pitcher
1965 – Domingo Martinez, infielder
1965 – Matt Merullo, catcher
1965 – Scott Sellner, minor league infielder
1966 – Jeff Johnson, pitcher
1967 – Steve Bieser, outfielder
1967 – Yu-Kuan Lin, Taiwan national team outfielder
1967 – Ira Smith, minor league outfielder and manager
1968 – Chris Hook, pitcher
1969 – Laurent Cazanobes, Division Elite pitcher
1969 – Domingo Mota, minor league infielder
1969 – Troy O’Leary, outfielder
1970 – Brent Hansen, minor league pitcher
1970 – Dax Jones, outfielder
1971 – Katsuhiro Kaneko, CPBL outfielder
1971 – Kenichi Takayama, NPB infielder
1972 – Steve Bourgeois, pitcher
1973 – Dennis Colon, minor league infielder
1973 – Bobby Howry, pitcher
1973 – Eric Weaver, pitcher
1974 – Scott Forbes, college coach
1974 – Ted Silva, minor league pitcher
1975 – Jose Lopez, minor league infielder
1975 – Eric Milton, pitcher; All-Star
1975 – Roy Padilla, minor league player
1975 – Kaipo Spenser, minor league pitcher
1976 – Kazuo Fukumori, pitcher
1976 – Scott Linebrink, pitcher
1977 – Paxton Crawford, pitcher
1978 – Luke Allen, outfielder (d. 2022)
1978 – Jon Knott, outfielder
1978 – Oswaldo Morejón, minor league infielder
1979 – Steve Rowell, drafted infielder
1981 – Federico Baez, minor league pitcher
1981 – Andy Dillard, minor league infielder
1982 – Nolan Cherniwchan, minor league manager
1982 – Giuseppe Norrito, minor league pitcher
1982 – Josh Roenicke, pitcher
1982 – Seiichi Uchikawa, NPB infielder-outfielder
1984 – Will Startup, minor league pitcher
1985 – Ryo Sakakibara, NPB pitcher
1986 – Alex Castellanos, outfielder
1986 – Andrés Meza, minor league pitcher
1986 – Phil Ortez, minor league outfielder
1987 – Hiram Burgos, pitcher
1987 – Mike Freeman, infielder
1987 – David Martinez, pitcher
1987 – Marty Popham, minor league player
1988 – Edilson Alvarez, minor league pitcher and manager
1989 – Mike Bazuin, Hoofdklasse infielder
1989 – Issei Morita, NPB infielder
1989 – Logan Thompson, minor league infielder
1989 – Tyler Thompson, drafted outfielder
1990 – Lukas Croton, Swiss national team pitcher
1990 – Chunhua Dong, Chinese national team catcher
1990 – Brian Ellington, pitcher
1990 – Shohei Takashima, NPB pitcher
1991 – Jason Adam, pitcher; All-Star
1991 – Corey Black, minor league pitcher
1991 – Domingo Tapia, pitcher
1992 – Domingo Germán, pitcher
1992 – Woo-chan Lee, KBO pitcher
1992 – Jordan Serena, minor league infielder
1993 – Ronnie Gajownik, minor league manager
1993 – Kevin Newman, infielder
1994 – Orlando Arcia, infielder; All-Star
1994 – Michael Green, minor league catcher and manager
1994 – Tatsuro Hamada, NPB pitcher
1994 – Brett Kennedy, pitcher
1994 – Michelle Martínez, Puerto Rican women’s national team outfielder
1996 – Brock Burke, pitcher
1996 – Stanley Javier, Dominican national team outfielder
1996 – Brady Singer, pitcher
1997 – Jahmai Jones, outfielder
1997 – Jesús Ortiz, minor league pitcher
1997 – Michael Soroka, pitcher; All-Star
1998 – Kenword Burton, Nicaraguan national team pitcher
1998 – William De Leon, Salvadoran national team player
1998 – Seiya Hosokawa, NPB outfielder
1998 – Kevin Yamamoto, Peruvian national team pitcher
1999 – Tokumasa Chano, NPB outfielder
1999 – Harper Sy, Philippines national team infielder
1999 – Matt Turner (minors01), minor league pitcher
2000 – Zach Cole, outfielder
2000 – Alex Ogg, Hungarian national team pitcher
2000 – Long Vue, Sri Lankan national team infielder
2001 – Jonah Cox, outfielder
2001 – Reon Murata, NPB infielder
2003 – Henry Bolte, outfielder
2005 – Yugo Maeda, NPB pitcher
2005 – Tong-keon Yeo, KBO infielder
2006 – Douglas Ramírez, Salvadoran national team pitcher
Deaths[edit]
1879 – Charlie Bierman, infielder (b. 1845)
1897 – John Gilroy, pitcher (b. 1875)
1901 – Fred Jevne, umpire (b. 1864)
1920 – Frank Fennelly, infielder (b. 1860)
1924 – George Nicol, outfielder (b. 1870)
1929 – Forrest A. (“Wing”) Maddox, Negro League pitcher/outfielder (b. 1897)
1930 – John Gunshannon, minor league outfielder (b. 1868)
1930 – Sam Jackson, infielder (b. 1849)
1939 – Hub Dawson, minor league catcher (b. 1880)
1940 – George Dixon, catcher (b. 1896)
1944 – Camp Skinner, outfielder (b. 1897)
1950 – John Burke, pitcher/outfielder (b. 1877)
1950 – Harry Coveleski, pitcher (b. 1886)
1951 – Tony Tonneman, catcher (b. 1881)
1955 – Mike Balenti, infielder (b. 1886)
1955 – Mule Shirley, infielder (b. 1901)
1958 – Bob Gamble, pitcher (b. 1866)
1959 – Chappy Charles, infielder (b. 1881)
1959 – Pop Williams, pitcher (b. 1874)
1961 – Chuck Rose, pitcher (b. 1885)
1963 – Bob Fisher, infielder (b. 1886)
1964 – Jerry Standaert, infielder (b. 1901)
1966 – Pug Cavet, pitcher (b. 1889)
1971 – Frank Lamanske, pitcher (b. 1906)
1972 – George Batten, infielder (b. 1891)
1980 – Lefty Jamerson, pitcher (b. 1900)
1983 – Ed Wheeler, infielder (b. 1915)
1984 – Paul Stanley, negro league outfielder (b. 1913)
1986 – Stanley Cayasso, Nicaraguan national team player (b. 1906)
1989 – Wayne LaMaster, pitcher (b. 1907)
1993 – Bob Maier, infielder (b. 1915)
1994 – Ponciano Lombillo, Nicaraguan national team manager (b. 1911)
1995 – Dick Bartell, infielder; All-Star (b. 1907)
1995 – Kanenori Shimakata, NPB infielder (b. 1918)
1996 – Willard Brown, outfielder, All-Star; Hall of Fame (b. 1915)
1999 – Leo Sanders, infielder (b. 1914)
2002 – Mike Payne, pitcher (b. 1961)
2006 – Elden Auker, pitcher (b. 1910)
2007 – Mark Howie, minor league infielder (b. 1962)
2007 – Frank Mancuso, catcher (b. 1918)
2009 – Elvin Stabelfeld, minor league pitcher (b. 1926)
2013 – Mike Coppola, minor league outfielder (b. 1932)
2014 – Carlos Dore, minor league outfielder (b. 1932)
2016 – Rob Ramsay, pitcher (b. 1973)
2018 – Joe Borowy, minor league pitcher (b. 1947)
2018 – Myron White, outfielder (b. 1957)
2019 – Ernie Bowman, infielder (b. 1935)
2021 – J.R. Richard, pitcher; All-Star (b. 1950)
2024 – Motoji Takuwa, NPB pitcher (b. 1935)
############################################
TV SPORTS TODAY
(All times Eastern)
Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts
Tuesday, August 4
LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL
10 a.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 9, Greenville, N.C.
1 p.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 10, Greenville, N.C.
4 p.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 11, Greenville, N.C.
7 p.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 12, Greenville, N.C.
MLB BASEBALL
8 p.m.
TBS — L.A. Dodgers at Chicago Cubs (8:05 p.m.)
TRUTV — L.A. Dodgers at Chicago Cubs (8:05 p.m.)
_____
Wednesday, August 5
LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL
10 a.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 13, Greenville, N.C.
1 p.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 14, Greenville, N.C.
7 p.m.
ESPN2 — Athletes Unlimited Softball Little League Pro Game: Team Watley vs. Team Fernandez, Greenville, N.C.
MLB BASEBALL
7:05 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — St. Louis at N.Y. Yankees
7:30 p.m.
ESPN — TBA
WNBA BASKETBALL
7 p.m.
USA — Seattle at New York
9 p.m.
CNBC — Los Angeles at Chicago
PEACOCK — Los Angeles at Chicago
_____
Thursday, August 6
GOLF
9 a.m.
GOLF — Ladies Euro Tour: PIF London Championship, First Round, Centurion Club, Saint Alban, England
11 a.m.
GOLF — 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur: Round of 64, The Honors Course, Ooltewah, Tenn.
3 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: Wyndham Championship, First Round, Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, N.C.
GYMNASTICS
10 p.m.
NBCSN — USGA: 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Phoenix
LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL
1 p.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 15, Greenville, N.C.
5 p.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 16, Greenville, N.C.
MLB BASEBALL
7:30 p.m.
ESPN — TBA
NFL FOOTBALL
8 p.m.
NBC — Preseason: Carolina vs. Arizona, Hall of Fame Game, Canton, Ohio
WNBA BASKETBALL
7 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — Las Vegas at Indiana
9 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — Los Angeles at Minnesota
_____
Friday, August 7
AUTO RACING
4:30 p.m.
FS2 — Indy NXT Series: Practice, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
5:30 p.m.
FS1 — NTT IndyCar Series: Practice, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
GOLF
9 a.m.
GOLF — Ladies Euro Tour: PIF London Championship, Second Round, Centurion Club, Saint Alban, England
2 p.m.
FOX — LIV Golf League: Second Round, Trump National Golf & Country Club Bedminster, Bedminster, N.J.
3 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: Wyndham Championship, Second Round, Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, N.C.
7 p.m.
GOLF — 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur: Round of 32 and 16, The Honors Course, Ooltewah, Tenn. (taped)
GYMNASTICS
10 p.m.
NBCSN — USGA: 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Phoenix
LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL
3 p.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 17, Greenville, N.C.
6 p.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 18, Greenville, N.C.
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
10 p.m.
ESPN — PFL: Main Card: Charlotte, N.C.
MLB BASEBALL
8:05 p.m.
APPLE TV — Baltimore at Texas
9:40 p.m.
APPLE TV — Tampa Bay at Seattle
WNBA BASKETBALL
7:30 p.m.
ION — TBA
9:30 p.m.
ION — Golden State at Dallas
_____
Saturday, August 8
AUTO RACING
Noon
FS1 — Indy NXT Series: Practice, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
1 p.m.
FS1 — NTT IndyCar Series: Practice, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
3 p.m.
FS1 — Indy NXT Series: Qualifying, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
5 p.m.
CW — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race at Iowa, Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa
7 p.m.
FS1 — NTT IndyCar Series: Qualifying, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
BOXING
10 p.m.
ESPN — MVPW-05: Main Card, Orlando, Fla.
GOLF
Noon
FOX — LIV Golf League: Third Round, Trump National Golf & Country Club Bedminster, Bedminster, N.J.
1 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: Wyndham Championship, Third Round, Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, N.C.
3 p.m.
CBS — PGA Tour: Wyndham Championship, Third Round, Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, N.C.
GOLF — 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur: Quarterfinals and Semifinals, The Honors Course, Ooltewah, Tenn.
GYMNASTICS
2:30 p.m.
NBCSN — USGA: 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Phoenix
4 p.m.
NBC — USGA: 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Phoenix
HORSE RACING
5 p.m.
FOX — Whitney Stakes: From Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
LACROSSE (MEN’S)
1 p.m.
ABC — PLL: Denver vs. New York, Boston
LACROSSE (WOMEN’S)
5:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — WLL: California at Boston
LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL
3 p.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 19, Greenville, N.C.
6 p.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 20, Greenville, N.C.
MLB BASEBALL
4 p.m.
FS1 — Athletics at Boston (4:10 p.m.)
7 p.m.
FOX — Regional Coverage: Baltimore at Texas (7:15 p.m.), Cleveland at Chicago White Sox (7:15 p.m.) OR Detroit at San Francisco (7:15 p.m.)
NFL FOOTBALL
Noon
ESPN — 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony: From Canton, Ohio
NFLN — 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony: From Canton, Ohio
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
4 p.m.
ION — NWSL: Utah at Denver
6:30 p.m.
ION — NWSL: North Carolina at Washington
8:45 p.m.
ION — NWSL: Kansas City at Houston
SOFTBALL
7 p.m.
ESPNU — Athletes Unlimited All-Star Cup: TBD, Rosemont, Ill.
WNBA BASKETBALL
1 p.m.
CBS — Las Vegas at Minnesota
3:30 p.m.
ABC — Indiana at Chicago
8:30 p.m.
NBATV — Seattle at Portland
_____
Sunday, August 9
AUTO RACING
1 p.m.
FS1 — NTT IndyCar Series: Warmup, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
2 p.m.
FS1 — Indy NXT Series: Grand Prix of Portland, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
3:30 p.m.
USA — NASCAR Cup Series: Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol, Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa
4 p.m.
FOX — NTT IndyCar Series: OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
BIG3 BASKETBALL
1 p.m.
CBS — Week 8: Dallas Power vs. Chicago Triplets, Boston Ball Hogs vs. Detroit Amps, Boston
GOLF
9 a.m.
GOLF — Ladies Euro Tour: PIF London Championship, Final Round, Centurion Club, Saint Alban, England
11 a.m.
FOX — LIV Golf League: Final Round, Trump National Golf & Country Club Bedminster, Bedminster, N.J.
1 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: Wyndham Championship, Final Round, Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, N.C.
3 p.m.
CBS — PGA Tour: Wyndham Championship, Final Round, Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, N.C.
GOLF — 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur: Championship Final Match, The Honors Course, Ooltewah, Tenn.
GYMNASTICS
1:30 p.m.
NBC — USGA: 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Phoenix
4 p.m.
NBCSN — USGA: 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Phoenix
6 p.m.
NBC — USGA: 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Phoenix
LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
2 p.m.
ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Regional
4 p.m.
ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Regional
LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL
Noon
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 21, Greenville, N.C.
3 p.m.
ABC — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 21, Greenville, N.C.
MLB BASEBALL
Noon
NBCSN — Cincinnati at Washington (12:15 p.m.)
PEACOCK — Cincinnati at Washington (12:15 p.m.)
8 p.m.
NBC — Houston at San Diego (8:20 p.m.)
PEACOCK — Houston at San Diego (8:20 p.m.)
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
4 p.m.
CBSSN — NWSL: Portland at Boston
9 p.m.
ESPN — NWSL: Angel City at Seattle
WNBA BASKETBALL
12:30 p.m.
ABC — Las Vegas at New York
3:30 p.m.
NBC — Dallas at Minnesota
PEACOCK — Dallas at Minnesota
7 p.m.
ESPN — Golden State at Los Angeles
About The Author
