“THE SCOREBOARD” INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SCORES WEDNESDAY: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/baseball/scores/?date=4/22/2026 ================================================== INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL SCORES WEDNESDAY: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/softball/scores/?date=4/22/2026 ================================================ INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS VOLLEYBALL SCORES WEDNESDAY: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/volleyball/boys/scores/?date=4/22/2026 ================================================ INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS LAX SCORES WEDNESDAY: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/lacrosse/girls/scores/?date=4/22/2026 ============================================== INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS LAX SCORES WEDNESDAY: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/lacrosse/scores/?date=4/22/2026 =============================================== INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES WEDNESDAY: NOTRE DAME 3 MICHIGAN STATE 2 BALL STATE 25 IU SOUTH BEND 7 SOUTHERN INDIANA 14 EVANSVILLE 4 COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: https://d1baseball.com/scores/?date=20260422 ================================================= INDIANA COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES WEDNESDAY: NOTRE DAME 9 MICHIGAN STATE 1 BUTLER 7 DAYTON 6 INDIANA 14 VALPO 1 COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: https://d1softball.com/scores/?date=20260422 ============================================= INDIANA MEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL SCORES NO GAMES SCHEDULED COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: https://www.espn.com/mens-college-lacrosse/scoreboard ================================================= INDIANA DIVISION 1 MEN’S LAX SCORES NO GAMES SCHEDULED COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: https://www.espn.com/mens-college-lacrosse/scoreboard ================================================= INDIANA DIVISION 1 WOMEN’S LAX SCORES NO GAMES SCHEDULED CLEMSON 12 NOTRE DAME 9 COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: https://www.espn.com/womens-college-lacrosse/scoreboard ================================================= NBA SCORES/ NBA PLAYOFF SCHEDULE > FIRST ROUND EASTERN CONFERENCE (1) DETROIT VS. (8) ORLANDO MAGIC 112, PISTONS 101 DETROIT 90 ORLANDO 83 GAME 3: DETROIT AT ORLANDO | SATURDAY APRIL 25 (1 ET, NBC/PEACOCK) GAME 4: DETROIT AT ORLANDO | MONDAY APRIL 27 GAME 5: ORLANDO AT DETROIT | WEDNESDAY APRIL 29* GAME 6: DETROIT AT ORLANDO | FRIDAY MAY 1* GAME 7: ORLANDO AT DETROIT | SUNDAY MAY 3* MAGIC LEAD SERIES 1-0 (2) BOSTON VS. (7) PHILADELPHIA GAME 1: CELTICS 123, 76ERS 91 GAME 2: 76ERS 111, CELTICS 97 GAME 3: BOSTON AT PHILADELPHIA | FRIDAY APRIL 24 (7 ET, PRIME VIDEO) GAME 4: BOSTON AT PHILADELPHIA | SUNDAY APRIL 26 (7 ET, NBC) GAME 5: PHILADELPHIA AT BOSTON | TUESDAY APRIL 28 GAME 6: BOSTON AT PHILADELPHIA | THURSDAY APRIL 30* GAME 7: PHILADELPHIA AT BOSTON | SATURDAY MAY 2* SERIES IS TIED 1-1 (3) NEW YORK VS. (6) ATLANTA GAME 1: KNICKS 113, HAWKS 102 GAME 2: HAWKS 107, KNICKS 106 GAME 3: NEW YORK AT ATLANTA | THURSDAY APRIL 23 (7 ET, PRIME VIDEO) GAME 4: NEW YORK AT ATLANTA | SATURDAY APRIL 25 (6 ET, NBC) GAME 5: ATLANTA AT NEW YORK | TUESDAY APRIL 28 GAME 6: NEW YORK AT ATLANTA | THURSDAY APRIL 30* GAME 7: ATLANTA AT NEW YORK | SATURDAY MAY 2* SERIES IS TIED 1-1 (4) CLEVELAND VS. (5) TORONTO GAME 1: CAVALIERS 126, RAPTORS 113 GAME 2: CAVALIERS 115, RAPTORS 105 GAME 3: CLEVELAND AT TORONTO | THURSDAY APRIL 23 (8 ET, PRIME VIDEO) GAME 4: CLEVELAND AT TORONTO | SUNDAY APRIL 26 (1 ET, ESPN) GAME 5: TORONTO AT CLEVELAND | WEDNESDAY APRIL 29* GAME 6: CLEVELAND AT TORONTO | FRIDAY MAY 1* GAME 7: TORONTO AT CLEVELAND | SUNDAY MAY 3* CAVALIERS LEAD SERIES 2-0 WESTERN CONFERENCE (1) OKLAHOMA CITY VS. (8) PHOENIX GAME 1: THUNDER 119, SUNS 84 OKLAHOMA CITY 120 PHOENIX 107 GAME 3: OKLAHOMA CITY AT PHOENIX | SATURDAY APRIL 25 (3:30 ET, NBC) GAME 4: OKLAHOMA CITY AT PHOENIX | MONDAY APRIL 27 GAME 5: PHOENIX AT OKLAHOMA CITY | WEDNESDAY APRIL 29* GAME 6: OKLAHOMA CITY AT PHOENIX | FRIDAY MAY 1* GAME 7: PHOENIX AT OKLAHOMA CITY | SUNDAY MAY 3* THUNDER LEAD SERIES 1-0 (2) SAN ANTONIO VS. (7) PORTLAND GAME 1: SPURS 111, TRAIL BLAZERS 98 GAME 2: TRAIL BLAZERS 106, SPURS 103 GAME 3: SAN ANTONIO AT PORTLAND | FRIDAY APRIL 24 (10:30 ET, PRIME VIDEO) GAME 4: SAN ANTONIO AT PORTLAND | SUNDAY APRIL 26 (3:30 ET, ESPN) GAME 5: PORTLAND AT SAN ANTONIO | TUESDAY APRIL 28 GAME 6: SAN ANTONIO AT PORTLAND | THURSDAY APRIL 30* GAME 7: PORTLAND AT SAN ANTONIO | SATURDAY MAY 2* SERIES IS TIED 1-1 (3) DENVER VS. (6) MINNESOTA GAME 1: NUGGETS 116, TIMBERWOLVES 105 GAME 2: TIMBERWOLVES 119, NUGGETS 114 GAME 3: DENVER AT MINNESOTA | THURSDAY APRIL 23 (9:30 ET, PRIME VIDEO) GAME 4: DENVER AT MINNESOTA | SATURDAY APRIL 25 (8:30 ET, ABC) GAME 5: MINNESOTA AT DENVER | MONDAY APRIL 27 GAME 6: DENVER AT MINNESOTA | THURSDAY APRIL 30* GAME 7: MINNESOTA AT DENVER | SATURDAY MAY 2* SERIES IS TIED 1-1 (4) LOS ANGELES VS. (5) HOUSTON GAME 1: LAKERS 107, ROCKETS 98 GAME 2: LAKERS 101, ROCKETS 94 GAME 3: LOS ANGELES AT HOUSTON | FRIDAY APRIL 24 (8 ET, PRIME VIDEO) GAME 4: LOS ANGELES AT HOUSTON | SUNDAY APRIL 26 (9:30 ET, NBC) GAME 5: HOUSTON AT LOS ANGELES | WEDNESDAY APRIL 29* GAME 6: LOS ANGELES AT HOUSTON | FRIDAY MAY 1* GAME 7: HOUSTON AT LOS ANGELES | SUNDAY MAY 3* LAKERS LEAD SERIES 2-0 * = IF NECESSARY ============================================== NHL PLAYOFFS EASTERN CONFERENCE BOSTON BRUINS (WC1) VS. BUFFALO SABRES (A1) BUFFALO 4 BOSTON 3 BOSTON 4 BUFFALO 2 GAME 3: BUFFALO AT BOSTON, 7 P.M. ET APRIL 23 (TNT, TRUTV, HBO MAX, SN360, TVAS2, MSG-B, NESN) GAME 4: BUFFALO AT BOSTON, 2 P.M. ET APRIL 26 (TNT, TRUTV, HBO MAX, SN, TVAS, MSG-B, NESN) *GAME 5: BOSTON AT BUFFALO, APRIL 28 TBD *GAME 6: BUFFALO AT BOSTON, MAY 1 TBD *GAME 7: BOSTON AT BUFFALO, MAY 3 TBD *- IF NECESSARY COMPLETE COVERAGE OF BRUINS-SABRES SERIES MONTREAL CANADIENS (A3) VS. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (A2) MONTREAL 4 TAMPA BAY 3 TAMPA BAY 3 MONTREAL 2 GAME 3: TAMPA BAY AT MONTREAL, 7 P.M. ET APRIL 24 (TNT, TRUTV, HBO MAX, SN, CBC, TVAS, THE SPOT) GAME 4: TAMPA BAY AT MONTREAL, 7 P.M. ET APRIL 26 (ESPN, SNE, SNO, SNP, CBC, TVAS, THE SPOT) *GAME 5: MONTREAL AT TAMPA BAY, APRIL 29 TBD *GAME 6: TAMPA BAY AT MONTREAL, MAY 1 TBD *GAME 7: MONTREAL AT TAMPA BAY, MAY 3 TBD *- IF NECESSARY COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CANADIENS-LIGHTNING SERIES OTTAWA SENATORS (WC2) VS. CAROLINA HURRICANES (M1) CAROLINA 2 OTTAWA 0 CAROLINA 3 OTTAWA 2 2OT GAME 3: CAROLINA AT OTTAWA, 7:30 P.M. ET APRIL 23 (TBS, HBO MAX, SN, CBC, TVAS, FDSNSO) GAME 4: CAROLINA AT OTTAWA, 3 P.M. ET APRIL 25 (TBS, TRUTV, HBO MAX, SN, TVAS, FDSNSO) *GAME 5: OTTAWA AT CAROLINA, APRIL 27 TBD *GAME 6: CAROLINA AT OTTAWA, APRIL 30N TBD *GAME 7: OTTAWA AT CAROLINA, MAY 2 TBD *- IF NECESSARY COMPLETE COVERAGE OF SENATORS-HURRICANES SERIES PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (M3) VS. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (M2) PHILADELPHIA 3 PITTSBURGH 2 PHILADELPHIA 3 PITTSBURGH 0 PHILADELPHIA 5 PITTSBURGH 2 GAME 4: PITTSBURGH AT PHILADELPHIA, 8 P.M. ET APRIL 25 (TBS, TRUTV, HBO MAX, SN, TVAS, SN-PIT, NBCSP) *GAME 5: PHILADELPHIA AT PITTSBURGH, APRIL 27 TBD *GAME 6: PITTSBURGH AT PHILADELPHIA, APRIL 29 TBD *GAME 7: PHILADELPHIA AT PITTSBURGH, MAY 2 TBD *- IF NECESSARY COMPLETE COVERAGE OF FLYERS-PENGUINS SERIES WESTERN CONFERENCE LOS ANGELES KINGS (WC2) VS. COLORADO AVALANCHE (C1) COLORADO 2 LOS ANGELES 1 COLORADO 2 LOS ANGELES 1 GAME 3: COLORADO AT LOS ANGELES, 10 P.M. APRIL 23 (TNT, TRUTV, HBO MAX, SN, SN360, TVAS, ALT, FDSNSC) GAME 4: COLORADO AT LOS ANGELES, 4:30 P.M. ET APRIL 26 (TNT, TRUTV, HBO MAX, SNW, SNP, SN360, TVAS2, ALT, FDSNSC) *GAME 5: LOS ANGELES AT COLORADO, APRIL 29 TBD *GAME 6: COLORADO AT LOS ANGELES, MAY 1 TBD *GAME 7: LOS ANGELES AT COLORADO, MAY 3 TBD *- IF NECESSARY COMPLETE COVERAGE OF KINGS-AVALANCHE SERIES MINNESOTA WILD (C3) VS. DALLAS STARS (C2) MINNESOTA 6 DALLAS 1 DALLAS 4 MINNESOTA 2 DALLAS 4 MINNESOTA 3 GAME 4: DALLAS AT MINNESOTA, 5:30 P.M. ET APRIL 25 (TBS, TRUTV, HBO MAX, SNO, SNW, SNP, TVAS, VICTORY+, FDSNNO, FDSNWI) *GAME 5: MINNESOTA AT DALLAS, APRIL 28 TBD *GAME 6: DALLAS AT MINNESOTA, APRIL 30 TBD *GAME 7: MINNESOTA AT DALLAS, MAY 2 TBD *- IF NECESSARY COMPLETE COVERAGE OF WILD-STARS SERIES UTAH MAMMOTH (WC1) VS. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (P1) VEGAS 4 UTAH 2 UTAH 3 VEGAS 2 GAME 3: VEGAS AT UTAH, 9:30 P.M. ET APRIL 24 (TBS, HBO MAX, SN360, TVAS2, SCRIPPS, UTAH16) GAME 4: VEGAS AT UTAH, APRIL 27 TBD (ESPN) *GAME 5: UTAH AT VEGAS, APRIL 29 TBD *GAME 6: VEGAS AT UTAH, MAY 1 TBD *GAME 7: UTAH AT VEGAS, MAY 3 TBD *- IF NECESSARY COMPLETE COVERAGE OF MAMMOTH-GOLDEN KNIGHTS SERIES ANAHEIM DUCKS (P3) VS. EDMONTON OILERS (P2) EDMONTON 4 ANAHEIM 3 ANAHEIM 6 EDMONTON 4 GAME 3: EDMONTON AT ANAHEIM, 10 P.M. ET APRIL 24 (TNT, TRUTV, HBO MAX, SN, CBC, TVAS, KCOP-13, VICTORY+) GAME 4: EDMONTON AT ANAHEIM, 9:30 P.M. ET APRIL 26 (ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS2, VICTORY+) *GAME 5: ANAHEIM AT EDMONTON, APRIL 28 TBD *GAME 6: EDMONTON AT ANAHEIM, APRIL 30 TBD *GAME 7: ANAHEIM AT EDMONTON, MAY 2 TBD *- IF NECESSARY COMPLETE COVERAGE OF DUCKS-OILERS SERIES ============================================== MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL MIAMI 4 ST. LOUIS 1 TAMPA BAY 6 CINCINNATI 1 HOUSTON 2 CLEVELAND 0 BALTIMORE 8 KANSAS CITY 6 LA ANGELS 7 TORONTO 3 SEATTLE 5 LAS VEGAS 4 DETROIT 5 MILWAUKEE 2 NY YANKEES 4 BOSTON 1 ATLANTA 8 WASHINGTON 6 NY METS 3 MINNESOTA 2 CHICAGO CUBS 7 PHILADELPHIA 2 PITTSBURGH 8 TEXAS 4 COLORADO 8 SAN DIEGO 3 ARIZONA 11 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 7 SAN FRANCISCO 3 LA DODGERS 0 ============================================== MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL INDIANAPOLIS 12 ST. PAUL 0 WISCONSIN 9 FT. WAYNE 3 DAYTON 8 SOUTH BEND 5 ============================================== WOMEN’S PRO VOLLEYBALL SCORES GRAND RAPIDS 3 ATLANTA 2 =============================================== UFL SCORES NO GAMES SCHEDULED =================================== MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER TORONTO 3 PHILADELPHIA 3 ORLANDO 4 CHARLOTTE 1 NEW YORK RED BULLS 4 DC UNITED 4 CINCINNATI 4 NEW YORK CITY 4 NEW ENGLAND 2 ATLANTA 1 HOUSTON 1 SAN DIEGO 0 MINNESOTA 1 DALLAS 0 MIAMI 2 SALT LAKE 0 COLUMBUS 2 LA GALAXY 1 SAN JOSE 5 AUSTIN 1 LOS ANGELES 0 COLORADO 0 =================================== MAJOR NATIONAL HEADLINES/RELEASES NBA THUNDER CRUISE PAST SUNS AGAIN BUT LOSE JALEN WILLIAMS (HAMSTRING) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points and dished out nine assists, leading Oklahoma City to a 120-107 home win over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday and giving the Thunder a 2-0 lead in a first-round Western Conference playoff series. The victory, however, might have been a costly one. Thunder star Jalen Williams, who was limited to just 33 games during the regular season due to injuries, left the game midway through the third quarter due to a left hamstring injury. Williams pulled up during a drive toward the bucket and then grabbed at the hamstring as action went the other way. Williams, who did not return, missed two long stretches of the season with an injuries to his right wrist and right hamstring. Before getting hurt, Williams was excellent, logging 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting and four assists in 23 minutes. Oklahoma City seized control in the third quarter, thanks in large part to Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren. Holmgren grabbed rebounds on each of the first three possessions of the half and had 11 points and three blocks in the quarter while Gilgeous-Alexander had 12 points and four assists in the period. Holmgren finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. The Thunder stretched their lead to 23 with a 13-2 run to end the third and then to 26 early in the fourth. The Suns cut the deficit to 10 with nearly four minutes remaining, but coming out of a timeout, Ajay Mitchell hit a 3-pointer to stretch the gap to 113-100. Phoenix’s Dillon Brooks scored 13 of his 30 points in the fourth. After a slow start in Game 1, Gilgeous-Alexander missed his first three shots on Wednesday, then found the range. He hit 7 of 10 shots the rest of the first half. After going 5 of 18 from the field in the series opener, Gilgeous-Alexander finished 13 of 25 in Game 2. Early in the third quarter, Brooks and Oklahoma City’s Luguentz Dort got tangled up battling for a potential rebound off a free throw. The two quickly stepped away from each other, but each was whistled for a technical foul. Late in the quarter, Devin Booker was called for a technical after bouncing the ball off Williams while trying to keep the ball in play. Booker finished with 22 points while Jalen Green had 21 in the loss. Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday in Phoenix. ===== SHOOTING WOES SINK MAGIC AS PISTONS EVEN UP SERIES IN G2 Cade Cunningham scored 27 points and had 11 assists and Tobias Harris added 16 points and 11 rebounds on Wednesday night as the Detroit Pistons bounced back to even their Eastern Conference playoff series with a 98-83 victory over the visiting Orlando Magic. Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson each had 11 points for the Pistons, who snapped an 11-game home playoff game losing streak, the longest in NBA history. Duncan Robinson and Isaiah Stewart also scored 10 apiece for Detroit, which last won a home playoff game in 2008. Jalen Suggs scored 19 points and Paolo Banchero added 18 for the eighth-seeded Magic. Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane also had 12 points for Orlando which connected on only 26 of 80 field goal attempts, including just eight of 32 3-pointers. Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is Saturday in Orlando. After a defensive struggle in the first half for both teams, Detroit broke the game open in the third quarter, starting with a 30-3 run. The Pistons, who scored the first 11 points before Bane nailed a 3-pointer, outscored the Magic 38-16 in the quarter. Orlando hit only five shots, committed six turnovers and trailed by as much as 27 points. The Pistons maintained a comfortable cushion through the final quarter, allowing the Magic to get no closer than 97-83 with less than a minute remaining. The first quarter was a defensive battle with the Pistons holding on for a 25-21 lead. Detroit, which led by as much as seven points, held Orlando to 26.9 percent shooting from the field while the Magic forced eight Pistons turnovers and briefly went in front 21-20. NBA Game Recaps The two teams continued the defensive intensity in the second quarter which featured four ties and two lead changes. Detroit took an eight-point lead early in the quarter, but Orlando scored four of the last five points to tie the game at 46 at halftime. ================================== NHL NHL ROUNDUP: STARS TOP WILD IN DOUBLE OT TO TAKE 2-1 SERIES LEAD Wyatt Johnston scored a power-play goal with 7:50 left in double overtime to lift the Dallas Stars to a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 3 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series on Wednesday in Saint Paul, Minn. Matt Duchene and Jason Robertson finished with a goal and two assists apiece for Dallas, which grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Johnston and Mikko Rantanen each tallied one goal and one assist. Jake Oettinger stopped 28 of 31 shots to win the marathon contest. Marcus Johansson, Joel Eriksson Ek and Michael McCarron scored one goal apiece for Minnesota. Jesper Wallstedt allowed four goals on 36 shots. Ducks 6, Oilers 4 Cutter Gauthier produced two goals and an assist as Anaheim evened its Western Conference first-round playoff series against Edmonton in Game 2. Ryan Poehling also scored twice for the Ducks. Alex Killorn had a goal and two assists, Jacob Trouba added a goal, Jackson LaCombe had three assists, and Lukas Dostal made 33 saves. Leon Draisaitl registered a goal and an assist and Connor Ingram stopped 22 shots for the Oilers. Connor Murphy, Zach Hyman and Josh Samanski posted Edmonton’s other goals. Flyers 5, Penguins 2 Trevor Zegras, Rasmus Ristolainen, Nick Seeler and Noah Cates all scored their first career playoff goals to guide Philadelphia over Pittsburgh and a 3-0 series lead. Dan Vladar had 28 saves in the win and Owen Tippett had the other goal for the Flyers. Cates and Zegras each added an assist, and Jamie Drysdale, Sean Couturier and Noah Juulsen logged two assists apiece. Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson scored for Pittsburgh, which needs to win Saturday in Philadelphia to save its season. Stuart Skinner made 24 saves for the Penguins. ================================== NFL PROJECTING THE TOP 32 PICKS IN THE 2026 NFL DRAFT For the third time in four years, a Heisman Trophy winner is going No. 1 in the NFL draft. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season and national championship, is headed to the Las Vegas Raiders with the top overall pick. Traveling the route last taken by LSU’s Joe Burrow with the Heisman-natty-No. 1 pick trifecta, Mendoza is the only pro-ready quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft. Quarterbacks at the top are a virtual lock in the draft. This will be the 10th time it’s happened since Jameis Winston went No. 1 in 2015, and the eighth time in nine years a QB is the first player selected. Georgia defensive end Travon Walker went No. 1 in 2022. But what happens after the Mendoza Family celebrates on Thursday night? Let’s connect some dots and project the top 32 picks in the 2026 draft. Zero anonymous general managers approved this exercise. FIRST ROUND1. Las Vegas RaidersQB Fernando Mendoza, IndianaMendoza might be more big brain than big arm, but so was Peyton Manning. Mendoza has the makeup to stay the course for a franchise with no track record of developing a winning quarterback. He meshes well with new coach Klint Kubiak’s scheme but protection must be a bigger priority. 2. New York JetsLB Arvell Reese, Ohio StateThe QB the Jets want is headed to Las Vegas and they’re still smarting over Oregon QB Dante Moore’s decision to return for his senior season. It goes without saying, the franchise can ill-afford another Zach Wilson (No. 2 in 2021) or Blair Thomas (No. 2 in 1990) whiff. Reese is a projection because he doesn’t have a natural position, but his versatility makes him a safer bet to find a role. New York is weaponized for an overdue rebuild with five total first-round picks in 2026 and 2027. 3. Arizona CardinalsOT Spencer Fano, UtahAnother franchise pining for a fix at QB, the Cardinals could be a bridesmaid in that pursuit and opt to reinforce the line with a position-versatile blocker or trade down. 4. Tennessee TitansRB Jeremiyah Love, Notre DamePairing Love with 2025 No. 1 pick Cam Ward puts Tennessee in a better position to compete in the sneaky solid AFC South division. 5. New York GiantsS Caleb Downs, Ohio StateAs tempting as the top wide receivers in the class are in this spot, what with the specter of putting Jaxson Dart’s development on hyperdrive with Malik Nabers and a co-No. 1, new coach John Harbaugh knows a safety with Downs’ traits can become a linchpin for a defense with ample pressure providers. 6. Cleveland BrownsDE David Bailey, Texas TechTodd Monken will be twisting in knots if he has a pick of skill-position players but the top pass rusher in the draft is still on the board. 7. Washington CommandersWR Carnell Tate, Ohio StateSome prefer Jordyn Tyson as their WR1 but the Commanders target Tate for his combination of size, durability and production. 8. New Orleans SaintsWR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona StateThe Tyler Shough support seems genuine and the Saints were respectable in the final month of 2025. Tyson and WR1 Chris Olave, when healthy, would be a lethal 1-2 punch. 9. Kansas City ChiefsLB Sonny Styles, Ohio StateA surprise if he’s still around. The Chiefs would have to weigh Styles’ value against the top offensive linemen left and LSU CB Mansoor Delane. 10. New York GiantsWR Makai Lemon, USCA slot dynamo to step into the void created when Wan’Dale Robinson joined the Titans in free agency, the Giants are committed to adding weapons for Dart. 11. Miami DolphinsDE Rueben Bain Jr., MiamiBain plays with intensity and stays in his college stomping grounds to help re-establish dominance at the line of scrimmage as a more explosive version of Kenny Clark up front. 12. Dallas CowboysCB Mansoor Delane, LSUInjuries and unpredictability at cornerback haunted the Cowboys even when the pass rush was lethal. Rumored to be a top candidate to move up for an edge, Delane is a sweet consolation prize. 13. Los Angeles Rams (via Atlanta Falcons)OT Francis Mauigoa, MiamiA massive blocker who forwards the mission of owning the line of scrimmage and keeping Matthew Stafford from taking punishment. 14. Baltimore RavensOG Olaivavega Ioane, Penn StateOne of the most competitive and physical players in the draft, Ioane puts defenders on their backs and restores the edge to the Ravens’ line. 15. Tampa Bay BuccaneersOT Caleb Lomu, UtahA put-me-in-coach option for the Bucs, Lomu helps preserve Baker Mayfield as he tries to rebound from a rough year of absorbing big blows. 16. New York Jets (via Indianapolis Colts)TE Kenyon Sadiq, OregonA versatile big-play threat at tight end with slot versatility to take pressure off of WR Garrett Wilson. 17. Detroit LionsS Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, ToledoThe tug to dive into the offensive line pool is there but if there was a defender built to be in Detroit with Dan Campbell, the Lions found him in McNeil-Warren. He’ll add even more versatility to the mix-and-match secondary and somehow match Campbell’s energy and intensity. 18. Minnesota VikingsEdge Keldric Faulk, AuburnSize and athletic ability are ample for Faulk to become a chess piece for Brian Flores, even if college production doesn’t imply elite rush skills. 19. Carolina PanthersLB CJ Allen, GeorgiaGM Dan Morgan is on a mission to add “dogs” to the Carolina defense. Allen qualifies, covering ground in every direction with a nose for the ball. 20. Dallas Cowboys (via Green Bay Packers)DL Peter Woods, ClemsonA 4-3 defensive tackle at Clemson, Woods joins a line capable of creating a lot of headaches with Quinnen Williams inside and Kenny Clark at the other 5-technique spot. 21. Pittsburgh SteelersCB Jermod McCoy, TennesseeMcCoy falls beyond the middle of the first round only because of the 2025 knee injury that kept him off the field. If he’s healthy and back to his pre-injury form, the Steelers move near the front of the line of defenses quarterbacks don’t want to face. 22. Los Angeles ChargersCB Brandon Cisse, South CarolinaSpeed for days, Cisse joins the Chargers’ secondary and Los Angeles keeps pace with the elite quarterbacks in the AFC West. 23. Philadelphia EaglesWR Omar Cooper Jr., IndianaA supremely talented and tools-rich receiver to team with De’Vonta Smith if the Patriots-A.J. Brown flirtations go any further. 24. Cleveland Browns (via Jacksonville Jaguars)CB Avieon Terrell, ClemsonThe Browns restock after last season’s trade which sent Greg Newsome II to the Jaguars. 25. Chicago BearsEdge Cashius Howell, Texas A&MMontez Sweat came on strong late in the season and the Bears are getting close as a defense. The one shortcoming remains a constant edge presence. Howell isn’t huge, but he’s sudden, dynamic and would add to Dennis Allen’s war chest along the front seven. 26. Buffalo BillsS Dillon Thieneman, OregonAll-around safeties with position flexibility are a must-have, and Thieneman carries many swords. He can line up over a slot receiver or take solo patrol of the deep middle of the field in coverage. 27. San Francisco 49ersOT Kadyn Proctor, AlabamaAthletic and enormous, Proctor was not perfect at Alabama but he’s packing potential at a premium position and follows GM John Lynch’s track record of spending to restock quality linemen. 28. Houston TexansLB Anthony Hill Jr., TexasA tone-setter at the heart of Houston’s dogged defense. 29. Kansas City Chiefs (from L.A. Rams)OT Max Iheanachor, Arizona StateA big winner at the Senior Bowl, he’s a pure right tackle for now but upside to be an option on the other side. 30. Miami Dolphins (from Denver Broncos)WR Denzel Boston, WashingtonTall with a sturdy frame, Boston beats defenders off the line with physical play and uses his long stride to get behind cornerbacks. 31. New England PatriotsOT Monroe Freeling, GeorgiaUpside pick for his combination of ability, agility and upside, Freeling could have been in the conversation in the top 10 in the 2027 draft. 32. Seattle SeahawksDT Kayden McDonald, Ohio StateMcDonald just turned 21 and remains raw with the frame and upside to become a disruptive force inside. If Seattle loves Jadarian Price — the ultra-talented Notre Dame backup to Jeremiyah Love — he could be the pick after Seattle lost Kenneth Walker III to the Chiefs. ======================================= MLB ROYALS TO BUILD A $1.9B BALLPARK AT CROWN CENTER AS PART OF A $3B DOWNTOWN KC REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals are moving from their longtime home at Kauffman Stadium to the downtown Crown Center area, partnering with Hallmark Cards on a $3 billion project that includes a mixed-used development with a new ballpark as its centerpiece. Royals owner John Sherman was joined by Hallmark chairman Don Hall Jr., Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, along with other local and state dignitaries, in making the announcement Wednesday near Hallmark headquarters. While the finalized master plan has yet to be complete, Sherman said the $1.9 billion stadium would break ground next year in the middle of Crown Center as part of the first phase of an 85-acre project. Two-thirds of the funding will come from private sources and the remaining one-third from public partners, including money earmarked by the state for stadium projects. “This is a partnership between two treasured Kansas City institutions,” Sherman said. “We are committed to creating a vision which honors our history, the rich past of both organizations, while reinvigorating and reimagining what our future can be together.” The announcement came about a week after Kansas City officials passed an ordinance authorizing City Manager Mario Vasquez to negotiate a $600 million deal to help the Royals move downtown. Most believed the stadium would sit on Washington Square Park, which is next to Union Station, but it will instead be located just south of it, with the park featured in the development. Hallmark intends to build a new headquarters in the area, which is connected by a streetcar to the Power & Light District, where the T-Mobile Center serves as its anchor. That part of downtown Kansas City will provide the backdrop beyond the outfield fence. Officials touted the availability of public parking already in the area and convenient traffic flow from nearby highways. Missouri’s contribution comes from a law enacted last year that authorized bonds covering up to 50% of the cost of new or renovated stadiums in the state, plus up to $50 million of tax credits for each stadium and unspecified aid from local governments. “We think it’s a great investment for our Missouri taxpayers, because this does not affect existing programs,” Kehoe said. “The ripple effect from this facility will truly be far-reaching into rural Missouri and other parts of the state.” The Royals have insisted they would leave Kauffman Stadium when their lease expires at the Truman Sports Complex in 2031, and the intention of Sherman ever since purchasing the club in 2019 was to build a downtown ballpark as its replacement. Yet reaching Wednesday’s announcement did not come without plenty of pitfalls. The biggest stumbling block came in April 2024, when the Chiefs joined the Royals in a plan to renovate Arrowhead Stadium and replace Kauffman Stadium. The plan hinged on the extension of a sales tax that had been paying for stadium upkeep, and voters in Jackson County, Missouri, overwhelmingly rejected the proposal, forcing the franchises to go their own way. The legislature in neighboring Kansas aggressively pursued the Chiefs, committing last December to issuing $2.4 billion in bonds to cover 60% of the cost of a new $3 billion domed stadium in Kansas City, Kansas. The NFL franchise ultimately decided to move across the state line, where it also will build a new training facility in the nearby suburb of Olathe, Kansas. Officials in Kansas briefly pursued the Royals, too, but their interest in the MLB franchise had always been lukewarm. The Royals had been weighing several options in recent months. But they ultimately rejected an option in the suburb of Overland Park, Kansas, and allowed a deadline to pass for a site north of downtown and across the Missouri River in Clay County, Missouri. Economists have long concluded that subsidizing stadiums isn’t worth the cost for communities because the venues pull economic activity away from other parts of the area, rather than expanding the overall economy. Yet states and cities continually provide money to renovate stadiums or build new ones — 49 of the 60 used by MLB or NFL teams are publicly owned or sit on public land. One of the stadiums that Sherman has cited as an example of what’s possible in Kansas City is Truist Park in Atlanta. The stadium was a public-private partnership in which the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority issued up to $397 million in bonds, the county raised millions more from transportation taxes and businesses added millions in cash. The Braves contributed the remaining money for the park and The Battery, a mixed-used development, with a total cost of more than $1.1 billion. “There are many great ballpark neighborhoods in Major League Baseball,” Sherman said, “but this is a bigger project with more land in downtown and in the heart of the city. We are bringing a modern, state-of-the-art ballpark experience to our fans, closer to our public transportation and where more people work and live.” ===== MLB ROUNDUP: METS EKE OUT WIN OVER TWINS, END 12-GAME SKID Mark Vientos redeemed himself for an earlier baserunning miscue by delivering the tiebreaking single in the eighth inning, and the host New York Mets snapped a 12-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday. The losing streak was the longest for the Mets since a 12-game skid from Aug. 10-23, 2002. However, the much-needed victory may have been costly for New York, which lost shortstop Francisco Lindor due to left calf tightness after he scored from first on Francisco Alvarez’s double in the fourth inning. Lindor, who was 2-for-2 with an RBI infield single in the first, was injured the same night Juan Soto returned from a 15-game absence caused by a strained right calf. The Mets won their first three games after Soto was injured on April 3 before beginning their losing streak. Victor Caratini lofted a game-tying sacrifice fly in the fourth for the Twins, who have lost five of their past six. Byron Buxton knotted the game again with a solo homer in the sixth. Cubs 7, Phillies 2 Pete Crow-Armstrong went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Seiya Suzuki connected on a two-run homer, helping Chicago beat visiting Philadelphia for its eighth straight win. Ian Happ also drove in two runs and Alex Bregman tallied three hits for the Cubs. Ben Brown (1-0) tossed 2 1/3 scoreless frames in relief, striking out five. Taijuan Walker (1-4) surrendered five runs (four earned) across four innings as the Phillies dropped their eighth straight game. It’s Philadelphia’s longest skid since a nine-gamer in September 2018. Diamondbacks 11, Padres 7 Ildemaro Vargas hit two homers and drove in a career-high five runs and Arizona withstood Munetaka Murakami, who homered in a fifth straight game, to hold off Chicago in Phoenix. Murakami went 3-for-5, and he became the fastest player in White Sox history to reach 10 homers, doing it in 24 games. He also joined Shohei Ohtani to become the second Japanese-born player to homer in five straight games. Nolan Arenado had four hits, including a homer, scored three runs and drove in three for the Diamondbacks, who evened the three-game series. Colson Montgomery homered for the fourth consecutive game and Miguel Vargas went deep in a third straight for the White Sox. Angels 7, Blue Jays 3 Nolan Schanuel homered and also had a three-run, go-ahead double and Jose Soriano continued his historic start to the season with five shutout innings as the Los Angeles snapped a four-game losing streak with a victory over Toronto in Anaheim, Calif. Soriano extended his scoreless inning streak to 24 2/3 innings while lowering his ERA to 0.24, the lowest ERA in a pitcher’s first six starts to a season since earned runs became official in both leagues (1913) with a minimum of 30 innings pitched. Mike Trout homered, walked twice and scored twice for the Angels. Ernie Clement went 3-for-5 with an RBI for the Blue Jays, whose three-game winning streak ended. Tommy Nance (0-2) allowed two runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief. Yankees 4, Red Sox 1 Amed Rosario had four RBIs in just two plate appearances and Max Fried pitched eight shutout innings, leading New York to a win at Boston. Rosario’s three-run shot in the first inning was all that New York needed, as Fried (3-1) allowed just three hits. The Yankees were one strike away from pitching a third consecutive shutout for the first time since 1962 before Jarren Duran hit an RBI single in the ninth. Duran had three hits and doubled twice. Ranger Suarez (1-2) gave up four runs through 4 2/3 innings, and Eduardo Rivera pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings in his big-league debut. Mariners 5, Athletics 4 Josh Naylor singled home Cal Raleigh with two outs in the bottom of the ninth as host Seattle defeated the Athletics to salvage the finale of a three-game series. The A’s tied the score in the top of the inning on Nick Kurtz’s one-out homer to straightaway center off Mariners closer Andres Munoz (3-2), who blew the save opportunity but ended up getting the victory. Raleigh, who homered for a third consecutive game, sparked the winning rally with a two-out single to center. Raleigh and Naylor each went 3-for-5 as the Mariners collected a season-high 14 hits. Astros 2, Guardians 0 Yordan Alvarez had three hits, including a two-run homer in the first inning, and Peter Lambert threw six shutout innings as visiting Houston beat Cleveland in the decisive game of a three-game series. Lambert (1-1) allowed three hits while striking out eight for the Astros, who had lost five of six and surrendered at least seven runs in four of those defeats. Chase DeLauter had two of the five hits for the Guardians, who had won three of four. Tanner Bibee (0-3) permitted two runs and five hits over six innings. Giants 3, Dodgers 0 Shohei Ohtani pitched six shutout innings, but Patrick Bailey belted a tiebreaking three-run homer off reliever Jack Dreyer in the seventh, lifting San Francisco to a shutout victory over visiting Los Angeles. Tyler Mahle (1-3) tossed seven innings and teamed with two relievers on a four-hitter, giving the Giants a second straight low-scoring win over the two-time defending champs. Ohtani and Mahle matched zeros for six innings before the Dodgers star was pulled after having thrown 91 pitches. He has pitched exactly six innings in each of his four starts this season, and he owns a National League-leading 0.38 ERA. Braves 8, Nationals 6 Michael Harris II hit two home runs, Matt Olson smacked a three-run shot and Atlanta rallied from an early three-run deficit to claim a win at Washington. Drake Baldwin homered for a second straight game for the Braves, who have earned at least a split of the four-game series. Dylan Lee (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning, and Robert Suarez handled the ninth for his second save. James Wood homered for the second straight game for the Nationals. Daylen Lile hit a three-run homer and Joey Wiemer had a pinch-hit solo shot. Zack Littell (0-3) surrendered eight runs (six earned) over six innings. Pirates 8, Rangers 4 Nick Gonzales beat the tag at home plate and scored the go-ahead run in the ninth inning as Pittsburgh picked up a win over Texas in Arlington, Texas. Gonzales came home on pinch hitter Jake Mangum’s slow roller to third base. Jalen Beeks then replaced Cole Winn (1-1) on the mound, and Oneil Cruz greeted the new reliever with a three-run homer. The ninth-inning rally allowed Pittsburgh to even the three-game series. Josh Jung had a two-run homer and a single for the Rangers. Jack Leiter allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits over five innings. Marlins 4, Cardinals 1 Janson Junk allowed just one hit and a walk over five innings, and Jakob Marsee drove in a pair as Miami beat visiting St. Louis to claim the deciding contest of a three-game series. Junk (1-2) pitched efficiently, needing just 56 pitches to go five. Javier Sanoja had his third three-hit game of the season, getting three singles in four at-bats to lead a 12-hit attack, all singles, for the Marlins. Kyle Leahy (2-3) gave up eight hits and walked three over five innings for the Cardinals. Rays 6, Reds 1 Nick Martinez pitched eight strong innings and Junior Caminero homered to lead Tampa Bay past Cincinnati in St. Petersburg, Fla. Martinez (1-1) allowed a run on five hits against his former team as the Rays averted a sweep in the three-game series. Yandy Diaz finished 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI. The Reds had their five-game winning streak snapped as Brandon Williamson (2-2) gave up five runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. Orioles 8, Royals 6 Coby Mayo belted a three-run homer to highlight a sixth-run sixth inning, fueling Baltimore to a victory at Kansas City. Pete Alonso also homered as the Orioles won the rubber match of the three-game series. Chris Bassitt (1-2) allowed five runs in 5 1/3 innings, and Anthony Nunez pitched a scoreless inning for his first career save. Kyle Isbel crushed a two-run homer and Vinnie Pasquantino and Carter Jansen also went deep for the Royals, who have lost nine of their past 10 games. Michael Wacha (2-1) yielded six runs in 5 1/3 innings. Tigers 5, Brewers 2 Spencer Torkelson hit his first homer of the season, a two-run shot, and Kerry Carpenter added a solo blast as host Detroit downed Milwaukee. In six-plus innings, the Tigers’ Casey Mize (2-1) gave up one run and three hits. Kenley Jansen escaped a ninth-inning jam to record his sixth save. Brewers opener DL Hall tossed two scoreless innings before Chad Patrick (1-1) allowed four runs and six hits in four innings. Rockies 8, Padres 3 Hunter Goodman homered and doubled twice, Mickey Moniak also had two doubles, and Colorado beat San Diego in Denver. TJ Rumfield, Jake McCarthy and Willi Castro had two hits each to back a strong outing by Colorado starter Tomoyuki Sugano (2-1), who allowed one run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. Luis Campusano homered among his three hits and Xander Bogaerts had two hits for the Padres, who had won 11 of their previous 12 games. Walker Buehler (1-2) was tagged for four runs on eight hits in 2 2/3 innings. ================================== COLLEGE FOOTBALL HERE ARE 18 FOOTBALL PLAYERS TO WATCH NEXT SEASON IN THE BIG TEN CONFERENCE A look at football players in the Big Ten this spring who are poised to have breakout seasons this fall: Illinois TE Kaden Feagin is changing positions after spending his first three years in the program at running back. Depth at that spot has allowed the 6-foot-3, 260-pounder to move to what very well may be his more natural position. He has shown good hands catching balls out of the backfield, so this move makes sense for a team that lost its top two tight ends. Indiana S Byron Baldwin Jr. missed the first two months of his freshman season because of injury and is being counted on to help fill the void of departed safeties Louis Moore and Devan Boykin. Baldwin had been a four-star prospect and top-20 national DB prospect coming out of Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore. He mostly played special teams when he did get on the field the second half of last season. His role should grow significantly. Iowa WR Tony Diaz was one of the top receivers in the FCS at Texas-Rio Grande Valley, and he turned down an offer from Alabama, among others, to sign with the Hawkeyes. Diaz flashed in spring practice, a promising sign for a receiving corps in desperate need of a playmaker. Diaz could be that guy after catching 68 balls for 875 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Vaqueros. Maryland DL Zion Elee is the Terrapins’ highest-ranked recruit ever, according to 247Sports, and ESPN listed the Baltimore native as the No. 2-ranked high school prospect in the country. Naturally, high expectations follow him into his freshman season. The Terps have seasoned pass rushers in Sidney Stewart and Zahir Mathis, but don’t dismiss the possibility of Elee being on the field at the same time with both. Michigan WR JJ Buchanan will have a chance to make an instant impact after following coach Kyle Whittingham to Ann Arbor from Utah, where he had a promising freshman season. Buchanan was the fifth-rated receiver in the transfer portal after he had 26 receptions for 427 yards and five touchdowns. He’s poised to become a go-to receiver for Bryce Underwood. Michigan State QB Alessio Milivojevic hopes to build off the opportunity he got late last season when he took over for the benched Aidan Chiles. Milivojevic first must beat out sixth-year player Cam Fancher, who has been a starter at three schools. Milivojevic started the last four games and threw for 1,267 yards and 10 touchdowns in nine games overall. Minnesota DE TJ Bush Jr. had 11½ tackles for loss and 5½ sacks for California last season and gives the Gophers a complement to AP All-Big Ten second-team DE Anthony Smith. Bush, who played his first two seasons at Liberty before his stop at Cal, strengthens a defense that led the conference with 3.0 sacks per game and was second in TFLs with 7.1. Nebraska RB Jamal Rule blossomed in the spring and could be a major contributor at a position that lost 1,500-yard rusher Emmett Johnson. The coaching staff was panned by fans for not pursuing a running back in the portal. The staff has been high on Rule all along. The 2026 signee who enrolled in January piled up 136 yards from scrimmage on 11 touches in the spring game, including a 75-yard touchdown run. Northwestern LB Kobie McKinzie is a seasoned Oklahoma transfer expected to help fill a big hole left from the departure of Mac Uihlein, who accounted for 185 tackles the last two seasons. McKinzie was hitting his stride as a starter for OU when a groin injury in late October caused him to miss a game, and he returned in a reserve role the rest of the season. Ohio State WR Chris Henry Jr. showed during the final week of spring practice why he was the nation’s top-ranked receiver in this year’s recruiting class. Henry shed his black stripe three days before the spring game, signifying he had proven to the coaching staff he understood the expectations of the program. During the spring game, he displayed his ability to be a vertical threat with a 40-yard touchdown. Henry mostly saw time with the second team but should compete for playing time on a receiving group led by Jeremiah Smith. Oregon OL Fox Crader is first in line to take over for Isaiah World at left tackle. The four-star recruit got limited snaps in his second season with the Ducks, except when he played 55 as the starter against Southern California when World was out with an injury. As protector of Dante Moore’s blind side, Crader will be a crucial piece to a line replacing three starters. Penn State DE Max Granville had a promising freshman year in 2024 and was set to be a major contributor before an injury caused him to miss last season. With Dani Dennis-Sutton gone and Chaz Coleman having transferred to Tennessee, this is Granville’s time. The son of former NFL linebacker Billy Granville has drawn praise from new coach Matt Campbell this spring and is in line to be in the rotation at his position, if not a starter. Purdue DE Jeremy Lewis has been a disruptive force throughout the spring and could be just the guy to take over for edge rusher CJ Nunnally IV. Lewis had nine sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss at Iowa Western CC last season and saved his best performance for last, recording 2.5 sacks and forcing and recovering fumbles in the Division I junior college national championship game. Rutgers CB Kevin Levy has the opportunity to play a major role at a spot with no returning starters. He was a four-star prospect out of West Palm Beach, Florida, two years ago, so the talent is there. Coach Greg Schiano has a reputation for developing top defensive backs, and he said Levy has done everything right to position himself for play significant snaps. Southern California DE Jahkeem Stewart is a 6-foot-5 pass rusher who had a solid freshman season despite playing with a stress fracture in his foot, so the Trojans haven’t seen everything he can do. The coaching staff has repeatedly mentioned Stewart’s offseason progress. Stewart and fellow 6-5 end Kameryn Crawford are the foundation of what DC Gary Patterson says could be the biggest and best defensive line of his coaching career. UCLA DL Aiden Gobaira followed coach Bob Chesney from James Madison and is being counted on to improve a pass rush that recorded just 10 sacks, fewest in the nation. Gobaira never played a snap in two-plus seasons at Notre Dame but came on to record four sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss in his one year at JMU. Washington WR Dezmen Roebuck logged the second-most receiving yards on the team as a freshman, hauling in 42 passes for 560 yards and dropping just one pass. Roebuck, who lined up wide 70% of the time last season, is moving to the slot and should be Demond Williams Jr.’s favorite target with Denzel Boston, last season’s leading receiver, heading to the NFL. Wisconsin QB Colton Joseph threw for 2,624 yards and 24 touchdowns and ran for 1,007 yards and 13 more scores while helping Old Dominion go 9-3. He didn’t play in Cure Bowl. The Badgers need him to stay healthy. QB injuries have decimated Wisconsin throughout Luke Fickell’s coaching tenure. Wisconsin’s intended season-opening starter has been available for the entirety of only 11 of the Badgers’ 37 games the last three years. ===== SPRING QB BATTLES FADING AWAY IN BIG TEN. OF 8 NEW STARTERS, 6 TRANSFERS SHOWED UP WITH JOB IN HAND Quarterback competitions traditionally have been the focal point of spring football when a team has lost its starter from the previous season. Look no further than the Big Ten to see how those battles are becoming a thing of the past. There will be eight new starters in the conference this fall, and six will be experienced transfers who arrived at their new schools with the job all but locked up. After all, coaches want a sure thing when millions are being spent on revenue sharing and name, image and likeness compensation. No QB will be watched more than Josh Hoover, who takes over for Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza at defending national champion Indiana. Hoover threw for 9,600 yards and 71 touchdowns in three years at TCU but had an issue with turnovers. He lost nine fumbles and threw 33 interceptions in 36 games, including at least two picks in 11 games. TCU coach Sonny Dykes publicly needled Hoover about the turnovers after he left, and it didn’t go unnoticed by Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, who noted two areas where the Horned Frogs struggled during Hoover’s time in Fort Worth. “We’ve got to clean up some of the turnovers, obviously, which coach Dykes made light of,” Cignetti said. “But when Josh got here, he met his two new best friends: Great defense and a really good run game, and he was never the same after that.” Other teams breaking in transfer QBs are Illinois (Katin Houser, East Carolina), Nebraska (Anthony Colandrea, UNLV), Northwestern (Aidan Chiles, Michigan State), Penn State (Rocco Becht, Iowa State) and Wisconsin (Colton Joseph, Old Dominion). There are two QB battles that could continue into fall camp. Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown, both backups a year ago, are competing at Iowa. Dylan Lonergan, who started 10 games at Boston College, and holdover backup AJ Surace are contending for the job at Rutgers. Coaching carousel There are four new head coaches, and of the 16 new coordinators, four already have made their names as head coaches. Kyle Whittingham takes over at Michigan, Pat Fitzgerald at Michigan State, Matt Campbell at Penn State and Bob Chesney at UCLA. Whittingham stepped down after 21 seasons at Utah on Dec. 12 and was hired by Michigan two weeks later. Fitzgerald, who coached 17 seasons at Northwestern, is back in the college game three years after his messy breakup with the Wildcats. Campbell (Iowa State) and Chesney (James Madison) are making big moves up in the coaching hierarchy. Chip Kelly will try to bring some spark to Northwestern’s long-struggling offense as coordinator. The former head coach at Oregon and UCLA, as well as with two NFL teams, headed to Evanston after OC gigs at Ohio State in 2024 and with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025. Gary Patterson, the all-time wins leader at TCU and a member of the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame class, came out of retirement to become Southern California’s DC with the charge to develop a playoff-worthy defense for Lincoln Riley. Bobby Hauck was hired as Illinois’ defensive coordinator a few days after he announced his retirement as head coach at FCS power Montana. Arthur Smith, the Atlanta Falcons head coach before two seasons as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator, is Ohio State’s new OC after Brian Hartline took the South Florida head coaching job. Portal prizes Ohio State has the No. 1-ranked group of transfers in the Big Ten, according to 247Sports. The Buckeyes focused on restocking a defense that lost eight starters from the unit that led the nation in total and scoring defense for the second straight year. Top incoming transfers are DL James Smith (Alabama), DE Qua Russaw (Alabama) and S Earl Little (Florida State). The most high-profile in-conference transfer is Koi Perich, who goes from Minnesota to Oregon. Other notable transfers: QB Dylan Raiola (Nebraska) to Oregon, WR JJ Buchanan (Utah) to Michigan, WR Nick Marsh (Michigan State) to Indiana, QB Rocco Becht (Iowa State) to Penn State, DE Tobi Osunsanmi (Kansas State) to Indiana, WR Terrell Anderson (North Carolina State) to USC, TE Ben Brahmer (Iowa State) to Penn State, QB Josh Hoover (TCU) to Indiana. Season openers Aug. 29: San Jose State at Southern California. Sept. 3: Eastern Illinois at Minnesota; UMass at Rutgers. Sept. 5: UAB at Illinois; North Texas at Indiana; Northern Illinois at Iowa; Hampton at Maryland; Western Michigan at Michigan; Toledo at Michigan State; Ohio at Nebraska; South Dakota State at Northwestern; Ball State at Ohio State; Boise State at Oregon; Marshall at Penn State; Indiana State at Purdue; UCLA at California; Washington State at Washington. Sept. 6: Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin, at Green Bay, Wisconsin. ===== SEC QUARTERBACKS COULD BE KEY IN HELPING THE LEAGUE END A 3-YEAR CHAMPIONSHIP DROUGHT The Southeastern Conference is going through a championship drought, the kind of lull the football league last endured more than two decades ago. Not only has the SEC watched a Big Ten team hoist the College Football Playoff trophy each of the last three years, the once-seemingly unmatched powerhouse hasn’t even played in the title game since Georgia closed out the 2022 season with a crown. Reason to panic? Cause for concern? It might be more of a head-scratching fluke than an eye-opening fade. The last time the SEC went three consecutive tears without a national title was 1999-2002, when Florida State, Oklahoma (then in the Big 12), Miami (then in the Big East) and Ohio State won the Bowl Championship Series. The SEC didn’t make any of those title games, either. But the league responded by winning 14 of the next 17 national championships, building a reputation as having the fastest players in the league and dominating in the trenches. Oh, and quarterbacks mattered (see: Tim Tebow, Cam Newton, Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow and Mac Jones). If the SEC is going to end its current skid, quarterback play surely will be key. “Too often the storyline is always the quarterback, the quarterback, the quarterback,” new Florida coach Jon Sumrall said. “Well, I’m pretty damn worried about who the right tackle is and who the left tackle is. Those decisions are as important, to be quite honest with you, because they’re protecting the quarterback.” Nonetheless, here’s a look at how the league stands at the all-important QB position following spring practice: Nearly half the SEC has a returning starter at QB Six teams have returning starters, including five of the top seven favorites to win the league. Oddsmakers list Arch Manning (plus-750) of Texas and Trinidad Chambliss (plus-900) of Ole Miss as two of top three preseason Heisman Trophy favorites. Road losses at Ohio State, Florida and Georgia last year kept Manning and the Longhorns out of the College Football Playoff. But Manning was at his best down the stretch, with 15 touchdown passes, five more rushing, two interceptions and seven wins in his final eight games. Chambliss is back after winning a court battle to gain a sixth year of eligibility and he gives the Rebels a chance — even without coach Lane Kiffin — to get back to the CFP. The Ferris State transfer accounted for 30 touchdowns and just three interceptions in 2025. “It’s been crazy. It’s been hectic,” Chambliss said. “But I’m present now, and that’s what matters.” Others returning starters: John Mateer (Oklahoma), Marcel Reed (Texas A&M), LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina) and Gunner Stockton (Georgia). Several teams have big-name transfers taking over Kiffin landed at LSU and then signed the top quarterback in the transfer portal, Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt. Leavitt skipped most of spring while recovering from foot surgery but is expected to be full speed by training camp to help Kiffin revitalize the league’s worst offense in 2025. Auburn, Kentucky and Missouri also signed plug-and-play starters from the portal. New Auburn coach Alex Golesh brought Byrum Brown with him from South Florida, new Kentucky coach Will Stein turned to Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey and Missouri went with Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons. Simmons was the presumptive favorite to win the job before spring, and coach Eli Drinkwitz needed three weeks to make it official. “The sooner we could name him the starter, the more our team could grow around him, rally around him, and his leadership attributes could really become prevalent to the team,” Drinkwitz said. Open competitions remain for everyone else Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt are varying degrees of unsettled under center. At Alabama, Keelon Russell appears to have the edge over Austin Mack. At Arkansas, KJ Jackson got some experience late last season, but AJ Hill followed new coach Ryan Silverfield from Memphis and knows the offense. A similar scenario exists for Sumrall at Florida, with Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo following offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner to Gainesville. Philo seems to be ahead of returner Tramell Jones Jr., who flashed in the team’s spring game. Other competitions: Kamario Taylor and Blake Shapen at Mississippi State; George MacIntyre and highly touted Faizon Brandon at Tennessee; and five-star signee Jared Curtis and veteran Blaze Berlowitz at Vanderbilt. “I’m not going to make a quarterback decision, and my goal is for each of these guys to be positioned to compete at the highest level in the fall,” Vandy coach Clark Lea said. “They’ve all had flashes of performance, and they all bring to the table things that can help us win. But we need to take the time to make sure we’ve seen this super clearly so that we best position our team to have success.” ===== PLAYERS TO WATCH, INCLUDING FAMILIAR NAMES AND NEW FACES, AROUND THE SEC FOLLOWING SPRING The Southeastern Conference showcases standouts and stars every year. Some are known commodities while others are on the verge of becoming household names. Here’s a look at some non-quarterbacks who garnered attention during spring practice and could end up being NFL draft picks: Alabama LT Jackson Lloyd Lloyd secured the starting job without much hesitation from coaches or competition from teammates in spring practice. The 6-foot-7, 317-pound Californian learned from All-American Kadyn Proctor last year and is already making strides under new O-line coach Adrian Klemm. They are two of the key pieces in Alabama’s push to improve a run game that ranked next to last in the SEC in 2025. Arkansas DE Quincy Rhodes Jr. Rhodes notched 44 tackles as a junior last season, including a team-leading 15 ½ for a loss and eight sacks, and then chose to stay in school for another year. New coach Ryan Silverfield recruited Rhodes to Memphis in 2022, setting the foundation for a relationship that mattered three years later. Now the 6-foot-6, 277-pound defensive end is poised to give the Razorbacks a key building block on defense. Auburn WR DeShawn Spencer The true freshman already is making a strong case for playing time. He had nine catches for 93 yards in the team’s spring game, flashing a quick first step and precise route-running ability. Although new coach Alex Golesh brought four receivers with him from South Florida, including Chas Nimrod and Keshaun Singleton, Spencer could end up in the mix this fall. Florida DE Emmanuel Oyebadejo The 6-foot-6, 303-pound Manchester, England, native transferred from Jacksonville State and was one of the standouts of spring football. With an NFL body and NFL moves, he could be a force as a fifth-year senior. Georgia RB Nate Frazier Frazier is looking to solidify his status as a first-round talent. The 5-foot-10 junior led the team with 1,063 all-purpose yards last season, including 947 rushing and seven total touchdowns. He was the lead back in a one-two punch with Chauncey Bowens. Kentucky RB CJ Baxter The 6-foot-1, 230-pound running back joins new coach Will Stein after three seasons at Texas. The Florida native finished with 659 yards rushing and five touchdowns as a freshman in 2023, averaging 4.8 yards a carry and showing the potential to be the Longhorns’ next great back, but he was banged up the last two years. LSU CB DJ Pickett With Mansoor Delane heading to the NFL, the Tigers will look for DJ Pickett to emerge as the next great corner at “DBU.” Pickett and PJ Woodland together could give new coach Lane Kiffin the league’s top secondary. Mississippi State OT Jakheem Shumpert-Perkins Shumpert-Perkins already locked up a starting offensive tackle spot, coach Jeff Lebby said. The fourth-year junior played only one season of varsity football in high school and had no Division I offers before landing at Northwest Mississippi Community College in 2023. The 6-foot-5, 330-pounder played just 12 snaps in Starkville last year. Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy Hardy could have chased big money in the portal but elected to stay and follow up an All-SEC season in which he ran for 1,560 yards and 16 touchdowns. Hardy knows the portal process well having begun his career at Louisiana-Monroe before transferring to Missouri ahead of the 2025 season. Oklahoma WR Isaiah Sategna Oklahoma’s top playmaker returns and combines with quarterback John Mateer to give the Sooners a dynamic duo. He caught 67 passes for 965 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior last year and showed his speed again in the spring game with a 50-yard reception that would have gone for 76 yards had he not stepped out of bounds. Ole Miss DE Kam Franklin Franklin stayed in Oxford despite the coaching change and gives former defensive coordinator Pete Golding a building block on that side of the ball. The 6-foot-5, 290-pound edge rusher had 69 tackles last season, including nine behind the line of scrimmage. South Carolina DE Dylan Stewart Stewart didn’t take a snap during spring practice while returning from a back injury that limited him down the stretch last season. But there’s little doubt he’s a key piece for the Gamecocks, a guy with game-wrecking ability. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Washington, D.C., native had 33 tackles, including 12 behind the line of scrimmage, as a sophomore last season. Tennessee RB DeSean Bishop The 5-foot-10, 210-pound Knoxville native returns after leading the Volunteers with 1,076 yards rushing. His 16 rushing touchdowns tied for second-most in the SEC in 2025. Texas WR Cam Coleman The 6-foot-3 Auburn transfer is expected to be Arch Manning’s No. 1 playmaker this fall. Coleman caught 56 passes for 708 yards and five TDs last season despite playing for the league’s 15th-ranked offense. Now he teams with Ryan Wingo to potentially give the Longhorns the league’s best receiver tandem. Texas A&M LB Daymion Sanford Sanford left the spring game on a cart and with his lower left leg and foot in an air cast, a potentially devastating injury for the Aggies. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound senior was coming off his best season, finishing with 57 tackles, including 9 ½ behind the line of scrimmage, two forced fumbles and an interception. Coach Mike Elko has provided no timetable on Sanford’s return. Vanderbilt CB Martel Hight The 6-foot, 180-pound senior from Rome, Georgia, is back to anchor the secondary after leading the Commodores with four interceptions last season. That tied for most in the SEC as well. He also dabbles at receiver, with seven catches for 64 yards in 2025. ================================= INDIANA HEADLINES/RELEASES PREP BASEBALL INDIANA NEWS: https://www.prepbaseballreport.com/indiana ================================== INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Indians posted their second shutout of the season, 12-0, over the St. Paul Saints on Wednesday night at Victory Field. Hunter Barco, Justin Meis and Cam Sanders combined for 9.0 scoreless frames. The Indians (8-15) unleashed a flurry of early runs, logging a season-high 15 hits in the contest. They scored three in the second inning, two in the third, four in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the sixth to crush the Saints (9-13). Tyler Callihan opened the scoring with an RBI single in the second inning and Esmerlyn Valdez plated two more with a two-out single up the middle. The blitz continued in the third inning, courtesy of three doubles in the frame. Davis Wendzel hit a ground rule double to kick off the inning and later Nick Cimillo and Termarr Johnson hit back-to-back two-baggers to extend the lead, 5-0. Indy broke things open in the fourth inning with four runs, two coming in for free on a wild pitch and passed ball in Wendzel’s next at-bat. After Wendzel walked and advanced to second on a throwing error, Mitch Jebb picked up his first Triple-A hit and RBI with a double to left field. Jebb came around to score on an RBI single by Johnson, putting the Indians up, 9-0. The club added three more insurance runs to tally an insurmountable lead. Hunter Barco (W, 1-0) shined with 5.0 frames of one-hit ball, striking out five. Justin Meis and Cam Sanders followed with 2.0 scoreless innings each. Andrew Bash (L, 0-2) allowed five earned runs across 2.2 innings. Indianapolis and St. Paul continue their six-game series on Thursday morning at 11:05 AM. An opener will take the mound for Indy with RHP Antwone Kelly (0-3, 9.75) pitching the bulk of the innings, while RHP John Klein (1-0, 7.36) is scheduled to start for the Saints. ======================================= FUEL HOCKEY FORT WAYNE– The Fuel will take on the Fort Wayne Komets in a best-of-seven series in the first round of the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs. After clinching the division, the Komets earned the top seed in the Central division, giving them home ice advantage in the first round. Indy will play two games in Fort Wayne before returning home. LAST TIME OUT The last time these two teams met was on April 15, 2026 when the Fuel went to Fort Wayne to play a make-up game that was postponed earlier in the season. Despite keeping it a close game, the Fuel ultimately fell to the Komets, 4-3 in overtime. With four total power play goals in that game, special teams made a huge difference but it was William Dufour with two of them on the night that made the difference with the game winner in OT. PLAYOFF HISTORY While this is the first time that the Fuel and Komets are meeting in the playoffs, there is a longstanding rivalry between these two organizations and cities. This will be the first time these two cities face off in hockey playoffs since 1991 when the Ice and Komets went to seven games. The Checkers and Chiefs have also taken on the Komets in 1987 and the 1950’s. ===== FISHERS- The Indy Fuel announced on Tuesday, the 2026 Playoff Roster ahead of its Central Division Semifinals matchup with the Fort Wayne Komets beginning this Friday, April 24 in Fort Wayne. Playoff Rosters consist of a maximum of 25 Players – a 20-man active roster and a five-man reserve list. Upon submission of its Playoff Roster, each Member is required to include: 1. a minimum of 17 active, available (i.e., not injured or on recall) skaters to its Active Roster, and at least two (2) eligible goaltenders to its initial Playoff Roster. 2. a list of all other Players who meet the Playoff Roster Eligibility requirements, but who are unavailable at the time that Playoff Rosters are due to the League Office due to recall to the AHL or NHL. The Playoff Eligible List may only list Players who are unavailable due to recall. All other players (i.e. injured Players) must be listed on a Member’s initial Playoff Roster (active roster or reserve list) in order to participate in the Playoffs. Throughout the Playoffs, but prior to the start of the Kelly Cup Finals, as the recalled Players listed on a Member’s Playoff Eligible List become available (due to assignment, release from PTO or their respective AHL teams’ seasons having ended), Members shall be permitted to supplement their initial Playoff Rosters with Players listed on their Playoff Eligible Lists, up to a maximum of 24 Players total. Once a Member has named a total of 24 Players to its Playoff Roster, or the Kelly Cup Finals have begun (whichever comes first), the Member’s Playoff Roster shall be fixed for the duration of the Playoffs (barring emergency conditions). A Player who has finished the Regular Season on Injured Reserve may still be named to a Member’s 25-man Playoff Roster and will be eligible to participate in the Playoffs once his full IR time has been completed (provided all other playoff eligibility requirements have been satisfied). Once a Player has fully completed his remaining IR time, he may be activated and placed on the Member’s Active Roster. A Player who has finished the Regular Season on Injured Reserve may still be named to a Member’s 25-man Playoff Roster and will be eligible to participate in the Playoffs once his full IR time has been completed (provided all other playoff eligibility requirements have been satisfied). Once a Player has fully completed his remaining IR time, he may be activated and placed on the Member’s Active Roster. Emergency conditions shall be established when the playing strength of the Member, by reason of injury, illness, recall or suspension by the League, is reduced below two (2) goalkeepers and eighteen (18) skaters. However, should a Member release a Player(s) from its Playoff Roster, its emergency conditions will drop by the same number as the Players they release. Only amateur Players may be signed and added to the Active Roster under emergency conditions. Indy Fuel 2026 Kelly Cup Playoff Roster: Forwards Jordan Martin, Michael Marchesan, Tyler Paquette, Jesse Tucker, Owen Robinson, Cody Laskosky, Dustin Manz, Jadon Joseph, Marcus Joughin, Lee Lapid, Chase Dafoe, Tyler Weiss Defensemen Christian Berger, Matt Petgrave, Chris Cameron, Kyle Aucoin, Trevor Zins, Nick Grima Goaltenders Owen Flores, Mitchell Weeks Reserve List Alex DiPaolo, Eric Martin, Lane Brockhoff, William Ennis Playoff Eligible List [Players unavailable due to recall]: Kevin Lombardi, Harrison Israels, Ryan Gagnier ======================================= INDIANA SOFTBALL BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –– In its return back to Andy Mohr Field on Wednesday (April 22), Indiana defeated Valparaiso in five innings, 14-1, at Andy Mohr Field. The win pushes Indiana to 35-12 on the season after its second to last midweek game of the season. INDIANA 14, VALPARAISO 1 (F/5) KEY MOMENTS • Valparaiso’s Mack Gallagher homered to left center in the top of the first to put them up 1-0. • That lead would be brief as Indiana responded immediately in the bottom of the frame. Aly VanBrandt doubled to left center followed by a bunt single by Alex Cooper before Avery Parker homered to right field to put the Hoosiers up 3-1. • The excellent hitting continued in the bottom of the second as VanBrandt and Cooper put up back-to-back triples before Parker homered for a second time to make the game 7-1. •The third inning ended for Valpo with a diving catch and double play from VanBrandt as she immediately threw back to first after the catch to end the top of the third. • Brooke Mannon got in on the home run fun for the Hoosiers in the bottom of the third to bring the score to 8-1. • Cooper added her second triple of the game in the bottom of the fourth before Josie Bird hit Indiana’s fourth home run of the game to extend the lead to 10-1. • An RBI double from Cassidy Kettleman and an RBI single from Alex Cooper pushed the lead to 14-1 through the end of the fourth. • The Hoosier defense put together a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fifth to quickly close the door and make it a five-inning run rule victory. NOTABLES • After breaking the program’s career home run record at Iowa on Sunday, Parker hit two more homers today to put her career total at 48. • It was Indiana’s 19th win by run rule this season. • Twelve of Indiana’s 14 hits were extra base hits (five doubles, three triples and four home runs). • The win marked Indiana’s eighth straight at Andy Mohr Field. • Alex Cooper hit a career high two triples. • Pitcher Aubree Hooks added another win to increase her record to 10-2. • Mannon’s home run marked back-to-back games with a homer. UP NEXT Indiana and Michigan will face off this weekend for a three-game series from Friday to Sunday (April 24-26) in Ann Arbor, Mich. ====================================== INDIANA MEN’S TENNIS OJAI, Calif. — The No. 9 seed Indiana Hoosiers defeated the No. 8 seed Oregon Ducks 4-0 in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Indiana got on the board first by securing doubles wins at courts No. 1 and No. 3. At No. 1 doubles, Indiana’s No. 33-ranked duo of Michael Andre and Matteo Antonescu defeated Oregon’s Declan Galligan and Vlad Breazu 6-3, and at No. 3, Indiana’s No. 46-ranked duo of Sam Landau and Braeden Gelletich secured the doubles point with a 6-4 win over Cameron Burton and Sam Olszakowski. Oregon’s Pierre Mouesca and Lachlan Robertson defeated Jip van Assendelft and Facundo Yunis 6-2 at No. 2 doubles. In singles, Indiana swept all three completed matches to clinch the victory. Facundo Yunis defeated Lachlan Robertson 6-4, 6-4 at No. 4; Braeden Gelletich topped Russell Soohoo 6-3, 6-4 at No. 5; and Aidan Atwood closed out the match with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Cameron Burton at No. 6. Three matches were left unfinished after the team result was decided. At No. 1, No. 78 Sam Landau led Vlad Breazu 6-4, 3-3; at No. 2, Jip van Assendelft split sets with Pierre Mouesca, 6-3, 5-7; and at No. 3, Michael Andre split sets with Sam Olszakowski, 6-1, 2-6 and the match was tied 2-2 in the deciding set. The Hoosiers will now turn their attention to the quarterfinals, where they will play No. 1 seed Michigan State. The Spartans defeated the Hoosiers 4-3 in East Lansing less than a week ago, on April 17. No. 9 INDIANA 4, No. 8 OREGON 0 Singles Results: Vlad Breazu (ORE) vs. No. 78 Sam Landau (IND) 4-6, 3-3 (UF) Pierre Mouesca (ORE) vs. Jip van Assendelft (IND) 6-3, 5-7, 0-0 (UF) Sam Olszakowski (ORE) vs. Michael Andre (IND) 1-6, 6-2, 2-2 (UF) Facundo Yunis (IND) def. Lachlan Robertson (ORE) 6-4, 6-4 Braeden Gelletich (IND) def. Russell Soohoo (ORE) 6-3, 6-4 Aidan Atwood (IND) def. Cameron Burton (ORE) 6-4, 6-1 Order of Finish: 5, 4, 6 Doubles Results: #33 Michael Andre/Matteo Antonescu (IND) def. Declan Galligan/Vlad Breazu (ORE) 6-3 Pierre Mouesca/Lachlan Robertson (ORE) def. Facundo Yunis/Jip van Assendelft (IND) 6-2 Braeden Gelletich/Sam Landau (IND) def. Cameron Burton/Sam Olszakowski (ORE) 6-4 Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3 ================================= PURDUE FOOTBALL 4-Star receiver/tight end Seven Rashad has de-committed from the Purdue football program. The 6’6” prospect (2028) from Buford, GA made the announcement Wednesday. “Thank you, Purdue football I have decided to decommit and reopen my recruitment,” Rashad wrote in his decommitment post. Rashad’s brother, Dream, was also once committed to Purdue’s 2026 class but flipped to North Carolina. =================================== NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S LAX CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The No. 14/16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-5, 6-4) fell 9-12 to the No. 10/10 Clemson Tigers (14-4, 7-3) in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals. Emma Murphy and Meghan O’Hare each recorded a hat trick in the win, scoring Notre Dame’s first six goals of the night. O’Hare also recorded two ground balls, two caused turnovers, and two draw controls. No other player tonight had more points or assists than Charley Bacigalupo. The freshman tied her career-high of five points and dished out a career-high four assists, while also chipping in a goal for the Irish. Madison Rassas finished the night with two goals and an assist for three points and also recorded three ground balls and two draw controls. Defensively, Franny O’Brien finished the night tying her career-high of five caused turnovers and grabbed three ground balls. Lila O’Brien recorded two ground balls and two caused turnovers. O’Hare put the Irish on the board to start as Maroney dished it to her on a cut down the middle to make it 1-0 at 8:23. The Tigers, however, would tie it up shortly after on a free position goal to make it an even 1-all with 4:11 remaining in the first period. Clemson would net one more goal in the period to take a 2-1 advantage over the Irish heading into the second. It was a battle of the defenses yet again, as both teams were scoreless through the first five minutes of the second until the Tigers scored again at 9:44. Clemson would score their second goal of the period to put the Irish down 1-4, but Notre Dame wasn’t going anywhere. Murphy ripped off back-to-back goals with the first goal finding the back of the net with three seconds left on the shot clock. The other was a free position goal to bring the Irish within one at 3-4. While Clemson scored their fifth goal of the day with 1:38 remaining, the Irish found themselves down two in the closing minutes of the half. With 17 seconds left, Bacigalupo found O’Hare on a cut down the middle to make it a one-goal game. Rassas won the final draw control of the period to give Notre Dame one more offensive possession in the half where it found the stick of Bacigalupo yet again. She dished to Murphy on the left wing who scored as the buzzer sounded to cap off her first-half hat trick and tie it up at 5-all heading into halftime. The momentum shifted in the second half as Clemson would score five straight goals to open the third quarter to make it 5-10 with 5:10 remaining in the period. O’Hare would score the solo Irish goal of the third to make it 6-10 heading into the fourth. Rassas scored the first goal of the final period to bring Notre Dame within three, but the Irish and Tigers would go on to swap goals the remainder of the game. With Bacigalupo scoring at the 8:22 mark to make it 8-11, the Tigers answered yet again with another goal to extend their lead back to four. Rassas would go on to score her second goal of the night, and the final goal of the game, with 3:26 remaining as the Irish fell 9-12 in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals. ===================================== NOTRE DAME BASEBALL EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Notre Dame baseball team held off Michigan State by shutting out the Spartans over the final seven innings of play to take a 3-2 win on Wednesday evening. The Irish struck right away in the top of the first inning. Drew Berkland and Bino Watters started off with back-to-back singles, and Noah Coy used a sacrifice bunt to move the pair into scoring position. A failed pick-off attempt allowed Berkland to score for a 1-0 advantage. Dylan Passo then used a sacrifice fly to drive in Watters to make it 2-0. Parker Brzustewicz drove a single up the middle, and Mark Quatrani came in to score to give the Irish a 3-0 lead. Ty Uber retired the Spartans side in order in the bottom half of the inning. Michigan State broke through for a pair of runs in the bottom of the second to make it a 3-2 game. Eli Thurmond shut down the Spartans over the third and fourth innings, and Caden Crowell had a three-up, three-down effort in the fifth. Crowell capped off another quick inning with a strikeout to continue to keep Michigan State at bay. The freshman lefty repeated his cadence with a third three-up, three-down inning in the eighth as Crowell tacked on back-to-back strikeouts to end the seventh. Oisin Lee needed just 10 pitches to retire the side in order in the bottom of the eighth for the Irish. Will Jaisle then came on in the ninth inning and used a pair of strikeouts to record his second save of the season to preserve the 3-2 Irish victory. Drew Berkland was 3-for-5 at the dish with a double and a run. Bino Watters went 3-for-5 and scored once while Parker Brzustewicz had a 2-for-3 effort at the plate with an RBI and a walk. Mark Quatrani walked once and scored. Jayce Lee had a triple and two walks, and Dylan Passo added a hit and drove in a run. Shane Miranda notched a hit in the victory. Ty Uber went 2.0 innings and struck out three after earning the start. Eli Thurmond added 2.0 innings while forcing the Spartans into stranding a runner in scoring position. Caden Crowell earned the win in relief after a perfect 3.0 innings on the hill while adding three strikeouts. Oisin Lee retired all three batters he faced in an inning of work, and Will Jaisle earned the save with two strikeouts in a shutout inning of work. The Irish (18-18) start an 11-game homestand on Friday when they host Boston College for a three-game ACC series. Game one of the series is slated to start at 6:30 p.m. ET. ==================================== NOTRE DAME BASEBALL SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team (20-27) dominated Michigan State Wednesday evening at Melissa Cook, defeating the Spartans 9-1 in five innings. The Irish improve to 14-1 all-time against Michigan State, including 7-0 at home, and are winners of the last nine matchups. The bats exploded for Notre Dame all game, but especially early. The Irish chalked up seven runs on 10 hits in the first two innings combined and batted around the lineup in the second inning. Nine different Irish recorded base hits as Notre Dame hit .538 (7/13) with runners in scoring position. The Irish registered more hits (13) than outs (12) Wednesday evening. Sophomore Caroline O’Brien logged her fourth three-hit game of the season, tacking on a pair of RBI as well for the Irish second baseman. O’Brien also swiped two stolen bases to improve her total to a career-high 11 on the season. Sophomore Caitlyn Early, freshman Ava Zachary and freshman Hayden Kyne, the two-three-four spots in the Notre Dame lineup, shined on a sunny evening in South Bend. All three scored two runs while Kyne delivered a pair of RBI as well. Zachary stole two bases to make it 10 on the year for the Mishawaka, Indiana native. In a four-run second inning, freshman slugger Lily Hagan went down and got a 1-2 offspeed pitch, blasting it over the left-center field fence and hitting the netting covering the scoreboard. It marked a team-best seventh homer of the year for Hagan. Senior Pagie Cowley and junior Olivia Levitt both notched pinch-hit singles in the bottom of the fourth, both scoring runs in the inning to finalize the run-rule win. Tenley Sweet, Sydny Poeck and Kyne all doubled in the game as Notre Dame The Irish controlled the circle all evening as well. Sophomore Brianne Weiss got the nod and logged four innings with eight strikeouts, the second-most of the season for the southpaw. Weiss picked up her team-high ninth win of the season. Kami Kamzik closed the game out in the bottom of the fifth, striking out a Spartan in a hitless effort. Notre Dame continues the homestand this weekend, starting Friday night at 6:00 p.m. against Boston College on ACCNX. Admission to all Irish regular season softball games at Melissa Cook Stadium is free. ================================= BUTLER SOFTBALL INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler softball team trailed in the middle of the fifth inning but rallied to defeat Dayton, 7-6, in the final non-conference contest of the season. The visiting Flyers (21-19), out of the A-10 Conference, were down three runs after three full innings but scored four in the fourth and one in the top of the fifth to take a one-run lead. The Bulldogs (20-17) scored one in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game, and two innings later, Kendall Graves hit a walk-off double to secure the victory. Butler scored four runs in the first inning on three walks and a pair of singles. The Bulldogs added a fifth run in the second on a Makena Alexander RBI single, and the 5-1 lead held through three complete. Down 6-5 in the fifth, Graves drew a bases-loaded walk for the Bulldogs to tie the game at six. In the final inning, Kayla Preiss and Olivia Roberts each drew walks to set up the dramatic walk-off hit from Graves, which came with two outs already in the book. Kate Murray (3.1-IP, 4R, 3ER, 6H, 4BB, K) started in the circle for Butler and lasted into the fourth. Maren Berger provided relief and picked up the win. In 3.2 innings, she allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and had one strikeout. Bulldog Bits The double for Graves was her fifth this season. The win in the circle for Berger was her second of the season. Up Next Butler travels to DePaul for a BIG EAST series from Friday-Sunday, April 24-26. =================================== BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Karina Bystry, who averaged 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game for Northern Kentucky last season and was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team, has signed with Butler. Bystry has three years of eligibility remaining beginning with the 2026-27 season. Bystry, as a freshman, was fifth in the Horizon League in scoring, averaging 14.8 points per game and was fourth in the league in free throw percentage, sinking 81.7 percent of her shots from the charity stripe. Bystry earned Horizon League All-League Second Team honors and was also named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team after garnering Horizon League Freshman of the Week accolades four times during the season. “Karina is an impressive combo guard who got better and better as the year went on last year and she was only a freshman,” said head coach Maria Marchesano. “She has a scorers mentality, deep range and a relentless motor that made her a top target in the portal and we are so excited to have her on our side of the sidelines this year!” Bystry, a 5-9 guard, played in 32 games and made 28 starts for the Norse in 2025-26 and averaged 30.7 minutes per game, which was the most on the team last season. The guard shot 36.9 percent from the floor and 32.3 percent from behind the arc during her one season with the Norse. Bystry set the program record for most free throws made since NKU moved to Division I and she finished the season with the most made free throws (147) and attempts (180) of any freshman in Division I women’s basketball. Bystry also posted a career-high 35 points against Purdue Fort Wayne last season and scored in double figures 23 games last season. She had a 10-game stretch where she scored 15 or more points in each contest. The Madisonville, Tennessee native scored 1,700 points in high school at McMinn Central. In her junior season, Bystry averaged 21.0 points per game and shot 45 percent from the field and 38 percent from three. ==================================== BALL STATE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State men’s volleyball team shined in its Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association semifinal matchup, completing a straight-set win versus McKendree (25-23, 25-18, 25-21) inside Worthen Arena Wednesday evening. With the victory, the Cardinals (24-4, 13-3 MIVA) are bound for the conference tournament championship match on April 25, eyeing an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament. With 16 wins at home this season, Ball State has accomplished its highest win total in Worthen since reaching the same mark in 2004. The Cardinals controlled the match offensively, hitting .481 as a unit, while limiting the Bearcats (18-11, 9-7 MIVA) to a .312 clip as a team. Machado led the floor with 37 assists, leading both sides. Ball State also struck down 46 kills compared to McKendree’s 34 while tallying five service aces to the Bearcats’ zero. The red and white found itself in a tight opening frame, with two tied scores, including a late deadlock at 20-20. The Cardinals remained composed down the stretch, responding with a 5-3 run led by senior outside Patrick Rogers and sophomore opposite Ryan Louis to claim set one 25-23. Rogers led the contest with 16 kills on .500 hitting – his 12th match this season hitting that percentage or better. Louis followed with 11 kills on 17 strikes. Both men led the match with a pair of service aces. Ball State continued the momentum into sets two and three, swatting 17 total kills in the second and 18 in the third. The Cardinals began to break away for a 15-11 run in the second frame after a Rogers ace, finding themselves leading by as many as seven in the game. In the third, BSU jumped out early and maintained its lead throughout. Daniel Günther completed an ace that advanced the Cardinals’ lead to five at 11-6. As the Bearcats trimmed the deficit to three, Ball State continued to apply pressure using kills from Rogers, Louis and Günther to clinch the match. Defensively, the Cardinals were led at the net by Rogers who recorded three blocks. Machado, Günther and Jacob Surette added a pair each. Louis paced the match in digs, recording eight. Wil Basilio had six, while Rogers contributed four. The Cardinals look to claim its 16th MIVA Tournament Championship Saturday, April 25, as they host Loyola Chicago inside Worthen for the deciding match. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET. ================================== BALL STATE BASEBALL MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State baseball team scored the first 15 runs of the game and cruised to a 25-7 win in seven innings over IU South Bend on Wednesday afternoon at Shebek Stadium. The Cardinals (20-21) tallied four runs in the first inning, one in the second and 10 in the third to build the 15-run advantage before tacking on three runs in the fourth and seven in the fifth to put the visiting Titans away. Brayden Huebner hit a leadoff home run before Brady Davidson blasted a three-run homer to give the hosts a 4-0 edge after the first. The 10-run third inning was highlighted by a three-run shot from Taber Stokes and grand slam by Preston Murphy to put Ball State ahead 15-0. Huston Dunn hit a solo homer, his first as a collegiate player, in the fourth to go along with RBI knocks from Tommy Landsnes (triple) and John Colligan (single). The seven-run fifth inning featured a two-run double by Jack Bakus. Six Cardinals produced multiple hits on the afternoon including Huebner, Davidson and Bakus with three each. Davidson, Murphy and Taber Stokes notched four RBI each. Brady Strawmyer started for Ball State and struck out two in 3.0 shutout innings. Zach Leduc (1-1) was credited with the win thanks to four strikeouts in 2.0 scoreless frames to finish the game for the Cardinals. IU South Bend starting pitcher Josh Vis(2-2) surrendered four runs without getting an out to be hit with the loss. Ball State is set to begin a three-game series hosting UMass on Friday afternoon. ================================= EVANSVILLE BASEBALL EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team dropped a midweek contest at Southern Indiana on Wednesday night, falling by a score of 14-4 at USI Baseball Field. Evansville grabbed an early lead, scoring three runs in the top of the first, However, the Screaming Eagles scored 14 unanswered runs before taking a 14-4 win in seven innings. Spike Magill (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista) extended his on base streak to 35 games, going 3-for-3 with a walk to lead the Aces offensively. Reid Haire (Hudson, N.C./Charlotte) also had a 2-hit day, going 2-for-4 with a double. HOW IT HAPPENED Evansville came out of the gates hot, with Magill picking up a leadoff double before coming in to score on a single by Haire in the very next at-bat. After Charlie Longmeier (Seymour, Ind./Seymour) reached on a fielder’s choice, Reagan Reeder (Ramsey, Minn./Illinois) roped a double to drive in Longmeier. Reeder would then come around to score on a throwing error, giving the Aces a 3-0 lead. Jack Willhite (Georgetown, Ky./Scott County) got the start on the mound for Evansville and worked a 1-2-3 first inning, capped with his first strikeout of the night. Willhite faced trouble in the second, with the Screaming Eagles putting runners at the corners. USI tried bringing across a run with a squeeze play, but Willhite corralled the bunt and flipped to Magill at home, who applied the tag for the out. In the next at-bat, Willhite got a strikeout to get out of the inning unscathed. USI got on the board in the third, picking up two runs to make it 3-2. After a scoreless fourth inning, Willhite allowed a pair of base runners and gave way to the bullpen. The Screaming Eagle took advantage, scoring four runs to take the lead. USI broke the game open in the sixth, scoring eight runs to take a 14-3 lead. Evansville got a run back in the top of the seventh, but the Screaming Eagles stranded the bases loaded to clinch the win. UP NEXT Evansville travels to Terre Haute this weekend for a critical MVC series against Indiana State. First pitch for Friday’s series opener is set for 5:30 p.m. CT. ===================================== SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana senior designated hitter Micajah Wall drove in five RBI to lead the Screaming Eagles to a commanding 14-4 win over the University of Evansville Wednesday evening at the USI Baseball Field. USI is 23-18 overall, while UE goes to 15-23. After spotting the Purple Aces a 3-0 lead in the first inning, USI bounced back to cut the deficit to 3-2 with a pair of tallies in the third. The Screaming Eagles scored both of the third-inning runs on a two-run single by Wall. USI would score four times in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead for good in the game. Wall struck again with a three-run double to left field to give USI a 5-3 lead, while junior catcher Drue Saenz drove in Wall with a sacrifice fly to give USI a 6-3 advantage. The Screaming Eagles put the game away in the bottom of the sixth with a monster eight-run rally to go up by 11, 14-3. USI started the scoring with RBI-singles by senior first baseman Patrick McLellan, senior shortstop Clayton Slack, and graduate leftfielder/rightfielder Noah Foster before junior third baseman Parker Martin drove in a run on a fielder’s choice and Saenz pushed a run across with the fourth RBI-single of the frame to make the score, 11-3. After Martin scored the 12th run on a wild pitch, the eight-run rally would come to a close with graduate centerfielder Khi Holiday and Saenz scoring when senior pinch hitter Hunter Miller reached on a fielding error for the 14-3 lead. The Aces would get a tally in the top of the seventh before the Screaming Eagles closed out an early-ending 14-4 victory. Wall led USI with five RBI on a single and double at the plate, while McLellan posted a team-high three hits in the win. On the mound, junior right-hander Abdriel Figueroa picked up the win in relief. Figueroa (3-4) pitched an inning, allowing a hit and a walk, while striking out two. Senior left-hander Jake Porter started and got the no-decision. Porter threw the first three innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits and a walk. He also struck out a pair. Up Next for the Screaming Eagles: The Screaming Eagles begin a four-game road swing this weekend when they visit Morehead State University for an Ohio Valley Conference three-game series in Morehead, Kentucky. The games are scheduled for 5 p.m. (CDT) Friday; 2 p.m. (CDT) Saturday; and noon (CDT) Sunday. Morehead State is 19-21 overall and 5-10 in the OVC after being swept by Lindenwood University last weekend, but bounced back to defeat Marshall University, 11-2, today. The MSU Eagles have a 3-5 mark in the last eight games. Morehead State leads the all-time series with USI, 6-4, after the Screaming Eagles swept the three-game set last year in Evansville. Fans are encouraged to watch social media and USIScreamingEagles.com for any schedule changes due to weather. Links to follow the Screaming Eagles during 2026 can be found on USIScreamingEagles.com and the USI Baseball Schedule. ================================= VALPO SOFTBALL Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead]) got the Valpo softball team off to a strong start in its midweek matchup at Indiana Wednesday with a first-inning home run, but the Hoosiers’ offense — ranked among the top-10 nationally — took over from there as the hosts eventually earned a 14-1 win. How It Happened Gallagher connected on a two-out solo homer, driving a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left center to give the Beacons the lead. Indiana jumped in front with a three-run homer in the bottom of the first. Valpo put two runners on with nobody out in the second, as Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) and Cadan Brinkman (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community [Campbell/Wofford]) connected on back-to-back first-pitch singles to lead off the frame, but the Beacons were unable to take advantage and add to their score. The Hoosiers scored four runs in the second, one in the third and six in the fourth to cap the scoring. Inside the Game Gallagher’s home run was her 10th of the season, tied for seventh-most in a single season in program history and the most by a Valpo player since 2018. The senior also picked up her 40th RBI of the year with her four-bagger, tied for eighth-most in a season in program history and the most by a Valpo player since 2017. Rodas and Brinkman accounted for the Beacons’ other base hits. Grace Hollopeter (Lake Village, Ind./North Newton [Purdue Fort Wayne]), Rodas and Gallagher combined to turn a 4-6-3 double play to end the bottom of the second, the 15th double play Valpo has turned this season. All four healthy Valpo pitchers saw action Wednesday, with Caitlyn Quickle (Leesburg, Ohio/Fairfield Local) starting and taking the loss as she fell to 2-6 on the season. Next Up Valpo (17-28) returns home to the Valpo Softball Complex for its final home games of the season this weekend as the Beacons host Bradley. Valpo Athletics social media and ValpoAthletics.com will have any schedule changes due to weather. ================================== UINDY MEN’S TENNIS INDIANAPOLIS – With the arrival of the first official NCAA Regional rankings, the UIndy men’s tennis team was ranked #1 in the Midwest, per a release Wednesday.UIndy currently maintains a record of 13-3 against DII opponents, with a perfect 10-0 mark against in-region competition. The Greyhounds were recently ranked No. 14 in Wednesday’s ITA poll, carrying five ranked-wins against opponents ranked inside the top-20. The regional ranks also hosts two other GLVC institutions, with Drury at No. 6, and Rockhurst at No. 9.In the Midwest Regional competition last year, the Hounds swept Purdue Northwest and Ferris State en route to the NCAA Championship tournament.MIDWEST REGIONAL RANKINGSRK. School vs. DII In-Region 1. UIndy 13-3 10-0 2. Ferris State 11-3 10-1 3. Tiffin 14-3 13-3 4. Grand Valley 9-4 8-2 5. Wayne St. 11-8 8-3 6. Drury 9-2 9-2 7. Northwood 12-2 10-2 8. Findlay 11-6 10-5 9. Rockhurst 7-5 7-4 10. Hillsdale 8-8 8-7 ==================================== UINDY WOMEN’S TENNIS INDIANAPOLIS – With the arrival of the first official NCAA Regional rankings, the UIndy men’s tennis team was ranked #1 in the Midwest, per a release Wednesday.UIndy currently maintains a record of 13-3 against DII opponents, with a perfect 10-0 mark against in-region competition. The Greyhounds were recently ranked No. 14 in Wednesday’s ITA poll, carrying five ranked-wins against opponents ranked inside the top-20. The regional ranks also hosts two other GLVC institutions, with Drury at No. 6, and Rockhurst at No. 9.In the Midwest Regional competition last year, the Hounds swept Purdue Northwest and Ferris State en route to the NCAA Championship tournament.MIDWEST REGIONAL RANKINGSRK. School vs. DII In-Region 1. UIndy 13-3 10-0 2. Ferris State 11-3 10-1 3. Tiffin 14-3 13-3 4. Grand Valley 9-4 8-2 5. Wayne St. 11-8 8-3 6. Drury 9-2 9-2 7. Northwood 12-2 10-2 8. Findlay 11-6 10-5 9. Rockhurst 7-5 7-4 10. Hillsdale 8-8 8-7 ================================== MARIAN WOMEN’S TENNIS Marion, Ind. – The Marian women’s tennis team picked up its eighth consecutive victory on Wednesday, as the Knights defeated (RV) Huntington 4-1 in the Crossroads League Tournament Semifinals, advancing to the championship round for the eighth consecutive year. Marian will carry an overall record of 15-6 into the CL Championship. Marian scored the first point of the match in doubles, winning on the No. 2 and 3 courts to take a 1-0 start. Jimena Rivera Flores and Michelle Irigoyen won 6-2 against Addison Mast and Tiziana Rizzato at No. 2, and at No. 3, Ana Barbosa Fernandez and Liliane Alinquant clinched the first point with their 6-2 win against Coby Sander and Ashley Bucur. As the point was clinched, Yasmin Imamniyazova and Ana Lopez Torres were trailing at No. 1 doubles 4-3. In singles play, Marian managed to get the first individual win, expanding the lead to 2-0 as Michelle Irigoyen defeated Addison Mast 6-0, 6-2. Liliane Alinquant followed with a 6-1, 6-3 win against Rizzato, putting the Knights on top 3-0 and one point away from clinching a spot in the championship. Huntington would get on the board to break up Marian’s momentum at No. 1 singles, as Yasmin Imamniyazova was unable to defeat Isabella Herrera, falling 6-4, 6-3. Needing one match to clinch the victory, the Knights got a winner at No. 4 singles, as Ana Barbosa Fernandez won against Ashley Bucur 7-6 (2), 6-2, clinching the match and sealing a 4-1 victory. At the time of the clinch that advanced Marian to the championship match, Ana Lopez Torres was tied in set three against Yariange Bello, and Paloma Caceres Villalba was leading Sofia Kurshinskaia 7-5, 5-4. Marian will play against Goshen College in the Crossroads League Championship on Friday morning, taking on the Maple Leafs with an automatic bid to the NAIA Championship on the line. The match is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. ================================= MARIAN MEN’S TENNIS Marion, Ind. – The Marian men’s tennis team fell in the Crossroads League Tournament Semifinals on Wednesday to No. 10 Huntington. The Knights move to 14-10 overall on the season after the loss and finish the Crossroads League with a 6-3 record. Huntington got off to an early lead with a 6-1 win over Marc Soriano and Jan Bartolome at court No. 1 in doubles. James Asworth and Iyan Cresens pushed back at the Foresters’ lead with a quick 6-1 win at No. 2. With each team tied at doubles, Huntington came out on top, taking the 6-2 win over Mateo Guerin and Juan Garcia-Tunon to earn the doubles point. After taking the lead over the Knights, Huntington extended with a 6-4 and 6-3 win over Guerin at No. 4, followed by a 7-6(3) and 6-1 win over Juan Garcia-Tunon at No. 5. With the 3-0 lead over Marian the Foresters’ were able to clinch the match with a 6-3 and 6-0 win over Marcos Ramos Cabrera at court No. 3. Soriano (6-4, 4-5), Ashworth (6-4, 4-6), and Bartolome (2-6, 6-3, 1-0) all went unfinished in their singles matches. The Knights will wait to see if they will earn an at-large bid to the NAIA National Tournament in Mobile, Alabama. The selection show will premiere on the NAIA YouTube channel on Tuesday, April 28th at 12 pm ET. ================================= ANDERSON SOFTBALL The Anderson University softball team split with Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology during Wednesday’s Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) doubleheader in Terre Haute. Rose-Hulman (12-20, 2-10) fought past Anderson (13-21, 7-7) by a score of 3-2 in Game 1. The Ravens then battled to a 5-4 victory in eight innings in Game 2. GAME 1: ROSE-HULMAN 3, ANDERSON 2 The Fightin’ Engineers outhit the Ravens 7-6. Paycee Lewis – 2-for-3, 1 Double Maddie Schoenradt – 1 Double Jayda McKee – 1 Single Braelynn Hattendorf – 1 Single Mia Flores – 1 Single Izzy Scott – Loss (1-4), 6,1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K GAME 2: ANDERSON 5, ROSE-HULMAN 4 (F/8) The Ravens outhit the Fightin’ Engineers 14-10. Maddie Schoenradt ripped a two-run single in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 4-4. Maddie Schoenradt delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth. Maddie Schoenradt – 4-for-5, 3 RBI, 1 Stolen Base Ashton Richey – Win (4-4), 4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K Paycee Lewis – 2-for-3, 1 Triple, 1 RBI Avery Owens – 3-for-5 Kylie Coleman – 2-for-4 Belle Blickenstaff – 1 Single, 1 RBI Jayda McKee – 1 Single Braelynn Hattendorf – 1 Single UP NEXT Anderson battles Mount St. Joseph University (22-10, 9-3) in an HCAC doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Cincinnati. ==================================== ROSE HULMAN BASEBALL GREENVILLE, Ill. – The Fightin’ Engineers accumulated their third straight victory as they took down the Greenville Panthers by a score of 4-3. Issei Takahashi recorded the first hit of the game with a single to center field early in the first inning. TJ Pipkins added a single of his own to center field, where he advanced to second on a passed ball. He would score Rose-Hulman’s opening run on an RBI single to center field from Noah Rasmussen. After recording one strikeout in the first inning, Gavin Drooger struck out another two batters in the bottom of the second to help keep RHIT in the lead. Following a pitching change, Landyn Smith hit a home run to left center field to lead off the bottom of the fourth, which tied the game at 1-1. Takahashi added another single to center field in the top of the fifth, where he proceeded to steal second. With Takahashi in scoring position, Greenville forced a flyout to keep the game tied. They would later add an RBI single to left field in the bottom of the fifth. Bryce Hayes’ shot to left field brought Jalen Inlow home, giving the Panthers the lead. They would extend the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth, on a solo home run from Alejandro Martinez. Michael Hines led off the seventh inning by singling to center field, and N. Rasmussen followed that up with a single to left center field. With both runners in scoring position, Sam Erickson recorded a two-RBI double on a single to right-center field to tie the game at 3-3. Tyler Orr took the mound in the bottom of the seventh, and he struck out all three batters he faced to close out the inning. He would conclude the eighth by striking out the final batter looking, as the Fightin’ Engineers entered the final inning all tied up. Hines stepped into the batter’s box to begin the ninth inning, and he hit a go-ahead solo home run over the left field wall. The freshman has now hit three home runs on the year, with none being more clutch than his dinger against Greenville, which gave RHIT a 4-3 lead. Orr struck out the first batter he faced in the bottom of the ninth, and he followed that up by forcing a flyout. With a runner on second, Orr recorded his sixth strikeout in three innings, as he recorded the win in Rose-Hulman’s thrilling 4-3 comeback victory. Rose-Hulman returns to Terre Haute, Ind., to host the Anderson Ravens in a three-game series. The series will begin on Saturday, April 25, at 1 and 4 PM, and continue on Sunday, April 26, at 1 PM. ===================================== ROSE HULMAN SOFTBALL TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — The Rose-Hulman softball team split their doubleheader against Anderson on Wednesday, winning game one 3-2, and suffering a loss in game two 5-4 after eight innings. This moves the team to 12-20 overall this season and 2-10 in the HCAC. The Fightin’ Engineers started off hot in the first game of the doubleheader. Rosie Travioli hit a bomb that went over the left field fence for her first career home run, giving Rose-Hulman the early lead, 1-0, in the bottom of the third. Rose-Hulman would add another run after a single by Hodges brought around a score by Travioli in the fifth to make the score 2-0. Anderson tied the score in the top of the sixth with two runs to put the pressure on the Fightin’ Engineers. Rose-Hulman scored the winning run on a sacrifice squeeze with Hodges laying down the bunt and Travioli scoring from third in the bottom of the seventh to claim the victory, 3-2. Travioli had an exceptional performance, finishing the game going 2-2 with three runs and one RBI. Aubrey Smith was the winning pitcher, pitching the entire 7.0 innings with four strikeouts, allowing zero earned runs. The second game of the day matched the thrilling excitement of game one. Anderson took the lead with a run in the top of the first. Smith hit a sacrifice fly, scoring a run by Lucille Pyrz in the third inning to tie the score at 1-1. Anderson answered in the fourth with a run to jump back in front 2-1. In the bottom of the fourth, Pyrz hit a double that brought around two runs by Katelyn Sarvis and Abigale Shearer. Hodges hit a sacrifice fly to add to the Rose-Hulman lead, scoring a run by Travioli. Anderson tied the game in the top of the sixth with two runs to make the score 4-4 and send the contest into extra innings. Anderson took advantage in the top of the eighth, scoring the go-ahead run to make the score 5-4. Rose-Hulman was unable to answer and suffered the loss to split their doubleheader with the Ravens. Pyrz was the standout in game two, finishing 2-3 at the plate with one run scored and two RBIs. Audrey Theuring suffered the loss in the circle with an impressive performance, pitching the entire 8.0 innings with three strikeouts, allowing just three earned runs. Rose-Hulman softball will continue their HCAC schedule, traveling to take on Berea on Saturday, April 25, at 1 PM and 3 PM. ================================= WABASH BASEBALL CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. – Wabash rallied late in the opener and answered several times in game two, but the Little Giants came away empty Wednesday afternoon in a North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader against nationally ranked Wittenberg, falling 4-3 in the first game before dropping the nightcap 16-6 at Goodrich Ballpark. Wabash moved to 9-21 overall and 3-9 in NCAC play after the two losses, while Wittenberg improved to 26-6 overall and 9-1 in the conference. Wittenberg entered the day ranked 16th in the American Baseball Coaches Association poll and 19th by D3baseball.com. Game one turned into a tight pitchers’ duel, with Wabash nearly erasing an early deficit before Wittenberg held on for the one-run win. The Tigers struck first in the opening inning when Tommy Chilicki tripled down the right-field line to drive in Landon Turner for a 1-0 lead. Wittenberg added another run in the second on James MacAuley’s RBI double to left that scored Charlie Marando. Wabash got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Ben Henke singled up the middle, moved to second on a groundout, and scored when Bradley Gilliam doubled to right field to trim the lead to 2-1. Wittenberg pushed its advantage back to three in the fifth. Turner singled, Xander Rodriguez reached on a fielder’s choice, and Chilicki lined an RBI double to left-center. Quintin Applegate followed with an RBI single through the left side to make it 4-1. The Little Giants made their strongest push in the seventh. Caleb Ellspermann tripled to right-center, then scored on Landen Basey’s single to center. Henke added a single, DJ Mendez walked, and Kade Buecher singled to center to bring home Basey and cut the deficit to 4-3. Wabash, however, could not bring home the tying run from third, and the Tigers retired the final six outs to end the game. Caleb Everson delivered a sturdy outing in the opener despite taking the loss. The senior right-hander worked eight innings, allowing four earned runs on 13 hits with one walk and five strikeouts on 127 pitches. He kept Wabash within striking distance after the fifth, stranding traffic in the sixth and seventh. Jackson Woehr pitched the ninth, allowing one hit and striking out one without a run. Henke finished 3 for 5 in game one, Gilliam went 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI, and Basey was 2 for 5 with an RBI. Ellspermann tripled and scored, while Buecher drove in a run and Edwards added a double as Wabash totaled 12 hits. The Little Giants were 4 for 14 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base. Wittenberg also left 10 aboard and finished 3 for 14 with runners in scoring position. The second game featured a much faster start from Wittenberg, which scored three times in the top of the first. Alex Nemunaitis singled, Chilicki added a hit, Applegate drove in the first run with a single to left, and Daniel Gladden followed with a two-run double down the left-field line for a 3-0 lead. Wabash answered in the second. Kade Buecher singled, Jimmy Hawksworth followed with a base hit, and Nate Brumfield doubled to left-center to score both runners and cut the margin to 3-2. The Little Giants trimmed it to 3-3 in the third when Basey doubled and Henke singled him home. Wittenberg went back in front in the fourth on MacAuley’s RBI double to score Cam Gladden, then broke the game open with a five-run fifth. MacAuley singled in two runs, Nemunaitis doubled home two more, and Rodriguez added an RBI single to stretch the Tigers’ lead to 9-3. Wabash showed life again in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Basey bunted for a single and Henke drilled a two-run home run down the left-field line, his second homer of the season, to pull the Little Giants within 9-5. The Tigers kept coming. Daniel Gladden led off the sixth with a solo homer to make it 10-5. In the seventh, Applegate doubled in a run, pinch hitter Landon Turner ripped a two-run double down the right-field line, and Cam Gladden added a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 14-5. Wabash got one back in the bottom half when Aiden Ramsey doubled, moved to third on Basey’s single, and scored on Henke’s ground-ball double play. Wittenberg closed the scoring in the eighth. Nemunaitis was hit by a pitch, stole second, and scored on Rodriguez’s two-run homer to right. Basey led Wabash’s 12-hit attack in game two by going 3 for 4 with two runs scored. Henke finished 2 for 4 with three RBI, including the two-run homer, while Brumfield doubled and drove in two runs. Buecher went 2 for 4, Ramsey finished 1 for 3 with a double and a run scored, and Wallace and Parker Smith each added a hit. Wabash was 3 for 6 with runners in scoring position and left only five on base. Woehr took the loss in game two after allowing three runs on four hits in one inning. Nick Wangler worked 3 2/3 innings and gave up five runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Trey Pitcock threw 1 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on three hits with two strikeouts. Isaac Stallings covered the final two innings and surrendered six runs on five hits. For the day, Wabash collected 24 hits across the two games but could not overcome Wittenberg’s 32-hit output. The Little Giants return to action at home Thursday for a non-conference single game against Hanover College. ================================= INDIANA COLLEGE SPORTS WEB SITES UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/ MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/ INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/ EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/ WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/ FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/ ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/ ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/ DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/ HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/ MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/ HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/ OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/ IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/ IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/ PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/ INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/ ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/ GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/ HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/ VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index ========================================================= “SPORTS EXTRA” TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY 1903 — The New York Highlanders won their first game as a major league team, 7-2 over the Washington Senators. 1913 — New York Giants ace Christy Mathewson beat the Phillies 3-1, throwing just 67 pitches. 1939 — Rookie Ted Williams went 4-for-5, including his first major league home run, but the Red Sox lost to Philadelphia 12-8 at Fenway Park. 1946 — Ed Head of the Brooklyn Dodgers no-hit the Boston Braves 5-0 at Ebbets Field. Head was making his first start after a year’s military service. 1952 — Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians and Bob Cain of the St. Louis Browns matched one-hitters. Cain wound up as the winner, 1-0. 1952 — Hoyt Wilhelm of the Giants hit a home run at the Polo Grounds in his first major league at-bat. He was the winner, too, and pitched 1,070 games in the majors — but never hit another homer. 1954 — Hank Aaron hit the first home run of his major league career. The drive came against Vic Raschi in the Milwaukee Braves’ 7-5 victory over St. Louis. 1962 — After an 0-9 start, the expansion New York Mets won their first game beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-1 behind Jay Hook. 1964 — Ken Johnson of the Houston Colt .45s became the first pitcher to lose a nine-inning no-hitter when Pete Rose scored an unearned run to give the Cincinnati Reds a 1-0 victory. 1978 — Joe Morgan of the Cincinnati Reds makes an error at second base, bringing his major league record of 91 consecutive errorless games to an end. 1989 — Nolan Ryan came within two outs of his sixth career no-hitter, losing it when Nelson Liriano tripled in the ninth inning as the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1. Ryan finished with his 10th lifetime one-hitter. 1990 — Steve Lyons of the Chicago White Sox plays all nine positions during an exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs. 1999 — Fernando Tatis of St. Louis became the first in major league history to hit two grand slams in one inning in a 12-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Tatis also set the record with eight RBIs in one inning. 2008 — The Chicago Cubs won their 10,000th game, joining the Giants as the only franchise to reach that mark with a 7-6 10-inning victory at Colorado. 2009 — Ichiro Suzuki lined James Shields’ second pitch of the game for a home run, the only run of Seattle’s 1-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. It was the 22nd time a leadoff homer was the deciding run in a game, and it was just the second time it happened for the Mariners. 2012 — Ivan Rodriguez, who has caught more games than anyone in big league history, announces his retirement after a 21-year career. 2013 — B.J. Upton and his brother Justin hit back-to-back homers for the first time, leading the Atlanta Braves past the Colorado Rockies 10-2 to complete a doubleheader sweep. It was the 27th time in major league history that brothers homered in the same game, but only the second time they went deep in consecutive at-bats. Lloyd and Paul Waner of the Pittsburgh Pirates also accomplished the feat on Sept. 15, 1938. 2022 — Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers becomes the 33rd member of the 3,000 hit club. ========================================================= TV SPORTS TODAY Thursday, April 23 COLLEGE BASEBALL 7 p.m. ACCN — North Carolina at Duke ESPN2 — Alabama at Tennessee 8 p.m. SECN — Arkansas at Missouri GOLF 11 a.m. GOLF — LPGA Tour: The Chevron Championship, First Round, Memorial Park Golf Course, Houston 3 p.m. GOLF — PGA Tour: Zurich Classic of New Orleans, First Round, TPC Louisiana, Avondale, La. 12:30 a.m. (Friday) GOLF — DP World Tour: Volvo China Open, Second Round, Enhance Anting GC, Shanghai MLB BASEBALL 2 p.m. MLBN — Philadelphia at Chicago Cubs 6 p.m. FOX — N.Y. Yankees at Boston NBA BASKETBALL 7 p.m. PRIME VIDEO — Eastern Conference First Round: New York at Atlanta, Game 3 8 p.m. PRIME VIDEO — Eastern Conference First Round: Cleveland at Toronto, Game 3 9:30 p.m. PRIME VIDEO — Western Conference First Round: Denver at Minnesota, Game 3 NFL FOOTBALL 8 p.m. ABC — 2026 NFL Draft: Round 1, Pittsburgh ESPN — 2026 NFL Draft: Round 1, Pittsburgh NFLN — 2026 NFL Draft: Round 1, Pittsburgh About The Author troyderengowski61@gmail.com See author's posts Post navigation THE INDIANA SRN “SCOREBOARD” APRIL 22 THE INDIANA SRN “SCOREBOARD” APRIL 23
