“THE SCOREBOARD” INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SCORES TUESDAY: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/baseball/scores/?date=4/7/2026 ========================================================== INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL SCORES TUESDAY: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/softball/scores/?date=4/7/2026 ========================================================== COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES BUTLER 14 SOUTHERN INDIANA 12 INDIANA 6 BALL STATE 4 PURDUE 13 BRADLEY 6 WESTERN MICHIGAN 5 VALPARAISO 4 ILLINOIS 7 INDIANA STATE 3 COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: https://d1baseball.com/scores/?date=20260407 ========================================================== COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES Dayton 9 IU INDY 0 Northern Illinois 8 Ball State 2 Southern Illinois 9 Evansville 0 Southern Illinois 8 Evansville 0 COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: https://d1softball.com/scores/?date=20260407 ========================================================== MEN’S COLLEGE HOCKEY SCORES FROZEN FOUR THURSDAY, APRIL 9 WISCONSIN VS. NORTH DAKOTA 5:00 DENVER VS. MICHIGAN 8:30 ========================================================== MEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL SCORES NO GAMES SCHEDULED ========================================================== DIVISION 1 MEN’S LAX SCORES NO GAMES SCHEDULED ========================================================== DIVISION 1 WOMEN’S LAX SCORES NO GAMES SCHEDULED ========================================================== NBA SCORES CHICAGO 129 WASHINGTON 98 MINNESOTA 124 INDIANA 104 BROOKLYN 96 MILWAUKEE 90 TORONTO 121 MIAMI 95 BOSTON 113 CHARLOTTE 102 NEW ORLEANS 156 UTAH 137 GOLDEN STATE 110 SACRAMENTO 105 LA CLIPPERS 116 DALLAS 103 OKLAHOMA CITY 123 LA LAKERS 87 HOUSTON 119 PHOENIX 105 ========================================================== NBA G-LEAGUE SCORES NO GAMES SCHEDULED ========================================================== NHL SCORES COLUMBUS 4 DETROIT 3 CAROLINA 6 BOSTON 5 OT OTTAWA 6 TAMPA BAY 2 MONTRÉAL 4 FLORIDA 3 PHILADELPHIA 5 NEW JERSEY 1 DALLAS 4 CALGARY 3 OT COLORADO 3 ST. LOUIS 1 MINNESOTA 5 SEATTLE 2 UTAH 6 EDMONTON 5 OT NASHVILLE 5 ANAHEIM 0 VEGAS 2 VANCOUVER 1 ========================================================== MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL CLEVELAND 2 KANSAS CITY 1 BALTIMORE 4 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 2 NY METS 4 ARIZONA 3 (10) PITTSBURGH 7 SAN DIEGO 1 CINCINNATI 6 MIAMI 3 (10) CHICAGO CUBS 9 TAMPA BAY 2 ST. LOUIS 7 WASHINGTON 6 (10) BOSTON 3 MILWAUKEE 2 NY YANKEES 5 LAS VEGAS 3 LA DODGERS 4 TORONTO 1 MINNESOTA 4 DETROIT 2 TEXAS 3 SEATTLE 2 COLORADO 5 HOUSTON 1 ATLANTA 7 LA ANGELS 2 SAN FRANCISCO 6 PHILADELPHIA 0 ========================================================== MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL LOUISVILLE 8 INDIANAPOLIS 0 LANSING 3 FORT WAYNE 1 PEORIA 10 SOUTH BEND 1 ========================================================== WOMEN’S PRO VOLLEYBALL SCORES NO GAMES SCHEDULED ========================================================== UFL SCORES NO GAMES SCHEDULED ========================================================== MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER NO GAMES SCHEDULED ========================================================== MASTER’S TEE TIMES AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Starting times (EDT) for Thursday and Friday in the 90th Masters at Augusta National (a-amateur): Thursday-Friday 7:40 a.m.-10:51 a.m. — Johnny Keefer, United States; Haotong Li, China. 7:50 a.m.-11:03 a.m. — Naoyuki Kataoka, Japan; Max Homa, United States; Carlos Ortiz, Mexico. 8:02 a.m.-11:15 a.m. — Jose Maria Olazabal, Spain; Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Denmark; Aldrich Potgieter, South Africa. 8:14 a.m.-11:27 a.m. — Angel Cabrera, Argentina; Sami Valimaki, Finland; a-Jackson Herrington, United States. 8:26 a.m.-11:39 a.m. — Charl Schwartzel, South Africa; Max Greyserman, United States; Ryan Fox, New Zealand. 8:38 a.m.-11:51 a.m. — Vijay Singh, Fiji; Matt McCarty, United States; Rasmus Hojgaard, Denmark. 8:50 a.m.-12:03 p.m. — Kurt Kitayama, United States; Kristoffer Reitan, Norway; Casey Jarvis, South Africa. 9:02 a.m.-12:15 p.m. — Bubba Watson, United States; Nico Echavarria, Colombia; a-Brandon Holtz, United States. 9:19 a.m.-12:32 p.m. — Cameron Smith, Australia; Sam Burns, United States; Jake Knapp, United States. 9:31 a.m.-12:44 p.m. — Keegan Bradley, United States; Ryan Gerard, United States; Nick Taylor, Canada. 9:43 a.m.-12:56 p.m. — Dustin Johnson, United States; Shane Lowry, Ireland; Jason Day, Australia. 9:55 a.m.-1:08 p.m. — Patrick Reed, United States; Tommy Fleetwood, England; Akshay Bhatia, United States. 10:07 a.m.-1:20 p.m. — Bryson DeChambeau, United States; Matt Fitzpatrick, England; Xander Schauffele, United States. 10:19 a.m.-1:32 p.m. — Hideki Matsuyama, Japan; Collin Morikawa, United States; Russell Henley, United States. 10:31 a.m.-1:44 p.m. — Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland; Cameron Young, United States; a-Mason Howell, United States. 10:43 a.m.-1:56 p.m. — Viktor Hovland, Norway; Patrick Cantlay, United States; Alex Noren, Sweden. 11:03 a.m.-7:40 a.m. — Sam Stevens, United States; Sungjae Im, South Korea. 11:15 a.m.-7:50 a.m. — Andrew Novak, United States; Tom McKibbin, Northern Ireland; Brian Campbell, United States. 11:27 a.m.-8:02 a.m. — Mike Weir, Canada; Wyndham Clark, United States; a-Mateo Pulcini, Argentina. 11:39 a.m.-8:14 a.m. — Zach Johnson, United States; Michael Kim, United States; Nicolai Hojgaard, Denmark. 11:51 a.m.-8:26 a.m. — Danny Willett, England; Davis Riley, United States; a-Ethan Fang, United States. 12:03 a.m.-8:38 a.m. — Adam Scott, Australia; Daniel Berger, United States; Brian Harman, United States. 12:15 p.m.-8:50 a.m. — Fred Couples, United States; Min Woo Lee, Australia; a-Fifa Laopakdee, Thailand. 12:27 p.m.-9:02 a.m. — Sergio Garcia, Spain; Aaron Rai, England; Jacob Bridgeman, United States. 12:44 p.m.-9:19 a.m. — Harry Hall, England; Corey Conners, Canada; Michael Brennan, United States. 12:56 p.m.-9:31 a.m. — J.J. Spaun, United States; Maverick McNealy, United States; Tyrrell Hatton, England. 1:08 p.m.-9:43 a.m. — Jon Rahm, Spain; Chris Gotterup, United States; Ludvig Aberg, Sweden. 1:20 p.m.-9:55 a.m. — Jordan Spieth, United States; Justin Rose, England; Brooks Koepka, United States. 1:32 p.m.-10:07 a.m. — Sepp Straka, Austria; Ben Griffin, United States; Justin Thomas, United States. 1:44 p.m.-10:19 a.m. — Scottie Scheffler, United States; Robert MacIntyre, Scotland; Gary Woodland, United States. 1:56 p.m.-10:31 a.m. — Harris English, United States; Marco Penge, England; Si Woo Kim, South Korea. ======================================================= NATIONAL SPORTS NEWS RELEASES GOLF NEWS THE MASTERS HAS PLAYERS FROM 23 COUNTRIES. THE WORLD RANKING IS ONE REASON FOR THE GLOBAL GROWTH AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Bernhard Langer was reminded of his place in history this week, unrelated to the 68-year-old German looking stately as ever in his Masters green jacket as a two-time champion. It was 40 years ago — April 6, 1986, to be exact — the “Sony Ranking” was introduced. What began as a list in 1968 for IMG founder Mark McCormack’s “World of Professional Golf” annual got the attention of the R&A as it was reviewing criteria for the British Open. It was officially introduced at the 1986 Masters. The headline that week proclaimed, “Europeans Top Golf Rankings.” Langer was No. 1 in world, followed by Seve Ballesteros and Sandy Lyle. The leading American was Tom Watson at No. 4. Jack Nicklaus, considered to be past his prime at age 46, checked in at No. 33. By the end of the week, Nicklaus famously won his sixth Masters and 18th professional major. “It was time to have something like that because international golfers were excluded from tournaments like the Masters, the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship,” Langer said under the big oak tree next to the Augusta National clubhouse. “Only two or three of us got in,” he said. “In Europe, I had to win the money list to get in the Masters. And we had more than one good golfer.” It wasn’t perfect then, and probably isn’t now. It’s nigh impossible to measure the runner-up of this week’s Token Homemate Cup on the Japan Golf Tour against whoever finishes 15th at Augusta. But it was a start, and its influence is greater now than anyone might have imagined. Every major championship uses the Official World Golf Ranking an an integral part of its criteria. The Masters and British Open take the top 50, the U.S. Open takes the top 60. The PGA Championship uses invitations in a bid to have everyone from the top 100. The Sony Rankings — yes, it had a corporate sponsor — became the Official World Golf Ranking when the major tours and the four majors formed a board in 1997. Now the OWGR has 25 tours around the world, the most recent addition being Saudi-funded LIV Golf. Whether LIV Golf should get more points awarded to more than the top 10 players is a debate as endless as deciding whether the PGA Tour gets too much weight. But there is no doubt that OWGR has been critical to opening the borders beyond American golf. The U.S. Open had only three foreign-born champions from 1926 through 1993 — Gary Player of South Africa, Tony Jacklin of England and David Graham of Australia. Starting with Ernie Els of South Africa in 1994, 13 of the last 32 champions were international players. Padraig Harrington in 2008 became the first European in 78 years to win the PGA Championship when he won at Oakland Hills in 2008. It wasn’t a matter of getting better. It was a matter of getting an opportunity. That much should have been made clear during the 1980s when Europe began its dominance in the Ryder Cup. More than his own three-week reign atop the world ranking, Langer said it created more paths. Ballesteros, Langer and Lyle combined for six majors in the seven years before the ranking began in somewhat an official capacity. “That helped open it up, especially in the majors, to some international golfers who Americans never heard of or didn’t know much about,” he said. “It’s different now with the media. But it was an important step in the right direction. Was it perfect? Maybe not. But it was a good way to get the best field.” That was mainly for the majors. More hurdles came from the PGA Tour, which always had the best collection of players. The requirement under former Commissioner Deane Beman was a minimum of 15 events for membership. Europe required 11 events. Top players with a global eye often played the occasional event in Japan and Australia, and the travel and time took a toll. “We didn’t go on boats,” Langer said with a smile, “but we didn’t go on private jets.” Langer recalled that 11 top Europeans asked Beman to reduce the PGA Tour requirement to 12 events and “he wouldn’t budge.” So much has changed. The man behind the math for years was London-based Tony Greer, and his original plan was to prioritize tournaments into four sections. The four majors received the most weight, followed by most PGA Tour and top European Tour events, on down to lesser events around the world. There have been changes over the years, most notably going from a three-year rolling period to a two-year system in 1995, and recently expanding the strength-of-field to include everyone playing, not just the top 200 players. The 40th year of world ranking has Scottie Scheffler on top — he has been No. 1 a total of 185 weeks, trailing only Tiger Woods (683 weeks) and Greg Norman (331). There are five Americans and five Europeans in the top 10. All are on the PGA Tour. Perhaps the best measure is the Masters, which has a 91-man field from 23 countries. The week the world ranking began, the 88-man field came from 11 countries. RORY MCILROY PLENTY MOTIVATED AS MASTERS CHAMPION, CAREER GOAL POSTS JUST MOVED AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy thought that winning his first Masters and completing the career grand slam would be the defining moment in his golf career, only to find out that it simply moved the goal posts. McIlroy has been asked repeatedly over the past 12 months about what his motivation is now that he has won all four majors, including that Masters triumph that eluded him for the better part of two decades. But it might have taken returning to Augusta National this week to bring his perspective full circle. “I think what I’ve realized is, if you can just really find enjoyment in the journey, that’s the big thing,” McIlroy, 36, said on Tuesday. “Because, honestly, I felt like the career grand slam was my destination, and I got there, and then I realized it wasn’t the destination.” McIlroy acknowledged that he feels more relaxed around Augusta National. The Northern Irishman is hosting his first Champions Dinner on Tuesday night rather than dining elsewhere and wondering whether he’ll ever get to join what he called “one of the best traditions in sport.” The proverbial weight is off his shoulders. McIlroy arrived at Augusta National on Saturday, earlier than he ever does so that he could take in some of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur ahead of playing a round with his father on Sunday. In previous years, McIlroy would typically arrive Sunday night or even Monday evening. This year, he wants to soak in every last moment he has as the reigning champion. “I think for the past 17 years I just couldn’t wait for the tournament to start, and this year I wouldn’t care if the tournament never started,” he said with a laugh. “It’s completely different. I feel so much more relaxed. I know that I’m going to be coming back here for a lot of years, going to enjoy the perks that the champions get here. “It doesn’t make me any less motivated to go out there and play well and try to win the tournament, but yeah, just more relaxed about it all.” McIlroy didn’t elaborate on where those goal posts have shifted to in his mind, only that they “keep nudging a little bit further and further out of reach.” For so many years the story at Augusta National for McIlroy has been about when he was finally going to conquer the Masters. Twelve months after finally getting the job done, he was asked what he believes the story is this time around. “I think the story as it relates to me is what do I do from now onwards? What motivates me? What gets me going? What do I still want to achieve in the game? I think that’s the story,” he said. One goal post that is right in front of him is successfully defending his Masters title. That feat has only been accomplished by three legends of the game: Jack Nicklaus in 1965-66, Nick Faldo in 1989-1990 and Tiger Woods in 2001-02. Only 18 players have won multiple Masters titles at any point in their careers. That quest will begin at 10:31 a.m. on Thursday for McIlroy, when he tees off in the first round. But there is plenty to soak in before then, beginning with the Champions Dinner on Tuesday, followed by the Par 3 Contest on Wednesday. This year, he brought his daughter Poppy’s putter from home for her to play with. “I keep saying this, it’s a dream come true. It’s incredible,” McIlroy said of finally winning the Masters. “I really tried to embrace and enjoy every part of it.” And come the first tee on Thursday? “I know that I can do it now,” he said. “So that should make it a little easier for me to go out and play the golf I know I can play.” ========================================================== MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL MICHIGAN GETS ITS MOMENT, THEN THE TRANSFER PORTAL OPENS AND THE SCRAMBLE FOR 2027 BEGINS INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The blue-and-maize confetti was still flying around the stadium when a new tradition in college basketball kicked off without much fanfare. The transfer portal opened. Every team out there with title hopes for 2027 — even the new champions at Michigan — knows the chances of cutting down the nets a year from now will hinge largely on how well they fare in that phase of the game. Between the time it opened at midnight through 11 a.m. Tuesday, more than 1,200 players had already entered the portal, according to an Associated Press review of the numbers. Hundreds more are expected to flood the market over the newly condensed two-week period before the portal closes on April 21. It’s a free-for-all filled with cash offers to players in exchange for the use of their name, image and likeness — essentially to come and play. Nobody navigated this new NIL era better in the season just completed than the Wolverines and coach Dusty May. Four of the five starters who led Michigan to its 69-63 win over UConn on Monday night played at other colleges last season. It figures at least three of them could be in the NBA next year. “It’s important to get the right people on the bus,” Michigan assistant Justin Joyner said, referring to the team he helped build and the next one he must put together. It’s the same across college basketball — newly crowned NCAA champion coach Cori Close of UCLA said the “transfer portal just got easier” after her team’s win over South Carolina — and across college sports. For the men, the biggest names in the portal so far include Flory Bidunga (leaving Kansas), John Blackwell (Wisconsin) and Juke Harris (Wake Forest). Not every team will be looking for a total rebuild. UConn made its third Final Four in four seasons based on a targeted use of transfers. Coach Dan Hurley likes to do the old-fashioned thing and find players who will stay for three or four years. But he’s realistic. One of his best players this season, Tarris Reed Jr., came to UConn from Michigan. “We want to supplement our roster with some strategic portal moves like we were able to do,” Hurley said. Duke and Michigan are the early favorites for 2027 BetMGM Sportsbook listed Duke and Michigan as the early 8-1 favorites to win it all next year. Florida was next at 10-1, followed by Michigan State and Arizona (both 14-1) and UConn (15-1). North Carolina, which has tabbed Michael Malone as its new coach, is 25-1. The Big Ten is back The national title is back at Michigan for the first time since 1989. Almost as notably, it’s back in the Big Ten for the first time since 2000 (Michigan State). The Wolverines’ victory Monday gave the Big Ten a sweep this year of football (Indiana), along with both Division I basketball titles. According to Sportradar, this marks the first time the conference has held both the football and men’s hoops titles since 1941, when it was known as the Big Nine. Beyond bragging rights, there is a business side to it all. Last year, the Southeastern Conference got all the buzz by placing a record 14 teams into March Madness and taking the title to Florida. This year, the Big Ten put a conference-record six teams in the Sweet 16, four in the Elite Eight, two in the Final Four and brought the championship back to its home turf. The conference has won the last three football championships while the SEC hasn’t won one since 2022, when it capped a string of four straight that left some wondering if the sport had grown too lopsided. All of this has a deeper meaning for the two conferences that play an outsized role in shaping the future of college sports, which includes a long-running disagreement over the future of the all-important College Football Playoff and its big paydays: The Big Ten wants a big expansion to 24 or more teams while the SEC does not. “We’re very proud members of the Big Ten, I’m proud to be in there,” said Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, whose own regents have been bickering with the conference over its desire to bring outside investors into the league. “My AD colleagues are working hard to do the same thing that I’m doing tonight, talking to you guys, being here with the confetti, having our team cut down the net. So all of that stuff is really good.” The freshmen can play, but the veterans cut down nets It was another year in which freshmen-led teams were not able to finish the six-game push to the title. Michigan won this year with transfers filling all five starter spots, even if there were some key freshmen contributors. Arizona — a team that leaned heavily on the brilliance of freshmen Brayden Burries and Koa Peat — spent nine weeks at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 and won 36 games, only to fall to the Wolverines in a Final Four rout. That comes a year after Florida won the title with senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. being named Final Four most outstanding player. The Gators won in a year in which a freshman-heavy Duke team — No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg and lottery picks in Kon Knueppel and big man Khaman Maluach — lost to Houston in the national semifinals. Only two teams powered by one-and-done NBA talents have won the championship: Kentucky in 2012 with eventual No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis and Duke in 2015 behind Jahlil Okafor. Trump, Congress and courts The background noise in college sports, which never shuts off, will include court cases and continuing negotiations in Congress as the NCAA and other stakeholders looks to find a compromise to enshrine many of the industry’s new rules into law. President Donald Trump generated headlines in the buildup to the Final Four be issuing an executive order that suggested schools could lose federal funding if they don’t comply with rules surrounding paying players, the transfer portal and how many years a player is eligible. What will the rules be? Ultimately, it seems Congress will have to decide. But one key sticking point will come over individual players’ rights to sue the NCAA over eligibility — an ongoing issue that has landed the NCAA in court dozens of times. In a largely overlooked development last week, the NCAA notched victories in a pair of those eligibility cases. One involved four former West Virginia football players who sued over whether their junior college experience should count against their eligibility window. The other stemmed from Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris’ request to play a seventh season. “We win way more of those than we lose,” NCAA president Charlie Baker said at the Final Four last week. “It’s a very small universe here that we’re talking about. And an even smaller universe that wins in court. And part of the problem with that is the length of time it takes to process that out to the complete end.” KANSAS’ BIDUNGA, WAKE FOREST’S HARRIS, SAINT MARY’S MURAUSKAS AMONG PLAYERS ENTERING MEN’S PORTAL Kansas big man Flory Bidunga, Wake Forest’s Juke Harris and Saint Mary’s Paulius Murauskas were among the parade of players entering the transfer portal Tuesday, the first of 15 days Division I men’s basketball players can go looking for a new school. Bidunga finished his second season with the Jayhawks as the Big 12 defensive player of the year and an Associated Press All-Big 12 second-team pick. He averaged 13.3 points and 9.0 rebounds and was a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year finalist. He led the Big 12 and was fourth nationally with 91 blocked shots and 10th in field-goal shooting at 64%. Bidunga recorded 13 double-doubles and was the only Division I player to average more than 13 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots. Harris was voted the Atlantic Coast Conference’s most improved player after he increased his scoring average from 6.1 points as a freshman to 21.4 this past season. He also was an AP All-ACC second-team pick after becoming one of two players in program history to score 750 points in a season. Myles Colvin, the Demon Deacons’ second-leading scorer, joined Harris and four other teammates in the portal. Murauskas was joined in the portal by four of his teammates as the Gaels transition from longtime coach Randy Bennett, who left for Arizona State, to Mickey McConnell, who was Bennett’s associate head coach. Murauskas was the West Coast Conference’s second-leading scorer with 18.4 points and had two 30-point games. He was an All-WCC first-team pick both years he was with the Gaels after transferring from Arizona. Isaiah Johnson, who led Colorado and was third in the Big 12 in scoring with 16.9 points per game, went into the portal after one season with the Buffaloes. Providence, which fired Kim English last month and hired Bryan Hodgson, had just one player listed on its 2026-27 roster Tuesday. Among seven players in the portal was Stefan Vaaks, who as a freshman averaged 15.2 points and 3.3 assists and made a Big East-leading 91 3-pointers. LSU’s Dedan Thomas (15.3 ppg) and Michael Nowoko (13.4 ppg), the Tigers’ second- and third-leading scorers, were among seven players in the portal with Will Wade returning as coach after the firing of Matt McMahon. California saw its top two scorers enter the portal in Dai Dai Ames and Justin Pippen. Ames is looking for his fourth school in four years after having made one-year stops at Kansas State and Virginia. He scored 16.9 points per game for the Bears. Pippen, son of NBA great Scottie Pippen, started his career at Michigan and will be heading to his third school in three years after averaging 14.2 points. KJ Lewis, who averaged 14.9 points and 5.1 rebounds at Georgetown after two seasons at Arizona, is seeking a third school in four years. Also entering the portal was San Diego State forward Miles Byrd, the Mountain West’s defensive player of the year. Gavin Doty, who averaged 18 points for Siena to rank second in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, announced he would follow coach Gerry McNamara to Syracuse. Purdue announced it had signed forward Caden Pierce, who played three seasons at Princeton and sat out this year as a redshirt while completing his degree. Pierce started 89 games for the Tigers and was 2023-24 Ivy League player of year after averaging 16.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists. He chose the Boilermakers over Duke, Gonzaga, Louisville and Connecticut. MICHIGAN RANKED NO. 1 IN FINAL AP TOP 25 POLL OF SEASON AHEAD OF UCONN, ARIZONA, DUKE AND ILLINOIS Michigan is No. 1 in the final Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll for the 2025-26 season after winning the program’s first national championship in 37 years. The Wolverines (37-3) claimed all 57 votes in Tuesday’s poll in the third year the AP has released its final rankings after the completion of the NCAA Tournament. Michigan beat UConn 69-63 in Indianapolis on Monday night to complete the winningest season in program history, along with winning its first NCAA title since 1989 and the Big Ten’s first since 2000. Michigan spent a week at No. 1 in mid-February and didn’t rank lower than fourth after November in its second season under Dusty May. Yaxel Lendeborg, an AP first-team All-American, had said before the Final Four that this could go down as the best team in program history, including the famed “Fab Five” freshman teams that reached the NCAA title game in 1992 and 1993. Standing amid the confetti on the court after Monday night’s win, Lendeborg figured this year’s group had done enough to earn that distinction. “I think we are, man,” said Lendeborg, who battled through ankle and knee injuries suffered in the win against Arizona in the national semifinals. “I’m waiting for the Fab Five to give us the approval. But if they do, then I’ll let it be said that we’re the best team ever.” The top tier UConn (34-6) jumped five spots to No. 2 after its March Madness run, including an incredible comeback from 19 down to stun Duke in the Elite Eight and keep alive its chances for a third national title in four seasons. Arizona was third, followed by Duke, which held the No. 1 ranking before March Madness and was the tournament’s top overall seed before a loss to UConn in the Elite Eight. Illinois was next, climbing eight spots to No. 5 after the program’s first trip to the Final Four since 2005. That marked the second time that a team went from being ranked outside the top 10 to cracking the top five after a Final Four run, the other being Alabama jumping 16 spots to No. 3 to end the 2024 season. Purdue, Houston, Iowa State, Florida and St. John’s rounded out the top 10. Climbing to final position Tennessee finished at No. 12 after reaching the Elite Eight for the third straight year. The Volunteers’ postseason push vaulted them 11 spots, making them the biggest climber from the March 16 poll before the NCAA Tournament. In all, nine teams ranked from the previous poll moved up in the season’s final rankings. Last slide Virginia had the poll’s biggest tumble, falling eight spots to No. 17 after falling in the second round to the Volunteers as a 3-seed. No. 18 Gonzaga and No. 25 Wisconsin both fell six spots after failing to make the second weekend. The Cavaliers, Zags and Badgers were among 11 ranked teams from March 16 to tumble while still remaining inside the final poll. In and out Iowa and Texas both jumped into the poll after being unranked heading into March Madness. The Hawkeyes finished the season ranked No. 15 after reaching the Elite Eight in a run that included a second-round upset of top-seeded Florida. Iowa’s jump marked the third time a team that was unranked going into the NCAAs hopped into the top 15 in the post-tournament AP poll. The other two came in 2024, with N.C. State sitting at No. 10 after its improbable Final Four run and Clemson at No. 14 after reaching the Elite Eight. The 22nd-ranked Longhorns entered the poll after going from the First Four to the Sweet 16. Iowa and Texas replaced North Carolina (No. 21) and St. Mary’s (No. 22) from the previous poll. Conference watch The Big Ten dominated this year’s tournament, first by getting a league-record six teams into the Sweet 16 then tying the tournament’s overall record with four teams in the Elite Eight before ultimately sending Michigan and Illinois to Indianapolis. The league finished with a national-best seven teams in the final AP Top 25 of the season. The Southeastern Conference was next with six ranked teams, followed by the Big 12 with five, the Atlantic Coast Conference with four and the Big East with two. The West Coast Conference with Gonzaga was the only league from outside the power conferences to have a Top 25 team. NORTH CAROLINA HIRES NBA CHAMPIONSHIP-WINNING COACH MICHAEL MALONE TO LEAD TAR HEELS North Carolina has officially hired NBA championship-winning coach Michael Malone to lead the Tar Heels’ basketball program. The school announced Malone’s hiring on Tuesday and scheduled an introductory news conference for later in the day. Malone will replace Hubert Davis, who was fired March 24 after five seasons as the successor to retired Hall of Famer Roy Williams. In a statement, UNC executive associate athletic director Steve Newmark described Malone as a “selfless teacher and innovator.” “He is a brilliant coach who will deliver a modern and disciplined approach to leading our men’s basketball program, which is critical in the current landscape of college athletics,” said Newmark, who will succeed Bubba Cunningham as AD on July 1. “Carolina Basketball is unique and special — and we have hired a leader well-suited to continuing our championship tradition.” The 54-year-old Malone spent 12 seasons as a head coach in the NBA, including a 10-year run in Denver. He led the Nuggets to the 2023 championship behind three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets fired Malone last spring with less than a week left in that regular season. Almost a year to the day, in another surprise move, Malone is taking over a blueblood program with six national titles, a record 21 appearances in the Final Four and alums including Michael Jordan, James Worthy Vince Carter and Atlantic Coast Conference career scoring leader Tyler Hansbrough. “Carolina is one of the most historic programs in college basketball, and I am honored to be the head coach of the Tar Heels,” Malone said in a statement. “It is humbling to follow so many legends in Chapel Hill. “I know from the many Tar Heels in the NBA how special the Carolina Basketball Family is, and I will do everything I can to continue UNC’s championship legacy while preparing our players for professional careers and life after basketball.” Davis’ firing opened one of the top jobs in college basketball for only the fourth time since the late Hall of Famer Dean Smith’s retirement after 36 seasons in October 1997. The job had stayed in the “Carolina Family” ever since. Longtime assistant Bill Guthridge replaced Smith, followed by former UNC player Matt Doherty, former Smith assistant Williams and then Davis, who played under Smith and worked on Williams’ staff. Malone has never been a college head coach and has spent most of his career in the NBA. His primary connection to UNC athletics is the presence of daughter Bridget on the Tar Heels’ volleyball team, while he told the UNC athletic department’s “Carolina Insider” podcast in October that he had attended multiple recent basketball practices — with Davis even asking him to speak to the team at least once. ========================================================== MLB MLB ROUNDUP: PAUL SKENES’ PITCHING GEM CARRIES PIRATES PAST PADRES Oneil Cruz and Nick Gonzales each had clutch two-run hits to back up a gem by Paul Skenes and propel the host Pittsburgh Pirates to a 7-1 victory over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. Skenes (2-1) carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before allowing a one-out single by Fernando Tatis Jr. Throwing 87 pitches, Skenes gave up one run — a Xander Bogaerts homer in the seventh — on two hits in 6 1/3 innings and struck out six. He walked two and hit a batter. Rookie Konnor Griffin, Ryan O’Hearn and Henry Davis each had two hits for the Pirate, who erupted for five runs in the eighth off Adrian Morejon to cement their sixth win in the past seven games. Miguel Andujar had the only other hit for San Diego, which had scored 13 runs over its previous two games. Nick Pivetta (1-2) gave up two runs over five innings. Red Sox 3, Brewers 2 Trevor Story snapped a scoreless tie with a bases-loaded double in the sixth inning, Garrett Crochet took a shutout into the seventh and Boston held on for a victory over visiting Milwaukee. The Red Sox, who managed just three hits, converted three consecutive walks into three runs in the sixth off Jacob Misiorowski (1-1) for a 3-0 lead. Crochet (2-1) allowed two runs on five hits in 6 1/3 innings. Aroldis Chapman finished with a scoreless ninth for his third save. In the seventh, the Brewers scored a pair when David Hamilton was plunked and pinch hitter Christian Yelich bounced into a run-scoring groundout. Misiorowski, who struck out the first five batters he faced and finished with 11 K’s, allowed three runs on two hits in 5 1/3 innings. Guardians 2, Royals 1 Brayan Rocchio delivered a tiebreaking RBI single with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, sending host Cleveland to a victory over Kansas City. Rocchio was 0-for-3 until facing John Schreiber (0-1) with runners at first and second in the ninth, poking a single through the right side. Lane Thomas came up cleanly with Rocchio’s hit but could not throw out CJ Kayfus at the plate. Cade Smith (2-0) earned the victory, striking out two in a 1-2-3 ninth. Guardians pitchers limited the Royals to one hit, a solo home run by Carter Jensen in the second inning. Orioles 4, White Sox 2 Gunnar Henderson hit a tiebreaking two-run home run in the eighth inning as visiting Baltimore rallied past Chicago. Blaze Alexander and Taylor Ward hit back-to-back one-out doubles in the eighth as the Orioles tied the game off Jordan Hicks (0-1) before Henderson gave them their first lead with his fourth homer of the season. Trevor Rogers delivered six innings of two-run work for Baltimore, and Yennier Cano (1-1) recorded the win. Chase Meidroth drove in a run and had two hits for the White Sox, who saw Shane Smith last just 3 2/3 scoreless innings in his start, striking out eight but walking five. Mets 4, Diamondbacks 3 (10 innings) Ronny Mauricio delivered the game-winning single in his first plate appearance for host New York, which beat Arizona in 10 innings. Brett Baty and Jared Young each delivered a sacrifice fly and Francisco Alvarez scored on an error for the Mets, who extended their winning streak to four games. Luke Weaver (1-0) retired all three batters in the top of the 10th. Adrian Del Castillo (two-run single) and Nolan Arenado (double) had RBI hits in the fifth for the Diamondbacks, who lost for the third time in five games. Paul Sewald (0-2) recorded just one out in the 10th. Reds 6, Marlins 3 (10 innings) Cincinnati — scoreless against Sandy Alcantara until the ninth inning — rallied to defeat host Miami. The Reds tied the score in the ninth on a two-out wild pitch by Anthony Bender, and they took control in the 10th on Nathaniel Lowe’s go-ahead RBI single and Matt McLain’s two-run double. Alcantara allowed just three hits — two singles and one double — plus two walks and two runs in 8 1/3 innings, striking out six. Miami started the ninth with a 2-0 lead, and both runs were scored while Bender was on the mound. Marlins center fielder Jakob Marsee, who entered the game batting just .105, went 2-for-4 with one walk, two runs and a career-high four stolen bases. Cardinals 7, Nationals 6 (10 innings) Thomas Saggese and JJ Wetherholt hit run-scoring doubles in the 10th inning and visiting St. Louis beat Washington. Saggese led off with a double off Cole Henry (0-2) to score automatic runner Masyn Winn with the go-ahead run. With two outs, Wetherholt doubled to right, scoring Saggese to make it 7-5. Jordan Walker homered for the second straight night and Church also went deep for the Cardinals. Nolan Gorman had three hits. James Wood homered for the third straight game for Washington, and Curtis Mead had three hits, including a home run. Rangers 3, Mariners 2 Nathan Eovaldi pitched six quality innings and Kyle Higashioka hit a go-ahead home run, rallying Texas to a win over struggling Seattle in Arlington, Texas. Eovaldi, making his 300th career major league start, picked up his first win of the season after two losses, allowing two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and a pair of walks. George Kirby (1-2) threw an eight-inning complete game for Seattle, which lost its fourth straight and its sixth in the past seven games. Cubs 9, Rays 2 Javier Assad threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings and Pete Crow-Armstrong and Moises Ballesteros hit late-inning home runs to seal Chicago’s win over Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Fla. Seven Cubs, including Crow-Armstrong and Ballesteros, had two or more hits as part of a 16-hit output. Nico Hoerner went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Assad (1-0), making his season debut after beginning the year in Triple-A Iowa, allowed just one hit and two walks. Mason Englert (0-1) was a spot starter for Tampa Bay after Drew Rasmussen was a late scratch for personal reasons. Englert took the loss, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. Yankees 5, Athletics 3 Amed Rosario gave New York the lead by hitting a three-run home run, his second of the game, in the eighth inning as the Yankees downed the visiting Athletics. Rosario also homered off A’s starter Aaron Civale in the second inning for New York’s first run. It was the veteran infielder’s third career multi-homer game. New York starter Cam Schlittler allowed his first three runs of the season, all in the third inning, scattering five hits over five innings. Nick Kurtz hit a two-run double and Tyler Soderstrom added an RBI double when the A’s had four hits in the third and took a 3-1 lead. Civale allowed two hits and one run over five innings before former Yankee Mark Leiter Jr. (0-1) took the loss. Rockies 5, Astros 1 Kyle Freeland pitched 6 1/3 strong innings, Willi Castro and Mickey Moniak homered and Colorado beat visiting Houston. Castro finished with three hits and three RBIs while TJ Rumfield singled twice for Colorado, which has won three in a row. Freeland (1-1) became the first Rockies starter to pitch into the seventh inning this season. He allowed one run on three hits. Antonio Senzatela threw 2 2/3 perfect innings to pick up his first career save. Christian Walker homered, one of just three hits for the Astros, who have lost three in a row. Mike Burrows (1-2) permitted three runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. Dodgers 4, Blue Jays 1 Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched an effective six-plus innings and visiting Los Angeles defeated Toronto. Yamamoto (2-1) allowed one run, five hits and one walk with six strikeouts in his first appearance back in the stadium where he was named World Series MVP last year after closing out Game 7. Alex Freeland had three hits for the Dodgers, who have won five in a row while the Blue Jays have lost six straight. Los Angeles took a 2-0 lead in the third against Kevin Gausman (0-1), who opposed Yamamoto in Games 2 and 6 of the World Series. Gausman yielded three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. Twins 4, Tigers 2 Ryan Jeffers doubled and drove in a pair of runs as Minnesota held on for a win over Detroit in Minneapolis. Luke Keaschall and Josh Bell added one RBI apiece for the Twins. Taj Bradley (2-0) continued his red-hot start to the season, limiting the Tigers to one run on six hits in 6 1/3 innings, Detroit’s Tarik Skubal (1-2) unraveled after four scoreless innings. He exited after giving up four runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. Kevin McGonigle went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. CUBS ACE CADE HORTON HEADED FOR ELBOW SURGERY, WILL MISS THE REST OF THE 2026 SEASON ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Chicago Cubs pitcher Cade Horton will miss the rest of the 2026 season after an MRI revealed UCL damage in his right elbow, Chicago manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday. “Cade is gonna have surgery,” Counsell said before the Cubs game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. “He’s gonna miss the rest of the year.” The exact procedure, whether it will be a full Tommy John reconstruction or an internal brace repair, won’t be determined until surgeons go into the elbow. Horton visited renowned elbow specialist Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday. No surgery date has been set. The announcement confirms what Cubs fans feared when Horton walked off the mound in Cleveland on April 3, after just 17 pitches. His velocity had dropped from 96 mph in the first inning to 93.8 mph on his final pitch before he waved toward the dugout. It will be the 24-year-old right-hander’s second elbow reconstruction surgery. He had Tommy John surgery as a freshman at Oklahoma in 2021. He was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 draft and broke through in the majors last season with an 11-4 record and a 2.67 ERA in 118 innings. He finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting. In his 2026 debut, Horton held Washington to two runs in 6 1/3 innings just one week before the injury. The blow is particularly tough because the Cubs are already without ace Justin Steele, who is recovering from his own UCL surgery and is not expected back until late May at the earliest. With Matthew Boyd also on the injured list, the Cubs will lean on Colin Rea and Javier Assad in the rotation. Rea stepped up in a similar role last season, posting a 3.95 ERA across 27 starts after Steele went down. “Colin’s going to be asked to pitch more innings out of the bullpen, and then somebody’s going to take Colin’s bullpen innings,” Counsell said. “That’s how it’s going to be addressed on paper. But it’s not all on Colin. … We all have to just do our part.” ========================================================= COLLEGE FOOTBALL COLORADO QB’S BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL WAS TWICE LEGAL LIMIT IN FATAL SINGLE-CAR CRASH, REPORT REVEALS BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder had a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit for driving under the influence when he died in a single-car crash near Boulder, according to the autopsy report from the Boulder County Coroner’s Office. Ponder, 23, was killed early on March 1 when he lost control on a curve and hit a guardrail. The car he was driving, a 2023 Tesla, struck an electrical line pole and rolled down an embankment. His blood alcohol level was .167, according to the autopsy report. The limit is 0.08. There is a lower limit, of .05, for driving while ability impaired. Ponder was pronounced dead at the scene. The autopsy report lists “multiple blunt force injuries” as the cause of death and “accident” as the manner of death. On Tuesday, the Colorado State Patrol said it’s “conducting a comprehensive investigation which would take a look at factors such as speed, impairment, distracted driving, and more.” Ponder’s mom, Catrina Hughes, released a statement, saying “what matters most to me is who Dominiq was as a person. He was a determined student-athlete, a leader, and someone with a huge heart who fiercely loved his family, his teammates, and the game of football. “If anything good can come from this loss, it’s the conversations it can start about responsible decision-making, supporting young adults, and making good choices even in ordinary moments. One bad decision can alter everything.” Ponder’s family has started a GoFundMe page and a foundation called “Dominiq Ponder 7/22.” His foundation will support student-athletes, children’s hospitals and families dealing with medical challenges, and help assist with responsible decision-making. “A big part of his legacy will be to encourage young people to please make responsible choices and if possible to have the courage to step in for their friends when one of them isn’t thinking clearly for themselves,” Hughes wrote. “Kids need to know that it’s OK to intervene, do anything you can do, one small decision can save a life. Don’t be afraid even if it’s uncomfortable. A difficult conversation is easier than a lifetime of loss.” Ponder played in two games for the Buffaloes last season. The 6-foot-5 sophomore from Florida began his collegiate career at Bethune-Cookman before transferring. ========================================================= NBA NBA ROUNDUP: WOLVES DOWN PACERS, SUBSEQUENTLY CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH Ayo Dosunmu scored 24 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves snapped a three-game losing streak with a 124-104 win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday in Indianapolis. Julius Randle and Bones Hyland added 19 apiece and Naz Reid contributed 17 for Minnesota (47-32), which sits in sixth place in the Western Conference. The Timberwolves finished the night clinching a playoff spot and avoiding the play-in after the Phoenix Suns fell to the Houston Rockets 119-105 later Tuesday. Rookie Ethan Thompson posted 17 points for the Pacers (18-61), who took their third straight defeat. Obi Toppin and Jalen Slawson both had 14 points. Olympics coverage Indiana’s season-long injury crisis continued when forward Kobe Brown, who was in the starting five, was unable to play after halftime with lower back soreness. Thunder 123, Lakers 87 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points in 28 minutes as Oklahoma City demolished the Lakers for the second time in five days, prevailing in Los Angeles. The Thunder, by earning their sixth consecutive win and their 18th in 19 games, moved within one win or one San Antonio Spurs loss of clinching the top spot in the Western Conference for the third consecutive season. Chet Holmgren had 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Isaiah Joe and Jared McCain added 18 and 15 points off the bench, respectively. NBA game highlights The Lakers fell a game behind the Denver Nuggets for the No. 3 spot in the West with their third consecutive loss. They are now tied with Houston after the Rockets beat the Suns. Rui Hachimura led Los Angeles with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting. No other Los Angeles player scored more than 11. Rockets 119, Suns 105 Kevin Durant had 24 points and five 3-pointers in his return to Phoenix and Houston overcame a 21-point deficit for its largest comeback of the season, producing a victory over the host Suns. Amen Thompson logged 22 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists and Jabari Smith Jr. had 20 points and five 3-pointers for the Rockets, who have won seven in a row and nine of 11. The Rockets are tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for fourth place in the West and are one game behind the Denver Nuggets with three to play. Devin Booker had 31 points and eight assists and Mark Williams contributed 19 points and eight rebounds for the Suns, who had a 24-0 run in the first quarter to build a 26-5 lead before fading. Pelicans 156, Jazz 137 Jeremiah Fears scored a career-high and franchise-rookie-record 40 points and as New Orleans set a club record for points in a blowout of visiting Utah. Jordan Poole added 34 points, Jordan Hawkins put up a season-high 25 and rookie Micah Peavy scored a career-high 20 as the Pelicans ended an eight-game losing streak. Kennedy Chandler scored a career-high 31 points and rookie Bez Mbeng added a career-best 26 for the Jazz, who lost their 10th consecutive game. Celtics 113, Hornets 102 Jaylen Brown scored 35 points and grabbed nine rebounds to propel Boston past visiting Charlotte. The Celtics received 23 points from Jayson Tatum and 12 apiece from Neemias Queta, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard. Boston has won four straight and 11 of its past 13 games. LaMelo Ball tossed in a game-high 36 points for the Hornets, but he failed to score in the fourth quarter. Charlotte was held to 15 points in the final period as its four-game winning streak ended. Bulls 129, Wizards 98 Rob Dillingham’s career-high 26 points off the bench highlighted a balanced scoring effort as Chicago rolled past host Washington. Chicago left little doubt on the way to snapping a seven-game losing streak, pouncing on Washington with a 9-0 run midway the first quarter. Tre Jones put up 20 points, his third effort of 19-plus points in his past five games, and he wound up one assist shy of his first double-double since January. Patrick Williams added 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Bilal Coulibaly led the Wizards with 19 points. First-year forward Julian Reese posted his fourth double-double in his 10 NBA games, going for 17 points and 11 rebounds. Nets 96, Bucks 90 E.J. Liddell scored 21 points to lead Brooklyn to a victory over visiting Milwaukee. It was the second win in a row for Brooklyn and third in its last five contests. Ben Saraf added 19 points while Malachi Smith and Drake Powell each scored 11. AJ Green led the Bucks with 20 points on six 3-pointers (6-for-12). Taurean Prince scored 16 points with 11 rebounds while Cormac Ryan added 14. Jericho Sims tallied 12 points, eight boards and six assists, and Ousmane Dieng had 10 points and seven rebounds. Clippers 116, Mavericks 103 Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points and Darius Garland added 22 as Los Angeles improved its play-in tournament seeding possibilities with a victory over Dallas in Inglewood, Calif. John Collins scored 12 points and Derrick Jones Jr. added 11 points with 10 rebounds as the eighth-place Clippers moved a full game ahead of the ninth-place Portland Trail Blazers. The Clippers and Blazers will meet Friday at Portland. Cooper Flagg scored 25 points and Marvin Bagley III added 21 as the Mavericks fell to 2-9 since March 16. Flagg, 19, coming off consecutive games of 51 and 45 points. Raptors 121, Heat 95 Scottie Barnes scored 25 points and Brandon Ingram added 23, leading Toronto to a victory over visiting Miami. Jakob Poeltl had 17 points while RJ Barrett chipped in 16 for the Raptors, who pulled within a game of the fifth-place Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference. Toronto had dropped three of its previous four games. The Heat got 24 points from Andrew Wiggins and 14 points apiece from Tyler Herro and Norman Powell. Miami shot just 27.3% (12 of 44) on 3-point attempts while dropping its ninth game in 12 tries. Warriors 110, Kings 105 Stephen Curry capped his 17-point performance with a game-tying 3-pointer, then turned his own miss into an offensive rebound and assist on Brandin Podziemski’s go-ahead trey as Golden State outlasted Sacramento in San Francisco. De’Anthony Melton had a game-high 21 points and Podziemski finished with 20 for the Warriors, who ended a four-game losing streak while resting Kristaps Porzingis on the first night of a four-games-in-six-days sequence. Killian Hayes led a balanced attack with 18 points off the bench for the Kings, who dropped their second in a row. ================================================================ NHL NHL ROUNDUP: AVALANCHE BEST BLUES, SEAL NO. 1 SPOT IN WEST Valeri Nichushkin scored two goals as the Colorado Avalanche locked up the top spot in the Western Conference with a 3-1 road victory over the deflated St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. Scott Wedgewood made 18 saves and Martin Necas also tallied to help the Avalanche inch closer to their fourth Presidents’ Trophy in franchise history. Robert Thomas scored the lone goal for the Blues. Joel Hofer totaled 34 saves as the home side saw its slim playoff chances diminish in the loss. Despite the conference-topping victory, the Avalanche may have sustained a major loss as Nazem Kadri left the contest early after blocking a shot with his hand. Hurricanes 6, Bruins 5 (OT) Jaccob Slavin scored 1:13 into overtime as Carolina beat visiting Boston to clinch the Metropolitan Division. By reaching overtime, the Hurricanes wrapped up the division in their home finale. They have four games remaining. Games Logan Stankoven, William Carrier and Taylor Hall scored within a 3 1/2-minute stretch in the second period and teammates Andrei Svechnikov and K’Andre Miller scored earlier for the Hurricanes. Jackson Blake and Sean Walker both had two assists and Brandon Bussi made 16 saves. Boston’s Morgan Geekie had a hat trick, while Pavel Zacha had a goal and an assist. Zacha’s goal tied the game with 7:27 left in regulation. The Bruins, though, were unable to capitalize on a late power play. Golden Knights 2, Canucks 1 Cole Smith scored the eventual game-winner as Vegas edged host Vancouver. With the win, the Golden Knights moved into a tie for first place in the Pacific Division with the Oilers. Edmonton holds the tiebreaker edge. Vegas is now 4-0-0 with John Tortorella behind the bench. Brayden McNabb also scored for Vegas, which swept the three-game season series against the Canucks and improved to 11-1-2 all-time in Vancouver. Max Sasson responded for the Canucks, who have dropped three straight and are 1-9-0 in the past 10 games. Nikita Tolopilo stopped 26 shots for Vancouver, which is 8-27-5 on home ice this season. Senators 6, Lightning 2 Jake Sanderson scored twice and Brady Tkachuk logged four assists to help Ottawa tighten its hold on a playoff spot with a win against visiting Tampa Bay. Tim Stutzle had a goal and two assists for the Senators, who have won two straight to remain in the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Ottawa got a goal apiece from Jordan Spence, Shane Pinto and Fabian Zetterlund. Linus Ullmark made 28 saves. Nick Paul and Corey Perry each had a goal and an assist while Jonas Johansson made 26 saves for the Lightning, who have lost consecutive games for the first time since March 8-10. Tampa Bay is now in a three-way tie for first place in the Atlantic Division with the Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens. Stars 4, Flames 3 (OT) Wyatt Johnston’s second goal of the game was the overtime winner on a power play, giving host Dallas a comeback victory over Calgary. Jason Robertson collected one goal and one assist while Justin Hryckowian added a single for the Stars, who maintained their hold on the second spot in the Central Division. Jake Oettinger made 17 saves for Dallas, which erased a two-goal third-period deficit. Joel Farabee, Yegor Sharangovich and Zayne Parekh scored for the Flames. Adam Klapka collected a pair of assists, and Devin Cooley stopped 21 shots. Blue Jackets 4, Red Wings 3 (SO) Zach Werenski had a goal and an assist in regulation, then scored the decisive goal in the shootout as visiting Columbus snapped a six-game losing streak with a win over Detroit in a battle of teams fighting for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Adam Fantilli scored with 17 seconds left to force overtime, and Columbus won the shootout 3-2. Danton Heinen also scored while goalie Jet Greaves made 34 saves and also had an assist for the Blue Jackets. Justin Faulk scored two goals and Dylan Larkin added the other for the Red Wings. John Gibson made 32 saves. Mammoth 6, Oilers 5 (OT) Clayton Keller scored the winning goal on an overtime power play as Utah rallied to defeat Edmonton. Nick Schmaltz tallied twice and Alexander Kerfoot and Keller each had a goal and an assist for the Mammoth, who have won four straight games. Sean Durzi, Michael Carcone and Dylan Guenther each had two assists, and Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves. Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist while Tristan Jarry made 25 saves for the Oilers, who have lost two straight (0-1-1). Predators 5, Ducks 0 Justus Annunen posted his first shutout of the season and Erik Haula recorded one goal and one assist as visiting Nashville produced a victory at Anaheim. Annunen made 43 saves for his third career shutout as the Predators jumped into the second Western Conference wild-card spot. Filip Forsberg, Brady Skjei, Zachary L’Heureux and Fedor Svechkov all tallied for Nashville, and Ryan O’Reilly and Joakim Kemell both collected a pair of assists. Lukas Dostal stopped 20 shots for the Ducks, who have lost six straight games, five of them in regulation time. Canadiens 4, Panthers 3 (SO) Cole Caufield and Alexandre Texier scored in the shootout to complete host Montreal’s comeback win over Florida. Ivan Demidov, Phillip Danault and Nick Suzuki scored in regulation for the Canadiens, who have won nine of their past 10. Juraj Slafkovsky had two assists, and Jakub Dobes stopped 30 shots. Carter Verhaeghe, Cole Reinhart and Eetu Luostarinen got the goals for the Panthers, who have lost six of eight. Danill Tarasov made 29 saves. Flyers 5, Devils 1 Trevor Zegras and Tyson Foerster both scored a pair of goals for Philadelphia, which strengthened its hold on a playoff spot by prevailing in Newark, N.J. Nick Seeler also scored, Zegras added an assist, and Matvei Michkov assisted on both of Foerster’s goals. Dan Vladar stopped 23 shots for the Flyers, who have won three in a row. Cody Glass tallied and Jacob Markstrom made 14 saves for the Devils, who were eliminated from playoff contention with their regulation loss paired with Ottawa’s win over Tampa Bay. Wild 5, Kraken 2 Joel Eriksson Ek scored and had two assists while Matt Boldy and Marcus Johansson each had a goal and an assist as Minnesota won its fourth straight game, downing Seattle in Saint Paul, Minn. Games Marcus Foligno and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored for the Wild, who are two points behind the second-place Dallas Stars in the Central Division. Jesper Wallstedt made 25 saves to win his third straight start. Brandon Montour and Adam Larsson both scored for the Kraken, who have lost six straight (0-5-1) and are on the verge of elimination from playoff contention. =================================================================== NASCAR TYLER REDDICK LEADS STANDINGS ENTERING BRISTOL AS CUP SERIES UNVEILS NEW 750-HP PACKAGE All Times Eastern NASCAR CUP SERIES Food City 500 Site: Bristol, Tennessee. Track: Bristol Motor Speedway. Race distance: 500 laps, 266.5 miles. Schedule: Saturday, practice, 4:30 p.m., qualifying, 5:40 p.m.; Sunday, race 3 p.m. (FS1). Last year: Kyle Larson led a staggering 411 of 500 laps, finishing 2.25 seconds over Denny Hamlin en route to his 31st career Cup victory. Last race: Chase Elliott earned his 22nd career win and second in Martinsville, overcoming race leader Denny Hamlin and taking the lead for good with 68 laps to go. Next race: April 19, Kansas City, Kansas. Online: http://www.nascar.com NASCAR O’REILLY AUTO PARTS SERIES Suburban Propane 300 Site: Bristol, Tennessee. Track: Bristol Motor Speedway. Race distance: 300 laps, 159.9 miles. Schedule: Saturday, practice, 2 p.m., qualifying, 3:05 p.m., race, 7:30 p.m. (CW). Last year: Kyle Larson dominated at Bristol, leading a race-high 277 of 300 laps to earn his 16th career series victory. Last race: After taking the lead on a restart with 172 laps to go, William Sawalich held off the field over the final 79 laps to secure his first career series win. Next race: April 18, Kansas City, Kansas. Online: http://www.nascar.com NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES Tennessee Army National Guard 250 Site: Bristol, Tennessee. Track: Bristol Motor Speedway. Race distance: 250 laps, 133.25 miles. Schedule: Friday, practice, 3:30 p.m., qualifying, 4:35 p.m., race, 7:30 p.m. (FS1). Last year: Chandler Smith held off Kyle Larson in a late dash to earn his first win of the season, his second Truck Series victory at Bristol and sixth overall. Last race: Corey Heim earned his second win of the season after a side-by-side battle with Kaden Honeycutt on the last lap at Rockingham. Next race: May 1, Fort Worth, Texas. Online: http://www.nascar.com FORMULA 1 Last race: Capitalizing on a free pit stop under a safety car, Kimi Antonelli became the first teenager to win back-to-back races, beating Oscar Piastri by 13.7 seconds. Next race: May 3, Miami. Online: http://www.formula1.com NTT INDYCAR SERIES Last race: Pole-sitter Alex Palou led 79 of 90 laps en route to his second win of the season, finishing more than 13 seconds ahead of second place for his 21st career victory. Next race: April 19, Long Beach, California. Online: http://www.indycar.com NHRA DRAG RACING Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals Site: Pomona, California. Track: In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. Race distance: 1/4 mile. Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 2 p.m., qualifying, 2:30 p.m., qualifying, 4:30 p.m., qualifying, 5 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 12:30 p.m., qualifying, 1 p.m., qualifying, 3 p.m., qualifying, 3:30 p.m.; Sunday, race, 11 a.m. (FS1). Next race: April 26, Concord, North Carolina. Online: http://www.nhra.com WORLD OF OUTLAWS ILLINI 100 PRACTICE NIGHT ILLINI 100 WORLD OF OUTLAWS FEDERATED AUTO PARTS SPRING CLASSIC ILLINI 100 WORLD OF OUTLAWS FEDERATED AUTO PARTS SPRING CLASSIC Next race: April 17-18. Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com ========================================================== INDIANA SPORTS TEAM RELEASES INDIANA HS/COLLEGE SPORTS NEWS Warsaw basketball player has flipped her commitment from Butler to Indiana Wesleyan. Brebeuf football player Parker Maiers has flipped his commitment from Dartmouth to Northwestern. Martinsville AD Kip Staggs has announced his retirement after a 35-year career. Brownsburg WR has narrowed his college choices to Indiana, Vanderbilt, Cincinnati, and Purdue. Former Heritage Christian grad Myles Colvin is leaving Wake Forest and entering the transfer portal. =========================================================== INDIANA PACERS The Pacers returned to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday to host the Minnesota Timberwolves in a matchup between two shorthanded squads. Indiana struggled with turnovers, and fell to the Timberwolves, 124-104. Minnesota was without Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels as the pair of Timberwolves each battled knee injuries. Indiana had several key players sidelined – T.J. McConnell (hamstring), Pascal Siakam (ankle), Andrew Nembhard (back), Aaron Nesmith (neck), and Ben Sheppard (hip) were all unavailable. Minnesota made five straight 3-point shots over a 2:33 period in the first quarter en route to a lead that would reach double digits. The Timberwolves hit six of their nine attempts from deep in the first period. Indiana recorded six turnovers in the opening frame. Minnesota capitalized on those extra possessions, and led by as many as 15 points down the stretch of the quarter. Kam Jones’ 3-pointer beat the first quarter buzzer as Indiana went into the second trailing by eight points, 35-27. The Blue and Gold battled back to within nine points of the lead with four minutes to play in the first half, 48-39, after Quenton Jackson knocked down a pair of free throws. Obi Toppin provided a needed pop of energy off the bench for the Pacers as he knocked down three of his six shots, and led Indiana in scoring with 12 points. Randle notched a game-high 14 points in the first half for the Timberwolves. Indiana was tougher on defense in the second quarter. After allowing 35 points in the first, the Pacers conceded 28 in the second, and entered the halftime break trailing the Timberwolves by 10 points, 63-53. The Blue and Gold fell behind again to open the second half, but back-to-back slams by Jackson and Micah Potter pulled Indiana back within 10 points of Minnesota, 77-67. Minnesota responded with a 13-4 run to build its lead back to 19 points, 90-71. Ethan Thompson marched to the free throw line seven times in the third quarter, and converted five of those seven attempts. Indiana trailed after three, 102-77. Minnesota kept its foot on the gas until the three-minute mark of the fourth quarter, when the Timberwolves starters exited for deep rotation players. The lead was 25 points. Indiana cut that deficit down to 20 points over the final three minutes of play, but fell to the Timberwolves, 124-104. The Pacers’ 22 turnovers interrupted any offensive rhythm they were able to create, and led to 34 points for the Timberwolves. Thompson led Indiana in scoring as he recorded 17 points and four rebounds. Both Toppin and Jalen Slawson contributed 14 points off the Indiana bench. Ayo Dosunmu’s 24 points led the Timberwolves, and Randle finished the game with 19 points. The Pacers are back in action on Thursday, April 9, at 7:30 PM ET when they take on the Nets in Brooklyn. Inside the Numbers Six of Indiana’s 10 active players recorded double-figure scoring totals. The Pacers committed 22 turnovers to Minnesota’s 18. Indiana knocked down nine 3-point shots to the Timberwolves’ 17. Minnesota shot 52 percent from the floor, and the Pacers shot 48 percent. ========================================================== INDY FUEL FUEL OPEN ROAD SERIES IN IOWA ON FRIDAY NIGHT CORALVILLE- The Fuel will head to Iowa to take on the Heartlanders in the first of three games in a row this weekend. These games will be important as the Fuel needs to rack up some standings points to hold their playoff spot in the Central division. They will finish the season after this series, with games against Wheeling and Fort Wayne. LAST TIME OUT The last time these two teams met was on February 28, 2026 when the Fuel hosted the Heartlanders and were shutout 2-0. With two first period goals, Iowa held their lead for the remainder of the game while William Rousseau blocked all 23 shots Indy recorded. DIVISIONAL BALANCE While Iowa sits in last place in the Central division, these games will be very important to Indy as they could hold onto their third place spot in the division and the playoffs. Kalamazoo, Bloomington, and Cincinnati are hot on their tail though, all still very able to claim a playoff spot or two. Getting two points in every game this weekend will be very important for Indy. ================================================================== INDY ELEVEN ERIC DICK USL-C “TEAM OF THE WEEK” (Apr. 7, 2026) Tampa, Fla. – Indy Eleven goalkeeper Eric Dick has been selected to the USL Championship “Team of the Week” after recording a season-high seven saves, along with 14 recoveries and a -1.03 Goals Prevented mark against defending champion Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday at Carroll Stadium. In the 90th minute, he denied former teammate Albert Dikwa of his 60th career USL-C goal with a diving save on a volley from inside the area to protect a 1-0 lead. The Carmel native and Butler product helped lead Pittsburgh to the 2025 title, winning the USL Championship MVP and Prinx Playoff MVP after allowing no goals in 450 minutes in four playoff games. Dick led the league with 15 clean sheets last season, ranking second in the league in saves (78) and goals against average (0.78). He set a Pittsburgh record with 30 shutouts in two seasons there, winning the 2024 USL-C “Goalkeeper of the Year” and Golden Glove awards with a league-best 0.69 goals against average, a 79.1% save percentage, and a Goals Prevented mark of -11.06. His total of 14 shutouts in the 2024 regular-season is tied for third on the all-time list, as the Hounds conceded the fewest goals in the Championship. Dick moved into third place in the USL-C in saves (16) and 10th in save percentage (76.2). In his 2026 Indy Eleven debut on March 8, Dick was nominated for the USL-C “Save of the Week”. In his USL-C career, the 6’5 Dick is sixth in regular season shutout percentage (36.8%), tied for 16th in clean sheets (16), and 27th in saves (262). Dick played four games for the Boys in Blue in 2021, recording a clean sheet. The 2017 BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year for Butler was the first keeper selected in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft at pick #13 by Sporting Kansas City. He signed with Minnesota United FC in 2022. Indy Eleven continues its three-match homestand on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Carroll Stadium vs. Monterey Bay FC in the annual “Kick for a Cause” game. Susan G. Komen®, the world’s leading breast cancer organization, is the spotlight partner. The match is part of the 2026 Scarf Series, so fans can purchase a ticket + knit scarf here. Ticket options available include Family Four-Packs, pro-rated Season Tickets, and Flex Mini-Plans. The Family Four-Pack is available for all 2026 home games and it can be purchased online only. Priced at just $49, the Family Four-Pack includes four tickets, FREE parking, $20 in Concession Vouchers, and a 20% Merchandise Discount, along with access to the Fun Zone/Kids Activation Area. ============================================================ INDIANA BASEBALL BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – On a cold night at the ballpark, the Indiana Baseball team (13-19, 5-10 B1G) got a magnificent performance from its bullpen to earn a hard fought 6-4 win over Ball State (15-16, 10-6 MAC). Five relievers combined to record the final 25 outs of the game without allowing a run on Tuesday (April 7) evening at Bart Kaufman Field. Graduate student southpaw Conner Linn didn’t produce the start that IU’s coaching staff was looking for. He recorded just two outs before exiting in a 4-0 hole. His five teammates made up the difference, hurling 8.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen to get IU to a third win in four games. Freshman right-handed pitcher Ivan Mastalski (3.1 IP) and graduate student right-handed pitchers Kaden Jacobi (2.0 IP) and Michael Sarhatt (1.2 IP) each provided zeros across multiple innings of work. Freshman right-handed pitcher Kellen English (W, 1-1) got his first career win after a clean seventh inning on the mound. IU’s offense immediately answered the four spot in the first inning, allowing the bullpen to settle in the game. A two-run double from sophomore outfielder Caleb Koskie and an RBI single from Cole Decker helped put four runs on the board in the opening frame. The Hoosiers added insurance in the sixth inning on a Ball State error and an RBI single from sophomore third baseman Will Moore. The Tuesday win will provide a jolt of confidence in an IU bullpen that’s had to carry a big load through a handful of injuries. It also sets IU up on the mound to have most arms available on Friday (April 10) evening for the beginning of a big series in College Park against Maryland. Scoring Recap Top First In the first at bat of the game, Brayden Heubner hit a solo home run. Ball State added to the lead with RBI singles from Kenskey Thomas, Brett Griffiths and Maalik Perkins. Ball State 4, Indiana 0 Bottom First It was an immediate answer from the Hoosiers. Caleb Koskie had a two-run, ground-rule double to score Jake Hanley and Hogan Denny. Landen Fry provided an RBI groundout before a single to center field from Cole Decker tied the game. Indiana 4, Ball State 4 Bottom Seventh The only other scoring was done in the seventh inning. Fry reached safely on a throwing error that allowed Hanley to score. Will Moore’s RBI single provided all the insurance that IU would need. Indiana 6, Ball State 4 Top Hoosier Performers #18 Mastalski, Ivan 3.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K #17 Koskie, Caleb 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI #41 Jacobi, Kaden 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K Inside the Box Score • Seven of IU’s starters recorded at least one hit. Jake Hanley and Cooper Malamazian each had multi-hit days. • IU’s pitching staff allowed just four free passes. After the first inning, they gave up just five hits. • The Hoosiers’ bullpen racked up nine strikeouts and didn’t allow a run. Notes to Know • Freshman right-handed pitcher Ivan Mastalski went a career high 3.1 innings in relief on Tuesday night to provide a big boost to IU’s pitching staff. He matched a career high with 46 pitches thrown and collected a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless effort. He has five shutout outings this year that lasted at least two innings. • Sophomore outfielder Caleb Koskie had an early double to extend his hitting streak to 13-consecutive games. It matches Devin Taylor’s streak (13 – 2025) as the longest over the last two seasons by an IU player. In each of the last four campaigns, IU has had one player with a single-season hitting streak of exactly 13 games. • Sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley started his 88th-straight game for the Hoosiers on Tuesday evening. It’s the most consecutive starts to begin an IU career since former All-American catcher Kyle Schwarber (88 – 2012-13). The longest streak since 2010 belongs to former infielder Dustin DeMuth (102 – 2011-12). • The 25 outs that IU’s bullpen recorded in the win are the most – in an IU victory – in over three years. Against Ohio State on March 25, 2023, the Hoosiers got all 27 outs from its staff of relievers to complete a 14-6 win over the Buckeyes. IU’s starter didn’t pick up a single out before allowing four runs in that eventual comeback victory. Up Next IU will be back on the road for the first time in April. Maryland will host IU for a three-game set in College Park (March 10-12) over the weekend. The first two games will be streamed on B1G+ before BTN picks up the series finale. They will all be carried on the Indiana Sports Radio Network via IUHoosiers.com/Audio. ================================================================ PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – One of the most-sought after transfers in the country, Caden Pierce has signed his paperwork and will join the Purdue men’s basketball program for the 2026-27 season. Pierce, a 6-foot, 7-inch, 225-pound forward from Glyn Ellen, Illinois (Glenbard West High School) played three years at Princeton from the 2022-23 to 2024-25 seasons, before preserving his final year of eligibility with a redshirt year in 2025-26, while completing his degree at Princeton. Pierce signed with Purdue after visiting Duke, Gonzaga, Louisville and Connecticut. Pierce had an outstanding career at Princeton, starting 89 of 90 career games for the Tigers. As a sophomore during the 2023-24 season, Pierce was selected as the Ivy League Player of the Year after averaging 16.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, shooting 54.6 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from 3-point range, leading the Tigers to a 24-5 record and an Ivy League regular-season title. He was one of just six underclassmen in the last 40 years to average at least 16 points, nine rebounds, three assists and one steal per game, while shooting over 50 percent from the field. In 2024-25, Pierce battled injuries to play in 29 games, averaging 11.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. As a freshman in 2022-23, Pierce played a vital role in the Tigers advancing to the Sweet 16, averaging 8.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game en route to Ivy League Rookie of the Year accolades. In a round of 32 win over Missouri, Pierce had nine points and 16 rebounds to help move the Tigers into the second weekend. Pierce was named to the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year watch list before the 2024-25 season, was the USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy National Player of the Week in Dec. 2024 after leading the Tigers to an 83-82 win over Rutgers with 21 points and 14 rebounds. He was also selected as a six-time Ivy League Player of the Week and four-time Ivy League Rookie of the Week. He was one of five players in Princeton history to tally at least 1,000 points and 700 rebounds in a career. More recently, Pierce lead Team USA to the FIBA 3×3 Champions Cup in mid-March in Bangkok, Thailand. In five games at the tournament, Pierce averaged a team-high 4.8 points and 6.6 rebounds while being named the tournament MVP. Pierce has been active in USA Basketball’s 3×3 team since the 2024 calendar year. Prior to his collegiate tenure, Pierce led Glenbard West to the 2022 Illinois Class 4A IHSA State Championship with a 37-1 record. He was a two-time all-state selection and was the all-time assists and steals leader at Glenbard West. He helped his AAU team, the Illinois Wolves, to the 17U National Championship in 2021. Pierce is also a standout golfer, helping his team to a fourth-place showing in 2021 while being named all-conference twice. Pierce comes from an athletic family as his father, Greg, and mother, Stephanie, played football and volleyball respectively at Northwestern. His brother, Alec, is a standout wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts who led the NFL in yards per catch last season (47 catches, 1,003 yards; 21.3 YPC). Another brother, Justin, plays basketball professionally overseas after playing three years of basketball at William and Mary and one at North Carolina. Justin was a teammate of Caden’s in the FIBA 3×3 Champions Cup in March. The Boilermakers are ranked in the top 20 of nearly every “way-too-early” top-25 poll for the upcoming season that was released after last night’s national title game. =========================================================== PURDUE BASEBALL WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Baseball scored six times in the bottom of the seventh to break a 6-6 tie, riding the big inning to a 13-6 victory vs. Bradley on Tuesday at Alexander Field. After going down 6-5, the Boilermakers (22-10) reeled of eight unanswered runs over their final three frames at the plate. They scored at least eight unanswered/consecutive runs for the eighth time this season. Both teams used seven pitchers in a game that was just shy of four hours in length. For Purdue, Joe Trenerry earned the victory with 2 1/3 scoreless innings in his longest outing of the season. He teamed with Gavin Beuter (2 IP, 0 ER, 0 BB, K) and Graham Kollen (final 2 outs) to help the Boilers post four consecutive zeros to close out the game. Trenerry (1-0) has not allowed an earned run in any of his nine appearances this season. Offensively, Purdue put up 13 runs with just one extra-base hit – a leadoff double from CJ Richmond in the fourth inning. The visitors only had one extra-base hit as well, a first-inning RBI double. The Boilers capitalized on 10 free passes (7 walks, 3 HBP), four errors and three sacrifice flies. Eli Anderson (2-for-4, 3 RBI, R) drove in a run in three different plate appearances. Quincy Malbrough (1-for-3, BB, HBP, 3 R), Sergio DeCello (1-for-3, BB, HBP, RBI, 2 R) and Richmond (2-for-4, 2B, BB, RBI, 2 R) all reached base safely three times. Sam Flores and Avery Moore both delivered a two-out, two-run single – Flores in the third inning and Moore in the bottom of the seventh. Dylan Drake’s two-out RBI single evened the score at 6-6 in the sixth inning. Westin Boyle and Anderson both elevated pitches into the outfield for bases-loaded sacrifice flies in the seventh inning, driving in the first two runs of the frame as Purdue took its first lead since the bottom of the fourth. STREAKS EXTENDED • Sam Flores: 11-game hit; 7-game hit at home • Eli Anderson: 11-game hit at home • Avery Moore: 7-game on-base • Dylan Drake: 6-game on-base; 11-game on-base at home • Quincy Malbrough: 6-game on-base at home • Joe Trenerry: 8 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run Jackson Greer retired all five batters he faced as Purdue’s third pitcher of the night, stranding the bases full of inherited runners in the third inning after Bradley (6-26) had gone ahead 2-0. He followed it up with a 1-2-3 top of the fourth, accounting for five outs for the first time this season. The Boilermakers posted their 10th home victory of the year and won for the ninth time in their last 11 home games since March 10. Purdue is back in action Friday when it opens a three-game Big Ten series at Northwestern. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. ET. ========================================================== NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S GOLF By: Gwyneth Passinault College Park, Md. – The University of Notre Dame women’s golf team competed in the Terps Invitational over Easter weekend, finishing with a three-round score of 912 (+48) amongst 16 teams. The women recorded a single round best of 378 (+18) in the second round of the tournament Sunday before wrapping up Monday morning. Alexandra Lapple led the way for the Irish throughout the tournament, finishing with a 219 (+11) to pace the ND lineup through 54 holes. Lapple opened with a 79 (+7) in round one but bounced back in the second round finishing even at 72 (E) to end the day. She closed out the second day with a 76 (+4) securing a top-10 team finish for the Irish as she took 39th overall. Bridget Wilkie followed closely behind, just one stroke off Lapple, adding a 228 (+12) total to finish 43rd overall. She opened with a 73 (+1), posted a 77 (+5) second round score, and closed with a 78 (+6). Maddy Bante rounded out the Irish individuals in the top-50 as she added another close score of 229 (+13) across 54 holes. Bante started the tournament off with an 80 (+8), before registering a round two of 78 (+6). She capped off the weekend with her best round, a 71 (-1) finish with the only under par score for the group on the final day. Taryn Cagle finished with a score of 233 (+17). Cagle opened the first round with a 77 (+5), improved in the second to a 75 (+3), and rounded out with an 81 (+9) to complete her tournament in 67th place individually. Jordan Levitt rounded out the lineup with a 234 (+18) over the three rounds. Levitt carded a 78 (+6) in round one, followed by a 76 (+4) in round two, and wrapped up the tournament with an 80 (+8) to close out the competition and finish 69th overall. The Irish head into the postseason now as they embark for Wilmington, NC to compete in the ACC Championship late next week with the conference tournament getting underway April 16-19. ========================================================================= NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team returns back to Melissa Cook Stadium for a midweek matchup against Valparaiso Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m. on ACC Network Extra. The Irish are 38-2 all-time against Valpo, including 37 consecutive over the Beacons. Notre Dame is 27-1 all-time against Valpo in South Bend and 9-0 at Melissa Cook Stadium. Last April, the Irish took down Valpo 1-0 at Melissa Cook Stadium behind Avery Houlihan’s first career home run. Brianne Weiss threw three scoreless innings in relief in the victory. Notre Dame plays four home games this week, starting with Valpo tomorrow before hosting Louisville this weekend for a conference series. Admission to all regular season Notre Dame softball games is free. ========================================================================= NOTRE DAME BASEBALL SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Notre Dame baseball team returns home to host Michigan State on Wednesday, April 8 with a 5:00 p.m. ET start time at Frank Eck Stadium. DateTime (ET)OpponentLocationProbable StartersBroadcastApr. 85:00 PMMichigan StateFrank Eck StadiumRHP Chase Van Ameyde vs. RHP JD GreeleyACC Network THE MATCHUP Notre Dame is home for just their third midweek contest of the season to-date. The Irish look to bounce back from a series loss at NC State. Michigan State is coming off of a series loss at Northwestern over the weekend. Michigan State is one of nine teams the Irish have faced 100 or more times in program history, joining Detroit Mercy (discontinued team), Indiana, Michigan, Northwestern, Purdue, Valparaiso, Western Michigan and Wisconsin in the century-plus club. BY THE NUMBERS .300+The Irish have seven players hitting .300 or above, led by Mark Quatrani’s .361 batting average.38Jack Radel retired 38 consecutive batters spanning from the third inning against FAU to the sixth inning against Alabama A&M.23The Irish come in at No. 23 in this week’s D1Baseball Top 25 Poll.16The team features 16 returners from the 2025 Notre Dame squad that put together a 16-2 record to close out the regular season last spring.12The Irish collected 12 two-out RBIs in their series win at Duke.12The squad features 12 true freshmen. Six of those 12 were ranked among the top two recruits in the Class of 2025 at their respective positions in their states.9Caden Crowell was ranked as No. 9 on the D1Baseball Freshman Impact List for 2026.7Seven transfer student-athletes joined the Irish for the 2026 season, including five graduate student-athletes.6.0Jack Radel threw 6.0 perfect innings with nine strikeouts on just 68 pitches against UCF.6The Irish have six players listed in the D1baseball.com Preseason rankings by position. Bino Watters (No. 19 first baseman), Jack Radel (No. 29 starting pitcher), Mark Quatrani (No. 49 catcher), Drew Berkland (No. 63 outfielder), Oisin Lee (No. 74 relief pitcher) and Davis Johnson (No. 132 outfielder).5The Irish erased a five-run deficit (3-8) to defeat Indiana 9-8 in 11 innings at the Live Like Lou Jax Baseball Classic.3A trio of Irish players earned All-Tournament Team honors at the Live Like Lou Jax Baseball Classic – Jack Radel, Mark Quatrani and Drew Berkland TOP TALENT The Irish have six players listed in the D1baseball.com Preseason rankings by position. Sophomore Bino Watters was the 17th ranked first baseman. Junior Jack Radel was 29th on the starting pitchers list. Junior Mark Quatrani was 49th on the catchers list. Graduate student Drew Berkland was 63rd on the outfielders report. Sophomore Oisin Lee came in at 74th on the relief pitchers list. Junior Davis Johnson was listed at 132nd in the outfielder rankings. Additionally, Notre Dame had representation on the D1Baseball Impact Freshman List as Caden Crowell came in at No. 9 on the ranking. ================================================================ BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL Jalen Courtney-Williams, whose most recent coaching stops have been at LSU and Creighton, has joined Ron Nored’s Butler staff as an assistant coach. Courtney-Williams spent two seasons at LSU under coach Matt McMahon following three seasons of BIG EAST experience at Creighton. His 11-year coaching career also includes serving on staffs at McNeese State and Mississippi State. “I’m excited for Jalen and his family to join the Butler community,” said Nored, who was hired last month. “Jalen is a strong teacher of the game and developer of talent, a relentless recruiter, and he does an exceptional job of building relationships with his players. He has hit the ground running and will play a large role in our success moving forward.” Courtney-Williams returned to LSU in 2024. He played a large role in signing a recruiting class that was ranked in the Top 25 in Division I and a stellar transfer group that was ranked 16th by 247sports.com. He served as the host of LSU’s basketball podcast, “No Timeouts”, which aired on LSU+. Creighton advanced to the NCAA Tournament in all three years he was on the staff (2021-24), advancing to the 2023 Elite 8, 2024 Sweet 16 as well as the second round in 2022. The Bluejays combined for 72 wins during that three-year stretch. Courtney-Williams played an extensive part in Creighton’s recruiting class that was ranked among the nation’s best, which included three members of the 2021-22 BIG EAST All-Freshman Team. His work with Ryan Kalkbrenner helped him earn BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in each of his three seasons on staff and Kalkbrenner was also a national finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. Offensively, he was ranked in the top five nationally in field goal percentage. Courtney-Williams spent three years at McNeese State (2018-19, 2019-20, 2021-21) as an assistant coach and following the 2020-21 season he was promoted to associate head coach before ultimately accepting the coaching position at Creighton. Among his top performers were All-Southland performer Sha’Markus Kennedy, a 6-foot-8 forward who was also tabbed the 2020 Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He spent three years on the staff at Mississippi State, where he served as a graduate assistant and also as the team’s video coordinator. Courtney-Williams played in 61 games at LSU in three seasons (2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13) before transferring to Morehead State where after sitting out a transfer season in 2013-14, he played for MSU in the 2014-15 season. A McDonald’s All-American nominee, Courtney-Williams led Provine High School in Jackson, Miss., to two 5A state titles as well as two runner-up finishes in his prep career. As a senior, he averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds en route to garnering All-State and All-Metro accolades while also being tabbed the Mississippi High School Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Courtney-Williams earned his degree from Morehead State in communications in 2015. He and his wife, La’Shya, have three daughters, Sevyn, Salem and Snoh. Courtney-Williams’ Coaching Career 2024-26: LSU, Assistant Coach 2021-24: Creighton, Assistant Coach 2021: McNeese State, Associate Head Coach 2018-21: McNeese State, Assistant Coach 2017-18: Mississippi State, Video Coordinator 2015-17: Mississippi State, Graduate Assistant ======================================================================== BUTLER SOFTBALL DATE: Wednesday, April 8, 6PM LOCATION: Bloomington, Ind. / Andy Mohr Field LIVE STATS: butlersports.com (statbroadcast) LIVE VIDEO: B1G+ LIVE RADIO: iuhoosiers.com The Butler softball team will head south to Bloomington, Ind., to take on the Indiana Hoosiers in a midweek clash on Wednesday. The Bulldogs (17-12, 9-3 BIG EAST) most recently won one of three in a BIG EAST series with Creighton and are in a tie for second in the conference standings. Indiana (27-10, 7-5 Big Ten) was swept by No. 9 UCLA last weekend. Bulldog Bits (as of 4/5/26) As a team, Butler leads the BIG EAST and (ranks nationally) with 17 double plays (30th), 6.34 RBI/game (32nd), and 6.79 runs/game (35th). The Bulldogs are second (74th) with a .313 batting average. Makena Alexander leads the BIG EAST and is (ranked nationally) in several categories: .596 on base% (9th), 1.012 Slug% (10th), .494 avg. (12th), and 45 RBI (38th). She is second (84th) with 11 home runs. Hailey Conger ranks in the BIG EAST and is (ranked nationally) in several categories: 1st (12th) with 1.41 runs/game, 2nd (69th) with .525 on base%, 3rd (90th) with .427 avg., and 4th (73rd) with 1.14 RBI/game. Cate Lehner leads the BIG EAST and is (ranked nationally) in several categories: 54.5 at bats per strikeout (7th), .913 stolen base % (19th), and 21 stolen bases (21st). She is second (75th) with 1.03 runs/game. last week, vs. Creighton (L, 8-5 (8 inn.) | W, 6-5 (8 inn.) | L, 7-0) Kayla Preiss was 5-for-11 in the series, leading Butler with a .455 avg., five hits, two doubles, 3 RBIs, and a .636 slugging percentage. Alyx Johnson picked up her fourth win of the season in game two. Series History Indiana leads: 14-3-1 Indiana won last season’s meeting, 13-0 (5 inn.) in Bloomington. The Hoosiers have won the most recent four contests and eight of the last ten. Butler’s most recent win (4-1) was in 2018 in Bloomington. The Bulldogs also won in 2000. SCOUTING INDIANA (27-10, 7-5 Big Ten) Indiana has won B1G series with Maryland (3-0), Rutgers (2-1), and Minnesota (2-1) and lost to UCLA (0-3). Additional wins for the Hoosiers include #25 Ohio State, Boston College, Army, Detroit Mercy, IU Indy, and Loyola Chicago. Losses include #16 Oregon, #22 Arizona State, Nevada, and FAU. 2026 INDIANA stats compared to (Butler) Avg. .354, (.310), Runs 310 (196), Hits 330 (253), RBI 278 (183), SB 91 (48), ERA 3.46 (5.51) ========================================================================= BUTLER WOMEN’S LAX The Butler women’s lacrosse team returns home on Saturday, April 11 to face No. 23 Georgetown. Coming off a 15-4 setback against UConn on Saturday, Butler looks to bounce back against the Hoyas on Saturday. Gameday Information Saturday, April 11 Indianapolis, Ind. Varsity Field 12PM ET BULLDOG BITS Butler is 3-10 heading into this matchup Elise Latham leads the team in goals (32). Riley Ryan leads the team in assists (18) and points (36). Olivia DiCarlo leads the team in ground balls with 28 on the season. She sits fourth in the BIG EAST averaging 2.15 per game. Samantha Wilson averages 8.31 saves per game which makes her first in the BIG EAST. SCOUTING GEORGETOWN The two teams have met nine times since 2017. Georgetown enters the game 9-3 on the season and 3-0 in conference play. Gracie Driggs leads the team in goals (33). Anne McGovern leads the team in assists (19) and points (49). Goalie Leah Warehime totals 90 saves on the season. UP NEXT The Butler women’s lacrosse team will travel to face Marquette on Saturday, April 18 at 3 p.m. More information will be available at https://butlersports.com/. ================================================================== BUTLER BASEBALL INDIANAPOLIS – Butler took down Southern Indiana 14-12 in come-from-behind fashion on Tuesday evening. The Dawgs trailed by as many as eight, but a seven-run fifth and a five-run seventh, headlined by a grand slam from Danny Gavin, put Butler back on top. With the win, Butler advances to 12-20 while Southern Indiana falls to 20-14. BULLDOG HIGHLIGHTS Logan Crock went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, two RBIs, a double and a walk. Matthew Rhoades was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a hit by pitch. Gavin went 2-for-2 with two runs scored, four RBIs, a walk and a grand slam. Logan Baker recorded a hit. Charlie Schebler tallied a hit. Aidan Thaxton recorded a run scored, an RBI and a walk. Chris Lewis scored a run. David Ayers was 2-for-4 with a run scored, three RBIs, a double and a home run. Gunnar Duncan went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, two RBIs, a home run and a walk. Alex Christie recorded a hit, a run scored and an RBI. Jack Zeller was 1-for-2 with two runs scored and a walk. Corbin Snyder earned the win on the mound, tossing two innings, allowing three hits and two runs while punching out two. Logan Wiley picked up his first save of the season in one inning of work. HOW IT HAPPENED The first frame was scoreless for both sides. Southern Indiana got the scoring started in the second inning, scoring five runs on two hits and four walks. USI took the 5-0 advantage into the third frame. The third was scoreless for both sides. Southern Indiana tacked on two more in the bottom of the fourth behind a two-run home run as the Screaming Eagles took the 7-0 lead into the bottom half of the frame. BU got on the board with a solo shot from Ayers. In the ensuing at-bat, Duncan belted a solo homer to deep left field. The Dawgs were unable to scratch any more runs across as the deficit stood at five heading into the fifth. USI added three in the fifth behind two hits and two errors as USI took the 10-2 lead into the bottom half of the frame. Butler responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. A bases-loaded hit by pitch and a sac fly from Ayers helped the Dawgs score their first two runs of the frame. With runners on first and second, Duncan laced an RBI single up the middle, scoring another for BU. In the ensuing at-bat, Christie singled to left field, plating another for the Dawgs. BU then earned a walk before an RBI double from Crock scored another for Butler. USI took the one-run advantage (10-9) into the top of the sixth after a seven-run inning for Butler. The sixth was scoreless for both sides. In the seventh, the Screaming Eagles hit a two-run home run, extending the lead to three (12-9). Butler was able to load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Gavin stepped up to the dish and blasted a grand slam to deep left center, giving Butler its first lead of the day at 13-12. In the ensuing at-bat, Ayers ripped an RBI double down the left field line, plating another for the Dawgs. USI was able to put runners on second and third with one out in the eighth. BU was able to fend off the Screaming Eagle offense, keeping the lead at two heading into the bottom half of the inning. USI kept Butler off the board as the Dawgs took the two-run lead into the final frame. USI had runners on second and third with two outs in the ninth. Logan Wiley slammed the door, striking out Micajah Wall to end the game. The Bulldogs won 14-12. UP NEXT The Bulldogs will return to action this weekend as BU hosts UConn for a three-game BIG EAST series at Bulldog Park. Game one is slated for Friday, April 10, with first pitch coming at 3 p.m. More information about the series will be available on Butlersports.com. =================================================================== IU INDY MEN’S GOLF BATAVIA, Ohio – The IU Indianapolis men’s golf team finished fifth of 14 teams at this week’s NKU Jewell Invitational on Tuesday (Apr. 7), posting a final round 306 on the tournament’s final day. Redshirt freshman Keaton Parmley collected his first career top-10 finish, tying for ninth overall among the 88-player field at 4-over 217 (71-72-74). The Jaguars entered Tuesday’s finale tied for the tournament lead, but started ominously and never fully recovered. Parmley led the way at 3-over 74 and seniors Noah Kirsch and Preston Broce shot 6-over 77. Junior Brady Schier capped the lineup at 7-over 78 and classmate Titus Boswell finished at 9-over 80. Freshman Noah Parsetich topped the individuals with a 2-over 73 on Tuesday. Behind Parmley, Kirsch tied for 26th overall at 223 (77-68-78) and both Kirsch and Boswell closed the tournament at 224. Kirsch was one of two players among the field to finish with two eagles in the event while Schier had a team-high 11 birdies. Parmley led the squad with 35 pars. Oakland earned the team title at 867 and fellow Horizon League foe Detroit Mercy was runner-up at 871. The Butler duo of Leo Zurovac and Logan Sutto finished tied atop the individual leaderboard at even par 213. The Jaguars will return to action, beginning oni Apr. 12 at the Wright State Invitational. ====================================================================== IU INDY SOFTBALL DAYTON, Ohio – The IU Indy softball team dropped a 9-0 decision in five innings at Dayton on Tuesday afternoon. The Jaguars (5-29) were held without a hit as Dayton’s pitching staff combined for a no-hitter, striking out nine IU Indy batters. The Jags’ only baserunners came via two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Dayton (18-14) jumped out early, scoring two runs in the first inning before adding three more in the second to take control. The Flyers broke the game open with a four-run fourth inning, highlighted by a two-run home run from Molly Grace. Alexa Holman (0-5) took the loss for IU Indy, allowing seven runs on six hits over three innings of work. Callie Dickerson tossed the final inning in relief. IU Indy was unable to generate offensive momentum throughout the contest, striking out nine times and leaving three runners on base. The Jaguars will return to Indianapolis this weekend to resume Horizon League play, hosting Oakland for a three-game series beginning Friday, April 10. ======================================================================== BALL STATE BASEBALL BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Ball State baseball team struck for four runs in the first inning but couldn’t keep the offense going in a 6-4 loss to Indiana on Tuesday night at Bart Kaufman Field. The Cardinals (15-16) got a leadoff home run by Brayden Huebner and run-scoring singles from Kenskey Thomas, Brett Griffiths and Maalik Perkins in the opening frame to get out to a 4-0 advantage. Indiana (13-19) responded with a two-run double, RBI groundout and RBI single in the bottom half of the first inning to tie the score. The only other scoring of the evening happened in the seventh inning when the hosts scratched out a pair of runs. Ball State left the bases loaded in the eighth inning and put two runners on with two outs in the ninth inning but failed to score. Brady Davidson went 3-for-4 at the plate for the Cardinals, while Huebner and Muizelaar had two hits each including a double. The Ball State bullpen combined to toss 7.1 innings of two-run ball with 10 strikeouts. Zach Kwasny was the first man in relief and punched out three in 2.0 shutout frames. Alex Burden (1-3) came in next and struck out four in 3.1 innings pitched but allowed one run and suffered the loss. Zander Bretza tallied two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 eighth inning. Kellen English (1-1) threw a scoreless seventh for the Hoosiers to be credited with the win, while Michael Sarhatt got the final five outs to earn his first save of the year. “Despite the loss I was encouraged by the pitching of Zach Kwasny, Alex Burden and Zander Bretza,” Ball State head coach Rich Maloney said. Ball State is next set to host Manchester on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ==================================================================== BALL STATE SOFTBALL DEKALB, Illinois – – The Ball State softball team opened its three-game series at Northern Illinois with an 8-2 setback Tuesday afternoon at Mary M. Bell Field. The Huskies (13-11; 7-5 Mid-American Conference) jumped out to an early 5-0 lead with two runs in the first and three in the third. While the Cardinals (15-18; 3-10 MAC) broke onto the scoreboard in the top of the fifth, courtesy of an RBI single from redshirt junior catcher Skylinn Pogue, NIU countered with three runs in the bottom of the frame to pull away. Ball State would score one more run in the top of the sixth, courtesy of a two-out, bases loaded walk to sophomore second baseman Addison Zimpleman. However, a strikeout in the next at bat ended the threat and kept it a six-run game. Zimpleman would also log a one-out double in the fifth, while redshirt sophomore catcher Allee Noble singled in the second as Ball State finished the day with three total hits. Ball State will look to avenge the loss Wednesday with a 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT doubleheader back at Mary M. Bell Field. ===================================================================== BALL STATE WOMEN’S GOLF PAWLEYS ISLAND, South Carolina – – The Ball State women’s golf team turned in another solid round Tuesday, shooting +10 (294) to remain fourth after 36 holes at the Golfweek/Stifel Spring Challenge. “We played another solid round today,” head coach Cameron Andry said. “All five players were really steady. We dropped a few shots coming down the stretch, but the closing holes are some of the toughest without a doubt. With the wind forecasted to pick up tomorrow, we are certainly still within striking distance.” The Cardinals’ second round was the fifth-lowest team round of the day and moved the squad to +19 (587) for the tournament. The effort also kept the squad within striking distance of tournament leader Middle Tennessee which is eight strokes ahead at +11 (579). Coastal Carolina is second among the 19-team field at +13 (581), followed by round one leader Charleston Southern in third at +18 (586). Ball State is currently tied with Samford for fourth. On the individual front, senior Sabrina Langerak continues to lead the squad at +2 (144) and is tied for ninth overall after shooting her second consecutive round at +1 (72). She recorded four more birdies over her second tour of the 6,082-yard, 71-par Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and was -2 on the day through 14 holes. Langerak is tied for third among the 100-player field with eight total birdies and is tied for seventh in par 4 average at +1 (4.06). Overall, all five Cardinals remain among the field’s top third with freshman Skylar Dean currently tied for 16th at +5 (147). She finished her second round at +2 (73), which was Ball State’s second lowest round of the day. Dean was also second on the squad with three birdies Tuesday, raising her total to six for the tournament, and is tied with Langerak for fourth among the field in par 4 average at +1 (4.06). Ball State’s three other golfers, senior Sarah Gallagher, junior JJ Gregston and sophomore Sophie Korthuijs are all tied for 28th at +7 (149). Korthuijs shot +3 (74) in her second round, adding two birdies, while Gregston finished the day at +4 (75) and Gallagher at +5 (76). Both carded one birdie in their second rounds. As a team, the Cardinals continue to lead the field in par 4 average at +13 (4.14). Ball State is also fourth in par 5 average (+1 / 5.03) and sixth in par 3 average (+14 / 3.28). The team’s 25 total birdies are tied for second among the field. Korthuijs leads Ball State and is tied for second among the field on the par 3s, at -1 (2.90), while Gregston is tops on the squad and tied for 15th on the par 5s, at -1 (4.88). The final round of the Golfweek/Stifel Spring Challenge will tee off at 7:35 a.m. with another double tee start. Ball State’s is once again in the final team pairings and will begin on hole one starting at 9:15 a.m. Ball State Results T9. Sabrina Langerak: +2 (72-72=144) T16. Skylar Dean: +5 (74-73=147) T28. Sophie Korthuijs: +7 (75-74=149) T28. JJ Gregston: +7 (74-75=149) T28. Sarah Gallagher: +7 (73-76=149) ========================================================= INDIANA STATE BASEBALL CHAMPAIGN, ILL. – Collin Jennings connected on the go-ahead three-run home run in the bottom of the second inning and the Illini pitching staff shut down Indiana State on Tuesday night at Illinois Field as the Sycamores fell on the road in the rematch against the Illini, 7-3. Indiana State (16-16) splits the season series with Illinois (16-15) after falling in Champaign on Tuesday night with the loss. The Sycamores took the first contest at Bob Warn Field back on March 18, with the 4-3 extra-inning win. The Sycamores took the early lead with Colin Sander connecting on two early hits, while Mason Roell and Carter Beck drove in RBIs to stake Indiana State to the 2-0 lead. Illinois responded with a four-run second inning highlighted by the Jennings home run. The Illini added to the lead on Daniel Contreras’ two-run single, while AJ Putty drew a bases-loaded walk late to provide insurance in the win. Colin Sander led the Sycamore offense with three of Indiana State’s eight hits in the game as the Sycamores out-hit the Illini 8-5 overall on Tuesday night. Sander added the Sycamores’ lone extra-base hit in the loss. Nomar Garcia added an RBI single in the ninth inning to join Carter Beck and Mason Roell with RBIs in the game. Colby Morse (2-1) took the loss on the mound for the Sycamores as Indiana State utilized nine pitchers overall in the staff day against the Illini. Morse surrendered four hits and four runs over 0.1 innings. Owen Roberts, Trevor Fenters, and Hunter Small combined to retire nine consecutive batters from the fourth to the sixth innings to highlight the staff on the day, while Jack Armstrong retired all three batters he faced in the eighth. Daniel Contreras led the Illini offense with a 2-for-4 day at the plate to go with three RBIs. Collin Jennings added a three-run home run in the win. Ike Young (1-1) picked up the win in relief on the mound allowing one hit while striking out five over 3.1 innings of work. How They Scored Mason Roell singled in Colin Sander in the top of the first inning to give the Sycamores the early 1-0 lead. Indiana State added to the lead in the top of the second as Carter Beck reached on an infield single driving in Caleb Niehaus to make it a 2-0 lead. Illinois responded with four runs in the bottom of the second as Daniel Contreras brought home AJ Putty with an RBI single, before Collin Jennings connected on a three-run home run to make it a 4-2 Illini lead. Daniel Contreras added to the Illinois lead in the bottom of the third with a two-run single to left field making it a 6-2 margin. The Illini made it 7-2 in the bottom of the seventh as AJ Putty drew a bases-loaded walk scoring J.R. Nelson. Indiana State took one back in the top of the ninth as Nomar Garcia singled home John Curl to provide the final 7-3 score. News and Notes Carter Beck extended his hitting streak to 14 consecutive games on Tuesday night as the junior outfielder connected on an RBI single in the top of the second inning. Mason Roell extended his hitting streak to nine consecutive games on Tuesday night after his first inning RBI single. Colin Sander extended his hitting streak to eight consecutive games on Tuesday night after going 3-for-5 from the plate. Indiana State split the season series with Illinois with both teams winning their respective home games. The Sycamores move to 5-2 against the Big Ten in 2026 with the loss. Up Next Indiana State returns to Bob Warn Field on Wednesday, April 8, as the Sycamores host SIUE in midweek nonconference action. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. ET and will be carried live on B1G+ and 105.5 The Legend. ========================================================================== PURDUE FT. WAYNE GOLF BATAVIA, Ohio – Purdue Fort Wayne wrapped up its appearance at the NKU Jewell Invitational on Tuesday (April 7). Nick Holder took 11th place with a 218. He shot a 74 in round three thanks to three birdies. Two of those birdies came in his first three holes of the day, the 407-yard ninth and the 410-yard 11th. He also birdied hole three, a 517-yard par-5. Brock Reschly had nothing worse than a bogey in his final round, shooting 76 to finish in a tie for 18th place. The last round of his 221 featured 13 pars and five bogeys. Justin Hicks was the Mastodons’ best in round three with an even 71. The sophomore had five birdies and an eagle on 15, a 539-yard par-5. He tied for 62nd. AJ Agnew shot 76 on Tuesday for a three-round total of 235. He tied for 69th place after wrapping up the round with a 2-under front nine. He birdied holes one, five and nine. Cody Coleman rounded out those competing for the team score and turned in a 79. He birdied holes one and four on Tuesday for a 1-over front nine. Coleman finished with a 240 and took 83rd place. Nick Bellush played as an individual, shooting 227 for 49th place. The junior shot 79 in round three. Julian Dugan also played as an individual, turning in a 229 with a 74 in his final round. He tied for 58th. The Mastodons shot 299-306-297-902 as a team, which was good for 10th place. They moved up two spots thanks to their best round of the event. Purdue Fort Wayne will play in Kentucky’s Bluegrass Collegiate Invitational on April 13-14 before turning attention to the Horizon League Championship on April 25-27. =============================================================== EVANSVILLE SOFTBALL CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois put forth a pair of strong performances to sweep Tuesday’s doubleheader against the University of Evansville softball team at Charlotte West Stadium. Game 1 – Southern Illinois 9, UE 0 Tuesday’s opener saw the Salukis open a 5-0 advantage before scoring four runs in the bottom of the 6th to take a 9-0 win. Evansville had the first scoring opportunity of the afternoon. Jess Willsey reached on a 2-out double while Ashtyn Holbrook followed with a single. SIU starter Brooklyn Danielson was able to get a strikeout to end the threat. She was efficient from that point on, limiting UE to one hit in the final four innings. SIU opened the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the 2nd. With two runners on, Hayden Kurtz posted an RBI double to bring in the first run of the game. They scored another run on a Jordan Stewart groundout before the final run of the frame scored on an error. Stewart added a 2-run single in the next inning to solidify a 5-0 lead. In the bottom of the 5th, SIU threatened again as they loaded the bases with one out. Angela Valentine threw a runner out at home for the second out before Kate Ridgway forced a fly out to keep it a 5-0 game. Taylor Howe picked up the third UE hit of the game in the 6th before SIU ended the game with four runs in the bottom of the frame. Emily Williams hit a 3-run walk-off home run. Danielson allowed three hits in six innings to improve to 8-1 on the season. Ridgway allowed seven runs, six earned, in five innings. Game 2 – Southern Illinois 8, UE 0 After being held scoreless in game one, the Purple Aces mustered up just one hit against Saluki starter Hailey Lucas in game two as SIU took an 8-0 win in five innings. Southern Illinois plated two runs in the bottom of the 2nd including a Hayden Kurtz RBI double. One inning later, Kurtz added a 2-run double to make it a 4-0 game. Niki Bode picked up a single in the top of the 4th before the Salukis added two more runs in the bottom half of the frame. Maliyah Wilkins reached on an error in the top of the 5th as the Aces looked to get on the board, however, a groundout sent the game into the bottom of the frame. With two outs, Maleah Blomenkamp’s 2- run single ended the game. SIU posted 11 hits in the game while UE finished with one. Alexis Tucker suffered the loss allowing six runs, four earned, in 3 1/3 innings of work. Lucas threw the full five innings to take her sixth win of the season. Evansville is off this weekend before returning home for a pair of midweek games on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. ================================================================== EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S GOLF PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. – Jane Grankina recorded the low round of the day for the University of Evansville women’s golf team in day two of the Golfweek/Stifel Women’s Spring Challenge at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club. Grankina carded a 3-over 74 on Tuesday after finishing the opening round with a 75. Her score of 149 has her in a tie for 28th heading into Wednesday’s final round. Leading the way for the Puruple Aces is Kate Petrova. She led the team with a 69 on Monday and completed the second with a 68. Her 147 has her tied for the 16th position. Haley Hughes is third on the team with a 154. After carding a 78 in the first round, Hughes lowered her tally to a 76 on Tuesday. She is tied for 55th. Louise Standtke is three behind her with a 157. She dropped her score from a 79 to a 78 in round two. Standtke is tied for 70th. Elizabeth Mercer rounds out the squad with a 160. Her scores have finished at 77 and 83. Evansville is in 13th place with a total of 605. The Purple Aces trail Fairleigh Dickinson by three and are eight strokes outside the top ten. With a 579, Middle Tennessee State leads the team standings by two over Coastal Carolina. Katie Stephens from Charleston Southern holds the individual lead with a 2-round score of 137. She leads the field by three shots with 18 holes remaining. ============================================================= SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S GOLF PADUCAH, Ky.- University of Southern Indiana Men’s Golf completed the Racer Intercollegiate hosted by Murray State University in Paducah, Kentucky, on Tuesday afternoon. The team finished tied for fourteenth, with a total team score of 925 across the three-round event. Round 1 The Screaming Eagles opened the event with four golfers shooting below the 80 stroke mark. Senior Carter Goebel jumped atop the team’s scorecard, earning a 73 (+1) first-round score. Graduate Student Sam Gargis impressed with a 75 (+3) in the first round, just ahead of freshman Ingtawan Wangrungwichaisri, who shot a 77 (+5). Rounding out the scorecard, graduate student Wade Worthington scored a 79 (+7) as the last player on the card for the first round. Round 2 The first day of competition concluded with the second round. Gargis continued his stunning day, being the first Eagle to break even, shooting a 72 (E) and earning the top spot on the team’s leaderboard. Sophomore Alex Peck and Goebel each shot a 76 (+4), while Wangrungwichaisri closed out the scorecard with a 79 (+7) stroke performance. Round 3 USI finished out the competition with Gargis, Wangrunruchasri, and Peck each recording a 79 (+7) in the final round. Goebel and Worthington were two strokes behind the pack, each shooting an 81 (+9). Up Next Eagles will close out their regular season at the Wright State Invitational on April 12-13 in Springboro, Ohio. The team will then compete in the Ohio Valley Conference Championship in West Lafayette, Indiana, April 26-29. ======================================================================= SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball could not hold onto an eight-run lead and lost to Butler University, 14-12, Tuesday afternoon at the Bulldog Ballpark in Indianapolis, Indiana. USI is 20-14 this season, while Butler falls to 12-20. The Screaming Eagles took control of the game in the second inning, scoring five times to lead 5-0. USI used two bases-loaded walks and a bases-loaded wild pitch to score the first three tallies, while junior catcher Drue Saenz capped off the second inning rally with a two-run single. The lead was increased to 7-0 in the top of the fourth when senior shortstop Clayton Slack hit a two-run home run to left field. The home run was Slack’s third of the season, tying for the team lead. Following a two-run bottom of the fourth by Butler, USI got the runs back and extended the lead to eight runs with a trio of tallies for a 10-2 advantage. Junior third baseman Collin Senior and graduate leftfielder scored the first two runs on a throwing error, while Slack struck again with a RBI single. The Bulldogs, however, exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to close the gap to 10-9. USI junior second baseman Ryan Skwarek re-extended the Screaming Eagles’ lead to 12-9 on a two-run home run to left field. The home run was Skwarek’s first of the season. The bottom half of the seventh belonged to the Bulldogs as they took their first lead of the game, 13-12, with a grand slam. Butler added one more run in the seventh for the eventual final score of 14-12. USI junior right-hander Levin East took the loss for the Screaming Eagles in relief. East (5-3) allowed a pair of unearned runs in a third of an inning, allowing three hits, while striking out one. USI senior left-hander Jake Porter started and picked up the no-decision. Porter, who struck out a season-high seven batters, allowed two runs on five hits and two walks. Up Next for the Screaming Eagles: The Screaming Eagles continue their five-game road swing this weekend when they visit Eastern Illinois for a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series in Charleston, Illinois. The Panthers are 18-11 overall and 7-2 in the OVC after two of three from Tennessee Tech last weekend and an 11-9 win over Northern Illinois on Tuesday afternoon. ========================================================================= SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S GOLF PADUCAH, Ky.- University of Southern Indiana Men’s Golf completed the Racer Intercollegiate hosted by Murray State University in Paducah, Kentucky, on Tuesday afternoon. The team finished tied for fourteenth, with a total team score of 925 across the three-round event. Round 1 The Screaming Eagles opened the event with four golfers shooting below the 80 stroke mark. Senior Carter Goebel jumped atop the team’s scorecard, earning a 73 (+1) first-round score. Graduate Student Sam Gargis impressed with a 75 (+3) in the first round, just ahead of freshman Ingtawan Wangrungwichaisri, who shot a 77 (+5). Rounding out the scorecard, graduate student Wade Worthington scored a 79 (+7) as the last player on the card for the first round. Round 2 The first day of competition concluded with the second round. Gargis continued his stunning day, being the first Eagle to break even, shooting a 72 (E) and earning the top spot on the team’s leaderboard. Sophomore Alex Peck and Goebel each shot a 76 (+4), while Wangrungwichaisri closed out the scorecard with a 79 (+7) stroke performance. Round 3 USI finished out the competition with Gargis, Wangrunruchasri, and Peck each recording a 79 (+7) in the final round. Goebel and Worthington were two strokes behind the pack, each shooting an 81 (+9). Up Next Eagles will close out their regular season at the Wright State Invitational on April 12-13 in Springboro, Ohio. The team will then compete in the Ohio Valley Conference Championship in West Lafayette, Indiana, April 26-29. ===================================================================== VALPO SOFTBALL Valpo (15-20, 4-9 MVC) April 8 – at Notre Dame (16-22, 5-9 ACC) – 5 p.m. CT April 10 – Belmont (27-9, 14-3 MVC) – noon DH April 11 – Belmont – 2 p.m. Next Up in Valpo Softball: After taking one of two games last Friday against the then-second place team in the MVC, the Valpo softball team faces the top of the standings this weekend, welcoming Belmont to the Valpo Softball Complex for a three-game series. Prior to those matchups, the Beacons head east for a Wednesday contest at Notre Dame. Previously: The Beacons earned a split of their Friday doubleheader at Illinois State, taking the nightcap 7-1 after dropping the opener. Mack Gallagher had five RBIs over the two games, while Azalya Lopez earned the win with 3.1 shutout innings of relief. Looking Ahead: Valpo remains at home next Tuesday for an MVC doubleheader against UIC before making the trip to Drake for a three-game series on the weekend. Following Valpo Softball: Wednesday’s game at Notre Dame will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra, but the weekend series will not be streamed. All games will have live stats available via ValpoAthletics.com. Most home games and most MVC road games will be broadcast on ESPN+, while select nonconference games will have video streams depending on the host. Head Coach Mike Armitage (35-50 [.412] at Valpo, 2nd season; 104-117 [.471] overall, 5th season): Mike Armitage is in his second season as head coach of the Valpo softball program after being hired as head coach on June 6, 2024. In his first year at Valpo, Armitage guided the Beacons to 20 wins – the program’s winningest season since 2018 and an 11-win improvement over the previous season. Valpo posted a six-win improvement within MVC play, finishing with its highest total of Valley wins, its most MVC series wins and its best Valley regular season finish since 2018 as well. Prior to Valpo, Armitage spent three seasons as head coach at Minnesota State Moorhead, posting the first back-to-back 30-win seasons in MSUM program history in 2023 and 2024 after inheriting a Dragons program which had not finished above .500 since 2007. Series Records: Notre Dame – Valpo is just 11-38 all-time against Notre Dame, with its last win coming in 1989. In last season’s matchup, a sixth-inning solo homer proved to be the difference in a 1-0 win for the Fighting Irish. Azalya Lopez and Erin Metz combined to limit Notre Dame to one run on five hits in the circle, while offensively, the Beacons left 12 runners on base in the defeat. Belmont – Valpo owns a 4-8 record against the Bruins. In last season’s series in Nashville, the Beacons took the middle game of the series, 3-1, but Belmont earned wins in each of the two games Maya Johnson started in the circle, 4-2 and 2-1. Azalya Lopez and Kim Rodas both had four hits across the three games, while Lopez also earned the win in the circle in the series’ middle game. Scouting the Opposition: Notre Dame – The Fighting Irish enter Wednesday’s game with a 16-22 overall record, including a 5-9 mark in ACC play after getting swept in three games this past weekend at #10 Florida State. Ava Zachary is hitting a team-best .402 and has a team-high 20 RBIs, while Mickey Winchell paces the Irish with 25 runs scored. It’s been mainly a three-pitcher mix in the circle: Kami Kamzik (5-4, 3.83 ERA, 51 K, 75 IP), Micaela Kastor (4-11, 4.30 ERA, 79 K, 94.1 IP) and Brianne Weiss (6-7, 4.96 ERA, 81 K, 66.1 IP). Belmont – The Bruins enter the weekend series atop the MVC standings with a 14-3 record in conference action and are 27-9 overall. Belmont is led by All-American pitcher Maya Johnson, who is 19-1 this year – her lone loss a 1-0 defeat at then-#1 Tennessee – with a 0.53 ERA, a 0.58 WHIP and 265 strikeouts in 133 IP. At the plate, Rylee Spindler – last season’s MVC Freshman of the Year – is hitting .450 with 27 runs scored and 25 RBIs. Snapping Streaks: Valpo’s win in the nightcap at Illinois State on Friday marked the program’s first win over the Redbirds since taking the series finale in their first season as MVC foes in 2018, snapping a 20-game ISU winning streak in the series. The Beacons will attempt to snap an even longer streak when they face Notre Dame on Wednesday, as the Fighting Irish have won the last 37 matchups in the series, dating back to Valpo’s last win in 1989. Power-ing Up the Schedule: Since head coach Mike Armitage’s arrival prior to last season, Valpo has had a marked increase in challenging higher-level opposition in midweek competition. This year’s slate features five scheduled midweek games against Power Four and Big East competition (although the DePaul game was rained out), while last year’s schedule had three such games. In the four years prior to Armitage taking over the program, Valpo had a combined two midweek games against such competition. Front-Loaded Slate: When Valpo takes to the field against Belmont this weekend, it will not only be taking on the current MVC leaders, it will be adding to the Beacons’ front-loaded conference schedule. Of Valpo’s first five MVC series, four of them have been against four of the six teams which sit above .500 in conference play, while the fifth was against the team in seventh place. Valpo’s first six Valley opponents currently have a combined MVC record of 52-30 (.634), while its final four currently have a combined MVC record of 21-38 (.356). Talk About Small Ball: While the Beacons haven’t been reliant on power hitting as a whole this year (58 extra-base hits versus 84 for their opponents), they took it to a whole new level in the nightcap win at Illinois State. Valpo tallied 11 hits, as well as three walks, in the win over the Redbirds – all 11 being singles. Ironically, it was the first time Valpo had no extra-base hits in a game with at least 11 base knocks since its last visit to Illinois State in 2024, while the last time it did so in a win came in the opening game of the 2016 Horizon League Tournament against Youngstown State. The Beacons also matched their season high in Friday’s win with four sacrifice bunts, including back-to-back successful squeezes. No Ks Necessary: While the offense was getting the job done with small ball in the Friday win over Illinois State, Caitlyn Quickle and Azalya Lopez were epitomizing the term “pitch to contact”. The duo combined to get all 18 outs of the weather-shortened game without registering a single strikeout – in fact, Redbird batters had just four swing and misses over the six innings. 12 of the outs came via fly balls, two of which turned into double plays, while the other four came via grounder. It was the first time Valpo’s pitching staff had a game where it didn’t register a strikeout since its visit to Notre Dame last season, and the first time it did so in a win since a May 5, 2006 victory over UMKC. More BBs Than Ks: As we’ve moved past the halfway mark of the season, it’s time to start looking at season-long trends, and one thing which jumps out immediately is this year’s team has more walks (137) than strikeouts (122). Five regulars in the starting lineup have struck out seven or fewer times, while six players have walked at least ten times. No team in program history has ever finished a season with more walks than strikeouts – the 2012 team owns the best single-season ratio (191 BB/251 K; .761), while last year’s team was close behind (170 BB/224 K; .759). Nice Round Numbers: Only three players in program history have hit at least .400 in a season, only four have gotten on base at a .500 clip and only five have slugged at a .600 clip. But this year’s team has players threatening to add to those ranks. Entering this week, Madison Vrastil is hitting .393 – good for sixth in the MVC. Meanwhile, Mack Gallagher owns a .520 on-base percentage – third in the Valley – and a .656 slugging percentage. Peeking at the Record Book: While there’s still 18 scheduled games left in the regular season, the program’s single-season record book is already being impacted. Vrastil has swiped 20 bases this year, good for second in the MVC and already tied for eighth in a single season in program history – with 37 career steals, she ranks seventh in program history on that chart as well. Gallagher has drawn 30 walks this year, second-most in the MVC and already tied for sixth-most in a season in program history – with 67 career walks, she is also seventh in program history in that category. As a team, Valpo’s on-base percentage of .388 is on pace to break the single-season record in that category, currently held by the 2015 team at .381. Marked Improvement: Valpo enters this week with five players batting over .300 this year – Madison Vrastil, Mack Gallagher, Marissa Jackson, Kim Rodas and Kaia Garnica – and all five have enjoyed notable year-over-year improvement from 2025 to 2026. All five have seen their batting average rise over 60 points from last season to this season, while the quintet also enjoys an average 223 point increase in their OPS from 2025 to 2026. V on Fire: While she had a 10-game hitting streak come to an end during the Indiana State series, Madison Vrastil has still been on a roll at the plate recently. She has tallied multiple hits in eight of Valpo’s last 14 games dating back to March 13, including her first career four-hit game at IU Indy. Over that stretch, Vrastil raised her season batting average 45 points to its current .393 mark. Single-Game Records: Vrastil has impacted Valpo’s single-game record book on a pair of occasions this season. The sophomore stole four bases on the season’s opening day against Green Bay, establishing a new program single-game record, as the previous mark of three had been accomplished 14 times. More recently, Vrastil twice in a three-day span (March 13 nightcap at Murray State; March 15 opener at IU Indy) scored four runs in a single game, the 12th and 13th times in program history a player scored four runs in a game. Vrastil joins former Valpo greats Sara Strickland and Sam Stewart as the only players in program history to twice score four runs in a game. Getting On Base: Senior Mack Gallagher has been a consistent presence on the basepaths for Valpo this season. She opened the season with a 27-game on-base streak and has reached safely at least once in 33 of 35 games this year. Gallagher had a pair of multi-hit efforts in last week’s twinbill at Illinois State, going 4-for-6 with a walk, a homer and five RBIs over the two games against the Redbirds. Gallagher has now reached base multiple times in a game on 17 occasions this year – twice in eight games, three times in five games and four times in four games. Her home run at ISU was her team-best eighth of the year, eighth-most in the MVC and just one shy of Valpo’s single-season top-10 chart, while her five RBIs bumped her season total to 35, good for fifth in the Valley. A Sigh of Relief: Senior Azalya Lopez was called upon in the circle with a one-run lead, a runner on base and two outs in the third inning of Valpo’s nightcap at Illinois State. Lopez successfully got out of the inning, the precursor for a strong relief effort, as she tossed 3.1 shutout innings, scattering three hits, to earn the win. It matched Lopez’s longest shutout relief outing of the season, as she also tossed 3.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen back on Feb. 28 at Lindenwood. Walk This Way: Valpo’s collective discerning eye at the plate has led to plenty of free bases. The Beacons have drawn five or more walks 10 times this season, highlighted by a 10-walk performance in the opening-weekend win over Oakland – tied for fifth-most in a single game in program history. With 138 walks on the season, Valpo is in line to challenge the program’s single-season record of 191, set back in 2012. Helping Hand From the Outfield: Outfield assists are not an everyday occurrence in softball – Valpo entered its series finale with UNI with seven outfield assists in its first 28 games this year. So when center fielder Marissa Jackson doubled up a baserunner in the fifth inning of the finale against the Panthers, and then Jackson and left fielder Kayden Krug were part of back-to-back putouts on the basepaths in the seventh inning, it was a rare sight indeed. It was the first time Valpo tallied three outfield assists in a single game since its Horizon League Tournament opener against Butler on May 10, 2012, while Jackson became the first Valpo outfielder with multiple assists in the same game since Taylor Lawson had a pair at Northern Illinois on April 14, 2015. Nonconference Success: Valpo hit MVC play with a winning record, as the Beacons sat at 9-8 through four weekends of play. This is the second straight season the Beacons have carried a winning record into Valley action, as they were 11-9 going into their MVC opener in 2025. Prior to last year, it had been since 2018 (12-8) that Valpo opened conference play with a winning record. A Perfect Start: Valpo swept its four games on opening weekend at the DePaul Dome Tournament, starting 4-0 for the fifth time in program history and just the second time against all D-I opponents. The 2017 squad started 5-0 for the best start by a Valpo team, while the 1986, 2000 and 2002 teams all faced at least two non D-I opponents en route to a 4-0 start. ================================================================== VALPO BASEBALL The Valparaiso University baseball team battled back with a two-out, two-run single in the eighth to get within a run, but a one-out double in the ninth went to waste as the Beacons came up a run shy in a 5-4 defeat to Western Michigan on Tuesday in Kalamazoo, Mich. How It Happened The Beacons had a chance in the opening inning after a hit batter and a walk, but a 4-3 double play ended the threat. A two-out, bloop single down the right-field line in the bottom of the first gave Western Michigan an early 1-0 lead. Western Michigan scored twice in the third, but it could have been worse as a double play ended the inning. The Beacons got on the board in the top of the fourth as Brayden Pleau (Appleton, Wis. / Kimberly) ripped a double to left center, driving in Eli Riley (Zanesville, Ind. / Norwell), who had led off the inning with a bunt single for Valpo’s first knock of the game. After permitting the two third-inning runs in his first frame of work, Valpo pitcher Dalton Swinehart (Elkhart, Ind. / Concord) settled in and retired the side in order in the fourth. He allowed consecutive singles to start the fifth, but the Broncos stranded two in scoring position as he worked out of that inning without allowing a run, keeping the score at 3-1 in favor of the hosts through five. The Beacons sliced the deficit in half in the top of the seventh when Riley picked up his second hit of the day, a run-scoring single. Western Michigan scored a pair of unearned runs in the seventh. Lefty Christian Hack (Oak Forest, Ill. / Tinley Park) was eventually summoned from the bullpen and induced the final out without further damage, but the Broncos had built the lead to 5-2 through seven. In the top of the eighth, a two-out single by Cal Schembra (Greenwood, Ind. / Center Grove) whittled the lead back to one at 5-4, but the Broncos got a strikeout to end the frame with the potential tying run stranded 90 feet away. Senior Spencer Boynton (Tampa, Fla. / Seffner Christian) worked three up, three down in the bottom of the eighth, keeping the Beacons down by just a run. Pleau’s second double of the game got the tying run into scoring position in the ninth, but he was stranded there. Inside the Game Riley had three hits, his third three-hit game of the year and first since March 22 against Murray State. Pleau doubled twice, his second straight game with multiple extra-base knocks after he doubled and homered on Saturday. Tuesday was his first two-double game in a Valpo uniform. He had the team’s only two extra-base hits of the day, taking over the team lead with nine doubles on the season. Valpo had traffic on the bases, but stranded 14 runners on base in Tuesday’s game, the team’s second most of the year and most since 15 in the season opener on Feb. 13 at Gardner-Webb. The Beacons had a dozen free passes (eight walks, four HBP). Valpo fell to 1-6 in one-run games this season and dropped a one-run game in Kalamazoo for the second straight year. The Beacons are 2-15 in one-run affairs since the start of the 2025 campaign. Up Next The Beacons (8-20) will return home to host Bradley on Friday at 3 p.m., beginning a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series at Emory G. Bauer Field. Admission is free and the game will be streamed on ESPN+. ============================================================= UINDY SOFTBALL LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Winners of 13 straight, the UIndy softball team moved up another spot in the latest NFCA/GoRout Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll, climbing to No. 7 this week. The Greyhounds are 36-2 on the season, with their .942 win percentage good for second among all Division II teams. NFCA DII COACHES POLL RK TEAM (1st-place votes) PTS REC PREV 1. Cal State San Marcos (15) 399 36-3 2 2. Saint Leo (1) 380 33-2-1 6 T3. North Georgia 355 32-6 3 T3. Pittsburg State 355 35-2 4 5. West Texas A&M 346 33-5 1 6. AUM 314 30-6 5 7. UIndy 300 36-2 8 8. Cal State East Bay 284 29-7 7 9. Colorado Christian 278 38-2 10 10. Missouri Southern 269 33-5 9 11. Southern Arkansas 234 34-5 11 12. Oklahoma Christian 226 31-8 13 13. Francis Marion 198 33-10 14 14. Angelo State 190 30-9 12 15. West Florida 179 30-8 16 16. Oklahoma Baptist 169 33-5 15 17. Montevallo 122 33-6 20 T18. Central Oklahoma 120 31-8 18 T18. Lenoir-Rhyne 120 28-8 19 20. McKendree 82 29-9 17 T21. Concordia 71 35-11 21 T21. Franklin Pierce 71 24-2 24 23. Winona State 49 32-5 22 24. Carson-Newman 47 31-8 25 25. UT Tyler 23 32-8 NR Others receiving votes: Saginaw Valley State (6), Shippensburg (6), Charleston (3), Arkansas Tech (2), Florida Tech (2). ALSO: CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. – The No. 7 UIndy Softball team split an in-region doubleheader on Tuesday, bouncing back for a game-two win Thomas More. Following a tough extra-inning affair in the opener, the Greyhounds exploded for double-digit runs for the fourth time in six games in a 13-3 victory. With the win, UIndy now holds a 6-1 series advantage against Thomas More. UP NEXT The Hounds stay on the road for a twin bill on Wednesday at Ohio Dominican. First pitch in Columbus is set for 2 p.m. GAME 2 | UIndy 13, TMU 3 (6 innings) UIndy opened the floodgates in the second inning, crossing the plate 10 times to give freshman southpaw Caitlin Bunte more than enough to work with on the rubber. It was Bunte herself that got the scoring started, doubling home Josie Jager with nobody out in the frame. Three straight singles stretched the lead to four when Cheynne Eads upped her single-season hit-by-pitch record to 23 – after setting the new school standard in game one. Just as the offense began, it ended with an RBI double, this time from Sydney Oliver, driving in both Bunte and Jager. It was all business inside the circle for Bunte, scattering just two hits in four innings of work. The rookie struck out six Saints, while inducing four groundouts, in only 55 pitches The sophomore Oliver finished with four ribbies in the win, while Maya Rodriguez joined her teammate with a game-best three hits. GAME 1 | TMU 3, UIndy 2 (8 innings) The Hounds failed to capitalize in Tuesday’s opener, leaving 10 on base in eight innings. Paige Vickey and Shelby Cook drove in the team’s only runs, each on sacrifice flies that scored Brooklyn Willis and Jager, respectively. Rodriguez went 2-for-3 at the dish, with Christina Stankus and Willis each producing a two-bagger. Eads was near perfect in the circle, striking out 13 in seven innings before the game went into extras. After Cook’s sac fly in the top of the eighth, Eads quickly got two outs as the tying runner (placed on second to start the extra frame) loomed; back-to-back knocks cost Eads and the Greyhounds, as both runs that crossed the plate were unearned, to seal the Saints’ upset. Eads – this time as a batter – broke the single-season program HBP record in the fifth inning with her 22nd bean of the spring. ===================================================================== UINDY TRACK NEW ORLEANS— The University of Indianapolis men’s track & field program is ranked No. 13 in Division II in the United States Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association’s (USTFCCCA) National Track & Field Rating Index (TFRI) at the second checkpoint of the outdoor season. The men’s squad jumped 12 spots after beginning the season at 25th in DII, and brings in a total of 116.23 points between six individual performances and one relay team, adding to their total. Junior Felix Rivet leads the squad, contributing a total of 48.61 points. The Frenchman sits at third in DII in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase, after clocking an 8:48.61 in his season opener at the Wash U Distance Carnival. Rivet moved to seventh nationally in the men’s 1,500m with his record-breaking run of 3:43.56 at this past weekend’s Oliver Nikoloff Open in Cincinnati. Alex Meyer jumped to second in the nation at the same meet with his winning leap of 7.78m, breaking his own school record of 7.70m, which he set at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Yanis Le Mouillour sits sixth in Division II in the 800m, while Josue Le Cadre also brings a top 10 mark for the Hounds, sitting 10th in the 1,500m. Performances from Nicholas Monro (long jump), William Kemper (hammer), Le Mouillour (1,500m), and the 4x400m relay team of Lateef Mustafaa, Riley Buroff, Jalen Larkey, and Le Cadre also add points to the Hounds’ total. UIndy is the highest-ranked team in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, with #17 Lewis and #19 Missouri S&T also in the top 20. Wingate holds the nation’s top spot with 244.88 points, while the 2026 Indoor Track and Field National Champions, Pittsburg State, sit second, and Grand Valley State University rounds out the top three. ====================================================================== MARIAN BASEBALL KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the first time in program history, the Marian baseball team has earned the NAIA National Player of the Week award, as freshman phenom River Pecina’s big week at the plate earned the honor for the outfielder and the Knights. Pecina’s honor comes on the heels of earning his second Crossroads League Player of the Week award. Pecina had a huge week at the plate for (RV) Marian, going 11-of-17 with five home runs and eight extra-base hits for a slash line of .647/.682/1.706 during the team’s 4-1 week. The freshman knocked in 16 runs in his five games and scored 10 times, putting up two or more base hits in four of the five games. For the week, Pecina had two multi-homer games, which were the second and third of his young career, putting him in the team lead with 13 on the season. Marian travels to No. 23 IU-Southeast on Wednesday for a 3:00 p.m. game for a key non-conference game before returning home to take on Bethel this weekend. Saturday’s games in the Bethel series are Marian’s alumni weekend games. The Knights are 26-9 overall and 19-5 in Crossroads League play, sitting in second place in the Crossroads League. Last week’s four victories matched the program’s most wins in CL play since 2017, while head coach Todd Miller claimed his 50th victory as the head coach of Marian. ====================================================================== SMALL 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 1934 Fifteen thousand fans witness the first legal baseball game between major league teams, played on a Sunday in Philadelphia. The Phillies beat the A’s in a hometown exhibition game at Shibe Park, 8-1. 1947 In an exhibition game against the Indians in Sheffield (AL), second-year player Whitey Lockman breaks his leg while sliding into the second base attempting to break up a double play. Except for two September appearances as a pinch-hitter, including getting a hit in his first at-bat, the Giants’ sophomore outfielder misses the rest of the season. 1953 Bernice Lombardi finds her husband Ernie lying on the bed after the former major league catcher slits his throat with a razor he found in a relative’s bathroom. The former Reds’ backstop, battling a similar bout of depression that caused his teammate Willard Hershberger to commit suicide in 1940, is given little hope to live but manages to survive his horrific self-inflicted wound. 1963 The Tigers claim Denny McLain on first-year waivers from the White Sox. The right-hander, the game’s last 30-game winner, will win the American League Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Award in 1968, helping Detroit win its first World Series in 23 years. 1963 The striking food vendors did not appear at the ballpark after being promised that the Secretary of Labor would intervene to mediate their dispute, so President Kennedy did not have to cross a picket line before tossing out the ceremonial first pitch at D.C. Stadium. The Senators drop a 3-1 decision to the Orioles, and JFK’s suggestion to play Tom Brown does not pan out, as the rookie first baseman fans three times. 1963 In his first major league plate appearance, Pete Rose works out a walk-off Earl Francis in the Reds’ 5-2 victory over Pittsburgh at Crosley Field. The eventual all-time hit leader will be held hitless, going 0-for-3, but does score his first major league run when Frank Robinson homers in the bottom of the first inning. 1964 Five days before the start of the season, right-hander Jim Umbricht, the only pitcher to post a winning record in Houston’s first two seasons, loses his well-publicized battle with cancer when he succumbs to malignant melanoma. The popular 33-year-old Colt .45’s relief pitcher, whose uniform number 32 will be retired by Houston, returned to the club to post a 4-3 record and a 2.61 ERA in 35 games after surgery to remove a tumor from his leg before the 1963 season. 1966 The Astros and Dodgers play baseball’s first game on synthetic grass, on Monsanto’s experimental nylon playing surface. The original plan to play on an all-dirt field, necessitated by the need to paint the Astrodome’s glass panes to reduce glare and prevent natural grass from growing, is alleviated by the use of ‘AstroTurf.’ 1969 Red Sox outfielder Tony Conigliaro, playing his first game since being severely injured, makes a dramatic comeback, connecting for a two-run homer in the tenth inning and scoring the eventual winning run in the top of the 12th in Boston’s Opening Day 5-4 victory. The 24-year-old Revere, Massachusetts native, known as the Pope of Kenmore Square, will experience moderate success during the next two seasons but will never fully recover from the damage sustained in his left retina after being hit by a pitch thrown by Jack Hamilton on August 18, 1967. 1969 In the first game in franchise history, Padres’ right-hander Dick Selma collects two hits and strikes out a dozen batters, going the distance in the team’s 2-1 victory over the Astros at San Diego Stadium. Ed Spiezio gets the club’s first hit, a fifth-inning solo home run, and Ollie Brown’s sixth-inning RBI double proves to be the difference. 1969 The Royals play their first game in franchise history and join the winner circle, with the other three new clubs making their debuts today. Reliever Moe Drabowsky picks up the win when Kansas City beats the Twins in 12 innings, 4-3. 1969 The Pilots make their major league debut, defeating the Angels at Anaheim Stadium, 4-3. Scoring all of their runs in the top of the first inning, Seattle’s leadoff hitter Tommy Harper starts the game with the franchise’s first hit and then crosses the plate with its first run when Mike Hegan, the next batter, hits the first homer in team history. 1970 St. Louis sends minor league prospect Willie Montanez to the Phillies as partial compensation for the loss of Curt Flood, who refused to report to Philadelphia. The former Cardinal outfielder had taken exception to the trade without his consent, ultimately leading to his unsuccessful challenge of the reserve clause to the U.S. Supreme Court. 1974 Braves outfielder Hank Aaron passes Babe Ruth as the all-time home run leader with his 715th, going deep in the fourth inning off Dodger hurler Al Downing in Atlanta’s home opener. ‘Hammerin’ Hank’ equaled the Bambino’s mark on Opening Day in Cincinnati. 1975 Frank Robinson becomes the first black manager in major league history when the Indians beat the Yankees at Cleveland Stadium, 5-3. Batting second as the designated hitter, the Tribe’s new player-manager hits a home run in his first at-bat off Doc Medich. 1975 In the season opener at Fenway Park, Tony Conigliaro, who retired four years ago after being traded to the Angels in 1970, plays in the first game of his attempted comeback with the Red Sox. As a designated hitter, the 30-year-old Pope of Kenmore Square will collect only seven hits in 21 games, singling in his first at-bat in Boston’s 5-2 victory over the Brewers. 1984 In the Mets’ 3-1 victory over Houston at the Astrodome, Mike Torrez’s pitch smashes Dickie Thon’s face, compromising the promising 25-year-old Houston shortstop’s career. The remorseful right-hander’s fastball breaks the orbital bone around the left eye, ending the infielder’s season and impacting his future as a major leaguer due to problems with depth perception as a result of the injury. 1986 Jim Presley hits two home runs, helping the Mariners beat the Angels, 8-4, in a dramatic extra-inning comeback Opening Day victory. The Seattle third baseman’s two-run blast in the bottom of the ninth off Donnie Moore knots the game at four runs apiece, and his two-out grand slam off Ken Forsch in the following frame ends the Kingdome contest. 1986 Will Clark homers on his first swing in his first major league at-bat, facing future Hall of Fame right-hander Nolan Ryan. The 22-year-old Giants rookie first baseman’s first-inning solo round-tripper contributes to the team’s Opening Day 8-3 victory at the Astrodome. 1988 Gary Carter, celebrating his 34th birthday with a 3-for-3 day, including a home run, is doubled off second base after Howard Johnson lines out to right field to end the game on a bizarre play. Shortstop Juan Samuel, who had started throwing the relay from outfielder Chris James back to the mound, tags the Mets’ catcher straying off the bag for the final out in the Phillies’ 5-1 victory at Veterans Stadium. 1989 In Anaheim, Olympic hero Jim Abbott makes his major league debut, losing to his childhood hero Mark Langston and the Mariners in an eventual 6-2 Angels defeat to Seattle. The 21-year-old southpaw, who never played in the minor leagues after being drafted in the first round by California in the amateur draft last year, pitches without the use of a right hand. 1991 The Reds establish the record for consecutive Opening Day wins when the team beats the Astros at Riverfront Stadium, 6-2, their ninth straight, thanks to a solid outing from Tom Browning, who gives up five hits in 8 innings. Cincinnati surpasses the winning streak of eight consecutive lid lifters the Mets put together from 1971 through 1978. 1991 In a 5-4 Opening Day loss to the Brewers at Arlington Stadium, future Hall of Famer Goose Gossage (2008) relieves in a game started by Rangers hurler Nolan Ryan (1999), also an eventual member of the Hall of Fame. The matchup marks the first time in major league history that a 300-game winner appears in the same contest with a teammate with 300 saves. 1993 Contributing to the Indians’ 15-5 rout of New York at Cleveland Stadium, Carlos Baerga becomes the first major leaguer to homer from both sides of the plate in the same inning. In the seventh, the Tribe’s second baseman, batting right-handed, goes deep off Steve Howe and, later in the frame, connects with a pitch thrown by Steve Farr from the left side of the plate. 1994 Kent Mercker, throwing his first major league complete game, no-hits the Dodgers, 6-0 at Chavez Ravine. The Braves left-hander was one of the three Atlanta pitchers, along with Mark Wohlers and Alejandro Pena, to throw a combined no-hitter against the Padres in 1991. 1994 Chan Ho Park becomes the first Korean to play in the major leagues when he makes his pitching debut at Chavez Ravine. In one inning of work, the 21-year-old Kongju City native gives up two runs on one hit, walking two and striking out two batters in the Dodgers’ 6-0 loss to Atlanta. 1997 In a 14-8 Mariners victory over the Indians at the Kingdome, M’s pitcher Josias Manzanillo, who does not wear a protective cup, is hit in the groin by a Manny Ramirez 107 mph line drive. Now a firm believer in using protective gear, the 29-year-old reliever goes on the 15-day disabled list for the surgery needed to repair a tear in his testicles. 1999 After participating in 243 major league games, Jim Abbott finally gets his first at-bat, grounding out to third base in the Brewers’ 9-4 loss to St. Louis at Busch Stadium. The 31-year-old southpaw, born without a right hand, signed with Milwaukee in the offseason after spending the first nine years of his career in the American League, where the designated hitter replaces the pitcher in the batter’s box. 2000 Blue Jay southpaw David Wells’ nine-hit complete game 4-0 shutout against Texas at The Ballpark in Arlington snaps Kenny Rogers’ 19-game home winning streak. The Gambler’s accomplishment, compiled while hurling for the Yankees, A’s, Mets, and Rangers, is the third-longest in major league history. 2002 Craig Biggio collects the sixth cycle in franchise history, going 4-for-4 with a walk, driving in four runs, and scoring two runs. The Astros second baseman’s offensive output, completed with an eighth-inning double, sparks the team’s 8-4 win over the Rockies in Colorado’s home opener at Coors Field in Denver. 2003 At Wrigley Field, a few of the 29,138 patrons at the Cubs opener show their displeasure when the Canadian national anthem, “O’ Canada,” is performed before the game against the Expos. Their reaction comes from “The Star-Spangled Banner” getting booed at the Islanders-Canadiens hockey match in Montreal by fans opposed to the U.S. war in Iraq. 2003 At the home opener at PNC Park, Pittsburgh unveils a sculpture of Ralph Kiner. The Hall of Fame home run hitter, depicted in the bronze artwork gripping a Kiner-model Louisville Slugger bat, joins Willie Stargell, Honus Wagner, and Roberto Clemente as other former Pirates honored with a ballpark statue. 2003 By going 4-for-4 along with three walks, Rockies’ first baseman Todd Helton sets a club record by reaching base in all seven plate appearances in Colorado’s 15-12 loss at Coors Field. Chris Stynes also set a franchise mark for most plate appearances in a game with eight. 2003 In a frigid 35-degree home opener, with the fans chanting his name, Hideki Matsui hit his first major league home run, a grand slam into the right-field bleachers. After being greeted with a warm reception in the pregame ceremonies and a standing ovation after making a great defensive play, Godzilla receives thunderous applause and a curtain call from the sold-out Yankee Stadium crowd after his fifth-inning bases-full poke against the Twins. 2004 In the first game at their new downtown ballpark, the Padres come from behind twice to beat the Giants in 10 innings at Petco Park, 4-3. After Trevor Hoffman blows the save in the ninth, San Diego scores in the bottom of the frame, knotting the score at 2-2, and then scores two more runs in the tenth after falling behind again in overtime. 2004 After showing a video tribute for him on the scoreboard, Jimmy Carter, a close friend of Padres owners John and Becky Moores, throws the ceremonial first pitch before the first major league game at Petco Field. During his one term in office, the 39th Chief Executive became the first president not to throw out the first ball on Opening Day since the tradition began in 1910 with William Taft, but he did the honors before Game 7 of the 1979 World Series at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. 2005 Not invited by the current administration to be part of the American delegation for today’s funeral of Pope John Paul, Jimmy Carter attends the home opener at Turner Field. The former president and his wife, Roslyn, stayed for the entire game and enjoyed watching the Braves beat the Mets 3-1. 2008 At the Play Ball, Chicago! in the Windy City, the U.S. Postal Service unveils a stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of the song Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Jake Norworth wrote the tune on a New York City train a century ago, when the songwriter, who claimed never to have seen a major league game, wrote the lyrics after seeing a sign about a contest at the Polo Grounds, home of the New York Giants. 2008 An emotional Bill Buckner returns to Fenway Park for the first time in over a decade to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Red Sox home opener. The beleaguered former Boston first baseman, best known for letting Mookie Wilson’s grounder roll between his legs in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, receives a heartfelt standing ovation from the stunned crowd when he slowly walks from left field to the pitcher’s mound. 2008 The Mets are beaten by a pitcher older than Shea Stadium when 46-year-old southpaw Jamie Moyer pitches six strong innings in the Phillies’ 5-2 victory at the team’s 45-year-old ballpark. With their loss, the Amazins finish their tenure in the aging Queen’s venue with an excellent 29-16 (.644) won-loss record in home openers. 2008 On the last Opening Day in the Queens’ ballpark, the Mets unveil a disc with William Shea’s name, honoring the stadium’s namesake. The New York attorney was instrumental in bringing the National League back to the Big Apple after the Giants and Dodgers departed after the 1957 season. ========================================================= TV SPORTS TODAY Wednesday, 4/8/26 MLB REGULAR SEASONTIME ETTVSan Diego Padres vs Pittsburgh Pirates12:35pmSN-PITPadres.TVKansas City Royals vs Cleveland Guardians1:10pmGuardians.TVRoyals.TVMilwaukee Brewers vs Boston Red Sox1:35pmBrewers.TVNESNBaltimore Orioles vs Chicago White Sox2:10pmMASNCHSNSeattle Mariners vs Texas Rangers2:35pmRSNMariners.TVLos Angeles Dodgers vs Toronto Blue Jays3:07pmSNLASNHouston Astros vs Colorado Rockies3:10pmRockies.TVSCHNPhiladelphia Phillies vs San Francisco Giants3:45pmNBCS-BAYNBCS-PHISt. Louis Cardinals vs Washington Nationals4:05pmCardinals.TVNationals.TVAtlanta Braves vs Los Angeles Angels4:07pmFanDuel Sports WestBraves.TVChicago Cubs vs Tampa Bay Rays6:40pmRays.TVMARQCincinnati Reds vs Miami Marlins6:40pmReds.TVMarlins.TVAthletics vs New York Yankees7:05pmNBCS-CAYESArizona Diamondbacks vs New York Mets7:10pmDBacks.TVSNYDetroit Tigers vs Minnesota Twins7:40pmFS1SN-DETTwins.TVNBA REGULAR SEASONTIME ETTVMinnesota Timberwolves vs Orlando Magic7:00pmFanDuel Sports FLFanDuel Sports NorthAtlanta Hawks vs Cleveland Cavaliers7:00pmFanDuel Sports ATLFanDuel Sports OhioMilwaukee Bucks vs Detroit Pistons7:00pmESPNFanDuel Sports DETFanDuel Sports MILMemphis Grizzlies vs Denver Nuggets9:00pmALTFanDuel Sports MEMPortland Trail Blazers vs San Antonio Spurs9:30pmESPNFanDuel Sports SWRip CityDallas Mavericks vs Phoenix Suns10:00pmKFAAAFSNOklahoma City Thunder vs Los Angeles Clippers10:00pmFanDuel Sports OKCFanDuel Sports SoCalNHL REGULAR SEASONTIME ETTVBuffalo Sabres vs New York Rangers7:00pmMSGMSG-BUFWashington Capitals vs Toronto Maple Leafs7:30pmTNTMAXEdmonton Oilers vs San Jose Sharks10:00pmTNTMAXSOCCERTIME ETTVUEFA Europa League: Sporting Braga vs Real Betis12:45pmParamount+VIXUEFA Champions League: PSG vs Liverpool3:00pmParamount+VIXUEFA Champions League: Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid3:00pmParamount+VIXCONCACAF Champions Cup: Tigres UANL vs Seattle Sounders FC9:00pmFS2fuboTVCONCACAF Champions Cup: Toluca vs LA Galaxy10:00pmFS1fuboTV About The Author troyderengowski61@gmail.com See author's posts Post navigation THE INDIANA SRN “SCOREBOARD” APRIL 7 THE INDIANA SRN “SCOREBOARD” APRIL 8, 2026
