“THE SCOREBOARD”
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
BRAVES 1, DODGERS 0
NATIONALS 7, ROCKIES 1
ASTROS 5, YANKEES 1
BREWERS 8, METS 2
GIANTS 6, DIAMONDBACKS 1
CARDINALS 7, ORIOLES 5
ROYALS 13, BLUE JAYS 2
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MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
INDIANAPOLIS 6 COLUMBUS 5
DAYTON 9 FT. WAYNE 3
WISCONSIN 9 SOUTH BEND 0
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WNBA SCOREBOARD
VALKYRIES 79 LIBERTY 60
MYSTICS 80 MERCURY 73
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MLS SCOREBOARD
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 2
ANDERSON (0-1) AT INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON (1-0)
ANDREAN (0-1) AT FORT WAYNE LUERS (0-1)
ATTICA (0-1) AT TRI-COUNTY (0-1)
BATESVILLE (1-0) AT MILAN (1-0)
BEN DAVIS (1-0) AT AVON (1-0)
BLOOMINGTON NORTH (0-1) AT BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (1-0)
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (1-0) AT MARTINSVILLE (0-1)
BLUFFTON (1-0) AT CHURUBUSCO (0-1)
BOONE GROVE (0-1) AT SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) (0-1)
BOONVILLE (1-0) AT MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) (0-1)
BOWMAN ACADEMY (0-0) AT HAMMOND NOLL (0-1)
BREBEUF JESUIT (0-1) AT MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) (1-0)
BUCHANAN (MICH.) AT PRAIRIE HEIGHTS (0-1)
CALUMET (0-1) AT RIVER FOREST (0-0)
CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN (0-1) AT UNION COUNTY (0-1)
CARMEL (1-0) AT WESTFIELD (1-0)
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (1-0) AT CENTER GROVE (0-1)
CASTLE (1-0) AT EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (1-0)
CHARLESTOWN (1-0) AT BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (1-0)
CHESTERTON (0-1) AT HAMMOND MORTON (1-0)
CLARKSVILLE (1-0) AT EASTERN (PEKIN) (0-1)
CLOVERDALE (1-0) AT NORTH PUTNAM (0-1)
COLUMBIA CITY (1-0) AT NORTHRIDGE (1-0)
COLUMBUS EAST (0-1) AT COLUMBUS NORTH (1-0)
CONCORD (0-1) AT JIMTOWN (1-0)
CONNERSVILLE (1-0) AT FRANKLIN COUNTY (1-0)
CORYDON CENTRAL (0-1) AT PAOLI (0-1)
COVINGTON (1-0) AT PURDUE ENGLEWOOD (0-1)
CRAWFORD COUNTY (0-1) VS. BROWN COUNTY (0-1)
DANVILLE (1-0) AT CASCADE (1-0)
DECATUR CENTRAL (0-1) AT FORT WAYNE WAYNE (0-1)
DEKALB (1-0) AT ANGOLA (1-0)
DELPHI (1-0) AT TWIN LAKES (1-0)
EAST CENTRAL (1-0) AT NEW PALESTINE (1-0)
EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (0-0) AT GARY WEST (0-0)
EAST NOBLE (1-0) AT FORT WAYNE SNIDER (0-1)
EASTERN GREENE (1-0) AT NORTH KNOX (0-1)
EASTERN HANCOCK (1-0) AT NORTH DECATUR (1-0)
EASTSIDE (1-0) AT ADAMS CENTRAL (1-0)
EATON (OHIO) AT RICHMOND (0-1)
EDGEWOOD (1-0) AT BEECH GROVE (1-0)
EDINBURGH (1-0) AT CHRISTEL HOUSE (0-0)
ELWOOD (0-1) AT TRI-CENTRAL (0-1)
EVANSVILLE CENTRAL (0-1) AT EVANSVILLE BOSSE (0-1)
EVANSVILLE HARRISON (0-1) AT JASPER (0-1)
EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (1-0) AT EVANSVILLE NORTH (0-1)
FAITH CHRISTIAN (1-0) AT CLINTON CENTRAL (1-0)
FOREST PARK (1-0) AT PERRY CENTRAL (0-1)
FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK (0-1) AT SOUTHERN WELLS (1-0)
FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA (1-0) AT EASTBROOK (0-1)
FORT WAYNE DWENGER (1-0) AT ST. FRANCIS DE SALES (OHIO)
FORT WAYNE NORTH (0-1) AT NEW HAVEN (0-1)
FORT WAYNE NORTHROP (0-0) AT WARSAW (1-0)
FORT WAYNE SOUTH (1-0) AT SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (1-0)
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL (0-1) AT CRAWFORDSVILLE (1-0)
FRANKFORT (0-1) AT CLINTON PRAIRIE (1-0)
FRANKLIN CENTRAL (1-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (0-1)
GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (1-0) AT LAWRENCEBURG (0-1)
GREENWOOD (1-0) AT FRANKLIN (1-0)
GRIFFITH (1-0) AT MUNSTER (0-0)
GUERIN CATHOLIC (1-0) AT PENDLETON HEIGHTS (1-0)
HAGERSTOWN (1-0) AT CENTERVILLE (1-0)
HANOVER CENTRAL (1-0) AT LAKE CENTRAL (0-0)
HENRYVILLE (0-1) AT TRINITY LUTHERAN (0-1)
HERITAGE (1-0) AT DELTA (0-1)
HERITAGE HILLS (1-0) AT OWENSBORO APOLLO (KY.)
HUNTINGTON NORTH (1-0) AT GARRETT (0-1)
ILLINOIS HOMESCHOOL AT LAKE STATION (0-0)
INDIAN CREEK (1-0) AT HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (0-1)
INDIANAPOLIS ARSENAL TECH (0-1) AT SPEEDWAY (1-0)
INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS (0-1) AT LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (1-0)
INDIANAPOLIS RITTER (0-1) AT KETTERING ALTER (OHIO)
INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (0-1) AT TRITON CENTRAL (0-1)
INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE (1-0) AT COVENANT CHRISTIAN (1-0)
INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY (0-1) AT PARK TUDOR (0-1)
JEFFERSONVILLE (0-1) AT SEYMOUR (0-1)
JOHN GLENN (1-0) AT FAIRFIELD (1-0)
KANKAKEE VALLEY (0-1) AT WHEELER (1-0)
KOKOMO (0-1) AT TERRE HAUTE SOUTH (0-1)
LAKELAND (0-1) AT PLYMOUTH (0-1)
LAPEL (1-0) AT FRANKTON (0-1)
LAWRENCE CENTRAL (1-0) AT ZIONSVILLE (1-0)
LAWRENCE NORTH (0-1) AT FISHERS (0-1)
LEBANON (0-1) AT WESTERN BOONE (0-1)
LEO (1-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD (1-0)
LEWIS CASS (0-1) AT NORTHFIELD (1-0)
LOGANSPORT (1-0) AT SOUTH BEND ADAMS (1-0)
LONDON (OHIO) AT HAMILTON HEIGHTS (0-1)
LOWELL (0-1) AT LAPORTE (1-0)
LOYOLA ACADEMY (ILL.) AT INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (0-1)
MACONAQUAH (1-0) AT CARROLL (FLORA) (1-0)
MADISON (1-0) AT JENNINGS COUNTY (1-0)
MADISON-GRANT (1-0) AT SOUTHWOOD (0-1)
MERRILLVILLE (1-0) AT LAFAYETTE JEFF (0-1)
MICHIGAN CITY (0-1) AT DETROIT CASS TECH (MICH.)
MISHAWAKA MARIAN (0-1) AT CULVER ACADEMY (0-1)
MISSISSINEWA (0-1) AT MARION (0-1)
MITCHELL (0-1) AT SPRINGS VALLEY (0-1)
MONROE CENTRAL (1-0) AT UNION CITY (0-1)
MONROVIA (0-1) AT LINTON (0-1)
MOORESVILLE (1-0) AT TERRE HAUTE NORTH (0-1)
MUNCIE CENTRAL (1-0) AT YORKTOWN (1-0)
NEW ALBANY (1-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (1-0)
NEW CASTLE (0-1) AT JAY COUNTY (1-0)
NEW PRAIRIE (0-1) AT NORTHWOOD (0-1)
NOBLESVILLE (1-0) AT HOMESTEAD (0-1)
NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) (1-0) AT NORTH DAVIESS (1-0)
NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) (1-0) AT HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (0-1)
NORTH JUDSON (1-0) AT LAVILLE (1-0)
NORTH MONTGOMERY (0-1) AT WESTERN (0-1)
NORTH NEWTON (0-1) AT RENSSELAER CENTRAL (1-0)
NORTH WHITE (1-0) AT CASTON (1-0)
NORTHEASTERN (0-1) AT SHENANDOAH (0-1)
NORTHWESTERN (1-0) AT EASTERN (GREENTOWN) (1-0)
OAK HILL (0-1) AT NORWELL (1-0)
OSCEOLA GRACE AT FREMONT (1-0)
OWEN VALLEY (1-0) AT SOUTHMONT (1-0)
PARIS (ILL.) AT NORTH VERMILLION (0-1)
PENN (1-0) AT MISHAWAKA (1-0)
PERU (0-1) AT WHITKO (0-1)
PIKE (0-1) AT CROWN POINT (1-0)
PIKE CENTRAL (0-1) AT PRINCETON (0-1)
PIONEER (1-0) AT KNOX (0-1)
PLAINFIELD (0-1) AT HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (1-0)
PORTAGE (0-1) AT HOBART (1-0)
PROVIDENCE (0-1) AT LOUISVILLE HOLY CROSS (KY.)
RABUN GAP (GA.) AT BROWNSBURG (1-0)
ROCHESTER (1-0) AT TIPPECANOE VALLEY (1-0)
SALEM (1-0) AT SILVER CREEK (0-1)
SCOTTSBURG (0-1) AT NORTH HARRISON (0-1)
SEEGER (0-1) AT BENTON CENTRAL (0-1)
SHELBYVILLE (1-0) AT RUSHVILLE (0-1)
SHERIDAN (0-1) AT ALEXANDRIA (0-1)
SOUTH ADAMS (0-1) AT BELLMONT (0-1)
SOUTH BEND RILEY (1-0) AT VALPARAISO (0-1)
SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (0-1) AT GOSHEN (0-1)
SOUTH DEARBORN (0-1) AT SWITZERLAND COUNTY (1-0)
SOUTH DECATUR (0-1) AT GREENSBURG (0-1)
SOUTH PUTNAM (1-0) AT GREENCASTLE (0-1)
SOUTH SPENCER (0-1) AT EMINENCE (KY.)
SOUTH VERMILLION (1-0) AT SULLIVAN (1-0)
SOUTHPORT (0-1) AT PERRY MERIDIAN (0-1)
T.F. SOUTH (ILL.) AT HAMMOND CENTRAL (1-0)
TAYLOR (0-1) AT NORTH MIAMI (0-1)
TECUMSEH (1-0) AT NORTH POSEY (1-0)
TIPTON (1-0) AT MANCHESTER (0-1)
TRITON (0-1) AT BREMEN (1-0)
VINCENNES LINCOLN (1-0) AT NORTHVIEW (1-0)
WARREN CENTRAL (1-0) AT ELKHART (1-0)
WES-DEL (1-0) AT BLACKFORD (0-1)
WEST CENTRAL (0-1) AT CULVER (0-1)
WEST LAFAYETTE (0-1) AT MCCUTCHEON (0-1)
WEST NOBLE (0-1) AT WAWASEE (0-1)
WEST VIGO (0-1) AT PARKE HERITAGE (0-1)
WEST WASHINGTON (1-0) AT TELL CITY (1-0)
WHITELAND (0-1) AT FLOYD CENTRAL (1-0)
WHITING (1-0) AT HIGHLAND (0-1)
WINAMAC (1-0) AT FRONTIER (0-1)
WINCHESTER (0-1) AT KNIGHTSTOWN (0-1)
WOODLAN (1-0) AT CENTRAL NOBLE (1-0)
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
THURSDAY SCORES: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/volleyball/scores/?date=8/27/2026
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER
THURSDAY SCORES: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/soccer/scores/?date=8/27/2026
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER
THURSDAY SCORES: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/soccer/girls/scores/?date=8/27/2026
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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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INDIANA GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL
THURSDAY SCORES: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/volleyball/scores/?date=8/27/2026
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 1 SCHEDULE/TV
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. | 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
WEEK 3
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27
49ERS 18, RAIDERS 12
BILLS 28, STEELERS 27
BROWNS 37, PATRIOTS 13
RAMS 20, CHARGERS 18
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FRIDAY, AUGUST 28
WASHINGTON AT BALTIMORE, 6:00
HOUSTON AT CAROLINA, 7:00
ATLANTA AT MIAMI, 7:00
TAMPA BAY AT JACKSONVILLE, 7:30
N.Y. GIANTS AT N.Y. JETS, 7:30
NEW ORLEANS AT DALLAS, 8:00
ARIZONA AT GREEN BAY, 8:00
SEATTLE AT KANSAS CITY, 8:00
CINCINNATI AT PHILADELPHIA (CBS), 8:00
MINNESOTA AT DENVER, 9:00
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29
DETROIT AT INDIANAPOLIS, 1:00
CHICAGO AT TENNESSEE, 6:00
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2026 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 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 SPORTS HEADLINES
NFL NEWS
NFL PRESEASON ROUNDUP: FERNANDO MENDOZA UNDERWHELMS IN RAIDERS’ LOSS
Las Vegas rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza struggled on Thursday as the Raiders dropped their preseason finale 18-12 to the visiting San Francisco 49ers.
Mendoza, the No. 1 overall selection in this year’s draft, completed 7 of 14 passes for 57 yards. He threw one interception and was sacked twice.
Veteran Kirk Cousins started the game for the Raiders (1-2) and hit on 8 of 11 passes for 51 yards. He led a pair of early drives that resulted in field goals.
The game featured 10 field goals, as San Francisco’s Eddy Pineiro connected on 6 of 6, including a 59-yarder, a 51-yarder and a 54-yarder. Matt Gay made 4 of 5 for Las Vegas, with a long of 53 yards.
The Raiders’ Mike Washington Jr. led all ball carriers with 49 yards on eight attempts.
Mac Jones played two series at quarterback for San Francisco (2-1) and completed just 1 of 5 pass attempts for 7 yards. The 49ers’ regular quarterback, Brock Purdy, didn’t play.Stream Football Games
Bills 28, Steelers 27
Ian Wheeler ran for a 2-yard touchdown with 1:06 remaining and Dante Pettis caught the subsequent two-point-conversion pass from Shane Buechele as Buffalo rallied for a win over Pittsburgh in Orchard Park, N.Y.
Buechele played the entire game in the preseason finale for the Bills (3-0), completing 26 of 38 passes for 196 yards.
Buffalo led 14-3 after one quarter, but Pittsburgh (1-2) was ahead 27-20 midway through the fourth quarter before the Bills bounced back.
Buffalo’s regular quarterback, Josh Allen, sat out. He appeared in just one of the team’s preseason games, playing two series on Aug. 15 against the Carolina Panthers.
Bills wide receiver Skyler Bell made seven receptions for 49 yards, and his lone carry went 28 yards for the touchdown. Frank Gore Jr. ran 10 times for 27 yards and added five catches for 45 yards.
Pittsburgh kept quarterback Aaron Rodgers out of action, meaning he didn’t get a single preseason snap. Will Howard started in his place, and he connected on 9 of 15 passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
Drew Allar played the second half and wound up 9 of 18 for 88 yards. Eli Heidenreich had a team-high 10 carries for the Steelers, producing 35 yards and a TD. Max Hurleman hauled in three passes for 50 yards.
Browns 37, Patriots 13
Dillon Gabriel completed 12 of 15 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns as host Cleveland overwhelmed New England in the final preseason game for both teams.
Gabriel connected on a 6-yard strike to wide receiver Luke Floriea on the game’s first possession. After the Patriots responded with a touchdown drive, the second-year quarterback found Floriea again from 14 yards out. The Browns (1-2) took a 27-10 lead when Gabriel connected with Ahmani Marshall on a 7-yard completion with 2:32 to play before halftime.
Browns No. 4 quarterback Taylen Green played in the second half and picked up 66 yards on eight carries to lead all rushers. He threw for 27 yards on 5-of-7 passing.
The Patriots (1-1-1) started Tommy DeVito, and the former New York Giant played two series and connected with Kyle Williams on a 45-yard touchdown strike. DeVito wound up 2 of 4 for 55 yards, and Kyle Dixon caught a game-high eight passes for 71 yards.
New England’s top quarterback, Drake Maye, and Cleveland’s top two QBs, Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, did not play.
Rams 20, Chargers 18
The Los Angeles Rams, despite playing none of their starters in the preseason, completed a 3-0 run by holding off the host Los Angeles Chargers in Inglewood, Calif.
Ty Simpson got the start at quarterback for the Rams and threw for 119 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-23 passing. Brennan Presley caught six passes for 32 yards and a score, while Dean Connors (18 carries, 69 yards) and Jordan Waters (15 carries, 53 yards) spurred the Rams’ ground game.Stream Football Games
The Chargers’ starting quarterback, Justin Herbert, produced wildly different results on his two series. He lost a first-quarter fumble, then threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston. Herbert completed 2 of 3 passes for 74 yards.
Chargers running back Gregory Desrosiers notched 118 yards on nine carries, including a 34-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. Gary Jennings added seven catches for 44 yards for the Chargers (1-2).
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SEAHAWKS GIVE 3-TIME PRO BOWL DT LEONARD WILLIAMS A $90 MILLION, 3-YEAR EXTENSION, AP SOURCE SAYS
Three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Leonard Williams and the Seattle Seahawks have agreed on a three-year, $90 million contract extension that includes $56 million guaranteed, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced the extension.
The 32-year-old Williams was a second-team AP All-Pro last season when he helped the Seahawks win the franchise’s second Super Bowl title.
Williams has 22 sacks in 2 1/2 seasons with Seattle and 61 1/2 in an 11-year career spent with the Seahawks, Giants and Jets.
Williams signed a three-year, $64.5 million deal with Seattle in 2024, after the Giants traded him to the Seahawks in October 2023. He was set to become a free agent in 2027.
During training camp earlier this month, Williams said joining the Seahawks “lit a fire within me.”
“It just restored all my energy and love for the game. Just being in a new environment in general changed my perspective. When Mike (coach Mike Macdonald) got hired, it even heightened it because of his principles and things that he has brought to the team. His first year was my first year under contract as well, and I think we were able to build a defense together and be a big part of it,” he said.
Williams was the No. 6 pick in the 2015 NFL draft by the Jets out of USC. He had seven sacks during the regular season last year and another in the playoffs.
In 2024, he returned an interception 92 yards for a touchdown in addition to getting 11 sacks.
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PACKERS ADD DEPTH AT TIGHT END BY SIGNING VETERAN JONNU SMITH TO 1-YEAR DEAL
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers have addressed their depth issues at tight end by signing veteran Jonnu Smith to a one-year contract.
Rosenhaus Sports, which represents Smith, announced the signing in a social media post on Thursday.
Smith, 31, caught 38 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns last season in 17 games with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who released him in March. He has 345 receptions for 3,529 yards and 30 touchdowns in his career.
Green Bay expects starting tight end Tucker Kraft to be available for the start of the regular season after he tore his right anterior cruciate ligament last November, but the Packers lacked proven options behind him while Luke Musgrave recovers from a neck injury.
Smith made the Pro Bowl in 2024 while catching 88 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns with the Miami Dolphins, setting or matching career highs in all three categories.
Green Bay will be his fifth team in as many seasons. He played for New England from 2021-22 and was with Atlanta in 2023 before going to Miami two years ago and Pittsburgh last season.
He spent his first four seasons with the Tennessee Titans, who selected him out of Florida International in the third round of the 2017 draft.
Smith now gets a chance to back up Kraft, who caught 32 passes for 489 yards and six touchdowns in eight games before getting injured last season.
Green Bay also returns Josh Whyle, who caught five passes for 36 yards and one touchdown in eight games for Green Bay last season. Another Green Bay tight end is Drake Dabney, who played two games in 2025.
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BENGALS ROSTER BATTLES IN THE SPOTLIGHT HEADING INTO FRIDAY’S PRESEASON FINALE AT EAGLES
CINCINNATI (AP) — For three seasons, when the Cincinnati Bengals needed an offensive tackle to step up off the bench, the answer was Cody Ford.
On Monday, when the Bengals cut Ford, they decided to go in a different direction with their backup offensive tackle spot this season.
Heading into Friday’s preseason finale at Philadelphia, the first backup offensive tackle spot on the Bengals’ bench remains a competition.
“It’s still pretty open,” coach Zac Taylor said. “There are guys we’re still looking at.”
Second-year player Jalen Rivers has received the most extensive opportunities at offensive tackle over the past two weeks. He had an up-and-down performance in the second preseason game, which was his first game experience at tackle this summer.
Rivers spent his entire rookie season as a guard but then was recently thrown into the tackle competition with other players struggling.
“I’m still getting adjusted,” Rivers said. “It’s been one week of me being there. I’m getting into the groove of things. I feel like the more reps I get, the more comfortable I get. Today, some things I’ve got to work on. Some things that can’t happen. But I felt pretty good.”
The other candidate for the backup offensive tackle spot is Javon Foster. He was a fourth-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024, got cut at the end of training camp last year and spent the 2025 season on the Bengals’ practice squad.
The Bengals have another intriguing competition at returner. While wide receiver Dohnte Meyers was in the Canadian Football League last season, he has made a name for himself in training camp and is making a charge for a roster spot with impressive performances as a receiver in training camp and in the preseason.
The preseason finale will be an important opportunity for him to show that he can be counted on as a returner.
“I don’t think pressure is something I think about or focus on,” Meyers said. “My father raised me to think about controlling what you can control. That’s been preached here. ‘Preparation’ is something we have on the wall in this facility. That’s what you can control. Don’t focus on pressure. Focus on preparation.”
His competition includes two established standout returners in Charlie Jones and Ke’Shawn Williams.
Seventh-round pick Landon Robinson has played well in each of the Bengals’ preseason games with his pass rush, but defensive tackle is already the team’s deepest position group.
Since the Bengals already have a lot set on the defensive line, the decision of whether or not to keep Robinson may come down to comparing him versus a player at another positon for one of the final roster spots.
He has made the most of his opportunities this summer.
“I’ve played to the scheme,” Robinson said. “I’ve worked my technique, my push-pull and used my quickness to make an impact on the game.”
The Bengals have significant depth this year at receiver, tight end and defensive tackle, which creates difficult decisions.
In recent seasons, the Bengals have aggressively perused the waiver wire at the end of August for back of the roster reinforcements. This year, that may not be necessary at most positions with the exception being offensive tackle.
The Bengals also don’t appear to have finalized their plans for linebacker and safety.
At linebacker, waiver claim Swayze Bozeman has made a strong case to be the team’s fourth linebacker. The Bengals typically carry five linebackers, and Joe Giles-Harris and Shaka Heyward have been splitting snaps. Giles-Harris was one of the most productive special teamers in the NFL last season, and special teams is a significant responsibility for a fifth linebacker. Heyward has shown more flashes on defense during his limited regular-season opportunities over the past three years.
At safety, Daijahn Anthony, Russ Yeast and PJ Jules have been sharing reps. Jules was on the roster as the fourth safety for all of last season, offers the most on special teams and has impressed with his physical tackling.
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REPORTS: BROWNS TO RELEASE WR CEDRIC TILLMAN
The Cleveland Browns are set to release wide receiver Cedric Tillman, multiple media outlets reported on Thursday.
The Browns fortified the wide receiver position when they selected KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston within their first three picks of the 2026 NFL Draft. Concepcion was selected with the 24th overall pick out of Texas A&M, while Boston was chosen with the 39th overall pick out of Washington.
Tillman has yet to play in the preseason while dealing with an undisclosed injury. He returned to practice this week and was listed behind both rookie wide receivers and Jerry Jeudy on the depth chart.
The Browns will need to trim their roster to the 53-man limit by Sunday afternoon’s deadline.
Tillman, 26, had 21 receptions for 270 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games (10 starts) for the Browns last season.
He has totaled 71 receptions for 833 yards and five TDs in 38 games (19 starts) since Cleveland selected him in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Tennessee.
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LIONS RB ISIAH PACHECO DEALING WITH BACK INJURY
Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco is nursing a back injury in addition to his existing issue with his knee, head coach Dan Campbell said on Thursday.
When Pacheco sprained his MCL earlier this month, Campbell said he expected him to be ready for the Sept. 13 season opener against the visiting New Orleans Saints.
Now, that outlook apparently has changed.
“I can’t give you anything definitive,” Campbell said. “He is feeling better as of (Wednesday). It’s been a little touch and go right now. He’s had a little bit of a back, and we’re hoping he’s coming out of this as of (Wednesday) a little bit.
“The knee is not the concern.”
Campbell’s comments come on the heels of the Lions meeting with free agent running back Kareem Hunt earlier this week.
Pacheco, who signed a one-year, $1.81 million deal in March to back up Jahmyr Gibbs, played his first four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and won two Super Bowls.
He rushed for 462 yards and one touchdown and caught 19 passes for 101 yards and a score in 13 games (12 starts) last season for the Chiefs, who picked him in the seventh round (251st overall) in 2022.
Pacheco, 27, has accumulated 3,091 yards from scrimmage (2,537 rushing and 554 receiving) with 17 touchdowns in 51 games (42 starts). He has rushed for 547 yards and four TDs in 10 postseason starts, including victories in Super Bowls LVII and LVIII.
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REPORTS: PACKERS SIGN VETERAN TE JONNU SMITH
The Green Bay Packers are signing former Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith to a one-year contract, multiple outlets reported Thursday.
Smith will provide depth at the position behind Tucker Kraft, who had surgery last November to repair a torn right ACL. Kraft was activated off the physically unable to perform list on July 31.
Fellow tight end Luke Musgrave sustained a neck injury this offseason and hasn’t returned to practice.
Smith, 31, had 38 catches for 222 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games (seven starts) last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was acquired by the Steelers from the Miami Dolphins on June 30, 2025 in the trade involving defensive backs Jalen Ramsey and Minkah Fitzpatrick.
In 141 career games (91 starts) for the Tennessee Titans (2017-20), New England Patriots (2021-22), Atlanta Falcons (2023), Dolphins (2024) and Steelers (2025), Smith has 345 receptions for 3,529 yards and 30 TDs. He was selected by the Titans in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
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2026 NFL 53-MAN ROSTER DEADLINE: CUT CANDIDATES, TRADE TARGETS
Roster reduction time is a brutal reality around the NFL.
With clubs going from 90-man rosters to an initial 53-man crew, roughly 1,184 players will lose their jobs before Sunday’s cut-down deadline. Yes, each team will bring back players to the practice squad, and others will be re-signed over the next few weeks as IR spots are used. However, for a large chunk of players, this is the end of the line in 2026.
We’ve already seen clubs begin to churn their rosters. The Patriots traded away Kayshon Boutte in a long-expected move. The Cardinals cut running back Trey Benson. More are coming. Let’s take a gander at some notable players who could be released or traded in the coming days.
READ MORE: https://www.nfl.com/news/2026-nfl-53-man-roster-deadline-cut-candidates-trade-targets
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
BELICHICK FOCUSED ON UNC, NOT POSSIBLE NFL RETURN
Despite a challenging first season at North Carolina, Bill Belichick emphasized that he’s fully committed to the program in his second year and isn’t considering returning to the NFL.
“I’m focused on UNC right now, absolutely,” Belichick said Thursday in Ireland ahead of the Tar Heels’ season opener against TCU on Saturday, according to WRAL’s Brian Murphy.
“I’ve recruited these kids, two years with them, been with these guys. I want to help them. I had a great experience in the NFL, but I’m very happy at North Carolina. I’m excited to be there. Excited about the future of our program.”
Belichick ranks second all-time in total coaching wins in NFL history with 333 and guided the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles over 24 years.
The Patriots and Belichick parted ways following the 2023 season, which marked New England’s second consecutive losing campaign. UNC hired the future Hall of Famer in December 2024 to replace Mack Brown as coach.
Belichick’s first year guiding the Tar Heels concluded with an underwhelming 4-8 record. However, North Carolina revamped its roster this offseason, loading up on freshman talent, rebuilding its quarterback room, and overhauling the offensive coaching staff.
Still, Belichick remains committed to his signature one-game-at-a-time approach, choosing not to speculate on the 2026 season’s trajectory and keeping his focus squarely on the next opponent.
“We’re not worried about games in November, December, October, whenever they are. When we get to them, we get to them. Right now, we’re focused on TCU and getting ready for the game,” Belichick said, per Murphy.
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CFB’S 26 MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE FOR THE 2026 SEASON
After a busy offseason filled with transfers, courtroom drama, and eligibility fights, one of the most anticipated college football seasons in recent memory is upon us.
Keeping up with everything these days can feel like a whirlwind, so we’re here to get you up to speed as kickoff looms this weekend.
Here are the 25 most important people you need to know for the 2026 season.
1. Lane Kiffin – After hijacking the sport for the final two months of 2025 with his dramatic move to LSU, Kiffin will again be the headliner in 2026. His return to Tennessee in 2021 already proved the emotions the man can elicit, with fans pelting him with golf balls and mustard bottles. Who knows what Ole Miss fans will have in store for Kiffin’s trip back to Oxford in late September. And his Tigers should be one of the top squads in the country, because he’s more than just the drama king of college football; he’s a damn good coach.
2. Arch Manning – Manning might as well go into politics for the amount of scrutiny and attention his collegiate career has received. His start to last season was underwhelming, but his final month of the campaign showed why he’s more than just a famous name on the back of the jersey. With Texas boasting another loaded roster, the Longhorns have a real shot at winning the national title if Manning can build on his impressive finish to 2025.
3. Trinidad Chambliss – Chambliss tried his luck on a Mississippi version of eligibility roulette and cashed in when a local judge ruled he was clear for a sixth season of college football. The decision instantly propelled him into Heisman contention and will make Pete Golding’s first year as Ole Miss’ head coach much easier.
4. CJ Carr – Notre Dame took its ball and went home after missing the playoffs last year, but the Irish being absent from the postseason this time around would be an absolute stunner. One of the biggest reasons is star quarterback Carr, who shined in his first year as the starter and now gets to fully drive the offense following Jeremiyah Love’s departure.
5. Dan Lanning – Lanning might win the games he’s supposed to win better than any coach in the country, with Oregon losing only three times over the past two years. The problem? All three defeats were against the team that eventually won the national championship that year. The Ducks have been very, very good under Lanning, but with Dante Moore back and an elite defensive unit in Eugene, it’s time to be great.
6. Josh Hoover – No pressure, Hoover – just replace last year’s Heisman winner after he led Indiana to a perfect 16-0 record and one of the most improbable national championships in college football history. The TCU transfer has the skills to keep Indiana’s offense cooking without Fernando Mendoza, but he must significantly reduce the 30-plus interceptions he’s thrown over the last three seasons.
7. Savion Hiter – The nation’s top running back recruit playing for Kyle Whittingham behind a standout offensive line? Michigan might just have its next superstar. Whittingham brought Jason Beck with him from Utah last season after the Utes led the entire country in rushing at 6.1 yards per attempt. Hiter’s flashed so much potential during fall camp that Beck has hinted at rolling out two-RB sets with the freshman alongside Jordan Marshall. Good luck to the rest of the Big Ten at stopping that.
8. Jeremiah Smith – Judges across the country are granting extra years of eligibility like it’s candy on Halloween, but somehow we still have a rule requiring players to be out of high school for three years before playing in the NFL. The pro delay on Smith is the college game’s gain, as the Ohio State superstar has been NFL-ready since the day he committed to the Buckeyes. Expect the final chapter in Columbus to be explosive.
9. Will Hammond – Some might look at Texas Tech’s vigorous defense of Brendan Sorsby’s eligibility as an indictment of how it feels about Will Hammond. However, that didn’t seem to be the message from Joey McGuire at Big 12 Media Days. The Red Raiders were a quarterback away from being a serious College Football Playoff threat last year and need Hammond to shine to avoid a repeat performance.
10. Hunter Yurachek – Yurachek isn’t the one making all the CFP decisions, but as selection committee chair, he’s the one facing the music every week. That didn’t go great last year when he tried to explain why Miami jumped Notre Dame in the final rankings before the field was set. This season, expect Yurachek and the committee to be under an even brighter light.
11. John Mateer – Mateer was a legit Heisman contender last year before breaking a bone in his hand, averaging 303 passing yards per game across four starts. But his performance after the injury was dreadful following a prompt return, posting 208 yards per contest over eight appearances. Oklahoma’s defense promises to dominate again, and if healthy Mateer is here for a whole season, the Sooners will be a problem for everyone.
12-13. Bill Belichick/Deion Sanders – Two NFL legends making plenty of headlines without many wins. This could be the last season for both Belichick and Sanders, and you can bet the coverage will be intense the entire time.
14. Keelon Russell – Scrutiny on Kalen DeBoer at Alabama has been intensified following the program’s worst-ever bowl loss to Indiana last season. Now the third-year Crimson Tide coach is turning to redshirt freshman quarterback Russell to fix an offense that dropped from 29th to 55th in 2025.
15. Arthur Smith – Can Ohio State even start a season without a new offensive coordinator at this point? For the third straight season, the Buckeyes will have a new man in charge of the attack, dipping into the NFL waters again to hire the former Atlanta Falcons head coach Smith. Expect an improved running game and an electric play-action passing attack from the Buckeyes. An explosive offense will ease the pressure in Columbus on a defense that suffered significant turnover with NFL departures.
16. Buster Faulkner – You can be damn sure Jon Sumrall knows that Florida’s offense was dreadful last season, ranking 118th out of 136 FBS teams in scoring. His first move after taking the Gators job was to hire Georgia Tech’s Faulkner to be his offensive coordinator. Sumrall should have Florida’s talented defense cooking immediately, and Faulkner’s offense might be the difference between battling for bowl eligibility and being a sneaky playoff contender.
17. Gary Patterson – The legendary TCU coach is back on the sidelines but moved west to grab the defensive coordinator job at USC. Filling that position on Lincoln Riley’s staff has been one of the more difficult jobs in the Big Ten, but Patterson’s resume should bring renewed hope to Los Angeles. If he can turn back the clock and get the Trojans playing some form of defense, USC might finally make the playoff under Riley.
18. Darian Mensah – Mensah is firmly in the ‘rent, don’t buy’ camp as he’s now at his third program in three seasons. This time it’s a big fish, with national runner-up Miami acquiring his services – after a very public battle – from Duke. Mensah didn’t need to look too far back to see what a top-flight quarterback can do with the Hurricanes after Cam Ward led the nation in touchdown passes and went No. 1 overall in the draft two years ago. If Mensah matches Ward’s output in south Florida, Miami might as well book that spot in the title game once again.
19-20. Leonard Moore/Christian Gray – It’s rare for a program to have one dominant star corner, yet Notre Dame is blessed with two in Moore and Gray, who anchor both sides of the field. Last year, the duo combined for seven interceptions and broke up 20 passes. With the Fighting Irish expected to blow through their schedule, they’ll likely be holding a lot of leads, forcing opposing quarterbacks to test Moore and Gray.
21. Christopher Vizzina – Vizzina was 6 years old the last time Clemson entered a season not ranked in the AP Top 25. There are numerous reasons why the Tigers weren’t on the list this year, but Vizzina would be near the top. We just don’t know what he’ll look like as the starting quarterback of an offense run by Chad Morris.
22. Cam Coleman – Arch Manning should be a cheat code as your quarterback in the red zone, but Texas actually struggled in that area last year, barely topping 60% for touchdowns inside the 20. Enter the human pogo stick known as Cam Coleman from Auburn. Jeremiah Smith deservedly gets most of the hype as the nation’s WR1, but Coleman isn’t far behind despite playing with a revolving door of quarterbacks who struggled to throw for the Tigers. That changes with Manning in Austin, and we’ve already seen what is possible with those two in fall camp.
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NEW-LOOK PAC-12 LOOKING TO FLEX ITS WAY INTO CFP WITH UNIQUE SCHEDULE AT END OF REGULAR SEASON
The reincarnated Pac-12 will try to flex its way into the College Football Playoff.
No longer an automatic-bid Power Five conference, the Pac-12 will use an unusual “flex” schedule during the final week of the regular season to enhance its postseason chances. It is by far one of the most ambitious moves in the chase to make the highly lucrative CFP.
“We can kind of manipulate the schedule in a way that it’s the most advantageous to our teams, whether it’s for bowl access, CFP access,” Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould said. “It was a genius idea and I’m thrilled that our ADs, our coaches and others were on board with moving forward with this.”
The Pac-12 was forced to reinvent itself after a mass exodus put the century-old conference’s future in doubt, leaving Oregon State and Washington State as the only teams standing.
The conference rebuilt itself by adding six new teams for football — Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Utah State, Texas State and Fresno State — with Gonzaga joining in basketball. The Pac-12 also worked out new media rights deals so all of its games would be shown on linear TV.
Finding a path to the CFP turned into a big hurdle for the re-formed conference. The previous iteration of the Pac-12 was as a Power Five conference, providing a clearer path to the CFP. The new-look league is now part of the Group of Six, which has one guaranteed CFP spot going to the highest-ranked team from the six conferences. The rest of the 12-team playoff is filled out by the teams with the best resumes.
The Pac-12 faced operational scheduling challenges with an eight-team league, its schools potentially needing to find five nonconference games — not an easy task in the current Football Bowl Subdivision climate.
The Pac-12 found a solution that would not only alleviate the need to find one extra conference game, but strengthen its CFP hopes.
With its flex schedule, the conference will be able to create at least one high-profile rematch from earlier in the season as a prelude to the actual Pac-12 championship game Dec. 4 at the home stadium of the highest-seeded team.
“We’re eager to see what happens and we’ll see at the end of the season if it paid dividends, if it works it gives us as a conference a better chance of having one of our teams in the CFP playoff,” Oregon State athletic director Kevin Griffin said. “And that’s what the goal is: is to make sure we’re giving ourselves all the opportunities available to get in there.”
Because the conference wants every team to have four home league games, Colorado State, Utah State, Fresno State and Washington State will host the flex games. The games won’t count in conference standings and matchups will be determined six days in advance.
“It’s better for our TV partners in terms of the quality of the matchups, the quality of the games,” Gould said. “It’s better competitively in terms of strength of schedule and CFP positioning and the way that the flex is going to work. We can kind of manipulate the schedule in a way that it’s the most advantageous to our teams.”
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BIG 12 BECOMES LATEST CONFERENCE TO BAN FORMER NFL PLAYERS WHILE NFL REITERATES ITS RULES
Big 12 and SEC rules go beyond football
The rule unanimously adopted by the Big 12 bars its schools from adding professional athletes in football or any other conference-sponsored sport. The league said its rule would apply independently of the status of NCAA eligibility determinations.
According to the Big 12 decision, athletes would be ineligible if they declared for the draft or supplemental draft of any professional sports league and did not timely withdraw before the draft, have been listed on a professional roster or signed a contract to provide athletic services with any sports league.
The SEC’s rule approved Tuesday banned players who have been drafted by NFL, NBA or WNBA teams or listed on rosters in those leagues. The Big Ten only included football in its decision and is expected to later address other sports.
Two players seek to go from NFL back to former college coach
At least two players who signed with NFL teams as undrafted free agents this offseason were hoping to return to college and play at No. 11 LSU.
Tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive lineman Zxavian Harris signed with NFL teams as undrafted free agents after playing last season at Mississippi for Lane Kiffin, now the coach at LSU.
Wright initially signed with Philadelphia, but was waived Aug. 10 and claimed by Cleveland, which waived him Monday. Harris signed with the New Orleans Saints in May, went through their offseason program and was let go Aug. 8 after being on the non-football injury list.
Both players entered the NFL draft because they had used up their four years of eligibility. The NCAA announced a rule change in June allowing players who began college in 2023 or later to have five years to play five years of sports in college.
That rule didn’t apply to Wright and Harris, who entered college in 2022 but they are among the players who have sued the NCAA, arguing they’re being deprived of education and potential name, image and likeness benefits by being excluded from the rule.
Cal football general manager Ron Rivera said Wednesday he hopes the ACC joins the Big Ten and SEC in turning away former pros.
“I think when somebody makes a decision, goes in a certain direction, I think they’ve made their decision,” said Rivera, a former NFL player and coach. “I’m disappointed that people are looking for ways to cheat the system or beat the system.”
NCAA gets a win in Tennessee basketball eligibility case
Meanwhile, in Tennessee, the state’s Court of Appeals put on hold an order that would have given former Vanderbilt player Jalen Washington and 18 other basketball players a fifth year of eligibility.
The ruling gives the NCAA a win in ongoing litigation across the nation in federal and state courts involving college athletes who contend they should get a fifth year of competition under revised NCAA eligibility rules adopted in June.
Washington, who transferred to Tennessee, and the other plaintiffs are now ineligible, pending resolution of the NCAA’s appeal of the lower court’s ruling.
Washington was the lead plaintiff in a complaint filed July 6 by the Texas Trial Group seeking the injunction. Others included Chendall Weaver, last at Texas; A.J. Storr of Mississippi; Jason Edwards of Providence; and Daniel Egbuniwe of St. Bonaventure.
The NCAA also has won stays of injunctions in Ohio and New Jersey state courts and in a federal court in Colorado.
Castellanos commits to Texas Tech after Dolphins tryout
The Big 12 decision Wednesday came shortly after quarterback Tommy Castellanos said he has committed to Texas Tech for this season. The 12th-ranked Red Raiders are the defending Big 12 champions and among the favorites again this season.
Castellanos, a freshman at UCF in 2022, went undrafted by the NFL four months ago before a tryout as a receiver with the Miami Dolphins during their rookie minicamp. He never made an NFL roster, but he also never withdrew from the draft, making it unclear if he will be able to play for the Red Raiders.
Castellanos, who played last season at Florida State, last Friday was among 10 athletes granted a temporary restraining order by a Kentucky judge to get a fifth season of college football.
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CAM COLEMAN, RYAN COLEMAN-WILLIAMS AND NYCK HARBOR HIGHLIGHT SEC’S ELITE RECEIVERS IN 2026
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Some of the NFL’s top receivers came from the Southeastern Conference: A.J. Brown, Ja’Marr Chase, Mike Evans, Justin Jefferson, Jerry Jeudy, George Pickens and DeVonta Smith, to name a few.
There are more on the way, maybe even a few who could be stars at the next level. The SEC landed 14 receivers on the preseason Biletnikoff Award watch list, the most of any conference. Here are six from the league who could become household names – maybe even Heisman Trophy contenders — by the end of the year:
Cam Coleman, Texas
The 6-foot-3, 204-pound junior spent the last two years languishing in Auburn’s lackluster offense, totaling 93 receptions for 1,306 yards and 13 touchdowns. He landed at Texas after the Tigers fired Hugh Freeze and should give the Longhorns one of the top receiver tandems in the country. He already went viral during camp with a one-handed catch.
“Everybody sees the highlight plays, the play-making ability, the physical ability that he has,” coach Steve Sarkisian said. “What I love is the person. This guy is a great human being. He’s a guy that is a great teammate. He’s one of our hardest workers. He’s been a great addition to that room, to that offense.”
Ryan Coleman-Williams, Alabama
The receiver formerly known as Ryan Williams has a new name and a new number for 2026. He added Coleman to his now-hyphenated last name to honor his mother and switched from No. 2 to No. 1, returning to the digit he wore in high school for in-state powerhouse Saraland. He hopes the changes will lead to a bounce-back season.
A preseason All-America selection last year, Coleman-Williams had only one 100-yard receiving game in 2025 and led the Football Bowl Subdivision with 13 drops. The 6-foot, 184-pound speedster finished with 49 receptions for 689 yards and four touchdowns after capturing national attention with 45 catches for 857 yards and eight scores as a freMario Craver, Texas A&M
With KC Concepcion in the NFL, Craver could be targeted even more as a junior. He caught at least four passes in 11 games last season and earned third-team All-SEC honors. The 5-foot-9 Birmingham, Alabama, native finished with 59 receptions for 917 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran 11 times for 81 yards and a score. He ranked fifth nationally in yards after the catch (575) and tied for sixth in missed tackles forced (22).
“He’s one of the more explosive, dynamic slot receivers I’ve been able to be around,” coach Mike Elko said. “He plays bigger than his size. I think he’ll have a really, really big year for us if he can find a way to stay healthy and be consistent week in and week out as we go through the season.”
Nyck Harbor, South Carolina
The former track standout believes he’s “one of the fastest players in the country.” What’s scary about that — at least for defenders — is Harbor is 6 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs 239 pounds. In three seasons with the Gamecocks, Harbor has 68 receptions for 1,189 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He led the SEC and ranked fifth nationally at 20.6 yards a catch in 2025. He enters this season having caught a touchdown pass in five consecutive games from quarterback LaNorris Sellers and now has former TCU offensive coordinator Kendal Briles calling plays.
Isaiah Sategna, Oklahoma
After totaling just 54 catches for 632 yards and three touchdowns in three seasons at Arkansas, Sategna broke out with Oklahoma last season. He finished with 67 receptions for 965 yards and eight scores. He returned for a fifth year and, along with quarterback John Mateer, gives Oklahoma’s offense a lot of carry-over.
“I felt like I had unfinished work here,” Sategna said. “I just had some left on the plate.”
Ryan Wingo, Texas
Arch Manning’s go-to guy in 2025, Wingo caught 54 passes for 834 yards and seven touchdowns. Now he has Coleman on the opposite side, potentially creating a pick-your-poison scenario for opposing defenses.
The 6-foot-2, 214-pound Wingo helped recruit Coleman to Texas, believing Coleman’s big-play ability would create more opportunities for himself. He still has to work on minimizing dropped passes, which plagued him last season, but his upside is tremendous.
“Knows the system, knows the scheme,” Sarkisian said. “Really came on last year. I think people forget he was a second team All-SEC receiver a year ago. Very explosive player.”
Other SEC receivers to watch in 2026
Deuce Alexander, Ole Miss; Nic Anderson, Kentucky; Tre’ Brown III, LSU; Vernell Brown III, Florida; Isiah Canion, Georgia; Anthony Evans III, Donovan Faupel; Arkansas; Mississippi State; Jackson Harris, LSU; Trell Harris, Oklahoma; Cayden Lee, Missouri; Mike Matthews, Tennessee; Junior Sherrill, Vanderbilt; Eric Singleton Jr., Florida; Keshaun Singleton, Auburn; Braylon Staley, Tennessee; and Dallas Wilson, Florida.
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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL NEWS
MLB ROUNDUP: CHRIS SALE FANS 11 IN COMPLETE GAME AS BRAVES BLANK DODGERS
Chris Sale struck out 11 on Thursday while throwing his first complete game in seven years, leading the Atlanta Braves to a 1-0 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers to complete a three-game sweep.
Sale (13-9) allowed just five hits and walked none on a season-high 109 pitches, going the distance for the first time since June 5, 2019. It was the major leagues’ ninth complete-game shutout of the year. He worked around Freddie Freeman’s leadoff single in the ninth, striking out Alex Call to end the game.
Drake Baldwin’s first-pitch leadoff homer in the first inning accounted for the game’s only run as the Braves earned their third straight one-run win over Los Angeles. It was Atlanta’s first sweep of the Dodgers since May 2013.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8) hurled 6 1/3 innings of one-run, four-hit ball and Mookie Betts had two of the Dodgers’ five hits. Still, Los Angeles saw its lead over the Braves for the No. 2 seed in the National League playoffs shrink to one game.NBA scores
Nationals 7, Rockies 1
Daylen Lile had three hits including a solo home run, Keibert Ruiz hit a two-run homer and host Washington defeated Colorado to earn a split of the four-game series.
Jacob Young had a double, single, walk and two stolen bases for Washington and Brady House had a double and two RBIs. Reliever Tom Cosgrove (1-2) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings as Nationals relievers tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings.
TJ Rumfield had a single and four walks for the Rockies, who lost for the 82nd time this season. Colorado starter Gabriel Hughes (0-6) gave up four runs on seven hits over five innings.
Astros 5, Yankees 1
Hayden Wesneski pitched five-plus effective innings, Christian Walker hit a two-run homer off Gerrit Cole as part of a three-hit display and visiting Houston earned a victory over New York.
Drafted by the Yankees in 2019 and traded to the Cubs in a 2022 deadline deal, Wesneski (4-1) limited the AL wild-card leaders to one run on three hits in his sixth start since returning from Tommy John surgery on July 29. Walker snapped an 0-for-11 skid with a single in the second off Cole (7-7). He finished with three hits for the eighth time this season and first since picking up four on June 27.
Cole allowed three runs on six hits in six innings. Ben Rice had two of New York’s hits. Rice scored the lone run in the sixth when he doubled and scored on Cody Bellinger’s sacrifice fly off Steven Okert.
Brewers 8, Mets 2
Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski won his third consecutive start, tossing six solid innings as the visiting Brewers recorded a victory over New York in the decisive game of a three-game set.
Jackson Chourio went 4-for-5 with a pair of two-run homers and a stolen base for the Brewers, who have won eight of 11. Milwaukee’s Andrew Vaughn had two hits, including an RBI single, while David Hamilton and Joey Ortiz also finished with two hits. Misiorowski (14-5) surrendered two runs on two hits.
New York starter Sean Manaea (4-6) allowed six runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. The Mets have dropped consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 11-12.
Giants 6, Diamondbacks 1
Drew Gilbert led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run, Landen Roupp combined with three relievers on a six-hitter and host San Francisco downed Arizona.
Roupp (8-13) permitted one run and four hits in five innings. The Giants’ bullpen combined for four shutout innings after allowing seven runs in the ninth during a 10-9 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday.
Gabriel Moreno homered for the Diamondbacks, who had won five of their previous seven games. Jose Cabrera (0-3) yielded two runs on three hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Cardinals 7, Orioles 5
Rookie Blaze Jordan blasted a three-run homer before leaving with an injury and Gordon Graceffo tossed three perfect innings in a spot start, helping St. Louis beat visiting Baltimore to snap a five-game skid.
Former Oriole Ramon Urias hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals, who averted a three-game sweep. Luis Gastelum (4-3) tossed 1 1/3 perfect innings, and Riley O’Brien pitched the ninth for his 34th save.
Coby Mayo socked a three-run homer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand had two hits and two RBIs for Baltimore. Trevor Rogers (9-9) gave up six runs on seven hits over five innings.
Royals 13, Blue Jays 2
Jac Caglianone homered and had career highs of five hits and six RBIs as visiting Kansas City defeated Toronto for its 10th win in 11 games.
Vinnie Pasquantino also homered and had three RBIs for the Royals, and Carter Jensen added a homer in the rubber match of the three-game series. Noah Cameron (9-8) gave up two runs on six hits in six innings.
George Springer hit a two-run homer for the Blue Jays. Spencer Arrighetti (7-7) allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits in four innings.
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MLB PROPOSAL SEEKS NFL-, NBA-STYLE FREE AGENCY PERIODS
Major League Baseball put forth some changes on Thursday to significantly alter offseason transactions, specifically free agency.
By restricting the free agency signing period like the NFL or NBA, the hope is to create more excitement for fans.
MLB wants free agency to start on the Monday of the winter meetings, which generally take place in early December. Teams would have until Dec. 21 to finalize and announce signings until another window opens on the first Monday of February, prior to spring training.
In addition, no trades or free agent additions could be made between the two windows.
Negotiations with players formerly on other teams still could take place beginning five days after the World Series ends, but contracts with such players could not be signed until the first window.Joining Fantasy Baseball
MLB’s proposals are part of the negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, but they would be contingent upon the players agreeing to a salary cap.
“A cap-and-floor system would unlock additional opportunities to improve the game for players and fans, creating more stability in rosters, getting the best players to the major leagues more quickly, and accelerating the pace of the offseason,” MLB spokesperson Glen Caplin said in a statement. “In our current economic system, these changes would be too harmful to competitive balance and would not be practical.”
The Major League Baseball Players Association responded via a statement on Thursday by rejecting the “artificial” free agent window, saying it “would reduce player leverage and create a game of musical chairs pitting player vs. player.”
“The suggestion that the only way to limit roster churn, or incentivize earlier free agent signings is with a salary cap is entirely unserious,” Bruce Meyer, the interim executive director of the MLBPA, said in the statement. “Players have proposed changes that would address these priorities, but the league is not interested in any changes that don’t directly reduce the rights of all players and shift leverage to the owners.
MLB also wants teams to set their 26-man rosters each Monday during the season, mirroring how some baseball fantasy leagues operate. Changes could be made later in the week involving players going on the injured list, bereavement list or paternity list or for trades or waiver claims.
Other parts of the proposal include requiring that position players remain on the IL for at least a full Monday-to-Monday week and pitchers remain out for two Monday-to-Monday weeks; players would have a maximum of four minor league options per season, down from five; teams could keep 14 pitchers on the roster, compared to the current limit of 13; and players would be eligible for the Rule 5 draft earlier than they are currently, and Rule 5 selections would not have to remain on the major league roster for the entire season.
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GOLF NEWS
SEI YOUNG KIM USES RED-HOT FINISH TO SET PACE AT TPC BOSTON
Sei Young Kim of South Korea went 6 under par over a six-hole stretch coming in to take the first-round lead at the FM Championship on Thursday at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass.
Kim played the back nine first and made the turn at 2 under. After birdies at Nos. 2 and 3, she went birdie-birdie-eagle from Nos. 5-7 and signed for an 8-under 64.
That placed the 33-year old one shot better than Japan’s Miyu Yamashita and Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen, tied for second at 7-under 65. Somi Lee of South Korea is alone in fourth at 6-under 66.
Kim, a former World No. 2 and 2020 Women’s PGA Champion victor, broke a five-year winless drought last October when she captured the BMW Ladies Championship in her native Korea.
“Tee is little up, so and then with the downwind it’s pretty close,” Kim said of the reachable par-5 seventh hole. “And I hit the driver, finish little right of the fairway, and I got the 190 meter to the pin. But it’s a strong downwind, so I took a hybrid, but with the hybrid a little bit can be over.
“But I try to counter-shot and I finish just three yard right of the pin, so I chip it in.”
Yamashita is aiming to go back-to-back after winning last week’s CPKC Women’s Open in Edmonton by nine strokes. She tied the LPGA record for lowest gross score in a 72-hole event with a 257.
She carried that form with her to the East Coast in a major way. She shook off a double bogey at the par-3 eighth hole by birdieing Nos. 10-13. She added another three straight birdies from Nos. 15-17 and would have been tied for the lead were it not for a bogey at the par-5 18th.
“Last week I’m happy, so today I’m feeling, yeah, good,” Yamashita said. “This course (is) tricky and (has doglegs), so rough tough.”
Pedersen is also in striking distance of what would be her first LPGA victory. She has collected five titles on the Ladies European Tour, but none since 2020.
It would taste extra sweet after she missed several months at the start of the season while recovering from wrist surgery earlier this year.
“I still can’t hit to the extent that I normally do,” Pedersen said. “I’ve always been someone that practices a lot and I’m still a little bit on a ball count.
“… So I think mentally I’ve tried and learned to like be a little bit more efficient with my time and be more prepared, and not just be hitting balls for four hours because I can and I feel like I have to punish myself or whatever.”
A large tie for fifth at 4-under 68 includes Jenny Bae, Allisen Corpuz, Lauren Coughlin, Mexico’s Gaby Lopez, England’s Lottie Woad, Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol and Koreans Haeran Ryu and Hyo Joo Kim.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda and World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand each opened with even-par rounds of 72.
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MIN WOO LEE FIRES FIRST-ROUND 62 TO LEAD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
ATLANTA — Min Woo Lee doesn’t need to be sad anymore.
He is headed back in the right direction — and in a big way.
Lee turned in a bogey-free round of 8-under 62 to take a two-shot, first-round lead at the Tour Championship, the FedEx Cup playoffs finale, on Thursday.
Lee, who tied his career low for a round, had birdies on Nos. 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16 and 18 at East Lake Golf Club in his Tour Championship
debut.
Lee, a 28-year-old Australian, entered the FedEx Cup playoffs 11th in the points standings. He slipped to 15th after the St. Jude Championship and to 21st after the BMW Championship. He rocketed to the top of the leaderboard with a $10 million first prize at stake.
Collin Morikawa, Chris Gotterup and Norway’s Viktor Hovland are two shots back of Lee after opening with 6-under 64s. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is among a quartet three shots off the lead at 5-under 65.
Lee said he was “sad” after his recent performances.
“I probably should have done a better job out there when I was playing,” Lee said. “The results were not good, and that’s kind of how I felt. … Being out there, I thought, why not give it a good crack and have a good attitude. That was probably a thing that I had to work on over the last two weeks.”
So discouraged was Lee that he said he found himself looking in the bags of other players, trying to find a solution. He ended up changing shafts on his clubs, something his team was not thrilled about. He went with a heavier shaft.
Whatever it takes.
“(My) coach back home said, ‘Why are you swinging it so fast?’” Lee said. “It didn’t look like that, but yeah, sure enough, I was swinging it pretty fast. Slowed it down a little bit, and the ball actually came out nice.”
Lee, who played the last 13 holes by himself after JJ Spaun withdrew with a right shoulder injury, was one shot off the 2024 pre-renovation course record of 9-under 61 set by Russell Henley in the first round of last year’s Tour Championship. Zach Johnson shot a 10-under 60 in 2007.
“It was a little strange at first, just like looking for a playing partner and you’re just there by yourself,” Lee said. “It was more just maintaining speeds and not rushing because I would just catch the group in front and wait. So I had to just slow down a little bit.”
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TOP INDIANA SPORTS HEADLINES
COLTS FOOTBALL
COLTS ACTIVATE TOP RECEIVER ALEC PIERCE FROM PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO PERFORM LIST AFTER ANKLE SURGERY
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts activated receiver Alec Pierce from the physically unable to perform list Thursday, two days before their final preseason game against the Detroit Lions.
Pierce had surgery on his left ankle in March after signing a four-year contract extension worth $114 million. He had a platelet-rich plasma injection, which uses a person’s blood to accelerate healing, prior to the start of free agency. But Pierce told reporters in June when that didn’t work after two months, he opted for surgery.
“We talked with the doctors, and I think we determined surgery was the smartest play for the long term,” Pierce said then. “They kind of were saying I was going to have to do it at some point, and then when I asked him what the time frame was, they said like four to six months. It was late March, so then I was like, ’OK, four months gets me basically to camp, kind of somewhere in there I should be back.’”
Pierce said the injury bothered him in 2024 and he continued to play through the pain last season.
In late July, general manager Chris Ballard told reporters he expected Pierce to miss up to two weeks of training camp as he continued to rehab. But Pierce missed all three weeks of camp and each of Indy’s first two preseason games, prompting speculation about his recovery and whether it could linger into the regular season.
He now has more than two weeks to ramp up his activity before the Colts host the Baltimore Ravens in the Sept. 13 season opener.
Coach Shane Steichen said he plans to play most of his starters in Saturday’s preseason finale with the exception of starting quarterback Daniel Jones and 2021 NFL rushing champion Jonathan Taylor. Pierce is likely to join Jones and Taylor on the sideline.
Pierce’s new deal and Indy’s subsequent trade of Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers has him as the team’s No. 1 receiver. Pierce finished each of the past two seasons with the league’s highest yards per catch among all qualifiers.
He caught 37 passes for 824 yards, 22.3 yards per catch, and a career-best seven touchdowns in 2024 then emerged as one of Jones’ favorite options last season when he had 47 receptions and 1,003 yards, both career bests, for an average of 21.3 yards with six TDs.
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The Colts on Thursday signed punter Rigoberto Sanchez to a contract extension.
The 31-year-old is entering his 10th season with the Colts, and Sanchez is coming off arguably his best season as a pro. Sanchez in 2025 had a net punt average of 44.7 yards, setting a new career high and a Colts franchise record. Sanchez finished second in the NFL in net punt average at just 0.2 yards behind the Ravens’ Jordan Stout.
Since 2023, only 3.9 percent of Sanchez’s punts have gone for touchbacks, which stands as the lowest rate in the NFL among players with at least 100 punts.
Sanchez in 2025 also threw and completed his first career pass, a 16-yard toss to tight end Mo Alie-Cox on a fourth down fake punt in Week 18 against the Houston Texans.
In 2024, Sanchez set a Colts record with a 49.7 yard gross punting average.
The Colts originally signed Sanchez as an undrafted free agent in 2017, three months after Pat McAfee announced his retirement. Sanchez is tied with defensive tackle Grover Stewart as the second-longest tenured member of the Colts behind only long snapper Luke Rhodes.
Sanchez is tied for 49th on the Colts’ all-time games list with 130 appearances and could rise as high as 26th if he appears in all 17 games this season.
COLTS COACH SHANE STEICHEN: https://www.colts.com/video/hc-shane-steichen-on-alec-pierce-s-return-saturday-s-expectations-2026-media-availability-august-27
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INDIANA FEVER
By Madie Chandler-Donahue | FeverBasketball.com
Indiana Fever vs Connecticut Sun
Friday, August 28, 2026
Gainbridge Fieldhouse | 7:30 p.m. ET
BROADCAST INFO
TV: ION – Pat Boylan (play-by-play), Debbie Antonelli (analyst), Kelsie Kasper (sideline reporter)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – John Nolan (play-by-play), Bria Goss (analyst)
PROBABLE STARTERS
Indiana Fever (25-14)
Guard – Caitlin Clark
Guard – Kelsey Mitchell
Forward – Lexie Hull
Forward – Makayla Timpson
Center – Aliyah Boston
Connecticut Sun (10-28)
Guard – Charlisse Leger-Walker
Guard – Kennedy Burke
Forward – Saniya Rivers
Forward – Diamond Miller
Center – Aaliyah Edwards
GAME PREVIEW
The Fever are back in Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday to follow up a bounce back win in Chicago on Sunday. Indiana went 3-2 on its five-game road trip, and successfully clinched a spot in the WNBA postseason. The Connecticut Sun are in town on Friday as the Fever shift their focus to a pursuit of home court advantage come playoff time.
With all eight postseason teams decided, seeding rises to the top of the list of priorities for those set to compete for a title. Indiana sits at fifth place in the overall standings entering Friday’s matchup, but has its sights set on a top-four seed and home court advantage in the first round of playoffs. As the Fever trail the Atlanta Dream by just half a game, the final five contests of the regular season are crucial opportunities for Indiana to attempt to rise in the standings.
Friday’s clash with the Sun is the first of those opportunities. The matchup marks Indiana’s final game before the FIBA World Cup break that stretches into mid-September, and the Fever look to carry momentum into that break.
A shorthanded Sun team is set to clash with a red-hot Fever offense on Friday. The Sun have the second-worst record in the league at 10-28, and injuries to key players like Brittney Griner and Olivia Nelson-Ododa limit Connecticut’s competitive ability. Leila Lacan, Connecticut’s second-leading scorer behind Griner, has already departed the Sun to join France in preparation for the FIBA World Cup.
Indiana’s offense has been historically potent throughout August. Kelsey Mitchell is the sole owner of the league’s longest streak of consecutive 20+ point games – now 23 straight games – and is averaging just shy of 25 points per game for the Fever. She hasn’t scored under 20 points in a game since June 20, and racked up 30 points against the Sky on Sunday.
Caitlin Clark is also finding her groove. She recorded 37 points and 10 assists in Chicago, and knocked down a career-high eight 3-pointers in the contest. Clark has scored 20 or more points in eight of Indiana’s 10 games in August, and recorded no less than seven assists in all 10 games. Her synergy with Mitchell and Aliyah Boston is leading to outrageous offensive output for the Fever as Indiana barrels through this stretch of schedule.
Boston is day-to-day with a lingering leg injury that held her out of Sunday’s meeting with the Sky. If Boston is unable to play, Makayla Timpson and Monique Billings could see an increased workload in the post and the paint.
Friday’s matchup is Connecticut’s final trip to Indiana this season, and marks the last game on the Fever’s schedule before the FIBA World Cup break in which Clark, Boston, and coach Stephanie White will represent the United States in international competition. Once the league resumes play in September, the Fever will have four games remaining in the regular season before postseason play begins at the end of the month.
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INDIANA MEN’S SOCCER
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana men’s soccer (3-0-0, 0-0-0 B1G) completed an unbeaten three-match, in-state homestand Thursday (Aug. 27) night with a 1-0 victory over Butler (0-2-1, 0-0-0 Big East) on Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
The scoreline hides IU’s 33-2 shots advantage, as the Hoosiers forced Butler goalkeeper Brooks Boersema to make a career-high 14 saves. Boersema couldn’t save defender Nick McHenry’s 62nd minute shot from a corner kick, the lone difference in Thursday’s match.
Indiana remains unbeaten in three matches this season, improving to 3-0-0 with wins against in-state opponents Notre Dame (3-1), Evansville (3-0) and Butler (1-0) to start the campaign. The Hoosiers have yet to allow a goal from open play, their lone concession coming from an 83rd-minute penalty kick in the season opener.
KEY MOMENTS
• 34′ – Top Drawer Soccer National Player of the Week Oliver Moller-Jensen was kept out three times in just over a minute of game time. In the 33rd minute, he found a pocket of space for a free header, but the shot was saved. The rebound came back to him off-balanced, and his left-footed attempt went high. A minute later, he forced another save with a shot from just outside the 18-yard box.
• 54′ – Moller-Jensen had another great opportunity from a counter-attack just out of the break. He received the ball coming in from the right wing, backed his marker down, cut inside, avoided a sliding challenge and got his left foot around the ball a little too much, putting his shot just wide of the right stick.
• 62′ – GOAL! Alex Matthew’s corner kick sailed to the far side of the six, but the Butler defender couldn’t control it. McHenry was in the right place at the right time to whip his right foot around the deflection and score the winner. Indiana 1, Butler 0
NOTABLES
• McHenry scored his first goal of the season and first as a Hoosier. Matthews’ assist came as his first point as in the cream and crimson. Nine different Hoosiers have contributed to seven goals this season.
• Stephane Njike made his Indiana debut with a start, and Collins Oduro made his season debut as a 28th-minute substitute.
• IU recorded its highest single-match shot total since October 27, 2023, versus Trine (34). It was also the best performance in the category against a Division I opponent since November 6, 2017 versus Penn State (34).
• Indiana improved to 27-5-5 against Butler all-time and expanded its unbeaten streak in the series to five matches (4-0-1 since last defeat in 2019).
• Thursday’s attendance: 3,080.
• Moller-Jensen attempted 11 shots, tied for second-most in Hoosier program history. Only Will Bruin’s 12-shot performance against Tulsa on November 21, 2010, betters Thursday’s performance. Moller-Jensen’s 11 marked the most since 2017, when Mason Toye recorded the same number of shots twice in the Big Ten Tournament: against Penn State in the first round (Nov. 6) and Wisconsin in the final (Nov. 12).
• Boersema’s 13 saves rank No. 4 in Butler’s history and marked the most saves by a Bulldog keeper since Jason Richarz’s own 13-save performance on October 6, 2000, versus Indiana.
UP NEXT
Indiana hits the road for the first time in 2026 on Monday (Aug. 31) at Louisville. Both teams will boast 3-0-0 records going into Monday’s meeting.
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INDIANA FIELD HOCKEY
LOUISVILLE, Ky. ––– Indiana Field Hockey hits the road for its season opener against two ranked opponents on August 29 and August 30 at Trager Stadium in Louisville, Ky.
2025 Rewind
The Hoosiers won four of five games to close-out the regular season. Indiana ended the 2025 regular season with a 9-8 record and a 4-4 record in conference play.
Indiana Field Hockey saw back-to-back seasons with 9+ wins (2024,2025) with five ranked wins across both years.
The team boasts two victories against top 10 teams over two years, (2025 – beat No. 10 Maryland and 2024 – beat No. 7 Michigan). Both wins were on the road.
The Hoosiers 2025 season concluded with a 0-1 loss to No.3 seed Iowa in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
Midwest on the Rise
With Field Hockey historically dominating internationally and on the domestic coasts, a rise of talent locally has brought a sleuth of talented players and successful seasons in recent years.
In the Preseason Penn Monto/ NFHCA DI National Coaches Poll, five of the top 20 teams are located in the midwest, including the No. 1 ranked team (Northwestern). The handful in the rankings demonstrate the fact that more top players are bringing their talents to midwestern schools.
Scouting the Competition
The Hoosiers will open play on Saturday against No.10 Miami (Ohio). Following the neutral site match against the RedHawks, Indiana Field Hockey will face No.18 Louisville on Sunday.
Miami concluded its 2025 season with a 16-5 overall record, including a close 3-2 win over the Hoosiers. Play was tied throughout the match until No.16 Miami scored in the 4th quarter to secure the win.
Louisville and Indiana last met in Bloomington, where the Hoosiers fell 5-4 against the Cardinals. Indiana has a 5-18 overall record in matches featuring Louisville. It boasts a 15-10 record all time against Miami (Ohio).
Coach Will Holt is back in Bloomington for his second stint as a coach at IU. He previously was with IU from 2020-21. He also served as an assistant coach at Louisville in two stints both when he was a student and in a full-time capacity (2022-24).
Overtime Tidbits
Indiana’s Inés Garcia Prado, Molly Stutte and Mijntje Hagen were named to the Big Ten’s preseason Players to Watch list.
Inés Garcia Prado, Mijntje Hagen and Gabriela Garayo Aranceta were featured on the 2026 NFHCA Division I Players to Watch List.
Upperclassmen Mijntje Hagen, Javi Baeza, Inés Garcia Prado look to get the team to new heights this season as team captains.
Indiana’s roster bolsters a former high school duo who are once again playing together at the collegiate level. Javi Baeza and Charlotte Glasper played together at Shaker Heights High School (Ohio).
The Hoosiers further their international talent, expanding the number of countries represented on the team. Lily Freeman and Jessie Mauro came to Bloomington from England while Keke Sluiter, Isa Smulders and Mijntje Hagen travelled from the Netherlands. Agustina Gamonal is from Chile and Helen Grahe represents Germany. Spain boasts the highest representation with Celia Arroyo Cabezudo, Inés Garcia Prado, Berta Sáenz de Santa María and Gabriela Garayo Aranceta representing Spain in Bloomington.
Freshman Berta Sáenz de Santa María reunites on the field with Sophomore Celia Arroyo Cabezudo as the pair both attended Esclavas Del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús. Alongside the duo, Gabriela Garayo Aranceta is also from Santander, Spain.
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PURDUE WOMEN’S SOCCER
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue erupted for five first-half goals, including four penalty-kick conversions, to cruise past Ball State, 5–0, Thursday night at Folk Field. The Boilers continued their record-breaking streak of scoring five or more goals in four-consecutive matches for the first time in program history.
Purdue outshot the Cardinals 29-4 and limited Ball State to just one shot on goal.
Purdue wasted little time getting on the board. After a Ball State foul in the box, Jaiden Anderson converted a penalty kick in the sixth minute to give the Boilers an early 1–0 advantage. Just under three minutes later, Rosa Maalouf doubled the lead, finding the back of the net off a header from Irene Campo.
Campo then took over from the penalty spot. The senior converted her first penalty kick in the 14th minute before adding another in the 23rd minute, giving Purdue a 4–0 lead.
Maalouf capped the first-half scoring in the 26th minute, converting Purdue’s fourth penalty kick of the opening 45 minutes to complete her brace and send the Boilermakers into halftime with a 5–0 advantage.
The Boilermakers put 11 shots on target overall, forcing six saves from Cardinals goalkeeper Kate Pallante.
Campo finished the night with two goals and an assist, while Maalouf added two goals. Anderson contributed a goal from the penalty spot, and Krystina Wolf made one save to earn her fourth win of the season and fourth shutout.
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PURDUE SWIMMING
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A pair of multi-day co-ed dual meets at home plus the return of the men’s Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships to the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center headline Purdue Swimming & Diving’s 2026-27 schedules.
The Boilermakers have six home meets (five co-ed) on the schedules. Purdue hosts both Indiana and the two-day Big Ten Triple Duals (vs. Minnesota and Northwestern) over consecutive weekends in January for the first time since 2017. With the Boilers also hosting both men’s Big Tens and the co-ed Diving Zones, the Purdue men’s only meet away from West Lafayette during the spring semester will be the NCAA Championships.
The Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center opened in August 2001 and is set to host Big Tens and Zones in the same year for the fourth time. The men’s Big Ten Championships were also contested at the Burke Aquatic Center in 2004, 2009, 2016 and 2022. Diving Zones were also held in West Lafayette in 2005, 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019. The previous double-duty years were 2005, 2010 and 2016 in part to the women’s Big Ten and NCAA Championships also being held at the Burke Aquatic Center in 2005 and 2010.
The three-day NCAA Zone C Diving Championships serves as diving’s NCAA Championships qualifier for student-athletes that compete at universities based in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio.
The home opener is once again the Dan Ross Indiana Intercollegiate – set for Saturday, Oct. 24 this year. Annually held on a Saturday in October, it features teams of all NCAA divisions from across the state as the largest home meet of this season. It was renamed in honor of Purdue’s longtime head coach in the summer of 2023, about a month after Ross retired and closed out a 42-year coaching career.
The Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center is slated to host both national championship meets – with consolation finals returning to the meet program following a one-year hiatus in 2026. Texas also hosted both the men’s and women’s championships in 2019. The NCAA Championships are also returning to Austin in March 2028 and it was announced this summer that the men’s meet will be contested first for the first time in 2028. The genders then will alternate “up first” with a rotation in the years to follow – women first in odd-numbered years, men first in even-numbered years.
Purdue is slated to compete in Columbus for its midseason showcase for the second year in a row, returning to the Ohio State Invitational. It’s a Tuesday evening to Friday format again this year while mirroring the event schedule at the Big Ten Championships. Last season’s field at the Ohio State Invitational also featured Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Penn State, Cincinnati, Yale, the UCLA women & host Buckeyes.
The Boilermakers have another two-day meet scheduled for Halloween Weekend, hosting Horizon League champion Oakland for co-ed dual meet action. Sessions are set for 5 p.m. on Oct. 30 and 11 a.m. on Halloween.
The annual two-day Big Ten Triple Duals also return to the Burke Aquatic Center for the final weekend of January. Purdue’s Senior Day ceremony will be held before Saturday’s 11 a.m. session of the meet. The Boilermakers also hosted the co-ed Big Ten Triple Duals at the Burke Aquatic Center in 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2020 and 2024.
More dual meets vs. Big Ten opponents includes an Oct. 23 women’s triple dual vs. Iowa and UCLA in Iowa City. The Boilermakers will get an opportunity to compete at the site of the women’s Big Ten Championships; Iowa’s Campus Recreation and Wellness Center will host for the first time since 2020. The Purdue men return to Wisconsin for a dual meet in December and the women open their season with an Oct. 2 dual at Illinois.
Selected men’s swimmers will open their season at the Seminole Fall Classic in Tallahassee for the second year in a row. The two-day meet is set for Oct. 9-10 this year.
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PURDUE VOLLEYBALL
MATCHDAY INFORMATION
#9 Purdue vs. #13 Creighton
State Farm Volleyball Showcase
Friday, August 28 | 7 p.m. ET
Sanford Pentagon | Sioux Falls, S.D.
TV: FOX or FOX app
Radio: Purdue Sports App
PRIMED TO MAKE HISTORY
With the first win of the 2026 season, head coach Dave Shondell will become the outright all-time winningest head coach in Purdue Athletics history, surpassing men’s basketball legend Gene Keady’s 512 wins.
SCHEDULING TOUGH
The Boilermakers are set to start the season with three of its first four opponents ranked in the top 20 of the preseason poll.
Purdue’s start to the year includes three opponents in the first six days of the season (two of which are top-13 ranked teams).
A NEW STATE TO PLAY IN
The match vs. #13 Creighton will mark the first-ever match for Purdue Volleyball in the state of South Dakota.
PRESEASON ACCOLADES
The three returning All-America and All-Big Ten first team selections were named to the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List and named preseason All-Big Ten.
As a team, Purdue was picked to finish fourth in the Big Ten.
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Purdue will be a part of what’s believed to be the first NCAA matches played outside the U.S. with the upcoming trip to the Bahamas.
Purdue’s docket will include facing either eight AVCA Player of the Year Watch List honorees (if they play SMU in the Paradise Invitational) or 10 (if they play Kentucky in the Paradise Invitational).
In total, the Boilermakers will face eight or 10 Watch List honorees, depending on if they face the SMU Mustangs (who has two named) or the Kentucky Wildcats (who have four named) in the Paradise Invitational tournament.
Fans can catch the Boilers on TV 13 times this season across BTN, FOX, FS and ESPN Networks.
Six of Purdue’s nine non-con matches will be at home.
Three matches are slated for Mackey Arena: 9/1 vs. Texas A&M, 9/2 vs. Georgia and 9/27 vs. Wisconsin.
BIG TEN SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
One of the toughest ends to the conference slate, Purdue is set the end the season with five of six contests on the road, the most in the league.
Purdue will spend the final 35 days leading up to the NCAA First Round with just one home match (from October 30-December 3).
The Big Ten announced the debut of the Big Ten Volleyball Tournament, running November 20-25 at the Fishers Event Center.
With the tournament announcement, the Big Ten season will move from 20 to 17 matches, with a single round-robin format.
LEADING THE B1G IN RETURNING ACCOLADES
The program ties for first in the Big Ten with four returning All-Big Ten selections (joined by Nebraska and USC).
#13 CREIGHTON AT A GLANCE
Purdue and Creighton have just three matches against each other, all coming in the last 10 years – 2017, 2023 and 2024.
#13 Creighton is coming off a successful year in which first-year head coach Brian Rosen led the squad to an undefeated Big East record (16-0), 28-6 overall record and an NCAA Regional Semifinal appearance, where the squad was swept by national runner-up No. 2 Kentucky in Lexington.
Key losses include three All-Americans, however the Bluejays picked up transfers from Wisconsin (Trinity Shadd-Ceres), Texas (Ayden Ames) and Kansas (Katie Dalton). They return on All-Big East honoree in Jaya Johnson.
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PURDUE FOOTBALL
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Football wrapped up its open practice session of fall camp on Thursday morning (August 27), just eight days before kicking off the 2026 season.
One of many coaches to note the team showing stronger chemistry this season, special teams coordinator James Shibest is grateful for the opportunity to have worked with this unit since January.
“We’re so much further ahead with everything,” said Shibest. “Last year we had to reteach everything with the team new from spring ball to fall camp… I see confident people and a good look in their eyes, which is different than what we saw last year.”
With the departure of both starting kicker and punter from last season, the Boilers had an open competition throughout the offseason. Jacobo Echevarria Lozano and Seth Turner competed for kickoff and place kicking, while Dylan Drennan and Sam Dubwig competed for punting.
During the competition, Echeverria, a true freshman, gained an edge in field goal kicking, while Turner took the reins on kickoff duties. On the punting side, Drennan was noted by Shibest as the player who is running with the ones.
“I’ve been very grateful in competing all summer with Seth,” said Echeverria Lozano. “We’ve been bringing each other up… It’s been a heavy competition all summer, and I’m just grateful to be in the position I’m in.”
Turner enters his second season with the Boilers and will resume his role from 2025 as the kickoff specialist. He totaled 53 kickoffs with 30 touchbacks a season ago.
“I’m going to be kicking off game one, so I’m excited for that,” said Turner. “I’m staying ready for any opportunities with the field goals… Whenever my number’s called, I’m going to be ready for the opportunity.”
Drennan joined the Boilers as a sophomore after he was an All-MAC punter in 2025 at Buffalo. He punted 65 times for a 44.8-yard average with 25 punts inside the 20. While being recruited out of high school, Drennan had contact with Shibest about a role at UNLV before he ultimately landed at Buffalo.
“He recruited me out of high school to UNLV, and he loved me there, it just didn’t end up working out,” said Drennan. “When I heard he went to Purdue I was obviously excited for him. Then when I heard he was calling me I was like ‘This is so cool.’ It’s the type of reunion I was fortunate to be in.”
Purdue returns to the field on Friday (August 28) with one week remaining until the start of the season on Friday (September 4) at home against Indiana State at 7 p.m. ET.
SPECIAL TEAMS COACH JAMES SHIBEST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw7MRUF8WRE
SPECIALIST DYLAN DRENNAN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFQ9hf9ts4c
SPECIALIST JACOBO ECHHEVERRIA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxDrkDWODAg
SPECIALIST SETH TURNER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNDXNnQ-F0o
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NOTRE DAME VOLLEYBALL
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame volleyball opens up the 2026 season and head coach Salima Rockwell’s fifth season in South Bend this upcoming weekend when the Irish host Ball State and Xavier for a round-robin tournament.
The three days of competition begin when Notre Dame hosts Ball State Friday, August 28 at 6:30 p.m. on ACC Network Extra before Ball State and Xavier face off Saturday, August 29th at 3:00 p.m. in a neutral site match. Notre Dame and Xavier close out the weekend on Sunday, August 30th at 1:00 p.m. ET broadcast on ACC Network Extra. Admission to all Notre Dame regular season matches is free.
HISTORY VS. BALL STATE
This is the eighth meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Ball State. The Irish lead the all-time series 4-3 and it’s the first meeting since 2019
Notre Dame beat the Cardinals in four sets back on September 14, 2019 at the Northern Kentucky Invitational – 19-25, 25-16, 25-22, 26-24
The Irish are 1-1 at home against Ball State, winning last in 1992
HISTORY VS. XAVIER
This is the 14th meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Xavier. The Irish are 12-1 in the all-time series and have won 10 in a row against the Musketeers, not losing since 1984
The last meeting between the two programs was on September 14, 2012. Notre Dame beat Xavier in five sets 25-19, 18-25, 25-18, 28-30, 15-6
Notre Dame is 6-0 all-time at home against Xavier, including 2012’s win
HELMERS LEADS
Sydney Helmers returns to Notre Dame after posting 229 kills, 157 digs, 36 blocks and 25 service aces in 2025 after transferring from Texas
She posted a career-best 19 kills in the win over Virginia Tech last October and had her first-career double-double last September against Syracuse with 12 kills and 10 digs
She was named to the All-ACC Academic Team in 2025, the third different conference she has earned academic honors in (At Texas: SEC-2024, Big 12-2023) She was also a member of the 2023 National Champion team with the Longhorns
AT THE NET
Anna Bjork and Grace Langer enter their junior seasons at Notre Dame
Bjork logged a career-high and team-leading 125 blocks last season to go along with 106 kills, becoming a force up the middle
She had a career-high 10 blocks at Georgia Tech and her 1.23 blocks per set was the 10th-highest clip in the ACC
Langer was the only Irish to start all 28 matches last season, a season where she tallied 112 blocks, 95 kills, 26 digs, 10 assists and five service aces
In the season opener last year against Santa Clara, Langer put up 11 block assists, a career-high. She had two games with 10 or more blocks last season (Pitt, October 17)
In a homecoming match last year at Colorado State, Langer tallied nine kills on a career-best .600 hitting percentage to go along with 4.0 blocks
SOPHOMORE RISERS
Maya Baker, Maya Evens, Mae Kordas and Chichi Nnaji all made impacts during their freshman campaigns in 2025
Baker led the team with 549 assists (5.18 a/s) to go along with 150 digs and 21 service aces. She notched her first career double-double with 21 assists and 13 digs against Villanova (August 31) and had a career-high 31 assists in the sweep over Duke (October 26)
Evens appeared in 98 sets last year and led the team with 283 digs. In the season-opener last year against Santa Clara, she totaled a career-high 25 digs and was named to the Catholic Challenge All-Tournament Team
Kordas came on strong during conference play last season, having 107 of her 112 kills last year come against conference foes. She posted back-to-back games with double-digit kills in October and had a career-best 13 kills in the road finale at Virginia Tech (November 26)
Nnaji appeared in 25 matches with 13 starts in 2025, totaling 125 kills, 65 blocks and 40 digs. She recorded games of 10 kills against Santa Clara (August 29) and Pitt (October 17)
FRESH FACES
The Irish bring in seven newcomers to the 2026 squad; four freshman and three transfers
Stella Adeyemi, Angie Desamours and Chloe Hooker all transferred in following stops at previous schools
Adeyemi played her last three seasons at Hawaii, where she totaled 358 kills and 378 points over 46 matches played. 250 of her kills came during her sophomore season in 2024
An outside hitter from Papillion, Nebraska, Adeyemi started the first 10 matches for the Rainbow Warriors last year before a season-ending injury ended her junior campaign. She still recorded double-figure kills in five matches to go along with three double-doubles in that short span
Hooker will make the transition from the sand to the court this season. The former beach All-American for Loyola Marymount won back-to-back West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors the last two seasons and is the program’s leading wins holder at the West Coast Conference Beach Volleyball Tournament
Desmaours, a former LSU commit, attended and played volleyball at Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland, where she was named AA Division All-League in 2023 and helped Bullis win the ISL Championship in 2024 She totaled 109 kills and 41 service aces in 2024.
Rockwell’s incoming freshman class consists of Carla Mercado, Isabella Sangha, Hailie Vaughn and Portia Zeidler
Mercado, the program’s first-ever player from Puerto Rico, was a gold medal winner at the Pan American Cup U17 and a silver medal winner at the NORCECA Championship U17 while representing Puerto Rico on an international level.
Sangha, who will play both volleyball and women’s basketball for the Irish, was the Sun-Sentinel Broward County 7A-5A Player of the Year for volleyball and was ranked the No.1 middle blocker in the state. During her senior season, she recorded 266 kills (3.4 k/s) with a .378 hitting percentage and 65 total blocks. PrepDig ranked her the 134th best player in the 2025 class. She was a top-100 recruit in women’s basketball by ESPNW, On3 and Prep Girls Hoops Rankings
Vaughn, from Overland Park, Kansas, was a two-time Kansas Volleyball Association All-State First Team member. She was also named to the AVCA All-Region Team (Region 8) and was a three-time all-academic performer in the classroom
Ziedler was a four year starter at Los Gatos High School in Los Gatos, California. She was a three-time SCVAL All-League First Team honoree and was ranked the 43rd overall player in the state of California by Prep Dig California . Her dad, Caltyon, competed in high jump at Cal
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NOTRE DAME MEN’S SOCCER
NOTRE DAME vs. #8 SAINT LOUIS – Friday, August 28 at 7:30 PM
Location: South Bend, IN | Alumni Stadium
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will take on the No. 8 Saint Louis Billikens at Alumni Stadium on Thursday, August 27, for their second ranked matchup so far this season. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
BY THE NUMBERS
32
Victories in home openers through 48 seasons of play. Notre Dame has compiled a record of 32-10-6 in program history.
25
NCAA Championship appearances earned by Notre Dame since 1988. Notre Dame has appeared in 21 of the last 25 tournaments.
14
Returning players that received playing time during the 2025 season.
12
wins over the Northwestern Wildcats at home with the most recent home win over Northwestern taking place on Oct. 3, 2017 with a 2-1 overtime victory
9
Seasons for McFarland Family Men’s Head Soccer Coach Chad Riley at the helm at Notre Dame, amassing a record of 80-5-26 during his tenure. He is the first coach to ever lead the Irish to two College Cups in program history.
9
Freshmen added to the 2026 roster. The Irish welcome Eli Ackerman, Michael Capretto, Patrick Cuneo, Adrian Hrvojevic, Evan Lim, Maverick McCoy, Thaddeus Sawyer, Ethan Scala and Tristan Tropeano to the program.
7
Assists from Nolan Spicer last season, leading the team during the 2025 campaign.
3
Captains on the 2025 team – senior midfielder Nolan Spicer, junior goalkeeper Blake Kelly, and senior midfielder Leo Brummell
3
College Cup appearances in program history, including two in the last five seasons.
3
Incoming transfers on this season’s squad as Noah Deitrich (Western Michigan), Lincoln Ulrich (Coastal Carolina) and Vlad Walent (Wake Forest) join the Fighting Irish for the 2026 season.
1
Notre Dame’s incoming freshman class is the top-ranked class in the country according to TopDrawerSoccer.com.
1
Notre Dame men’s soccer national championship, earned by way of a 2-1 win over Maryland in the final game of the 2013 NCAA College Cup in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
1
Notre Dame’s incoming freshman class is the top-ranked class in the country according to TopDrawerSoccer.com.
1
Notre Dame men’s soccer national championship, earned by way of a 2-1 win over Maryland in the final game of the 2013 NCAA College Cup in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
CAPRETTO SCORES IN 1-1 DRAW AGAINST NORTHWESTERN
• The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0-1-1) finished with a 1-1 draw against the Northwestern Wildcats (1-0-1) in the home opener at Alumni Stadium on Sunday evening.
• Freshman forward Michael Capretto scored Notre Dame’s sole goal of the night for his first collegiate goal in just the second game of the season.
• Senior defender Sean McDowd finished with an assist and junior goalkeeper Blake Kelly secured four saves on the night.
SEASON OPENER AT #22 INDIANA
• The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0-1-0) fell 3-1 in their season opener on the road against the No. 22 Indiana Hoosiers (1-0-0) on Thursday night.
• Senior goalkeeper Blake Kelly finished with five saves on the night. Fifth year defender Vlad Walent scored the first Irish goal of the season and his first goal in an Irish uniform.
2026 CAPTAINS
• McFarland Family Men’s Head Soccer Coach Chad Riley announced that senior midfielder Nolan Spicer, junior goalkeeper Blake Kelly, and senior midfielder Leo Brummell will serve as captains of the 2026 Notre Dame men’s soccer program this year.
• Spicer was a 2025 All-ACC Third Team honoree as the midfielder led the Irish in assists with seven (career high) and was tied for seventh in the ACC in total assists last season. He was also second on the team in points (11) off two goals and seven assists.
• Kelly started in all 20 matches for the Irish last season where he totaled 71 saves, allowing 25 goals for a .740 save percentage on the season. He finished the season with six clean sheets and recorded five or more saves in seven matches.
• Brummell is a senior midfielder, joining the Irish roster in the spring of 2025 as he now serves a captain in the 2026 season.
BALANCED ATTACK
• Ten returning Irish players registered at least one point in their Notre Dame career, as the team returns 54 points from last year.
• Nine players that scored a goal during the 2024 campaign are back on this year’s team.
• Junior Jack Flanagan is the top returning goal scorer on the 2025 squad after firing in a career-high four goals during his sophomore campaign.
THE CHAD RILEY ERA
• McFarland Family Head Men’s Soccer Coach Chad Riley is in his eighth season in charge of the Notre Dame men’s soccer program in 2025.
• Riley became the first head coach in program history to lead the Fighting Irish to two College Cup appearances, coming during the 2021 and 2023 seasons.
• Notre Dame has captured both an ACC regular season and tournament title under his direction, both firsts in program history.
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BUTLER FOOTBALL
GAME 1: Butler (0-0) vs. Georgetown College (Ky.) (0-0)
Date: Saturday, Aug. 29
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Indianapolis, Ind. | Bud & Jackie Sellick Bowl
Live Stats: Butlersports.com
Live Stream: ESPN+
The Butler football team will kickoff the 2026 season this Saturday at the Bud & Jackie Sellick Bowl, as the Georgetown College (Ky.) Tigers visit Indianapolis. Head Coach Kevin Lynch enters his second season at the helm of the Bulldogs.
LAST SEASON: The Bulldogs went 6-6 in 2025, with a 4-4 record in PFL action. BU opened the year 4-2 with wins over Truman State, Hanover, Marist and St. Thomas. Butler captured the Hoosier Helmet in the final week of the regular season with a 27-20 win over Valparaiso.
THE SERIES: Butler is 10-1 all-time against Georgetown College. The last meeting between the two sides was in 1994. BU secured the 31-21 victory with Ken LaRose at the helm of the Dawgs. Butler is on a seven-game win streak against the Tigers. In the 1994 matchup, Arnold Mickens recorded the sixth-most carries in a game in Butler Football history, with 44.
BULLDOG BLITZ:
The Bulldogs are 18-6 when playing at the Sellick Bowl since the beginning of the 2022 season. BU is 5-0 in home openers dating back to the 2021 season.
Reagan Andrew returns for the Bulldogs in 2026 after a productive 2025 that saw him earn Phil Steele All-PFL Fourth Team honors. Andrew threw for 1,553 yards and added 12 touchdowns through the air. The signal caller was Butler’s leading rusher a year ago, with 615 yards and eight touchdowns to his credit.
The Bulldogs added Albert Kunickis III from Northwestern and Desmin Jackson from Dartmouth this offseason. The duo will serve as a solid 1-2 punch out of the backfield for the Bulldogs.
Mason Armstrong, a Preseason All-PFL selection at linebacker, returns to the Bulldog defense in 2026. Armstrong posted 65 tackles a season ago, which ranked second on the squad.
Luke Green also represented Butler on the Preseason All-PFL team and will be a pivotal part of the Bulldog defensive line. Green recorded 23 tackles and two tackles for loss last season while blocking two kicks. His two blocks ranked first in the PFL and sixth nationally in FCS.
Butler returns all five starting offensive linemen from last year’s team that ranked 43rd nationally and third in the PFL in rushing offense with 167.4 yards per game. Butler’s O-line allowed only 15 sacks a year ago, a mark that ranked first in the PFL and 19th nationally.
Charles Mackley, Green and Armstrong represent Butler on the 2026 Preseason All-PFL Team.
Butler was picked fifth in the 2026 Pioneer Football League Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
Butler added 35 newcomers to the 2026 roster, including transfers from Northwestern, Dartmouth, Princeton, Yale, Findlay, Catholic, Davenport, IWU, College of the Canyons and Augustana.
SCOUTING GEORGETOWN COLLEGE (Ky.)
Georgetown College was picked to finish second in the Mid-South Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Lindsey Wilson was picked to finish first just ahead of the Tigers.
Guy Bailey returns for the Tigers in 2026 after leading the squad in rushing last season with 969 yards. Bailey scored nine touchdowns on the ground and added 136 receiving yards on 15 catches.
Justice Burnam is the most seasoned signal caller on the Tigers roster from last season. Burnman recorded 399 yards on 51 passing attempts to go with five touchdowns.
Senior Ethan Freeland will anchor the Tiger defense in 2026 after posting a team-high 63 tackles last season.
John Perin enters his second season at the helm of the Tigers. Perin led Georgetown College to a 7-3 record in 2025 with a 4-2 mark in conference play.
UP NEXT
Butler will travel to Bozeman, Montana, to take on the reigning FCS National Champions, Montana State. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. MT (8:30 p.m. ET), and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Fans can purchase single-game tickets at https://am.ticketmaster.com/butler/buy. Football single-game tickets begin at $15 for adults and $10 for youth. Season tickets for the 2026 Butler football season include general admission adult tickets for just $85 and reserved seats for only $105. Season parking passes are also available for purchase.
Group tickets for fall sports are now also available. A discounted ticket rate is available for groups of 10 or more, which can also include gameday recognition and special fan experiences. Those interested in group opportunities should contact Kyle Williamson (kwilliamson2@butler.edu / 317-940-2046) or Jack Bosworth (jbosworth@butler.edu / 317-940-6160).
Cabanas are also available again this season for Butler Football games. The package includes a private 9×10 cabana with enclosure on three sides. Two parking passes and 12 general admission tickets are included in the single-game package ($395) or three-game package ($999).
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BUTLER VOLLEYBALL
Butler will head to Clemson University for the Big Orange Bash this weekend. These will be the first three regular-season matches for the Bulldogs.
Friday, Aug. 28 – vs. Western Carolina at 2 p.m. ET
Saturday, Aug. 29 – at host Clemson at 5 p.m. ET
Sunday, Aug. 30 – vs. Charleston Southern at Noon ET
Butler Recently
Butler opened the season with exhibition matches at No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 9 Purdue.
Bulldogs Bits
The Bulldogs have 11 returners this season to pair with five freshmen and two transfer students.
Head Coach Kyle Shondell enters his fourth season at Butler. He believes “this season has the potential to be the biggest step we’ve taken yet”
Returning for her senior season is Elise Ward, who earned Preseason All-BIG EAST honors in a vote of the league’s coaches. Ward was second in 2025 in kills with 308 after leading the Bulldogs in the statistical category during the 2024 season.
Senior Sawyer Jones also returns for the Bulldogs after finishing third on the team in kills (199) during the 2025 campaign.
Scouting Western Carolina
Butler will face Western Carolina as its first regular-season opponent in 2026. The Catamounts finished 8-21 overall in 2025, including a 3-13 record in the Southern Conference. Sophomore Tatum Sharp led the team with 252 kills, while senior Katie Boney recorded a team-high 1,066 assists.
Scouting Clemson
The Tigers finished 18-14 overall in 2025, including a 6-14 record in ACC play. Most of the team leaders from the 2025 season graduated, so fans can expect to see new faces on the floor for the Tigers. Katherine Sandt recorded a team-high 1,098 assists and is returning for her senior season.
Scouting Charleston Southern
Charleston Southern finished 16-13 overall last season, including an 8-6 record in the Big South Conference. Junior Tristin Sutton recorded a team-high 557 assists, and junior Emma Bednarek led the Buccaneers with 99 blocks.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will open the home portion of their 2026 schedule with the Indy Invite Sept. 3-5. The three-match weekend begins Thursday against Youngstown State, followed by matches against Akron and Ohio.
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BUTLER MEN’S SOCCER
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Butler goalkeeper Brooks Boersma gave an inspired effort between the posts for the Butler men’s soccer team, denying No. 14 Indiana a goal for 61 minutes. The Hoosiers (3-0-0) ultimately put one in the back of the net and held on for a 1-0 victory.
Boersma ended the match with 14 saves, tying Butler’s program record in just his third start for the Bulldogs (0-2-1).
Key Moments
5′ | An Indiana corner kick is played short. The Hoosiers take a shot from deep which deflects off a Bulldog defender, hits the left post, and bounces out of play.
8′ | Indiana attacks from the left side. A hard shot is saved by Boersma, but the deflection lands among players near the arc. A subsequent shot by the Hoosiers is off target.
12′ | Butler advances the ball forward and connect a couple of passes in the area. Brendan Cunningham’s shot is blocked.
23′ | Boersma is forced to save two successive shots, just 44 seconds apart. The first is from 13 yards out and the second is from just outside the area on the left side.
34′ | Boersma makes his ninth save of the half on a header from six yards in front of the goal.
HALFTIME
52′ | Butler’s Chace Crismale carries into the area in front of the Hoosiers’ net. His cross is deflected out for a corner kick, but the Bulldogs are unable to use it to get a shot.
54′ | The Indiana attack generates a shot from 13 yards, right in front of the goal, but the ball flies wide of the right post.
62′ | On its twelfth corner kick of the match, Indiana breaks through. The service from Alex Matthews is deflected to the ground, and Nick MdHenry gives the Hoosiers a 1-0 lead.
74′ | Butler pushes forward and sends a low cross into the area, but Indiana’s defense intercepts and clears the threat.
88′ | The Hoosiers attack from the left side. A low shot from near the end line, just six yards away, is deflected away by Boersma.
Bulldog Bits
Boersma’s 14 saves were the most by a Bulldog goalkeeper since 1993, matching John Cone who faced Western Kentucky.
David McVay also made 14 saves for Butler in two separate matches in 1989.
Up Next
Butler returns to Indianapolis to host Memphis on Monday, Aug. 31, in the Sellick Bowl. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
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IU INDY MEN’S SOCCER
INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indianapolis men’s soccer team will close out a modest two-game homestand on Friday night (Aug. 28) when the Jaguars host Bowling Green at 7:00 p.m. inside Michael A. Carroll Stadium. The Jaguars are coming off a 1-0 home win over reigning Ohio Valley Conference champion Lindenwood on Monday as senior Jose Antonio Herrera scored an early penalty kick and the defense delivered its first shutout of the season. Freshman Peter Field earned the clean sheet in goal with six saves while the back line provided a stalwart effort in front of him.
Freshman Santiago Sanchez earned the penalty kick in the 16th minute, leading to Herrera’s second goal of the season and tenth of his collegiate career. Lindenwood outshot the Jaguars 16-10 overall and finished with a 7-2 margin on corner kicks, but were unable to solve the IU Indy defense. Field’s best save came in the final minute of the match as the rookie made a reaction stop with his left arm on a header that determined to knot the score. Herrera fired a team-high three shot attempts while junior midfielder Jai Dindiyal had two attempts from his midfield spot.
Senior Nathaniel Isom had the team’s best scoring chance in the run of play, blistering a shot from 20 yards out in the 61st minute, forcing Lindenwood keeper Quinn Closson to redirect the attempt over the bar.
Herrera leads the team with five shot attempts for the season while Dindiyal and Sanchez have two attempts apiece. Field has a 1.00 goals against average in goal, having played all 180 minutes thus far.
QUOTABLE
“I mean, first and foremost, the kid’s got talent. He’s confident, that’s the major thing. Obviously, you know, the Division I environment is intense. The level’s high. We’re doing everything we can to help him out, but when he pulls off saves like that, you know, I can’t help him with those ones,” senior Jago Thompson-Roberts said of Field’s performance in goal.
PRESEASON POLLS
The Jaguars were picked to finish eighth in the Horizon League polls, released by the league office on Monday, Aug. 17.
RETURNING STARTERS (6)
Jose Antonio Herrera (Sr. / F) – 3 goals and an assist as a junior
Bali Esquivel (Jr. / MF) – 4 assists a season ago
Jago Thompson-Roberts (Sr. / D) – 1,245 minutes in the defensive third last season
Nathaniel Isom (Sr. / F) – 2 goals and 2 assists last season
Noah Kummrow (Sr. / D) – 1,096 along the back line last season
Christian Nielsen (Jr. / F) – 1 goal and 1 assist last season
KNOW YOUR FOE
Bowling Green is 1-1 to start the season with a 5-2 home win over Wright State and a 3-0 road loss at Duquesne. Trace Terry leads the BGSU attack with a pair of goals while both Lucas Brinkman and Tyson McCoy have a goal and an assist each. In goal, Enzo Gil has a 2.50 goals against average and seven saves while having yielded five scores.
SERIES HISTORY
IU Indy is just 1-7-4 all-time against BGSU and 0-3-2 in five meetings in Indianapolis. The Jaguars won the first-ever meeting between the two schools by a 3-2 score back in 2004 and haven’t won since. Last year’s meeting was a 1-1 draw in Bowling Green.
UP NEXT
The Jaguars will travel to Southern Indiana on Wednesday (Sept. 2) for a 5:00 p.m. kickoff on ESPN+.
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IU INDY VOLLEYBALL
SEATTLE, Wash. — The IU Indy volleyball team opens its 2026 campaign this weekend, traveling west to Seattle, Washington, for the Husky Invitational, hosted by the University of Washington. The Jaguars will face three first-time opponents over three consecutive days, beginning Friday night against San Diego State.
IU Indy will take on San Diego State at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday, August 28, before facing UC Irvine at 7:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 29. The Jaguars will close the weekend against host Washington at 6:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 30.
Live stats will be available for all three matches, while Sunday’s matchup against Washington will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
BUILDING OFF A HISTORIC 2025
The Jaguars enter 2026 following one of the most successful seasons in program history. IU Indy finished 2025 with 18 wins, reaching that mark for just the seventh time since 1998. The Jaguars also earned their first-ever Horizon League Tournament victory, defeating Milwaukee in the opening round of the conference tournament. With much of last year’s production returning, IU Indy enters the new season looking to build on that momentum.
PURICHIA RETURNS TO RUN THE OFFENSE
Senior setter Grace Purichia returns to direct the Jaguars’ offense after a dominate junior campaign. Purichia led the Horizon League with 11.03 assists per set in 2025, a figure that ranked sixth nationally in Division I. She finished fourth in the country with 1,346 total assists and earned Horizon League Setter of the Year and First Team All-League honors. Entering her senior season, Purichia has accumulated 3,411 career assists, ranking fifth all-time in IU Indy program history.
SOPHOMORE DUO RETURNS
The Jaguars also bring back two key contributors from last year’s squad in sophomore Jillian Tippmann and sophomore libero Laura Roeder. Tippmann led IU Indy with 416 kills as a freshman, finishing fifth in the Horizon League in total kills and ninth in hitting percentage at .272. Her performance earned her Second Team All-League and All-Freshman Team recognition. Roeder started every match at libero during her freshman campaign and led the Jaguars with 560 digs. Her 4.59 digs per set ranked fifth in the Horizon League, and she joined Tippmann on the conference’s All-Freshman Team.
FRESHMAN CLASS FEATURES INDIANA MISS VOLLEYBALL
IU Indy welcomes three freshmen to the program in 2026, including Bailey Sinish, the Indiana Miss Volleyball and Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year. Sinish arrives in Indianapolis after a decorated career at Carroll High School in Fort Wayne, where she was a four-year volleyball starter and helped lead the Chargers to back-to-back state championships during her junior and senior seasons.
JAGUARS VOTED THIRD IN HORIZON LEAGUE
IU Indy was selected to finish third in the 2026 Horizon League Volleyball Preseason Poll after placing fourth in the conference standings in 2025. The Jaguars were picked behind preseason favorites Wright State and Northern Kentucky as they enter the new season looking to make another push toward the top of the league.
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BALL STATE WOMEN’S SOCCER
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Ball State soccer team fell behind early and suffered a 5-0 setback to Purdue on Thursday night at Folk Field.
The Cardinals (1-2-1) couldn’t contain a Purdue (4-0-1) offense that had scored 22 goals in its three previous matches, as the host Boilermakers benefitted from four penalty kick scores in the opening half on their way to a five-goal advantage at the break.
Anna Kate Robillard took two shots for Ball State, and Grier Isaacson was credited with a shot on goal. Mary Jane Keller also had a shot on the night for the visiting Cardinals.
Goalkeeper Kate Pallante made six saves for Ball State, while Ainsley Schaufele and Jordyn Klaasen were other Cardinals to play the full 90 minutes.
Purdue held advantages in shots (29-4) and corner kicks (8-2), and Ball State was whistled for more fouls (14-9) during the contest.
The Cardinals are set to return home to host Cincinnati at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
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BALL STATE FIELD HOCKEY
MUNCIE, Ind. — The Ball State field hockey team officially opens its 2026 regular season this weekend with a two-game road trip to Lewisburg, Pa. The Cardinals will debut on the newly resurfaced turf at Bucknell University’s Graham Field at Holmes Stadium for a pair of non-conference matchups.
The Cardinals are coached by Caitlin Johnson who is entering her fifth year at the helm of the Ball State field hockey team. Johnson added first-year coaches Emily Risser and former Cardinal Jessica Rochat to her support staff this summer.
The weekend action begins Friday, August 28 at 4 pm ET against host Bucknell. Ball State will return to the pitch the following afternoon on Saturday at 1 pm ET, for a neutral-site clash versus Sacred Heart. The Bucknell Bisons own a 2-0 record over Ball State dating back to 2008. The last time these two squad met was on Sept. 1, 2023, resulting in a 3-0 loss for the Cardinals on a neutral field in Columbus, Ohio. The game Saturday between Ball State and Sacred Heart will be the first-ever meeting.
The Cardinals enter the 2026 campaign looking to build momentum early on the road. Ball State’s lineup features a strong core of returning veterans, including All-Mid-American Conference Freshman Team honoree Jade Vandevoorde who started and played in every game last season. Vandevoorde was second on the team in goals with three while also registering 22 shots and 15 shots on goal for the Cardinals.
Joining Vandevoorde will be 13 other Cardinals from last years’ squad along with welcoming nine newcomers.
After this weekend, the Cardinals remain on the road as they look to play two games on the campus of Big Ten foe Iowa where they will face Lehigh (Aug. 5) and then the Hawkeyes (Sept. 6).
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INDIANA STATE VOLLEYBALL
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Indiana State volleyball begins the new era under head coach Ted Kopacz, starting the season at the Western Michigan Tournament in Kalamazoo from August 28-30.
The Sycamores travel north to play Navy, Green Bay, and the host Western Michigan with one game per day – all Indiana State games being played at 3pm ET. Matches against Navy and Green Bay will be the first time the Sycamores square off against either team.
The Tournament Field
Navy was selected to finish sixth in the opening preseason poll, with their kills per set leader #4 Farrah Eike returning as a junior. She was second on the team in total kills with 227 (only 18 off from leading the team) in 76 sets played. She was ninth in the Patriot League in kills per set. #13 Julia Humphrey finished last season seventh in their league in blocks per set (1.03, 68 total), while #21 Amara Chambers was sixth in the league in digs per set (3.27, 350 total).
Green Bay was picked to finish fifth in the Horizon League, being led by #10 Diana Pichelman who led the team in total kills (349) and was second in kills per set (3.03) with 115 total sets. She was fourth in the league in hitting percentage (3.11), 12th in kills per set, and 16th in blocks (0.74 per set, 85 total). #4 Kennedy Schmitz was third in digs with (2.40 per set, 266 total). Pichelman (First Team) joins #16 Gillian Koning as returners with postseason honors
Western Michigan was predicted to finish third in the MAC, with #4 Leah Richmond selected to the preseason All-MAC Team as a setter. She recorded 1,241 assists with 9.93 per set which was 50th in Division I. WMU returns their kills leader in #20 Mary Claire Brusek, who was 10th in the league in kills per set (2.99, 377 total).
About the Roster
Indiana State returned 14 players (>77%) from a season ago, graduating three, but returning most of the core players. This season the team consists of six seniors, five juniors, five sophomores, and two freshmen.
Seniors: #4 Ella Scott, #6 Lily Mueller, #16 Macy Lengacher, #18 Kira Holland, #19 Avery Hales, and #21 Taylor Knuth. Anna Ptacin (#9), though classified as a junior, will be graduating early at the end of this year.
Newcomers: #5 Kennedy Glasgow (“K Jo”), #22 Dylann Loggins, and #10 Kylie Miller (transfer).
The Sycamores return pin hitters Kira Holland, Curry Kendall, Ava Robart, and Corinne Knapp. Holland (3.55 per set) and Robart (2.61 per set) led the team a season ago, combining for 584 kills out of the team’s 1,284.
In the middle are returners Ella Scott, Lily Mueller, Taylor Knuth, Anna Ptacin, and Sydney King. They’re joined by junior transfer Kylie Miller and freshman Dylann Loggins.
Two setters return in senior Avery Hales and sophomore Hadley Hardersen. In the opening tournament last season, Hardersen was the first Sycamore to record a triple-double (14 kills, 24 assists, 15 digs) since September 2007.
The defense is anchored by Macy Lengacher, Chloe Gilley, Emmy Sher, and Sydni Weber with Kennedy Glasgow (“K Jo”) joining the mix as a freshman.
2025 Numbers and Rankings
Kills
Kira Holland – T4th (3.55 per set)
Ava Robart – 20th (2.61 per set)
Curry Kendall – 22nd (2.31 per set)
Hitting Percentage
Ella Scott – 16th (.274)
Digs
Chloe Gilley – 8th in digs per set (3.50), 22nd in total digs (252)
Kira Holland – 19th in digs per set (2.68), 18th in total digs (273)
Macy Lengacher – 21st in digs per set (2.55), 25th in total digs (222)
Aces
Ella Scott – 9th (0.28)
Ava Robart – T12th (0.26)
Blocks
Ella Scott – 20th (0.74 per set)
Coach Kopacz & Co.
Sycamore Volleyball welcomed head coach Ted Kopacz on December 29, 2025. In the subsequent months, he hired assistant coach & recruiting coordinator Jordan Holland and assistant coach & technical director Nathan Marshall to fill his staff.
All three coaches are brand new into their respective job titles: Coach Kopacz is in his first year as a head coach, while both assistants Holland and Marshall are in their first full assistant coach positions. Coach Kopacz has made assistant stops at Colorado, Nebraska-Omaha, and Colorado State. Coach Holland is coming from a Graduate Assistant role from Evansville. Coach Marshall is coming from a Graduate Assistant role from Indiana Tech.
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INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S SOCCER
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State battled through a tight, defensive matchup on Thursday afternoon, earning a 0–0 draw on the road at Eastern Illinois. The Sycamores showed discipline, organization, and resilience across all 90 minutes, navigating long stretches of pressure while creating key chances of their own. It was a composed performance from a group that continues to show maturity early in the season, especially in a match defined by physical play, midfield congestion, and limited space in the attacking third.
Indiana State stayed sharp against EIU’s late pushes and managed several dangerous moments inside the final 10 minutes. The Sycamores generated steady possession throughout the first half and created multiple looks on goal, but both defenses held firm in a match where neither side found a breakthrough. The draw keeps Indiana State unbeaten and provides another strong defensive showing as the Sycamores continue their non-conference slate.
How They Scored
No goals were scored in the match. Indiana State and Eastern Illinois finished level at 0–0.
News & Notes
Sofie Hansen recorded multiple key saves, including stops at 44:46 and 19:29 .
Meagyn Riffle and Quinn Urquhart both recorded a shot on goal.
Tori Angelo recorded three shots during the match.
Indiana State earned multiple corners, six total.
Indiana State rotated heavily throughout both halves, maintaining tempo and defensive stability.
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PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S SOCCER
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s soccer team fell 6-1 at Central Michigan on Thursday (Aug. 27) in non-league action.
Cyann Retzloff netted her first goal of the season in the 68th minute, finishing a rebound off the top crossbar. It was the third goal of her career.
Reserves Audriana Rhyner and Bella Masse each recorded shots, with Rhyner leading the Mastodons with three shots and one on goal off the bench.
Central Michigan scored in the sixth and eighth minutes before adding four more goals in the second half. The Chippewas found the back of the net in the 48th, 68th, 75th and 87th minutes.
Purdue Fort Wayne falls to 0-2-1 on the season, while Central Michigan improves to 2-2-0.
The Mastodons continue non-league action on the road at Eastern Illinois on Sunday (Aug. 30).
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PURDUE FT. WAYNE VOLLEYBALL
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s volleyball regular season opens this weekend at the Bellarmine Classic on Friday-Saturday (Aug. 28-29). The Mastodons will play Rutgers, Evansville and Bellarmine.
Game Day Information
Who: Rutgers, Evansville, Bellarmine
When: Friday-Saturday, Aug. 28-29
Where: Louisville, Ky. | Knights Hall
Know Your Foes
• Rutgers was 12-20 a year ago with a 3-17 mark in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights’ top hitter, Aspen Maxwell, is back for her junior campaign after averaging 3.38 kills per set a year ago. Setter Lily Bolen is also back to pace the RU offense.
• Evansville finished 2025 with a 6-22 (2-14 Missouri Valley) record after topping the ‘Dons 3-2 in the opening weekend. Chloe Cline will be one of the Purple Aces’ go-to hitting options after recording just under 2.00 kills per set in 2025.
• Bellarmine put together an 11-17 season with a 5-11 record in the Atlantic Sun. Natalie Bland, who averaged 3.14 kills per set to lead Bellarmine last year, is back for her senior season.
Series Histories
• This is the first meeting between the Mastodons and Rutgers.
• The series between Purdue Fort Wayne and Evansville is split 3-3, with UE having won the last three meetings.
• The Mastodons have dominated the series with historical rival Bellarmine 30-3. All but one of those meetings, a 3-2 win for the Knights in 2025, came in the Division II era.
That’s My(a) Middle
Mya Plemons owned a .365 hitting percentage last season, which ranked second in the Horizon League.
When Life Gives You Plemons
Mya Plemons has a .350 career hitting percentage, the second-best in program history and the best in the rally scoring era. Her .365 hitting percentage last season was the best for a season-long mark in the rally scoring era.
She’s A Killer
Riley Rosneck was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team in 2025 after being named the Horizon League Freshman of the Year in 2024.
Last Time Out
The Mastodons played two exhibition contests against Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan. Both were played with no public result.
Next Time Up
After the Bellarmine Classic, the Mastodons will visit Toledo on Tuesday (Sept. 1) for a 6 p.m. contest.
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EVANSVILLE MEN’S SOCCER
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville men’s soccer team will open their home schedule on Friday, welcoming Northwestern to Arad McCutchan Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. This weekend, the Aces will also celebrate the history of UE soccer by having their annual Alumni Weekend.
Evansville vs. Northwestern | Friday, August 28 | 7:00 PM CT
Site | Location Arad McCutchan Stadium | Evansville, Ind.
Links 7 PM: Live Stats | TV: ESPN+
Non-Conference Gauntlet
– Friday’s game marks the second of four consecutive games against power conference opponents for the Aces.
– Northwestern is the second Big Ten opponent on the Aces’ schedule, having played at Indiana on Sunday.
– The Purple Aces will take on three Big Ten opponents and four non-conference opponents that reached the NCAA Tournament in 2025.
Last Time Out
– Evansville fell to the 22nd-ranked Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington on Sunday.
– The game was scoreless early, with neither side managing a goal in the first 30-plus minutes of the match. Chase Ricker put the first shot on goal of the night in the eighth minute, but his shot was saved.
– In the 34th minute, Indiana broke through with the first goal of the night, and would take the lead into the halftime break.
– Indiana added to their lead in the 65th minute, making it a 2-0 game. The score remained 2-0 until the 85th minute, when the Hoosiers scored once more to secure a 3-0 win.
Series History
– Sunday will be the 4th all-time meeting between Evansville and Northwestern.
– The series is tied 1-1-1, with Evansville winning the only previous matchup in the River City by a socre of 2-1 in 2004.
– Northwestern took last year’s meeting in Evanston by a score of 1-0.
Scouting Northwestern
– Northwestern enters Friday’s match with a 1-0-1 record
– The Wildcats are coming off a 1-1 draw at Notre Dame on Sunday
– Last season, the Wildcats went 8-6-3, including a 3-5-2 mark in Big Ten play
Follow Along
Friday’s match will be streamed live on ESPN+. Live stats are available at GoPurpleAces.com.
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SOUTHERN INDIANA VOLLEYBALL
EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball is set to kick off the 2026 regular season this Friday and Saturday, August 28th and 29th, hosting the USI Invitational inside Liberty Arena.
The Screaming Eagles will take on three opponents over the two days, starting with Murray State University at 1 p.m., then Eastern Michigan University at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Then play will continue Saturday afternoon against Northern Illinois University at 2 p.m.
Admission to all USI Invitational games and all USI Volleyball home games this season will be free courtesy of ProRehab.
USI looks to continue the success of the 2025 season, when it finished with a 19-13 overall record and a 14-4 Ohio Valley Conference record. The season marked the best conference finish and the most DI wins in a season in school history. USI ended the 2025 run with a tough four-set loss at the OVC Tournament semifinal game against Morehead State University. The Screaming Eagles plan to build on the momentum they built last season with 12 returning players and three newcomers.
Senior outside hitter and one of this year’s team captains, Ashby Willis, returns nearly 30 percent of USI’s total kills from last season. The First-Team All-OVC honoree tallied 428 kills for 3.54 per set in her junior season, ranking third in the conference. Willis is also a defensive asset, tallying 354 digs and 58 blocks overall last season.
The OVC’s reigning Freshman of the Year, Aysa Thomas, returns to the court for her sophomore season this year. Thomas is also USI’s second returning all-conference player, as a member of the Second Team All-OVC in 2025. The setter tallied 1,125 assists for 9.30 per set, ranking third in the OVC in her first college season. As a captain this season, Thomas looks to build on her balanced all-around play, as she recorded the second most digs on the team last season (391), 79 kills, 43 blocks, and 22 aces.
Two Screaming Eagles were named to the OVC’s Players to Watch List, junior Audrey Small and sophomore Carley Wright. Small, who ranked third in the OVC for her 530 digs and 4.49 digs per set. She recorded a career-high 36 digs in the regular-season finale at WIU, which is the third most in a game by a USI player in school history. Wright, who was a part of the All-Tournament team for her 28 kills in the two tournament games, tallied a total of 256 kills for 2.56 per set.
Head Coach Jeffrey Aucoin begins his fourth season at the helm for USI with a 42-51 overall record and a 27-27 conference record.
EYES ON THE OPPONENTS
About Murray State: To open the 2026 season, the Screaming Eagles will take on the Murray State Racers. The two programs have a long history, dating back to September 1989, with six more matches played since. The Racers hold a 7-0 record in the series over the Screaming Eagles, with the most recent in a three-set sweep in 2023. Murray State finished with a 4-21 record in the 2025 season, with a 2-14 Missouri Valley Conference record. The Racers return eight of their 15 players from last season and are under the direction of a new head coach, Tristyn Krzos.
About Eastern Michigan: In the second game of the season, the Screaming Eagles will take on EMU on Friday at 7:30 p.m., marking the first time the two schools meet. EMU ranks second in the country for most newcomers, with 14 new players, returning six from the 2025 roster. EMU has a couple of key returners hitting the court. The first is libero Surabhi Srinivasan, who ranked seventh in the MAC for 386 digs in the 2025 season and 3.48 per set. The team’s key offensive returner is sophomore AshleeKay Christensen, who averaged 2.50 kills per set. EMU posted a 13-18 overall record and 5-13 in conference play in the 2025 season.
About Northern Illinois: For the final match of the opening weekend, USI will take on Northern Illinois in a match up that has only met one previous time, in September 2022, when NIU swept the Screaming Eagles. The Huskies return five of their 15 players from 2025, one of their key returners being junior outside Ava Grevengoed, who tallied 300 kills and 243 digs last season. NIU finished with a 13-14 overall record last season, going 6-12 in the MAC. This marks the school’s first season as part of the Horizon League.
For updates on the Screaming Eagles throughout the first weekend of play, follow USI Athletics and usivolleyball on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and online at usiscreamingeagles.com.
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SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S GOLF
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Golf announced its 2026-27 schedule featuring six events in the fall and five in the spring before the Ohio Valley Conference Championship in April.
Fall Schedule
The Screaming Eagles open the fall slate with a return trip to the University of Tennessee at Martin Grover Page Classic in Jackson, Tennessee (September 14-15). USI also makes a return to the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Derek Dolence Invitational in Madison, Illinois (September 28-29).
At the start of October, USI Men’s Golf competes at the Coyote Creek Classic, hosted by Bradley University, in Bartonville, Illinois (October 4-5) before heading to the Bubba Barnett Intercollegiate, hosted by Arkansas State University, in Jonesboro, Arkansas, on October 12-13. The final fall road trip will be to the Xavier University Invitational in Cincinnati, Ohio, on October 19-20.
The Screaming Eagles close out the fall schedule with the Battle of the Expressway match-play event against the University of Evansville on October 22 in Mt. Vernon, Indiana, at Western Hills Country Club.
Spring Schedule
The spring season tees off with another match-play event against Evansville on March 18 at Fendrich Golf Course.
Then, USI Men’s Golf travels south for UT Martin’s spring tournament, the Skyhawk Invitational, in Rockvale, Tennessee, on March 22-23. The Screaming Eagles will journey up to Indianapolis, Indiana, the following week for the Butler University Don Benbow Spring Invitational on March 29-30.
The final two regular-season spring events will be the Racer Intercollegiate, hosted by Murray State University, in Paducah, Kentucky, on April 5-6, and the Wright State University Invitational in Springboro, Ohio, on April 11-12.
The season culminates at the Ohio Valley Conference Championship, April 25-28, at the Donald Ross Course at the French Lick Resort in French Lick, Indiana.
Check out the full schedule and roster at usiscreamingeagles.com and follow USI Men’s Golf on X and Instagram for updates.
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VALPO VOLLEYBALL
Valparaiso (0-0, 0-0 MVC)
at Chattanooga Classic (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
Friday, Aug. 28 – vs. UAB (0-0) – 11 a.m. CT | at Chattanooga (0-0) – 5 p.m. CT
Saturday, Aug. 29 – vs. Tennessee State (0-0) – 2 p.m. CT
Next Up For Valpo Volleyball: The Valpo volleyball team kicks off the 2026 campaign this weekend at the Chattanooga Classic, where the Beacons will take on UAB and Tennessee State in addition to the host Mocs.
Looking Ahead: Valpo comes home to the ARC next weekend to host the Popcorn Classic.
Following the Beacons: Friday’s match against Chattanooga is scheduled to be streamed on ESPN+. Live stats will be available for all matches this weekend via ValpoAthletics.com.
Series History: UAB – Friday marks the third meeting all-time between the two programs – UAB prevailed 3-0 in a September 1991 meeting in Indianapolis, while Valpo earned a 3-0 win in Carbondale, Ill. in September 2009.
Chattanooga – Valpo is 2-0 against the Mocs, winning 3-0 in Bloomington, Ind. in September 2012 and 3-2 as part of the 2015 Chattanooga Classic.
Tennessee State – First meeting
Scouting the Opposition: UAB – The Blazers are coming off a 13-15 season in 2025, posting a 6-10 record in American Conference play. UAB was selected to finish in 13th place in this year’s American preseason poll.
Chattanooga – The Mocs went 16-13 in 2025, including a 10-6 mark in SoCon action. Chattanooga was picked fifth in this year’s SoCon preseason poll.
Tennessee State – The Tigers finished 2025 with a 1-30 record, going 0-18 in the OVC. TSU was selected ninth in this season’s OVC preseason poll.
Looking Back at Last Year: Valpo is coming off a 21-9 campaign in 2025, including a 12-4 mark in MVC play – good for a tie for second place in the conference standings, the program’s best finish since joining the Valley. Emma Hickey was named MVC Libero of the Year, MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, AVCA Honorable Mention All-Region and a Second Team Academic All-Americna as she wrapped up her career ranked 17th in NCAA D-I history in career digs, while Sam Warren and Ava Helming joined Hickey as First Team All-MVC honorees.
Preseason Picks: Valpo was picked to finish third in the MVC in 2026 in the preseason polling of the conference’s head coaches, trailing only UNI and Drake – it is the program’s highest preseason projection since joining the Valley in 2017. Junior Ava Helming was honored as a preseason All-MVC honoree as well.
Who’s Back: The Beacons return 10 letterwinners from last year’s 21-win squad, a group which accounted for 50.3% of the team’s kills, 49.7% of the service aces, 46.3% of the blocks and 39.6% of the digs in 2025.
Who’s Gone: Valpo lost six seniors to graduation, most notably a pair of First Team All-MVC honorees in Emma Hickey and Sam Warren, as well as setter Addy Kois, who closed her career 10th in program history in career assists. The Beacons also had two players transfer out as well.
Who’s New: This year’s squad features seven newcomers – five true freshmen and a pair of transfers.
Winning Tradition Continues: The Beacons secured a winning 2025 season as they completed the campaign with an 21-9 record, the program’s 22nd winning season in the last 24 years. Valpo has won 20 or more matches in 19 of those 24 seasons as well.
Top Half Finishes: The Beacons finished the 2025 regular season in a tie for second place in the MVC standings with Drake, trailing only UNI in the final table. Valpo has now finished in the top-half of the Valley standings in each of its nine years in the conference, the only MVC program to accomplish that feat. Going back further, Valpo has posted top-half conference finishes in 32 of the last 33 seasons.
Digging Deep: Valpo continued its long tradition of strong back row play last fall, finishing the 2025 campaign 20th nationally with an average of 16.50 digs/set. The program has ranked among the top-30 nationally in digs/set in every season since 2009, including 15 seasons among the top-20 and four seasons among the top-10 – highlighted by the 2017 campaign in which Valpo led the nation with 20.03 digs/set. Other top finishes include fourth nationally in the spring 2021 season (20.37/set), a fourth-place rank in 2010 and a sixth-place finish in 2015. Since the move to 25-point scoring, only seven teams have averaged more than 20 digs/set over the course of a season, and Valpo is the only program to have done it twice. 2018 saw Valpo lead the nation with 2,613 total digs – a mark which set a program single-season record and a Division I record in the 25-point era. Valpo also boasts two of the top-10 and three of the top-20 athletes in D-I history in career digs – Rylee Cookerly (2nd; 3,175), Taylor Root (10th; 2,752) and Emma Hickey (17th; 2,665).
Libero Dominance: Hickey’s Libero of the Year accolade continued a remarkable string of accomplishments by Valpo liberos. Since the position was introduced to NCAA volleyball, Valpo has had six regular liberos – all six of whom have claimed at least one conference Libero/Defensive Player of the Year award: Sara Silcox was the 2003 Mid-Con Libero of the Year, Brittany Malicoat was the 2007 and 2008 Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year, Taylor Root was the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year in 2010, 2011 and 2012, Morganne Longoria earned the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year honor in 2016 and Rylee Cookerly was MVC Libero of the Year in 2019 and spring 2021. In all, the six liberos have combined for 10 major conference awards.
Capturing Crowns: Part of the volleyball program’s winning tradition has been a penchant for capturing tournament titles. Valpo has won 35 in-season tournament titles over the last 24 seasons, including the Lehigh Steel Classic title last season. The team has won at least one tournament in 18 of those 24 seasons, and multiple tournaments 11 times. Those tournament titles have come in 14 different states.
We’ve Played in That Before: All four of this season’s early tournaments are at locations the Valpo program has previously played. Valpo opened the 2015 campaign by winning the Chattanooga Classic in its only previous appearance and went a perfect 3-0 at its previous appearance at the Akron/CSU co-hosted tournament in 2023. Valpo also went 3-0 at a tournament co-hosted by Niagara in 2007, but the co-host that year was Buffalo, while this year’s is Canisius. And of course, Valpo has plenty of experience playing in tournaments on its home floor – this season’s Popcorn Classic marks the 33rd in-season tournament Valpo has hosted in program history.
At the (Helm)ing: Junior right side Ava Helming is back for more after a stellar first half of her collegiate career. After earning MVC All-Freshman Team honors as a rookie, Helming took a leap forward last season to finish as a First Team All-MVC honoree. She led the Beacons with 364 kills and led all qualified players with a .323 hitting percentage – those numbers rank 10th and eighth, respectively, among Valpo players in a single season in the 25-point era, while she also moved into sixth in both kills/set (3.25) and points/set (3.58) in that era. Helming ranked eighth in the MVC in kills/set, eighth in points/set and 12th in hitting percentage. She hit double figures in kills 23 times, including 11 efforts of at least 15 kills, and paced Valpo in kills on 15 occasions.
Don’t Hit it at Pickett: Junior middle Jessica Pickett continued to be a dominating presence at the net last year defensively. Despite missing six matches due to injury, Pickett racked up 95 blocks, with her average of 1.14 blocks/set ranking second in the MVC and moving her into second in program history for a single season in the 25-point era. Pickett has racked up 234 blocks in her first two collegiate seasons, a number which has her on pace to finish her career second in program history in the category. She is no slouch on the attack either when she gets chances out of the middle, as she ranked ninth in the MVC with a .302 hitting percentage.
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VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL
The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team has announced its 2026-2027 nonconference schedule as the Beacons begin a highly-anticipated fourth season under head coach Roger Powell Jr.
The team, which combines a strong returning group of six scholarship players who were on the roster last season with eight scholarship newcomers, tuned up for the upcoming campaign with a pair of victories over Canadian competition at the Baha Mar Summer League in Nassau, The Bahamas in early August. Last season, Valpo achieved its highest Missouri Valley Conference win total since joining the league.
After an Oct. 27 exhibition game against Olivet Nazarene, the 2026-2027 regular season will get underway on the opening night of college basketball across the country, as the Beacons host Western Illinois at the Athletics-Recreation Center on Tuesday, Nov. 2. The former Mid-Continent Conference adversaries will lock horns for the 59th all-time matchup and first since a 73-66 Valpo victory on Nov. 21, 2023, part of the first season of the Powell Era.
The game against the Leathernecks is the first of six regular-season, nonconference home games at the ARC. Valpo will also host CCSJ (Nov. 16), Toledo (Nov. 28), Saint Xavier (Dec. 8) Chicago State (Dec. 12) and SIUE (Dec. 18). Valpo and Saint Xavier will get together for the first time since 1984. Under the direction of Valpo alum Jason Hawkins, CCSJ will come to the ARC for the third straight season.
A member of the Mid-American Conference, Toledo is back on the schedule for the first time since 2019-2022, when the Rockets and Beacons matched up in four straight seasons. Valpo is 6-9 all-time against the Rockets including a 1-3 mark during that most recent four-year series. Toledo was one victory shy of a 20-win season a year ago. Former conference foes in the Mid-Con, Valpo and Chicago State have played 38 times, with the Brown & Gold prevailing in 33 of those matchups. The Cougars have won the last two contests between the two teams, most recently Dec. 16, 2023 at the ARC. Valpo is 4-0 all-time against SIUE, most recently winning 80-58 on Dec. 9, 2020 at the ARC.
Coincidentally, the final three nonconference home games will be against teams known as the Cougars – Saint Xavier, Chicago State and SIUE.
Valpo will play three true road games during the nonconference slate – at Purdue (Nov. 6), at South Dakota State (Nov. 11) and at UNCW (Dec. 5). A powerhouse in the Big Ten Conference, the Boilermakers won 30 games last season and made the program’s third Elite Eight appearance in the last seven years. Valpo will play Purdue for the 19th time and first since Dec. 4, 2020.
The Beacons and Jackrabbits will get together for just the fourth time as Valpo makes its first trip to South Dakota State since Dec. 22, 1975. The two programs have met only once in recent years, a 61-50 Valpo defeat on Nov. 25, 2022 as part of a multi-team event in Savannah, Ga. South Dakota State has made seven NCAA Tournament appearances since 2012, going to the Big Dance as recently as 2024.
Valpo will make its first-ever trip to UNCW, playing the Seahawks for just the fourth time. This is a return trip as part of a home-and-home series that saw Valpo fall 73-70 on Dec. 13, 2025 at the ARC. UNCW is coming off a glowing 27-7 record and 15-3 conference mark en route to a Colonial Athletic Association regular-season title and NIT appearance.
For the first time in the Powell Era, Valpo’s November multi-team event will take place at a neutral site, with the Beacons heading to Pensacola, Fla. to face off with Troy (Nov. 21) and Southern Miss (Nov. 22). Valpo will play Troy for the eighth time and first since 2009, while Southern Miss is on the schedule for the first time ever. The Trojans went 22-12 overall and 12-6 in league play last season on their way to a Sun Belt title and NCAA Tournament appearance. The Golden Eagles won three Sun Belt Tournament games before falling to top-seeded Troy, closing out a winning season with 19 victories.
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MARIAN FOOTBALL
Indianapolis – The Marian University football team forced a turnover and scored the game’s opening touchdown in the 2026 Monumental Matchup, but ultimately fell at UIndy, 39-7, in the season opener Thursday night on the city’s south side.
TEAM STATISTICS
– UIndy out-gained Marian, 474-162
– The Greyhounds picked up 21 first downs to nine for the Knights
– UIndy picked up 262 rushing yards; MU had 71 yards on the ground
– The Greyhounds out-gained the Knights through the air, 212-91
– UIndy led in time of possession, 31:14 to 28:46
– The Greyhounds converted 7 of 11 third downs; Marian was 4-for-15 on third downs and 0-for-1 on fourth down
– UIndy totaled four sacks, while the Knights had one
INDIVIDAL LEADERS
– RJ Griffin was 9-for-20 with 50 yards passing and a rushing touchdown
– Jake Dunn added 41 yards passing on three completions
– CJ Harris picked up a team-high 41 rush yards on seven carries
– Montasi Clay hauled in four passes for 38 yards
– Cade Houseman tallied 10 tackles with one for loss
– Wyatt Woodall chipped in 10 tackles of his own
– Jacarei Markey registered a sack in his collegiate debuted
– Dean Mason nearly 45 yards per punt on eight boots
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST QUARTER
– Marian won the toss and elected to take the ball first in 2026, but the UIndy forced a three-and-out
– Luke Swartz punched the football out on the Greyhounds’ first play from scrimmage and Armonte Jackson recovered to give the Knights a short field
– Griffin punched in the game’s first score on a four-yard keeper to give MU the early 7-0 lead
– A 51-yard scamper from Garrett Sherrell got UIndy into Marian territory and he answered the Knights’ score with an 11-yard touchdown run
– The extra-point was missed as MU held a 7-6 lead early on
– Marian drove into the UIndy red zone, but the drive stall and a 33-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right
SECOND QUARTER
– UIndy’s 11-play, 80-yard was capped by Juseters Fataki’s four-yard touchdown run as the Greyhounds took the lead
– The Knights were unable to advance on its ensuing possession, as Sherrell added another TD score from 19 yards out to extend the Greyhound lead to 20-7
– UIndy added to its lead with a seven-yard score on a keeper from Nick Patterson, taking a 26-7 lead into the halftime locker room
THIRD QUARTER
– The MU defense stiffened to start the second half, forcing UIndy to three-and-outs on its first three possessions of the third quarter
– The Greyhounds broke through on a 32-yard catch and run by Anthony Crowell, leading 32-7 after three periods
FOURTH QUARTER
– Marian was forced to punt on its first possession of the fourth quarter and the Greyhounds went 88 yards in 10 plays to extend the lead to 39-7 on Caiden Verrett’s one-yard plunge
– After the teams traded a pair of punts, Jake Dunn entered the game at quarterback and led an 81-yard drive that ended in a turnover on downs
UP NEXT
– Marian opens up its NAIA slate on Saturday, Sept. 5, traveling to Defiance College
– Kickoff with the Yellow Jackets is set for 1 p.m.
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ROSE HULMAN CROSS COUNTRY
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Fightin’ Engineers men’s cross country team has been selected second in the Great Lakes Regional Rankings. This ranks as Rose-Hulman’s highest preseason ranking in school history, surpassing their previous best rank of third overall in 2015.
Additionally, Rose-Hulman received placements on multiple national rankings. The Fightin’ Engineers have been ranked 26th in the D3 Glory Days National Preseason Cross Country Rankings and 27th in the USTFCCCA National Coaches Preseason Poll.
Rose-Hulman is the lone HCAC team to rank in the top ten in the Great Lakes Regional Rankings. The team has been unanimously picked to win their third straight HCAC Championship, and they will look to return to the NCAA Championships for the second year in a row.
RHIT will be led by their sensational senior class of Chris Lynn, Eduardo del Rosal, Will Boschen, Rhys Phelps, Wyatt Starkie, and John Gries, as well as reigning HCAC Newcomer of the Year, sophomore Ben Tuckis. All five athletes achieved top 12 finishes during last year’s HCAC Championships as Rose-Hulman won the title in dominant fashion.
The Fightin’ Engineers will begin the 2026 season at the Franklin Grizzly Invitational on Saturday, September 5 at 10 AM. They will compete in their first home meet at the John McNichols Invitational on Saturday, September 19 at 9:05 AM.
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TAYLOR FOOTBALL
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – RV Taylor erased a 20-point first-half deficit to draw even after three quarters of play but could not finish off the comeback, as RV Olivet Nazarene closed out the evening with a 21-point fourth quarter to send the Trojans home with a 48-34 defeat.
The host Tigers (1-0) controlled the trenches all night, rushing for 273 yards and averaging 8.0 yards per carry behind 180 yards and four touchdowns on 18 rushes from Aaron Bennett. ONU also stalled TU’s potent rushing attack, limiting last season’s second-ranked ground game to just 92 yards on 2.3 yards per attempt.
In addition to struggling on the line, Taylor had an uncharacteristic three turnovers that were each followed by Olivet Nazarene touchdowns on the ensuing possession.
Two of those miscues came in the first quarter, as the hosts found the end zone on three of their first four possessions, fueled by a pair of early TU turnovers, to build a 21-7 lead in the first 12:17 of game action.
The Taylor deficit grew to 27-7 midway through the second, before the Trojans stemmed the tide with a six-play scoring drive to draw within 27-14. Alex Amburgy connected with John Irwin on a 44-yard completion to put TU in striking distance and Evan Barker closed the drive with a three-yard touchdown burst.
A defensive stand out of the intermission and some special teams trickery allowed the Purple and Gray to draw closer in the early minutes of the second half. Punter Wade Jones rushed for 10 yards on a fourth-and-nine to keep an extended drive alive, before Amburgy dialed up 24 and 15-yard strikes to Aidan Zimmer and JJ Payne. Barker found pay dirt once again, capping the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to draw TU within a single score.
Taylor’s next touch drew the Trojans even on the scoreboard for the first time, with Ethan Albert opening the possession with a 20-yard run and Amburgy hitting Zimmer for a 33-yard score to tie the game at 27-27 heading to the fourth.
It was all Olivet Nazarene in the final 15 minutes however, as the Tigers found the end zone on their next three possessions and capitalized on TU’s third turnover of the night to open a 48-27 lead they would not relinquish.
Amburgy played well off the bench for Taylor with 13 completions for 240 yards, two touchdowns and zero turnovers. Irwin, Zimmer and Payne were his top targets, with Irwin catching three passes for 86 yards, Zimmer hauling in three passes for 63 yards and a touchdown and Payne grabbing four catches for 58 yards and one score.
Jedidiah Galvin led the Trojans on the ground with 64 yards, with Barker ending with touchdowns on each of his three carries.
Grady Stanley led Taylor’s defense with a team-best eight stops, while Owen Folta and Seth Tolliver each ended with six tackles.
RV Taylor (0-1) will return to action on Saturday, September 5, when it hosts RV Saint Xavier (0-0) under the lights in a 7:00 pm start inside Turner Stadium.
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INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/
MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
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TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1884 – New York Gothams pitcher Mickey Welch strikes out the first nine Cleveland Blues hitters to face him, establishing a major league record that still stands.
1903:
At South End Grounds, New York outhits the Beaneaters to win, 12 – 6. Christy Mathewson wins his 26th, allowing three runs in the 1st and 9th innings. John Malarkey is the losing pitcher for Boston.
Cleveland and St. Louis players escape serious injury when their train derails near Napoleon, OH.
1905 – The Giants beat the Cards, 8 – 1, with Christy Mathewson outpitching Jake Thielman. New York leads the Pirates by 8 1/2 games.
1907 – Highlander pitcher Tex Neuer, begins baseball’s most successful short career by besting the Red Sox 1 – 0 in his first start, the nitecap of a doubleheader. In one month he will pitch six complete games, win four, including three shutouts, and then disappear from the major league scene. In the first game, Boston’s Cy Young wins his 20th game, defeating the Highlanders, 5 – 3.
1908:
The Senators give some support to Walter Johnson, scoring eight runs against Cleveland to win 8 – 0. Johnson’s last outing was a 1 – 0 loss to the Tigers on the 24th.
The Red Sox replace manager Deacon McGuire with Fred Lake.
1909:
In the first of two games at South Side Park, Dolly Gray of Washington enters the record book by walking eight White Sox in the 2nd inning, with seven of the walks in a row (both major league records). The six runs scored are enough for a 6 – 4 Chicago win, although they manage only one hit against Dolly. Leading off the 2nd, Patsy Dougherty logs the only hit, and when he bats again in the inning, manager Billy Sullivan suggests he go to the plate without a bat. For Dougherty, this is the third of four times he’ll have the only hit in a game.
In New York, the matchup between Three Finger Brown and Christy Mathewson fizzles when the Cubs score four runs in the first two innings. Matty is lifted and Brown wins the game, 6 – 1.
1912 – The Red Sox have only 50 at bats – a major-league record for fewest at bats in a twinbill – in a doubleheader with Chicago, but they make them count. Boston wins, 5 – 3 and 3 – 0.
1913 – Walter Johnson’s 14-game winning streak is ended, although it takes Boston 11 innings to beat him 1 – 0. Boston manages a 2nd-inning single by Steve Yerkes and doesn’t have another baserunner until Yerkes singles again in the 11th, and reaches third as the ball goes through the legs of CF Clyde Milan. A fielder’s choice and a single win it. Johnson strikes out ten, including five in a row, and walks none.
1915 – In the first of two at Cleveland, the Red Sox win 5 – 3 behind Babe Ruth and Carl Mays. They also win the second game, 3 – 1, with Ernie Shore pitching a complete game and now have a two-game lead over the Tigers, who split a twinbill with New York.
1916 – The Giants send veteran Larry Doyle to the Cubs, along with Herb Hunter, for 3B Heinie Zimmerman and SS Mickey Doolan. The move allows Buck Herzog to shift to 2B.
1917 – The Cards rally for four runs off Grover Alexander to beat the Phils, 6 – 5. Gene Paulette’s steal of home is the capper.
1918 – Tris Speaker is suspended for the remainder of the season because of his assault on umpire Tom Connolly following a dispute at home plate in a game in Philadelphia.
1921:
At Chicago, Boston’s Sam Jones wins his 20th game, beating the White Sox, 6 – 5, in 11 innings.
Jimmy Dykes handles an American League-record 17 chances at 2B for the A’s, as they beat St. Louis 12 – 4.
Despite three doubles by Babe Ruth, the Tigers drop the Yankees, 7 – 3. Ruth starts a record streak in which he gets at least one extra-base hit in nine straight games. Into the record books go his 119 extra-base hits, 177 runs, and 457 total bases. His .846 slugging average is one point behind that of a year ago.
1924 – Despite Babe Ruth’s two home runs, the Senators beat the Yankees 11 – 6 and move into first place. The Yankees will tie them for two days in September, but otherwise the Senators stay on top till the end.
1925 – Although the Baker Bowl is considered a bandbox by some, the aggressive Kiki Cuyler of the Pirates hits two inside-the-park home runs there in a victory over the Phils.
1926 – The Indians use the same lineup in two victories over the Red Sox, including Dutch Levsen, who pitches the 6 – 1 and 5 – 1 sweep. He strikes out none.
1929 – Donie Bush resigns as Pirates manager; coach Jewel Ens replaces him.
1930:
Brooklyn beats up on Giants ace Carl Hubbell, scoring seven runs in the 6th inning, en route to a win, 8 – 7. Dazzy Vance is the victor.
The Cards outlast the league-leading Cubs, 8 – 7, in a 20-inning game at Wrigley Field. Andy High’s single scores the winning run, even though High is tagged out trying to reach second base. Taylor Douthit’s run is ruled to have scored before the out. Hack Wilson leaves the game with a strained back after a big swing.
1932 – Due to the anticipation of an eclipse, the Red Sox complete a game several days earlier than scheduled with the Indians and beat the Tribe in 11 innings, 4 – 3. Three days later, Fenway Park goes dark for twenty minutes during the solar event.
1936 – The Giants win their 15th in a row, beating Pittsburgh 7 – 4 in 14 innings. First base coach Bill Terry inserts himself as a pinch hitter and delivers a bases-loaded single to break the 1 – 1 tie in the 14th. The streak will be stopped the next day by Red Lucas.
1937 – Van Mungo is suspended indefinitely for insubordination after rejecting the Dodger trainer’s program to cure his sore arm.
1938 – On Connie Mack Day at Shibe Park, the A’s win a doubleheader from the White Sox, setting a league record by playing their seventh successive twin bill in eight days.
1939 – Cleveland OF Jeff Heath punches a taunting fan leaning over the railing, but the umpires miss the incident and he goes unpunished.
1940:
The Cubs recall Dizzy Dean from Dallas and release Billy Rogell.
Homestead Grays (Negro League) P Ray Brown earns his 27th consecutive victory over a two-year span when he shuts out the Baltimore Elite Giants 5 – 0 on a three-hitter. The win raises his record to 12-0 for the season.
1942 – Dodger Pete Reiser, hitless in his last 13 trips and with his batting average down 35 points in six weeks, enters the hospital with a torn thigh ligament.
1945 – Against the Phillies, Brooklyn’s teenage SS Tommy Brown hits a triple and then steals home sliding under a high pitch by Rene Monteagudo. At 17, he is the youngest to pull off a home steal. The Dodgers win, 7 – 1, for their 13th win in 14 games.
1948:
Vern Stephens is 4 for 4 with two doubles to pace the Red Sox to a 6 – 2 decision over Chicago. Ellis Kinder (6-7) is the only starter not to collect a hit for the first-place Sox.
The Yanks stroll into second-place by edging the Indians, 3 – 2. Ahead 2 – 1, Sam Zoldak wilts in the 98-degree weather and Gene Bearden replaces him in the 9th. Joe DiMaggio is hit, and two wild throws brings in Ed Klieman, who finishes the walk to Yogi Berra. A Bobby Brown sac bunt and an intentional pass to Phil Rizzuto load the bases. Cliff Mapes walks to force a run and a grounder brings home the winner.
The Phils snap their ten-game losing streak with a pair of victories over the Pirates, 9 – 2 and 11 – 7. Del Ennis and Andy Seminick homer in the opener to back Schoolboy Rowe. Ennis hits pair in the second game, Seminick adds another, as do Eddie Miller, Granny Hamner – his first of the year – and Al Lakeman. But the Phils lose star Richie Ashburn, who breaks a finger on his left hand.
1950:
Earle and Roy Mack, Connie’s sons by his first marriage, purchase 54 percent interest in the Athletics from Connie Mack, Jr., their younger brother from a second marriage. Earle, Roy and Connie Mack now own 1,198 shares out of 1,500. “As long as dad wants to manage,” the two announce, “he will continue to manage.” However, the elder Mack will resign as manager the following October.
At Fenway Park the Red Sox come back from 10 – 0 and 12 – 1 deficits to beat the Indians, 15 – 14. Bob Feller is the loser, this time in his only relief appearance of the season, coming in for starter Bob Lemon, the American League’s winningest pitcher. Dom DiMaggio’s two triples and a single pace the offense. It is the second day in a row the Tribe has blown a big lead, losing a seven-run advantage yesterday.
At Wrigley Field, Hank Sauer socks three consecutive home runs off Curt Simmons, as the Cubs edge the Phillies, 7 – 5, in the first game. Sauer will connect for three homers off Simmons once more, in 1952. Knuckleballer Dutch Leonard, in his only start of the year, is today’s winner. The Phils then take the nitecap, 9 – 5, to move 5 1/2 games ahead of the Dodgers.
1951:
The Indians triumph over the A’s, 1 – 0, on Bob Kennedy’s homer off Sam Zoldak. It is Sam’s second 1 – 0 loss to the Tribe. Early Wynn wins his 15th to keep the Indians a game ahead of New York, 7 – 5 winners in ten innings at St. Louis.
The Pirates end the Giants’ 16-game winning streak defeating New York, 2 – 0. Due to the consecutive victories, Leo Durocher and his club were able to narrow the Dodgers’ lead from 13 1/2 to six games.
The Dodgers edge the visiting Reds, 3 – 1, behind rookie Clem Labine. Duke Snider provides the offense off Howie Fox with a single and two-run homer, the latter breaking a tie in the 8th.
The Braves sell P Johnny Sain to the Yankees for $50,000 and a young pitcher named Lew Burdette. It is another late-season insurance measure for the New Yorkers.
1952 – The Brooklyn Dodgers set the National League mark for consecutive games with a double play, with 23.
1956 – The Giants sign 17-year-old lefty Mike McCormick to a bonus contract. Due to the bonus rule, he will be immediately added to the roster and make his major league debut on September 3rd.
1958 – White Sox 2B Nellie Fox sets a record for consecutive games without striking out (98).
1959:
Before 70,938 fans in Cleveland, the first-place White Sox top the second-place Indians, 7 – 3, behind the pitching of Bob Shaw. The Tribe now trail by 2 1/2 games.
A two-out, bases-empty inside-the-park homer to deepest center field at Forbes Field by Roberto Clemente ignites a five-run rally while starting pitcher Vern Law, as the Pirates administers a 9 – 0 whitewashing to Philadelphia.
1960:
In New York, the Yankees snap a 3 – 3 tie when Mickey Mantle hits a two-run homer in the 5th and Yogi Berra follows with a solo shot. The Yanks top the Tigers, 8 – 5.
In Los Angeles, the Reds drop nine runs – six unearned – on the Dodgers in the 1st inning, then get shut out the rest of the way. The Reds win, 9 – 3, behind Bob Purkey.
In a battle of New York’s chief rivals for the American League pennant, Baltimore’s Milt Pappas has Chicago down 3 – 0 in the 8th. An apparent three-run home run by Ted Kluszewski is nullified because umpire Ed Hurley calls time just before Pappas delivers. Hurley spotted Floyd Robinson and Earl Torgeson warming up along the right field sideline. The Sox argue for 15 minutes, with Nellie Fox and Al Lopez being tossed, before Klu hits again and lines out. The O’s prevail, 3 – 1, and take over second place, two games behind the Yankees, and the Sox are 3 1/2 back.
1961:
At LA’s Wrigley Field, Baltimore takes advantage of the friendly confines to hit five home runs and beat the Angels 11 – 5. Jack Fisher has a complete game win, despite allowing 12 walks. The game is the last for Paul Richards as the manager for Baltimore. He’ll be replaced by Lum Harris on September 1st.
At Washington, Rocky Colavito and Al Kaline belt 1st-inning homers as Detroit wins, 7 – 3 to cut New York’s lead to 1 1/2 games. Rocky now has 39 homers and 120 RBIs. Jake Wood hits a 6th-inning grand slam to complete the scoring for Detroit.
1962:
Angels thumpers Lee Thomas, Leon Wagner, and Buck Rodgers hit consecutive home runs in the 4th inning of a 10 – 5 trouncing of Kansas City.
At Yankee Stadium, Mickey Mantle connects for a two-run shot in the 4th off Mudcat Grant to give the Yanks a 2 – 1 win over the Indians.
1963 – Today’s scheduled game between the Twins and Senators is postponed as local authorities expect possible violence in light of the scheduled “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom”. In fact the march, which brings together a quarter of a million participants, will be entirely peaceful and highlighted by Martin Luther King’s exalted “I Have a Dream” speech by the Lincoln Memorial.
1967:
Roberto Clemente homers twice, the second a decisive blast off Jay Ritchie in the 10th, to lead Pittsburgh to a 4 – 3 win over Atlanta.
Boston signs free agent OF Ken Harrelson following his release by Kansas City. Harrelson reportedly receives a $75,000 bonus and salary package for the remainder of this season and for 1968. Harrelson will homer in his first Boston at-bat but will hit just .200 for the Sox this year.
1969:
Detroit OF Jim Northrup goes 6 for 6, the first six-hit game for Detroit since June 24, 1962, as the Tigers beat the A’s, 5 – 3. Northrup’s sixth hit is a home run over the roof in the bottom of the 13th to win the game.
At a press conference, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn announces the publication of The Baseball Encyclopedia and holds up a copy of the 6 1/2 pound book. It will become an unlikely best-seller.
Canadian reliever Claude Raymond gains his first win since joining the Expos as they come from behind to beat the Dodgers, 9 – 5. Willie Davis has a pair of singles for LA to stretch his hitting streak to 25 straight games.
1970:
Cleveland and California split a pair, with the Angels taking the opener, 3 – 2 and the Tribe the nitecap, 5 – 1. Cleveland’s Tony Horton plays his last professional game. The 25-year-old budding star, despondent over a batting slump and fans’ booing, will be hospitalized for depression.
Jerry Reuss allows two hits and the Cards beat the host Dodgers, 1 – 0, when Joe Torre belts a 9th-inning home run off Don Sutton. It is Reuss’ second two-hitter this month, having beaten the Expos, 4 – 0, on August 9th.
Houston’s Wade Blasingame continues his mastery of the Mets, winning 2 – 1, his second victory over New York since being recalled from the minors. His record against the Mets is 9-0. Tom Seaver takes the loss.
The Giants’ Juan Marichal beats the Pirates 5 – 1 for his 200th major league win. Marichal joins Jim Bunning as the only active pitchers with 200 wins.
1971:
With 34,988 looking on, the Braves spoil “Ron Santo Day” at Wrigley Field by beating Ferguson Jenkins and the Cubs, 4 – 3. Santo is 1 for 3 with a run scored.
Phillies’ pitcher Rick Wise hits two home runs, including a grand slam, en route to his 7 – 3 defeat of the Giants. Five weeks ago, Wise also hit two round-trippers against the Reds while no-hitting them, 4 – 0.
1974:
The Pirates move 1 1/2 games in front of the Cardinals by winning their sixth straight game, a 3 – 1 win at San Francisco. Ed Kirkpatrick’s two-out double in the 11th wins it.
The Orioles lose to the Rangers, 4 – 2, dropping their record to 65-65, eight games behind the front-running Red Sox.
1976 – Dave Concepcion hits a two-run single in the bottom of the 9th and the Reds tip the Phillies, 8 – 7.
1977:
In a game the Orioles win, 6 – 1, Angel hurler Nolan Ryan strikes out 11 batters to reach the 300 strikeout season mark for the fifth time in his career.
On his 27th birthday, Ron Guidry of the Yankees fires his third shutout of the year, blanking the Texas Rangers, 1 – 0, at Yankee Stadium. Guidry faces just 28 batters, allowing two hits. Graig Nettles scores the winning run after belting as triple.
Steve Garvey has a career game with five extra-base hits, five runs, and five RBI, as the Dodgers blast the Cardinals 11 – 0. Garvey’s barrage includes three doubles and two home runs.
1978 – The Mariners and Red Sox combine for 16 extra-base hits in the Red Sox’s 10 – 9 victory. The Sox, down 9 – 7 in the 9th, start a rally when Fred Lynn lines his fifth hit of the game. Lynn scores on an error and Butch Hobson drives home the winner with a two-run double. Jim Rice hits his 34th homer, Jack Brohamer adds four hits, and Bob Stanley wins his 12th against one loss. The Sox lose Dwight Evans in the 7th when he is beaned by a Mike Parrott pitch, but X-Rays show no fracture however.
1979 – The Dodgers release P Andy Messersmith, ending his 12-year career with a 130-99 record and 2.86 ERA.
1981:
Cleveland’s John Denny shuts out Seattle, 1 – 0.
Tim Laudner becomes the second Twins player in four days, after Kent Hrbek, to homer in his first major league game, a 6 – 0 win over the Tigers.
1983:
Greg Luzinski becomes the first player to park three home runs onto the roof at Comiskey Park, connecting off Boston’s Oil Can Boyd in a 6 – 2 Chicago victory. Jimmie Foxx and Ted Williams each accomplished the feat twice.
The Indians trade pitcher Len Barker to the Braves for Rick Behenna, cash, and two players to be named later. The two turn out to be OF Brett Butler and 3B Brook Jacoby.
1987 – Mike Schmidt continues to climb baseball’s all-time home run list, passing both Ted Williams and Willie McCovey with the 522nd of his career in an 8 – 1 win over San Diego.
1989:
Frank Viola and the Mets outduel Orel Hershiser and the Dodgers, 1 – 0, in the first-ever regular-season matchup of defending Cy Young Award winners.
Jim Dwyer changes uniforms again as the Twins trade him to Montreal for Alonzo Powell. Dwyer will come back to the Twins in January for a minor leaguer.
1990 – Ryne Sandberg homers to become the first second baseman to hit 30 home runs in consecutive seasons as the Cubs beat the Astros, 5 – 2.
1991:
The Mets trade P Alejandro Pena to the Braves for P Tony Castillo and a player to be named later.
Cincinnati’s Tom Browning defeats Montreal’s Dennis Martinez, 11 – 3, in the first matchup of perfect game hurlers in 25 years. Sandy Koufax and Jim Bunning were the last such pair to meet, on October 2, 1966.
Jim Eppard of the Salinas Spurs of the California League plays all nine positions as the Spurs defeat the San Bernardino Spirit, 2 – 1. Eppard gets credit for the win by pitching a scoreless 5th inning. The former California Angels OF becomes one of the few left-handers to play every position in a single game.
1992:
In a 22 – 2 rout, the Blue Jays pitching staff yields 31 hits, of which 22 are singles, to help the Brewers set an American League record.
The Padres outslug the Pirates, 11 – 6, with Fred McGriff collecting three hits and providing the longest home run in the majors this season at 473 feet. It is Fred’s 30th. Gary Sheffield adds his 28th.
1993:
Texas OF Juan Gonzalez hits three home runs in the Rangers’ 11 – 1 win over the Orioles.
The Mets sign P Kirk Presley, their top pick in this year’s amateur draft, for $960,000. The pitcher is a distant cousin of Elvis Presley. In 1999, Gerry Hunsicker will recall his decision to draft Presley: “I didn’t make one of the brightest decisions of my career when I passed on a young pitcher out of Ferrum College (Billy Wagner) and chose another who never got out of A ball.”
Long Beach, CA becomes the first U.S. team to repeat as Little League World Series champions, beating Panama, 3 – 2. Long Beach, led by Jeff Burroughs’s son, Sean Burroughs, is just the third team to repeat as champs: Seoul, South Korea in 1984-1985 and Monterrey, Mexico, in 1957-1958 are the other repeaters.
1996:
Seattle’s 10 – 2 win over the visiting Yankees is delayed ten minutes by a bench-clearing brawl in the 8th inning following a close pitch by M’s rookie Tim Davis. Seattle’s John Marzano and New York’s Paul O’Neill and Jeff Nelson all receive two-game suspensions, with the New Yorkers each getting fined $1,000. Nelson opened the 8th by plunking Joey Cora.
Vinny Castilla reaches the 100-RBI plateau, joining teammates Andres Galarraga, Ellis Burks, and Dante Bichette. Not since the Cubs and Phillies of 1929 has a team had four players reach the mark.
The Braves acquire P Denny Neagle, who passes waivers, from the Pirates in exchange for minor leaguers Ron Wright and Corey Pointer, and a player to be named (Jason Schmidt). The Bucs will save some more bucks in two days, dealing veteran 3B Charlie Hayes.
1998:
The Mariners clout three home runs in a 10 – 3 loss to the Yankees, making them the first team in history to reach the 200-home run mark for a season in three consecutive years. Shane Monahan, Russ Davis, and Rob Ducey each belts a solo round-tripper for Seattle.
Tied with the Indians at 6 – 6 going into the 10th inning, the Athletics score eight runs for a 14 – 6 win. 1B Jason Giambi’s three-run homer is the big blast in the frame.
The Angels obtain the oft-injured Gregg Jefferies from the Phillies in exchange for a player to be named.
Juan Gonzalez, Will Clark, and Ivan Rodriguez hit successive home runs in the 4th inning of the Rangers’ 6 – 5 win over the White Sox in the first game of a twinbill. Chicago takes the nightcap, 8 – 7, as the two teams combine to hit 14 home runs in the doubleheader to tie an American League record.
The Cubs defeat the Rockies, 10 – 5, as Sammy Sosa hits homer #53 for Chicago.
1999 – The Red Sox defeat the Angels, 7 – 6. With Tim Wakefield and Steve Sparks as the starting pitchers, the game is believed to be the 27th matchup of knuckleballers in major league history.
2000:
The Athletics defeat the White Sox, 3 – 0, as Tim Hudson hurls a one-hitter. Frank Thomas’ 4th-inning single is the only hit.
The Players’ association exercises its option to extend the Collective bargaining agreement, ensuring labor peace through October 31, 2001. The expected move comes as no surprise as the players appear to be happy with the November 1996 deal, but the owners have expressed concerns the present CBA has widened the talent gap between the high and low-revenue markets due to escalating salaries.
2001:
Seattle OF Ichiro Suzuki reaches 200 hits for the season as the Mariners fall to the Devil Rays, 6 – 0. By going 2 for 3, Suzuki becomes only the third American League rookie to reach 200 hits since 1964.
The Marlins defeat the Cubs, 4 – 3, despite Sammy Sosa’s 52nd home run. The blast gives Sosa a share of the National League record for home runs in August, tying the mark set by Willie Mays in 1965. He also ties Babe Ruth for the most homers in seven consecutive seasons: the Babe hit 343 between 1926 and 1932. Mark McGwire has hit 338 homers from 1995 through this year.
Alex Rodriguez becomes the ninth player, and the second shortstop, in major league history to hit 40 home runs in four consecutive seasons. The first shortstop to reach the plateau was Hall of Fame member Ernie Banks, who accomplished the feat from 1957 to 1960 for the Chicago Cubs.
2002:
Odalis Perez of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a solo homer, off Arizona’s Rick Helling, for the only run of the game. He is the first pitcher since Bob Welch in 1983 (and the 12th ever) to hit a solo homer for the only run. The game also marks the beginning of Eric Gagné’s record streak of 84 consecutive saves.
The Cardinals obtain P Jamey Wright from the Brewers in exchange for minor league OF Chris Morris and cash.
2003 – Jose Reyes becomes the youngest player in major league history to hit a home run from each side of the plate. The 20-year-old shortstop accounts for all the Mets’ runs, hitting a solo shot right-handed off Mike Hampton in 5th inning and a two-run dinger lefty off Trey Hodges in the 9th, as New York beats the Braves, 3 – 1.
2005 – Down three runs against the Netherlands Antilles in Williamsport, PA, Hawaii stages an improbable comeback, tying the game at 6 – 6 in the bottom of the 6th inning to force only the third extra-inning championship game in the Little League World Series, and the first since 1971. The Ewa Beach bunch beats the Caribbean champs, 7 – 6, as catcher Michael Memea hits a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 7th inning.
2009:
The Angels acquire Scott Kazmir, the winningest pitcher in Tampa Bay Rays history, in a trade for P Alex Torres, IF Matt Sweeney and a player to be named later (IF Sean Rodriguez). Also on the trade front, Minnesota obtains reliever Jon Rauch from the Diamondbacks for a player to be named later.
Pinch-hitting in the 6th inning, John Hester hits a home run in his first major league at bat to help Arizona beat Houston, 14 – 7. He hits the homer off Wilton Lopez, who is also making his major league debut.
2010 – Tim Hudson sets a career high with 13 strikeouts in a 12 – 3 Braves win over the Marlins, snapping a four-game losing streak. The Braves give him an early lead with a six-run 2nd inning highlighted by Matt Diaz’s home run and Brian McCann’s three-run double.
2011:
David Price sets a Tampa Bay franchise record with 14 strikeouts in seven innings in the Rays’ 12 – 0 rout of the Blue Jays. Desmond Jennings sets the tone by homering on the first pitch of the game from Brandon Morrow, then Sean Rodriguez and he go back-to-back in the 2nd inning. Two Rays relievers strike out four more batters over the last two innings, for a total of 18 whiffs on the day.
Zack Greinke improves to 10-0 at home this season as the Brewers beat the Cubs, 3 – 2, to complete a three-game sweep. The Brewers have won 24 of 26 games in August to run away with the NL Central lead, which now stands at 10 1/2 games in front of the Cardinals.
Huntington Beach, CA takes the 2011 Little League World Series title with a 2 – 1 walk-off victory over Hamamatsu of Japan. 1B Nick Pratto singles in the winning run with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 6th.
The US wins the 2011 World Youth Championship with a 9 – 0 shutout of Cuba. It gives the US five Gold Medals, breaking a tie with Cuba for the most in the history of the World Youth Championship. Keegan Thompson tosses a four-hit, 12-strikeout gem while getting four hits of his own at the plate. US catcher Zack Collins wins MVP honors with 16 RBI and three home runs for the tourney.
2012 – San Francisco scores twice in the 9th inning on pinch hits by Joaquin Arias and Hector Sanchez to defeat the Astros, 3 – 2. SS Brandon Crawford makes a tremendous catch in the 1st inning when Jason Castro pops up a ball into foul territory. 3B Pablo Sandoval races to get under the ball, but falls over, still managing to get his glove on the ball to deflect it upwards. Crawford then dives in behind him, snaring the ball inches off the ground for the rare assisted putout on a pop-up. The Giants are now 3 1/2 games up on the Dodgers in the NL West, their biggest lead of the year.
2013:
In his first game as a member of the Pirates, OF Marlon Byrd hits a three-run homer to lead his new team to a 7 – 1 win over the Brewers. Charlie Morton is the winner over Tom Gorzelanny as the Bucs pull back within a half game of the Cardinals in the NL Central.
The Athletics collect a season-high 21 hits as they defeat the Tigers, 14 – 4. Brandon Moss hits a pair of homers and drives in six. Dan Straily is the winner and Brett Anderson picks up his first career save.
2014 – Journeyman pitcher Yusmeiro Petit of the Giants sets a new major league mark when he begins a spot start against the Rockies by retiring the first eight batters of the game. He had entered the contest having retired the last 38 batters he had faced over seven appearances, dating back to July 22nd. His third out of the day ties the National League mark of 41 held by Jim Barr, and each out after that increases it. When he strikes out Jackson Williams to lead off the 3rd, he ties the major league record of 45 set by Mark Buehrle in 2009; he then sets a new record of 46 when he strikes out Charlie Culberson. The next batter, P Jordan Lyles, ends the streak with a double to left. Petit ends up giving up a single run in six innings and gets credit for the 4 – 1 win.
2015 – The Mariners fire General Manager Jack Zduriencik after eight seasons during which the team failed to reach the postseason. He is replaced on an interim basis by his assistant, Jeff Kingston.
2016:
The Maine-Endwell team from New York defeats the team from Seoul, South Korea in the finale of the 2016 Little League World Series, 2 – 1.
Josh Donaldson has the first three-homer game of his career to lead the Blue Jays to a 9 – 6 win over Minnesota. His second shot, off Pat Light in the 7th, puts Toronto ahead to stay, while after his third, off Alex Wimmers in the 8th, fans at Rogers Centre deluge the field with hats, hockey-style. The Jays maintain a hold on first place in the AL East with the win, but for the Twins, it’s a tenth straight loss.
The Rouen Huskies win their 12th French Division I title in the past 14 years. They top the Templiers de Sénart, three games to one. In today’s Game 4, Marc-André Habeck and Anthony Piquet allow one run in a 5 – 1 win, while Jonathan Mottay takes the loss. Maxime Lefevre has three hits and two RBI while Dylan Gleeson scores two. Oscar Combes is the finals MVP.
2020 – Because Jackie Robinson Day, normally celebrated on April 15th, was shut out by the Coronavirus pandemic this year, it is rescheduled today, on the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s March on Washington. It takes place amidst nationwide questioning on racial relations, following the brutal shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, WI earlier in the week, and the Astros and Athletics elect not to play, staging instead a brief ceremony in Robinson’s honor, following in the steps of other MLB teams and other sports who have done the same over the past two days. The producers of the film 42 had made a $4.2 million donation of medical equipment for the African-American community on the original day, but today everyone is saddened upon hearing of the passing at 43 of actor Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed Jackie Robinson in the 2013 film.
2022 – The team from Honolulu, HI defeats Willemstad, 13 – 3, in the championship game of the 2022 Little League World Series to claim the fourth title for a team from the 50th state. Willemstad takes the early lead with a 1st-inning run – the first and only time Honolulu trails in a game all tournament – but their opponents reply with a pair of homers in the bottom of the inning and are off to the races. Honolulu outscored its opponents 60-5 in its six games in a dominating performance.
2023:
José Altuve hits for the cycle to lead the Astros to a 13 – 5 win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park, homering over the Green Monster in the 9th inning to complete the feat, the first by an Astros player since 2013. He goes 4 for 6 with four runs and as many RBIs, and teammate Yordan Alvarez is 4 for 4 with four RBIs as well. In the 6th inning, the Astros score six runs off Kyle Barraclough with only three hits, including a homer by Alvarez and a triple by Altuve, as he walks four and plunks two other batters.
Royce Lewis becomes the first player in Twins history to hit grand slams in consecutive games when he connects off the Guardians’ Xzavion Curry in the 2nd inning of a 10 – 6 win, one day after doing so in the 6th inning of a 7 – 6 win over the Rangers.
2024 – The Astros put everything together in a 10 – 0 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Rookie Spencer Arrighetti carries a no-hitter into the 8th inning, Yordan Alvarez slugs three homers, and José Altuve gets the party going by stealing home in the 1st.
2025 – For the third time this season, a player has a four-homer game, with Kyle Schwarber performing the feat and driving in nine runs in a 19 – 4 Phillies win over Atlanta. Three such games in one season breaks the previous record of two, set in 2002 and tied in 2017. In spite of its frequency this season, the feat has only been performed 21 times in major league history, and the last Phillies player to accomplish it had been Mike Schmidt in 1976.
Births[edit]
1843 – Bob Reach, infielder (d. 1922)
1861 – Charlie Reising, outfielder; umpire (d. 1915)
1873 – Tinti Molina, Negro League owner and manager (d. 1961)
1873 – Bill Stuart, infielder (d. 1928)
1874 – George Bone, infielder (d. 1918)
1875 – Joe Yeager, infielder (d. 1937)
1876 – Doc Hazelton, infielder (d. 1941)
1877 – Ben Beville, pitcher (d. 1937)
1880 – Buck Hooker, pitcher (d. 1929)
1881 – Dode Paskert, outfielder (d. 1959)
1882 – Garnet Bush, umpire (d. 1919)
1883 – Pat Woods, minor league pitcher (d. 1941)
1891 – Byron Houck, pitcher (d. 1969)
1892 – Braggo Roth, outfielder (d. 1936)
1894 – Byrd Douglas, college coach (d. 1965)
1894 – Bob Smith, owner (d. 1973)
1895 – Dick Whitworth, pitcher (d. 1966)
1896 – Aaron Ward, infielder (d. 1961)
1898 – Charlie Grimm, infielder, manager (d. 1983)
1898 – Willis Moody, outfielder (d. 1985)
1902 – Art Jacobs, pitcher (d. 1967)
1902 – Wally Roettger, outfielder (d. 1951)
1907 – Paul Dixon, outfielder (d. 1994)
1908 – Don Savidge, pitcher (d. 1983)
1910 – Jack Peerson, infielder (d. 1966)
1911 – Howie Haak, scout (d. 1999)
1912 – Goody Rosen, outfielder; All-Star (d. 1994)
1913 – Johnie Scott, outfielder; All-Star (d. 1967)
1914 – Shuzo Hirota, NPB catcher (d. ????)
1918 – Skinner Belfield, pinch-hitter (d. 1995)
1918 – Jeff Cross, infielder (d. 1997)
1918 – Ronnie Miller, pitcher (d. 1998)
1918 – Paul Bowa, minor league infielder (d. 1994)
1919 – Tokuzo Harada, NPB outfielder (d. 1976)
1919 – Charlie Marshall, catcher (d. 2007)
1921 – Cliff Aberson, outfielder (d. 1973)
1921 – Bill Bradford, pitcher (d. 2000)
1922 – Ray Malgradi, minor league pitcher and manager (d. 2013)
1922 – Jack Paepke, coach (d. 2014)
1923 – Takeshi Suhara, NPB outfielder (d. ????)
1923 – Fumiya Tsuta, NPB pitcher (d. 2001)
1925 – Johnny Pramesa, catcher (d. 1996)
1926 – Bob Trice, pitcher (d. 1988)
1933 – Charles Xiques, minor league outfielder (d. 2020)
1934 – Mitsuru Tamura, NPB pitcher
1936 – Don Denkinger, umpire (d. 2023)
1936 – Tony Gonzalez, outfielder (d. 2021)
1936 – Tsutomu Kuroda, NPB pitcher (d. 2017)
1936 – Masami Maruyama, NPB catcher
1936 – Yoshio Tazawa, NPB pitcher (d. 2008)
1937 – Bob Hartman, pitcher (d. 2010)
1938 – Billy Cowan, outfielder
1938 – Bolivar Hinojosa, minor league infielder
1938 – Dick LeMay, pitcher (d. 2018)
1939 – Bob Fowler, writer (b. 2009)
1940 – Tom Satriano, catcher
1941 – Takuro Morikawa, NPB pitcher
1943 – Lou Piniella, outfielder, manager; All-Star
1946 – Agustín Marquetti, Cuban league infielder
1946 – Mike Torrez, pitcher
1947 – Jimmy Johnson, minor league infielder and manager
1948 – Ron Braden, college coach (d. 2012)
1949 – Joel Green, minor league infielder
1949 – Les Lisowski, minor league pitcher
1950 – Ron Guidry, pitcher; All-Star
1951 – Joel Youngblood, outfielder; All-Star
1952 – Mitsuo Sugano, NPB infielder (b. 2007)
1956 – Robert Surplice, Australian national team pitcher
1957 – Terumitsu Kumano, NPB outfielder
1958 – Scott Lovekamp, scout
1961 – Giorgio Castelli, Serie A1 catcher
1961 – Bill Groot, Hoofdklasse infielder
1961 – Yáder Soto, Nicaraguan national team pitcher
1963 – Jeong-hoon Lee, KBO outfielder
1966 – Hitoshi Nakane, NPB outfielder
1967 – Darren Lewis, outfielder
1968 – Shawn Holtzclaw, minor league outfielder
1969 – Daryle Gavlick, minor league pitcher
1970 – Kazutaka Nishiyama, NPB pitcher
1971 – Shane Andrews, infielder
1971 – Kazuhiko Miyaji, NPB outfielder
1972 – Jay Witasick, pitcher
1973 – Kit Pellow, outfielder
1973 – Mario Sangilbert, CPBL pitcher
1975 – Reggie Christiansen, college coach
1975 – Jen-Hao Yang, TML pitcher
1976 – Ryan Schurman, scout
1977 – Tom Shearn, pitcher
1978 – Neven Marinic, Croatian national team outfielder
1978 – Jen-Ming Yang, CPBL pitcher
1978 – Yuji Yoshimi, NPB pitcher
1979 – Landon Stockman, minor league player
1980 – T.J. Beam, pitcher
1980 – Ryan Madson, pitcher
1981 – Ryan Hannaman, minor league pitcher
1981 – Jorge Lopez, minor league pitcher
1981 – Yuniesky Maya, pitcher
1981 – Travis Wong, minor league infielder
1982 – Carlos Quentin, outfielder; All-Star
1982 – Randy Wells, pitcher
1984 – Will Harris, pitcher; All-Star
1985 – Casey Erickson, minor league pitcher
1986 – Tommy Hanson, pitcher (d. 2015)
1987 – Shaun Garceau, minor league pitcher
1987 – Justin Howard, minor league infielder
1987 – Thierry Letouzé, Austrian national team pitcher
1987 – Kohei Mantani, NPB pitcher
1987 – Matt Packer, minor league pitcher
1988 – Gary Davison, Great Britain national team player
1988 – Kalson Dulei, Palauan national team pitcher
1988 – Liu-Ching Huang, CPBL pitcher
1988 – Takayuki Kajitani, NPB outfielder
1988 – Kang-ryul Kim, KBO pitcher
1989 – Matt Andriese, pitcher
1989 – Matt Dominguez, infielder
1991 – Johan Barboza, minor league pitcher
1991 – Frank Madan, Cuban league pitcher
1991 – Nate Smith, minor league pitcher
1993 – Seby Zavala, catcher
1994 – Kelvin Gutierrez, infielder
1995 – José Gerez, Argentinian national team catcher
1996 – Ashe Russell, minor league pitcher
1999 – Hisaya Nammoku, Japanese national team catcher
1999 – Gregory Santos, pitcher
2001 – Ty Floyd, minor league pitcher
2001 – Will Simpson, minor league infielder
2002 – Travis Bazzana, infielder; All-Star
2002 – Brock Selvidge, minor league pitcher
Deaths[edit]
1891 – Joe Miller, infielder, manager (b. 1850)
1894 – Gracie Pierce, infielder, umpire (b. 1860)
1930 – J.P. Kelley, umpire (b. 1848)
1936 – Youngy Johnson, pitcher (b. 1873)
1939 – Ed Flynn, infielder (b. 1864)
1939 – Dave Oldfield, catcher (b. 1864)
1940 – Charlie Johnson, outfielder (b. 1885)
1942 – Bill Rariden, catcher (b. 1888)
1948 – Roger Smoot, minor league outfielder (b. 1905)
1951 – Billy Lush, outfielder (b. 1873)
1951 – Bill Piercy, pitcher (b. 1896)
1958 – Jean Dubuc, pitcher (b. 1888)
1958 – Eddie Stack, pitcher (b. 1887)
1958 – Sid Womack, catcher (b. 1896)
1966 – Yoshio Nakazawa, Koshien Tournament organizer; Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame (b. 1883)
1976 – Bill Hunnefield, infielder (b. 1899)
1977 – Silvio García, infielder; All-Star (b. 1913)
1979 – Paul Hardy, catcher (b. 1910)
1979 – Earl Pruess, outfielder (b. 1895)
1979 – Salvador Taormina, minor league outfielder and manager (b. 1922)
1979 – Alan Yogi, NPB infielder (b. 1928)
1980 – Harry Smythe, pitcher (b. 1904)
1980 – Jerry Witner, minor league outfielder and manager (b. ~1909)
1989 – Fred Waters, pitcher (b. 1927)
1990 – Larry Jackson, pitcher; All-Star (b. 1931)
1994 – Dain Clay, outfielder (b. 1919)
1995 – Juan Rios, infielder (b. 1942)
1996 – Al Zarilla, outfielder; All-Star (b. 1919)
1997 – Lou Scoffic, outfielder (b. 1913)
1998 – Mizuki Kato, Japanese national team pitcher
1999 – Johnny Gerlach, infielder (b. 1917)
1999 – Dave Pope, outfielder (b. 1921)
2011 – George Kress, minor league outfielder (b. 1926)
2013 – Edmund Fitzgerald, executive (b. 1926)
2013 – Ray Grebey, labor negotiator (b. 1928)
2013 – Tatsuma Igarashi, NPB outfielder (b. 1930)
2013 – Frank Pulli, umpire (b. 1935)
2017 – Walt Fields, scout (b. 1925)
2021 – Giraldo González, Cuban league infielder and manager (b. 1958)
2025 – Randy Moffitt, pitcher (b. 1948)
2025 – Daryl Patterson, pitcher (b. 1943)
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TV SPORTS TODAY
(All times Eastern)
Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts
Friday, Aug. 28
AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL (MEN’S)
5:30 a.m.
FS2 — AFL Postseason: Collingwood at Western, First Wildcard Final
5:30 a.m. (Saturday)
FS2 — AFL Postseason: Carlton at Melbourne, Second Wildcard Final
AUTO RACING
5 p.m.
TRUTV — NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.
6 p.m.
FS1 — NTT IndyCar Series: Practice, Milwaukee Mile, West Allis, Wis.
7:30 p.m.
CW — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: Winn-Dixie 250 Powered by Coca-Cola, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.
9 p.m.
FS1 — ARCA Menards Series: Atlas 200, Madison International Speedway, Oregon, Wis.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
10 p.m.
ESPN — Idaho at Cal Poly
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
6:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — Opening Spike Classic: Kansas at Pittsburgh
7 p.m.
FOX — 2026 State Farm Showcase: Purdue vs. Creighton, Sioux Falls, S.D.
9 p.m.
ESPN2 — Opening Spike Classic: Wisconsin vs. Stanford
FOX — 2026 State Farm Showcase: Minnesota vs. Arizona St., Sioux Falls, S.D.
CYCLING
7 a.m.
NBCSN — UCI: 2026 Vuelta a España, Stage 7
GOLF
7:30 a.m.
GOLF — DP World Tour: Husqvarna British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo, Second Round, The Belfry Hotel & Resort, Sutton Coldfield, England
9 a.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: FM Championship, Second Round, TPC Boston, Norton, Mass.
11 a.m.
ESPN — PGA Tour: TOUR Championship, Second Round, East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta
1 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: TOUR Championship, Second Round, East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta
7 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Ally Challenge, First Round, Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, Grand Blanc, Mich. (taped)
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
7 p.m.
ESPN — Saint Joseph Regional (N.J.) at Mount Carmel (Ill.)
HORSE RACING
1 p.m.
FS2 — Saratoga Live
MLB BASEBALL
6:30 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: L.A. Dodgers at Detroit (6:40 p.m.) OR Miami at Washington (6:45 p.m.)
7:15 p.m.
APPLE TV — Boston at N.Y. Yankees
APPLE TV — Seattle at Toronto
10 p.m.
MLBN — Arizona at San Francisco (10:15 p.m.)
NFL FOOTBALL
6 p.m.
NFLN — Preseason: Washington at Baltimore
8 p.m.
CBS — Preseason: Cincinnati at Philadelphia
9 p.m.
NFLN — Preseason: Minnesota at Denver
RUGBY (WOMEN’S)
10:40 p.m.
FS2 — NRL: Canberra at Gold Coast
1:10 a.m. (Saturday)
FS2 — NRL: Cronulla-Sutherland at Sydney
3:10 a.m. (Saturday)
FS2 — NRL: Newcastle at North Queensland
SOCCER (MEN’S)
3 p.m.
USA — English Premier League: Manchester City at Crystal Palace
7 p.m.
FS2 — Canadian Premier League: Inter Toronto at Atletico Ottawa
SOFTBALL
7 p.m.
CBSSN — Athletes Unlimited All-Star Cup: Team Klinger vs. Team Flippen, Rosemont, Ill.
TENNIS
4 p.m.
TENNIS CHANNEL — Winston-Salem-ATP & Monterrey-WTA Semifinals
WNBA BASKETBALL
7:30 p.m.
ION — Connecticut at Indiana
10 p.m.
ION — Toronto at Las Vegas
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