INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SEMI-STATE
SATURDAY JUNE 14
4A
VALPARAISO VS. FT. WAYNE SNIDER
WESTFIELD VS GOSHEN
EVANSVILLE NORTH VS. NORTH CENTRAL
FRANKLIN VS. CENTER GROVE
3A
NORTHWOOD VS. NORWELL
DELTA VS. ANDREAN
GUERIN CATHOLIC VS. NEW PALESTINE
GREENSBURG VS. JASPER
2A
WAPAHANI VS. OAK HILL
BOONE GROVE VS. WESTVIEW
PROVIDENCE VS. UNIVERSITY
EVANSVILLE MATER DEI VS. SHENANDOAH
1A
KOUTS VS. UNION CITY
CLINTON PRAIRIE VS. FW CANTERBURY
KNIGHTSTOWN VS. INDY LUTHERAN
SHAKAMAK VS. NORTHEAST DUBOIS
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL STATE FINALS
FRIDAY, JUNE 13
CLASS 1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
5:30 PM ET / 4:30 CT | NORTH NEWTON (23-3-1) VS. CLAY CITY (21-6)
CLASS 4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
8 PM ET / 7 PM CT | CROWN POINT (30-4) VS. CENTER GROVE (26-3)
SATURDAY, JUNE 14
CLASS 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
4:30 PM ET / 3:30 CT | ANDREAN (21-7) VS. TECUMSEH (30-2)
CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
7 PM ET / 6 PM CT | HANOVER CENTRAL (18-12) VS. INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (28-2)
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INDIANA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL GOLF
1. LAKE CENTRAL | SANDY PINES GC | THURS, 8 AM CT |
FEEDER SECTIONALS: (SECTIONALS 1-5)
2. WARSAW COMMUNITY | STONEHENGE GC | THURS, 8 AM ET |
FEEDER SECTIONALS: (SECTIONALS 6-10)
3. HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) | COYOTE CROSSING GC | FRI, 9 AM ET |
FEEDER SECTIONALS: (SECTIONALS 11-15)
4. MUNCIE CENTRAL | THE PLAYERS CLUB | THURS, 8 AM ET |
FEEDER SECTIONALS: (SECTIONAL 16-20)
5. WASHINGTON | COUNTRY OAKS GC | THURS, 8:30 AM ET |
FEEDER SECTIONALS: (SECTIONALS 21-25)
6. PROVIDENCE | CHAMPIONS POINTE GC | THURS, 8 AM ET |
FEEDER SECTIONALS: (SECTIONALS 26-30)
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NBA FINALS
• GAME 1: PACERS 111 THUNDER 110 (INDIANA LEADS SERIES 1-0)
• GAME 2: THUNDER 123 PACERS 107 (SERIES TIED AT 1-1)
• GAME 3: PACERS 116 THUNDER 107 (INDIANA LEADS SERIES 2-1)
• GAME 4: THUNDER AT PACERS (FRI. JUNE 13, 8:30 ET, ABC)
• GAME 5: PACERS AT THUNDER, (MON. JUNE 16, 8:30 ET, ABC)*
• GAME 6: THUNDER AT PACERS (THU. JUNE 19, 8:30 ET, ABC)*
• GAME 7: PACERS AT THUNDER, SUN, JUNE 22, 8 ET ON ABC)*
* IF NECESSARY
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WNBA SCORES
SEATTLE 94 MINNESOTA 84
LOS ANGELES 97 LAS VEGAS 89
PHOENIX 93 DALLAS 80
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NHL PLAYOFFS/SCHEDULE
STANLEY CUP FINALS
FLORIDA PANTHERS (3A) VS. EDMONTON OILERS (3P)
GAME 1: OILERS 4 PANTHERS 3 OT (OILERS LEAD SERIES 1-0)
GAME 2: PANTHERS 5 EDMONTON 4 2OT (SERIES TIED 1-1)
GAME 3: PANTHERS 6 EDMONTON 1 (PANTHERS LEAD SERIES 2-1)
GAME 4: OILERS AT PANTHERS, THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 8 P.M. ET; TNT, TRUTV, MAX, SN, CBC, TVAS
GAME 5: PANTHERS AT OILERS, SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 8 P.M. ET; SN, CBC, TVAS, TNT, TRUTV, MAX *
GAME 6: OILERS AT PANTHERS, TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 8 P.M. ET; TNT, TRUTV, MAX, SN, CBC, TVAS *
GAME 7: PANTHERS AT OILERS, FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 8 P.M. ET; SN, CBC, TVAS, TNT, TRUTV, MAX *
* IF NECESSARY
COMPLETE PANTHERS-OILERS SERIES COVERAGE
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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
PITTSBURGH 5 MIAMI 2
PHILADELPHIA 7 CHICAGO CUBS 2
CLEVELAND 11 CINCINNATI 2
ATLANTA 6 MILWAUKEE 2
TORONTO 5 ST. LOUIS 2
ARIZONA 5 SEATTLE 2
LA ANGELS 6 LAS VEGAS 5
LA DODGERS 5 SAN DIEGO 2
BALTIMORE 10 DETROIT 1
NY METS 5 WASHINGTON 0
BOSTON 4 TAMPA BAY 3
NY YANKEES 6 KANSAS CITY 3
MINNESOTA 6 TEXAS 2
HOUSTON 10 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 2
SAN FRANCISCO 10 COLORADO 7
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MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
ST. PAUL 5 INDIANAPOLIS 4
SOUTH BEND 5 FT. WAYNE 0
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COLLEGE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES
2025 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES FIRST-ROUND PAIRINGS
ALL TIMES CENTRAL
FRIDAY, JUNE 13: NO. 13 COASTAL CAROLINA (53-11) VS. ARIZONA (44-19) | 1 P.M. | ESPN (ESPN+)
FRIDAY, JUNE 13: NO. 8 OREGON STATE (47-14-1) VS. LOUISVILLE (40-22) | 6 P.M. | ESPN (ESPN+)
SATURDAY, JUNE 14: NO. 15 UCLA (47-16) VS. MURRAY STATE (43-14) | 1 P.M. | ESPN (ESPN+)
SATURDAY, JUNE 14: NO. 6 LSU (48-15) VS. NO. 3 ARKANSAS (48-13) | 6 P.M. | ESPN (ESPN+)
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MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
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UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
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TOP NATIONAL NEWS HEADLINES/RELEASES
NBA NEWS
GAME 3: PACERS RALLY IN THE 4TH, BEAT THUNDER 116-107 TO TAKE 2-1 LEAD IN NBA FINALS
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Every time Indiana has lost a game in the last three months, it simply has come back to win the next one.
Even in the NBA Finals — against a huge favorite who the Pacers now have in some trouble.
Bennedict Mathurin scored 27 points off the bench, Tyrese Haliburton finished with 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, and the Pacers retook the lead in the NBA Finals by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 in Game 3 on Wednesday night.
“This is the kind of team that we are,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “We need everybody to be ready. It’s not always going to be exactly the same guys that are stepping up with scoring and stuff like that. But this is how we’ve got to do it.”
Pascal Siakam scored 21 for Indiana, which enjoyed a whopping 49-18 edge in bench points. The Pacers, who lost Game 2 in Oklahoma City, improved to 10-0 since mid-March in the game immediately following a loss.
“So many different guys chipped in,” Haliburton said.
Jalen Williams scored 26 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 24 and Chet Holmgren had 20 for the Thunder, who led by five going into the fourth.
Game 4 is back in Indiana on Friday night.
“We had a lot of good stretches of the game,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “But they had more good stretches than we did — and outplayed us over the course of 48 minutes.”
History says the Pacers are in control now; in the 41 previous NBA Finals that were tied at a game apiece, the Game 3 winner went on to hoist the trophy 33 times — an 80.5% clip.
Advantage, Pacers.
It was back-and-forth much of the way. There were 15 ties; to put that in perspective, there were 13 ties in the five-game entirety of last year’s finals between Boston and Dallas. The last time there was a finals game with more ties: Game 1 between Cleveland in Golden State in 2018, which was knotted 17 times.
TJ McConnell finished with 10 points, five assists and five steals for Indiana; since all those stats started being charted, nobody had ever come off the bench and done all that in an NBA Finals game.
“We just had guys make plays after plays,” Haliburton said. “Our bench was amazing.”
The Thunder were 61-2 when leading going into the fourth quarter in the regular season. They’re 1-2 when leading going into the fourth quarter in this series. Indiana — at home in an NBA Finals game for the first time in 25 years, with Caitlin Clark, Reggie Miller, Oscar Robertson and many other stars in the crowd — simply owned the final 12 minutes.
Indiana outscored OKC 32-18 in the fourth, holding the Thunder to 35% shooting with the game and control of the series on the line.
“There’s a lot of areas we can clean up,” Holmgren said. “Everybody who stepped out there can be better.”
JAYLEN BROWN HAS KNEE SURGERY. THE CELTICS SAY HE WILL BE READY FOR TRAINING CAMP
BOSTON (AP) — Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Wednesday, and the team said he is expected to be available when training camp starts “without limitation.”
The Celtics said Brown had a minimally invasive procedure to clean out his knee.
A four-time All-Star and the MVP of the 2024 NBA Finals, Brown averaged 22 points, 4.5 assists and 5.8 rebounds this past season, his ninth in the NBA. His importance for next season has been magnified with co-star Jayson Tatum expected to miss most of next season while recovering from the ruptured Achilles tendon that knocked him out of the playoffs and doomed the Celtics’ hopes to repeat as NBA champions.
Brown is scheduled to make $53 million next season, the second of a five-year, $304 million deal that at the time was the richest in NBA history.
PISTONS, MAVERICKS TO PLAY REGULAR-SEASON GAME IN MEXICO CITY ON NOV. 1
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The NBA is going back to Mexico City next season, with the Dallas Mavericks and Detroit Pistons set to play a regular-season game there on Nov. 1.
The Mavericks currently have the No. 1 pick in this month’s draft and are expected to select Duke’s Cooper Flagg. The Pistons made a huge improvement this season and reached the Eastern Conference playoffs.
It will be the NBA’s 34th game in Mexico since 1992.
“We take significant pride in the fact that the Mavericks organization and our supporters reflect the increased globalization of basketball and the NBA,” Mavericks CEO Rick Welts said. “The vibrancy of Mexico City and the passion of its fans make it the perfect place to host these Global Games.”
The full NBA schedule for next season isn’t likely to be released until late summer. The league typically announces some international games ahead of that.
“Playing a regular-season game in Mexico City will be a great experience for our players and coaches,” Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said. “And we look forward to showcasing Detroit basketball to an international audience and a passionate, growing NBA fanbase.”
REPORT: ROCKETS, SPURS, T-WOLVES, KNICKS AMONG TEAMS INQUIRING ABOUT DURANT
Interest in Kevin Durant is heating up.
The Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, and New York Knicks, are among several teams that have made inquiries about trading for the 15-time All-Star in the past seven-to-10 days, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Wednesday.
There have also been several wild-card suitors, Charania adds.
Durant and his team have reportedly met with the Phoenix Suns multiple times over the past week to discuss preferred trade destinations.
Durant is on an expiring deal valued at $54.7 million and will become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He will be eligible for a two-year, $112-million extension July 6, which could rise to as much as $124 million if he waits six months before signing. Durant’s desire for a long-term extension will be crucial in a potential deal, according to Charania.
The Suns have allegedly been shopping Durant aggressively since their season ended. The organization is reportedly focused on recouping its draft capital, including the 10th pick in this year’s draft. The Suns don’t control their own first- or second-round selection until 2032; their 2025 and 2027 first-rounders are owned by Houston, and the Washington Wizards control swap rights to their first-round selections in 2026 and 2030.
The 2025 NBA Draft will take place June 25 and 26.
The Suns reportedly attempted to move Durant at the trade deadline and fielded calls from multiple organizations, including his former squad, the Golden State Warriors. The New York Knicks allegedly made an official offer that was rebuffed by Phoenix.
Despite having the highest payroll in league history, Phoenix failed to make the play-in tournament after going 36-46 in the regular season and finishing 11th in the West. The Suns have since made several organizational changes, including the hiring of Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott as head coach.
Durant averaged 26.6 points, 4.2 assists, and six rebounds in his 17th NBA campaign.
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COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS
NCAA WILL ALLOW COACHES’ CHALLENGES IN MEN’S AND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — College basketball coaches will be able to challenge officials’ calls next season for the first time, and the NCAA also said there is “positive momentum” toward switching the men’s game from halves to quarters.
The NCAA announced several minor rule changes Tuesday that affect both men’s and women’s basketball.
Men’s coaches will be able to challenge out-of-bounds calls, basket interference or goaltending, and whether a secondary defender was in the restricted area. Coaches will get at least one challenge per game but must have a timeout to use one. A successful challenge means a coach gets another one; if the challenge is unsuccessful, the coach may not challenge another call.
On the women’s side, coaches will be able to challenge out-of-bounds calls, backcourt violations, whether the correct player was called for a foul and whether a change in possession occurred before the ruling of a foul that leads to free throws.
Women’s coaches won’t need a timeout to challenge a call, but an unsuccessful challenge would lead to a technical foul for the excessive timeout.
The women’s game already is played in quarters instead of halves, while the men’s game with its 20-minute halves remains an outlier in basketball. An NCAA rules committee “recommended NCAA Division I conferences create a joint working group to provide feedback on the potential change from halves to quarters.”
On the men’s side, the NCAA also implemented several points of emphasis for officials that it said would “improve the flow of the game.” Those include telling officials “to address delay-of-game tactics, limit time spent at the monitor, improve game administration efficiency and reduce physicality.”
Officials also will have the option to call a Flagrant 1 foul for contact to the groin area. Previously, such contact could only be called a common foul or a Flagrant 2 foul, which triggers an ejection of the offending player.
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NHL NEWS
‘A UFC FIGHT’: TENSIONS RISE IN STANLEY CUP FINAL AS THE PANTHERS GET THE UPPER HAND ON THE OILERS
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Things got chippy in the Stanley Cup Final late in Game 3 when the Florida Panthers were well on their way to blowing out the Edmonton Oilers.
Brawls ensued, Darnell Nurse and Jonah Gadjovich dropped the gloves, and eight guys got sent to the showers early with misconduct penalties.
“When we get into garbage time, those things happen, and I don’t mind when those things happen,” Oilers captain Connor McDavid said. “It’s what good teams do: fight your way out of the rink. I don’t mind that in garbage time.”
Long before garbage time, Florida took it to Edmonton, with the defending champions dictating their style of play and knocking their opponents off kilter to take a 2-1 series lead with a 6-1 laugher. If more of that continues in Game 4 on Thursday night, it’s advantage Panthers because they thrive on making other teams feel uncomfortable.
“We played our game, our style, stuck up for each other when we needed to,” Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk said. “If you have to take a punch, take a punch. If you have to take a cross-check, take a cross-check — a spear, a slash, whatever the case is, you’ve got to take it.”
It should not be surprising that tensions boiled over given the lopsided score in the 10th game in the Cup final between these two teams over the past year. The Oilers and Panthers have grown a healthy distaste for each other with all that familiarity.
With that comes plenty of hits, shoves and jabs that lead to slashes, punches and gear strewn all over the ice. The 140 combined penalty minutes in Game 3 were the most in a final since Game 4 between Montreal and Calgary in 1986.
“The game’s over with 11 minutes left,” Oilers star Leon Draisaitl said Tuesday after practice. “Then all hell breaks loose. It’s a UFC fight.”
The penalties that mattered to the result came early. The Oilers were not shy about criticizing the officiating and the Panthers for allegedly influencing it. Goaltender Stuart Skinner said, “Some guys are flaking and going down trying to cause penalties,” and Evander Kane questioned some of the calls.
“There seems to be a little bit more attention on our group,” said Kane, who took two minor penalties in the first period alone. “They seem to get away with it more than we do. It’s tough to find the line.”
Toeing that line is what the Panthers do best, and it is a recipe that has them in the final for a third consecutive year under coach Paul Maurice, who credited Tkachuk for having “a little bit more impact on the tenacity of the team than the guy who wears a suit behind the bench and never takes a shift.”
Florida’s roster is full of truculence with talent to match. Sam Bennett delivered a big, open-ice hit that led to his breakaway and playoff-leading 14th goal, and finishing checks on John Klingberg has hampered the veteran defenseman’s play in the series compared to the first three rounds.
“That’s part of their DNA, that’s what they do,” Draisaitl said. “It’s an emotional time. It’s two teams that want to win, two teams of doing it their own way, but I don’t think anybody is going crazy here. They’re good at what they do.”
Maurice did not buy into the idea that Game 3 was the Panthers showing what they can do at their best. The opener went to overtime and Florida needed double OT to win Game 2.
“I think the first two games are indicative of what Game 4 is going to look like,” Maurice said. “We’re not going to look at (Game 3) and say, ‘That’s the way it should look if we play our game.’”
The Oilers certainly look at it as the opposite, discombobulated and nothing resembling the group that had gone 12-2 since a couple of losses to open the first round. They’ve dropped two in a row for the first time since.
“We just got to play our game,” Nurse said. “We got guys that can do all that kind of stuff. But is that our game? So I think we just got to stick to play the way that we play. We’re such a good hockey team when we just play hockey, and we just got to do that.”
PANTHERS TAKE 2-1 LEAD INTO GAME 4 AGAINST THE OILERS
Edmonton Oilers (48-29-5, in the Pacific Division) vs. Florida Panthers (47-31-4, in the Atlantic Division)
Sunrise, Florida; Thursday, 8 p.m. EDT
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Panthers -150, Oilers +125; over/under is 6.5
STANLEY CUP FINAL: Panthers lead series 2-1
BOTTOM LINE: The Florida Panthers host the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final with a 2-1 lead in the series. The teams meet Monday for the sixth time this season. The Panthers won the last matchup 6-1.
Florida has gone 32-15-2 at home and 47-31-4 overall. The Panthers have a +23 scoring differential, with 246 total goals scored and 223 conceded.
Edmonton has a 48-29-5 record overall and a 29-20-2 record in road games. The Oilers have a 30-9-4 record in games they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponents.
TOP PERFORMERS: Aleksander Barkov Jr. has 20 goals and 51 assists for the Panthers. Sam Bennett has eight goals and three assists over the last 10 games.
Evan Bouchard has 14 goals and 53 assists for the Oilers. Leon Draisaitl has five goals and nine assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Panthers: 7-2-1, averaging 4.1 goals, 7.1 assists, 6.1 penalties and 19.2 penalty minutes while giving up two goals per game.
Oilers: 7-2-1, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.4 assists, 5.5 penalties and 15.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.
INJURIES: Panthers: None listed.
Oilers: None listed.
PANTHERS PREPARED FOR OILERS’ BEST IN CRUCIAL GAME 4
The Edmonton Oilers showed their disdain for losing with some late-game antics in Monday’s Game 3 loss to the Florida Panthers.
Now, the Oilers must find a way to turn their angst into a victory or risk falling into a dangerously deep hole when they resume the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday in Sunrise, Fla.
With the Panthers leading 2-1 in the best-of-seven series, the next clash could either send the series back to Edmonton all-square — and with the Oilers regaining the home-ice advantage — or put the Panthers on the cusp of a second consecutive title against the Oilers.
“We’ve always been a good team at coming back out with a strong effort,” Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl said of turning the page from Monday’s 6-1 loss. “Obviously it was not our best showing, not our best game, but we have a great chance … to show what our team is all about.”
Edmonton must do more than just talk about a better performance. The Oilers reached this point thanks to an improved defense to go with their high-octane attack, but they have been undisciplined in the finals and have struggled keeping pucks out of their net.
Goaltender Stuart Skinner is under the microscope having surrendered 13 goals in the series, and boasting an .866 save percentage. But the Oilers as a whole must find another gear to send the series back to their home on even ground.
“It’s one game. We’re looking for the whole series,” Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. “We know we’re down 2-1 and we gotta be better next game … but we’re one win away from having the best-out-of-three (series) with two home games.”
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said Wednesday there probably will be a lineup change. Troy Stecher is a possibility to move in for defenseman John Klingberg, while Knoblauch would not divulge who will start in goal.
Although they lead the series, the Panthers will look forward and not gloat over their early series lead.
Sure, Florida played a fantastic game, but the message from coach Paul Maurice is to park that victory and prepare to earn the next one because he does not believe momentum carries forward to the next outing.
“Every game starts at zeros, and it’s a reset and it’s a mental reset,” Maurice said. “We got beat 8-1 in Edmonton (in Game 4 during last year’s finals) and then came back and played Game 5 here, and for me that was the best game we played in the entire playoffs and we lost the game.”
After the Panthers slammed the door against Edmonton’s dynamic duo, they had best be ready for Edmonton’s best effort. Draisaitl was held without a shot attempt for the Oilers and Connor McDavid managed only a pair of shots and no points.
“The experience of taking a beating and then being able to come back and play your next game lets you know (character is) there,” Maurice said. “It’s also what we expect from Edmonton.”
What bodes well for the defending Stanley Cup champions is that a pair of top-tier players had their best game of the series in Game 3.
Sam Reinhart, who has been playing through an injury during the Eastern Conference finals against the Carolina Hurricanes, scored once in a two-point outing. Captain Aleksander Barkov has been held without a point in the series but was instrumental in Reinhart’s goal by creating a turnover that led to the score.
“I always can be better but all I’m thinking about is winning the game,” Barkov said.
AVALANCHE’S CALE MAKAR WINS SECOND NORRIS TROPHY
Colorado Avalanche offensive-minded defenseman Cale Makar is the recipient of the James Norris Memorial Trophy for the second time in his career, the NHL announced Wednesday.
The award is presented “to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position,” as selected by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
“Any time you get recognized for something like this, it’s very cool,” Makar, 26, said. “It’s very special to be able to (win) this a second time. To have the group of guys that we did — it seems cliche to say, but it’s truly a team award.
“We had a fun year and it’ll be more fun hopefully continuing, but this one’s for them.”
Makar learned that he won the award during a recent golf outing with family and friends in Calgary, his hometown.
He joins Hall of Fame members Bobby Orr (eight times), Denis Potvin and Paul Coffey (three times), and Rod Langway (two times) as players to win multiple Norris Trophies before turning 27. Current Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson also won twice before his 27th birthday.
Makar took home 176 of the 191 first-place votes and recorded 1,861 voting points to win the Norris Trophy for the first time since 2021-22. He has been a finalist for the award in five of his first six NHL seasons.
Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets received 13 first-place votes and finished with 1,266 points, while Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes had two first-place votes and 918 points. Hughes was seeking to become the first repeat winner of the award since Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings captured three in a row from 2005-06 through 2007-08.
Makar opened the season with a 13-game point streak. He led all NHL defensemen in goals (30), assists (62) and points (92) this season.
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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL NEWS
MLB ROUNDUP: EUGENIO SUAREZ, D-BACKS SLAM MARINERS
Eugenio Suarez hit his third grand slam of the season, Pavin Smith also homered in a five-run sixth, and the Arizona Diamondbacks completed a three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners with a 5-2 victory on Wednesday in Phoenix.
The Diamondbacks, who trailed 2-0 entering the sixth, became the first team in major league history to have eight grand slams in their first 68 games.
Arizona’s Eduardo Rodriguez (2-3) surrendered two runs and six hits over 6 1/3 innings in his second start since returning from the injured list. Ketel Marte extended his on-base streak to 24 games with a pair of hits.
Donovan Solano had two hits, including a homer, for the Mariners, who have lost eight of nine. Bryan Woo (5-4) gave up five runs on seven hits in six innings.
Pirates 5, Marlins 2
Andrew McCutchen slugged a three-run homer and Bailey Falter allowed just one run in 5 1/3 innings as host Pittsburgh defeated Miami to win for the fifth time in six games.
McCutchen’s homer was his 241st in a Pirates uniform, which passed Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente for third on the franchise’s all-time list. Ke’Bryan Hayes added two hits and two stolen bases while Falter (5-3) gave up five hits and one walk while fanning three.
Heriberto Hernandez produced his first career homer and a double to pace the Marlins, who have dropped eight of 10. Cal Quantrill (3-7) surrendered six hits and four runs (three earned) over five innings.
Guardians 11, Reds 2
Carlos Santana celebrated the 15th anniversary of his major league debut with his sixth career grand slam as host Cleveland rolled over Cincinnati.
Logan Allen (4-4) gave up two runs on four hits over six innings with six strikeouts and one walk as the Guardians wrapped up the Ohio Cup with a 1-5 record. Lane Thomas laced three hits, including a three-run homer, and Jose Ramirez extended his on-base streak to a career-high 37 games with a double.
Reds starter Nick Lodolo (4-5) lasted just 3 1/3 innings as he allowed six runs and five hits. Elly De La Cruz stroked a 441-foot blast off Allen, and TJ Friedl added a solo shot.
Phillies 7, Cubs 2
After surrendering 20 runs in his previous two starts, Jesus Luzardo returned to form with one run allowed over six innings as host Philadelphia claimed the rubber match against Chicago.
Luzardo (6-2) scattered five hits and fanned 10 without issuing a walk. Kyle Schwarber and Alec Bohm swatted solo homers for the Phillies while Bohm drove in four runs.
Cubs starter Ben Brown (3-5) gave up six runs and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. Carson Kelly and Nico Hoerner contributed two hits apiece as Chicago wrapped its longest road trip of the season with a 4-5 record.
Braves 6, Brewers 2
Spencer Schwellenbach threw the first complete game of his career and Ronald Acuna Jr. went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs to help Atlanta defeat host Milwaukee.
Schwellenbach (5-4) allowed just two earned runs on five hits while striking out nine and walking none as he became the first Braves pitcher this season to notch a complete game. Atlanta won two of three in Milwaukee.
Chad Patrick (3-6) surrendered five runs on seven hits across five innings, striking out eight and walking three for the Brewers. Rhys Hoskins hit a solo home run.
Blue Jays 5, Cardinals 2
Bo Bichette drove in two runs, Ernie Clement went 3-for-4 with a home run and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had two hits and an RBI for Toronto, which secured a three-game sweep against host St. Louis.
Eric Lauer pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits for the Blue Jays, who have won 12 of their past 14 games. Spencer Turnbull (1-0) threw two scoreless innings and Yariel Rodriguez earned his first career save.
Yohel Pozo hit a solo shot for the Cardinals, who have lost four straight. Matthew Liberatore (3-6) allowed five runs (three earned) on eight hits over five innings.
Angels 6, Athletics 5
Jo Adell slammed a two-run homer to highlight a six-run sixth as Los Angeles rallied to beat the Athletics and sweep their three-game series in Anaheim, Calif.
Adell’s seventh homer in the last 11 games capped the Angels’ rally. Jorge Soler added a two-run single off reliever Grant Holman (4-2) in the sixth. Kyle Hendricks (4-6) gave up seven hits and three runs (two earned) in six innings.
Brent Rooker went 4-for-5 with two homers, a double, three runs and three RBIs for the Athletics. A’s starter JP Sears allowed four hits and two runs over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out a season-high nine with no walks.
Dodgers 5, Padres 2
Teoscar Hernandez cracked a three-run homer to snap a sixth-inning tie as Los Angeles earned a series win over host San Diego.
Freddie Freeman started the winning rally with a one-out infield single off Adrian Morejon (3-3). Jeremiah Estrada relieved and walked Will Smith, and then Hernandez blasted a fastball over the center field wall for his 11th homer.
Lou Trivino (2-0) got the win with a perfect fifth and Alex Vesia, the eighth Los Angeles pitcher of the game, collected his third save by striking out the side in the ninth. The Padres totaled four hits and six walks and struck out seven times.
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COLLEGE BASEBALL NEWS
CHRIS POLLARD HIRED AS VIRGINIA’S BASEBALL COACH AFTER 13 SEASONS AT DUKE
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Chris Pollard has been hired as Virginia’s baseball coach after spending the past 13 seasons at Atlantic Coast Conference rival Duke.
Virginia athletic director Carla Williams on Tuesday announced the successor to Brian O’Connor, who left June 1 to take the job at Mississippi State.
Pollard was 420-296 and led the Blue Devils to seven NCAA regionals, four super regionals and two ACC Tournament championships. Duke hosted a super regional this season, losing in three games to Murray State.
Pollard is 806-614-3 in 26 seasons as a head coach. He also has coached at Pfeiffer (2000-04), Appalachian State (2005-12) and Duke (2013-25). As he did at Duke in 2025, Pollard led Appalachian State to the NCAA Tournament during his final season with the Mountaineers in 2012.
The Blue Devils are coming off back-to-back 40-win seasons for the first time in program history.
Pollard takes over a Virginia program that went to 18 NCAA regionals, nine super regionals and seven College World Series in 22 seasons under O’Connor. The 2015 team won the national championship. Virginia went 32-18 this season and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.
NFL NEWS
REPORT: COMMANDERS SIGN S JEREMY REAVES TO EXTENSION
The Washington Commanders signed special teams standout Jeremy Reaves to a one-year extension, NFL Network reported Wednesday.
The 28-year-old safety is entering his eighth season in the nation’s capital, a tenure highlighted by Pro Bowl and All-Pro first-team selections in 2022.
The extension keeps Reaves under contract with Washington through 2026, per the report.
Reaves has recorded 128 tackles, one sack, one interception and one forced fumble in 64 games (11 starts).
Of the 321 snaps he played with the Commanders in 2024, all but four came on special teams.
–Field Level Media
BRONCOS ANNOUNCED SIGNING OF RB J.K. DOBBINS
The Denver Broncos officially announced the signing of free agent running back J.K. Dobbins on Wednesday.
Terms were not disclosed but multiple reports on Tuesday said it was a one-year deal worth $5.25 million.
Dobbins, 26, remains in the AFC West coming off his best season in 2024 with the Los Angeles Chargers.
The oft-injured back rushed for a career-high 905 yards and tied a career high with nine rushing touchdowns in 13 games (11 starts) in his lone season with the Chargers.
In parts of four seasons spanning 37 games (21 starts), Dobbins has rushed for 2,252 yards and 21 TDs along with 59 receptions for 330 yards and one score with the Baltimore Ravens (2020, 2022-23) and Chargers.
“It’s another good football player that we’ve seen firsthand,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said Tuesday. “I’ve seen him for a while. The importance of that position group, we really like the group we’re working with, (but) it’s just another opportunity to possibly bring in another good football player who can help us win.”
Dobbins joins Denver’s running back depth chart that includes 2025 second-round draft pick RJ Harvey, Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin.
The Broncos waived long snapper Zach Triner to open a roster spot for Dobbins. Triner, 34, has played in 84 games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019-24) and Miami Dolphins (2024).
JAGUARS WR BRIAN THOMAS JR. ‘FINE’ AFTER INJURY SCARE
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. is “fine” after he absorbed a hard fall during practice at minicamp, head coach Liam Coen said Wednesday.
Thomas appeared to injure his shoulder following a collision with cornerback Tyson Campbell during team drills. Thomas exited the field with trainers before returning to the sideline, however he did not go back into practice.
“He’s fine. He absolutely could’ve gone back and played — just bruised it a little bit,” Coen said. “Said he had great range of motion, strength. He’s all good. No issues, just precautionary.
“(If) he didn’t come back out, he’d be really hurt. He was completely cleared to play.”
Thomas, 22, recorded 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns in 17 games (16 starts) in his rookie season last year. He was selected by the Jaguars with the 23rd overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.
NEW CARDINALS EDGE RUSHER JOSH SWEAT WORKS TO BRING FRANCHISE SAME SUCCESS HE HAD IN PHILLY
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The most recent time edge rusher Josh Sweat was seen on an NFL field, he was making life miserable for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the Eagles’ Super Bowl win in February.
Now he hopes to lead the Arizona Cardinals to that sort of success.
“All you got to do is approach every day with your max effort,” Sweat said on Wednesday during the second day of the team’s minicamp. “I promise you’ll see a result. That’s what made the difference for me.”
The 28-year-old Sweat signed a $76.4 million, four-year contract in March as the centerpiece of the Cardinals’ rebuild of the defensive front. General manager Monti Ossenfort also added free agent linemen Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell, and selected Walter Nolen III with the No. 16 overall pick out of Mississippi.
On top of that, Darius Robinson — a first-round pick last season from Missouri — hopes to make a big jump after an injury-filled rookie season. This year’s third-round pick Jordan Burch is also pushing for a role.
But it’s Sweat whom the Cardinals expect to lead the way.
“I embrace it,” Sweat said. ”At the end of the day, I’m trying to be the best teammate I can be and help out however I can.”
Third-year coach Jonathan Gannon is pleased that Sweat has embraced more leadership heading into his eighth NFL season. Arizona finished 8-9 last season, which was a four-win improvement over 2023.
Now the franchise is trying to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
“Guys pick his brain about certain things,” Gannon said. “He’ll help in that way, because he’s played a lot of ball. He’s been successful. I always say, ‘You want to know ball, talk to the players.’ He’s one of those guys you can talk to.”
Sweat’s resume speaks for itself.
He had 2 1/2 sacks of Mahomes in Philadelphia’s 40-22 victory over Kansas City in the Super Bowl. He added eight sacks during the regular season and has been a consistent pass rush threat with 39 sacks over the past five seasons, including at least six each year. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2021.
“I know he can impact a game,” Gannon said. “That’s one of the reasons we signed him.”
Gannon is familiar with Sweat’s talent after spending two seasons with him in 2021 and 2022 as the Eagles defensive coordinator. The Eagles made the Super Bowl in Gannon’s final year before losing to the Chiefs, which was one of the big reasons he earned his first opportunity to be a head coach with the Cardinals.
Nick Rallis — Arizona’s defensive coordinator — was also with the Eagles during those two seasons as linebackers coach.
The hope is the familiar faces will help Sweat make a quick transition to a new franchise.
“From a standpoint of what his job description is — that’s not going to change much,” Gannon said. “Then it’s just tweaking his game. There’s some differences than what we did with him (in Philadelphia) to what we do now and he picked it up quick.”
Sweat agreed: “The scheme, you can play fast in it. Picking it up is easy. It’s not going to take me very long at all.”
TITANS EMBRACE CALLAHAN’S COMPETITION HOPING TO BOOST PERFORMANCE, ACCOUNTABILITY AND WINS
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Drop a ball, lose points. A red zone touchdown catch isn’t worth six but still nets points. Jump offside earns a deduction. Lose a wide receiver in coverage also hurts.
The Tennessee Titans don’t kick off coach Brian Callahan’s second season until Sept. 7 at Denver. With the Titans going 3-14 and losing the final six games, Callahan made some changes all designed to help Tennessee win more in 2025.
The biggest new offseason feature is an internal competition.
Callahan broke up the Titans into eight teams with a captain and assistant with rankings updated daily. Teams earn — or lose — points for what they do particularly on the field. For pro athletes, that’s all they needed to hear.
Outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones, an offseason free agent signee going into his seventh NFL season, said Wednesday that the Titans are “100%” bought into Callahan’s offseason competition. Jones said everything they do is a competition, keeping energy high.
“We need that competition,” Jones said. “We have a young football team. We need to keep that edge and that competitive (approach) throughout the whole entire offseason leading into the season.”
Tennessee lost six games in Callahan’s debut season by eight points or fewer. Combined with a roster stocked with 48 new players, this competition is designed to have the Titans hold each other accountable for mistakes including turnovers, penalties and mental errors that prove so costly in an NFL season.
Callahan knows this won’t show results that matter until September and October at the earliest. This is all part of his focus on doing everything possible for the Titans to be better.
“A lot of it was kind of through this offseason program that we developed and how do we best win football games? And how do I best put our team in position to do that? How do I coach that better? And how do I do a better job from a leadership perspective for our players and our staff?” Callahan said.
Jones is on a team captained by running back Tony Pollard who likes how Callahan also mixed up assignments in the locker room. No longer are position groups sitting together. Wide receiver Calvin Ridley is next to rookie quarterback Cam Ward.
“You got to talk to different guys, get to know people throughout the locker room,” said Pollard, who now has cornerback L’Jarius Sneed and defensive lineman Keondre Coburn to the right. “So it’s just, it’s a great thing just connecting with the whole team.”
That talking isn’t done just inside the locker room. Part of the schedule includes time for each group to get to know each other better by discussing four H’s: history, heroes, hopes and heartbreaks.
“That’s just a great thing just learning backstories, what guys have been through and what they’ve had to overcome to be where they are now,” Pollard said.
Callahan hasn’t shared what the rewards will be for the winners. It doesn’t matter.
Linebacker Cody Barton, who signed a three-year deal in March, joked that he heard winners got a car and asked for that to be confirmed. A pat on the back also works.
Right guard Kevin Zeitler is another newcomer going into his 14th NFL season. He said every NFL team has its own approach to the offseason program with some business-like, others “super competitive and fiery” with others making it fun.
“Having an extra competition throughout the day to be more on your details. … it makes it more fun,” Zeitler said.
Treylon Burks working
Callahan said Treylon Burks, the Titans’ 18th pick overall in 2022 as part of the A.J. Brown trade, is doing more in his rehab from a partially torn ACL that limited him to five games and four catches last season. Burks is doing more than Callahan expected at the beginning of the offseason program.
Burks is doing more individual drills and routes. Callahan said the hope is Burks will be cleared by the start of training camp.
NOAH BROWN CARTED OFF FIELD AT COMMANDERS MINICAMP. JEREMY REAVES GETS EXTENDED, AP SOURCE SAYS
Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown was carted off the field after getting injured during minicamp in Ashburn, Virginia, on Wednesday.
It was not immediately clear what happened to cause the injury or its extent. Reporters in attendance reported Brown walked off slowly after making a catch, threw his helmet in frustration when he reached the sideline and was carted up the hill to the practice facility.
Brown, who caught Jayden Daniels’ desperation pass against Chicago for one of the Commanders’ signature moments last season, missed the final four games of last season and their playoff run to the NFC championship game with a kidney injury. He re-signed on a one-year deal worth up to $4.5 million.
Washington also took care of some longer-term business Wednesday, signing safety and special teams ace Jeremy Reaves to a one-year extension through the 2026 NFL season, according to a person with knowledge of the move. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team did not announce the deal.
“Grateful for the journey, the fans, this team and organization,” Reaves posted on social media. “Much more in store!”
Reaves, now 28, was an All-Pro selection on special teams in 2022. He missed the majority of 2023 after getting sidelined by a torn ACL five games into that season.
49ERS AND BRYCE HUFF HOPE THE PASS RUSHER WILL BE A PERFECT FIT IN SAN FRANCISCO
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Bryce Huff went into the offseason expecting a trade after failing to produce in a new role in his one year in Philadelphia after signing a lucrative contract as a free agent.
Ending up in San Francisco seems to be a perfect fit.
After being a proverbial square peg in a round hole with the Eagles when he was used as a standup outside linebacker instead of a pass rusher off the edge, Huff has reunited with his former coach Robert Saleh in a scheme that caters to his strength of being able to get off the ball quickly and disrupt opposing quarterbacks.
“I learned a lot about myself throughout that experience,” Huff said Wednesday about his season with the Eagles. “It just didn’t work out at the end of the day. So you live and you learn. All I focus on is what I’m doing right now and that’s being a 49er and doing everything I can to help this team win.”
The Niners are counting on Huff to be able to do just that, believing that he can be the bookend speed rusher across from star Nick Bosa that the team has been seeking ever since a back injury sidelined Dee Ford after he helped the team reach the Super Bowl in 2019.
Ford had 6 1/2 sacks in 11 games that season when Saleh was defensive coordinator but played only seven games the next two seasons because of the injuries, leaving a void in the defense that the 49ers believe Huff can fill.
“He affects the quarterback,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “When you talk about just getting off the ball and how fast he does it. He will be our best get off the ball guy we’ve had since Dee Ford. So in terms of that, it’s good to beat tackles that way, but also widens tackles to help with the inside pass rush and things like that and he affects the quarterback.”
The Niners got Huff on the cheap a year after he signed a $51.1 million, three-year deal with Philadelphia. San Francisco traded a conditional fifth-round pick last month for Huff and are on the hook for only $7.95 million of salary this season.
Huff had his best success as a pro under Saleh with the New York Jets, He was initially as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and began to emerge as a key player after Saleh took over as head coach the following year and turned him from a linebacker into a defensive end.
Huff put on about 20 pounds of muscle and began to show flashes quickly before breaking through with a 10-sack season in 2023 that led to the big free-agent contract.
“Speed off the edge,” Saleh said of Huff’s biggest strength. “I think highly of him as a pass rusher. Thought he was very productive, obviously, with the Jets. He wins at such a high rate. A lot of times we look at pass rushers, we look as sacks and sacks are important. They end drives. It’s what ultimately gets these guys paid. But his disruption rate in getting the quarterback off the spot and the way he can do it now. … He wins so quickly so often that coordinators have to account for his presence on the field.”
Huff had 67 pressures on just 334 pass rush snaps in 2023 for the Jets, according to Pro Football Focus, as he became one of the most efficient pass rushers in the game.
The Niners were in need of another pass rusher after cutting Leonard Floyd early in the offseason. They drafted Mykel Williams 11th overall in April but had no other defensive end who had a season with at least five sacks in the NFL. Yetur Gross-Matos is the only other edge rusher on the roster with extensive experience. Gross-Matos had four sacks last season in his first year with San Francisco.
“He’s going to bring that speed demon off the edge, that’s going require a running back or a chip opposite of Nick,” left tackle Trent Williams said.
“I think he adds that the kind of that Dee Ford effect that they had in ’19 that took them to the Super Bowl. One of the reasons we had a really, really good defense for those couple years is having that guy who can actually make that quarterback step up by getting a good jump off the ball and being able to bend the edge.”
BENGALS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR SEEING QB JOE BURROW REACH THE NEXT LEVEL
CINCINNATI (AP) — While Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns last season, offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said that he sees a quarterback that’s looking even better than he did last year.
“I just see a guy that’s seen a lot of football, played a lot of football and has no fear whatsoever,” Pitcher said on Wednesday after the Bengals’ second day of minicamp. “Total comfort and confidence in himself and in his skill set. And if there’s a window, he’s gonna throw the ball.”
The highlight of Wednesday’s practice was a deep shot down the field over the middle to wide receiver Andrei Iosivas, who snared the catch between three defenders.
Throughout this spring’s workouts, organized team activities and minicamp, Burrow has been making aggressive throws into tight coverage.
At this point last year, he was still rehabbing a major wrist injury that required surgery. Burrow said that last year, he “wasn’t quite back” throwing the ball at the level he expected. He still had 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdowns.
“I went out and played as good as I have,” Burrow said. “I’m looking to take that next step. I’m happy with the progress that I’ve been making the last couple of weeks and getting better… I understand how to play the game more efficiently and more productively. Understanding what defenses are going to do to us and have all of the answers in your back pocket to try to combat that. I feel like I’m as prepared as ever. Anything anybody throws at me, I’ll have an answer for it. I’m excited to show that again.”
In previous years during OTAs and minicamps, Burrow was focused on helping new players in the offense figure out their roles. Last year, he spent a lot of time with Iosivas as he stepped into the starting lineup and with new tight end Mike Gesicki.
This year, the Bengals bring back all of the core pieces from 2024.
“We’re in a spot we haven’t been before,” Burrow said. “Guys coming off of the season healthy. Getting all of our guys back. It’s been weird this offseason not having to take care of a new guy we’re counting on and try to teach him what I’m looking at and want out of each play.”
Burrow was also happy not to be worrying about the future of his top two playmakers after Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins signed lucrative extensions in the offseason. Both receivers weren’t at the offseason workouts last year, but have been there throughout this year’s practices.
“Last year, they’re out there working on their own, not being here. But when you have those two guys, guys that bring energy, guys that make incredible plays day in and day out, and they’re going to grind just as hard as everybody else. That permeates throughout the team,” Burrow said.
Running back Chase Brown, Chase, Higgins, Iosivas and Gesicki all return to the same roles that they were in last year. Pitcher said that Burrow can really benefit from having so much continuity around him.
“One of the first things we talked about as a unit when we got together this spring is there are very few offenses in the league that have the experience and the time and the reps together that we have,” Pitcher said.
“Don’t apologize for that. Take advantage of that. Build on the foundation that currently exists. I think we’ve done that this spring. It makes you feel good, but you have to use it. If someone’s giving you a head start in the race, don’t go back and start with everybody else. Take the damn head start and use it. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
ACTION! JETS USING HELMET-MOUNTED CAMERAS TO HELP JUSTIN FIELDS AND THE OTHER QBS IMPROVE
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — There’s a new addition to the New York Jets ‘ huddles this offseason.
And it’s not just the quarterback.
The team is using video cameras attached to the top of the helmets of Justin Fields and fellow QBs Tyrod Taylor, Adrian Martinez and Brady Cook throughout organized team activities and the Jets’ three-day minicamp this week.
The purpose is to record every aspect of the play, from the quarterback getting the play, taking the snap, going through his reads and finishing.
Then, the players and coaches can closely review the footage — and make director’s cuts to the plays and the playbook.
“Yeah, it’s kind of cool,” Fields said Wednesday. “It’s my first time ever doing it, but it’s definitely cool just basically kind of hearing the play call again and kind of just going through, making sure you’re just doing everything within the process of the play. So yeah, I like the GoPro a lot.”
Using technology to measure progress is far from a new concept in the NFL, with several teams incorporating cameras, GPS systems and virtual reality in training, something the Jets did several years ago. Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has used a helmet-mounted video camera and Minnesota also used them on its QBs last season.
Jets coach Aaron Glenn was with Detroit when the Lions used GoPros and he and his staff, including offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand and quarterbacks coach Charles London, thought it might be useful with a new set of signal callers in New York.
“We said, let’s give it a shot in rookie minicamp and see what it looks like, and then we loved it and we just said, let’s just do it,” Engstrand said. “Everybody’s doing it the whole time and it’s been phenomenal for those guys. It gives direct feedback. Shoot, the O-line coach is in there watching the tape with his O-line, you know what I mean?
“Because you can hear everything — you can hear the calls. It’s been really beneficial for us.”
One of the knocks on Fields during his first four NFL seasons has been that he sometimes holds onto the football too long, leading to sacks and interceptions.
The GoPros can be used as a tool to help offset and improve that shortcoming while allowing Fields and the rest of the quarterbacks to understand what they’re seeing and hearing — and how it’s translating on the field.
“Instead of trying to guess, ‘Where did your eyes start?’ we’ll go back and watch it,” London said. “You can see where his eyes started and you can see how he went in his progression.”
It also helps the wide receivers, running backs, tight ends and offensive line get more familiar with the quarterback’s cadence while watching the recorded video and audio.
And everyone can hear every on-field comment, too, leading to some laughs.
“They only turn it on when you’re actually on the field,” Fields said before grinning. “But, I mean, some funny things have definitely been said and they’ve definitely been picked up, for sure.”
That might take some getting used to for some players, but Engstrand said all the quarterbacks were open to the idea.
“We didn’t have to convince them of anything because they look at it and they go, ‘This is a way for me to improve,’ and that’s what they’re all here to do,” Engstrand said. “They’re all here to find a way to get better and help contribute to the team and get us some more wins on the board. So, there was no convincing needed there.”
Fields, a first-round draft pick in Chicago in 2021 who spent last season in Pittsburgh, has previously spoken about using his past experiences to help improve on and off the field. He’s heading into this season as the Jets’ starting quarterback and plans to gather some of his offensive teammates for throwing sessions during the break before training camp next month.
“I kind of had a feeling when I got here guys were looking for a leader to step up on offense,” Fields said. “So, I was glad to receive that role and, of course, pushing the guys each and every day to be our best and play up to our standard.”
And Fields has been doing exactly that — and his work on the film has gotten rave reviews.
“The biggest takeaway I would say is that this guy is just a workaholic,” Engstrand said. “He comes in early, he’s here late and he’s trying to digest everything and download all the information and do things the right way. He’s trying to do things that we’re asking and I think he’s really put the next foot forward every day, just trying to stack days, and it’s been really good.”
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL
COLORADO COACH DEION SANDERS: ‘EVERYTHING IS OK’
Colorado coach Deion Sanders declared “everything is OK and will continue to be so” in a socal media statement responding to concerns about a possible health issue.
Sanders did not appear at a scheduled speaking engagement and was away from the Boulder campus at his Texas estate according to one of his sons, Deion Sanders Jr.
“Wow, I am truly blessed for the abundance of well wishes, for all the thoughts and all of the prayers,” Deion Sanders wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Thank you Thank you Thank you! I can assure you all that everything is OK and will continue to be so. God got me like no other. I have so much more work to do to Glorify God so please believe God got me! I’m excited to get back to Colorado to be at home with my staff, team & all associated to our program. When we arrive back to Boulder you will be updated on everything.”
Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Deion Sanders Jr. had no details to provide when requests were made for comment this week.
“Yeah, I don’t know what’s going on,” Shedeur Sanders said at Browns minicamp. “I’m here not to talk about Pops and them. I’m here [to be] quarterback of the Cleveland Browns.”
Deion Sanders Jr. said in a YouTube stream that he’d let his father update the details.
Deion Sanders required multiple surgeries for persistent blood clots in recent years. He had two toes amputated in 2021 to address clotting issues.
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GOLF NEWS
US OPEN TEE TIMES
Oakmont, Pennsylvania
Oakmont CC
All times GMT
(a-amateur)
Thursday
First Hole
1045 a-Matt Vogt, United States; Kevin Velo, United States; Trent Phillips, United States.
1056 Chandler Blanchet, United States; Alvaro Ortiz, Mexico; Doug Ghim, United States.
1107 a-Evan Beck, United States; Maxwell Moldovan, United States; Justin Hicks, United States.
1118 Harris English, United States; Tommy Fleetwood, England; Keegan Bradley, United States.
1129 Xander Schauffele, United States; Jose Luis Ballester, Spain; Bryson DeChambeau, United States.
1140 Matt Fitzpatrick, England; Wyndham Clark, United States; Gary Woodland, United States.
1151 Akshay Bhatia, United States; Matt McCarty, United States; Robert MacIntyre, Scotland.
1202 Cam Davis, Australia; Davis Thompson, United States; Thomas Detry, Belgium.
1213 Richard Bland, England; a-Trevor Gutschewski, United States; Lanto Griffin, United States.
1224 Edoardo Molinari, Italy; Sam Stevens, United States; Ryan Gerard, United States.
1235 Thriston Lawrence, South Africa; a-Noah Kent, United States; Thorbjorn Olesen, Denmark.
1246 Jinichiro Kozuma, Japan; a-Cameron Tankersley, United States; Chase Johnson, United States.
1257 Philip Barbaree Jr., United States; Riley Lewis, United States; Brady Calkins, United States.
1630 Frederic Lacroix, France; Emiliano Grillo, Argentina; Sam Bairstow, England.
1641 Byeong Hun An, South Korea; Joe Highsmith, United States; Ryan Fox, New Zealand.
1652 Victor Perez, France; Jacob Bridgeman, United States; Adam Schenk, United States.
1703 Min Woo Lee, Australia; Justin Thomas, United States; Brooks Koepka, United States.
1714 Sam Burns, United States.; Nico Echavarria, Colombia; Denny McCarthy, United States.
1725 Viktor Hovland, Norway; Collin Morikawa, United States; Scottie Scheffler, United States.
1736 Corey Conners, Canada; Jason Day, Australia; Patrick Reed, United States.
1747 Joaquin Niemann, Chile; Bud Cauley, United States.; Daniel Berger, United States.
1758 Mackenzie Hughes, Canada; Tony Finau, United States; Chris Kirk, United States.
1809 a-Ben James, United States.; Rasmus Højgaard, Denmark; Stephan Jaeger, Germany.
1820 Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Denmark; a-Justin Hastings, Cayman Islands; Laurie Canter, England.
1831 a-Frankie Harris, United States.; Emilio Gonzalez, Mexico; Roberto Díaz, Mexico.
1842 Grant Haefner, United States;; Joey Herrera, United States.; George Kneiser, United States.
10th Hole
1045 Zac Blair, United States; Scott Vincent, Zimbabwe; Alistair Docherty, United States.
1056 Jacques Kruyswijk, South Africa; Jordan Smith, England; Eric Cole, United States.
1107 Tom Kim South Korea; J.J. Spaun, United States; Taylor Pendrith, Canada.
1118 Ludvig Aberg, Sweden; Adam Scott, Australia; Hideki Matsuyama, Japan.
1129 Ben Griffin, United States; Andrew Novak, United States; Maverick McNealy, United States.
1140 Shane Lowry, Ireland; Justin Rose, England; Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland.
1151 Patrick Cantlay, United States; Si Woo Kim, South Korea; Lucas Glover, United States.
1202 Cameron Smith, Australia; Brian Harman, United States; Phil Mickelson, United States.
1213 Niklas Norgaard, Denmark; Brian Campbell, United States; Justin Lower, United States.
1224 Davis Riley, United States; a-Jackson Koivun, United States; Johnny Keefer, United States.
1235 James Hahn, United States; Mark Hubbard, United States; a-Michael La Sasso, United States.
1246 Joakim Lagergren, Sweden; a-Mason Howell, United States; Chris Gotterup, United States.
1257 Zach Bauchou, United States; Jackson Buchanan, United States; a-Lance Simpson, United States.
1630 Will Chandler, United States; Andrea Pavan, Italy; Takumi Kanaya, Japan.
1641 a-Bryan Lee, United States; Guido Migliozzi, Italy; Preston Summerhays, United States.
1652 Erik van Rooyen, South Africa; Max Greyserman, United States; Matt Wallace, England.
1703 Russell Henley, United States; Christiaan Bezuidenhout, South Africa; Nick Taylor, Canada.
1714 Jordan Spieth, United States; Jon Rahm, Spain; Dustin Johnson, United States.
1725 Tyrrell Hatton, England; Sungjae Im, South Korea; Sepp Straka, Austria.
1736 Cameron Young, United States; Tom Hoge, United States; J.T. Poston, United States.
1747 Jhonattan Vegas, Venezuela; Michael Kim, United States; Matthieu Pavon, France.
1758 Marc Leishman, Australia; Aaron Rai, England; Nick Dunlap, United States.
1809 Matthew Jordan, United States; Yuta Sugiura, Japan; Carlos Ortiz, Mexico.
1820 Ryan McCormick, United States; Trevor Cone, United States; a-Zach Pollo, United States.
1831 James Nicholas, United States; a-Tyler Weaver, England; Riki Kawamoto, Japan.
1842 Austin Truslow, United States; Harrison Ott, United States; George Duangmanee, United States.
Friday
First Hole
1045 Will Chandler, United States; Andrea Pavan, Italy; Takumi Kanaya, Japan.
1056 a-Bryan Lee, United States; Guido Migliozzi, Italy; Preston Summerhays, United States.
1107 Erik van Rooyen, South Africa; Max Greyserman, United States; Matt Wallace, England.
1118 Russell Henley, United States; Christiaan Bezuidenhout, South Africa; Nick Taylor, Canada.
1129 Jordan Spieth, United States; Jon Rahm, Spain; Dustin Johnson, United States.
1140 Tyrrell Hatton, England; Sungjae Im, South Korea; Sepp Straka, Austria.
1151 Cameron Young, United States; Tom Hoge, United States; J.T. Poston, United States.
1202 Jhonattan Vegas, Venezuela; Michael Kim, United States; Matthieu Pavon, France.
1213 Marc Leishman, Australia; Aaron Rai, England; Nick Dunlap, United States.
1224 Matthew Jordan, United States; Yuta Sugiura, Japan; Carlos Ortiz, Mexico.
1235 Ryan McCormick, United States; Trevor Cone, United States; a-Zach Pollo, United States.
1246 James Nicholas, United States; a-Tyler Weaver, England; Riki Kawamoto, Japan.
1257 Austin Truslow, United States; Harrison Ott, United States; George Duangmanee, United States.
1630 Zac Blair, United States; Scott Vincent, Zimbabwe; Alistair Docherty, United States.
1641 Jacques Kruyswijk, South Africa; Jordan Smith, England; Eric Cole, United States.
1652 Tom Kim South Korea; J.J. Spaun, United States; Taylor Pendrith, Canada.
1703 Ludvig Aberg, Sweden; Adam Scott, Australia; Hideki Matsuyama, Japan.
1714 Ben Griffin, United States; Andrew Novak, United States; Maverick McNealy, United States.
1725 Shane Lowry, Ireland; Justin Rose, England; Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland.
1736 Patrick Cantlay, United States; Si Woo Kim, South Korea; Lucas Glover, United States.
1747 Cameron Smith, Australia; Brian Harman, United States; Phil Mickelson, United States.
1758 Niklas Norgaard, Denmark; Brian Campbell, United States; Justin Lower, United States.
1809 Davis Riley, United States; a-Jackson Koivun, United States; Johnny Keefer, United States.
1820 James Hahn, United States; Mark Hubbard, United States; a-Michael La Sasso, United States.
1831 Joakim Lagergren, Sweden; a-Mason Howell, United States; Chris Gotterup, United States.
1842 Zach Bauchou, United States; Jackson Buchanan, United States; a-Lance Simpson, United States.
10th Hole
1045 Frederic Lacroix, France; Emiliano Grillo, Argentina; Sam Bairstow, England.
1056 Byeong Hun An, South Korea; Joe Highsmith, United States; Ryan Fox, New Zealand.
1107 Victor Perez, France; Jacob Bridgeman, United States; Adam Schenk, United States.
1118 Min Woo Lee, Australia; Justin Thomas, United States; Brooks Koepka, United States.
1129 Sam Burns, United States.; Nico Echavarria, Colombia; Denny McCarthy, United States.
1140 Viktor Hovland, Norway; Collin Morikawa, United States; Scottie Scheffler, United States.
1151 Corey Conners, Canada; Jason Day, Australia; Patrick Reed, United States.
1202 Joaquin Niemann, Chile; Bud Cauley, United States.; Daniel Berger, United States.
1213 Mackenzie Hughes, Canada; Tony Finau, United States; Chris Kirk, United States.
1224 a-Ben James, United States.; Rasmus Højgaard, Denmark; Stephan Jaeger, Germany.
1235 Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Denmark; a-Justin Hastings, Cayman Islands; Laurie Canter, England.
1246 a-Frankie Harris, United States.; Emilio Gonzalez, Mexico; Roberto Díaz, Mexico.
1257 Grant Haefner, United States;; Joey Herrera, United States.; George Kneiser, United States.
1630 a-Matt Vogt, United States; Kevin Velo, United States; Trent Phillips, United States.
1641 Chandler Blanchet, United States; Alvaro Ortiz, Mexico; Doug Ghim, United States.
1652 a-Evan Beck, United States; Maxwell Moldovan, United States; Justin Hicks, United States.
1703 Harris English, United States; Tommy Fleetwood, England; Keegan Bradley, United States.
1714 Xander Schauffele, United States; Jose Luis Ballester, Spain; Bryson DeChambeau, United States.
1725 Matt Fitzpatrick, England; Wyndham Clark, United States; Gary Woodland, United States.
1736 Akshay Bhatia, United States; Matt McCarty, United States; Robert MacIntyre, Scotland.
1747 Cam Davis, Australia; Davis Thompson, United States; Thomas Detry, Belgium.
1758 Richard Bland, England; a-Trevor Gutschewski, United States; Lanto Griffin, United States.
1809 Edoardo Molinari, Italy; Sam Stevens, United States; Ryan Gerard, United States.
1820 Thriston Lawrence, South Africa; a-Noah Kent, United States; Thorbjorn Olesen, Denmark.
1831 Jinichiro Kozuma, Japan; a-Cameron Tankersley, United States; Chase Johnson, United States.
1842 Philip Barbaree Jr., United States; Riley Lewis, United States; Brady Calkins, United States.
US OPEN GETS A PEACEFUL DAY OF PRACTICE AHEAD OF TOUGH TEST THAT AWAITS AT OAKMONT
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — Serenity at Oakmont could be found Wednesday morning when Rory McIlroy stood on the first tee as the sun rose against a hazy sky on the horizon. He was playing with his best mate in golf, Shane Lowry, their final practice before the U.S. Open.
The peace gets shattered as soon as the score starts to count.
Even with Scottie Scheffler in full flight as the No. 1 player in golf, even as McIlroy tries to build on his dream moment of being the Masters champion, as Bryson DeChambeau gets a chance to see if his brawn can handle this rough, there has been one name — Oakmont — that rises above all others going into the 125th U.S. Open.
“Oakmont is relentless,” said John Bodenhamer, the chief championships officer at the USGA who sets up the course for the toughest test in golf. “There’s no letup. It’s a grind. That’s the U.S. Open.”
It gets started on Thursday with Matt Vogt, the former Oakmont caddie now an Indiana dentist, selected to hit the opening tee shot.
Jon Rahm, who won his U.S. Open four years ago at Torrey Pines, made his debut at Oakmont in 2016 when he was fresh out of Arizona State. He shot 76 on the first day, went 1-over par the rest of the way and finished as low amateur.
Even with changes to the course from a restoration project, including a ditch that now meanders across the landing area in the 10th fairway, the Spanish star has a better idea what to expect.
“You’re aware of what a golf tournament here is going to be like. It’s going to be a challenge,” Rahm said. “A lot of unfortunate things are going to happen. It’s hard fairways to hit, bad lies, difficult bunkers, difficult greens. It’s going to be a nice test, a difficult test, and I think one of the truest representations of what a U.S. Open is all about.”
Dustin Johnson set the Oakmont scoring record for a U.S. Open at 276 when he won in 2016.
The USGA mentioned a few other numbers that also describe Oakmont, mainly the 5-inch rough so dense at the bottom there were no guarantees a golf ball might be lost.
Another number had historical context — only 27 of the 1,385 players who have competed in a major championship at Oakmont finished under par. That includes when Oakmont, now a par 70, was played as a par 71 or par 72.
“Our mantra is tough but fair,” Bodenhamer said. “And what does that mean? It’s pretty simple. It’s not about the score. It’s about getting every club in a player’s bag dirty, all 15 of them — the 14 in their bag and the one between the ears. And we work hard on that.
“And that’s how we’ve gone about our business here at Oakmont.”
The other number that stands out is 10 — the number of times the USGA has brought its marquee championship to the course built to be tough in 1903. No other course has held the U.S. Open more often.
The USGA has been accused over the years of trying to protect par, which it long has denied.
Johnny Miller remains the only player to win the U.S. Open with a 63 in the final round, in 1973 at Oakmont. The following year, Hale Irwin won at 7-over par in what became known as the “Massacre at Winged Foot.” It also fed into the belief that par matters.
In some respects, it does. Bodenhamer was asked what score would indicate the USGA didn’t get it right.
“Interesting question,” he replied. “Off the top of my head, something in double digits. I’ve said this before, we don’t want 20 over to win and we don’t want 20 under to win. It might be tough. It might not be tough enough. There’s a number in there somewhere.”
Scheffler is in search of the third leg of the career Grand Slam after winning the PGA Championship by five shots at Quail Hollow last month. Scheffler has won his last three tournaments — all in a five-week stretch — by a combined 17 shots.
“What is he doing? Well, everything,” Justin Thomas said. “It’s effortless. Every single aspect of his game is unbelievable. I think his mental game is better than anybody out here. To be able to play with those expectations and to stay present as often as he has to me is maybe more impressive than even the golf he’s playing.
“He just doesn’t make any mistakes and almost kind of lets himself be in contention versus forces himself in contention. He just seems to be playing better.”
If there is a common trait among U.S. Open champions at Oakmont, strength would be on the list. Johnson won in 2016, Angel Cabrera in 2007, big Ernie Els in 1994. The first of 18 professional majors by Jack Nicklaus and those powerful legs came at Oakmont in 1962.
“I’d say there’s definitely a strength factor coming out of the rough,” Scheffler said. “I don’t really know if this is a golf course you can necessarily just overpower with a bomb-and-gouge type strategy, especially with the way the rough is.”
Scheffler’s strength, much like Tiger Woods, is knowing where to miss and playing the angles. That works almost anywhere. Almost.
“There’s not really many areas where you step on the tee box and you’re like, ‘Hey, I can miss it right here; hey, I can shade towards the left side of the fairway because right is really bad,’” he said. “Actually, if you hit it in the right rough, you’re probably not going to get it to the green. If you hit it in the left rough, you’re probably not going to get it to the green. So might as well try and split the difference there and hit it in the middle.”
Sounds simple enough. It rarely is at Oakmont. And that’s just the way the USGA likes it.
U.S. OPEN PURSE REMAINS AT $21.5 MILLION
The USGA kept the prize fund for this week’s U.S. Open at $21.5 million, on par with the 2024 championship.
The U.S. Open remains the major championship with the most lucrative purse. The Masters raised its prize pool to $21 million in April, the PGA Championship was at $19 million and the most recent Open Championship (July 2024) paid out $17 million in prize money.
Bryson DeChambeau won $4.3 million at the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. This weekend’s champion at Oakmont Country Club will receive the same amount.
USGA CEO Mike Whan noted the explosion in golf purses this decade.
“When I started at the USGA just four years ago, our purse was $12.5 (million), so I feel comfortable that we’ve been a leader in moving fast and bigger,” he said Wednesday. “… Same, by the way, has happened on the women’s side where we’ve gone from $5.5 (million) to $12 (million) in a similar period of time.
“We know that this probably isn’t really about the money for the person who (wins), but at the same time we want the money to be commensurate with the achievement. So we feel comfortable.”
USGA COMMISSIONER ON GOLF BALL ROLLBACK: ‘WE’RE FULL SPEED AHEAD’
Despite opposition from professional players, USGA commissioner Mike Whan said Wednesday that the governing body is “full speed ahead” on its plan to “roll back” the golf ball.
Whan spoke with reporters at Oakmont Country Club outside Pittsburgh ahead of the first round of the U.S. Open on Thursday. Forthcoming equipment regulations were one of the chief topics he addressed.
In December 2023, the USGA (governing the U.S. and Mexico) and R&A (covering the rest of the world of golf) announced they will change the speed standard they use to test golf balls beginning in January 2028. The changes will “only minimally” affect the recreational golfer starting in 2030, they said at the time.
The PGA Tour and PGA of America opposed the move, but Whan said Wednesday that recent “stakeholder meetings” at The Players Championship and the Masters left him feeling encouraged.
“Listen, I get this isn’t easy and everybody has got their own constituents,” Whan said. “I’ll just say what I said yesterday again, is as an industry we have to be able to make small adjustments that are in the best interest of the game long-term, that we all know would be better 40 years from now if we were smart enough to make them today.
“We’ll make those. Not everybody will like it. It’ll be high anxiety until we get there. But nobody is going to die. The game is going to be great. … Yeah, if I’m being honest with you, we’re full speed ahead on what we’ve announced. Those decisions have been made.”
Asked if the USGA and R&A have a Plan B, Whan countered, “We’ve announced our plan.”
Ultimately, the goal is to decrease a player’s driving distance, which leaders have agreed is necessary for the long-health of the game.
For now, golf ball manufacturers are in the research and development phase and submitting prototypes to the governing bodies. Whan said the USGA will “stay open-minded” to new data that could change its position — in short, that the current chase for distance off the tee is not sustainable for the future of golf — but it has yet to encounter such data.
“When I first told Jack (Nicklaus) about it,” Whan shared, “his comment was, ‘Well, that’s a nice start, Mike, but you and I both know that’s not enough.’ He’s been pretty consistent with that from the beginning.
“… But what we have to do is stop the pace, the slope of that curve that it’s been on the last 20 to 40 years for the next 20 to 40. And that’s what this does. Anybody who thinks this is more than that, including Jack, who’s smart enough because we’ve had numerous conversations about this, he knows that this change is moderate and it won’t have a significant impact, but maybe in 10 or 15 years will feel like the growth of that curve is pretty slow as opposed to the pace we’re dealing with today.”
Whan and USGA chief championships officer John Bodenhamer covered a number of other issues, including:
–The rough this week at Oakmont will be a bit longer than five inches, and dense. Players practicing on the course have had trouble simply punching the ball out of the rough at all.
“We have plenty of spotters, but no guarantees we won’t lose a golf ball or two, but we’re going to do everything we possibly can not to do so,” Bodenhamer said. “But we feel good about that. As I said, I think the rough, players that drive the ball in the fairway will have an advantage, no question about it.”
Players in the field know what they’re in for, of course. Oakmont long has been considered the toughest test of championship golf in the U.S., and Whan said of the 1,385 golfers who’ve played a major championship at Oakmont, 27 finished under par after four days — less than 2 percent.
“Frankly, we give the players all of — we’re pretty transparent,” Whan said. “We show them what our plans are for green speeds, rough height, everything, our cutting document. We think that’s the right thing to do.”
–Phil Mickelson has been transparent about the likelihood that this week could mark his final U.S. Open.
He was granted a special exemption into the 2021 U.S. Open, but rendered that moot when he won the PGA Championship at 50 years old, assuring himself of invitations into the next five U.S. Opens. That runs out this week in Pennsylvania.
Bodenhamer did not rule out the idea that the USGA would grant Mickelson a special exemption again next year.
“It’s like anything; we would review things for Shinnecock ahead of next year and look at all of those possibilities and evaluate it from there.
“I think the way that we would also think of Phil is we hope he earns his way in, and I think he’d tell you the same thing.”
Mickelson has won six major tournaments, with only the U.S. Open eluding him. He has finished second or tied for second six times at the event.
–The USGA’s media rights will be up for negotiation in 2027. NBC’s exclusive negotiating window has expired, and its current deal lasts through 2026.
“I guess all I’d say is the level of interest, including our current partners, which are phenomenal, has been great,” Whan said. “We’re not to the point yet where we’re close. We’re months away, not weeks away from figuring out what the future is, but I would say that the breadth of interest, which is really a great statement for the game, not just a great statement for USGA championships, but the breadth of statements and the amount of people that have come to the table is really the exciting part.”
Fox struck a deal to carry the USGA’s numerous championships starting in 2015, but exited the pact after five years. NBC, which already carries PGA Tour golf, picked up the rights it previously owned before 2015.
Whan did not comment on the idea that the rights package could be split between the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open by themselves separate from the amateur championships.
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TOP INDIANA NEWS HEADLINES/RELEASES
INDIANA PACERS
PACERS BACKUPS STAR, STAKE INDIANA TO 2-1 FINALS LEAD
INDIANAPOLIS — NBA Finals marquees aren’t for backups. However, as the 20,000 golden T-shirts in the arena said on Thursday, “But this is Indiana.”
Reserve guards Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell helped Indiana’s bench break out with 49 points as the Pacers topped the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 on Wednesday to claim a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals.
Indiana star Tyrese Halliburton finished one rebound shy of a triple-double and didn’t entirely shed his playoff cape. He provided ample heroics with 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds and Pascal Siakam added 21 points for the Pacers, who haven’t lost consecutive games since December.
Still, the game swung in a serious way on the fearless energy and competitive teeth of the Indiana bench.
“Those guys were tremendous,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of his reserves. “T.J. just brought a competitive will to the game. This is the kind of the team we are. This is how we have to do it. We have to make it as difficult on them as we can.”
Thanks to 27 points from Mathurin and the kind of pyrotechnics the Pacers have grown to adore from reserve point guard McConnell, Indiana has the advantage in the best-of-seven series entering Game 4 on Friday.
“His energy was unbelievable. I joke with him, I call him the Great White Hope,” Haliburton said of McConnell, a fan favorite. “He does a great job of just giving us energy plays consistently, getting downhill, making hustle play after hustle play.”
Mathurin, who was injured and didn’t play in the postseason last year, checked into the game for the first time in the second quarter.
“Just playing hard, it’s a group of guys that play extremely hard,” Mathurin said of the Pacers’ second unit. “That’s our job. Just get in the game, have that mindset once you get in the game. You just have to get in the game with the right mindset, give it all you’ve got to win the game.”
Carlisle said McConnell inspires “a lot of people” with his style of play, and Mathurin echoed the sentiment.
Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 26 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points but went to the free-throw line just six times after going 18 of 20 on foul shots in the first two games of the series. Chet Holmgren scored 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds but shot 0-for-6 from 3-point range.
Gilgeous-Alexander was 1-for-3 from the field in the fourth quarter.
“I thought we had some really good stretches, but we just made one too many mistakes,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “And had one too many possessions on both ends of the floor where they were more tied to their identity than we were. But obviously, those are costly plays.”
The Thunder trailed 110-102 with three minutes to go, but Alex Caruso tried to keep the Pacers from a premature celebration with a steal and breakaway into the open court. Two steps into the paint, Aaron Nesmith closed and forcefully brought both arms down on Caruso to prevent the shot attempt and take him to the floor. Following a review, no flagrant foul was called.
Caruso made both free throws, and Indiana’s Myles Turner subsequently lost the ball out of bounds. However, Turner, who missed eight of his first 10 shots, came up with two blocks of Holmgren on the same possession to keep the lead at six.
Carlisle said postgame Turner is “under the weather and might not be with us tomorrow,” when asked to assess the center’s up-and-down night.
Indiana got another stop, and Siakam lit up the arena for good with an easy basket that gave the Pacers a 112-104 lead with 69 seconds left.
McConnell was seemingly everywhere, coming up with massive defensive plays all game.
“We preach depth. We’ve talked about it all year,” Haliburton said.
Haliburton added another Mathurin, “He was unbelievable, he just made big play after big play. When you have a team with this much depth, it can be anybody’s night. … He was a huge reason for our win tonight.”
McConnell made a pair of free throws and pullup runner from the elbow on the final two Indiana possessions before halftime for a 64-60 Pacers lead at the break. He acknowledged feeding off the energy in Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“I mean, did you hear it in here?” McConnell said.
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INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
INDIANS COMEBACK ICED BY SAINTS IN 5-4 LOSS
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Indians mounted a sixth-inning comeback with a three-run frame but were thwarted with a run from the St. Paul Saints in the seventh to take Game 2 of the seven-game set, 5-4, on Wednesday afternoon at Victory Field.
With a tie game in the seventh, St. Paul (31-31) strung together a pair of singles and a walk to drive in the game-winning run off Sean Sullivan (L, 0-1). This came on the heels of a sixth inning in which the Saints scored three runs on a trio of doubles and a walk, all with two outs, to take a 4-0 lead.
Indy (35-28) responded in the bottom half of the sixth, manufacturing four runs on five hits. Nick Solak led off the inning with a walk and eventually scored on a Nick Yorke ground out following a Jack Suwinski double. Billy Cook scored Suwinski with a double of his own and came around to score on a Liover Peguero single. Alika Williams then capped Indy’s sixth-inning outburst with an RBI single of his own.
St. Paul managed a run in the first inning thanks to a four-walk frame, but they did not scratch across their first hit of the contest until there were two outs in the sixth inning. After the Indians 6.2-inning no-hit performance to begin yesterday’s contest, they have allowed no hits across the first 5.2-plus innings of back-to-back games for the first time since at least 2005.
J.C. Flowers tossed 4.1 innings of the Indians no-hit bid, matching his longest career relief outing, on July 12, 2022, vs. Double-A Richmond. He also allowed no hits in that outing. St. Paul’s starter, Marco Raya (W, 1-3) earned his first win of the season, holding Indy to two hits and no runs across 5.0 innings.
The Indians and Saints continue their seven-game series with a doubleheader on Thursday night. Game 1 will begin at 6:05 PM and Game 2 will take place approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 1. Southpaw Hunter Barco (0-1, 5.40), MiLB’s No. 89 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline, will take the mound for Indy in Game 1 across from righty Andrew Morris (2-3, 3.86). Indianapolis has yet to announce a starter for Game 2 while St. Paull will send RHP Randy Dobnak (0-2, 5.87) to the mound.
INDY ELEVEN WOMEN
W LEAGUE RECAP-KHC 2:0 IND
Cincinnati, Ohio – Indy Eleven fought valiantly against USL W League Valley Division leader Kings Hammer FC Cincinnati for the second time in 11 days but again came inches away in a 2-0 setback.
Girls in Blue goalkeeper Emily Edwards made eight saves in the match, including two stops at close range in the first half. In the 17th minute, Edwards came off her line to block a shot by Taylor White, smothering the rebound. Then in the first minute of stoppage time, Edwards again saved a shot by White inside the area to keep her team within 1-0 at the break.
The Indy Eleven offense got going in the second half with forward Reese Sochacki recording a shot on target in the 55th minute off a throw in. Then in the 73rd minute, Sochacki hit the crossbar on a free kick.
Midfielder Olivia Joyce led the Girls in Blue with three shots in the match, including one in the 90th that hit the crossbar. Indy recorded 11 shots on the night.
The Girls in Blue will play their next match Monday, June 16 at 7 pm at Dayton Dutch Lions FC.
Indy Eleven will host Racing Louisville FC on Tuesday, June 24 at 7 pm at Grand Park Events Center. Single-game tickets for all matches can be purchased here.
- USL W League
- Indy Eleven 0:2 Kings Hammer FC Cincinnati
- Wed., June 11, 2025 – 7:00 p.m.
- Lindner Family Sports Complex | Cincinnati, Ohio.
- Weather: Sunny, 85 degrees
2025 USL W League Records
Indy Eleven: 3-3-0 (+6), 9 pts; 3rd in Valley Division
Kings Hammer FC Cincinnati 4-0-1 (+19), 13 pts; 1st in Valley Division
| Score | 1 | 2 | F |
| Indy Eleven | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kings Hammer FC Cincinnati | 1 | 1 | 2 |
- Scoring Summary
- KHC – Kylee Simmons 23’
- KHC – Natalie Bain (Lilly Yordy) 76’
- Discipline Summary
- KHC – Emma Frey (caution) 72’
Indy Eleven line-up: Emily Edwards, Jenna Chatterton (Blair Satterfield 74’), Grace Bahr (Captain) (Olivia Joyce 45’), Kris Molloy (Sophia White 74’), Teagon Albert, Olivia Smith, Ally Pinto, Asa Yamazaki, Addie Chester (Ami Komori 61’), Katie Bulger (Elise May 61’), Talyn Guthrie (Reese Sochacki 45’).
Indy Eleven Sub not used: Bella Wyatt.
Kings Hammer FC Cincinnati line-up: Maria Galley, Amber Branum (Brooklynn Miltenberger 74’), Jade Rehberger, Natalie Bain, Abigail Townsend, Emma Frey, Bella Mcfarland (Lilly Yordy 66’), Lauren Flax (Avery May 66’), Samantha Erbach, Taylor White (Peyton Smith 74’), Kylee Simmons.
Kings Hammer FC Cincinnati subs not used: Lexi Grundler, Liana Yara, Sydney Taylor, Ellie Lanyi.
INDIANA TRACK
SEGUROLA ADVANCES TO 1,500 ON DAY ONE OF NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP
EUGENE, Ore. – Indiana track and field completed the first day of competition from the NCAA Outdoor Championship. The day saw two Hoosiers competing in events with one making their national debut.
Sean Mokler made his third appearance for the Hoosiers in Eugene. His mark of 64.07m/210-2 placed 21st among the competition.
Martin Segurola made his NCAA Outdoor Championship debut when he competed in the 1,500 semifinals. Competing in the second leg, Segurola earned his spot in Friday’s final. He will look to make the podium when he runs at 5:12 pm (PDT).
INDIANA BASEBALL
SECOND ALL-AMERICAN AWARD FOR TAYLOR
LYNCHBURG, Va. (NCBWA) – Junior outfielder Devin Taylor continued to add to his laundry list of postseason accolades, picking up a Second Team All-American nod from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) on Wednesday (June 11) afternoon.
It’s the second All-American award this year and the fourth in the career of Taylor. The Cincinnati, Ohio native led the team with a .374 batting average and collected 80 hits, 63 runs, 13 doubles, 18 home runs and 66 RBIs. The veteran fielded at a .981 clip and also stole a team best 12 bases.
Taylor finished his collegiate career with a .350 batting average. He broke the program’s all-time home run record (54) in April and finished top-10 at IU in runs (191), walks (125) and slugging percentage (.672). In this summer’s MLB Draft, he’s projected to be the highest-drafted IU player since Kyle Schwarber (2014).
He is the first IU player to earn NCBWA All-American honors since a trio Hoosiers (Schwarber, Dustin DeMuth and Joey DeNato) were honored after the 2014 campaign. That same year, Schwarber became a unanimous All-American by every major organization. Taylor is on his way to becoming the next IU player to accomplish that feat.
Taylor’s Postseason Honors (2025)
– First Team All-Big Ten (OF)
– Big Ten All-Tournament Team (OF)
– ABCA/Rawlings Midwest First Team All-Region
– Perfect Game First Team All-American
– NCBWA Second Team All-American
PURDUE TRACK
MILLER ADVANCES TO 200M FINAL ON OPENING DAY OF NCAAS
EUGENE, Ore. – Purdue Track & Field’s Cameron Miller advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Championships 200m final after he finished eighth in the semis. Andreas Hantson sits top 12 in the decathlon after the first day of competition.
Cameron Miller
• Miller ran a wind-legal 20.17 to finish fourth in his heat and eighth overall in the 200m semis and advance to Friday’s final.
• He advanced to the second 200m outdoor finals of his career and first at Purdue. He finished eighth at the 2023 championships with Louisville.
• Miller is lined up to be an All-American for the ninth time in his career (fifth outdoors) and looks to earn his sixth First Team honor.
Andreas Hantson
• Hantson sits 12th with 3,998 points through the first five decathlon events. He is currently 53 points behind the eighth-place total.
• He had his best event finish in the high jump after he cleared 2.07m (6-09.50) to finish second. It was his largest point total on day one drawing 868 points.
• He jumped 7.15m (23-05.50) on his final long jump attempt to finish sixth and earn 850 points.
• He also finished 16th in the shot put (12.63m / 41-05.25), 17th in the 400m (49.86) and 22nd in the 100m (11.24) on the opening day.
Next Up
Hantson will compete in the final five events of the decathlon on Thursday starting at 12:45 p.m. ET.
SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/
MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/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
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“SPORTS EXTRA”
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
June 12
1922 — Hub Pruett struck out Babe Ruth three consecutive times, and the St. Louis Browns beat the New York Yankees 7-1.
1928 — Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees had two triples and two homers in a 15-7 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
1939 — The Baseball Hall of Fame was dedicated at Cooperstown, N.Y.
1954 — Milwaukee’s Jim Wilson pitched the year’s only no-hitter, blanking the Philadelphia Phillies 2-0.
1957 — Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals broke the National League record for endurance when he played in his 823rd consecutive game. The previous mark was established in 1937 by Pirates first baseman Gus Suhr.
1959 — The San Francisco Giant’s Mike McCormick tossed a 3-0, five-inning no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies. Richie Ashburn singled in the top of the sixth for the Phillies, but the hit didn’t count because the game was stopped by rain.
1962 — In Milwaukee’s 15-2 rout of Los Angeles at County Stadium, the Aaron brothers both homer in the same game with Tommie connecting in the bottom of the eighth after his older brother Hank had hit one out in the second.
1970 — Dock Ellis of the Pittsburgh Pirates hurled a 2-0 no-hitter in the first game of a doubleheader against the San Diego Padres. Ellis walked eight and hit a batter, and Willie Stargell hit two homers.
1981 — Thirteen games were canceled due to the players’ strike.
1997 — After 126 years, baseball broke its tradition and played interleague games. The San Francisco beat the Texas Rangers 4-3.
1999 — Cal Ripken went 6-for-6, homering twice and driving in six runs as the Baltimore Orioles scored the most runs in franchise history with a 22-1 rout of the Atlanta Braves.
2006 — Jason Grimsley was suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball, less than a week after federal agents raided his home during an investigation into performance-enhancing drugs.
2007 — Justin Verlander pitched a no-hitter to lead the Detroit Tigers over the Milwaukee Brewers 4-0. Verlander struck out a career-high 12, walked four and benefited from several stellar defensive plays.
2009 — Chicago right fielder Milton Bradley had a bad day at Wrigley Field. Bradley lost Jason Kubel’s pop-up in the sun for a single, couldn’t catch Michael Cuddyer’s RBI bloop double, made a baserunning blunder and, most egregiously, flipped the ball into the stands after catching Mauer’s one-out sac fly.
2009 — New York Mets second baseman Luis Castillo dropped Alex Rodriguez’s lazy popup with two outs in the ninth inning as two runs scored, helping the Yankees escape with a wild 9-8 victory over the Mets.
2010 — Daniel Nava hit the first pitch he saw as a big leaguer for a grand slam — only the second player to do it — leading the Boston Red Sox to a 10-2 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies. Nava connected on a fastball from Joe Blanton in the second inning. Kevin Kouzmanoff hit a slam on the first pitch he saw Sept. 2, 2006, for Cleveland against Texas.
2011 — Realignment is on the table again as Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association are in discussions to renew the collective bargaining agreement, which expires on December 11th. One of the options being discussed would see one team moving from the National League to the American League to create two 15-team leagues, with the Houston Astros the likeliest candidate for a move.
2012 — Alex Rodriguez ties Lou Gehrig’s record by hitting his 23rd career grand slam.
2016 — Sam Cohen put UC Santa Barbara into its first College World Series with a pinch-hit grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 4-3 victory over second-seeded Louisville 4-3 in the Super Regionals.
2017 — Royce Lewis, a high school shortstop from California, is selected first overall by the Minnesota Twins in the 2017 amateur draft.
2018 — Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera suffers a season-ending injury when he tears a biceps tendon while swinging at pitch in the 3rd inning of a game against the Twins. He had already missed all but one game of May with a hamstring injury.
############
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
June 12
1920 — Man o’ War wins the Belmont Stakes, which was run at 1 3/8-miles, in 2:14 1/5. He shatters the world record by 3 1/5 seconds and sets the American dirt-course record for that distance.
1930 — Max Schmeling beats Jack Sharkey on a fourth-round foul for the vacant heavyweight title in New York. Schmeling becomes the first German — and European — heavyweight world champion.
1939 — Byron Nelson wins the U.S. Open in a three-way playoff with Craig Wood and Denny Shute.
1948 — Citation, ridden by Eddie Arcaro, wins the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown with an eight-length victory over Better Self. It’s Arcaro’s second Triple Crown. He rode Whirlaway in 1941.
1948 — Ben Hogan wins the U.S. Open with a record 276, five fewer than Ralph Guldahl’s 1937 record.
1954 — Milwaukee Braves spot starting pitcher Jim Wilson throws first no-hitter in history of County Stadium when he blanks Philadelphia Phillies, 2-0.
1979 — Bobby Orr becomes the youngest player in NHL history to be selected for the Hockey Hall of Fame. The 31-year-old is inducted months after officially ending his NHL career as the Hall waives its usual three-year waiting period.
1981 — Larry Holmes stops Leon Spinks in the third round for the WBC heavyweight title in Detroit.
1983 — Patty Sheehan wins the LPGA championship by two strokes over Sandra Haynie.
1984 — 38th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 3, to win the championship title.
1990 — Egypt, a 500-1 shot, stuns the Netherlands when Magdi Abdel-Ghani makes a penalty kick with eight minutes remaining to tie the World Cup favorites 1-1.
1991 — The Chicago Bulls win the first NBA championship in the team’s 25-year history with a 108-101 victory in Game 5 over the Los Angeles Lakers. MVP Michael Jordan scores 30 points, Scottie Pippen has 32 and John Paxson 20.
2002 — NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers beat New Jersey Nets, 113-107 for a 4-0 sweep and 3rd straight title; MVP: Shaquille O’Neal for 3rd consecutive Finals series.
2005 — Annika Sorenstam closes with a 1-over 73 for a three-shot victory over Michelle Wie in the LPGA Championship. The 15-year-old Wie shoots a 69 to finish second. It’s the highest finish by an amateur in a major since 20-year-old Jenny Chuasiriporn lost a playoff to Se Ri Pak in the 1998 U.S. Women’s Open.
2008 — The Boston Celtics overcome a 24-point deficit and beat the Los Angeles Lakers 97-91 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the NBA finals. No team has ever overcome more than a 15-point deficit after the first quarter, and the Celtics post the biggest comeback in the finals since 1971.
2009 — Pittsburgh’s Max Talbot scores two second-period goals as the Penguins beat the defending champion Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in Game 7 and win the Stanley Cup at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena.
2011 — The Dallas Mavericks win their first NBA title by winning Game 6 of the finals in Miami, 105-95. Jason Terry scores 27 points and Dirk Nowitzki adds 21 as the Mavericks win four of the series’ last five games.
2013 — Andrew Shaw scores on a deflection in triple overtime to lift the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins in a riveting Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. The Blackhawks gets third-period goals from Dave Bolland and Oduya to erase a 3-1 deficit.
2016 — Sidney Crosby sets up Kris Letang’s go-ahead goal midway through the second period and the Pittsburgh Penguins win the fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history by beating the San Jose Sharks 3-1 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final.
2017 — Kevin Durant caps his spectacular first season with the Warriors by bringing home an NBA championship. Durant, who joined Golden State last July, scores 39 points in a finals-clinching 129-120 victory over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
2019 — Stanley Cup Final, TD Garden, Boston, MA: St. Louis Blues beat Boston Bruins, 4-1 for a 4-3 series victory; first title in franchise history.
2021 — Danish soccer midfielder Christian Eriksen suffers an on-field cardiac arrest during a Euro 2020 match with Finland in Copenhagen. Eriksen is revived with a defibrillator and the game controversially continues with a 1-0 Finland win.
2023 — NBA Finals: Denver Nuggets beat Miami Heat 94-89 to win the franchise’s first Championship; clinch series 4-1; MVP: Denver C Nikola Jokić.
June 13
1908 — Canadian champion Tommy Burns KOs Bill Squires of Australia in 8th round at Neuilly Bowling Palace, Paris to retain world heavyweight boxing title.
1913 — James Rowe, who had won back-to-back Belmont Stake races in 1872-73 as a jockey, sets the record for the most number of Belmont Stakes wins by a trainer, eight, when he sends Prince Eugene to victory.
1935 — Jim Braddock scores a 15-round unanimous decision over Max Baer in New York to win the world heavyweight title.
1953 — Ben Hogan wins the U.S. Open for the fourth time, with a six-stroke victory over Sam Snead.
1956 — 1st European Cup Final, Paris: Héctor Rial scores twice as Real Madrid beats Stade de Reims, 4-3 to claim inaugural title.
1959 — Billy Casper wins the U.S. Open golf tournament over Bob Rosburg.
1971 — Kathy Whitworth wins the LPGA championship by four strokes over Kathy Ahern.
1982 — Jan Stephenson wins the LPGA championship with a two-stroke triumph over Joanne Carner.
1989 — 43rd NBA Championship: Detroit Pistons sweeps LA Lakers in 4 games.
1991 — The National, the nation’s first all-sports daily newspaper, ceases publication.
1992 — Sergei Bubka of Ukraine breaks his own world outdoor record in the pole vault by soaring 20 feet, one-half inch. The jump is the 30th time that Bubka has set the record indoors or outdoors, surpassing the 29 world records by distance runner Paavo Nurmi of Finland in the 1920s.
1993 — Patty Sheehan wins the LPGA Championship for a third time, with a 2-under 69 for a one-stroke victory over Lauri Merten.
1997 — Chicago wins its fifth NBA championship in the last seven years, as Steve Kerr’s last-second shot gives the Bulls a 90-86 Game 6 victory over the Utah Jazz.
2002 — Stanley Cup Final, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI: Detroit Red Wings beat Carolina Hurricanes, 3-1 for a 4-1 series win; Red Wings’ 10th title; coach Scotty Bowman retires with record 9th title.
2010 — Zenyatta wins her 17th consecutive race, giving her the longest winning streak by a modern-day thoroughbred in unrestricted races. The 6-year-old mare, ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, wins the $200,000 Vanity Handicap by a half-length over St Trinians at Hollywood Park. With the victory, Zenyatta surpasses the 16-race winning streaks of Cigar, 1948 Triple Crown winner Citation, and Mister Frisky.
2011 — Boston scores four times in a 4:14 span of the first period and beats the Vancouver Canucks 5-2 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden, evening the best-of-7 series. Brad Marchand, Milan Lucic, Andrew Ference and Michael Ryder give Boston a 4-0 lead before the midway point of the first period.
2012 — Matt Cain pitches the 22nd perfect game in major league history and first for San Francisco, striking out a career-high 14 batters and getting help from two running catches by outfielders Melky Cabrera and Gregor Blanco to beat the Houston Astros 10-0.
2014 — The Netherlands thrashes Spain 5-1 in the World Cup’s first shocker, toying with an aging team that dominated global football for the past six years and avenging a loss in the 2010 final.
2014 — The Los Angeles Kings wins the Stanley Cup for the second time in three years with a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers in Game 5.
2016 — LeBron James has 41 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists, Kyrie Irving also scores 41 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers capitalize on the Warriors playing without suspended star Draymond Green, staving off NBA Finals elimination with a 112-97 victory in Game 5. James and Irving are the first teammates to score 40 points in an NBA Finals game as the Cavaliers pulled within 3-2 and sent their best-of-seven series back to Ohio.
2017 — The Golden State Warriors win their second NBA tile in three years with a win over the Cavaliers 129-120.
2019 — The Toronto Raptors beat defending champion Golden State Warriors, 114-110 to win the franchise’s first Championship.
2021 — French Open Men’s Tennis: Novak Đoković wins his 19th Grand Slam singles title; beats Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 6-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
_____
June 14
1922 — Gene Sarazen edges Bobby Jones and John Black to win the U.S. Open tournament.
1934 — Max Baer stops Primo Carnera in 11th round in New York to win the world heavyweight title.
1952 — Jim Peters runs world record marathon (2:20:42.2).
1952 — Julius Boros shoots a 281 at Northwood Club in Dallas to win the U.S. Open over Ed Oliver by four strokes.
1958 — Tommy Bolt beats Gary Player by four strokes to win the U.S. Open.
1958 — Britain beats the United States 4-3 at Wimbledon to win the Wrightman Cup, the first win for Britain since 1930.
1981 — Donna Caponi Young wins the LPGA championship by one stroke over Jerilyn Britz and Pat Meyers.
1987 — The Los Angeles Lakers win their 10th NBA championship with a 106-93 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 6 at the Forum.
1990 — Vinnie Johnson scores 15 points in the fourth quarter, including a 15-footer with seven-tenths of a second left, to give the Detroit Pistons a 92-90 win and the NBA title over Portland in five games.
1991 — Leroy Burrell sets a world record in the U.S. Championships in New York with a 9.90-second clocking in the men’s 100-meter dash. Carl Lewis, who held the record at 9.92 since the 1988 Olympics, finishes second.
1992 — NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls beat Port Trail Blazers, 97-93 in Game 6 for back-to-back titles; MVP: Michael Jordan for second straight year.
1994 — The New York Rangers hold off the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in Game 7 for their first Stanley Cup in 54 years. MVP Brian Leetch, Adam Graves and Mark Messier score goals and Mike Richter makes 28 saves for New York.
1995 — The Houston Rockets complete the unlikeliest of NBA championship repeats, sweeping the Orlando Magic with a 113-101 victory. MVP Hakeem Olajuwon finishes with 35 points and 15 rebounds.
1998 — Michael Jordan scores 45 points, stealing the ball from Karl Malone and hitting a jumper with 5.2 seconds left to give Chicago an 87-86 win and a 4-2 series victory over Utah for a sixth NBA title.
2005 — Asafa Powell breaks the world record in the 100 meters with a 9.77 clocking at Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece. Powell shaves one hundredth of a second off Tim Montgomery’s record of 9.78 set in Paris in 2002 — a mark that would later be wiped out because of doping charges.
2005 — Michelle Wie becomes the first female player to qualify for an adult male U.S. Golf Association championship, tying for first place in a 36-hole U.S. Amateur Public Links sectional qualifying tournament at Belle Vernon, Pa.
2007 — The San Antonio Spurs, who bounced over from the ABA in 1976, move in among the NBA’s greatest franchises with an 83-82 victory for a sweep of Cleveland. With their fourth championship since 1999, the Spurs join the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls as the only teams in NBA history to win four titles.
2009 — The Los Angeles Lakers win their 15th championship, beating the Orlando Magic 99-86 in Game 5 of the NBA finals. Kobe Bryant, the MVP, scores 30 points in winning his fourth title, the first without Shaquille O’Neal. It’s the 10th championship for coach Phil Jackson, moving him past Boston’s Red Auerbach for the most all-time.
2015 — Inbee Park shoots a final round 68 to finish at 19-under par to win the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship for the third consecutive year and retake the No. 1 ranking in women’s golf. Park of South Korea finishes the season’s second major five strokes ahead of 22-year-old compatriot Sei Young Kim.
_____
June 15
1901 — Willie Anderson edges Alex Smith by one stroke in a playoff to take the U.S. Open.
1938 — Johnny Vander Meer of the Cincinnati Reds pitches his second straight no-hit game, defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers 6-0 in the first night game played at Ebbets Field.
1947 — Lew Worsham beats Sam Snead by one stroke on the final hole of a playoff to win the U.S. Open.
1951 — Joe Louis scored his last knock out victory.
1957 — Dick Mayer beats defending champion Cary Middlecoff by seven strokes in a playoff to win the U.S. Open.
1969 — Orville Moody shoots a 281 to beat Deane Beman, Al Geiberger and Bob Rosburg by one stroke and capture the U.S. Open.
1970 — Shirley Englehorn wins the LPGA championship with a four-stroke victory over Kathy Whitworth in the playoff round.
1980 — Jack Nicklaus wins his fourth U.S. Open with a record 272 for 72 holes.
1984 — American boxer Thomas Hearns retains WBC light middleweight title with 2 round KO of Roberto Durán of Panama at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas; marks first time in his illustrious career Durán knocked out.
1985 — Pinklon Thomas knocks out Mike Weaver in the eighth round to defend his World Boxing Council heavyweight title at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
1986 — Ray Floyd, 43, beats Chip Beck and Lanny Wadkins by two strokes to become the oldest golfer to win the U.S. Open. It is Floyd’s fourth and final major victory.
1987 — Michael Spinks TKOs Gerry Cooney in 5 for The Ring heavyweight boxing title at Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey.
1991 — Carl Lewis, one jump away from losing his 64-meet winning streak in the long jump, comes through with a dramatic victory when he soars 28 feet, 4¼ inches to pass leader Mike Powell by a half-inch in the U.S. Championships in New York.
1996 — Roy Jones Jr. completes a unique doubleheader, successfully defending his IBF super middleweight title after playing in a pro basketball game. Jones stops Eric Lucas in the 11th round after scoring five points in a United States Basketball League game in the afternoon, helping the Jacksonville Barracudas beat Treasure Coast 107-94.
1997 — Ernie Els wins his second U.S. Open championship in four years, finishing one stroke ahead of Colin Montgomerie. Els has the shot of the day on the 480-yard 17th hole when he hits a 5-iron from 212 yards to just 12 feet on the peninsula green.
2001 — Los Angeles beats Philadelphia 108-96 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to complete the best playoff run in NBA history. The Lakers, who finish the playoffs with a record of 15-1, are the first to go through the playoffs undefeated on the road.
2003 — NBA Finals: San Antonio Spurs beat New Jersey Nets, 88-77 in Game 6 for franchise’s second title; MVP: Tim Duncan.
2003 — Jim Furyk wins his first major championship and put his name in the record books, matching the lowest 72-hole score in the 103 years of the U.S. Open. Furyk closes with a 2-over 72 to win by three shots over Stephen Leaney of Australia.
2004 — Detroit beats the Los Angeles Lakers 100-87 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals for the Pistons’ first championship in 14 years.
2008 — Down to his last stroke at Torrey Pines, Tiger Woods sinks a 12-foot birdie putt to force an 18-hole playoff against Rocco Mediate for the U.S. Open. They finish at 1-under 283, the first time since 2004 that someone breaks par in a U.S. Open.
2011 — The Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1972, beating the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 in Game 7 of the finals.
2014 — Martin Kaymer of Germany wins the U.S. Open after four days of dominance at Pinehurst No. 2. Kaymer finishes with an eight-shot victory over Rickie Fowler and Erik Compton and becomes the seventh player in the 114 years of the U.S. Open to go wire-to-wire.
2014 — The San Antonio Spurs win their fifth NBA championship, beating the Miami Heat 104-87 to win the series in five games.
2015 — Chicago’s Duncan Keith scores in the second period and directs a dominant defense that shuts down Tampa Bay’s high-scoring attack, and the Blackhawks beat the Lightning 2-0 in Game 6 for their third NHL title in the past six seasons.
2018— Christiano Renaldo, Portugal, scores a hat-trick in Portugal’s 3-3 tie with Spain in the World Cup. Renaldo becomes the fourth player to score in four different Worlc Cups and the first to score in eight consecutive major tournaments.
2019 — In a blockbuster NBA trade, the New Orleans Pelicans send forward Anthony Davis to the LA Lakers for Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart & 3 future 1st round draft picks.
#################
TV SPORTS
(All times Eastern)
Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts
Wednesday, June 11
COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD (MEN’S)
7 p.m.
ESPN — NCAA Tournament: Outdoor Championships – Day 1, Eugene, Ore.
GOLF
6:30 a.m. (Thursday)
USA — PGA Tour: The U.S. Open, First Round, Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pa.
MLB BASEBALL
1 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia (1:05 p.m.) OR Cincinnati at Cleveland (1:10 p.m.)
4 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: L.A. Dodgers at San Diego (4:10 p.m.) OR Seattle at Arizona (3:40 p.m.)
7:30 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: N.Y. Yankees at Kansas City (7:40 p.m.) OR Texas at Minnesota (7:40 p.m.)
NBA BASKETBALL
8:30 p.m.
ABC — NBA Finals: Oklahoma City at Indiana, Game 3
SOCCER (MEN’S)
8 p.m.
ESPN — USL Championship: Rhode Island at Louisville City
WNBA BASKETBALL
10 p.m.
CBSSN — Los Angeles at Las Vegas
_____
Thursday, June 12
COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD (WOMEN’S)
7 p.m.
ESPN — NCAA Tournament: Outdoor Championships – Day 1, Eugene, Ore.
GOLF
6:30 a.m.
USA — PGA Tour: The U.S. Open, First Round, Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pa.
2:30 p.m.
USA — PGA Tour: The U.S. Open, First Round, Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pa.
3 p.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, First Round, Blythefield Country Club, Belmont, Mich.
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
11 p.m.
ESPN — 2025 PFL World Tournament: Semifinals, Nashville, Tenn.
MLB BASEBALL
1 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Texas at Minnesota (1:10 p.m.) OR Washington at N.Y. Mets (1:10 p.m.)
4 p.m.
MLBN — San Francisco at Colorado (3:10 p.m.)
7:30 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: N.Y. Yankees at Kansas City (7:40 p.m.) OR St. Louis at Milwaukee (7:40 p.m.)
NHL HOCKEY
6 p.m.
TNT — NHL Awards Show 2025
8 p.m.
TNT — Stanley Cup Final: Edmonton at Florida, Game 4
TRUTV — Stanley Cup Final: Edmonton at Florida, Game 4
SOFTBALL
7 p.m.
ESPN2 — Athletes Unlimited: TBD
_____
Friday, June 13
AUTO RACING
1:25 p.m.
ESPNU — Formula 1: Practice, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal
4:55 p.m.
ESPNU — Formula 1: Practice, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal
COLLEGE BASEBALL
2 p.m.
ESPN — Men’s College World Series: TBD, Game 1, Omaha, Neb.
7 p.m.
ESPN — Men’s College World Series: TBD, Game 2, Omaha, Neb.
COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD (MEN’S)
8 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: Outdoor Championships – Day 2, Eugene, Ore.
GOLF
1 p.m.
NBC — PGA Tour: The U.S. Open, Second Round, Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pa.
3 p.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, Second Round, Blythefield Country Club, Belmont, Mich.
MLB BASEBALL
2 p.m.
MLBN — Pittsburgh at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m.)
7 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: N.Y. Yankees at Boston (7:10 p.m.) OR Cincinnati at Detroit (7:10 p.m.)
7:05 p.m.
APPLE TV+ — L.A. Angels at Baltimore
9:40 p.m.
APPLE TV+ — San Diego at Arizona
10 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: San Francisco at L.A. Dodgers (10:10 p.m.) OR Cleveland at Seattle (10:10 p.m.)
NBA BASKETBALL
8:30 p.m.
ABC — NBA Finals: Oklahoma City at Indiana, Game 4
SOCCER (MEN’S)
10:30 p.m.
FS1 — MLS: San Jose at Portland
WNBA BASKETBALL
7:30 p.m.
ION — Chicago at Atlanta
10 p.m.
ION — Dallas at Las Vegas
_____
Saturday, June 14
AUTO RACING
11:30 a.m.
FS1 — NTT IndyCar Series: Practice, World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Madison, Ill.
12:25 p.m.
ESPN2 — Formula 1: Practice, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal
1 p.m.
FS1 — NXT Indy Car Series: Practice, World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Madison, Ill.
3 p.m.
FS1 — NTT IndyCar Series: Qualifying, World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Madison, Ill.
3:55 p.m.
ESPN2 — Formula 1: Qualifying, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal
4:30 p.m.
CW — NASCAR Xfinity Series: The The Chilango 150, Autodromo Heranos Rodriguez, Mexico City
FS2 — NXT Indy Car Series: Qualifying, World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Madison, Ill.
5:30 p.m.
FS2 — NTT IndyCar Series: High Line & Final Practice, World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Madison, Ill.
7 p.m.
FS1 — ARCA Menards Series: The Berlin ARCA 200 at Berlin Raceway, Berlin Raceway and Entertainment Complex, Marne, Mich.
BIG3 BASKETBALL
4 p.m.
CBS — Week 1: L.A. Riot vs. Miami 305, Detroit Amps vs. Chicago Triplets, Houston Rig Hands vs. DMV Trilogy, Boston Ball Hogs vs. Dallas Power, Chicago
COLLEGE BASEBALL
2 p.m.
ESPN — Men’s College World Series: TBD, Game 3, Omaha, Neb.
7 p.m.
ESPN — Men’s College World Series: TBD, Game 4, Omaha, Neb.
COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD (WOMEN’S)
9 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: Outdoor Championships – Day 2, Eugene, Ore.
GOLF
10 a.m.
USA — PGA Tour: The U.S. Open, Third Round, Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pa.
Noon
NBC — PGA Tour: The U.S. Open, Third Round, Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pa.
3 p.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, Third Round, Blythefield Country Club, Belmont, Mich.
LACROSSE (MEN’S)
1 p.m.
ABC — PLL: New York vs. Maryland, Villanova, Pa.
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
10 p.m.
ESPN — UFC Fight Night Main Card: Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley (Welterweights), Atlanta
MLB BASEBALL
4 p.m.
FS1 — St. Louis at Milwaukee
7 p.m.
FOX — Regional Coverage: N.Y. Yankees at Boston OR San Diego at Arizona
NHL HOCKEY
8 p.m.
TNT — Stanley Cup Final: Florida at Edmonton, Game 5 (If Necessary)
TRUTV — Stanley Cup Final: Florida at Edmonton, Game 5 (If Necessary)
SOCCER (MEN’S)
4:30 p.m.
FOX — MLS: L.A. Galaxy at St. Louis
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
5 p.m.
ION — NWSL: Seattle at Chicago
7:30 p.m.
ION — NWSL: Louisville at Kansas City
10 p.m.
ION — NWSL: North Carolina at Angel City
SOFTBALL
Noon
ESPNU — Athletes Unlimited: TBD
UFL FOOTBALL
8 p.m.
ABC — UFL Championship: TBD, St. Louis
WNBA BASKETBALL
1 p.m.
CBS — Los Angeles at Minnesota
3 p.m.
ABC — New York at Indiana
_____
Sunday, June 15
AUTO RACING
2 p.m.
ABC — Formula 1: The Pirelli Grand Prix du Canada, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal
3 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — NASCAR Cup Series: The Viva Mexico 250, Autodromo Heranos Rodriguez, Mexico City
4:30 p.m.
FS1 — NXT Indy Car Series: The Indy NXT by Firestone, World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Madison, Ill.
8 p.m.
FOX — NTT IndyCar Series: The Bommarito Automotive Group 500, World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Madison, Ill.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
2 p.m.
ESPN — Men’s College World Series: TBD, Game 5, Omaha, Neb.
7 p.m.
ESPN2 — Men’s College World Series: TBD, Game 6, Omaha, Neb.
GOLF
9 a.m.
USA — PGA Tour: The U.S. Open, Final Round, Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pa.
Noon
NBC — PGA Tour: The U.S. Open, Final Round, Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pa.
1 p.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, Final Round, Blythefield Country Club, Belmont, Mich.
2 p.m.
CBS — LPGA Tour: The Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, Final Round, Blythefield Country Club, Belmont, Mich.
HORSE RACING
12:30 p.m.
FS1 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
5:30 p.m.
FS1 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
MLB BASEBALL
7 p.m.
ESPN San Francisco at L.A. Dodgers
SOCCER (MEN’S)
6 p.m.
FOX — CONCACAF Gold Cup Group Stage: Trinidad and Tobago vs. United States, Group D, San Jose, Calif.
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
CBS — NWSL: Washington at Portland
WNBA BASKETBALL
Noon
CBS — Chicago at Connecticut
2 p.m. CBSSN — Atlanta at Washington
