“THE SCOREBOARD” INDIANA HS BASEBALL STATE FINALS FRIDAY, JUNE 19 CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP 4:30 PM ET | GUERIN CATHOLIC (27-3-1) VS. ANDREAN (30-3) CLASS 1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP 8 PM ET | NORTHEAST DUBOIS (23-5) VS. KOUTS (31-1) SATURDAY, JUNE 20 CLASS 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP 4:30 PM ET | EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (29-3) VS. BLUFFTON (19-10) CLASS 4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP 8 PM ET | BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (25-6) VS. LAKE CENTRAL (27-8) PREVIEW: HTTPS://WWW.IHSAA.ORG/SITES/DEFAULT/FILES/DOCUMENTS/2025-26%20BASEBALL%20PREVIEW.PDF ==================================== MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PITTSBURGH 12, LAS VEGAS 4 DODGERS 5, RAYS 4 MARLINS 12, PHILLIES 4 METS 9, REDS 1 YANKEES 10, WHITE SOX 5 ROYALS 6, NATIONALS 2 ASTROS 4, TIGERS 2 GIANTS 7, BRAVES 2 (COMPLETION OF SUSPENDED GAME) PADRES 6, CARDINALS 1 DIAMONDBACKS 8, ANGELS 1 BLUE JAYS 3, RED SOX 0 BREWERS 9, GUARDIANS 4 CUBS 8, ROCKIES 6 ORIOLES 5, MARINERS 3 =================================== MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IOWA 6 INDIANAPOLIS 5 SOUTH BEND AT FT. WAYNE PPD =================================== COLLEGE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES TV SCHEDULE: MEN’S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES: NORTH CAROLINA 12 WEST VIRGINIA 7 OKLAHOMA 11 GEORGIA 4 ===== CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES GAME 1 | OKLAHOMA VS. NORTH CAROLINA, JUNE 20 ON ESPN CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES GAME 2 | OKLAHOMA VS. NORTH CAROLINA, 2:30 P.M. SUNDAY, JUNE 21 ON ABC CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES GAME 3 | 7 P.M. MONDAY, JUNE 22 ON ESPN (IF NECESSARY) =================================== WNBA MYSTICS 88 SUN 81 LIBERTY 96 SKY 95 VALKYRIES 91 WINGS 80 LYNX 99 SPARKS 83 ACES 86 MERCURY 76 FIRE 94 STORM 89 =============================== MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER NO GAMES SCHEDULED =============================== WORLD CUP STAGE FIXTURES WEDNESDAY, 17 JUNE 2026 AUSTRIA 3 JORDAN 1 PORTUGAL 1 CONGO 1 ENGLAND 4 CROATIA 2 GHANA 1 PANAMA 0 COLUMBIA 3 UZBEKISTAN 1 THURSDAY, 18 JUNE 2026 CZECHIA V SOUTH AFRICA – GROUP A – ATLANTA STADIUM SWITZERLAND V BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – GROUP B – LOS ANGELES STADIUM CANADA V QATAR – GROUP B – BC PLACE VANCOUVER MEXICO V KOREA REPUBLIC – GROUP A – ESTADIO GUADALAJARA FRIDAY, 19 JUNE 2026 BRAZIL V HAITI – GROUP C – PHILADELPHIA STADIUM SCOTLAND V MOROCCO – GROUP C – BOSTON STADIUM TÜRKIYE V PARAGUAY – GROUP D – SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA STADIUM USA V AUSTRALIA – GROUP D – SEATTLE STADIUM SATURDAY, 20 JUNE 2026 GERMANY V CÔTE D’IVOIRE – GROUP E – TORONTO STADIUM ECUADOR V CURAÇAO – GROUP E – KANSAS CITY STADIUM NETHERLANDS V SWEDEN – GROUP F – HOUSTON STADIUM TUNISIA V JAPAN – GROUP F – ESTADIO MONTERREY SUNDAY, 21 JUNE 2026 URUGUAY V CABO VERDE – GROUP H – MIAMI STADIUM SPAIN V SAUDI ARABIA – GROUP H – ATLANTA STADIUM BELGIUM V IR IRAN – GROUP G – LOS ANGELES STADIUM NEW ZEALAND V EGYPT – GROUP G – BC PLACE VANCOUVER MONDAY, 22 JUNE 2026 NORWAY V SENEGAL – GROUP I – NEW YORK NEW JERSEY STADIUM FRANCE V IRAQ – GROUP I – PHILADELPHIA STADIUM ARGENTINA V AUSTRIA – GROUP J – DALLAS STADIUM JORDAN V ALGERIA – GROUP J – SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA STADIUM TUESDAY, 23 JUNE 2026 ENGLAND V GHANA – GROUP L – BOSTON STADIUM PANAMA V CROATIA – GROUP L – TORONTO STADIUM PORTUGAL V UZBEKISTAN – GROUP K – HOUSTON STADIUM COLOMBIA V CONGO DR – GROUP K – ESTADIO GUADALAJARA WEDNESDAY, 24 JUNE 2026 SCOTLAND V BRAZIL – GROUP C – MIAMI STADIUM MOROCCO V HAITI – GROUP C – ATLANTA STADIUM SWITZERLAND V CANADA – GROUP B – BC PLACE VANCOUVER BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA V QATAR – GROUP B – SEATTLE STADIUM CZECHIA V MEXICO – GROUP A – MEXICO CITY STADIUM SOUTH AFRICA V KOREA REPUBLIC – GROUP A – ESTADIO MONTERREY THURSDAY, 25 JUNE 2026 CURAÇAO V CÔTE D’IVOIRE – GROUP E – PHILADELPHIA STADIUM ECUADOR V GERMANY – GROUP E – NEW YORK NEW JERSEY STADIUM JAPAN V SWEDEN – GROUP F – DALLAS STADIUM TUNISIA V NETHERLANDS – GROUP F – KANSAS CITY STADIUM TÜRKIYE V USA – GROUP D – LOS ANGELES STADIUM PARAGUAY V AUSTRALIA – GROUP D – SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA STADIUM FRIDAY, 26 JUNE 2026 NORWAY V FRANCE – GROUP I – BOSTON STADIUM SENEGAL V IRAQ – GROUP I – TORONTO STADIUM EGYPT V IR IRAN – GROUP G – SEATTLE STADIUM NEW ZEALAND V BELGIUM – GROUP G – BC PLACE VANCOUVER CABO VERDE V SAUDI ARABIA – GROUP H – HOUSTON STADIUM URUGUAY V SPAIN – GROUP H – ESTADIO GUADALAJARA SATURDAY, 27 JUNE 2026 PANAMA V ENGLAND – GROUP L – NEW YORK NEW JERSEY STADIUM CROATIA V GHANA – GROUP L – PHILADELPHIA STADIUM ALGERIA V AUSTRIA – GROUP J – KANSAS CITY STADIUM JORDAN V ARGENTINA – GROUP J – DALLAS STADIUM COLOMBIA V PORTUGAL – GROUP K – MIAMI STADIUM CONGO DR V UZBEKISTAN – GROUP K – ATLANTA STADIUM =============================== MAJOR NATIONAL HEADLINES/RELEASES COLLEGE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES NORTH CAROLINA 12, WEST VIRGINIA 7 OMAHA, NEB.—Fifth-seeded North Carolina exploded for 12 runs, jumping out to a 12-1 lead and holding off 16th-seeded West Virginia, 12-7, to advance to the championship series of the College World Series on Wednesday afternoon at Charles Schwab Field. With the victory, their fifth in a row, the Tar Heels advanced to the CWS championship series for the third time and the first time in 19 seasons, joining the 2006 and 2007 squads. They improved to 3-0 in games to send themselves to the championship finals. The final, best-of-three series for the NCAA championship will begin in Omaha on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Tar Heels will face either Georgia or Oklahoma. UNC has started 3-0 in the CWS for the first time since beginning 4-0 in 2006 and is a scorching 8-1 in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Carolina scored eight runs in the first four innings to take control early and allowed only one run through 6.2 innings. WVU scored five in the bottom of the seventh and added another in the eighth, but Caden Glauber slammed the door by striking out three and allowing just one run in 2.1 innings of relief to finish the game. UNC improved to 28-0 this season when Glauber pitches. Carolina’s 12 runs were its most since scoring 13 against Pitt on May 23 in the ACC Tournament. The Mountaineers had allowed only a combined 10 runs in their first three games in Omaha prior to Wednesday. Owen Hull went 4-for-5 at the plate with two doubles and two RBI to set the tone for the Tar Heels. Gavin Gallaher also went 4-for-5 and became the second Tar Heel player with four hits and four RBI in a CWS game, joining Tim Federowicz (2006). Erik Paulsen started at first base and added three hits, while Jake Schaffner went 1-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored in the leadoff spot. Matthew Graveline was 4-for-4 with two RBI at the plate for WVU, while Gavin Kelly was 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. “We were here in ’24, ran into two good teams, came close,” Gallaher said. “And then last year, we’re one inning away from being in Omaha again. So that really hurt. So to be back here, win our first three games, be in the national championship, it’s something that, I mean, it’s truly amazing.” UNC improved to 53-12-1 with the victory and has won 17 of its last 20 games. The Mountaineers saw their season come to an end at 47-17. Jackson Rose (W, 5-0) was mostly masterful in relief of starter Folger Boaz before WVU loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth with one out. Matthew Matthijs relieved him and immediately induced a double play on his first pitch to get the Tar Heels out of the jam. Chansen Cole (L, 10-2) started for West Virginia. He allowed three earned runs in 2.1 inning before Ian Korn relieved him and gave up seven hits and six runs (five earned) in 3.1 frames. “I thought Jackson Rose came in, silenced them pretty quick,” UNC head coach Scott Forbes said. “I thought he was outstanding. We were joking before the game today, like, man, we need to have one of those games where we get 15 hits and score some runs. So thankfully that happened. “I thought our guys were ready. I felt like they were going after it. We talked about being in the moment, not counting outs and just playing like a Little Leaguer and having a blast doing so. And how can you not? “I mean, this is unbelievable. We’re at the College World Series. We talk about it’s an honor and a privilege to wear our uniform at the University of North Carolina, but it’s also an honor and a privilege to be here playing on that field. And I want our guys to feel that. I want them to play with joy and have a blast playing together. So they did that.” How It Happened: • Carolina quickly grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. After Schaffner drew a leadoff walk and stole second, Hull smacked a double off the right-centerfield wall to drive in the game’s first run. With the hit, Hull extended his hitting streak to 12 games and his on-base streak to 20. After a ground out by Gallaher, Hull stole third and scored when WVU third baseman Tyrus Hall failed to snare catcher Graveline’s throw, which went into left field. • In the bottom of the first, Armani Guzman induced a leadoff walk and took second on a single to left by Kelly. After a fielder’s choice, WVU had runners on first and third with one out. After Boaz struck out Sean Smith with a good slider for the second out, Graveline then drove in Guzman with a single to right to make the score 2-1 Tar Heels. • Schaffner walked again to start the third inning, then took second on a single by Hull to center. Gallaher followed with an RBI single to left to drive in Schaffner, extending his hitting streak to 13 and his on-base streak to 25 and driving Cole from the game after just 2.1 inning with three earned runs allowed. Paulsen’s bloop single just past third base put runners on first and second with one out before Cooper Nicholson’s two-run double to right-center short-hopped off the wall for a 5-1 Tar Heel advantage. • In the top of the fourth, Hull doubled home Carter French, then Gallaher’s two-run single against a drawn-in WVU infield drove home Hull and Schaffner to give Carolina a commanding, 8-1 lead. • Two innings later, Hull hit a two-out triple before coming home on an RBI single by Gallaher to make it 9-1. After a pitching change, Gallaher stole second and came around to score on a single by Paulsen. • In the top of the seventh with two outs, French doubled home Macon Winslow and then scored on a single by Schaffner for a 12-1 lead. • The Mountaineers plated their first run in six innings with five two-out runs in the bottom of the seventh, the first run the Tar Heel bullpen had given up in 12.1 innings in Omaha. • Kelly hit a solo home run in the eighth off Glauber to make the final score 12-7 Tar Heels. ===== OKLAHOMA 11, GEORGIA 4 OMAHA, Neb. — An onslaught of five home runs helped Oklahoma (41-22) eliminate one of the most powerful teams in college baseball history with a convincing 11-4 victory Wednesday night over No. 3-ranked Georgia (53-14) in the College World Series before a sellout crowd of 24,446 at Charles Schwab Field. The victory advances the Sooners to the best-of-3 championship series, where they will face No. 5 North Carolina (53-12-1) starting at 7 p.m. Saturday on ESPN. The Tar Heels advanced to the title series with a 12-7 victory over West Virginia (47-17) in Wednesday’s afternoon contest. In search of the school’s third national championship, OU continues to dispose of the nation’s elite. The Sooners stunned No. 2 Georgia Tech in its own Regional at Atlanta, swept No. 15 Kansas at the Super Regional in Lawrence, shut out No 7 Alabama in the opening round of the CWS and then took down the No. 3 Bulldogs in consecutive outings. Georgia led the nation with 179 homers this season, which ranks third all-time in Division I history, but it’s been OU’s postseason power surge that has overwhelmed opponents. OU’s five home runs Wednesday are the second-most for a team in a CWS game since the event moved from Rosenblatt Stadium to Charles Schwab Field in 2011. The Sooners have 26 home runs so far in 10 NCAA Tournament games and have pounded 22 home runs and averaged 10.4 runs while extending their season-long, eight-game winning streak. OU junior rightfielder Dasan Harris and junior centerfielder Jason Walk took center stage by hitting two home runs apiece after hitting just three homers during the entire regular season and adding one more in the NCAA Tournament en route to the CWS. Six players finished with at least two hits against the Bulldogs. Trey Gambill led OU’s 15-hit attack going 4-for-5 at the plate with 3 RBIs. Brendan Brock went 3-for-5, Harris was 2-for-5 with 5 RBIs, Walk was 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs, Jaxon Willits was 2-for-5 with an RBI and Deiten Lachance went 2-for-5. On the pitching mound, Sooners coach Skip Johnson kept things “fresh” by starting a freshman pitcher for the third straight game on college baseball’s biggest stage. Following previous stellar performances from freshmen Cord Rager and Xander Mercurius, righthander Nick Wesloski (2-1) became the third straight OU freshman to start at the CWS. Making just his second career start, the 6-foot-3, 219-pound Wesloski exited with two on and two out in the sixth inning and the Sooners leading 5-1. He finished with four hits and three runs (one earned), with four strikeouts, two walks and one hit-by-pitch. Junior righthander LJ Mercurius, who made 12 starts during the regular season, came on in relief and earned his fourth save. Scoring first for the sixth straight game, the Sooners took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning on a towering 416-foot shot to dead-center from the 5-foot-10, 166-pound Walk, who reached base for the 20th straight game. “You know what, he’s got a little bit of juice. I’m really proud of him,” Johnson said moments later in an ESPN interview before the Bulldogs batted in the bottom half of the inning. In the top of the fourth, Gambill pulled an inside fastball 362 feet into the OU bullpen in right field with an exit velocity of 103.6 mph to make it 2-0 and giving the Sooners their eighth multi-home run game in nine NCAA Tournament contests. Leftfielder Brendan Brock promptly followed with a single to center, then advanced to second on a balk. On the next pitch, Harris hit a 421-foot blast to right-center that exited at 104.1 mph, gave OU a 4-0 lead and chased Bulldogs starting pitcher Paul Farley. When Wesloski exited in the bottom of the sixth, the Bulldogs kept the sixth inning alive on a check-swing, slow-roller toward first base that was ruled an error and loaded the bases. Mercurius then issued to straight bases-loaded walks that narrowed the Sooners’ lead to 5-3. After throwing seven consecutive balls, Mercurius got out of the jam when junior third baseman Camden Johnson tagged out a runner after fielding a one-hopper between second and third base. OU responded with a run in the seventh when sophomore second baseman Kyle Branch led off with a single and later scored on a double down the right-field line by junior shortstop Willits to put the Sooners on top 6-3. After Brock led off the eighth with a walk and stole second, Harris smacked his second home run into the right-field stands. This one traveled 400 feet and made the score 8-3. After Walk’s second solo shot pushed the score to 9-3, Gambill doubled to right field in the top of the ninth to score Willits and Lachance and closed out the scoring for OU. Kolby Branch, the older brother of OU’s Kyle Branch, hit a solo home run to left-center in the bottom of the ninth to set the final margin. Pitchers of Record Win: Nick Wesloski (2-1) Loss: Paul Farley (8-2) Save: LJ Mercurius (4) Statistical Snapshot Dasan Harris | 2-for-5, 5RBIs, 2HRs Nick Wesloski | W, 5.2 IP, 4H, 3R, ER, 2BB, 4K, 90 pitches Jason Walk | 2-for-4, 2HRs Trey Gambill | 4-for-5, 3RBIs, HR, 2B Brendan Brock | 3-for-5, 2R Notes Oklahoma has won eight in a row, its longest winning streak of the season Wesloski made just his second start of the season, both of which have come in the NCAA Tournament and in consecutive starts. Wesloski hadn’t pitched in a game since May 31 Oklahoma has started a freshman on the mound in every game of the CWS thus far. Cord Rager, Xander Mercurius and Nick Wesloski combined for 20 innings over the three starts, allowing only two earned runs across those starts During OU’s winning streak the Sooners have won seven games against top-20 teams including five against top-10 teams Oklahoma bounced the ACC Champion (Georgia Tech), Big 12 Champion (Kansas) and SEC Champion (Georgia) during the NCAA postseason Harris tallied the second multi-home run game of his career. He had one previously at Arkansas May 9 Walk posted the first multi-homer game of his career Oklahoma tied its season high with five home runs. It hit five at Arkansas May 10 Walk and Harris both entered tonight’s game with four homers apiece Oklahoma has hit 43 home runs in the last 16 games, nearly half of its total of 91 this season OU has hit 26 home runs in 10 NCAA Tournament games OU’s five home runs are the second most by a team in CWS games played at Charles Schwab Field (opened in 2011) Walk extended his hitting streak to 12 games and subsequently his reached base streak to 20 games, both of which are team bests Oklahoma has scored first in six consecutive games. The last time an opponent scored first was during OU’s 15-8 win at Georgia Tech May 31 All 11 of OU’s RBIs and subsequently all five home runs came from left-handed hitters (Walk, Willits, Gambill, Harris) OU is tied with LSU with the most CWS Championship Series appearances in the last five years. Oklahoma went 3-0 to reach the CWS Championship Series this year, just as it did in 2022. The Sooners enter the championship series with 41 wins, the fewest by a team since the 2022 Ole Miss national championship team that finished the year with 22 Oklahoma is 3-0 against Georgia in postseason play over the last two years. The Sooners eliminated UGA in the 2025 SEC Tournament and in the 2026 CWS. Six Sooners had multi-hit games Gambill posted the first four-hit game of his career OU is 11-2 in neutral site games this season The Sooners are now .500 (17-17) in games against SEC teams this year, going 14-16 in the regular season and 3-1 in SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament play Up Next The Sooners will face North Carolina in the CWS Championship Series. The series follows a best-of-three format and will begin Saturday, June 20 at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN. ============================== MLB MLB ROUNDUP: RYAN O’HEARN’S SIX-RBI EFFORT POWERS PIRATES PAST A’S Ryan O’Hearn homered and drove in a career-best six runs while leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to an easy 12-4 victory over the Athletics on Wednesday in West Sacramento, Calif. O’Hearn had a two-run double in the first inning, a two-run blast in the fourth and a two-run single in the seventh. Marcell Ozuna homered among two hits while Bryan Reynolds (two RBIs), Spencer Horwitz (three runs), Nick Gonzales and Jared Triolo (two runs) also had two-hit games for the Pirates. Brandon Lowe drove in two runs as Pittsburgh won the last two games of the three-game series. Pittsburgh starter Braxton Ashcraft (6-3) allowed two runs (one earned) and four hits over six innings. For the Athletics, Aaron Civale (5-3) gave up six runs and nine hits in three-plus innings. Zack Gelof homered in the ninth for the Athletics to extend his career-best hitting streak to 21, the majors’ longest active run. Dodgers 5, Rays 4 Freddie Freeman hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning and Shohei Ohtani pitched through a bloody blister to earn the win as Los Angeles finished off a series sweep of visiting Tampa Bay. Alex Call, Alex Freeland and Kyle Tucker drove in runs for the Dodgers. Ohtani (7-2) gave up four runs on seven hits over six innings. Alex Vesia pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning for his third save. Yandy Diaz had two hits and an RBI for the Rays, who struggled to a 1-5 record in a six-game road trip to the Los Angeles area. Kevin Kelly (4-3) permitted two runs in 1 2/3 innings. Marlins 12, Phillies 4 Kyle Stowers went 4-for-5 with two long home runs and five RBIs to power visiting Miami to a win over Philadelphia. Stowers’ two blasts, along with home runs from Owen Caissie, Jakob Marsee and Joe Mack, were more than enough offense for Sandy Alcantara (7-4), who worked six strong innings to improve to 4-0 in June. The right-hander gave up four runs (two earned) on eight hits. Phillies starter Andrew Painter (1-8) lasted just two innings and allowed six runs on six hits. Alec Bohm went 2-for-4 with an RBI for Philadelphia, while Trea Turner had three hits and a run. Mets 9, Reds 1 Nolan McLean allowed just one unearned run over seven innings and Juan Soto had three hits and drove in two runs as New York salvaged the finale of a three-game series at Cincinnati. Bo Bichette and Francisco Alvarez also had three hits apiece for the Mets. Bichette went 8-for-14 during the three-game series. McLean (4-4) allowed just three hits, struck out nine and walked one.Nick Lodolo (2-2) was tagged for seven runs on 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings as the Reds were denied their first home sweep of the season. Yankees 10, White Sox 5 Paul Goldschmidt capped a five-run fifth inning by hitting a three-run homer and New York extended its home winning streak over Chicago to nine games. Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr. also went deep as the Yankees won their fourth straight overall. Carlos Rodon (3-2) gave up three runs on seven hits in five innings. Colson Montgomery produced his first career multi-homer game for the White Sox, and Sam Antoncacci also hit a home run. Anthony Kay (6-2) surrendered four runs on six hits in four innings. Royals 6, Nationals 2 Carter Jensen, John Rave, Lane Thomas and Michael Massey each hit solo home runs to power visiting Kansas City to a win over Washington. Jensen was 4-for-4 with a double and a walk, and Rave added a triple and scored two runs. Luinder Avila (2-3) allowed one run on three hits over 5 2/3 innings as the Royals salvaged the finale of the three-game series. Nasim Nunez had two hits for the Nationals, who were outhit 12-6 but got RBIs from CJ Abrams and Dylan Crews. Zack Littell (6-6) gave up four runs on seven hits in five innings. Astros 4, Tigers 2 Peter Lambert allowed one run on two hits over seven innings and Jeremy Pena drove in two runs, lifting host Houston to a rubber-game victory over Detroit. Lambert (6-4) surrendered a solo homer to Kerry Carpenter in the seventh, struck out five and did not walk a batter to improve to 4-0 in his last five starts. Pena belted a solo homer in the third and added an RBI single in the sixth, and Yordan Alvarez and Isaac Paredes each had an RBI double in the fifth. Astros closer Josh Hader overcame rookie Kevin McGonigle’s homer to lead off the ninth by striking out the next three batters to secure his fourth save. Casey Mize, who came off the 15-day injured list before the game, permitted three runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings for the Tigers, who have lost four of their past five. Giants 7, Braves 2 (completion of suspended game) Robbie Ray threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings and Jung Ho Lee hit a homer and drove in a pair of runs to help visiting San Francisco defeat Atlanta in a game that was suspended on Tuesday due to rain. Ray (5-6) allowed just two hits while striking out eight and walking two. Rafael Devers and Willy Adames each hit a solo home run for the Giants. Grant Holmes (4-3) gave up three runs on four hits in two innings for the Braves before the contest was paused on Tuesday. Drake Baldwin opened the bottom of the first with the longest homer in the majors this year, 473 feet. Giants 7, Braves 5 (regularly scheduled game) Luis Arraez homered and drove in four runs and Carson Whisenhunt tossed five solid innings in his season debut to help visiting San Francisco post another victory over Atlanta. Whisenhunt (1-0) allowed two runs on six hits after being called up from Triple-A Sacramento in the morning. Willy Adames and Bryce Eldridge hit solo home runs for the Giants, who won their third straight overall. J.R. Ritchie (1-2) threw five innings of five-hit, five-run ball for the scuffling Braves, who dropped their sixth game in seven tries. Padres 6, Cardinals 1 Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill each went 3-for-5 with two RBIs as visiting San Diego earned a victory over St. Louis to avoid a series sweep. Xander Bogaerts went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Padres. Merrill, who matched his season high for hits, put the game away with a two-run home run that capped a three-run ninth inning off Cardinals reliever Chris Roycroft. Griffin Canning (1-5) kept the Cardinals in check for his first Padres win. He scattered four hits over 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run. St. Louis starter Kyle Leahy (5-4) gave up three runs on seven hits in six innings. Diamondbacks 8, Angels 1 Corbin Carroll hit a grand slam to cap a five-run second inning and Arizona cruised to a win against visiting Los Angeles in the deciding game of a three-game series in Phoenix. Tommy Troy and Ketel Marte each produced two hits, two RBIs and a run while Gabriel Moreno delivered three hits for the Diamondbacks, who have won three of four. Arizona starter Eduardo Rodriguez (6-2) allowed one run and six hits in seven innings. Zach Neto homered and singled for the Angels, who had won five of seven. Sam Aldegheri (2-2) struggled through three innings, giving up six runs on six hits. Blue Jays 3, Red Sox 0 Toronto received nine scoreless innings from seven pitchers and beat host Boston in the second game of a three-game series. Max Scherzer was supposed to start for Toronto but was placed on the 15-day injured list with back spasms before the game. Braydon Fisher started and got the first four outs before he was replaced by Simeon Woods Richardson (1-7), who tossed three scoreless innings. Andres Gimenez went 2-for-4 with an RBI and scored twice for the Blue Jays, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added two hits and two RBIs. Boston rookie Jake Bennett (1-3) allowed two runs on three hits in 5 1/3 innings. The Red Sox stranded 13 runners and were 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Brewers 9, Guardians 4 Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich homered as Milwaukee downed visiting Cleveland. Milwaukee’s highly touted shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt produced his first career hit in the second inning and added an RBI single in the eighth. Reliever Chad Patrick (4-3) threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out seven of the 12 batters he faced. The Guardians, with regulars Chase DeLauter, Jose Ramirez and Angel Martinez all on the injured list, managed just three hits while losing for the sixth time in eight games. Gavin Williams (9-4) allowed seven runs on seven hits in five innings. Daniel Espino pitched a perfect sixth in his major league debut. Cubs 8, Rockies 6 Dansby Swanson hit a two-run homer and Matt Shaw had a two-run triple as host Chicago scored seven runs in the second inning to beat Colorado in the rubber game of a three-game set. Cubs starter Javier Assad (5-1) gave up five hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings. Jacob Webb pitched the ninth to get his second save despite giving up a solo home run to Kyle Karros. Sterlin Thompson put Colorado on the board in the third with the first of two solo shots, the first two long balls of his career. Hunter Goodman highlighted a three-run eighth for the Rockies with his 21st homer, a two-run shot. Sean Sullivan (0-1) was roughed up in his second career start, surrendering eight runs and nine hits in four innings. Orioles 5, Mariners 3 Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday homered and Kyle Bradish struck out a career-high 12 in 7 2/3 strong innings as Baltimore defeated host Seattle. Dominic Canzone and Cole Young hit back-to-back homers to open the bottom of the ninth against Orioles closer Ryan Helsley, who was making his first appearance after a seven-week absence caused by right elbow inflammation. Helsley overcame that by getting Victor Robles to ground out before fanning Colt Emerson and Connor Joe. Bradish (4-7), who lasted four innings in each of his previous two starts and gave up five runs in both, limited the Mariners to one run on five hits. Seattle starter George Kirby (5-7) allowed three runs on eight hits over six innings. =================================== NBA KANSAS’ DARRYN PETERSON IS THE HEADLINER AMONG TOP-FLIGHT 1-AND-DONE GUARDS IN NBA DRAFT Darryn Peterson looked every bit like a possible No. 1 overall NBA draft pick as a Kansas freshman — when he was on the court. The 6-foot-5, 199-pound combo guard averaged 20.2 points but missed 11 games with a variety of injuries and illnesses. He headlines a position featuring freshman top-10 prospects in Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr., Illinois’ Keaton Wagler, Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. and Houston’s Kingston Flemings. Here’s a look at the some of the top guards entering Tuesday’s first round: Darryn Peterson, Kansas STRENGTHS: The scoring playmaker can attack off the dribble, in the halfcourt and in transition. He shot 38.2% on 3-pointers, hitting six 3s in a win at Oklahoma State. He shot 82.6% at the foul line and got there often, logging six games with at least eight attempts — including one with 16 ( against TCU in the Big 12 Tournament ) and another with 15 (while scoring a season-high 32 points in an overtime comeback win in his first meeting with TCU ). He also averaged 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists. CONCERNS: The frequent uncertainty about his day-to-day status is a variable NBA teams will evaluate. He had a full-body cramping issue requiring hospitalization before the season. Beyond missing time, he sometimes had limited minutes — even abruptly checking out of games — to create headaches despite the high-end talent. There was at least a positive finish: he logged 37 minutes ( against Cal Baptist ) and 36 minutes ( against St. John’s ) in two NCAA Tournament games. Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas STRENGTHS: Offense stands out for the 6-2, 186-pound freshman and first-team Associated Press All-American. He led the Razorbacks to their first Southeastern Conference Tournament title in 26 years and the Sweet 16. Acuff ranked third nationally in scoring (23.5) and 14th in assists (6.4). He thrived as the ballhandler in pick-and-roll plays (rated “Excellent” in the 89th percentile by Synergy) and in isolation (rated “Very good” in the 74th percentile). He was electric in scoring a program freshman-record 49 points in a double-overtime loss at Alabama, along with posting 91 points and 12 3-pointers in three SEC Tournament wins. CONCERNS: Defense is a significant question, including handling matchups against bigger guards. Keaton Wagler, Illinois STRENGTHS: The 6-5, 188-pound freshman went from a four-star recruit to second-team AP All-American in the Illini’s first Final Four trip in 21 years. He showed an all-around skillset with the size to play on or off the ball. He averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists. He shot 39.7% on 3s, including hitting nine 3s in a 46-point outburst against Purdue. He earned “Excellent” ratings from Synergy as the pick-and-roll ballhandler and with his jumper in off-the-dribble, catch-and-shoot and contested opportunities. CONCERNS: He has a slim build that could cause him to struggle against stronger opponents and he lacks elite athleticism. Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville STRENGTHS: The Louisville freshman offers big scoring potential with good size (6-5, 180) after averaging 18.2 points and 4.7 assists. The highlight was his 45 points and 10 3-pointers in a blowout of N.C. State, breaking the Atlantic Coast Conference freshman scoring record set by 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg. CONCERNS: He’ll need time to add strength and grow into his frame. He also battled back issues that sidelined him for eight games at midseason and then resurfaced to sideline him for the last six, including two March Madness games. Kingston Flemings, Houston STRENGTHS: The 6-3, 183-pound freshman was a third-team AP All-American as a lead guard with potential to be disruptive defensively. He averaged 16.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists while shooting 47.6% overall, 38.7% on 3s and 84.5% on free throws. He showed the ability to pressure teams in transition or off the bounce. He had a Cougars freshman-record 42 points in a loss to Texas Tech and finished with a nearly 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Flemings ranked in the top six among tested combine players in lane-agility time, shuttle run and three-quarter-court sprint. CONCERNS: He’ll need to add strength to handle physical play, while shot mechanics have been discussed as an area needing refinement. Others of note: — BRAYDEN BURRIES: The 6-4, 215-pound freshman from Arizona is a combo guard with a sturdy frame and two-way potential. He’s a top-10 prospect who shot 39.1% from 3-point range and was fourth at the combine in standing vertical leap (35 inches). — LABARON PHILON JR.: The 6-3, 176-pound sophomore from Alabama was a third-team AP All-American after averaging 22.0 points and 5.0 assists. The potential late-lottery prospect boosted his shooting efficiency (50.1% overall, 39.9% on 3s) while thriving as the ballhandler in pick-and-rolls (94th percentile in Synergy). — CAMERON CARR: The 6-5, 184-pound sophomore transferred from Tennessee to Baylor, averaging 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists. The first-round prospect ranked among combine leaders in standing vertical leap (second, 38 inches) and max vertical leap (third, 42.5). ===== REPORT: WIZARDS’ TRAE YOUNG TO BECOME FREE AGENT AFTER DECLINING OPTION Trae Young appears headed for the open market, though his short stay with the Washington Wizards may not be over. Young plans to decline his $48.97 million player option for the 2026-27 season and will become an unrestricted free agent on Monday, according to a report from Andscape on Wednesday. Washington is the favorite to retain the four-time All-Star guard, but multiple teams are expected to show interest once he enters free agency, per the report. The decision was expected to be one of the first major moves of Washington’s offseason. The Wizards acquired Young from the Atlanta Hawks in January, sending CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to Atlanta in a move aimed at giving their rebuild a solid offensive leader. Young’s first season in Washington never really got started. He suffered a sprained right medial collateral ligament while with Atlanta in late October, returned in December, then played only five games for the Wizards after the trade before his season was cut short by back and quad issues. Across 15 games with Atlanta and Washington, Young averaged 17.9 points and 8.0 assists. In his five appearances with the Wizards, he averaged 15.2 points and 6.2 assists. Washington’s interest in retaining Young is connected to a broader effort to move beyond the bottom of the standings. The Wizards finished 17-65 last season and have lost at least 64 games in three consecutive seasons, but they now have Young, Anthony Davis and a young core. The Wizards also hold the No. 1 pick in next week’s draft, giving the franchise another major piece to add around their veteran pairing. Young, 27, has averaged 25.1 points and 9.8 assists over 498 career games and remains one of the league’s most accomplished playmakers. Now the question is whether Washington can turn its head start into a long-term deal. ===== NBA REPORT: C WALKER KESSLER REBUFFS $140M OFFER FROM JAZZ Restricted free agent Walker Kessler and the Utah Jazz remain far apart, despite a five-year, $140 million offer on the table, ESPN reported Wednesday. It reportedly would be the largest contract ever given to a center who has never been an All-Star. However, the 24-year-old Kessler and his representatives are looking for “significantly more than that,” per ESPN. The Jazz have the right to match any offer sheet signed by Kessler, a first-round pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2022 NBA Draft who was immediately traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves and later dealt to the Jazz. Kessler was limited to five starts last season before undergoing shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. He averaged 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.8 blocks before the Oct. 31 injury. The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the potential suitors for the 7-foot-2 Kessler, according to The Ringer. Kessler ranked second in the league in blocks in 2023-24 (2.4 per game) and 2024-25 (2.4) and was fifth in rebounds (12.2) in 2024-25. He has career averages of 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots in 201 games (125 starts) over four seasons, all with Utah. ==================================== COLLEGE ATHLETICS NFL, NBA UNIONS APPLAUD EFFORTS ON BILL DESIGNED TO FIX COLLEGE SPORTS IN LETTER OBTAINED BY THE AP The NFL Players Association and National Basketball Players Association teamed up on letter to leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee, applauding their efforts on a recently introduced Senate bill designed to fix college sports. A copy of the letter from the NFLPA and NBPA was obtained on Tuesday by The Associated Press from a person who shared it on condition of anonymity because it was not released publicly. The unions wrote that they support the bill for provisions that guarantee NIL rights and provide medical and healthcare benefits. “We encourage continued meaningful stakeholder engagement and negotiations to further strengthen the bill as it moves through Congress to ensure college athletes are protected and empowered,” read the letter addressed to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. The NFL and U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee also released statements in support of the bipartisan bill. “Healthy, stable, and thriving collegiate athletics is essential to the future of American sports, including Olympic sports, and this legislation is an important step to achieving that for the benefit of all college athletes and institutions alike,” the NFL said, adding it will continue to work with Congress on the bill. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee also wrote to Cruz and Cantwell to strongly support the bill. “We want to express our sincere appreciation to you and your teams for the dedication to supporting collegiate Olympic sports and the student-athletes who benefit from these opportunities,” the governing body said. “Collegiate athletic departments are facing increasing pressure to prioritize revenue-generating sports at the expense of Olympic sports programs and opportunities.” While Cruz and Cantwell, the two top-ranked lawmakers on the Senate Commerce Committee, support the bill, passage through the Senate is far from certain. Cruz and Cantwell have portrayed their bipartisan bill, which would need 60 votes to clear the Senate, as the last, best chance to make lasting fixes to college sports. They have said they are open to adjusting the 111-page measure, which was rolled out on May 27. The SEC and Big Ten have not backed the Protect College Sports Act as currently written, and it is facing criticism from some senators. Former Alabama football coach Nick Saban and others have testified in support of the bill aimed at overhauling a college sports system with players earning millions of dollars while moving freely between schools. The bill would regulate payments to athletes, limit them to one “free” transfer during their careers and create a “Lane Kiffin Rule” restricting coaches from leaving programs during the season. ================================== NFL BRENDAN SORSBY PLANS JULY WORKOUT FOR NFL TEAMS BEFORE SUPPLEMENTAL DRAFT, AP SOURCE SAYS Brendan Sorsby is tentatively planning to work out for NFL teams before the supplemental draft following the quarterback’s decision to end an unprecedented legal fight to retain his eligibility after he acknowledged making impermissible bets while playing college football. Sorsby plans to hold his pro day July 10 at a Dallas-area high school, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday. That person spoke on condition of anonymity because the process for conducting the supplemental draft wasn’t complete. The deadline for applying for the draft is Monday, but there were still procedural issues related to a Texas district court’s temporary injunction that had cleared the way for him to play for Texas Tech this fall. Sorsby, who is from the Dallas area, would have to be ineligible from NCAA play to be able to apply for the NFL’s supplemental draft. That rarely used draft would be completed at least a week before the start of the first training camp in late July. The temporary injunction issued June 8 by a Lubbock County court prevented the NCAA from blocking the quarterback’s eligibility for what would have been his final college season. That would have to be dropped to make him ineligible again. The NCAA had declared the 22-year-old Sorsby permanently ineligible after he admitted making thousands of bets worth at least $90,000 during his time at three different schools. His college career began at Indiana, before playing for Cincinnati the past two seasons and then transferring to reigning Big 12 Conference champion Texas Tech in January. Those bets included at least 40 bets on Indiana while he was a freshman there in 2022, though none on the game in which he played for the Hoosiers that season. The June 22 deadline for entering the supplemental draft was among the key factors that led to the decision Monday for Sorsby to pursue the pros rather than move forward with the legal process that had gotten more uncertain. Sorsby filed suit against the NCAA on May 18. The case was heard June 1 in the 99th District Court in Lubbock County, where Texas Tech is located, and he was granted the temporary injunction against the NCAA on June 8. The NCAA and the Big 12 went to different courts this week. The NCAA on Monday asked a Texas appellate court for an emergency motion to stay the injunction, and for a resolution of the case before the start of Texas Tech’s season. The Big 12 went to federal court seeking an order to back its ability to use its bylaws for possible sanctions against Texas Tech if Sorsby had played this season. Sorsby, who never took a snap for Texas Tech, played in 35 college games, 24 at Cincinnati the past two seasons after 11 at Indiana the two seasons before that. He threw for 7,208 yards with 60 touchdowns and 18 interceptions while completing 594 of 968 passes (61.4%). He ran 320 times for 1,295 yards and 22 more scores. At Cincinnati last season, he threw for 2,800 yards and 27 TDs while running for 580 yards and nine touchdowns. He ranked third in the Big 12 with 281.7 total yards per game. =============================== COLLEGE FOOTBALL FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL PREVIEW https://collegefootballnews.com/college-football/fiu-football-preview-2026 ===== KENTUCKY PREVIEW https://collegefootballnews.com/college-football/kentucky-football-preview-2026 ===== SAN JOSE STATE PREVIEW https://collegefootballnews.com/college-football/san-jose-state-football-preview-2026===== LOUISIANA PREVIEW https://collegefootballnews.com/college-football/louisiana-football-preview-2026 ===== NORTHWESTERN PREVIEW https://collegefootballnews.com/college-football/northwestern-football-preview-2026 ================================== NHL MAPLE LEAFS HIRE FORMER LA KINGS COACH JIM HILLER TO REPLACE CRAIG BERUBE TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday hired Jim Hiller as the 41st head coach in franchise history, bringing back an assistant with the club from 2015-19. The 57-year-old Hiller replaces Craig Berube as part of an offseason overhaul led by new general manager John Chayka. Most recently, Hiller served as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, compiling a 93-58-24 record over parts of three seasons. The Kings fired Hiller on March 1 following an 8-1 loss to Edmonton. Hiller served as an assistant coach with the Kings for two seasons before being promoted to head coach. A native of Port Alberni, British Columbia, Hiller spent 11 seasons coaching junior hockey, including stints with the WHL’s Tri-City Americans and several teams in the British Columbia Hockey League, before moving to the NHL ranks. The Leafs fired Berube on May 13 after two seasons, following a first-to-last turnaround this past season. After finishing atop the Atlantic Division in 2024-25 and making it to the second round of the playoffs, Toronto fell to last in the division and 28th in the NHL. His firing came 10 days after Chayka was brought on board to replace Brad Treliving. Chayka called the Berube firing “an opportunity to start fresh,” and said the team would go through a wide-ranging search. Along with making some new front-office additions, Chayka traded goaltender Joseph Woll and depth defenseman Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday for blue-liner Emil Andrae, goalie Samuel Ersson and a third-round pick at next week’s NHL draft. Toronto owns the No. 1 pick in the draft, a first since taking Auston Matthews atop the 2016 draft. ===== SAN JOSE SHARKS ACQUIRE DEFENSEMAN MICHAEL KESSELRING FROM BUFFALO SABRES AMID PICK SWAP BUFFALO (AP) — The Buffalo Sabres are moving on from defenseman Michael Kesselring. Buffalo sent the 26-year-old Kesselring and the 27th overall pick in the upcoming NHL draft to San Jose on Wednesday for the 20th overall selection. The Sabres acquired Kesselring in a trade with Utah in June 2025, hoping the 6-foot-5 blueliner would provide some physicality and grit to Buffalo’s defensive core. Injuries, however, intervened. Kesselring had just two assists in 34 games with the Atlantic Division-winning Sabres. He appeared in just one playoff game, seeing a scant 4 minutes, 25 seconds of ice time. “Michael has a big frame with solid two-way ability,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. “He is a responsible player in the defensive zone with a well-rounded offensive game, and will be a good upgrade for us patrolling the blueline.” Kesselring, a sixth-round pick in the 2018 draft, has 12 goals and 43 assists in 190 career games with Arizona, Utah and Buffalo. ================================= WNBA WNBA TO EXPAND TO 50-GAME SCHEDULE FOR TEAMS NEXT SEASON NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA is expanding its schedule to 50 games per team next season — the most in the league’s 30-year history. The new collective bargaining agreement that was ratified earlier this year allows the league to play up to 50 games for the next two seasons. There can be up to 52 regular-season games in 2029 and for the rest of the CBA. “Demand for the WNBA has never been greater, and expanding to a 50-game regular season reflects the extraordinary momentum we are seeing across the league,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “This move reflects our commitment to growing the game and creating more opportunities for fans to watch the best players in the world and experience the extraordinary talent and competition that define the WNBA.” The league is playing 44 games again this season. Over the next few seasons the WNBA is adding three new teams through expansion. Cleveland is joining in 2028, Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030. Connecticut is moving to Houston next year. When the league first started in 1997, teams only played 28 games. That’s grown over the past three decades with the exception of 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Engelbert has said she’d love to play games overseas starting next saeson. The league expanded its footprint to Canada this year with the addition of the Toronto Tempo — the first WNBA franchise outside of the United States. The WNBA has added a lot of new TV and streaming partners over the past few years including ION, USA Sports, NBC and Amazon to go along with ESPN and CBS. ================================== GOLF USGA, R&A DELAYING GOLF BALL ROLLBACK TILL AT LEAST 2030 The proposed “rollback” of the golf ball will not begin in 2028, the USGA and the R&A announced Wednesday in conjunction with the PGA and DP World tours. The topic has been a flashpoint in the sport for years, and many professional players have been against new testing standards for balls aimed at curbing distance increases. The PGA Tour and its former commissioner Jay Monahan were outspoken against a rollback, while other stakeholders in the game — Augusta National Golf Club, for one — favored doing something to preserve historic courses that the modern golfer was beginning to overpower. Wednesday’s statement said “feedback from the golf industry” indicated support for a single-phase implementation in 2030 over the two-phase plan for 2028 and 2030. In the meantime, “constructive discussions” between the governing bodies and other stakeholders revealed there was “a collective willingness to reconsider alternative approaches that may more materially impact the pace of future distance increases, while minimizing disruption to the overall golf market,” according to the statement. As a result, the USGA and R&A, who administer the rules of golf, won’t change anything related to Overall Distance Standard testing “until January 2030 while these options are evaluated.” The statement was published shortly before USGA CEO Mike Whan took to the microphone at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club for his annual pre-U.S. Open address and press conference. Whan said he met with the PGA Tour Player Advisory Council, reportedly at the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago. “I’m not sure, if I’m being honest with you and being very personal, whether or not we’ll create or re-create an even better approach,” Whan said, “but I will tell you on a personal level I’m both willing and excited to pursue them with some of the best players in the world.” Asked what gives him confidence that the leading tours will accept golf ball regulation of any kind, Whan called himself a “glass half full” guy. “You could take the angle of, well, it’s been five years, and nobody is helping. … Or you can say if we could get to something better together, wouldn’t that be great for the game?” Whan said. “I think it would be crazy to not take the time to see if we could come up with something together.” Whan called the rollback pause “an opportunity to think bigger.” And although the topic of bifurcation — different sets of standards for amateurs and professionals — wasn’t broached, Whan was asked whether the USGA and R&A would consider a “narrow” solution focused on the competition ball. “A simpler, more narrow solution is exactly what we’re going to spend time looking at,” Whan said. “I think the alternative to what’s on the table for 2030, things that we’re going to look at together as a group are simpler, more narrow solutions, yes.” ===== US OPEN ’26: A Look Back As Far As 125 Years At Key Dates In Open History A look back at key anniversaries going into the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills: 125 years ago (1901) Course: Myopia Hunt Winner: Willie Anderson Score: 84-83-83-81–331 Margin: Playoff (85-86) Prize: $200 Runner-up: Alex Smith Summary: Smith had a five-shot lead with five holes to play when he went bogey-double bogey-bogey. His lead was down to one on the final hole. Anderson hit a cleek to 45 feet. Smith missed the green to the right, chipped through the green and pitched up to 3 feet. Anderson two-putted for par and 85. Smith missed his bogey putt and shot 86. Anderson won the first of four U.S. Open titles. Notable: Anderson and Smith finished at 331, the highest score in U.S. Open history leading to the first playoff. … Regulation play ended on Saturday. The playoff was not held until Monday because the course was reserved for members on Sunday. AP Story: Willie Anderson of Pittsfield, Mass., won the open golf championship of the United States out on the Myopia course here this afternoon, playing against Alex Smith, of Scotland. Anderson beat Smith by one stroke in the 18 holes, the total being 85 to 86. The match was very exciting except at the middle holes, when Smith had a lead of five strokes. Anderson’s recovery was remarkable, but he did not catch his man until the very last green, when he ran down a beautiful 5-foot putt for 4, while Smith missed a 3-foot putt, which would have tied the score. ===== 100 years ago (1926) Course: Scioto Country Club Winner: Bobby Jones Score: 70-79-71-73–293 Margin: 1 shot Prize: $500 awarded to the runner-up. Jones was an amateur Runner-up: Joe Turnesa. Summary: Jones was four shots behind with seven holes to play when Turnesa fell apart with five bogeys on his next six holes. Turnesa birdied the 18th. Jones needed a par on the final hole to force a playoff. He hammered a 300-yard drive on the par-5 closing hole, hit his second shot to 15 feet and two-putted for birdie and a 73 to win by one shot. Notable: Jones became the first player to win the U.S. Open and British Open in the same year. The British Open was held two weeks earlier. AP Story: Bobby Jones of Atlanta tonight is possessor of every supreme golf title in the world, an honor never before mantled on any golfer, by winning the national open championship at Scioto club with a score of 293. He annexed his latest title before a record crowd of 6,500, most of whom followed the study southerner through his final 36 holes. Good as Jones was for the grueling Scioto links, he was only one stroke ahead of Joe Turnesa of New York, who had finished ahead of Jones at 294. To overcome this score, Jones shot 1-under par on the last nine, finishing amidst a din of applause with a birdie 4 on the 480-yard home hole. ===== 75 years ago (1951) Course: Oakland Hills Winner: Ben Hogan Score: 76-73-71-67–287 Margin: 2 shots Prize: $4,000 Runner-up: Clayton Heafner Summary: Hogan overcame a two-shot deficit in the final round with a 3-under 67, finishing with a 14-foot birdie and a two-shot victory. It was Hogan’s third U.S. Open title, and his fifth major out of the last six he played. He famously said, “I’m glad I brought this course, this monster, to its knees.” Notable: Hogan considered his 67 in the final round the best round of his career. It was the lowest round of the championship. AP Story: Golf’s mighty little “Comeback Man,” Ben Hogan, staged another of his incredible finishes Saturday to win his third National Open championship in as many tries with a 72-hole score of 287. Five strokes back of South Africa’s Bobby Locke going into the final day, the wiry shot master from Fort Worth, Texas, climaxed his victory the a 3-under-par 67, sinking a birdie 14-foot putt on the final green. ===== 50 years ago (1976) Course: Atlanta Athletic Club Winner: Jerry Pate Score: 71-69-69-68–277 Margin: 2 shots Prize: $20,000 Runner-up: Al Geiberger and Tom Weiskopf Summary: Pate was one shot ahead of John Mahaffey on the 18th. Mahaffey hit out of the rough into the water. Pate hit 5-iron out of the rough to 3 feet for birdie to capture his only major. Notable: Jack Nicklaus tied for 11th, ending his streak of 13 consecutive top 10s in the majors. … This was the first U.S. Open players were allowed to use their regular caddies. AP Story: Young Jerry Pate looked at his ball nestling on a clump of Bermuda rough and measured his target, a flagstick sitting treacherously close to the front of a finger-thin green guarded by an expanse of water. Pate took a 5-iron from his bag. While thousands watched from the rain-drenched wings of the Atlanta Athletic Club — the club Bob Jones once belonged to — Pate swung gracefully and the ball arched toward the flag as if drawn by an invisible magnet and rested 2 feet from the cup. The dramatic shot, which will go down in golf annals as one of the greatest executed under extreme pressure, gave the rookie pro from Pensacola, Fla., a birdie finish for a final 68 and a two-stroke victory with 277. ===== 25 years ago (2001) Course: Southern Hills Winner: Retief Goosen Score: 66-70-69-71–276 Margin: Playoff (70-72) Prize: $900,000. Runner-up: Mark Brooks Summary: Goosen had this won in regulation until he three-putted from 12 feet for bogey on the last hole to fall into a playoff. Stewart Cink missed a 15-foot par putt for what he thought was his last chance at a playoff, then went to brush in the 18-inch bogey putt and missed. It wound up costing him a spot in the playoff. Notable: Tiger Woods tied for 12th, ending his streak of winning four straight majors. AP Story: Retief Goosen can laugh now about one of the greatest gaffes in golf history. He is the U.S. Open champion. The soft-spoken South African redeemed himself with rock-solid play to take a lead so commanding he could afford another three-putt on the 18th green to win the 18-hole playoff against Mark Brooks. But Goosen eliminated any suspense by rolling in a 6-footer for bogey that gave him an even-par 70 and a two-stroke victory at Southern Hills. Haunted by a three-putt from 12 feet that cost him the championship in regulation, a determined Goosen was golden to the end. ===== 20 years ago (2006) Course: Winged Foot Winner: Geoff Ogilvy Score: 71-70-72-7–285 Margin: 1 shot Prize: $1,225,000 Runner-up: Jim Furyk, Colin Montgomerie, Phil Mickelson Summary: Ogilvy made a superb up-and-down for what he thought was second place. Mickelson had a one-shot lead on the 18th when from the left rough, he tried to hit 3-iron over a tree. He hit the tree, his third shot plugged in a bunker, he blasted out through the green and took two putts for double bogey. Notable: Tiger Woods, in his first major since the death of his father, missed the cut for the first time in a major. AP Story: Phil Mickelson was poised to take his place with Tiger Woods in the record books. Instead, he joined Jean Van de Velde in the sad chapter of major championship collapses. All in a New York minute. The transformation was shocking and sudden late Sunday afternoon in the U.S. Open, when the new Phil who was going for his third straight major turned into the old Phil with a stubborn, reckless attempt to get himself out of another jam. He went for a par that would have won at Winged Foot. He wound up with a double bogey that made Geoff Ogilvy the first Australian to win this title in 25 years. The winning stroke in the toughest U.S. Open in 32 years was a 6-foot par putt that Ogilvy made on the 18th hole, which appeared to be good enough for second place. ===== 10 years ago (2016) Course: Oakmont Winner: Dustin Johnson Score: 67-69-71-69–276 Margin: 3 shots Prize: $1,800,000 Runner-up: Jim Furyk, Scott Piercy, Shane Lowry Summary: Johnson took over when Lowry lost a four-shot lead on the front nine. His ball slightly moved on the fifth green, and officials wanted a closer look. They told him on the 12th tee he might be penalized, meaning Johnson played the rest of the way not knowing his score. The USGA gave him a one-shot penalty when it was over. Notable: Johnson became the fourth player since World War II to win the U.S. Open after being runner-up the year before. The others were Tiger Woods, Payne Stewart and Jack Nicklaus. AP Story: Dustin Johnson settled the score Sunday in the U.S. Open. Johnson atoned for his past mishaps in the majors by showing he had the smarts to handle the toughest test in golf, even while playing the final two hours without knowing where he stood when the USGA questioned whether he should be penalized one stroke for his ball moving on the fifth green. Johnson said it didn’t. The USGA said it would wait until after the round to decide. America’s most powerful golfer took matters into his own hands at Oakmont, capping off a chaotic and confusing final round by stuffing his approach into 5 feet for a birdie that made the penalty a moot point. ===== USGA BOOSTS PRIZE MONEY TO $22.5M AT US OPEN The 2026 U.S. Open purse is on par with that of the Masters. On Wednesday, United States Golf Association CEO Mike Whan announced the purse for the 126th edition of the U.S. Open will be $22.5 million, which represents an increase of $1 million from last year. The winner of this week’s event at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y. will pocket $4.5 million, also matching the first-place prize this year at Augusta National. Rory McIlroy successfully defended his Masters title in April and claimed his sixth major title. JJ Spaun took home $4.3 million for winning last year’s U.S. Open. The PGA Championship increased this year’s purse to $20.5 million, with $3.69 million going to first-time major champion Aaron Rai. The Open Championship’s purse was $17 million last year, with Scottie Scheffler taking home $3.1 million. ===== 126TH U.S. OPEN: PREVIEW, TRENDS, PROPS & BEST BETS The 126th U.S. Open tees off Thursday at Shinnecock Hills, widely considered one of the most difficult majors venues around the world. Our golf experts preview the event, break down betting trends and provide their favorite prop picks along with best bets to win this week. That includes a wave of public support for European players following Rory McIlroy’s successful defense at the Masters and Aaron Rai’s breakthrough win at the PGA Championship. 126th U.S. OPENLocation: Southampton, N.Y., June 18-21Course: Shinnecock Hills Golf Club (Par 70, 7,440 Yards)Purse: $22.5 (2025: $4.5M)Defending Champion: J.J. SpaunFedEx Cup Leader: Matt Fitzpatrick PROP PICKS–Scottie Scheffler Top 5 Finish (+110 at BetMGM): The world’s No. 1-ranked player has only managed to hoist one trophy so far this year, but he does have seven top-5 finishes. That includes a runner-up at the Masters. Scheffler is unsurprisingly the most popular bet in the field to finish top-5 this week. –Kristoffer Reitan to Beat Alex Fitzpatrick (-108 at DraftKings): Two of the breakout stars of the first half of 2026 are pitted against each other here. Ranked 204th at the end of last year, Fitzpatrick has rocketed up to 69th with excellent finishes including fourth at the Truist Championship and a T6 at the Memorial after winning the Zurich Classic with his brother. Reitan served notice by hanging around the top of the leaderboard before settling for T41 at the Masters. He then won the Trust and equaled Fitzpatrick at the Memorial. This will be Fitzpatrick’s first U.S. Open. Reitan missed the cut in his lone appearance — at Shinnecock in 2018 as a 20-year-old amateur. BEST BETS–Scheffler (+455 at DraftKings) is attempting to become the seventh player to complete the career Grand Slam. His lone victory this year came back at the American Express in January. That hasn’t prevented Scheffler from being the biggest liability at BetMGM, where he leads the field with 14.1% of all bets and 24.7% of all money wagered on this week’s winner.–Rory McIlroy (+940) has three top-10s in eight starts this season, including his win at the Masters. Only six players have won the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year. McIlroy is second in both total bets (6.5%) and money (6.2%) backing him to win at BetMGM.–Jon Rahm (+1175) won his first major at the 2021 U.S. Open. He tied for second at the PGA Championship and is back to No. 8 in the world rankings.–Xander Schauffele (+1850) has finished in the top 14 in each of his previous nine U.S. Open appearances, with his best finish a tie for third in 2019.–Cameron Young (+1900) is coming off a T46 at the Memorial, but has two wins and six top-10s this year. He is BetMGM’s second biggest liability, with 6.2% of all money wagered on the winner backing Young.–Tommy Fleetwood (+2250) has six top-10s in 12 starts this season, led by a T4 at the Memorial. He also holds the U.S. Open course record at Shinnecock with a 63 in the final round in 2018.–Matt Fitzpatrick (+2250) won the 2022 U.S. Open. He is coming off a runner-up last week and is the only three-time winner on tour this season.–Wyndham Clark (+4500), the 2023 U.S. Open champion, followed up his win at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson with a third-place finish at the Memorial. NOTES–Founded in 1891, Shinnecock Hills is the oldest incorporated golf club in the United States. It hosted the second U.S. Open in 1896 with only 35 players, won by James Foulis. It also hosted the U.S. Open in 1986 (Raymond Floyd), 1995 (Corey Pavin), 2004 (Retief Goosen) and 2018 (Brooks Koepka).–The USGA accepted 10,201 entries for the 2026 U.S. Open, one shy of the record set last year.–The field will be cut to the low 60 scores and ties after 36 holes.–In the event of a playoff, it would be a two-hole aggregate playoff following the completion of Sunday’s round.–The winner receives a 10-year U.S. Open exemption, a five-year PGA Tour exemption and five-year exemptions into the other three majors along with The Players Championship. The top-10 finishers are exempt into next year’s U.S. Open and the top four finishers and ties receive invites to the 2027 Masters.–The field includes 36 players who competed in the most recent U.S. Open at Shinnecock in 2018.–Brooks Koepka, who won the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock, plans to play despite withdrawing last weekend due to a hand injury.–Adam Scott is scheduled to make his 100th consecutive start in a major.–Jackson Koivun, the top-ranked amateur in the world, will make his professional debut next month at the John Deere Classic. HOW TO FOLLOWTV: Thursday: 6:30 a.m.-5 p.m. ET (USA), 5-8 p.m. (NBC Sports Network, Peacock); Friday: 6:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (NBC Sports Network, Peacock), 1:30-7:30 p.m. (NBC, Peacock), 7:30-9:30 p.m. (NBC Sports Network, Peacock); Saturday: 10 a.m.-Noon (USA), Noon-8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock); Sunday: 9 a.m.-Noon (USA), Noon-7 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)Streaming:–Thursday: U.S. Open all-access: 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (Peacock), featured Groups (usopen.com, USGA App, Peacock, YouTube TV, DirecTV, Xfinity), approximately 7:30 a.m., 7:45 a.m., 8:15 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 2 p.m.–Friday: U.S. Open all-access: 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (Peacock), featured Groups (usopen.com, USGA App, Peacock, YouTube TV, DirecTV, Xfinity), approximately 7:30 a.m., 7:45 a.m., 8:15 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 2 p.m.–Saturday: U.S. Open all-access: 10 a.m.-noon (Peacock), featured Groups (usopen.com, USGA App, Peacock, YouTube TV, DirecTV, Xfinity), TBD–Sunday: U.S. Open all-access: 9 a.m.-noon (Peacock), featured Groups (usopen.com, USGA App, Peacock, YouTube TV, DirecTV, Xfinity), TBDX: @USOpenGolf ================================= AUTO RACING JESSE LOVE LANDS CUP RIDE WITH WOOD BROTHERS RACING Jesse Love will drive the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series beginning in 2027. The team announced the news Wednesday, a week after confirming that driver Josh Berry will not return next season. Love, 21, will make his debut for the venerable NASCAR shop at the 2027 Daytona 500. Love is currently competing in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving the No. 2 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. He ranks second in the standings through 17 starts with 10 top-10 finishes, including six in the top five. “Driving the No. 21 for Wood Brothers Racing is truly an honor,” Love said in a news release. “This team has played such an important role in NASCAR history, and the drivers who have sat behind the wheel of this car are some of the greatest our sport has ever seen. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone at Wood Brothers Racing, Team Penske and Ford Racing for believing in me — I’m excited to get to work, continue learning from the people around me and compete at the highest level.” Love was the 2024 Rookie of the Year and the 2025 season champion in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, previously known as the Xfinity Series. He has three career wins on that circuit. “Jesse has accomplished a lot at a young age,” said Jon Wood, president of Wood Brothers Racing. “He’s demonstrated the ability to win races, compete for championships and handle the expectations that come with racing at a high level. We’re looking forward to giving him the opportunity to take the next step in his career with the No. 21 team.” Previous drivers who took the wheel in the No. 21 car include NASCAR Hall of Fame members David Pearson, Buddy Baker and Cale Yarborough, and current Team Penske star Ryan Blaney. ===================================== INDIANA SPORTS NEWS AND HEADLINES INDIANA HS FOOTBALL Warren Central RB Keyon Thomas announced Wednesday that he will play his college football at Iowa. Thomas chose the Hawkeyes over Illinois and UConn. The Warriors senior-to-be rushed for 1,337 yards, and scored 19 touchdowns last season. ===== INDIANA SRN: INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL-TOP QB’S THE 2026 WATCH LIST OSCAR FRYE, BROWNSBURG OSCAR SLOAN, CENTER GROVE DARIAN PRATHER, LAWRENCE NORTH GABE FRISINGER, FW CARROLL TRYSTAN BARRETT, LAFAYETTE JEFFERSON BRANDT GRAY, PENDLETON HEIGHTS CRUE GILMOUR, LAWRENCEBURG JAMISON ROACH, ADAMS CENTRAL DREW CLINE, SOUTH PUTNAM COLE STEPHENS, GREENCASTLE MICHAEL HILL JR., MERRILLVILLE JACK SORGI, TRI-WEST COOPER DOLD, TWIN LAKES BRYOR CARMICHAEL, KNIGHTSTOWN AIDEN ROBINSON, MACONAQUAH CARTER SCHICKEL, NORTH POSEY CHASE DAVIS, MARTINSVILLE CHRISTIAN GRAYSON, CHARLESTOWNDUNCAN COMBS, BLOOMINGTON SOUTH LUKE COCANOWER, OSCEOLA GRACE GIBSON EAGLE, EASTERN (GREENTOWN) JACKSON SCHOCH, PERRY MERIDIAN BRYCE MCDONALD, SCECINA TREYTON FLETCHER, CENTRAL NOBLE SAM TOKAR, YORKTOWN LUKE BROWN, EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL BRYCE SEBANC, PLAINFIELD COLIN COOK, NORTHWESTERN JACE HOLLENDONNER, CENTERVILLE JACK QUILLEN, WARREN CENTRAL QUINN TOLLE, TIPTON CHASE GROVE, NORTH CENTRAL BISHOP MOORE, BEECH GROVE CHRIS HARRIS, PARK TUDOR LATHAN JANES, HUNTINGTON NORTH NIKOLAS FONDRISI, PROVIDENCE EVAN CLARK, INDIAN CREEK JAYCEK MILLER, SOUTH SPENCER GRAHAM VINSON, HAGERSTOWN CALEB HAWKINS, CLARKSVILLE DRU STAPLETON, LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC GABE KENNETT, BEN DAVIS LANDEN FITZGERALD, SHELBYVILLE DEAKEN JOHNSON, HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN AMARI PRICE, HAMMOND MORTON ================================ INDIANS BASEBALL The Indianapolis Indians erased a four-run deficit in late innings to tie the game, but the Iowa Cubs got the last laugh in a walk-off victory, 6-5, on Wednesday afternoon at Principal Park. The two clubs took a 5-5 tie game into extra innings, but Iowa (29-39) needed just six pitches in the 10th to run away with the win. After Beau Burrows (L, 2-1) struck out Kevin Alcántara, James Triantos shot a single into right field to bring home the automatic runner at second base. To open the contest, Derek Diamond pitched his third consecutive scoreless outing to set the floor for Antwone Kelly, but Kelly struggled to find his footing. After the Indians (28-43) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, the I-Cubs quickly erased Indy’s advantage in the bottom of the frame. With two men on and two out, Chas McCormick tied the game with an RBI single. Unable to get the final out of the inning, Kelly walked Eric Yang to load the bases. Ben Cowles added fuel to the fire, launching a grand slam to chase Kelly out of the game and extend their lead, 5-1. Indianapolis pulled within one run in the sixth inning, stringing together four hits for three runs. Jhostynxon Garcia and Nick Yorke hit consecutive RBI doubles to make it a 5-4 ball game. Late-game hustle heroics from Mike Jarvis knotted the game up, 5-5. Jarvis entered the contest in the eighth inning as a pinch runner for Enmanuel Valdez, who led off the inning with a single to right field. Caught in between first and second, Jarvis broke for second after I-Cubs pitcher Tyler Ferguson’s wild throw escaped into center field. Davis Wendzel flew out to Alcántara in center, but Jarvis’ speed beat Alcántara’s arm. Garcia plated Jarvis with a sac fly to complete his trip around the bases. Vince Reilly (W, 1-0) pitched a scoreless 10th for Iowa to keep the Indians at bay. The Indians look to end the I-Cubs win streak on Thursday night at 7:38 PM ET. Indianapolis will send RHP Khristian Curtis (1-0, 0.00) to the mound for his second start with the club, coming off a 10-strikeout scoreless outing, to face Iowa’s RHP Will Sanders (3-0, 5.31). =============================== INDIANA FEVER Indiana Fever vs. Atlanta DreamThursday, June 18, 2026Gainbridge Fieldhouse | 7:30 p.m. ET BROADCAST INFO TV: Amazon/WTHR/Fever Direct – Pat Boylan (play-by-play), Debbie Antonelli (analyst)Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – John Nolan (play-by-play), Bria Goss (analyst) PROBABLE STARTERS Indiana Fever (9-5) Guard – Caitlin ClarkGuard – Kelsey MitchellForward – Lexie HullForward – Monique BillingsCenter – Aliyah Boston Atlanta Dream (9-4) Guard – Jordin CanadaGuard – Allisha GrayForward – Rhyne HowardForward – Naz HillmonCenter – Angel Reese GAME PREVIEW The red-hot Fever will look to keep rolling this week as they host the Atlanta Dream on Thursday. It is the first game of a home-and-home set with the Dream, as the two teams will meet again in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon. Indiana has won four straight overall and six consecutive home games. The Fever are coming off a dominant 113-91 victory over Toronto on Tuesday night. The Fever offense was rolling as Indiana set a franchise record for most points scored in regulation. Kelsey Mitchell led the way with 27 points on 9-of-11 shooting, while Sophie Cunningham added 24 points off the bench while going 6-for-7 from 3-point range. Caitlin Clark (21 points and 14 assists) and Aliyah Boston (18 points and 11 rebounds) both recorded double-doubles. The Dream’s last win was also a comfortable victory over Toronto, as Atlanta routed the Tempo 102-77 on Sunday. Thursday’s game will feature four of the league’s top 10 scorers. Mitchell (20.8 points per game) and Clark (20.4) currently rank third and fourth in the WNBA, while Atlanta All-Stars Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard are seventh and ninth, averaging 19.6 and 18.9 points per contest, respectively. The Dream also feature Angel Reese, the third-year forward acquired from Chicago in a blockbuster offseason trade. Reese is on track to lead the league in rebounding for the third straight season, pulling down 12.3 rebounds per game to go along with 14.6 points per contest. =================================== INDIANA SWIMMING BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana swimming and diving director of operations Van Mathias broke his own American record in the 50-meter breaststroke Wednesday (June 17) at the TYR Pro Swim Series inside the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis. Mathias also claimed the U.S. Open record with his 26.30, nine hundredths of a second faster than the 26.39 he fired off at the Bergen Swim Festival on April 19 to originally become the fastest American all-time. With Wednesday’s swim, Mathias also became the fifth-fastest performer in the event all-time. Mathias was an All-American swimmer at IU from 2018-23 before becoming the program’s director of operations ahead of the 2024-25 season. He returned to competitive swimming during the summer of 2025. =================================== PURDUE FOOTBALL The Purdue football program picked up OL Chase Clark Wednesday. Clark committed to Oklahoma State, but flipped his commitment to Purdue. Clark is a 3-star prospect who has offers from 19 power-4 programs, and is listed at 6-5, 275 pounds. =================================== BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL The Butler women’s basketball team and head coach Maria Marchesano have announced four more home games for the month of November. After opening the season on Nov. 2 in a previously-announced game against Tennessee Tech, BU will then continue the opening week of the regular season by hosting Lipscomb Thursday, Nov. 5. BU will take on North Dakota State at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Nov. 12 before hosting the Kent State Golden Flashes on Nov. 18. Butler will conclude its November home contests with a Sunday tip against Eastern Michigan on Nov. 22. The Bulldogs have previously squared off with Lipscomb (1-0), Kent State (1-0) and Eastern Michigan (4-3), while the meeting against NDSU will be the first in program history between the two teams. The tip times and television assignments for the match-ups will be announced at a later date. Additional games on Butler’s non-conference schedule will be released soon. Marchesano enters her first season leading the women’s basketball program at her alma mater. Marchesano’s 14-year head coaching career includes 234 wins across four stops, with the five most recent seasons at Purdue Fort Wayne. She was a four-year letterwinner at Butler, graduating in 2005. She finished her Butler career as the second-best three-point shooter in program history (41.8 percent). The Bulldog roster is now set for the 2026-27 campaign with Saniya and Nevaeh Jackson returning for BU. Newcomers Karina Bystry and Tamar Singer will play a vital role for the Dawgs this season. Bystry, a Horizon League All-Freshman selection from NKU and Singer, a MAC All-Defensive team selection from a year ago, will look to make an immediate impact. ================================== INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S GOLF TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State women’s golf head coach Greg Towne announced the Fall 2026 schedule. Fall 2026 Schedule Information The Sycamores begin the fall near the northern tip of Michigan at the A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort for the A-Ga-Ming Invitational on September 6-7, hosted by Central Michigan. This will be the first time Indiana State has played in this tournament in the program’s history, according to records on hand. The Trees then turn to a familiar location: the Weibring Golf Club in Normal, Ill. for the Redbird Invitational on September 13-14. This will be the ninth time over the last 11 years that the Sycamores have competed in this tournament, dating back to the 2015-16 season. Indiana State visits the state to the south for the NKU Invitational, held at the Belterra Golf Club in Florence, Ind. This tournament is being held from September 28-29. According to records on hand, this is also another first-time tournament. The Sycamores head back to the Butler Fall Invitational for the sixth year in a row, played at the Highland Golf & Country Club on October 5-6. Finally, the Trees wrap up the fall slate on October 19-20 back at the Braun Intercollegiate played at Oak Meadow Country Club in Evansville, Ind. for the fifth-straight year. The schedule for Spring 2027 will be released at a later date. About the Team Head coach Greg Towne enters his 17th season with Indiana State, initially beginning with the program in August 2010. Sycamore Golf graduated two seniors from 2025-26 and is returning all six eligible players: Seniors: Rosalie DiNunzio, Sophia Florek Juniors: Gabby Cone, Nicole Feistl, Alana Gilbert Sophomores: Keira Brazeau Coach Towne announced the addition of incoming freshman Ava Brumagin, who signed in November 2025. ========================================== INDIANA STATE TRACK TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Three Indiana State track and field athletes will compete against the best young talent in North America starting Thursday, as the USATF U20 Championships and Canada U20 Championships get underway. Throwers Ben Brown and Theo Thurmond will represent the Blue and White at the USATF U20 Championships Thursday and Friday in Eugene, Oregon. Hurdler Kieran Barnewall will compete for the Trees at the Canada U20 Championships Saturday in Ottawa, Ontario. Competition Format The discus at the USATF U20 Championships will be run as one flight on Thursday, with Ben Brown throwing first and Theo Thurmond throwing 16th. All athletes will get three attempts, with the top nine athletes advancing to finals and receiving three additional attempts. The shot put at the USATF U20 Championships is divided into two flights on Friday. Ben Brown is in the first flight of competition, throwing third in that flight. All athletes will get three attempts, with the top nine athletes advancing to finals and receiving three additional attempts. The 110m hurdles at the Canada U20 Championships will feature qualifying, semifinals and finals. Kieran Barnewall’s seed time advanced him past qualifying and into Saturday’s semifinal round. Heats and lanes for semifinals will be determined after the qualifying round. Barnewall will advance to finals by finishing as one of the two fastest times in his prelim heat or as one of the three fastest times outside of the automatic qualifiers. The top two finishers in each event will qualify for the World Athletics U20 Championships, which take place August 5-9 in Eugene, Oregon, provided that they meet the qualification standard. Athletes who finish third in their events will serve as alternates for their national team for the championships. How They Got Here Each of Indiana State’s three U20 Championships qualifiers scored significant points for the Blue and White at the MVC Outdoor Championships, helping the Trees outscore their pre-championship projection by more than 40 points. Ben Brown, the only athlete of the three to qualify for multiple events at the USATF U20 Championships, booked his place with a top-five finish in the discus at the MVC Championships and a strong shot put performance at the Sycamore Open. Brown’s discus mark of 53.06m (174-1) at the MVC Championships was a five-meter PR and gave Indiana State multiple scorers in the event. His shot put mark in the final home meet measured 17.65m (57-11) and represented his best outdoor mark of the season by over a meter. Brown ranked second on the team in both the shot put and discus. Theo Thurmond closed his season in a big way, finishing second at the MVC Championships in the discus and also earning a top-30 finish at the NCAA East First Round in the event. Thurmond already ranks in the top 10 in program history in the discus with his mark of 54.39m (178-5), which earned him runner-up honors at the MVC Championships as a freshman. He was also over the 53-meter mark in the discus at the NCAA East First Round. Thurmond finished the season as the top Sycamore athlete in both the discus and hammer throw. Kieran Barnewall continued Indiana State’s Hurdle U legacy by placing second at the MVC Championships and 26th at the NCAA East First Round in the 110m hurdles. Barnewall, the top-ranked hurdles athlete at the Canada U20 Championships, already ranks in the top 10 in program history in the event for all-conditions times and also ranks in the top five among all Canadian-eligible athletes in the event. He owned four of the top six 110m hurdles times in the MVC this season, with a wind-legal best of 13.88 at the NCAA East First Round and an all-conditions best of 13.80 at the MVC Championships. Barnewall, who was part of Indiana State’s 110m hurdles podium sweep at the MVC Championships, ranked fourth among all freshmen at the NCAA East First Round. Up Next Indiana State’s international competition cycle continues with the USATF Outdoor Championships July 23-26 in New York City. First Team All-American hurdler Rachel Mehringer, fresh off a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, will represent the Trees in the 100m hurdles. Three-time All-American and 2024 Olympian Erin Reese, a 2019 Indiana State graduate, will compete in the hammer throw at the USATF Championships. Reese will also compete in the hammer at the Prefontaine Classic, one of the premier track and field meets, July 3-4 in Eugene, Oregon. ================================= SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S SOCCER EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Men’s Soccer has announced its schedule for the upcoming 2026 season. The Screaming Eagles enter their fifth season competing at the Division I level, and their fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference. USI is coming off a 2-10-5 (1-4-5 OVC) campaign, which saw the program’s longest unbeaten streak since 2019 at five games. The season was highlighted by a 4-1 home win over the eventual OVC runner-up Houston Christian University. Southern Indiana returns 19 players from 2025, including the team’s leader in assists, sophomore Tony Murphy, and an OVC Offensive Player of the Week winner in sophomore Edin Cvorovic. As a whole, the Eagles are set to return 50 percent of the team’s offensive production from a year ago. 2026 will mark the first year at USI for head coach Mads Kaiser, who joins the team after three seasons as head coach at Saint Francis University. Kaiser had a cumulative record of 22-16-11, including the program’s only unbeaten regular season in 2023, where the Red Flash went 7-0-8, and he nabbed the Northeast Conference Coach of the Year. “We are excited about the challenges this schedule brings and the opportunities it gives our group to grow,” said Kaiser. “It is a competitive slate that will test us early and prepare us for conference play. We cannot wait to get started!” The Eagles open the regular season with a two-game road trip through the Horizon League, starting with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on August 20, before traveling to a former Great Lakes Valley Conference foe, Northern Kentucky University, on August 24. USI hosts Indiana University Indianapolis for the team’s home opener on September 2, then brings Bellarmine University back to Strassweg Field for the first time since the 2024 season on September 8. The team then begins a four-game road trip, opening against Big East opponent Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on September 9. Following that contest, the Eagles continue their road swing with the fifth annual Mayor’s Cup against the University of Evansville on September 15. The road trip continues with a stop in Nashville, Tennessee, to take on the Bruins of Belmont University on September 18 in the non-conference finale. USI closes out the road trip with the OVC opener, September 26, at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. The Eagles then return to Strassweg on October 1 against Eastern Illinois University before opening a three-game road trip with a game at Western Illinois University on October 4. USI then travels to the Lone Star State for matchups against Houston Christian (October 8) and the University of the Incarnate Word (October 11). Following the trip, Southern Indiana prepares for the longest homestand of the season, opening with a matchup against the newest OVC team, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, on October 15. The Eagles then host a pair of familiar foes in Lindenwood University (October 18) and SIUE (October 24), before traveling once again for the road finale against Eastern Illinois on October 29. The team closes out the regular season with a home matchup against Western Illinois on November 1. Following the conclusion of the regular season, the Eagles will look to compete in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament in St. Charles, Missouri, which opens on November 8 and runs through November 14. =================================== VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL Valparaiso men’s basketball fans can gain their first look at the 2026-27 Beacons when the squad plays two exhibition games against international competition as part of the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Summer League, Monday, Aug. 3 and Tuesday, Aug. 4, at the amazing Baha Mar resort. Veteran event promoter bdG Sports made the announcement Wednesday. The six-day trip runs Aug. 1 through Aug. 6 with each game taking place at the Baha Mar Convention, Arts and Entertainment Center on-site at the resort. Opponents, including international teams and Canadian universities, as well as game times will be announced later. “Our trip to Baha Mar will provide our team with the opportunity to gain valuable experience as we prepare for the upcoming season,” Valpo head coach Roger Powell Jr. said. “We look forward to getting on the court in game situations as we blend an exciting group of newcomers with our strong returning core. Our team will grow together on and off the court through this experience. We’re thankful to everyone who helped make this trip possible.” Plans are also in the works for the Beacons to give back to the Nassau community with a free kids’ basketball camp during their stay in the capital city. The new Valpo roster is headlined by returning sophomore forward JT Pettigrew, who claimed all-league honors and finished runner up in voting for Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year after averaging 12.5 points and 6.8 rebounds last season. The Beacons continued their upward trajectory under Powell a year ago, finishing 18-15 overall and 11-9 in the league. It marked Valpo’s highest overall win total since 2019-20 and its highest league win percentage since joining The Valley (2017-18). New NCAA rules allow college teams to take a foreign tour annually after the previous rule allowed such a trip only once every four academic years. The announcement of additional U.S. college teams scheduled to participate in the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Summer League will come soon. The fifth-annual event is managed by bdG Sports, a Kentucky-based sports and entertainment management firm which annually operates two dozen collegiate men’s and women’s basketball games at Baha Mar each November. “Summer tours have become vitally important to teams in today’s college basketball environment,” President and CEO of bdG Sports Brooks Downing said. “We are seeing incredible interest from throughout the sport given the number of benefits, such as the 10 extra practices, the multiple games, and the opportunity for team bonding in one of the world’s most incredible destinations. The $4 billion resort at beautiful Cable Beach boasts entertainment options for everyone, including incredible dining options, a casino, a $250 million water park, and a new jazz club. Baha Mar is excited to welcome Valpo to The Bahamas!” ================================= INDIANA COLLEGE SPORTS WEB SITES UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/ MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/ INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/ EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/ WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/ FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/ ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/ ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/ DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/ HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/ MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/ HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/ OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/ IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/ IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/ PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/ INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/ ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/ GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/ HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/ VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index ========================================================= “SPORTS EXTRA” TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY 881 – The Washington Nationals of the Eastern Association disband, citing lack of interest after being rejected to join the National League. 1893 – After a day off, Cincinnati starts matters off by scoring 14 runs in the 1st inning‚ then cruises to a 30 – 12 victory over Louisville. Farmer Vaughn and James “Bug” Holliday lead the attack with nine hits‚ including five extra-base hits‚ between them. Piggy Ward‚ with two singles‚ five walks‚ and a hit by pitch, goes into the record books as the only man in major league history to reach base eight times in a nine-inning game. He has now reached base safely 12 straight times. Bid McPhee and Arlie Latham have a record eight plate appearances each. The Reds tally 19 singles‚ four doubles‚ five triples‚ and three homers off Bill “Dusty” Rhodes‚ pitching in his only major league season. 1911 – In the 6th inning in Detroit, the White Sox lead the Tigers, 13 – 1, and after seven innings, the Pale Hose still are still ahead, 15 – 7. The Tigers, however, use five singles and two walks to narrow Chicago’s lead to 15 – 13 in the 8th, and then complete their incredible comeback in the final frame when Ty Cobb strokes a two-run single, his fifth hit of the day, and then scores on Sam Crawford’s double to win the Navin Field contest, 16 – 15. 1919 – At Fenway Park, with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, Red Sox catcher Wally Schang is the victim of third baseman Jimmy Austin’’s hidden ball trick. The play ends the game with the Browns beating Boston, 3 – 2. 1927 – On Charles Lindbergh Day, the transatlantic pioneer flyer helps the Cardinals raise the National League pennant before the team’s 6 – 4 victory over New York at Sportsman’s Park. The game marks the return to St. Louis of Rogers Hornsby, the Redbirds’ former player-manager who guided the team to the world championship last season, but was traded to the Giants in the offseason, after having disputes over salary with owner Sam Breadon. 1938 – Babe Ruth signs a contract to coach with the Brooklyn Dodgers. “The Babe” dons a Dodger uniform the next day, entertains observers with a batting demonstration, and works the third-base coaching box. 1940 – Joe Medwick of the Brooklyn Dodgers is beaned by St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Bowman, less than a week after having been acquired from the Cards in a six-player blockbuster trade. Although Medwick will return from the injury in a few days, he will never regain his previous power-hitting form. 1947 – Cincinnati Reds pitcher Ewell Blackwell tosses a 6 – 0 no-hitter against the Boston Braves. 1950 – In the nightcap of a doubleheader, the Cleveland Indians score 14 runs in the 1st inning for an American League record as they trounce the Philadelphia Athletics, 21 – 2. 1953 – At Fenway Park, Dick Gernert’s home run highlights a 17-run, 14-hit, 7th inning as the Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers, 23 – 3. In the big inning, Gene Stephens has three hits, Sammy White scores three runs and Tom Umphlett also reaches base three times. 1960 – Tom Sheehan becomes the oldest person to debut as a major league manager. The 66-year-old replaces fired Giants skipper Bill Rigney. The club, which is currently in second place, will finish the season fifth, 16 games behind Pittsburgh. 1961: Eddie Gaedel dies from a heart attack in Chicago, IL, at the age of 36. In one of Bill Veeck’s most outlandish promotions, the three-foot, seven-inch Gaedel had appeared in one game for the St. Louis Browns in 1951. Pirates rookie Don Leppert hits a home run on the first pitch thrown to him in his major league career, going deep off southpaw Curt Simmons in the 2nd inning of the Bucs’ 5 – 3 victory over the Redbirds at Forbes Field. The 29-year-old freshman catcher’s feat will not be accomplished again by another Pittsburgh player until 2012, when Starling Marte also homers on the first pitch he sees in his big league debut. In the first game of a doubleheader at Fenway Park, the Red Sox, trailing by seven runs entering the bottom of the 9th, beat the Senators, 13 – 12, after Jim Pagliaroni’s two-out grand slam ties the score. In addition to catching all 22 innings of the twin bill, the Boston backstop also hits a walk-off home run in the 13th inning of the nightcap, giving Boston a 6 – 5 victory. 1962 – Hank Aaron hits only the third home run to reach the centerfield bleachers at the Polo Grounds; the feat comes only one day after Lou Brock had been the second to accomplish it. 1967: Houston Astros pitcher Don Wilson tosses his first of two career no-hitters. Wilson beats the Atlanta Braves and Phil Niekro, 2 – 0, facing 30 batters and striking out 15. Red Sox third baseman Joe Foy, who is spending the night with his parents before a series against the Yankees, is able to get his parents safely out of the building when a fire breaks out in their home in the Bronx. The house blaze will result in the loss of the many souvenirs and keepsakes the 24-year-old infielder has accumulated as a baseball player. 1971 – The Milwaukee Brewers host their first 10-cent beer night; the promotion will go without incident, in contrast with a similar promotion put on by the Cleveland Indians in 1974. 1972 – Colorful Oakland Athletics owner Charlie Finley holds baseball’s first ever “Mustache Day.” Finley agreed to pay $300 to each of his players for growing mustaches by Father’s Day. Reggie Jackson had started the trend by reporting to spring training with a mustache, to became the first major leaguer to do so since Frenchy Bordagaray in 1936. 1975 – Fred Lynn collects ten runs batted in with three home runs, a triple and a single in a 15 – 1 win by the Boston Red Sox over the Detroit Tigers. Lynn’s 16 total bases tie an American League record. It will be 37 years before Ryan Braun becomes the next player to hit three homers and a triple in the same game. Lynn will go on to win the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards in the American League. 1976 – Commissioner Bowie Kuhn voids the sales of Oakland Athletics stars Vida Blue, Rollie Fingers and Joe Rudi. Kuhn orders the players to return to Oakland, but spiteful Athletics owner Charlie Finley will not allow manager Chuck Tanner to use any of them in a game until June 27th. 1977 – New York Yankees outfielder Reggie Jackson and team manager Billy Martin become involved in a dugout confrontation at Fenway Park that is seen on national television. After Martin removes his right fielder for loafing on a ball hit to the outfield, Jackson questions his manager in the dugout. The two are eventually separated by coach Elston Howard. 1979 – Billy Martin returns to the dugout to manage the Yankees for the second time, being named to replace Bob Lemon, the skipper who replaced him last season and led the team to a World Championship. Martin will be at the helm this season for 95 games, and the fourth-place team will win 55 of those games. 1986 – Don Sutton of the California Angels pitches a three-hitter for his 300th career victory as the Angels beat the Texas Rangers, 5 – 1. The 41-year-old right-hander becomes the 19th pitcher to win 300 games. 1989 – The Phillies trade 2B Juan Samuel to the Mets for OF Lenny Dykstra and P Roger McDowell. The Mets will attempt to turn Samuel into a centerfielder, with little success. 1991 – Toshikatsu Hikono hits a game-winning homer in the 10th inning but falls down as he rounds first base and is unable to rise. A pinch-runner has to finish the circuit for him. 1996 – Brant Brown hits the first three home runs of his career on the same day. The 25-year-old rookie goes deep as a pinch-hitter in the 9th inning off Chan Ho Park in a 9 – 6 Cubs loss to the Dodgers in the opener of a Wrigley Field twin bill, but his two additional round-trippers contribute to Chicago’s 7 – 4 victory in the nightcap. 2000: Mike Lansing of the Colorado Rockies hits for the cycle in a 19 – 2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, getting one of the four hits in each of the first four innings. It is believed to be the quickest cycle in major league history, as the game is not even official by the time it is completed! The Rockies set a team record with 23 hits, including five by Jeff Cirillo and four by Brent Mayne. In another high-scoring game, the A’s slam the Royals, 21 – 3, as every player in the Oakland starting lineup has at least one hit and one RBI, and scores a minimum of one run. The 18-run difference is the largest margin of victory for the A’s and the largest margin of defeat for the Royals in the team’s respective histories. 2001: Citing he wants to spend more time with his family, Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. announces he will retire at the end of the season. The two-time MVP will be best remembered for his streak of playing in 2,632 consecutive games. A mandate issued by the commissioner’s office imposes a two-minute limit for warm-up tosses thrown by relievers who come in during an inning, with the time starting when the pitcher enters fair territory. At the beginning of a frame, the allotted warm-up time for a hurler will be one minute and forty seconds, unless the game is on national television; in that event, the time limit will be increased by 20 seconds. 2002: Luis Castillo of the Florida Marlins ties Rogers Hornsby’s 80-year-old record for the longest hitting streak by a second baseman, beating out a dribbler to the pitcher in the 6th inning to make it 33 games in a row. Florida beats the Cleveland Indians, 2 – 1. In interleague play, the Chicago Cubs defeat the Texas Rangers, 4 – 3, as for the first time in major league history four members of the 400-home run club play in the same game: Rafael Palmeiro and Juan Gonzalez for Texas and Sammy Sosa and Fred McGriff for Chicago. 2007: Sam Perlozzo is fired as manager of the Baltimore Orioles. Coach Dave Trembley replaces him on an interim basis; he will later be confirmed as full-time manager. Freshman star Yuki Saito pitches Waseda University to its first All-Japan University Baseball Championship in 33 years, beating Tokai University, 4 – 1. He wins the MVP award in the tourney, the first freshman to do so. The New York Yankees sign Chinese catcher Zhenwang Zhang and pitcher Kai Liu. It is wrongly touted as the first time a major league organization has signed Chinese players. However, the Seattle Mariners had signed Chao Wang in 2001. 2009: In a start delayed by rain for over five hours at New Yankee Stadium, Craig Stammen earns his first career victory when the Nationals shut out the Yankees, 3 – 0. It is the first homerless game at the ballpark since its opening in April. In a rain-shortened game, Carlos Torres of the Charlotte Knights throws a five-inning perfect game against the Pawtucket Red Sox. The last five-inning no-hitter in the International League was thrown by Mariano Rivera in 1995. 2010: In his third major league start, the Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg strikes out ten opponents to set a major league record with 32 in his first three games, beating the mark of 29 held by J.R. Richard, but the White Sox hold on to inflict an 11-inning, 2 – 1 defeat to the Nats. The Mets extend their winning streak to eight games when rookie Hisanori Takahashi, with help from Pedro Feliciano and Francisco Rodriguez, shuts out their crosstown rivals the New York Yankees, 4 – 0. The Mets are not the only team on a winning streak: the Tigers extend theirs to seven games with a 7 – 5 win over the Diamondbacks. Brandon Inge delivers the key hit with an RBI triple in the 8th. 2011: A violent collision at home plate between Carlos Pena of the Cubs and New York Yankees catcher Russell Martin is the highlight of the Yanks’ 4 – 3 win. With New York up 3 – 2 in the 6th inning, Geovany Soto hits a bases-loaded line drive to left which Brett Gardner catches as he is charging; he fires a one-hop strike to Martin, which arrives just before Pena crashes into him, sending his helmet flying and the catcher rolling on the ground. But Martin holds on for an inning-ending double play. A.J. Burnett is the winner over Ryan Dempster, with Mariano Rivera picking up the save. The Nationals have now won eight straight after Jordan Zimmermann beats the Orioles, 4 – 2. He gives up two runs over 6 1/3 innings, but a two-run homer by Michael Morse, a solo shot by Ryan Zimmerman and good bullpen work by Henry Rodriguez and Drew Storen secure the victory. 2012: R.A. Dickey throws his second consecutive one-hitter in beating the Orioles, 5 – 0. He is the first pitcher to do so since Dave Stieb in 1988, and the first in the National League since Jim Tobin in 1944. The Mets’ knuckleballer has not allowed an earned run in his last five starts. Wilson Betemit gets the only hit against him with a 5th-inning single. Aaron Hill hits for the cycle in leading the Diamondbacks over the Mariners, 7 – 1. Hill had come up a double short of a cycle, striking out in his last at-bat, in a game against the Rockies on June 5th, but a 7th-inning homer completes the feat today as he becomes the fifth player in D-Backs history to turn the trick. The Yankees beat the Braves, 6 – 2, behind the pitching of CC Sabathia, for their tenth straight win. Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano homer. All ten wins have come in interleague play. 2013: The city of San Jose, CA files a suit in federal court against Major League Baseball and Commissioner Bud Selig, arguing it has suffered millions of dollars in damages because MLB has refused to allow the Oakland Athletics to move to a new ballpark there. The suit explicitly challenges baseball’s exemption from antitrust laws, which is the relic of a much-criticized Supreme Court decision dating back to 1922. The Mets get a pair of outstanding performances from young pitchers in sweeping a doubleheader from the Braves. In the opener, second-year man Matt Harvey, 24, takes a no-hitter into the 7th inning and strikes out 13 on his way to a 4 – 3 win. In the nitecap, rookie Zack Wheeler, 23, making his highly anticipated major league debut, pitches six shutout innings and strikes out seven as the Mets win again, 6 – 1. 2014: Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers throws the second no-hitter of the year, shutting out the Colorado Rockies, 8 – 0. It comes less than a month after his teammate Josh Beckett had pitched a no-hitter on May 26th. He strikes out 15 without giving up a walk, the only baserunner coming on a two-base error by SS Hanley Ramirez in the 8th. The Red Sox win a game in an unprecedented manner, as they turn a one-run deficit in the 10th inning into a walk-off win thanks to back-to-back solo homers by David Ortiz and Mike Napoli in beating the Twins, 2 – 1. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it is the first time a team wins a game by scoring its first runs of the day on back-to-back long balls in extra innings. Chris Parmelee had put the Twins ahead with a solo homer of his own in the top of the inning. 2015: Gerrit Cole becomes the first 11-game winner in the majors this year as he leads the Pirates to a 3 – 2 win over the White Sox. The Pirates have now won eight straight. Mark Melancon records his 23rd save, tied for the major league lead. Ned Yost becomes the winningest manager in team history as the Royals defeat his former team, the Brewers, 3 – 2. Yost’s 411th win at the helm moves him past Hall of Famer Whitey Herzog. 2017 – Nolan Arenado hits a walk-off homer in the 9th to complete a cycle, leading the Rockies to a 7 – 5 win over the Giants. 2019 – Max Kepler only enters today’s game against the Red Sox in the 6th inning, as a pinch-hitter for Marwin Gonzalez, but by the time the game ends, the Twins RF, whose bat has been scorching hot of late, will have gone 3 for 5 with three RBIs. He gets started by drawing a walk as a pinch-hitter, then singles in a run to tie the game in the 8th, homers off Hector Velazquez in the 13th to tie the game again, and finally singles with the bases loaded off Brian Johnson in the 17th to drive in Luis Arraez with the winning run as Minnesota finally prevails, 4 – 3, ending Boston’s season-high six-game winning streak. 2022 – Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws the fourth no-hitter of the Nippon Pro Baseball season, setting a record for no-hitters in a year. He blanks the Seibu Lions, 2 – 0. The Japanese season has not even reached the All-Star break, but there will be no further such games this year. 2023 – For the first time in 17 years, the Red Sox sweep a doubleheader against their bitter rivals, the Yankees, defeating them, 6 – 2, in the afternoon game and 4 – 1 in the nationally-televised Sunday Night Baseball game at Fenway Park. 2024 – Hall of Famer Willie Mays, in the conversation for the greatest player ever and one of the last survivors from the Negro Leagues in the days when they were major leagues, passes away at 93. 2025 – Trailing 8 – 0 in the 3rd with starter Taj Bradley already out of the game, the Rays pull off a great comeback at George M. Steinbrenner Field, scoring 12 unanswered runs to win, 12 – 8, over the Orioles. The Rays, who tie a record for biggest deficit erased in franchise history, have now won 20 of their past 27 games and are nipping at the heels of the first-place Yankees in the AL East. Births[edit] 1849 – Jim Tipper, outfielder (d. 1895) 1860 – John Grady, minor league catcher (d. 1893) 1861 – John Lawler, umpire (d. 1926) 1862 – Dick Blaisdell, pitcher (d. 1886) 1862 – Charlie Ganzel, catcher (d. 1914) 1866 – Varney Anderson, pitcher (d. 1941) 1867 – J.B. Roe, minor league manager and executive (d. 1942) 1870 – P.J. Gately, minor league pitcher (d. 1891) 1874 – Fred Blank, pitcher (d. 1936) 1882 – Charlie Fritz, pitcher (d. 1943) 1888 – Marty Berghammer, infielder (d. 1957) 1893 – Gladys Goodding, organist (d. 1963) 1893 – Ben Shaw, infielder (d. 1959) 1893 – Ross Swartz, minor league player and college coach (d. 1978) 1896 – Newt Halliday, infielder (d. 1918) 1897 – George Armstrong, minor league infielder and manager (d. 1979) 1908 – John Balquist, college coach (d. 1991) 1910 – Russ Hodges, announcer (d. 1971) 1916 – Norris Phillips, pitcher (d. 1996) 1917 – Jimmy Pofahl, infielder (d. 1984) 1918 – Virgil Thompson, minor league pitcher 1924 – Erma Bergmann, AAGPBL pitcher (d. 2015) 1924 – Koji Himeno, NPB pitcher (d. ????) 1924 – Marie Kruckel, AAGPBL pitcher (d. 2012) 1924 – John Kuenster, writer (d. 2012) 1924 – Milton Ralat, minor league pitcher (d. 2005) 1925 – Edward Martin, college coach (d. 2002) 1926 – Raúl Mendoza Mancilla, writer; Salon de la Fama (d. 2004) 1927 – Irv Medlinger, pitcher (d. 1975) 1929 – Bill Upton, pitcher (d. 1987) 1932 – Ron Necciai, pitcher 1933 – Taylor Phillips, pitcher 1936 – Hoten Suemori, NPB infielder 1937 – Del Harris, college coach 1938 – Junichi Nakajima, NPB pitcher 1938 – Masayuki Yamazaki, NPB outfielder and pitcher (d. 1991) 1939 – Lou Brock, outfielder; All-Star, Hall of Famer (d. 2020) 1941 – Paul Brown, pitcher 1941 – Hidekazu Yamamoto, NPB infielder (d. 2016) 1942 – Yasuhiko Tsuji, NPB catcher 1943 – Mitsuhiro Takeno, NPB outfielder 1944 – Iván Carradero, Puerto Rican National Team player (d. 2014) 1946 – Kiyoshi Goto, NPB pitcher 1946 – Shinji Nakazawa, NPB catcher 1949 – Dave Schneck, outfielder 1953 – Glenn Nobbe, college coach (d. 2010) 1959 – Frank Russo, researcher 1960 – Peter Wood, Australian national team infielder 1961 – Andres Galarraga, infielder; All-Star 1961 – Tom McCarthy, pitcher 1962 – Dave Leiper, pitcher 1963 – Mike Cupples, minor league catcher and college coach 1963 – Russ McGinnis, catcher 1963 – Koji Takeshita, NPB pitcher 1964 – Tommy Hinzo, infielder 1964 – Miguel Román, minor league outfielder 1964 – Bernie Walker, minor league outfielder 1965 – Masahiko Migita, NPB outfielder 1965 – Anthony Scaglione, minor league pitcher 1966 – Sandy Alomar, catcher; All-Star 1966 – Mike Linskey, minor league pitcher 1967 – Freddy Zamora Sr., Nicaraguan national team outfielder 1969 – Jason Townley, minor league catcher 1970 – David Setas, Spanish national team pitcher 1971 – Kaoru Nihei, NPB outfielder 1972 – Chad Tredaway, minor league infielder and manager 1974 – Carlos Mendez, infielder 1974 – Jorge Merán, minor league catcher 1974 – Junji Hoshino, NPB pitcher 1974 – Susumu Otomo, NPB outfielder 1974 – Daisuke Shoji, NPB outfielder 1975 – Felix Heredia, pitcher 1976 – Akihito Fujii, NPB catcher 1976 – Jeremy Powell, pitcher 1976 – Wilson Sido, minor league pitcher 1977 – Henry Corniel, minor league pitcher 1977 – Jurriaan Lobbezoo, Hoofdklasse pitcher 1979 – Toru Fujiwara, NPB outfielder 1980 – Darren Heath, minor league outfielder 1980 – Jong-wook Lee, KBO outfielder 1980 – Felix Romero, minor league pitcher 1980 – Tommy Watkins, infielder 1981 – Ben Johnson, outfielder 1981 – Jung-wook Um, KBO pitcher 1982 – Cory Patton, minor league outfielder 1983 – Jarrett Hoffpauir, infielder 1983 – David Wennerlund, Elitserien outfielder 1984 – Fernando Rodriguez, pitcher 1985 – Chris Beck, Bundesliga infielder 1985 – Chris Coghlan, infielder 1985 – Eammon Portice, minor league pitcher 1985 – Luany Sánchez, minor league catcher 1986 – George Brown, minor league pitcher 1986 – Steven Cishek, pitcher 1986 – Caleb Joseph, catcher 1987 – Jeremy Bleich, pitcher 1987 – Jason Castro, catcher; All-Star 1987 – J.B. Shuck, outfielder 1987 – Taylor Thompson, pitcher 1988 – Tao Li, Chinese national team catcher 1988 – Alberto Soto, Cuban league pitcher 1989 – Rolando Gomez, minor league infielder 1989 – Kyle Hunter, minor league pitcher 1989 – Matt Moore, pitcher; All-Star 1989 – Myung-jun Yoon, KBO pitcher 1990 – Loes Asmus, Dutch women’s national team pitcher 1990 – Lisalverto Bonilla, pitcher 1990 – Johnathan Ray, college coach 1990 – Kyle Winkler, minor league pitcher 1991 – Andospa Aldo Saputra, Indonesian national team outfielder 1991 – Tomas Telis, catcher 1992 – Cody Buckel, minor league pitcher 1992 – Malcolm Holland, minor league outfielder 1993 – Ian Delamarre, Hoofdklasse pitcher 1993 – Tayler Saucedo, pitcher 1993 – Chuck Thielmann, college coach 1994 – Yuya Katayama, NPB catcher 1995 – Robert Tyler, minor league pitcher 1995 – Jamie Westbrook, infielder 1996 – Braxton Davidson, minor league outfielder 1996 – Nick Margevicius, pitcher 1996 – Jake Meyers, outfielder 1997 – Tokito Kawamura, NPB pitcher 1997 – Evan Lee, pitcher 1999 – Robby Ahlstrom, pitcher 1999 – Richard Sunagawa, NPB infielder 1999 – Bryce Teodosio, outfielder 2001 – William Kempner, pitcher 2002 – Kento Kawase, NPB pitcher 2002 – Stanling Orozco, Nicaraguan national team pitcher 2004 – Vansana Chansana, Laotian national team infielder 2005 – Victor Wahlberg, Elitserien infielder 2006 – Slade Caldwell, minor league outfielder Deaths[edit] 1879 – George Fletcher, outfielder (b. 1845) 1915 – Charlie Faust, pitcher (b. 1880) 1926 – Alex Gardner, catcher (b. 1861) 1927 – Jack Harper, pitcher (b. 1893) 1929 – Frank Bishop, infielder (b. 1856) 1936 – Al Nichols, infielder (b. 1852) 1937 – Willie Adams, pitcher (b. 1890) 1939 – Murphy Currie, pitcher (b. 1893) 1947 – Neal Brady, pitcher (b. 1897) 1947 – Lou Harding, catcher (b. 1865) 1953 – Buck Wheat, minor league catcher (b. 1896) 1955 – Jack Katoll, pitcher (b. 1875) 1957 – Milo Allison, outfielder (b. 1890) 1961 – Eddie Gaedel, pinch hitter (b. 1925) 1963 – Ben Geraghty, infielder (b. 1912) 1964 – Ten Million, minor league outfielder (b. 1889) 1966 – Rollie Naylor, pitcher (b. 1892) 1968 – Lloyd Bishop, pitcher (b. 1890) 1972 – Willie Burnham, negro league pitcher (b. 1907) 1973 – Gerves Fagan, infielder (b. 1916) 1977 – Johnny Frederick, outfielder (b. 1902) 1978 – Eddie Berry, pitcher (b. 1912) 1979 – Hal Trosky, infielder (b. 1912) 1981 – Honey Barnes, catcher (b. 1900) 1989 – Steve Senteney, pitcher (b. 1955) 2001 – Sam Jethroe, outfielder; All-Star (b. 1917) 2002 – Jack Buck, announcer (b. 1924) 2002 – Jack Jenkins, pitcher (b. 1942) 2003 – Larry Doby, outfielder, manager; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1923) 2003 – Tom Fleming, umpire (b. 1918) 2007 – Johnny Bittner, minor league pitcher (b. 1915) 2009 – Palmer Muench, college coach (b. 1939) 2016 – Joe Schaffernoth, pitcher (b. 1937) 2018 – Gene Stewart, minor league infielder (b. 1927) 2019 – Gé van Berkel, Hoofdklasse pitcher (b. 1934) 2022 – Gaby Illidge, scout (b. 1939) 2022 – Dave Wickersham, pitcher (b. 1935) 2023 – Dick Hall, pitcher (b. 1930) 2024 – Willie Mays, outfielder; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1931) ============================================== TV SPORTS TODAY (All times Eastern) Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts Thursday, June 18 COLLEGE BASEBALL 2 p.m. ESPN — Men’s College World Series: TBD, Game 13, Omaha, Neb. 7 p.m. ESPN — Men’s College World Series: TBD, Game 14, Omaha, Neb. GOLF 6:30 a.m. USA — PGA Tour: U.S. Open, First Round, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y. 3 p.m. GOLF — LPGA Tour: Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, First Round, Blythefield Country Club, Belmont, Mich. 6:30 a.m. (Friday) NBCSN — PGA Tour: U.S. Open, Second Round, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y. MLB BASEBALL 1:30 p.m. MLBN — Regional Coverage: Toronto at Boston (1:35 p.m.) OR Cleveland at Milwaukee (2:10 p.m.) 6:30 p.m. MLBN — Regional Coverage: N.Y. Mets at Philadelphia (6:40 p.m.) OR San Francisco at Atlanta (7:15 p.m.) SOCCER (MEN’S) Noon FOX — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Czechia vs. South Africa, Group A, Atlanta 3 p.m. FOX — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Switzerland vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Group B, Inglewood, Calif. 6 p.m. FS1 — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Canada vs. Qatar, Group B, Vancouver, British Columbia 9 p.m. FOX — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Mexico vs. South Korea, Group A, Guadalajara, Mexico SOFTBALL 7 p.m. ESPN2 — Athletes Unlimited: Talons at Volts 9 p.m. ESPN2 — Athletes Unlimited: Spark at Cascade WNBA BASKETBALL 7:30 p.m. PRIME VIDEO — Atlanta at Indiana _____ Friday, June 19 AUTO RACING 3 p.m. FS2 — Indy NXT Series: Practice, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis. 4 p.m. FS2 — NTT IndyCar Series: Practice, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis. 7 p.m. FS1 — NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series: NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race at San Diego, Naval base Coronado, San Diego GOLF 6:30 a.m. NBCSN — PGA Tour: U.S. Open, Second Round, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y. 3 p.m. GOLF — LPGA Tour: Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, Second Round, Blythefield Country Club, Belmont, Mich. MLB BASEBALL 7 p.m. MLBN — Regional Coverage: Milwaukee at Atlanta (7:15 p.m.) OR Washington at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m.) 8:10 p.m. APPLE TV — St. Louis at Kansas City 9:40 p.m. APPLE TV — Minnesota at Arizona 10 p.m. MLBN — Regional Coverage: Boston at Seattle (10:10 p.m.) OR L.A. Angels at Athletics (joined in progress) (9:40 p.m.) NBA BASKETBALL 8:30 p.m. ABC — NBA Finals: New York at San Antonio, Game 7 (if necessary) SOCCER (MEN’S) 3 p.m. FOX — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: U.S. vs. Australia, Group D, Seattle 6 p.m. FOX — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Scotland vs. Morocco, Group C, Foxborough, Mass. 8:30 p.m. FOX — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Brazil vs. Haiti, Group C, Philadelphia 11 p.m. FS1 — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Turkey vs. Paraguay, Group D, Santa Clara, Calif. SOFTBALL 9 p.m. ESPN2 — Athletes Unlimited: Spark at Cascade WNBA BASKETBALL 7:30 p.m. ION — Washington at New York 10 p.m. ION — Minnesota at Golden State _____ Saturday, June 20 AUTO RACING 10 a.m. FS1 — Indy NXT Series: Qualifying, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis. 11 a.m. FS1 — NTT IndyCar Series: Practice, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis. 12:30 p.m. FS1 — Indy NXT Series: Grand Prix at Road America – Race 1, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis. 1 p.m. NBCSN — Pro Motocross Championship: High Point National, High Point Raceway, Mt. Morris, Pa. 2 p.m. FS1 — NTT IndyCar Series: Qualifying, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis. 5 p.m. CW — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: United Rentals Driven to Serve 250, Naval base Coronado, San Diego COLLEGE BASEBALL 7 p.m. ESPN — Men’s College World Series – Finals: TBD, Game 1, Omaha, Neb. GOLF 10 a.m. USA — PGA Tour: U.S. Open, Third Round, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y. Noon NBC — PGA Tour: U.S. Open, Third Round, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y. 3 p.m. GOLF — LPGA Tour: Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, Third Round, Blythefield Country Club, Belmont, Mich. LACROSSE (MEN’S) 9 p.m. ESPN2 — PLL: Maryland at New York MILB BASEBALL 7 p.m. MLBN — Triple-A: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at Columbus MLB BASEBALL 1:30 p.m. MLBN — Regional Coverage: Cincinnati at N.Y. Yankees (1:35 p.m.) OR Toronto at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m.) 4:30 p.m. MLBN — Regional Coverage: Milwaukee at Atlanta (joined in progress) (4:10 p.m.) OR San Diego at Texas (joined in progress) (4:05 p.m.) 7 p.m. FOX — Regional Coverage: Cleveland at Houston (7:15 p.m.) OR N.Y. Mets at Philadelphia (7:15 p.m.) 10 p.m. MLBN — Regional Coverage: Baltimore at L.A. Dodgers (10:10 p.m.) OR Boston at Seattle (10:10 p.m.) SOCCER (MEN’S) 1 p.m. FOX — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Netherlands vs. Sweden, Group F, Houston 4 p.m. FOX — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Germany vs. Ivory Coast, Group E, Toronto 8 p.m. FS1 — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Ecuador vs. Curacao, Group E, Kansas City, Mo. Midnight FS1 — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Tunisia vs. Japan, Group F, Monterrey, Mexico SOFTBALL Noon ESPN — Athletes Unlimited: Blaze at Bandits WNBA BASKETBALL 1 p.m. ABC — Indiana at Atlanta 3 p.m. ABC — Seattle at Phoenix 8 p.m. CBS — Chicago at Dallas _____ Sunday, June 21 AUTO RACING 11 a.m. FS1 — NTT IndyCar Series: Warmup, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis. Noon FS1 — Indy NXT Series: Grand Prix at Road America – Race 2, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis. 2 p.m. FOX — NTT IndyCar Series: Xpel Grand Prix at Road America, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis. 3:30 p.m. TNT — NASCAR Cup Series: Anduril 250, Naval base Coronado, San Diego COLLEGE BASEBALL 2:30 p.m. ABC — Men’s College World Series – Finals: TBD, Game 2, Omaha, Neb. ESPNU — Men’s College World Series – Finals: TBD, Game 2, Omaha, Neb. (Altcast Placeholder) GOLF 9 a.m. USA — PGA Tour: U.S. Open, Final Round, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y. 11 a.m. GOLF — LPGA Tour: Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, Final Round, Blythefield Country Club, Belmont, Mich. Noon NBC — PGA Tour: U.S. Open, Final Round, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y. 2 p.m. CBS — LPGA Tour: Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, Final Round, Blythefield Country Club, Belmont, Mich. MLB BASEBALL 1:30 p.m. MLBN — Regional Coverage: Chicago White Sox at Detroit (1:40 p.m.) OR Washington at Tampa Bay (1:40 p.m.) 3 p.m. NBCSN — Minnesota at Arizona (3:15 p.m.) PEACOCK — Minnesota at Arizona (3:15 p.m.) 7 p.m. NBC — N.Y. Mets at Philadelphia (7:20 p.m.) PEACOCK — N.Y. Mets at Philadelphia (7:20 p.m.) RUGBY (MEN’S) 8 p.m. ESPN2 — MLR Playoffs: TBD, Championship SOCCER (MEN’S) Noon FOX — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Spain vs. Saudi Arabia, Group H, Atlanta 3 p.m. FS1 — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Belgium vs. Iran, Group G, Inglewood, Calif. 6 p.m. FS1 — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Uruguay vs. Cape Verde, Group H, Miami Gardens, Fla. 9 p.m. FS1 — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: New Zealand vs. Egypt, Group G, Vancouver, British Columbia SOFTBALL 12:30 p.m. ESPN — Athletes Unlimited: Spark at Cascade 8 p.m. MLBN — Athletes Unlimited: Blaze at Bandits WNBA BASKETBALL 4 p.m. CBS — Golden State at Las Vegas 6 p.m. NBATV — Washington at Minnesota 8 p.m. ESPN — New York at Los Angeles About The Author troyderengowski61@gmail.com See author's posts Post navigation THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” WEDNESDAY JUNE 17, 2026
