THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” TUESDAY APRIL 16, 2024 (2024)

“THE SCOREBOARD”

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL RANKINGS

4A

1. CENTER GROVE
2. CARMEL
3. FLOYD CENTRAL
4. NOBLESVILLE
5. EVANSVILLE NORTH
6. WESTFIELD
7. PENN
8. CASTLE
9. MOORESVILLE
10. LAWRENCE NORTH

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: MCCUTCHEON, VALPARAISO, LAKE CENTRAL, CROWN POINT, SEYMOUR, BLOOMINGTON SOUTH, PENDLETON HEIGHTS, PALESTINE, NEW ALBANY

3A

1. ANDREAN
2. BISHOP CHATARD
3. GUERIN CATHOLIC
4. BREBEUF
5. NEW PRAIRIE
6. PRINCETON
7. FAIRFIELD
8. LAWRENCEBURG
9. SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH
10. SILVER CREEK

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: JASPER, EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL, HANOVER CENTRAL, GREENSBURG, NORTHWESTERN, WESTERN, RIVER FOREST, MISHAWAKA MARIAN

2A

1. HAGERSTOWN
2. FOREST PARK
3. MITCHELL
4. NORTH POSEY
5. ILLIANA CHRISTIAN
6. TRITON CENTRAL
7. PARK TUDOR
8. CASCADE
9. EVANSVILLE MATER DEI
10. SOUTHWESTERN – HANOVER

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: NORTH PUTNAM, ADAMS CENTRAL, BLACKFORD, PROVIDENCE, LAPEL, ALEXANDRIA, WABASH, SEEGER, COVENANT CHRISTIAN

1A

1. LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC
2. WES DEL
3. BARR REEVE
4. NORTH DAVIESS
5. LOOGOOTEE
6. FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK
7. KOUTS
8. BORDEN
9. TRI-COUNTY
10. NORTHFIELD

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: DALEVILLE, EDINBURG, LANESVILLE, FOUNTAIN CENTRAL, BLOOMFIELD, INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN, SHAKAMAK, ROCK CREEK ACADEMY, OLDENBURG ACADEMY, WEST WASHINGTON, WALDRON, SOUTH CENTRAL, WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, CLAY CITY

CENTRAL INDIANA BASEBALL SCORES

NORTH DECATUR 7 MORRISTOWN 2

NORTH DECATUR 14 MORRISTOWN 8

UNION CITY 19 WES DEL 4

YORKTOWN 13 MUNCIE CENTRAL 0

COWAN 14 RANDOLPH SOUTHERN 4

SHENANDOAH 7 NEW CASTLE 6

LAPEL 17 MONROE CENTRAL 5

GREENCASTLE 19 WHITE RIVER VALLEY 1

WHITELAND 11 GREENWOOD 3

KNIGHTSTOWN 13 SHELBYVILLE 11

GREENSBURG 6 SOUTH DEARBORN 5

BISHOP CHATARD 12 WARREN CENTRAL 2

PURDUE POLY 26 TINDLEY 2

HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 10 COVENANT CHRISTIAN 1

TRITON CENTRAL 18 RITTER 1

CONNERSVILLE 3 EAST CENTRAL 2

MONROVIA 27 SHORTRIDGE 6

LAWRENCE NORTH 5 CATHEDRAL 3

INDY GENESIS 8 INDY TECH 4

GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN 10 SCECINA 0

SOUTHPORT 4 INDY LUTHERAN 0

FISHERS 9 GREENFIELD CENTRAL 3

BEFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 5 SYEMOUR 4

EDGEWOOD 2 COLUMBUS EAST 1

LAWRENCEBURG 10 RUSHVILLE 2

CARMEL 6 WESTFIELD 5

NOBLESVILLE 6 ROSSVILLE 3

STATE SCOREBOARD: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/baseball/scores/?date=4/15/2024

CENTRAL INDIANA SOFTBALL SCORES

BROWSNTOWN CENTRAL 9 SEYMOUR 8

YORKTOWN 23 MUNCIE CENTRAL 1

LINCOLN 13 COWAN 1

TRI 10 NORTH DECATUR 0

NORTHEASTERN 10 RICHMOND 0

DECATUR CENTRAL 11 PERRY MERIDIAN 1

WES DEL 7 UNION CITY 6

ALEXANDRIA MONROE 8 DELTA 1

WINCHESTER 20 RANDOLPH SOUTHERN 0

COLUMBUS NORTH 2 COLUMBUS EAST 1

IRVINGTON PREP 19 HORIZON CHRISTIAN 6

FISHERS 5 LAWRENCE NORTH 3

SHELBYVILLE 7 GREENWOOD 5

EAST CENTRAL 9 FRANKLN COUNTY 2

INDY LUTHERAN 12 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 0

FRANKTON 7 SHENAHDOAH 6

CHRISTEL HOUSE 15 LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 2

CATHEDRAL 4 KOKOMO 0

GREENSBURG 1 RUSHVILLE 0

CONNERSVILLE 10 BATESVILLE 0

CASCADE 4 GREENCASTLE 0

BLACKFORD 18 MONROE CENTRAL 0

MT. VERNON 11 NEW CASTLE 0

EMINENCE 16 TINDLEY 0

PENDLETON HEIGHTS 13 ANDERSON 0

LIVING WATER 9 COVENANT CHRISTIAN 1

NORTH CENTRAL 15 WARREN CENTRAL 3

HARRISON 10 NOBLESVILLE 0

PLAINFIELD 1 NORTHVIEW 0

HAMILTON HEIGHTS 7 BISHOP CHATARD

MOORESVILLE 9 MARTINSVILLE 0

CENTER GROVE 10 BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 0

DECATUR CENTRAL 11 PERRY MERIDIAN 9

STATE SCOREBOARD: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/softball/scores/?date=4/15/2024

INDIANA SOFTBALL RANKINGS

4A

1. LAKE CENTRAL
2. CASTLE
3. PENN
4. RONCALLI
5. MOORESVILLE
6. FLOYD CENTRAL
7. SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH
8. CENTER GROVE
9. NEW PALESTINE
10. CATHEDRAL

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN, AVON, NOBLESVILLE, WESTFIELD, PENDLETON HEIGHTS

3A

1. GIBSON SOUTHERN
2. NEW PRAIRIE
3. SOUTH BEND RILEY
4. TRI-WEST
5. SILVER CREEK
6. LEO
7. HANOVER CENTRAL
8. MOUNT VERNON
9. CHARLESTOWN
10. GREENSBURG

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: YORKTOWN, WESTERN, HERITAGE HILLS, EDGEWOOD, WEST LAFAYETTE

2A

1. ANDREAN
2. CASCADE
3. EASTSIDE
4. UNION COUNTY
5. BREMEN
6. NORTH POSEY
7. ILLIANA CHRISTIAN
8. HAUSER
9. SOUTH ADAMS
10. PIONEER

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL, SULLIVAN, HEBRON, LAPEL, PERRY CENTRAL

1A

1. CLAY CITY
2. TEc*msEH
3. ROSSVILLE
4. RIVERTON PARKE
5. CASTON
6. BARR REEVE
7. WEST CENTRAL
8. INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN/RISING SUN

10. WES DEL

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: KOUTS, WEST WASHINGTON, LANESVILLE, NORTH MIAMI, UNION CITY

INDIANA GIRLS TENNIS RANKINGS

1.CARMEL

2.SB ST. JOSEPH

3.FISHERS

4.JASPER

5.BREBEUF

6.COLUMBUS NORTH

7.PARK TUDOR

8.FRANKLIN COMMUNITY

9.ZIONSVILLE

10.NOBLESVILLE

11.CATHEDRAL

12.LAWRENCE NORTH

13.MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE)

14.CENTER GROVE

15.NORTH CENTRAL

16.WESTFIELD

17.CASTLE

18.LAFAYETTE HARRISON

19.PENN

20.SULLIVAN

21.FW CARROLL

22.DELTA

23.HOMESTEAD

24.AVON

25.NORTHWOOD

26.FLOYD CENTRAL

27.WARSAW

28.EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL

29.HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN

30.GREENCASTLE

INDIANA TRACK AND FIELD OUTDOOR RANKINGS:

https://in.milesplit.com/rankings/leaders/high-school-boys/outdoor-track-and-field

NBA PLAYOFFS

PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

EASTERN CONFERENCE

• 7/8 GAME:MIAMI VS. PHILADELPHIA; WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17 (7 ET, ESPN)
• 9/10 GAME:ATLANTA VS. CHICAGO; WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17 (9:30 ET, ESPN)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

• 7/8 GAME:L.A. LAKERS VS. NEW ORLEANS, TUESDAY, APRIL 16 (7:30 ET, TNT)
• 9/10 GAME:GOLDEN STATE VS. SACRAMENTO, TUESDAY, APRIL 16 (10 ET, TNT)

FIRST ROUND SCHEDULE

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) BOSTON VS. NO. 8 SEED*

GAME 1:TBD VS. CELTICS; SUNDAY, APRIL 21

*WINNER OF GAME BETWEEN LOSER OF 7/8 GAME AND WINNER OF 9/10 GAME

(2) NEW YORK VS. NO. 7 SEED*

GAME 1:TBD VS. KNICKS; SATURDAY, APRIL 20

*WINNER OF 7/8 GAME

(3) MILWAUKEE VS. (6) INDIANA

GAME 1:PACERS VS. BUCKS; SUNDAY, APRIL 21

(4) CLEVELAND VS. (5) ORLANDO

GAME 1:CAVALIERS VS. MAGIC; SATURDAY, APRIL 20

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) OKLAHOMA CITY VS. NO. 8 SEED*

GAME 1:TBD VS. THUNDER; SUNDAY, APRIL 21

*WINNER OF GAME BETWEEN LOSER OF 7/8 GAME AND WINNER OF 9/10 GAME

(2) DENVER VS. NO. 7 SEED*

GAME 1:TBD VS. NUGGETS; SATURDAY, APRIL 20

*WINNER OF 7/8 GAME

(3) MINNESOTA VS. (6) PHOENIX

GAME 1:SUNS VS. TIMBERWOLVES; SATURDAY, APRIL 20

(4) LA CLIPPERS VS. (5) DALLAS

GAME 1:MAVERICKS VS. CLIPPERS; SUNDAY, APRIL 21

WNBA DRAFT

ROUND 1

• INDIANA FEVER: CAITLIN CLARK, G, IOWA
• LOS ANGELES SPARKS: CAMERON BRINK, F, STANFORD
• CHICAGO SKY (VIA PHOENIX MERCURY): KAMILLA CARDOSO, C, SOUTH CAROLINA
• LOS ANGELS SPARKS (VIA SEATTLE STORM): RICKEA JACKSON, F, TENNESSEE
• DALLAS WINGS (VIA CHICAGO SKY): JACY SHELDON, G, OHIO STATE
• WASHINGTON MYSTICS: AALIYAH EDWARDS, F, UCONN
• CHICAGO SKY (VIA MINNESOTA LYNX): ANGEL REESE, F, LSU
• MINNESOTA LYNX (VIA ATLANTA DREAM): ALISSA PILI, F, UTAH
• DALLAS WINGS: CARLA LEITE, G, FRANCE
• CONNECTICUT SUN:LEÏLA LACAN, G, FRANCE
• NEW YORK LIBERTY: MARQUESHA DAVIS, G, OLE MISS
• ATLANTA DREAM (VIA LAS VEGAS ACES): NYADIEW PUOCH, F, AUSTRAILIA

ROUND 2

• CHICAGO SKY (VIA PHOENIX MERCURY): BRYNNA MAXWELL, G, GONZAGA
• SEATTLE STORM: NIKAMÜHL, G, UCONN
• INDIANA FEVER: CELESTE TAYLOR, G, OHIO STATE
• LAS VEGAS ACES (VIA LOS ANGELES SPARKS): DYAISHA FAIR, G, SYRACUSE
• NEW YORK LIBERTY (VIA CHICAGO SKY): ESMERY MARTINEZ, F, ARIZONA
• LAS VEGAS ACES (VIA WASHINGTON MYSTICS): KATE MARTIN, G, IOWA
• CONNECTICUT SUN (VIA MINNESOTA LYNX): TAIYANNA JACKSON, C, KANSAS
• ATLANTA DREAM: ISOBEL BORLASE, G, AUSTRALIA
• WASHINGTON MYSTICS (VIA DALLAS WINGS):KAYLYNNE TRUONG, G, GONZAGA
• CONNECTICUT SUN: HELENA PUEYO, G, ARIZONA
• NEW YORK LIBERTY: JESSIKA CARTER, C, MISSISSIPPI STATE
• LAS VEGAS ACES: ELIZABETH KITLEY, C, VIRGINIA TECH

ROUND 3

• PHOENIX MERCURY: CHARISMA OSBORNE, G, UCLA
• SEATTLE STORM: MACKENZIE HOLMES, F, INDIANA
• INDIANA FEVER:LEILANI CORREA, G, FLORIDA
• LOS ANGELES SPARKS: MACKENZIE FORBES, F, USC
• PHOENIX MERCURY (VIA CHICAGO SKY): JAZ SHELLEY, G, NEBRASKA
• WASHINGTON MYSTICS:NASTJA CLAESSENS, G, BELGIUM
• MINNESOTA LYNX: KIKI JEFFERSON, G, LOUISVILLE
• ATLANTA DREAM: MATILDE VILLA, G, ITALY
• DALLAS WINGS: ASHLEY OWUSU, G, PENN STATE
• CONNECTICUT SUN: ABBEY HSU, G, COLUMBIA
• NEW YORK LIBERTY: KAITLYN DAVIS, F, USC
• LAS VEGAS ACES: ANGEL JACKSON, C, JACKSON STATE

NHL SCOREBOARD

DETROIT 5 MONTREAL 4 OT

PITTSBURGH 4 NASHVILLE 2

WASHINGTON 2 BOSTON 0

NY ISLANDERS 4 NEW JERSEY 1

BUFFALO 4 TAMPA BAY 2

NY RANGERS 4 OTTAWA 0

EDMONTON 9 SAN JOSE 2

MINNESOTA 3 LOS ANGELES 1

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

CLEVELAND 6 BOSTON 0

BALTIMORE 7 MINNESOTA 4

TEXAS 1 DETROIT 0

PHILADELPHIA 2 COLORADO 1 (10)

SAN FRANCISCO 4 MIAMI 3

LA ANGELS 7 TAMPA BAY 3

TORONTO 3 NY YANKEES 1

NY METS 6 PITTSBURGH 3

SAN DIEGO 7 MILWAUKEE 3

KANSAS CITY 2 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 0

ATLANTA 6 HOUSTON 1

CHICAGO CUBS 3 ARIZONA 2 (11)

ST. LOUIS 3 OAKLAND 1

SEATTLE 9 CINCINNATI 3

WASHINGTON 6 LA DODGERS 4

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

UFL SCORES

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

STANDINGS: https://www.theufl.com/standings

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

STANDINGS: https://www.mlssoccer.com/standings/2024/conference#season=2024&live=true

COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

COLLEGE BASEBALL POLLS

D1 BASEBALL

1. TEXAS A&M
2. ARKANSAS
3. KENTUCKY
4. TENNESSEE
5. OREGON STATE
6. CLEMSON
7. DUKE
8. FLORIDA STATE
9. EAST CAROLINA
10. VIRGINIA
11. NORTH CAROLINA
12. WAKE FOREST
13. VANDERBILT
14. LOUISIANA
15. OKLAHOMA STATE
16. OREGON
17. UC IRVINE
18. ALABAMA
19. COASTAL CAROLINA
20. SOUTH CAROLINA
21. ARIZONA
22. WEST VIRGINIA
23. VIRGINIA TECH
24. GEORGIA
25. DALLAS BAPTIST

DIAMOND SPORTS RANKINGS

1. TEXAS A&M
2. FLORIDA STATE
3. NORTH CAROLINA
4. ARKANSAS
5. CLEMSON
6. KENTUCKY
7. TENNESSEE
8. VIRGINIA
9. WAKE FOREST
10. OREGON STATE
11. SOUTH CAROLINA
12. ALABAMA
13. OKLAHOMA STATE
14. DUKE
15. GEORGIA
16. EAST CAROLINA
17. VANDERBILT
18. LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE
19. TEXAS TECH
20. UC IRVINE
21. MISSISSIPPI STATE
22. DALLAS BAPTIST
23. CENTRAL FLORIDA
24. COASTAL CAROLINA
25. INDIANA STATE

COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES

EASTERN ILLINOIS 3 SOUTHERN INDIANA 0

EASTERN ILLINOIS 6 SOUTHERN INDIANA 1

COLLEGE SOFTBALL RANKINGS

DIAMOND SPORTS RANKINGS

1. TEXAS
2. OKLAHOMA
3. LSU
4. DUKE
5. TENNESSEE
6. STANFORD
7. FLORIDA
8. OKLAHOMA STATE
9. GEORGIA
10. MISSOURI
11. ALABAMA
12. TEXAS A&M
13. MISSISSIPPI STATE
14. FLORIDA STATE
15. UCLA
16. WASHINGTON
17. AUBURN
18. ARKANSAS
19. ARIZONA
20. TEXAS STATE
21. VIRGINIA TECH
22. CLEMSON
23. LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE
24. CENTRAL FLORIDA
25. NORTHWESTERN

NATIONAL SPORTS RELEASES/HEADLINES

BOSTON MARATHON

ETHIOPIA’S SISAY LEMMA WINS BOSTON MARATHON IN RUNAWAY. KENYA’S HELLEN OBIRI REPEATS IN WOMEN’S RACE

BOSTON (AP) — Sisay Lemma scorched the first half of the Boston Marathon course on Monday, setting a record pace to build a lead of more than half of a mile.

Then the weather heated up, and the 34-year-old Ethiopian slowed down.

After running alone for most of the morning, Lemma held on down Boylston Street to finish in 2 hours, 6 minutes, 17 seconds — the 10th fastest time in the race’s 128-year history. Lemma dropped to the pavement and rolled onto his back, smiling, after crossing the finish line.

“Until halfway through I was running very hard and very good. But after that it was getting harder and harder,” said Lemma, who failed to finish twice and came in 30th in three previous Boston attempts. “Several times I’ve dropped out of the race before. But today I won, so I’ve redeemed myself.”

Hellen Obiri defended her title, outkicking Sharon Lokedi on Boylston Street to finish in 2:27:37 and win by eight seconds; two-time Boston champion Edna Kiplagat completed the Kenyan sweep, finishing another 36 seconds back.

Obiri also won New York last fall and is among the favorites for the Paris Olympics. She is the sixth woman to win back-to-back in Boston and the first since Catherine “the Great” Ndereba won four in six years from 2000 to ’05.

“Defending the title was not easy. Since Boston started, it’s only six women. So I said, ‘Can I be one of them? If you want to be one of them, you have to work extra hard,’” she said. “And I’m so happy because I’m now one of them. I’m now in the history books in Boston.”

Lemma, the 2021 London champion, arrived in Boston with the fastest time in the field — just the fourth person ever to break 2:02:00 when he won in Valencia last year. And he showed it on the course Monday, separating himself from the pack in Ashland and opening a lead of more than half of a mile.

Lemma ran the first half in 1:00:19 — 99 seconds faster than Geoffrey Mutai’s course record pace in 2011, when his 2:03:02 was the fastest marathon in history. Fellow Ethiopian Mohamed Esa closed the gap through the last few miles, finishing second by 41 seconds; two-time defending champion Evans Chebet was third.

Each winner collected a gilded olive wreath and $150,000 from a total prize purse that topped $1 million for the first time.

On a day when sunshine and temperatures rising into the mid-60s left the runners reaching for water — to drink, and to dump over their heads — Obiri ran with an unusually large lead pack of 15 through Brookline before breaking away in the final few miles.

Emma Bates of Boulder, Colorado, finished 12th — her second straight year as the top American. Again, she found herself leading the race through the 30-kilometer mark, slapping hands as she ran past the Wellesley College students chanting her name before fading on the way out of Heartbreak Hill.

“I thought last year was crazy loud, but this year surpassed that completely,” Bates said. “It was such a nice day for the spectators. Not so nice for the runners; it was pretty hot.”

CJ Albertson of Fresno, California, was the top American man in seventh, his second top-10 finish.

Switzerland’s Marcel Hug righted himself after crashing into a barrier when he took a turn too fast and still coasted to a course record in the men’s wheelchair race. It was his seventh Boston win and his 14th straight major marathon victory.

Hug already had a four-minute lead about 18 miles in when he reached the landmark firehouse turn in Newton, where the course heads onto Commonwealth Avenue on its way to Heartbreak Hill. He spilled into the fence, flipping sideways onto his left wheel, but quickly restored himself.

“It was my fault,” Hug said. “I had too much weight, too much pressure from above to my steering, so I couldn’t steer.”

Hug finished in 1:15:33, winning by 5:04 and breaking his previous course record by 1:33. Britain’s Eden Rainbow-Cooper, 22, won the women’s wheelchair race in 1:35:11 for her first major marathon victory; she is the third-youngest woman to win the Boston wheelchair race.

The otherwise sleepy New England town of Hopkinton celebrated its 100th anniversary as the starting line for the world’s oldest and most prestigious marathon, sending off a field of 17 former champions and nearly 30,000 other runners on its way. Near the finish on Boylston Street 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometers) away, officials observed the anniversary of the 2013 bombing that killed three and wounded hundreds more.

Sunny skies and minimal wind greeted the runners, with temperatures in the 40s as they gathered in Hopkinton rising to 69 as the stragglers crossed the finish line in the afternoon. As the field went through Natick, the fourth of eight cities and towns on the route, athletes splashed water on themselves to cool off.

“We couldn’t ask for a better day,” former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, the grand marshal, said before climbing into an electric car that would carry him along the course. “The city of Boston always comes out to support, no matter the event. The weather is perfection, the energy is popping.”

The festivities began around 6 a.m., when race director Dave McGillivray sent about 30 Massachusetts National Guard members off. Lt. Col. Paula Reichert Karsten, one of the marchers, said she wanted to be part of a “quintessential Massachusetts event.”

The start line was painted to say “100 years in Hopkinton,” commemorating the 1924 move from Ashland to Hopkinton to conform to the official Olympic Marathon distance. The announcer welcomed the gathering crowds to the “sleepy little town of Hopkinton, 364 days of the year.”

“In Hopkinton, it’s probably the coolest thing about the town,” said Maggie Agosto, a 16-year-old resident who went to the start line with a friend to watch the race.

The annual race on Patriots’ Day, the state holiday that commemorates the start of the Revolutionary War, also fell on One Boston Day, when the city remembers the victims of the 2013 finish line bombings. Before the race, bagpipes accompanied Gov. Maura Healey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and members of the victims’ families as they laid a pair of wreaths at the sites of the explosions.

WNBA NEWS

FEVER SELECT CAITLIN CLARK NO. 1 IN WNBA DRAFT

As was widely expected for months, the Indiana Fever made superstar guard Caitlin Clark of Iowa the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft on Monday night in New York.

Clark, whose college career ended earlier this month with a loss in the national championship game to top-seeded South Carolina, finished her tenure at Iowa by shattering records in scoring and viewership for women’s college basketball.

The 22-year-old from West Des Moines, Iowa, scored 3,951 points in her four seasons playing for the Hawkeyes, making her the all-time leading scorer in all of Division I college basketball, men or women.

Clark led the nation in scoring and passing this season with 31.6 points and 8.9 assists per game as she helped Iowa win its third consecutive Big Ten tournament title and led the Hawkeyes to the national title game for the second year in a row. Iowa’s loss to South Carolina drew 18.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched women’s basketball game on record.

A three-time Big Ten Player of the Year, Clark was the consensus National Player of the Year this season for the second year in a row.

It’s the second straight season the Fever had the No. 1 overall pick. Clark will be paired with last year’s selection — the 2022 National Player of the Year — in South Carolina product Aliyah Boston. The 6-foot-5 forward won the WNBA Rookie of the Year award after averaging 14.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game last season as Indiana went 13-27. Indiana hasn’t made the playoffs since 2016.

There is also a possibility that Clark and Boston team up this summer at the Paris Olympics on the U.S. National Team.

FEVER’S ODDS FALL WITH CAITLIN CLARK IN PLACE

The Fever’s selection of Caitlin Clark with the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft on Monday, adding her to a lineup featuring reigning Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston, saw Indiana climb into the top half of the league in the eyes of oddsmakers.

Though the Fever finished 10th in the 12-team league last year with a 13-27 record, they have the fifth-shortest odds for the 2024 championship at both FanDuel and DraftKings at +2000. bet365 has Indiana at +1800, tied for the fifth-best odds.

The two-time defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces are an even-money favorite at FanDuel and DraftKings while sitting at +110 at bet365. The New York Liberty, who lost to Las Vegas in last year’s WNBA Finals, are the second choice at all three books (+250 at DraftKings and bet365, +230 at FanDuel).

Next are the Seattle Storm, who are +1000 at FanDuel and bet365 but come in behind the Connecticut Sun (+1000) at +1400 on DraftKings. Connecticut is +1100 on bet365, +1200 on FanDuel.

The Chicago Sky, who added South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso and LSU’s Angel Reese with the third and seventh overall picks, respectively, on Monday, rank at or near the bottom with odds of +5000 at Bet365, +8500 at FanDuel. DraftKings has Chicago listed at +8000, tied for the second-longest odds.

FanDuel lists Clark as an overwhelming favorite (-950) to win WNBA Rookie of the Year. The No. 2 overall pick, the Los Angeles Sparks’ Cameron Brink, is second at +1900, followed by Cardoso (+2200), the Washington Mystics’ Aaliyah Edwards (+3200) and Reese (+3200).

Clark is the fourth choice on the board for WNBA Most Valuable Player at +1200 over at FanDuel. She comes in behind the Aces’ A’ja Wilson (+160), the Liberty’s Breanna Stewart (+550) and the Sun’s Alyssa Thomas (+1000). Stewart captured her second MVP honor last year, and Wilson is also a two-time winner.

DraftKings has Clark at +1400 for MVP, with Wilson (+150) as the favorite.

COMMISSIONER: WNBA PLANS TO ADD THREE MORE TEAMS

The WNBA plans to add three additional expansion teams in the next four years, commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Monday at the league’s draft in New York.

The league previously announced its future 13th team, in the San Francisco Bay Area, would begin play in 2025. Engelbert on Monday stated a desire to have a 14th team in place a year after that, with the goal of reaching 16 teams in 2028.

“(Adding four new teams) will add 48 roster spots in just a couple of years,” Engelbert said. “That, in a league of 144 (players currently), is a lot. That’s 30 percent. I think it’ll be great when we get those done over the next couple years.”

Philadelphia, Toronto, Denver, Nashville and South Florida are in discussions with the WNBA regarding franchises, according to Engelbert.

“It’s complex because you need the arena and practice facility and player housing and all the things you need, committed long-term ownership groups,” the commissioner said. “And so, the nice thing is we’re getting a lot of calls, we’re continuing to engage with cities. …

“These can either take a very long time to negotiate or it can happen pretty quickly if you find the right ownership group with the right arena situation.”

Portland was previously considered a front-runner for a WNBA expansion franchise, but the plans were put on hold late last year due to issues involving pending renovations to the Portland Trail Blazers’ arena.

The San Francisco Bay Area team, which has yet to announce a name, will stock its roster with an expansion draft in December, Engelbert said Monday.

NBA PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAY-IN GAME PREVIEW: WEST GAMES ON TUESDAY. EAST GAMES ON WEDNESDAY. ELIMINATIONS ON FRIDAY

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are back in the play-in tournament. So is Stephen Curry, as he and Golden State will be fighting for their season. And Jimmy Butler returns as well, after this round last year was the first step on Miami’s way to the NBA Finals.

The postseason — not technically the playoffs, yet — gets underway Tuesday with a pair of Western Conference matchups. The Lakers visit New Orleans with the winner securing the No. 7 seed and a series with defending champion Denver in Round 1. And then the Warriors go to Sacramento, an elimination game for both teams.

The Eastern Conference takes the stage Wednesday: Philadelphia plays host to Miami in a game to decide the No. 7 seed, and Atlanta visits Chicago with the season on the line for those clubs.

The Lakers forced a rematch of Sunday’s regular-season finale with a 128-104 victory in New Orleans that knocked the Pelicans out of the sixth seed. Now the Lakers expect the Pelicans to respond as if this were Game 2 of a playoff series.

“You win that first game and a team has multiple days to kind of sit on that feeling, sit with that taste in their mouth of defeat, so they’re going to be extremely ready for us and we have to come in with the same sense of urgency,” said the 39-year-old James, who is playing in his 21st NBA season.

The Lakers and Heat showed that the play-in can be a springboard to bigger and better things last year; the Lakers reached the Western Conference finals, the Heat reached the NBA Finals.

“We’re not the same group as last year,” Butler said. “We — I — are very confident in the guys that we do have, and we know what we’re capable of. We’ll see what we got whenever the time gets here.”

Golden State gets a short bus ride north for an elimination game against the Kings, on the same floor where the Warriors won a road Game 7 in Round 1 last season.

“We’re happy to have a shot,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said.

So are the Kings, who had an up-and-down season — but have a chance to vanquish the memory of falling in the playoffs to the Warriors a year ago.

“Let’s frickin’ go get it,” Sacramento coach Mike Brown said.

FORMAT

This is Year 4 of this format, and technically, Year 5 for the play-in tournament overall. A reminder of how the format works:

— There are six games of the tournament. All six either have a team qualifying for the playoffs, or getting eliminated, or both.

— No. 7 plays No. 8. The winner is in and gets the No. 7 seed for the playoffs. The loser has a second chance.

— No. 9 plays No. 10. The loser’s season is over. The winner moves on to visit the loser of the 7-vs.-8 game.

— The remaining teams (the 7-8 loser and the 9-10 winner) play at the higher seed, with the winner getting the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. The loser’s season ends.

HISTORY

2020

Western Conference: Portland beat Memphis 126-122 to clinch No. 8 seed.

2021

Eastern Conference: Boston beat Washington 118-100 to clinch No. 7 seed; Indiana beat Charlotte 144-117 in 9-10 game; Washington beat Indiana 142-115 to clinch No. 8 seed.

Western Conference: Lakers beat Golden State 103-100 to clinch No. 7 seed; Memphis beat San Antonio 100-96 in 9-10 game; Memphis beat Golden State 117-112 to clinch No. 8 seed.

2022

Eastern Conference: Brooklyn beat Cleveland 115-108 to clinch No. 7 seed; Atlanta beat Charlotte 132-103 in 9-10 game; Atlanta beat Cleveland 107-101 to clinch No. 8 seed.

Western Conference: Minnesota beat Los Angeles Clippers 109-104 to clinch No. 7 seed; New Orleans beat San Antonio 113-103 in 9-10 game; New Orleans beat Clippers 105-101 to clinch No. 8 seed.

2023

Eastern Conference: Atlanta beat Miami 116-105 to clinch No. 7 seed; Chicago beat Toronto 109-105 in 9-10 game; Miami beat Chicago 102-91 to clinch No. 8 seed.

Western Conference: Lakers beat Minnesota 108-102 to clinch No. 7 seed; Oklahoma City beat New Orleans 123-118 in 9-10 game; Minnesota beat Oklahoma City 120-95 to clinch No. 8 seed.

MATCHUPS

EASTERN CONFERENCE

NO. 8 MIAMI (46-36) AT NO. 7 PHILADELPHIA (47-35)

Wednesday, 7 p.m., ESPN

Season series: Split, 2-2

Play-in appearances: 2nd for Miami (2023), 1st for Philadelphia.

At stake: Winner plays New York in Game 1 on Saturday; loser plays elimination game Friday.

Outlook: The teams met on Christmas in Miami (Heat won 119-113) and three times since, though it should be noted that Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Miami’s Jimmy Butler each played in only one of the four games between the clubs this season. … When Kyle Lowry plays, his teams are 3-0 in the series this season — 2-0 with him in a Philly uniform, 1-0 when was in a Miami uniform.

NO. 10 ATLANTA (36-46) AT NO. 9 CHICAGO (39-43)

Wednesday, 9:30 p.m., ESPN

Season series: Chicago, 2-1

Play-in appearances: 3rd for Atlanta (2022, 2023); 2nd for Chicago (2023).

At stake: Winner plays elimination game Friday; loser is eliminated.

Outlook: The Hawks are bidding to be the first team to win four play-in games. They’re 3-0 in their past appearances in the tournament. … DeMar DeRozan averaged 28.3 points for Chicago in the season series. … Bogdan Bogdanovic averaged 23.3 points for Atlanta, on 46% shooting from 3-point range vs. the Bulls. … Trae Young appeared in two games in the series and the Bulls held him to 29% shooting.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

NO. 8 LA LAKERS (47-35) AT NO. 7 NEW ORLEANS (49-33)

Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., TNT

Season series: Lakers, 3-1

Play-in appearances: 3rd for Lakers (2021, 2023); 3rd for New Orleans (2022, 2023).

At stake: Winner plays Denver in Game 1 on Sunday; loser plays elimination game Friday.

Outlook: A rematch of Sunday’s regular-season finale for both clubs, one where the Lakers ensured a 49-win season wasn’t enough to guarantee the Pelicans a playoff berth. … The four highest-scoring players in the season series were all Lakers (LeBron James 28.3, Anthony Davis 21.5, Austin Reaves 21.0, D’Angelo Russell 21.0). … Zion Williamson shot 58% vs. the Lakers in the four games.

NO. 10 GOLDEN STATE (46-36) AT NO. 9 SACRAMENTO (46-36)

Tuesday, 10 p.m., TNT

Season series: Split, 2-2

Play-in appearances: 2nd for Golden State (2021), 1st for Sacramento.

At stake: Winner plays elimination game Friday; loser is eliminated.

Outlook: The series was incredibly close — both of Sacramento’s wins were by exactly one point, and Golden State’s two wins vs. the Kings were by one and eight points. … De’Aaron Fox averaged 32.3 points in the series for the Kings and Domantas Sabonis nearly averaged a triple-double (17.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 9.5 assists). … Stephen Curry averaged 31 points in the series for the Warriors. … The Kings got to the foul line 113 times to Golden State’s 82 in the four games.

SUNS HAND ALLEN 4-YEAR, $70M EXTENSION

The Phoenix Suns are extending sharpshooter Grayson Allen on a four-year, $70-million deal with a player option, his agents told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Allen had a career-best regular season, averaging 13.5 points per game while leading the league in 3-point percentage at 46.1%. He’s now hit at least 39% of his threes in five straight seasons.

The Duke product joined Phoenix in the offseason as part of the blockbuster Damian Lillard trade. He’s provided elite spacing next to the Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.

Allen will play a major role in the playoffs for the sixth-seeded Suns, beginning in the first round against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The 28-year-old is arguably Phoenix’s biggest X-factor – the team is 7-2 when he makes at least six 3-pointers in a game.

NETS REPORTEDLY EYEING KINGS’ JORDI FERNANDEZ AS HEAD COACH

The Brooklyn Nets are targeting Sacramento Kings assistant coach Jordi Fernandez to be their new head coach, ESPN reported Monday night.

The Nets fired Jacque Vaughn after starting the 2023-24 season 21-33, and they finished 11-17 under interim coach Kevin Ollie.

According to ESPN, Nets general manager Sean Marks conducted numerous interviews with candidates, and Fernandez passed the initial phase to talk directly with team owner Joe Tsai.

Fernandez, a 41-year-old native of Barcelona, Spain, is currently the head coach of the Canadian national team, which he led to a bronze medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. He also has served as an assistant coach for the Spanish and Nigerian national teams.

His first NBA work experience was serving as a player development coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2009-13. He spent a year as an assistant and two years as head coach of the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate in Canton, Ohio, before working as an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets from 2016-22.

Fernandez joined the Kings’ coaching staff in August 2022.

Brooklyn (32-50) finished in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, four games out of the final play-in position. The Nets had made the playoffs in each of the previous five seasons, but they are now looking for their fifth head coach since the beginning of the 2019-20 campaign.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS

REPORTS: OHIO STATE LANDS KENTUCKY TRANSFER AARON BRADSHAW

Kentucky transfer Aaron Bradshaw has committed to Ohio State, multiple outlets reported Monday.

The 7-foot-1 freshman, a former five-star recruit, entered the transfer portal last week in the aftermath of coach John Calipari leaving the Wildcats for Arkansas.

Bradshaw visited the Buckeyes over the weekend.

Bradshaw played in 26 games (10 starts) under Calipari this past season, averaging 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.7 minutes per game.

Calipari landed Bradshaw out of Camden, N.J. The 247Sports composite listed him as the No. 1 center and No. 4 overall player in the 2023 class.

REPORTS: EX-IOWA G TONY PERKINS SET TO TRANSFER TO MISSOURI

Former Iowa guard Tony Perkins has decided to transfer to Missouri, according to multiple reports on Monday.

Perkins reportedly selected the Tigers over Arkansas, Indiana, Oregon, Oklahoma and Ole Miss.

Perkins, who is 6-feet-4, averaged 14.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists as a senior last season for the Hawkeyes, who finished 19-15 and lost in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament.

KENTUCKY G DJ WAGNER ENTERING TRANSFER PORTAL

Kentucky guard DJ Wagner plans to enter the transfer portal following the coaching change with the Wildcats.

Wagner averaged 9.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 29 games (28 starts) as a freshman last season.

John Calipari’s exit to Arkansas fed speculation Wagner could join him in Fayetteville, with Memphis and Rutgers among other schools being mentioned in the recruiting rumor mill.

Wagner will reportedly also meet with new Kentucky coach Mark Pope, and players entering the transfer portal are permitted to return to the same program.

May 1 is the deadline to enter the transfer portal, with the NBA draft deadline set for April 27.

The NBA draft could also be under consideration by Wagner, the son of former Memphis guard Dejuan Wagner and grandson of Louisville legend Milt Wagner. Both played in the NBA.

DJ Wagner was an All-American and the Gatorade National Player of the Year at Camden High School (NJ) as a senior. He was the Wildcats’ starting point guard last season but shared time in the Kentucky backcourt with top scorer Antonio Reeves, fellow freshman Reed Sheppard and All-SEC sixth man Rob Dillingham.

BAYLOR FRESHMAN G JA’KOBE WALTER DECLARES FOR NBA DRAFT

Baylor freshman guard Ja’Kobe Walter announced Monday he is declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft.

“I think I’m the best shooter in the draft,” he told Stadium.

Walter, 19, was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and a third-team All-Big 12 selection in 2023-24.

He averaged 14.5 points and 4.4 rebounds and shot 34.1 percent from 3-point range in 35 games (all starts).

The 6-foot-5 shooting guard is ranked No. 12 among ESPN’s top 100 prospects for the June 26-27 NBA Draft.

TENNESSEE ADDS HIGH-SCORING HOFSTRA TRANSFER DARLINSTONE DUBAR

Hofstra guard Darlinstone Dubar announced Monday he will transfer to Tennessee.

Dubar is coming off an all-Coastal Athletic Association second-team selection thanks to his most productive season yet. He averaged 17.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game and shot 39.9 percent from 3-point range.

In three seasons at Hofstra, Dubar put up 13.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest over 100 games (99 starts). He spent his freshman season in 2020-21 at Iowa State and averaged 2.3 points and 2.4 boards over 16 games (seven starts).

Tennessee is coming off a 27-9 season and an SEC regular-season crown (14-4 record in conference). The Volunteers reached the Elite Eight, where they lost 72-66 to Purdue.

Tennessee was guided by transfer-portal addition Dalton Knecht of Northern Colorado. Knecht won SEC Player of the Year after averaging 21.7 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 39.7 percent from 3-point range, and is now projected as a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

REPORTS: TEXAS LOSES TYRESE HUNTER, DILLON MITCHELL TO PORTAL

Tyrese Hunter and Dillon Mitchell, two starters for Texas this past season, are both hitting the transfer portal, multiple reports said Monday.

Mitchell, a forward, is also entering his name into the NBA draft. Mitchell averaged 9.6 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds for Texas last season over 34 games (33 starts).

Hunter, a point guard, had 11.1 points, 4.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds over 33 games, all starts.

Hunter started his career at Iowa State in 2021-22 before spending two seasons at Texas. He has averaged double-figure points in each of his three college seasons, with career averages of 10.8 points, 3.8 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals over 106 games, all starts.

Texas recently added three guards from the transfer portal: Jayson Kent and Julian Larry from Indiana State and Tramon Mark from Arkansas.

TRANSFER ROUNDUP: G JABRI ABDUR-RAHIM PICKS PROVIDENCE

Former Georgia guard Jabri Abdur-Rahim announced Monday he is committing to Providence.

Abdur-Rahim entered the transfer portal following three years at Georgia, where he landed after one season at Virginia.

Abdur-Rahim had a career year in 2023-24, averaging 12.2 points and 3.5 rebounds over 29 games (27 starts). He shot 35.6 percent from 3-point range, keeping close to his career average of 35.4 percent.

Providence now has three commitments from players in the transfer portal. The Friars previously added Miami guard Bensley Joseph and Saint Joseph’s center Christ Essandoko.

–Former Belmont forward Malik Dia is headed to Ole Miss via the transfer portal.

Dia began his college career in the SEC, playing for Vanderbilt in 2022-23 before transferring to Belmont.

Dia’s production exploded this past season. He averaged 16.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in 33 contests (24 starts). He shot 48.8 percent overall and 34.1 percent from 3-point range.

In 53 college games between Vanderbilt and Belmont, Dia has put up 11.5 points and 4.2 boards per game.

–Butler picked up a commitment from Maryland transfer forward Jamie Kaiser.

Kaiser was a four-star prospect coming out of high school last year but had minimal impact as a freshman for the Terrapins. He averaged 4.4 points and 2.0 rebounds over 19.5 minutes per game in 33 games (five starts). Kaiser shot just 26.9 percent from the field.

–Kansas State added guard Christian “CJ” Jones, a transfer from Illinois-Chicago.

Jones averaged 9.0 points, 3.6 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game in 62 games (50 starts) over two years at UIC. He was the Flames’ second-leading scorer in 2023-24, putting up 11.4 points along with 4.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per contest in 33 contests (31 starts).

BASEBALL NEWS

KEN HOLTZMAN, TOSSED TWO NO-HITTERS FOR CUBS, DIES AT 78

Ken Holtzman, who tossed two no-hitters for the Chicago Cubs and won four World Series, died Sunday at 78.

The two-time All-Star left-hander’s passing was confirmed Monday by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He had been hospitalized for three weeks while battling heart issues.

Holtzman was 174-150 with a 3.49 ERA and 1,601 strikeouts in 451 games (410 starts) over 15 seasons with the Cubs (1965-71, 1978-79), Oakland Athletics (1972-75), Baltimore Orioles (1976) and New York Yankees (1976-78).

He won three straight World Series championships with the A’s (1972-74) and another with the Yankees in 1977. He was 6-4 with a 2.30 ERA in 13 postseason games (12 starts), including a 4-1 record in the World Series.

Holtzman made back-to-back American League All-Star teams with Oakland in 1972 and 1973, finishing the latter campaign with a career-high 21 wins.

The St. Louis native is one of only two Cubs pitchers since 1900 with multiple no-hitters, along with Jake Arrieta. Holtzman’s first came against the Atlanta Braves on Aug. 19, 1969, and his second was on June 3, 1971, against the Cincinnati Reds.

MLB ROUNDUP: NICO ho*rNER, CUBS RUN PAST D-BACKS IN 11

Nico ho*rner scored the tying run with a mad dash from second base on a wild pitch in the ninth and delivered the tiebreaking single in the 11th as the Chicago Cubs notched a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday at Phoenix.

Michael Busch homered in his fifth consecutive game to tie the Cubs’ franchise record, joining Hack Wilson (1928), Ryne Sandberg (1989), Sammy Sosa (1998) and Christopher Morel (2023). ho*rner and Garrett Cooper had two hits apiece as Chicago won its third consecutive game.

Jake McCarthy had an RBI single in the second that represented Arizona’s lone hit through the first 7 1/3 innings. Corbin Carroll added a run-scoring single in the eighth for the Diamondbacks, who finished with three hits while losing for the second time in six games.

Keegan Thompson (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win, while Bryce Jarvis (0-1) took the loss.

Royals 2, White Sox 0

Seth Lugo threw seven shutout innings and Vinnie Pasquantino homered and doubled to lead visiting Kansas City past Chicago.

Lugo (3-0) scattered four singles, walked one and struck out four while lowering his ERA to 1.05. James McArthur pitched the ninth for his third save.

The loss was the 14th in 16 games for the White Sox, the worst start in the franchise’s 124-year history. Nick Nastrini (0-1) took the defeat in his major league debut, allowing two runs over five innings.

Braves 6, Astros 1

Four Atlanta relievers combined for 4 1/3 shutout innings and the Braves produced a four-run ninth inning to seal a victory at Houston.

Aaron Bummer (1-1), Pierce Johnson, A.J. Minter allowed three hits and posted two strikeouts while recording 10 outs to preserve a one-run lead before the first five batters reached off Astros closer Josh Hader in the top of the ninth.

Orlando Arcia, Austin Riley, Marcell Ozuna and Michael Harris II each plated a run in the final frame before Jesse Chavez closed the win with a hitless inning. Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti (0-2) gave up two runs in four innings.

Guardians 6, Red Sox 0

Will Brennan belted a pinch-hit, two-run homer to help visiting Cleveland earn a road victory over Boston.

Brennan batted for Tyler Freeman with two outs in the seventh inning and hit his first home run of the season. Tim Herrin (1-0) threw two hitless innings in relief of Guardians starter Xzavion Curry, who limited Boston to two hits in the first five frames.

Red Sox reliever Brennan Bernardino (0-1) gave up a single to Josh Naylor ahead of Brennan’s homer and took the loss. Rafael Devers was back in the lineup after missing four games with a shoulder injury, and he collected one of Boston’s three hits.

Nationals 6, Dodgers 4

Mitchell Parker went five strong innings in his major league debut and Luis Garcia Jr. hit a three-run home run as Washington won in Los Angeles.

Parker (1-0), a fifth-round draft pick by Washington in 2020, allowed two runs on four hits. He didn’t issue a walk and struck out four. Kyle Finnegan pitched a perfect ninth inning for his sixth save.

Will Smith drove in a pair of runs for Los Angeles. Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow (3-1) gave up a season-high six runs in five innings after he matched a career high with 14 strikeouts in his most recent start against the Minnesota Twins on April 9.

Rangers 1, Tigers 0

In his Texas debut, Michael Lorenzen pitched five scoreless innings to set the tone in a victory over host Detroit.

Lorenzen (1-0) allowed three hits and pitched around five walks against his former team. He represented the Tigers at the All-Star Game last season before he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies on Aug. 1.

Detroit starter Reese Olson (0-2) gave up one run and six hits while striking out eight in 6 1/3 innings. Marcus Semien drove in the only run of the game.

Orioles 7, Twins 4

Cedric Mullins provided one of three Baltimore home runs with a two-run shot in the fifth inning, helping the Orioles beat visiting Minnesota.

Ryan O’Hearn and Gunnar Henderson also homered as the Orioles captured the opener of a three-game series. Mullins, who also made a diving catch in deep center field in the first inning, added a sacrifice fly.

Dillon Tate (1-0) worked 1 1/3 innings of shutout relief to post his first victory since Sept. 6, 2022. He followed Orioles starter Cole Irvin, who allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings. Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth and recorded two strikeouts for his fourth save.

Phillies 2, Rockies 1 (10 innings)

Cristian Pache hit a walk-off RBI single to right field with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift host Philadelphia past Colorado.

Bryce Harper hit an RBI single and Stott had two hits for the Phillies. Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola tossed 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball, fanning nine. Seranthony Dominguez (1-0) earned the win.

Michael Toglia hit a solo home run and Elias Diaz had two hits for the Rockies. Colorado starter Cal Quantrill gave up one run in six innings. Jake Bird (0-1) took the loss.

Giants 4, Marlins 3

Wilmer Flores produced a pinch-hit, go-ahead single with two outs in the seventh inning as visiting San Francisco rallied for a win at Miami.

In his season debut, Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera had 10 strikeouts over six innings and left with the lead before settling for a no-decision. Cabrera, who started the season dealing with a shoulder injury, allowed one run on five hits with a walk.

Giants starter Kyle Harrison (2-1) gave up three runs on eight hits over six innings with one walk and two strikeouts.

Angels 7, Rays 3

A two-run home run by Mike Trout and a three-run double by Matt Thaiss highlighted a five-run eighth inning as Los Angeles rallied for a victory over Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Taylor Ward added a two-run homer in the ninth for the Angels. Patrick Sandoval pitched five innings of one-run ball, and Luis Garcia (1-0) tossed a scoreless inning to earn the win.

Harold Ramirez homered and Zach Eflin fired 6 1/3 scoreless innings for the Rays. Phil Maton (0-1) took the loss.

Mets 6, Pirates 3

Harrison Bader delivered a tiebreaking hit in the eighth inning for a second straight game, hitting a two-run double to highlight New York’s comeback from a three-run deficit en route to a win over visiting Pittsburgh.

The teams traded three-run rallies in the sixth inning before the Mets went ahead in the eighth against Aroldis Chapman (0-1). On Sunday, Bader beat out a bases-loaded infield single in the eighth inning to break a scoreless tie in the Mets’ 2-1 win over the Kansas City Royals.

Andrew McCutchen and Connor Joe had RBI singles for the Pirates in the top of the sixth, and Jared Triolo added a sacrifice fly.

Blue Jays 3, Yankees 1

Chris Bassitt allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings and Toronto defeated visiting New York in the opener of a three-game set.

Alejandro Kirk was 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI for the Blue Jays, who are 5-2 on their nine-game homestand. Bassitt (2-2) gave up four hits and two walks while striking out five.

Luis Gil (0-1) allowed three runs in five innings for the Yankees, who have lost two in a row for the first time this season.

Padres 7, Brewers 3

Rookie Jackson Merrill singled home two runs during a six-run fifth inning as visiting San Diego opened a three-game series against Milwaukee with a win.

Padres starter Joe Musgrove (2-2) allowed three runs on seven hits over six innings. The Brewers loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth before Robert Suarez retired Sal Frelick on a fly ball to left field for his sixth save.

Merrill, who had three hits and a stolen base, is 9-for-17 over his past four games for San Diego, which has won four of its past five. Jackson Chourio went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and a stolen base for Milwaukee.

Mariners 9, Reds 3

Jorge Polanco and Mitch Haniger hit homers as Seattle set a season high in runs during a victory against visiting Cincinnati.

Mariners right-hander George Kirby (2-2), who lost his previous two starts, went six innings and allowed two runs.

Jeimer Candelario and Jake Fraley went deep for the Reds, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Reds starter Frankie Montas (2-2) lasted only two-plus innings as he walked five and allowed five runs.

Cardinals 3, A’s 1

Sonny Gray fired six shutout innings against his former team as St. Louis earned a victory at Oakland.

Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado and Jordan Walker had RBI hits for the Cardinals, who evened their record at 2-2 on a six-game Western swing. Gray (2-0) gave up four hits and no walks while fanning six.

Esteury Ruiz, promoted from Triple-A before the game, had a pinch-hit homer to account for Oakland’s only run. Ross Stripling (0-4) yielded three runs in 5 2/3 innings.

NHL NEWS

NHL ROUNDUP: OILERS’ CONNOR MCDAVID NABS 100TH ASSIST

Connor McDavid returned to action to score a goal and record his 100th assist of the season in the Edmonton Oilers’ 9-2 rout of the visiting San Jose Sharks on Monday.

McDavid missed Edmonton’s previous three games with a lower-body injury, but he quickly marked his return by scoring just 53 seconds after the opening whistle on Monday. McDavid later tallied his milestone assist at 15:35 of the second period, setting up Zach Hyman’s 54th goal of the season.

NHL legends Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky (on 11 occasions) are the only other players in league history to record at least 100 assists in a season.

If the Oilers win their last two games and the Canucks lose their final two in regulation, Edmonton will squeak past Vancouver for the Pacific Division title.

Danil Gushchin and Fabian Zetterlund scored for the Sharks, who are already assured of finishing with the worst record in the NHL.

Rangers 4, Senators 0

Artemi Panarin scored in the third period and added an assist, Igor Shesterkin made 26 saves and New York clinched the Metropolitan Division title and Presidents’ Trophy by shutting out visiting Ottawa.

The Rangers clinched their first division title since 2014-15, when they also last claimed the Presidents’ Trophy. New York will host the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card team in the opening round of the playoffs.

Panarin ended his most productive regular season on a 13-game point streak and finished with 49 goals and 71 assists. Joonas Korpisalo allowed four goals on 34 shots as Ottawa was blanked for the fourth time this season.

Islanders 4, Devils 1

Kyle Palmieri and Brock Nelson each had a goal and an assist as New York clinched a playoff berth with a victory against New Jersey in Newark, N.J.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Kyle MacLean also scored as New York secured third place in the Metropolitan Division and improved to 7-0-1 this month. The Islanders recorded just 19 shots on goal but made the most of their chances.

Timo Meier scored his team-best 28th goal for the Devils, who ended a disappointing season with their seventh loss in nine games (2-6-1).

Red Wings 5, Canadiens 4 (OT)

Lucas Raymond scored his second goal of the night with 24.4 seconds remaining in overtime to give Detroit a 5-4 home win over Montreal, keeping the Red Wings’ playoff hopes alive.

Detroit rallied from a 4-1 deficit to remain in contention for the second Eastern Conference wild card. J.T. Compher also scored twice for the Red Wings, and Alex DeBrincat had a goal and an assist. Detroit got three assists from Shayne Gostisbehere.

Brendan Gallagher scored two goals in defeat for the Canadiens in the opener of a home-and-home set between the teams to close the regular season. Sam Montembeault made 30 saves.

Penguins 4, Predators 2

Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson each had a goal and an assist as Pittsburgh kept its playoff hopes alive by beating visiting Nashville in the Predators’ regular-season finale.

Reilly Smith and Emil Bemstrom added goals for the Penguins, who sit one point behind the Washington Capitals and Red Wings for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Gustav Nyquist and Filip Forsberg scored goals and Ryan McDonagh had two assists for the Predators. Nashville currently sits in the first wild-card spot in the West but can fall to the second depending on how the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings finish their regular seasons.

Sabres 4, Lightning 2

Dylan Cozens scored twice as part of a three-point night, Jordan Greenway had a goal and an assist and Buffalo capped a disappointing season with a win against host Tampa Bay.

Zach Benson also scored and Jack Quinn had two assists for the Sabres, while backup goaltender Eric Comrie stopped 31 shots.

Steven Stamkos reached the 40-goal plateau for the seventh time in his 16-season Lightning career, and Erik Cernak also scored. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves.

Capitals 2, Bruins 0

John Carlson and Nic Dowd scored and Charlie Lindgren recorded a 16-save shutout as Washington beat visiting Boston to remain in control of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Carlson opened the scoring 12 minutes into the game and Dowd added a late empty-netter for Washington, which is tied with Detroit at 89 points, one point ahead of the Penguins and two points up on the Philadelphia Flyers for the second wild card.

Jeremy Swayman made 23 saves while David Pastrnak had a team-high five shots for Boston, which would have clinched first place in the Atlantic Division with two points but still sits one point ahead of the Florida Panthers.

Wild 3, Kings 1

Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and an assist as Minnesota ended Los Angeles’ eight-game home winning streak.

Matt Boldy and Ryan Hartman also scored, Marco Rossi had two assists and Filip Gustavsson made 23 saves for Minnesota, which was outscored by a combined 13-3 in its previous two meetings with Los Angeles this season.

Blake Lizotte scored and Cam Talbot had 25 saves and an assist for the Kings, who remain one point ahead of the Golden Knights for third place in the Pacific Division. Los Angeles was trying to win nine straight at home for the first time since its franchise-record, 12-game run at home in 1992-93.

NFL NEWS

DEVONTA SMITH SIGNS 3-YEAR EXTENSION WORTH REPORTED $75M

The Philadelphia Eagles exercised the fifth-year option on wide receiver DeVonta Smith and signed him to a three-year extension through the 2028 season, the team announced Monday.

The three-year deal is worth $75 million and contains $51 million in guaranteed money, sources told NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Smith’s extension averages $25 million per year, which ties him with teammate A.J. Brown for fourth highest among NFL receivers, per Spotrac. Brown signed his four-year, $100-million deal in 2022.

Smith, who was a top-10 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, has surpassed 900 receiving yards in each of his three NFL seasons. He caught 81 passes for 1,066 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023.

His best season came in 2022 when he set personal bests in receptions (95) and receiving yards (1,196).

The Eagles now have Smith and quarterback Jalen Hurts under contract through the 2028 season. Brown’s deal expires following the 2026 campaign.

COLLEGE BASEBALL NEWS

ILLINOIS, NEBRASKA AND PURDUE CLAIM WEEKLY BASEBALL AWARDS

ROSEMONT, Ill.– The Big Ten Conference has announced its baseball weekly awards for games played April 9-14.

Player of the Week
Jacob Schroeder, Illinois
Sr. – C — Homewood-Flossmoor, Ill. — John A. Logan CC

• Hit .533 (8-for-15) with four home runs and 11 RBI in leading Illinois to a 4-0 record
• Produced three home runs and eight RBI in a 21-11 win over Northern Illinois
• Scored eight runs, went 3-for-3 in stolen bases and compiled a 1.965 OPS
• Honored with the Big Ten’s Player award for the second time in three weeks
• Last Illinois Player of the Week: Jacob Schroeder (April 1, 2024)
  

Pitcher of the Week
Mason McConnaughey, Nebraska
So. – S-RHP — Topeka, Kan. — Cloud County CC

• Threw seven shutout innings and held the Big Ten’s top offense to six hits in a 16-1 win at Rutgers on Saturday
• Struck out a career-high nine batters to earn his fourth win of the season
• Issued zero walks and no extra-base hits as just one RU runner touched third
• Garners his first Big Ten weekly award
• Last Nebraska Pitcher of the Week: Brett Sears (April 8, 2024)
  

Freshman of the Week
Luke Gaffney, Purdue
Fr. – 1B — Danville, Ky. — Boyle County

• Recorded three hits in a game three times, including against 18th-ranked Indiana State
• Hit .625 and went 6-for-7 with runners in scoring position, generating eight RBI
• Compiled 31 putouts and two assists at first, turning a 3-6-3 twin kill for the Boilermakers who lead the nation in double plays (42)
• Captures the Big Ten Freshman award for the fourth time this season
• Last Purdue Freshman of the Week: Luke Gaffney (March 11, 2024)

HCAC 2024 BASEBALL NOTEBOOK

Athletes of the Week:
Hitter of the Week:
Brennan Martin(Cincinnati, Ohio) Mount St. Joseph University | First Base | Junior – Lions first baseman Brennan Martin tied a pair of school records this week. In the Lions win in game two vs. Franklin he was 3-for-5 with a school record tying 3 homeruns and a 9 RBIs. In three consecutive at-bats in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, Martin hit a 2-run, 3-run and grand slam homeruns. For the weekend he drove in 11 runs.
Pitching Athlete of the Week:
Chris Hautman(Lawrenceburg, Ind.)Hanover College | Pitcher | Junior –Hautman led Hanover to a complete three game sweep of Manchester, pushing their win streak to six straight games. The junior pitched a complete game allowing just two runs. He tallied 10 strikeouts with only 35 batters faced. Hautman currently ranks second among the HCAC in ERA (1.92), second in hits allowed (24), and second in ERA (8).

Notable Performances:
Hitting Athletes:

• Charlie Jones(Portage, Ind.) Anderson University | MIF | Junior –Charlie Jones went 2-for-8 with 2 homers, 3 walks, 4 runs and 3 RBI as Anderson swept Defiance on Sunday. Jones cranked 2 homers in Game 2 to lift Anderson to a 13-3 victory. He finished the week with a slashline of .286/.500/1.143.
• Phoenix Guzzi(Rockwood, Mich.) Earlham College | Pitcher/Utility| Senior–Phoenix Guzzi led the Quakers at the plate this week with a .400 batting average and two RBI.
• Alex Christie(Greenwood, Ind.) Hanover College | Outfield| Senior –Christie helped lead the Panthers to their sixth straight win and second three game HCAC series sweep at Manchester. The senior posted an impressive 1.273 slugging percentage going 6-for-11 at the dish with two home runs and six RBI. He was walked five times and plated 10 runs.
• Rocco Hanes(Ossian, Ind.) Manchester University | Catcher/Utility| Junior –Rocco Hanes hit .444 in a three-game series against Hanover. The junior finished the weekend with two sac flies, two doubles, and a stolen base.
• Connor O’Connell(Fort Myers, Fla.) Rose-Hulman Insitute of Technology | Third Base | Sophom*ore –O’Connell finished the week 8-18 at the plate with 6 extra-base hits and he totaled 4 doubles, a triple, and a home run on the week. He added 7 runs scored and 10 RBIs en route to a .444 batting average, .474 on-base percentage, .944 slugging percentage, and 1.388 OPS as Rose-Hulman scored 44 runs in four games in their 3-1 week.
• Henry Mitcham(Lexington, Ky.) Transylvania University | Second Base | Junior –Mitcham finished the week 7-13 with 9 RBI’s and 4 extra base hits while leading the team to a sweep over Bluffton this weekend. He had 5 RBI’s in game 1 on Saturday.

Pitching Athletes:

• Landen Southern(Lafayette, Ind.) Anderson University | Pitcher | Junior –Landen Southern fanned 8 batters in 7 innings during Sunday’s no decision against Defiance. He issued 1 walk and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits in 7 innings.
• Braeden Lewis(Oshawana, Ontario)Earlham College | Pitcher |Sophom*ore– Braeden Lewis threw 1.1 innings out of the bullpen this week with two strikeouts and one hit allowed.
• Aidan Post(Fairfield, Ohio) Mount St. Joseph University | Pitcher | Fifth Year –Lions fifth year senior Aidan Post was outstanding the Mount’s win over Franklin Sunday morning. With the wind blowing out in Franklin’s homer friendly park, Post went the front 7.0 innings allowing 6 hits and only a pair of earned runs. He did so while striking out three Grizzlies.
• Ian Kline(Frederick, Mich.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Pitcher| Senior –Kline pitched 6 innings of 1 run baseball on Saturday en route to his fourth pitching win of the season. He struck out three batters, and his one run allowed snapped a streak of 13 consecutive innings pitched without a run allowed in his last two starts.
• Henry Craig(Lousiville, Ky.) Transylvania University | Pitcher | First Year –Craig pitched 5 innings and gave up just 2 his while striking out 5 batters in the win over Bluffton.

MAC ANNOUNCES WEEKLY BASEBALL AWARD WINNERS

MAC Baseball Player of the Week
Hunter Dobbins, Ball State, C
Junior, Indianapolis, Ind. (Mount Vernon)
Dobbins blasted home runs in each game of a weekend series against Akron to lead the Cardinals to a sweep. The junior from nearby Indianapolis homered to left field in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader against the Zips before hitting balls over the fence in right field and center in Game Two. Dobbins wrapped up the weekend with a grand slam and 3-for-3 performance at the plate with five RBI in Sunday’s sweep clincher. For the week, the catcher started all three games while sporting a perfect fielding percentage, .889 batting average (8-for-9), two doubles, four home runs, 22 total bases, 10 RBI, two walks and six runs scored. Dobbins compiled a cool 3.333 OPS on the weekend.

MAC Baseball Co-Pitchers of the Week
Brady Miller, Western Michigan, RHP
Redshirt Senior, Plainfield, Ill. (Plainfield North)
Brady Miller set the tone for Western Michigan’s weekend sweep of Miami, shutting the RedHawks out on four hits and striking out four over 7.0 innings in the opener of Saturday’s doubleheader. The right-hander retired 11 batters in a row at one point during the middle of his afternoon. It was the third straight start Miller threw 7.0 innings for the Broncos, who completed their second consecutive MAC shutout and extended their shutout streak in conference play to 22 consecutive innings in the victory. After Saturday’s outing, Miller ranks fifth in WMU’s career record book in both innings pitched (269.0) and strikeouts (227).

Grant Umberger, Toledo, Pitcher
Senior, Chester Springs, Pa.
Senior Grant Umberger fanned a career-high nine batters and allowed just four hits and one walk in six scoreless innings to propel Toledo to a 12-1 victory over Kent State in Game One of Saturday’s doubleheader. The victory helped the Rockets win their fifth of six Mid-American Conference series this season. Umberger registered two strikeouts in each of his first four innings and then didn’t allow any hits in his final two innings. The Rockets eventually gave Umberger some breathing room by scoring three runs in the sixth inning to take a 6-0 lead prior to his departure.

COLLEGE SOFTBALL NEWS

MICHIGAN, RUTGERS AND NORTHWESTERN EARN BIG TEN SOFTBALL WEEKLY AWARDS

Co-Player of the Week

Keke Tholl, Michigan

Sr. – 1B/C – Tinley Park, Ill. – Victor J. Andrew High School – Major:Business Administration

• Finished the week with a .583 (7-for-12) batting average, helping Michigan to a 5-0 week with wins over Michigan State, Central Michigan and a series win against Iowa
• Recorded a 1.917 slugging percentage and a .750 on-base percentage, boasting five home runs and eight RBI
• Tied Michigan’s program record with three home runs in a single game at Michigan State, also tallying four RBI
• Reached base in 12 of 13 plate appearances with four hits, including two home runs, four RBI and eight walks
• LastMichigan Player of the Week: Lexie Blair (May 9, 2022)

Co-Player of the Week

Morgan Smith, Rutgers

Sr.– OF/P – Phoenix, Ariz. – Pinnacle High School – Major:Communication

• Batted .500 (6-for-12) across eight games for the Scarlet Knights with four home runs, 16 RBI, seven runs scored and a 1.583 slugging percentage, in Rutgers’ 3-2 week including a series victory over Maryland
• Added a pair of sac flies and was 3-for-3 on stolen bases
• Helped Rutgers to a pair of wins at Maryland in a mid-week doubleheader and finished the series 4-for-5 with a double, two home runs and 10 RBI
• Surpassed Jackie Bates (2015) as Rutgers’ single-season RBI leader, upping her total to 57 on the year
• Hit home run number 19 of the season with a three-run shot in Saturday’s game vs. Nebraska,marking her eighth game this season with three or more RBI. Her 19 home runs in a single season puts her second all-time in Rutgers’ program history
• LastRutgers Player of the Week:Katie Wingert(Feb. 12, 2024)

Pitcher of the Week

Ashley Miller, Northwestern

Gr. – RHP – Leo, Ind. – Leo – Master’s: Management

• Went 3-0 and posted a 1.84 ERA in 19.0innings pitched in three starts
• Limited opposing batters to a .200 batting average and struck out 15 across the three starts
• Allowed just three hits and struck out five in 5.0 scoreless innings in an 8-0 run-rule win at Illinois on Tuesday
• Tossed two complete games to help Northwestern secure a weekend series sweep vs. Maryland
• Carried a no-hit bid into the fifth inning and struck out four in a 5-4 win vs. Maryland on Friday
• Allowed four hits and one run while striking out six in a 2-1 win over Maryland in Sunday’s seriesfinale. Did not surrender a hit over her final 3.2 innings of action
• LastNorthwestern Pitcher of the Week: Ashley Miller (March 18, 2024)

Freshman of the Week

Ella Stephenson, Michigan

OF– Algonac, Mich. – Algonac – Major: Movement Science

• Hit .421 (8-for-19) over the Wolverines’ five wins last week with a .632 slugging percentage and a .450 on-base percentage
• Tallied four runs, scored five runs and five RBI
• Tallied three hits at Michigan State with two doubles and two RBI
• Recorded five hits in Michigan’s Saturday doubleheader against Iowa with two doubles and three RBI in the series opener
• LastMichigan Freshman of the Week: Ella Stephenson (April 1, 2024)

HCAC SOFTBALL

Athletes of the Week:
Hitting Athlete of the Week:
Eriana Wagner(Indianapolis, Ind.) Franklin College | Outfield | Junior –Wagner put together one of the most dominant offensive weeks in program history, batting .772 (17-for-22) with 5 home runs, 6 RBI, 13 runs scored and 4 stolen bases as Franklin claimed wins in all six games during the week…tormented Hope College by going 7-for-8 with two home runs and five runs scored in a mid-week sweep…went 5-for-7 with four runs scored on Saturday as part of two HCAC wins over Defiance…went 6-for-8 with 3 home runs, 4 RBI and the walk-off RBI single in game two against Hanover on Sunday to help Franklin extend their winning streak to 10 games for the first time in program history…saw her batting average climb from .439 at the start of the week to .506 by the end of the weekend.
Pitching Athlete of the Week:
Lauren Duncan(Peru, Ind.) Franklin College | Pitcher | First Year –Duncan went 3-0 in the circle across four appearances, tossing two complete games and helping Franklin to a perfect 6-0 week…allowed one run on four hits on Wednesday in a game one win over Hope…gave up one earned run on five hits with six strikeouts on Saturday to take game one against Defiance…worked 1.1 innings in relief against Hanover in game two, picking up the decision in a comeback win for Franklin.

Notable Performances:
Hitting Athletes:

• Keely Hubbard(Bloomington, Ind.) Earlham College| Infield| First Year – Keely Hubbard led the Quakers at the plate this week with a .571 batting average across eight plate appearances. Hubbard recorded four hits, two runs and a double on the week.
• Lauren Beaman(Indianapolis, Ind.) Hanover College | Pitcher| Junior –Beaman led Hanover as they took on Earlham and Franklin in HCAC action. The junior turned in a well rounded week both in the circle and at the plate. She posted a .846 slugging percentage with three RBI and a home run. Beaman tallied seven hits scoring five runs. In the circle, she made two starts with 12 innings pitched and seven strikeouts.
• Alee Eaker(Lowell, Ind.) Manchester University | Utility | Sophom*ore–Alee Eaker went 6-12 at the plate against Mount St. Joseph and Rose-Hulman with four walks, five runs scored, and two RBI.
• Lauryn Miller(Avon, Ind.) Mount St. Joseph University | Utility | Sophom*ore –Lions sophom*ore DP Lauryn Miller had a fantastic weekend at the plate, as the Lions split double-headers against Manchester and Transylvania. For the weekend she was 5-for-9 (.556) with a 1.667 slugging pct and a .636 on-base percentage. Of her five hits three were homeruns, driving in six runs on the weekend.
• Phoebe Wortsell(Bicknell, Ind.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Third Base/Pitcher | Junior –Worstell became the first player in Rose-Hulman history to hit three home runs in a single game in Saturday’s 6-2 win over Anderson. On the week, she finished 8-24 with 5 runs scored and 7 RBIs and a 1.156 OPS.
• Carson Murray(Shelbyville, Ky.) Transylvania University | Utility | Fifth Year –Murray had a stellar weekend, hitting .636 (7-11) with 3 home runs and 10 RBI’s.

Pitching Athletes:

• Morgan Cooksey(Williamsport, Ind.) Earlham College | Pitcher | First Year –Morgan Cooksey made three appearances in the circle this week with a 1-1 record and one save. The freshman pitched two complete games and 15.2 innings with a 2.23 ERA and 13 strikeouts with just one walk.
• Kaitlyn Carr(Valparaiso, Ind.) Manchester University | Pitcher/Infield | Junior–Kaitlyn Carr earned two wins in the circle for the Spartans as Manchester defeated Mount St. Joseph 10-4 and Rose-Hulman 4-3, both in extra innings. The junior threw a total of 16 innings, striking out three while giving up just one walk.
• Phoebe Wortsell(Bicknell, Ind.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Pitcher/Third Base | Junior –Worstell was a perfect 4-0 on the mound with two complete games on the week as she helped Rose-Hulman to a 6-2 week. She gave up just 6 earned runs in her 20.1 innings on the mound and struck out 15 batters en route to a 2.07 ERA and 1.52 WHIP.
• Carlee Jeter(Lexington, Ky.) Transylvania University | Pitcher | Senior –Jeter went 2-0 on the weekend with wins over Bluffton and Mount St. Joseph to move to 9-3 on the season.

INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES/NEWS

COLTS NEWS

DEFOREST BUCKNER AND THE COLTS HAVE AGREED ON A $46 MILLION, 2-YEAR DEAL, AP SOURCE SAYS

Three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and the Indianapolis Colts have agreed on a $46 million, two-year contract extension through 2026, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Monday because the team didn’t release the terms.

Buckner had eight sacks, 11 tackles for loss and 21 quarterback hits in 2023. A first-round pick by San Francisco in 2016, the 30-year-old Buckner was traded to the Colts in 2020 and enters his fifth season in Indianapolis.

He has 61 sacks and 80 tackles for loss.

INDIANA FEVER

INDIANA FEVER SELECT CAITLIN CLARK WITH NO. 1 OVERALL PICK IN 2024 WNBA DRAFT

INDIANAPOLIS – With the No. 1 overall selection in the 2024 WNBA Draft, the Indiana Fever picked University of Iowa guard Caitlin Clark on Monday night.

“We are thrilled to add Caitlin Clark to our roster. This is a great day for the Indiana Fever and all of Pacers Sports & Entertainment. l am confident she will have an immediate impact on our team and the league. Any time you can add two consecutive No. 1 draft selections, it creates enormous interest and visibility,” Fever General Manager Lin Dunn said.

The 6-foot guard from West Des Moines, Iowa comes to Indiana after finishing her time at the University of Iowa with one of the most accomplished careers, which includes the remarkable distinction of being the greatest scorer in college basketball history. In the NCAA record books, Clark finished as the NCAA all-time leading scorer across men’s and women’s college basketball (3,951 points), the all-time leading scorer in women’s NCAA Tournament history (480 points), first in field goals made (1,293 made field goals), first in 3-point field goals made (548 made 3-point field goals) third in assists (1,144 assists) and fourth in free throws made (817 made free throws). Across the Big Ten, Clark ended her collegiate career leading the conference as the all-time leader in points, assists, field goals made, 3-point field goals made and free throws made.

Clark was a four-time All-America recipient, four-time First Team All-Big Ten recipient, three-time Dawn Staley Award winner, three-time Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award winner, three-time Big Ten Player of the Year, three-time Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player, two-time AP National Player of the Year and two-time Naismith Women’s Player of the Year.

“Caitlin is one of the most naturally gifted basketball players I have ever seen enter the WNBA from the college level. Her shooting and passing abilities captivated an entire audience of basketball fans, and her ability to make those around her better was even more evident during her collegiate career. We can’t wait to bring her to Indiana and incorporate her into our locker room with a group ready to get back to the postseason,” Fever Head Coach Christie Sides said.

This past season, Clark led the Hawkeyes to its second consecutive appearance in the national championship game and became the only player in NCAA Division I men’s or women’s basketball history to lead their conference in scoring and assists in four consecutive seasons. She became the first Division I player to also notch back-to-back 1,000-point seasons, ending her senior campaign with 1,234 points.

During her penultimate season in 2022-23, Clark netted the most points by a Division I men’s or women’s basketball player after 100 career games played. In helping advance Iowa to the national championship game, Clark became the first player in Women’s NCAA Tournament history with back-to-back 40-point games. Against South Carolina in the Final Four, Clark’s 41 points were the most by any player against an undefeated team in Men’s or Women’s NCAA Tournament history.

In her sophom*ore season, Clark started all 32 games played from 2021-22. Clark ended her second season leading the country in points per game (27.0), points (863), assists per game (8.0), free throws made (200), triple-doubles (5) and 30-point games (11).

As a freshman, Clark started all 30 games from 2020-21. She was named The Athletic, WBCA, and USBWA Tamika Catchings Co-Freshman of the Year and earned first team All-America honors from The Athletic, WBCA, and USBWA, and earned second-team honors from the Associated Press. Clark was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earned unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team, and unanimous first team All-Big Ten honors. As a freshman, Clark led the nation in assists (214), field goals made (266), points (799), points per game (26.6), 3-pointers attempted (286), and 3-pointers made (116).

The Fever also drafted guards Celeste Taylor (Ohio State) and Leilani Correa (Florida) to round out the 2024 WNBA Draft Class.

Celeste Taylor – 2nd rd. – No. 15 overall pick

Guard – 5-11 – Ohio State

Taylor was a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year honor this season with Ohio State and in 2022-23 with Duke. The 5-11 guard also was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year this season by the conference’s coaches, a year after earning ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors. The 5-11 guard from Valley Stream, N.Y., led the Big Ten in steals per game (2.5) this season and averaged 10.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. In 2023, she set a Duke NCAA Tournament record with 10 steals against Colorado.

Leilani Correa – 3rd rd. – No. 27 overall pick

Guard – 6-0 – Florida

Correa played three seasons at St. John’s before transferring to Florida in 2022. In 59 games played at Florida from 2022-24, Correa averaged 14.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and started 15 games for the Gators. At St. John’s, she won the Big East Sixth-Woman Award in her freshman year and was unanimously selected to Big East All-Freshman Team.

INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL

SIX FORMER HOOSIER EMBARK ON NBA POSTSEASON

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Six former Indiana men’s basketball standouts are set to take center stage in the 2024 NBA postseason.

OG Anunoby, New York Knicks

A midseason trade sent Anunoby, the 23rd overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, from the Toronto Raptors to the New York Knicks. In 23 games with the Knicks, Anunoby averaged 14.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per contest while playing 34.9 minutes a night. The former NBA All-Defensive Team selection shot 48.8% from the floor, 39.4% from the 3-point line, and 74.5% from the free throw line after the trade.

The Knicks wrapped up the second seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 50-32 and will await the results of the 2024 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament to determine their first-round opponent.

Thomas Bryant, Miami Heat

Bryant, a seven-year NBA veteran, appeared in 38 games for the Miami Heat and averaged 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per game.

Miami earned the eighth seed and will play the seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 17, on ESPN. The winner of that game will secure a spot in the playoffs and a series against the second-seeded New York Knicks.

Eric Gordon, Phoenix Suns

Gordon, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, appeared in 68 games for the new-look Phoenix Suns and averaged 11.0 points on 37.8% shooting from the 3-point line. He has also posted 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game in 27.8 minutes.

The Suns finished as the six seed in the Western Conference and will take on the third-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round beginning on Saturday, April 20, in Minneapolis.

Jalen Hood-Schifino, Los Angeles Lakers

Hood-Schifino, the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, played in 21 games with the Los Angeles Lakers while splitting time with the G League’s South Bay Lakers.

The eighth-seeded Lakers will square off with the seventh-seeded New Orleans Pelicans at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 16, on TNT with the winner advancing to face the second-seeded Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

Trayce Jackson-Davis, Golden State Warriors

Jackson-Davis, a 2023 Consensus All-American, made 16 starts and 68 appearances in his debut season with the Golden State Warriors. The 57th overall pick averaged 7.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocked shots in 16.6 minutes per game. He shot 70.4% from the floor.

The 10-seeded Warriors will square off with the No. 9 seed Sacramento Kings at 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 16, on TNT. The winner will take on the loser of the No. 7 versus No. 8 game for the final playoff seed. The winner of the final play-in game will travel to Oklahoma City to play the Thunder in the opening round.

Cody Zeller, New Orleans Pelicans

Zeller, and 11-year NBA vet, appeared in 43 games for the New Orleans Pelicans. The former No. 4 overall pick averaged 7.4 minutes in a reserve role.

The seventh-seeded Pelicans will square off with the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 16, on TNT with the winner advancing to face the second-seeded Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

BALLO PREDICTED TO GO TO INDIANA

The #1 player in the transfer port is predicted to head to Bloomington. According to 247Sports.com, Oumar Ballo is 100% predicted to sign with Indiana. Ballo is a 7-0 center who played the last two season at Arizona.

Accodring to 247, He began his college career at Gonzaga, playing sparingly as a freshman, before following Tommy Lloyd to Arizona three years ago.Ballo is a monster in the paint, in the best way possible. He has a huge frame that is as powerful as it is large, and he knows how to use it. Ballo excels at getting deep post position. He’s extremely physical prior to the catch, both by ducking in hard to seal defenders under the rim and pushing them up the lane when he’s fronted. If they play behind him in the post, he looks to bully them with his dribble to get to point blank range. While Ballo lacks an overly refined post-game when he isn’t able to get deep real estate, he does possess good hands and solid footwork. He’s an emphatic dunker who virtually rips the rim down at every opportunity. He also puts a ton of pressure on the rim rolling off ball-screens, virtually running to the rim to create maximum separation from the ball-handler.

Ballo is also a major physical presence on the defensive end of the floor. He can bang in the post, rotate to provide a capable shot-blocking presence (4.9% block rate), and also has a high steal rate for an interior-based big man. Where he gets more limited is when he is pulled away from the basket, on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he attempted 88% of his shots at the rim, converted less than 50% of his free-throws (leading several teams to deliberately send him to the free-throw line), and hasn’t attempted a three-pointer in four years of college basketball. Defensively, he’s also limited when pulled away from the basket and also not able to defend the pick-and-roll with anything but a deep drop coverage.

247SPORTS PREDICTS CARLYLE HEADED TO THE HOOSIERS

The transfer portal could be kind to the Indiana Men’s Basketball program. First, 247 predicts the #1 player in the portal is predicting Center Oumar Ballo is headed to IU and so is the #11 player in guard Kanaan Carlyle. Kanaan Carlyle entered the transfer portal following his freshman season at Stanford. The scoring guard missed the first month of the season for what was reported as academic reasons, but made an immediate impact when debuting in December, including a 28-point outburst against Arizona in his fourth game. He finished the year having started 16 of 23 games and averaging 25.6 minutes, 11.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists.

Carlyle was unable to sustain the same shooting prowess from behind the three-point line that he showed in December, and ultimately saw his percentage dip down to 32% from that range. He was, however, an increasingly versatile scoring threat, if not always an efficient one, as he attempted 33% of his shots at the rim and 42% in the mid-range area per Pivot Analysis.

INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

HOLMES SELECTED 26TH OVERALL TO SEATTLE STORM IN 2024 WNBA DRAFT

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Indiana’s Mackenzie Holmes was selected as the 26th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft to the Seattle Storm on Monday night as part of the league’s annual draft at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

For the third straight season, Indiana has a player picked in the WNBA Draft as Holmes becomes the sixth player in school history to be selected. Grace Berger went seventh overall in 2023 and Ali Patberg was picked as the 33rd overall in 2022, both to the Indiana Fever. Other players selected in the WNBA Draft include Jori Davis (2011, 33rd pick, Indiana Fever), Jill Chapman (2002, 21st pick, Detroit Shock) and Quacy Barnes (1998, 22nd pick, Sacramento Monarchs).

A unanimous All-Big Ten First Team, All-Big Ten Defensive team and USBWA and AP All-American this season, Holmes led Indiana (and second in the Big Ten) in scoring with 19.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and shooting a league-best 65.0 percent from the floor in 32 games. She scored in double figures in 30 of 32 games including 17 20-point games and two 30-point efforts along with a team-high six double-doubles. Nationally, Holmes finished third in field goal percentage, 13th in field goals made (260), 24th in points per game and 32nd in points (633).

She was a Top 5 finalist for the 2024 Lisa Leslie Award, which honors the nation’s top center and appeared on a variety of national player of the year lists as a candidate including the Wooden Award, Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy, Wade Trophy and USWBA Ann Meyers Drysdale award. The Gorham, Maine native finished her IU career as the program’s all-time leading scorer and second leading scorer between the men’s and women’s program with 2,530 career points. She also finishes with the program’s best field goal percentage for a career, shooting 63.9 percent from the floor while pulling down 990 rebounds and finishing second in all-time blocks with 258. She finished as the program’s all-time winningest player with 123 career victories and in the top five of 11 different statistical categories.

INDIANA BASEBALL

BASEBALL CENTRAL: EVANSVILLE

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Another successful weekend series kept the Indiana Baseball team (20-16, 5-4 B1G) right in the thick of a tight conference race in the Big Ten this year. The Hoosiers will step back into the non-conference for a midweek tilt with Evansville before heading to Minnesota for a three-game set this weekend.

The bullpen was the story of the weekend against the Nittany Lions, with starting pitchers Ty Bothwell and Connor Foley combining for just six innings pitched combined in their two starts. Graduate student Drew Buhr and sophom*ore Aydan Decker-Petty each tossed four-plus innings in relief while combining for 14 strikeouts across the two games.

IU’s offense continued to mash this past weekend, tallying 26 runs to the ledger. Over the past 10 games, IU is hitting .321 while averaging 11.4 runs per game. Sophom*ore shortstop Tyler Cerny (.413) is leading the offensive efforts with 19 hits, 19 runs, three home runs and 15 RBI’s in his past 10 contests.

In a season with lots of injuries to key arms, the Hoosiers have had to plug pitchers into big situations early in the campaign. It’s paid off over the last few weeks. IU is allowing just 5.5 earned runs per game in the last 10 contests. In that period, the Hoosier staff has 109 strikeouts to just 41 walks.

Tuesday’s game will begin at 6:00 PM and be streamed on BTN+. IU will then head to Minnesota for the first true road series on the campus of the Golden Gophers since 2018. IU played Minnesota twice on opening weekend of the COVID-19 shortened 2021 season but both games were played in the Vikings’ stadium.

Gameday Info

vs. Evansville (Tuesday, April 16th – 6:00 PM)

Live Video: t.ly/_fMBQ

Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio

Live Stats: t.ly/DSDfX

Probable Starters

Indiana vs. Evansville

• Tuesday – TBD (IU) vs. Kevin Reed, LHP (UE)

Player and Stat Trends

Closing in on 200

• Josh Pyne (193) is closing on 200 hits through his time in Bloomington. He just needs 12 more to join the club. 23 players in program history, which dates back to the 1890’s, have recorded 200-career hits. Only nine players have ever reached 200 hits in their first three years on campus.

200 of His Own

• Ty Bothwell is also searching for 200 … strikeouts. He is eight away from becoming the 10th member of the 200-strikeout club at IU. He is currently second on the team with 43 punchies, behind only Connor Foley’s 65.

Racking Up Hits

• Tyler Cerny (54) is top-five in the Big Ten hits this year. The only player in program with 100+ hits in a season was Alex Smith (1985). Phillip Glasser was close with 95 in 2023.

Notable

The Benes Connection

• Indiana freshman pitcher Seth Benes has a deep connection to Evansville. Benes’ uncle, Andy, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1988 draft out of the University of Evansville and recorded 155 wins and and 2,000 career strikeouts.

• Seth’s dad, Adam, was a Second Team All-MVC selection in 1995 and earned nine saves for the Purple Aces before being selected by the Cardinals in the 1995 MLB Draft.

Career Day for Joey B

• Entering Sunday’s rubber match hitless on the weekend, redshirt freshman first baseman Joey Brenczewski provided the Hoosiers a career day. He had a grand slam in the second inning as part of a two-home run, seven-RBI day. His seven RBI’s were the most by a freshman in a single game in program history.

• Over his past 10 games, Brenczewski is hitting .343 (12-35) with two home runs, 13 RBI’s and 13 runs scored. He’s taken over the primary first baseman role in the absence of the injured Brock Tibbitts.

Bullpen Steps Up

• With starters Ty Bothwell and Connor Foley not having their typical stuff this past weekend against Penn State, IU needed production from other arms to pull out the series win. Graduate students Drew Buhr and Ty Rybarczyk and sophom*ore Aydan Decker-Petty each went four runs while allowing fewer than two runs and striking out at least five batters.

• Sophom*ore Brayden Risedorph was up to 97 on the mound as he secured his first win of the season on Saturday and redshirt freshman Jacob Vogel pumped 94 past Penn State hitters in an inning of relief.

Comeback Victory

• IU was down 8-0 after the top of the second inning on Saturday and looked down for the count in an important Big Ten series. However, the Hoosiers continued to fight. They scored five in the second, two in the seventh and three in the ninth to beat Penn State on Saturday.

• The eight-run deficit overturned in the win was the largest comeback win in 14 years since overturning another eight-run deficit in May of 2010 against Kentucky. Over the final 16 innings of the weekend, IU outscored Penn State 22-4.

Back-to-Back Series Wins

• After dropping the first conference series of the year to current Big Ten leaders Illinois, IU has rattled off consecutive weekend wins against Maryland and Penn State. With Minnesota and Rutgers on the horizon to close out April, IU will need to continue stacking wins in a crowded conference title race.

Scouting the Opponent

Evansville (18-17, 7-5 MVC)

• Coming off a weekend sweep of Illinois State, Evansville rolls into town with all the momentum in the world. Mark Shallenberger (.383) anchors a deep and dangerous offensive lineup. Three different players have eight home runs including former Hoosier Kip Fougerousse.

• Evansville has struggled on the bump and will throw a true freshman (Kevin Reed) to open up Tuesday’s contest. Reed, a native of Martinsville, has an 8.13 earned run average across nine appearances and 31 innings pitched this year.

Inside the Series

Indiana vs. Evansville

• These two teams met once in 2023, a 6-2 IU win, but played four times in the span of two weeks in 2022. They split the season series two years ago. However, IU is 7-3 in the Jeff Mercer era against the Purple Aces.

PURDUE BASEBALL

STREAKING SQUADS SQUARE OFF AS PURDUE HOSTS BALL STATE

GAMEDAY INFORMATION

Ball State (23-13, 10-8 MAC) at Purdue (23-13, 8-4 Big Ten)

Tuesday, April 16 at 4 p.m. ET / Watch B1G+

Alexander Field / West Lafayette, Indiana

$3 Deals on GA Tickets, Hot Dogs, Beer, Popcorn & Nachos

Purdue Baseball Trading Cards Set 2 (of 3) Giveaway

Probable Starting Pitchers: Cole Van Assen (Fr, RHP) vs. TBA for Ball State

SERIES HISTORY

All-Time: Purdue leads 53-40-2

All-Time in West Lafayette: Purdue leads 34-19-1

2023: Purdue 3, Ball State 2 (April 18 in West Lafayette)

First Meeting: Purdue 9, Ball State 7 (April 1930 in West Lafayette)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The middle game of Purdue Baseball’s nine-game April homestand features a pair of hot teams with identical 23-13 overall records as the Boilermakers host Ball State for a $3 midweek matchup.

First pitch at Alexander Field has been moved up to 4 p.m. ET due to rain in the forecast after sundown. The original start time was 6 p.m. General admission tickets, hot dogs, beer, popcorn and nachos are specially priced at $3 for all Tuesday and Wednesday games at Alexander.

Both teams come in playing well – the Boilermakers have won seven of their last eight and the Cardinals are winners of 11 of their last 12.

Purdue is riding a seven-game win streak in Big Ten Conference play but it goes on hold now until the final weekend of the month. The Boilermakers’ final five games of the homestand are non-conference contests, including a three-game set vs. ETSU during the annual open weekend in league play. They’ve surged into second place in the Big Ten standings and play last-place Northwestern next weekend. But Purdue has not won a non-conference game since sweeping a doubleheader vs. Samford on March 16.

Ball State has wins against Michigan State and Illinois this year. Similar to the Boilers, BSU started Mid-American Conference play slow at 1-7, but sweeps of Ohio and Akron have powered a 9-1 surge in league play. The Cardinals have also won their last three midweek games.

ACTIVE STREAKS

• Jo Stevens – 22-game on-base streak; 11-game hit streak; 15-game on-base streak at home

• Mike Bolton Jr. – 15-game on-base streak; 7-game hit streak

• Luke Gaffney – 14-game on-base streak; 6-game hit streak

• Connor Caskenette – 12-game on-base streak

• Keenan Spence – 9-game on-base streak

• Couper Cornblum – 89 consecutive games started (since start of 2023)

• Carter Doorn – 18 consecutive scoreless innings at home; 12 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in all games

• Jackson Dannelley – 15 consecutive inherited runners stranded (since 5/20/23)

PURDUE’S 3-GAME SWEEPS AT ALEXANDER FIELD (Since 2013)

• April 2024 vs. Michigan State – 7-2, 14-0, 21-1 (Never Trailed)

• March 2024 vs. UAlbany (4 Games) – 11-3, 6-1, 16-6, 12-1

• May 2018 vs. Michigan – 3-0, 6-3, 3-1

• May 2018 vs. Northwestern – 8-7, 9-5, 9-2

• April 2018 vs. Rutgers – 4-0, 9-4, 1-0 (Never Trailed)

• April 2017 vs. Illinois – 4-2, 4-1, 2-1 (Never Trailed)

• May 2013 vs. Southern Illinois – 6-4, 5-3, 10-5 (Never Trailed for Full Inning)

NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL

IRISH CONTINUE ROAD SWING AT INDIANA

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team stays on the road for its fourth-consecutive game Tuesday evening. The Fighting Irish will head to Bloomington for a matchup with the Indiana Hoosiers at Andy Mohr Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

The two teams have met in midweek contests the past two seasons, with the Irish getting the better end of both matchups. Last season, the Irish earned a 9-1 victory in six innings. Prior to reigniting the series in 2022, the last time Notre Dame met up with the Hoosiers on the softball diamond was 2004, a 4-0 Irish win.

Notre Dame comes into the midweek contest after a tough weekend in Tallahassee, dropping three games to the 18th ranked Florida State Seminoles. The Irish have had success in midweek games, going 21-0 in the last three seasons, with the last Tuesday or Wednesday regular season loss occurring at Purdue in 2019. The last time in Bloomington, it took an extra inning for the Irish to earn the victory, scoring four in the eighth to earn the 8-5 win in 2022.

Indiana comes in on a hot streak, winning its last six games with Big Ten series sweeps of Minnesota and Michigan State. Overall, the Hoosiers are 29-12 and 11-3 in their home ballpark. Indiana has hit 48 homers as a team, ranking 23rd nationally in home runs per game.

The game will feature live stats and a video stream on the Big Ten Network Plus.

NOTRE DAME MEN’S SWIMMING

GUILIANO NAMED ACC MEN’S SWIMMER OF THE YEAR

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — He is an ACC champion and an ACC record holder, and now, Chris Guiliano can add ACC Men’s Swimmer of the Year to his lengthy list of accolades.

On Monday, the junior from Douglassville, Pa., earned the honor after an exceptional, record-breaking season. He is the first Irish swimmer to earn the award.

Guiliano won four events at this year’s ACC Championships, including a sweep of the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle. He was also a member of the 400 freestyle relay that brought a gold medal back to South Bend and went 2:45.58. In doing so, Notre Dame became just the eighth school in NCAA history to go 2:45 or faster in the 400 free relay. Guiliano was subsequently named the meet’s MVP.

At the NCAA Championships this season, the sprinter scored 45 points, which was tied for the ninth-most in the nation and was the best point total amongst ACC swimmers. He earned First Team All-America status in five events, including the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle. He took third in the 200, which is the highest individual NCAA finish in program history. Guiliano was also a member of two relays that placed eighth, the highest relay finish in program history.

All in all, Guiliano will enter his senior season as a school record holder in seven events: 50 free (18.43), 100 free (40.62), 200 free (1:30.36) and four relays. He holds the ACC records in those three individual events.

BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL

MARYLAND’S KAISER HEADED TO BUTLER

Maryland freshman 6-6 forward Jamie Kaiser Jr. has announced his commitment to Butler to play for the Bulldogs. He played one season at Maryland, averaging 4.4 points and 2.0 rebounds per game over 33 games.

BUTLER BASEBALL

BULLDOGS TO FACE MAC OPPONENTS IN MIDWEEK ACTION

INDIANAPOLIS – Butler will play at Eastern Michigan on Tuesday and then host Miami Ohio on Wednesday before traveling to St. John’s this weekend for more BIG EAST action. The Eagles and Redhawks are side-by-side in the MAC standings with eight conference wins each. EMU has an identical overall as BU at 13-21. Miami has one more win to come in at 14-19.

Scouting Eastern Michigan

The Eagles hosted Ohio over the weekend and went 1-2 against the Bobcats. EMU won the series opener 15-6, but lost 7-4 and 9-4 to lose the series. Head Coach Robbie Britt is in his first season at Eastern Michigan. The 2024 team leads the MAC in doubles (65) and ranks second in stolen bases (55). Logan Hugo leads the team in stolen bases with 16. Hugo is an everyday starter that has four doubles, one triple and five home runs this year. EMU has four players batting over .300 this season. Giano Zuccaro leads the way at .360 and his teammate Blake McRae is the overall hit leader with 42. Kyle Schroedle is the home run king with eight and Cory Taylor leads the club with 32 RBI.

Scouting Miami

Western Michigan swept Miami over the weekend in Kalamazoo. The first two games went down as three-run losses and the two clubs went wild in the finale posting a score of 17-11. Head Coach Brian Smiley is in his first season at the helm of the program after spending the previous 14 seasons at Indiana State. The Redhawks lead the MAC and rank third in the NCAA in sacrifice flies (26). They are a dangerous team that averages 7.4 runs per contest. Miami has 13 triples this season to lead the MAC and they are second in sacrifice bunts. Tyler Gordon ranks third in the nation in sac bunts with 10. Miami also has league leaders in runs (Zach MacDonald – 42) and base on balls (Ryan Novak – 30). MacDonald and Zaborowski share the team lead in average at .344. MacDonald and Ty Batusich each have 44 hits on the year. MacDonald separates himself from the rest of the group with his team-high 11 home runs.

Previous Meeting at Miami

Butler came up with a 13-10 win in Oxford back on March 19. Brett Sherrard was credited with the win while Cole Graverson picked up the save. The Bulldogs scored seven runs in the top of the first inning to take control of the action. Ian Choi sparked the offense with a grand slam to make the game 7-0. Xavier Carter had a two RBI single through the right side moments before Choi’s homer. Carter ended the game with three RBIs and Billy Wurch added a pair. Carter and Carter Dorighi each tallied three hits for BU. Miami was led by MacDonald. He had a double and a home run to lead the Redhawks with three RBI. Demonica got the start for Miami, but only lasted one inning. Butler started Gage Vota.

RPI Roundup

Butler moved back to 148 in the RPI rankings. Eastern Michigan comes in at 232 and Miami Ohio is slightly above them at 220.

Last Week

The Bulldogs were busy last week playing four of their five games at Bulldog Park. Joey Urban led the ‘Dawgs at the plate, batting .500 with nine hits in 18 at-bats. Urban scored four runs, the second-most on the team, trailing only Carter Dorighi (5). Dorighi was one of six players to hit a double last week. Xavier Carter had the team’s only triple and Jack Moroknek had the team’s only home run.

BIG EAST Stats

Joey Urban is batting .478 in BIG EAST action. Zach Munton, Kade Lewis and Xavier Carter are also batting above .300 vs. conference opponents.

BIG EAST Standings

Georgetown 8-1, 25-9

St. John’s 4-2, 23-7-1

UConn 4-2, 16-17

Creighton 3-3, 26-7

Xavier 3-3, 17-18

Villanova 3-6, 11-21

Seton Hall 1-5, 17-18

Butler 1-5, 13-21

Bulldog Bits

– Kade Lewis has the second-highest batting average in the BIG EAST (.392)

– Lewis leads the BIG EAST in slugging percentage (.720) and total bases (90)

– Lewis is on a six-game hitting streak

– Carter Dorighi ranks fourth in the conference with a .383 BA

– Dorighi leads the BIG EAST and ranks 17th in the nation in hits (57)

– Dorighi has 18 multi-hit games this season

– Joey Urban leads BU in sac flies with four

– Urban has four multi-hit games over Butler’s last six contests

– Butler leads the BIG EAST in sac flies (18)

– The Bulldogs have delivered a double in nine-straight games

– BU is 8-10 on the road this year; 3-8 at home

– Butler beat Eastern Michigan at Bulldog Park last season 9-7

– Nick Miketinac got the win on the mound and Joey Urban hit a triple

– Xavier Carter went 3-for-3 in game one vs. Georgetown with a triple, a double and a single

– Cooper Robinson set new season-highs vs. Georgetown with three strikeouts in two innings pitched

– Ben Whiteside threw a season-high 5.1 innings vs. Georgetown

– Whiteside threw 83 pitches vs. the Hoyas; nearly 20 more than any other outing this year

– Whiteside struck out a season-high three batters and limited GU to just two runs off five hits

– Billy Wurch hit his seventh double of the season in his last game

Up Next

The Bulldogs will travel to Queens to play a three game series at St. John’s.

IUPUI WOMEN’S SOCCER

SLIMAK NAMED IUPUI’S FIRST-EVER RECIPIENT OF HORIZON LEAGUE’S BOBBY FONG AWARD

INDIANAPOLIS – IUPUI women’s soccer standout Sam Slimak has been selected as the department’s first-ever honoree of the Horizon League Bobby Fong Award. The award is given to the student-athlete or team that best represents the Horizon League and its core values of integrity, respect and stewardship and is named after the late Bobby Fong who served as Butler University President from 2001-11.

“Sam has clearly made a major impact on her teammates, her campus and the Indianapolis community through her work in her physical therapy program, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Operation Christmas Child and other initiatives,” Horizon League Commissioner Julie Roe Lach said. “She is a tremendous example of our core values of integrity, respect and stewardship. The relationships she has built and the work she has put in during her time as a student-athlete truly honor President Fong’s legacy.”

“Congratulations to Sam Slimak! She is an outstanding student who is already using what she has learned to make life better for others,” said Suzanne Fong, widow of Bobby Fong. “She has persisted through injury, contributing to her team’s success both on and off the field. She is a caring friend and mentor. Bobby would be so proud of her, as I am I.”

Slimak has excelled in the classroom, earning #HLWSOC All-Academic Team honors while serving as a teaching and research assistant in the physical therapy program. She oversees IUPUI’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) program and spearheaded the department’s Operation Christmas Child drive this winter, helping fill hundreds of boxes to benefit kids all over the world. She has also volunteered at Motor Activity Clinics (MAC), working with kids on motor growth and another day helping design and lead motor skill programming. On the field, she’s an All-League and All-Region performer, contributing six goals (four game-winners) this past season.

“I am extremely blessed to receive the Bobby Fong Award and positively represent IUPUI! A huge thank you to our athletic department for nominating me for this honor. This award is truly a testament to my love for serving others and strive for wanting to make every teammate and person I meet feel valued,” Slimak said. “It has always been important to me to have a positive impact on people because to me, playing a college sport and representing the Horizon League was never just about the accolades, but rather how I could lead and inspire others. I wanted to look back and be proud of how I treated everyone who came into my life. With the opportunities through the Horizon League, IUPUI and the Indianapolis community, I can confidently say I accomplished my goals and give all the praise and glory to God.”

“We’re extremely excited for Sam to win this award and proud of all she’s accomplished, in the classroom, on the field and in impacting those around her,” IUPUI Director of Athletics Luke Bosso said. “She’s an incredible example of selflessness and determination and we couldn’t be more proud of her. She’s an ambassador for Jaguar Athletics and our university as a whole.”

“Sam is beyond deserving of this honor. She leads by example and does an incredible job of both leading and including others, which isn’t always easy,” IUPUI Senior Woman Administrator Laura Hue said. “She’s humble, likable and respectful to all those around her. I could think of no one better to receive this honor than Sam.”

Below is a list of past honorees.

Bobby Fong Award Winners

2016- Elena Popkey, Women’s Basketball, Oakland

2017- Sami Rutowski, Women’s Soccer, Northern Kentucky

2018- Northern Kentucky Baseball

2019- Karissa Frazier, Softball, UIC

2020- Alyssa Fischer, Women’s Basketball, Milwaukee

2021- Kayla Thompson, Track & Field, Northern Kentucky

2022- Lauryn Hicks, Softball, Northern Kentucky

2023- Green Bay Volleyball

2024- Sam Slimak, IUPUI Women’s Soccer

BALL STATE BASEBALL

DOBBINS NAMED MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Hunter Dobbins has been named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Week, the MAC office announced Monday morning.

The junior catcher from Indianapolis hit four home runs, two doubles and 10 RBI in a weekend series sweep over Akron. Dobbins clubbed homers in all three games, including hitting two in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday and a grand slam in Sunday’s series finale.

For the week, the backstop started all three games behind the plate while sporting a perfect fielding percentage, .889 batting average (8-for-9), 3.333 OPS, 22 total bases, two walks and six runs scored.

Among NCAA Division I players, Dobbins led the country last week in batting average and slugging percentage (2.444) while ranking second in home runs per game (1.33), third in on base percentage (.833), fifth in RBI per game (3.33) and sixth in total home runs. Dobbins raised his batting average 52 points with the explosive weekend at the plate.

This is Ball State’s fourth weekly conference recognition after Keegan Johnson (March 25 and April 8) and Merritt Beeker (April 1) took home MAC Pitcher of the Week honors.

The Cardinals (23-13) have won 11 of 12 games heading into their 4 p.m. game on Tuesday at Purdue in West Lafayette.

CARDINALS AND BOILERS SET FOR 4 P.M. TUESDAY TILT IN WEST LAFAYETTE

The Ball State baseball team plays its fourth opponent from the Big Ten Conference this year when it takes on Purdue at 4 p.m. on Tuesday at Alexander Field in West Lafayette.

The game was moved up from 6 p.m. for a bigger window of playing time in the event of inclement weather occurring Tuesday night. Links to the B1G+ broadcast, radio call and live stats can be found above and on the schedule page.

The Cardinals (23-13) are 11-1 since March 24 after sweeping Akron over the weekend at Ball Diamond, while the Boilermakers (23-13, 8-4 Big Ten) most recently outscored Michigan State 42-3 in a three-game sweep of the Spartans. Purdue took 1 of 3 games against Iowa from a March 22-24 weekend series in its other games featuring a common opponent with BSU.

Ball State established a program record with four sacrifice flies in Sunday’s 14-9 win against the Zips. The Cardinals’ seven home runs in the second game of the set (17-7 win on Saturday) were one away from tying the program record of eight in a single game.

Ball State and Purdue have met 95 times on the diamond with the Cardinals holding a 40-53-2 record in the in-state series history. The Boilermakers won 3-2 last April 19 at home in the first meeting since 2019 between the two teams. The Cardinals triumphed 6-0 on March 19 in Muncie in the first of two matchups that year.

In February, Ball State beat Illinois and Michigan State and fell to Iowa to begin the year with a 2-1 record against Big Ten schools. The Cardinals are scheduled to play Indiana on April 23 at Victory Field in Indianapolis for their fifth and final game of the regular season against the Big Ten.

Hunter Dobbins’ Mid-American Conference Player of the Week performance led Ball State to the sweep of the Zips. Dobbins hit three home runs and five RBI in a Saturday doubleheader before blasting a grand slam among his three hits and five RBI in Sunday’s series finale, all while starting every game at catcher.

Among NCAA Division I players, Dobbins led the country last week in batting average (.889) and slugging percentage (2.444) while ranking second in home runs per game (1.33), third in on base percentage (.833), fifth in RBI per game (3.33) and sixth in total home runs. Dobbins raised his batting average 52 points with the explosive weekend at the plate.

The duo of senior infielder Michael Hallquist (.722) and Dobbins (.699) rank 1-2 on the MAC slugging percentage leaderboard, while Hallquist also leads the league in total bases (104) to rank No. 29 in Division I. Hallquist ranks third in the conference in hits (52), home runs (13) and RBI (38) and fifth in batting average (.361) on the year while Dobbins has 12 homers of his own to stand at fourth in the MAC.

As a team, the Ball State offense ranks second in the conference in home runs (57, No. 33 nationally), doubles (64), runs (253) and slugging percentage (.495). The Cardinal pitching staff paces the league with a 5.83 ERA and 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings figure that’s good for No. 38 in Division I.

SCOUTING PURDUE: The Boilermakers went 24-29 (11-13 Big Ten) last year in head coach Greg Goff’s fourth leading the program.

Purdue’s defense leads the country in total doubles plays turned (42) and double plays per game (1.17). The Boilermaker bats lead the Big Ten and rank 13th nationally with 86 doubles while ranking in the Top 50 in NCAA Division I in getting hit by pitches (67, No. 31), walks (191, No. 45), total hits (362) and scoring offense (8.2 runs per game). Purdue’s pitching leads the league in shutouts (three) and sits at second in the Big Ten with a 4.55 ERA (No. 34 nationally) and 1.45 WHIP (No. 54).

Redshirt freshman infielder Luke Gaffney’s 58 total hits rank 12th nationally and .411 batting average 24th nationally, while his 46 RBI and 96 total bases lead the Big Ten. Redshirt sophom*ore infielder Camden Gasser paces the conference with 35 walks (No. 15 in Division I), while senior closer Jackson Dannelley’s five saves are also the most in the Big Ten.

Up Next

Ball State is scheduled to play a three-game series at Western Michigan beginning at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S

SYCAMORES FINISH 7TH AT MVC CHAMPIONSHIPS TO CAP 2023-24 SEASON

WATERLOO, Ill. – Indiana State golf caps the 2023-24 season with a seventh-place finish at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships, held from April 14-15 at the Annbriar Golf Club.

The Sycamores finished with a 298 in the third round of the tournament, tying its lowest team score of the season set in the first round of the Butler Invitational in October. In the tournament, ISU scored 307, 311, and 298 to finish with a total of 916.

Briana LeMaire was the low scorer for Indiana State, shooting a 75 in the third round for an overall score of 225. She tied for 12th place in the tournament. LeMaire started the day on the back nine and finished two-under before recording a +5 on the front nine.

Kristen Hobbs finished her last round of collegiate golf with a 75 and a three-round score of 226, finishing tied in 15th place. Hobbs started on the back nine and scored a +4 but finished strong shooting one-under on the front nine with three birdies.

Yang Tai scored her second-lowest round of the season with a 73, totaling a three-round score of 232. Tai also scored a 73 at the Ozarks National Invitational two weeks ago. She scored two-over on her first nine holes before finishing -1 on the last nine. Tai tallied three birdies in her last five holes.

Chelsea Morrow tied her first-round score with a 75, capping her day with six pars in the final seven holes. She finished the tournament with a score of 233.

Molly Lee scored her lowest round of the tournament with a 79, ending the tournament with four-straight pars and an overall score of 252.

This tournament marked the end of the 2023-24 season. Indiana State will be graduating five seniors at the end of the academic year. We wish the best of luck to seniors Iyoun Chew, Kristen Hobbs, Molly Lee, Chelsea Morrow, and Grace Welty.

INDIANA STATE BASEBALL

SYCAMORES RANKED IN THREE MAJOR NCAA DIVISION I BASEBALL POLLS, SIT NO. 8 IN RPI THROUGH APRIL 15

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State was back in the Perfect Game NCAA Division I Top-25 poll, appeared in the National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association poll for the second time, and cracked the Top-25 in the USA Today Baseball Coaches Poll for the first time in 2024 as the organizations announced their weekly rankings on Monday.

The Sycamores moved up to a season-best No. 14 in the Perfect Game poll following a 4-0 week that featured a midweek win at Purdue, while sweeping Bradley at home to clinch their 14th consecutive Missouri Valley series win. Indiana State returned to the NCBWA poll after a one-week hiatus moving into No. 22 in the organization’s standings, while ISU made their 2024 debut in the USA Today poll sitting at No. 25 as voted on by a panel of 31 head coaches at DI schools across the country.

Indiana State (27-7) was just outside the Top-25 rankings in both the D1Baseball and the Baseball America polls after a dominant weekend featuring the Sycamores posting a trio of run-rule wins in conference play against the Braves by outscoring Bradley 42-9. ISU connected on 10 home runs over the trio of games, while the Sycamore pitching staff allowed the Braves to hit just .200 from the plate as a team.

Indiana State also remained inside the top-10 in the NCAA Rating Percentage Index (RPI) standings boasting the No. 36 non-conference strength of schedule and No. 59 overall strength of schedule in the 2024 season. ISU remains the lone team not in the SEC or ACC inside the top-11 in the standings and is one of two teams inside the top-10 with double-digit road wins on the year.

The Sycamores are back in action this weekend ISU travels to Normal, Ill. and Duffy Bass Field for a three-game series against Illinois State running from April 19-21. First pitch in Friday’s opener is set for 6 p.m. ET with all three games of the series to be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.

CUTTS NAMED MVC PITCHER OF THE WEEK FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 2024

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Indiana State right-handed pitcher Brennyn Cutts was named the Missouri Valley’s Pitcher of the Week for the second time in the 2024 season as the conference office announced their weekly award winners on Monday afternoon.

Cutts picks up Indiana State’s fourth Pitcher of the Week honor of the season joining Jacob Pruitt (Feb. 19), Cutts (Mar. 11), and Cam Edmonson (Mar. 25) to receive the honor on the year.

The Greenup, Ill. native went the distance in a complete-game, two-hitter on Saturday afternoon as the Sycamore starting pitcher shut down the Bradley Braves offense in Indiana State’s 11-1 win. Cutts went all 7.0 innings allowing just two hits and one run while striking out six in his first collegiate complete game.

He posted his second consecutive quality start and retired 10 batters in a row at one point on his way to throwing just 83 pitches in the victory.

Cutts pitched around a solo home run in the third and single in the sixth to lower his ERA to a Valley-best 1.38 in conference play among starting pitchers, while also leading the conference in opponent batting average (.136), innings (26.0), and second in strikeouts (26).

The Sycamores are back in action this weekend ISU travels to Normal, Ill. and Duffy Bass Field for a three-game series against Illinois State running from April 19-21. First pitch in Friday’s opener is set for 6 p.m. ET with all three games of the series to be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE SOFTBALL

MASTODON SOFTBALL VISITS AKRON FOR MIDWEEK GAME

FORT WAYNE, Ind.– Just two days removed from their series victory over IUPUI, the Purdue Fort Wayne softball team will be taking on Akron in a midweek contest on Tuesday (April 16). This game was rescheduled from a postponement earlier this season.

Game Day Information
Who:Akron Zips
When:Tuesday, April 16, 4PM
Where:Akron, Ohio| Lee R. Jackson Field
Live Stats:

Know Your Foe

Akron is 18-23 and 7-8 in the MAC. The Zips are on a three-game losing streak after being swept by Miami (OH). Meagan Lee is the biggest slapping threat for the Zips, as she is batting .399 with just one extra base hit. Sophia Wygast has eight home runs and four doubles this season, slugging .532 for the year. Macy Walters, Haley Croyle and Cailey Joyce have split the pitching duties relatively evenly. All of them have between a 3.99 and 4.73 ERA.

Series History

The Mastodons and Zips have played three times, all in neutral tournaments in 2017 and 2018. The Zips won all three, but all have been decided by two runs or fewer. The last two were 1-0 wins for Akron.

Hollopeter Hoopla

Grace Hollopeter has 13 doubles this season, the most in the Horizon League. Hollopeter is slugging .523, which is seventh in the HL.

Rudd Light, Green Light

In league play, Aglaia Rudd has a .460 batting average and is slugging .720 with seven doubles. All of those marks are top-10 in the Horizon League and the most among freshmen. She also has 15 RBIs, which is also top-10 in the HL and second among newcomers.

Man(os) That’s Good!

Bailey Manos has 42 hits this season, which ranks second in the Horizon League.

Great Time For a First

In the Mastodons’ opening game against IUPUI, Bailey Manos hit the first home run of her career for a walk-off win against the Jaguars.

A Lineup Not Out of Left Field

Three Mastodons have started all 37 games this season in the same field position: McKenna Minton (left field), Gwen McMenemy (right field), Bailey Manos (center field).

Perfect Play

McKenna Minton and Epiphany Hang both hold a 1.000 fielding percentage, two of the five players in the Horizon League that meet the minimums and remain perfect.

You’re Out

Alanah Jones is third in the Horizon League with 105 strikeouts this season.

Last Time Out

The Mastodons capped off a 2-1 weekend against IUPUI with a 6-2 win on Sunday (April 14). Brooke Lickey and Grace Hollopeter each had a home run in that contest.

Up Next

Purdue Fort Wayne will visit Detroit Mercy for a three-game Horizon League series on Friday and Saturday (April 19-20).

EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S GOLF

PETROVA BECOMES A 2-TIME MVC CHAMPION!

WATERLOO, Ill. – Kate Petrova came out on the winning end of a 3-hole playoff to claim her second Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Golf Championship crown. Her win marked the fourth time in the last eight seasons that the University of Evansville has had the individual league champion.

Trailing by four strokes entering the final round, Petrova carded a 3-under 69 to force a playoff with Ali Schrock of Illinois State. Petrova birdied the third playoff hole to seal the victory. On Sunday, Petrova finished with scores of 72 and 75 at Annbriar Golf Course. Her winning tally was a 216.

Petrova is Evansville’s first 2-time MVC women’s golf champion. Kayla Katterhenry (2017) and Sophia Rohleder (2021) are Evansville’s other champions. Along with being Medalist, Petrova was named to the All-Conference and All-Tournament Teams. She is the 7th golfer to earn MVC Medalist two or more times.

Allison Enchelmayer was second for UE. Her third-round score of 78 gave her a total of 232. She tied for 30th place. Coming home in 45th was Jane Grankina. She carded an 80 on Monday to complete the weekend with a 239. Her low round of the event was a 77.

Trinity Dubbs posted a final tally of 244 after posting an 81 in the final round while Carly Frazier rounded out the team.

On the team side, the Purple Aces finished 11th with a 931. They were two behind Southern Illinois, who took the 10th position. Illinois State cruised to the team win, defeating UIC by 12 strokes. The Redbirds posted an 889 with UIC taking the runner-up spot by one stroke over Drake.

EVANSVILLE BASEBALL

BASEBALL HITS THE ROAD TO IU ON TUESDAY

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The surging University of Evansville baseball team will hit the road on Tuesday night to begin a five-game road trip, as the Purple Aces will travel north to Bloomington, Indiana to take on the Indiana Hoosiers. First-pitch is set for 5 p.m. central time and Tuesday’s game can be heard live in the Tri-State area on 107.1 FM-WJPS and seen live on the Big Ten Plus streaming service.

Evansville will bring an 18-17 overall record into Tuesday night’s game after sweeping Illinois State in a three-game series over the weekend. The Purple Aces out-scored the Redbirds, 28-7, in the three-game series, with the seven runs allowed equaling the lowest three-game series run total for the UE pitching staff since 2020. All nine UE starters collected a hit in Sunday’s series finale 13-1 victory, with senior outfielder Kip Fougerousse leading the way by going 3-for-5 with three RBI.

Tuesday’s game will be a homecoming of sorts for Fougerousse, as he began his collegiate career at IU and played two seasons for the Hoosiers. Last year, Fougerousse earned first-team all-Missouri Valley Conference honors at second base for UE, and so far this year, he has hit .322 with eight home runs and 31 RBI. Last week, Fougerousse hit .529 (9-for-17) with two home runs and a team-best nine RBI to help UE rattle off four-straight wins.

Overall, UE has won eight of its last nine games going into Tuesday’s game. Graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger continues to lead the UE offensive attack with a .383 batting average, and he collected his 200th career hit over the weekend against Illinois State. Junior outfielder Harrison Taubert is second on the squad in hitting this year at .331, and since Taubert moved into the lead-off spot in the batting order on April 2, UE has gone 7-1.

Indiana will bring a 20-16 overall record into Tuesday’s game. The Hoosiers won two of three games at home against Penn State over the weekend. Sophom*ore infielder Tyler Cerny currently paces the Hoosier attack with a .348 batting average, 15 doubles, six home runs and 39 RBI. Five Indiana regulars bat above .330 on the season overall, with IU ranking among the national leaders in scoring at 8.5 runs per game.

All-time, Indiana leads the series over Evansville, 34-20, after last year’s 6-2 win in Bloomington in mid-May. Since 2020, the two teams have split the last six series meetings. Freshman LHP Kevin Reed (2-0, 8.13 ERA) will get the start for Evansville on the mound. IU has not yet named a starting pitcher for Tuesday’s contest.

SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S GOLF

GOEBEL AND WARREN BREAKOUT AT THE WRIGHT STATE INVITATIONAL

SPRINGBORO, Oh.- University of Southern Indiana Men’s Golf closes out regular season play at the Wright State Invitational with a fourth place finish. The event featured 11 highly-competitive teams who all played in 36 holes on Sunday and 18 holes on Monday.

The format included six competing golfers from each squad with the top four scores in each round counting towards the team scores. The Screaming Eagles scorers were junior Jason Bannister (Laguna Niguel, California), senior Trevor Laub (Edwardsville, Illinois), sophom*ore Carter Goebel (Breese, Illinois) junior Sam Vertanen (Ames, Iowa), junior Spencer Warren (Dextor, Missouri), and senior Jace Day (Bloomington, Indiana).

Round One

The Eagles posted a respectable first round team score of 289 (+5). Warren had one of the best tournaments of his USI career starting with a first round score of 71 (E). Bannister has been a model of consistency this season starting with a 71 (E).

Round Two

USI dropped a few shots in the second round with a team score of 291 (+7). Goebel caught fire in round two leading the Eagles with a 71 (E). He shot an outstanding 33 in the final nine. Warren added a score of 72 (+1) finishing with a 36-hole score of +1.

Round Three

The Eagles finished their tournament with a third-round score of 284 (E). Goebel produced a season low round of 67(+4) with five birdies. Bannister and Vertanen followed with impressive round scores of 72 (+1) each. USI flirted with jumping two spots into second place but fell two stokes short at twelve over.

Both Goebel and Warren have found their stroke at the perfect time of year. Goebel led the Eagles individually tied for fifth place (-2), while Warren finished in a tie for 13th place (+3). Bannister and Day were right behind with tie for17th place (+8) giving the Eagles an impressive four golfers in the top-20.

USI concludes the regular season with other memorable feats including: first place at The Buddy at Murray State University, third place at the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate at Tennessee Tech University, fifth place at the Jewell at Northern Kentucky University, and a match-play victory over University of Evansville.

What’s Next

The USI Men’s Golf team travels to Muscle Shoals, Alabama looking to take home the Ohio Valley Conference Championship on April 21-24. The Eagles will play three rounds to determine a final four teams who will play a two-round match-play competition to determine an OVC champion.

SOUTHERN INDIANA SOFTBALL

USI DROPS SERIES AGAINST EASTERN ILLINOIS

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball dropped its home series against Eastern Illinois University on Monday following 3-0 and 6-1 losses in a doubleheader at USI Softball Field.

Southern Indiana fell to 16-17 overall and 10-8 in conference play, while Eastern Illinois jumped to 28-12 this season with a 14-4 record in the Ohio Valley Conference after Monday’s results. The series sweep allowed EIU to push its first-place lead to two games in the OVC standings, as USI exited Monday’s games sitting in fifth in the OVC.

In the first game Monday, Eastern Illinois scored right away in the top of the first inning, tallying three runs on three hits.

Following the first inning, offensive momentum was hard to come by. Southern Indiana junior pitcher Whitley Hunter (Nashville, Illinois) settled in, going toe-to-toe with Eastern Illinois senior pitcher Olivia Price.

Hunter found her groove with consecutive 1-2-3 innings in the middle frames of the game. The right-hander allowed three runs – two earned – and struck out three in seven innings. With the tough loss, Hunter moved to 2-6 this season.

The Panthers’ Price went the distance, striking out four in the shutout. Price moved to 7-7 on the year.

At the plate, Southern Indiana posted three hits and Eastern Illinois had four hits.

In game 2, the pitching matchup was a rematch from game 1 of the weekend series between USI junior pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) and Eastern Illinois freshman pitcher Mckenzie Oslanzi. Both starters made it through the first couple of innings smoothly.

In the third inning, Newman and the Screaming Eagles ran into some trouble, as a leadoff walk came around to score on a two-run home run for the Panthers. A few batters later, Oslanzi helped her own cause with a three-run blast that put EIU ahead 5-0.

Southern Indiana got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning, finding a little spark at the plate. USI began the frame with back-to-back singles from seniors Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) and Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana). Later in the inning, freshman infielder Sydney Long (Haubstadt, Indiana) drove in a run on an RBI single, bringing USI back to within four, 5-1.

The Screaming Eagles threatened with runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings, but USI could not seem to find a key knock to push a runner around third.

Eastern Illinois added an insurance run in the top of the seventh to seal the victory and series sweep.

Each side recorded eight hits in the series finale. For USI, Long had two hits in the game along with sophom*ore outfielder Caroline Stapleton (Shirley, Indiana).

Newman dropped to 14-7 on the season, giving up six runs – five earned – and striking out three in the complete game. On the flip side, Oslanzi improved to 18-3 this season after striking out four and surrendering one unearned run in seven innings of work for the Panthers.

Southern Indiana will get ready to hit the road later this week when the Screaming Eagles head to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s doubleheader and Sunday’s game are slated to start at 1 p.m. All three games can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on 95.7 The Spin. Additional coverage links can be found on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.

VALPO BASEBALL

VALPO TO CLASH WITH INSTATE FOE NOTRE DAME ON TUESDAY

Valparaiso (11-22, 3-9 MVC)

at Notre Dame (15-18, 2-16 ACC)

Frank Eck Stadium (2,500) | Notre Dame, Ind.

Tuesday, April 16, 3:30 p.m. CT – RHP Kaleb Krier

Next Up in Valpo Baseball: The Valparaiso University baseball team will make the short trip east to face off with instate foe Notre Dame in Tuesday’s midweek matchup. The Beacons will attempt to get back in the road win column as they try to bring an 11-game road skid to a halt. Valpo head coach Brian Schmack is seeking his 200th career win on Tuesday.

Last Time Out: Valpo rallied from 7-0 down to pick up a dramatic 10-9 victory over Belmont in the middle game of this past weekend’s home Missouri Valley Conference set at Emory G. Bauer Field. With the potential winning run at third and nobody out, Carson Husmann broke for the plate and caused the Belmont pitcher to balk in the winning run. However, the Bruins took the opening game of the series 9-2 on Friday and Sunday’s rubber match 15-8.

Following the Beacons: Tuesday’s game will air on ACC Network Extra. For in-game updates, follow @ValpoBaseball on X. Links to live video, audio and stats are available on ValpoAthletics.com.

Head Coach Brian Schmack: Brian Schmack (199-316) is in his 11th season in charge of the program. He ranks third in program history in seasons coached and games coached as he coached his 500th game on March 17, 2024 at Campbell. He entered the season with 188 victories, the third most in program history. Schmack, a member of the 2003 Detroit Tigers, served as pitching coach/associate head coach at Valpo for seven seasons prior to his promotion.

Series Notes: Valpo is 21-73 all-time against Notre Dame in a series that dates back to 1958. Last season, Notre Dame prevailed 8-4 on March 21 and 7-3 on April 18, extending its head-to-head winning streak to 15. Eight of the last nine matchups have been decided by four runs or fewer. Valpo’s last victory over the Fighting Irish was a 7-4 win on May 2, 2012.

In The Other Dugout: Notre Dame

Picked sixth of seven in the ACC Atlantic Division.

Coming off being swept at North Carolina this past weekend, their third straight weekend being swept in an ACC series.

Won 30 games last season after a 41-win season and College World Series appearance in 2022.

Under the direction of second-year head coach Shawn Stiffler.

Led offensively by TJ Williams (.355 batting average) and Estevan Moreno (.333 batting average).

Balk-Off Win

The April 13 10-9 victory over Belmont ended in unusual fashion as Carson Husmann broke for the plate, causing Belmont’s pitcher to balk in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

That was Valpo’s first walk-off win since beating Milwaukee 7-6 in 11 innings on March 28, 2023 on a Kaleb Hannahs game-ending double.

This was Valpo’s sixth one-run game of the season as the team improved to 2-4 in such contests.

However, Valpo has enjoyed good success in home games decided by the slimmest of margins over the last two seasons, improving to 5-0 in one-run games played at Emory G. Bauer Field since the start of the 2023 campaign.

Other Notes Wrapping Up Belmont (April 12-14)

Valpo dropped Friday’s series opener 9-2 despite drawing 11 walks, the team’s second highest total of the season and highest since March 15 at Campbell. Valpo has dropped both games this season when drawing double-figure walks.

After the first two Valpo pitchers gave up nine runs on Friday, the rest of the staff pitched well. Josh Spencer had his second appearance of the season and first since March 17 at Campbell and heaved two scoreless innings. Bennett Musser followed with his fourth collegiate outing and put a zero on the board in the top of the ninth.

Carson Husmann homered in the first and third game of the weekend series, lifting his career total to 24 and his season total to four.

In Saturday’s aforementioned balk-off win, Brady Nowicki hit the first home run of his three-year Valpo career.

Griffin McCluskey delivered a heroic performance out of the bullpen on Saturday, tossing five scoreless innings to pick up his first win of the season and the seventh of his collegiate career. He got back on track with the clutch outing after entering the game with an 0-3 record and 10.12 ERA over 18 2/3 innings this season.

Ryan Maka doubled twice on Saturday, the fourth time a Valpo player has had multiple doubles in a game this season.

The 10 runs tied the team’s second-highest total of the season (13 on March 31 vs. Bradley; 10 on March 8 at The Citadel).

Kyle Schmack reached the 200-career hit milestone on Saturday, then slugged his 11th homer of the season and the 29th of his collegiate career on Sunday. He is one away from tying Jake Skrine’s home run total from last season for the most by a Valpo player in a single season since 2002.

RHP Grant Jablonski got the start on Sunday, his first collegiate start in his 44th career outing.

Notes Wrapping Up April 9: Milwaukee 7, Valpo 3

Valpo led 3-0 after an inning and a half but Milwaukee rallied with seven unanswered runs as Valpo did not score the rest of the way.

Brady Renfro drilled his second home run of the season and the 17th of his career.

Alex Ryan hit his fourth home run this season and the seventh of his career.

Renfro and Ryan both homered in their home state of Wisconsin.

Trent Turzenski, another Wisconsin native, made his first start in over two years as he started on the bump for the first time since April 1, 2022. His first seven appearances this year came in relief after he missed over a calendar year due to Tommy John surgery.

Kyle Schmack recorded his 199th collegiate hit, one shy from reaching the 200 milestone. He also drew his 91st career walk, moving into a tie for sixth in program history. In addition, he swiped a base, improving to 8-for-8 this season in stolen bases and recording his 30th career steal.

Ryan and Carson Husmann had two hits apiece.

Valpo dropped to 7-3 this season when outhitting the opponent as the Beacons held an 11-7 edge in the hit column but came out on the wrong end of the column that counts. Six of Valpo’s 11 hits went for extra bases.

Closing in on 200

Head coach Brian Schmack is just one win away from becoming the third skipper in program history to reach the 200-win threshold.

Schmack ranks third in program history in career victories, trailing only Paul Twenge (1988-2006, 378) and the legendary Emory G. Bauer (1954-1981, 359).

Schmack reached a milestone on March 17 at No. 21 Campbell, his 500th game at the helm of the program. He became the third skipper in program history to reach that number, joining Paul Twenge (1,011; 1988-2006) and Emory G. Bauer (1954-1981; 606).

VALPO SOFTBALL

SOFTBALL FACES FIVE GAMES IN FIVE DAYS THIS WEEK

Valparaiso (8-27, 2-12 MVC)

April 17 – Eastern Illinois (28-12, 14-4 OVC) – 2 p.m. DH

April 19 – at Missouri State (10-27, 6-11 MVC) – 5 p.m.

April 20 – at Missouri State – 2 p.m.

April 21 – at Missouri State – noon

Next Up in Valpo Softball: While last week brought five games in six days for the Valpo softball team, the Beacons will top that this week with five games in five days. Valpo takes the field at home for a nonconference doubleheader against Eastern Illinois on Wednesday afternoon before making the long bus ride to Springfield, Mo. for a three-game MVC weekend series at Missouri State.

Previously: Valpo went 0-5 in Valley play last week. The Beacons dropped a pair of home midweek games to UIC, 2-1 in nine innings and 4-1, before falling three times at Illinois State by final scores of 10-0, 8-3 and 8-7. The series finale against the Redbirds was a heartbreaker, as Valpo led 7-5 heading into the bottom of the sixth before surrendering three runs over the final two frames.

Looking Ahead: Valpo’s final nonconference games of the regular season will take place next Tuesday, April 23, as the Beacons host Northern Illinois for a doubleheader. Valpo remains at home next weekend as well as Murray State comes to town.

Following Valpo Softball: All five games this week are scheduled to be broadcast live on ESPN+. All games will also have live stats available, linked at ValpoAthletics.com.

Interim Head Coach Laney Jones: In her second season on staff, Laney Jones took over as interim head coach of the Valpo softball program on April 1, 2024 and currently owns a 1-7 record. Jones came to Valpo in October 2022 after spending the 2022 season working as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio. Jones pitched two seasons apiece collegiately at Ashland University (2018-19) and Marshall University (2020-21).

Series Notes: Eastern Illinois – Valpo and EIU have met 21 times entering this week’s twinbill, with EIU holding a 16-5 advantage. This marks the third consecutive year the teams have played at least once in nonconference play. Last year, the Beacons and Panthers faced off three times over three days at Bellarmine, with Valpo winning the first encounter, 2-1, before EIU claimed the final two, 8-3 and 10-0.

Missouri State – The Bears own a 12-4 edge in the all-time series, with all but two of those meetings coming since Valpo joined the MVC prior to the 2018 season. MSU has won the last nine meetings over the last three years, including wins by scores of 9-0, 18-1 and 5-2 in Valpo last season.

Scouting the Opposition: Eastern Illinois – The Panthers enter Wednesday’s twinbill with a 28-12 overall record and are atop the OVC standings with a 14-4 mark in conference action. EIU has won five games in a row, including most recently a three-game sweep of Southern Indiana on Sunday and Monday. Kendall Grover has 35 runs scored and 34 RBIs, both of which lead the Panthers, while freshman McKenzie Oslanzi has been stellar in the circle, with an 18-3 record, a 1.37 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 138 innings.

Missouri State – The Bears enter the week at 10-27 overall and with a 6-11 mark in MVC play, with a Wednesday game against Kansas on the docket prior to the weekend series. Kayla Ulrich is hitting a team-best .382, while Olivia Krehbiel has scored a team-high 25 runs and Annie Mueller leads the way with 10 homers and 29 RBIs. In the circle, Gracie Johnston has seen the most work and is 2-13 with a 4.44 ERA.

Who’s Back: Valpo returns 11 of 16 letterwinners from last year’s squad for the 2024 season. In all, 69.2% of Valpo’s plate appearances are back for this season and 43.1% of last season’s innings pitched return.

Who’s New: A group of nine newcomers joined the Beacons for the 2024 season. Kam Utendorf transferred in after playing her freshman season at Black Hawk College, joining eight true freshmen on this year’s team.

A Large Roster: The combination of 11 returnees and nine newcomers gives Valpo a 20-player roster for the 2024 campaign. That’s a four-player increase over last season’s group of 16 players, and it is the largest roster the softball program has had since fielding 21 players for the 2008 season.

An Impressive Win: Valpo’s win in the series opener against Belmont came over a Bruins squad which entered the weekend in second place in the MVC standings and in the top-100 nationally in RPI. While it remains to be seen where Belmont will land at the conclusion of the regular season, the last time Valpo beat a team which finished in the top-two of the conference standings came in the program’s first season in the Valley, as Valpo took two of three from second-place Missouri State in 2018.

No Freebies Here: Valpo pitching surrendered just seven walks over five games last week, highlighted by back-to-back walk-free outings from the pitching staff Tuesday and Wednesday against UIC – the team’s first two games not allowing a walk this season. The last time Valpo posted back-to-back games with no walks from its pitchers came in February 2018.

Racking Up the Hits: The Beacons’ bats came alive in the final two games of their weekend series at Illinois State, as they racked up 11 hits on Saturday and followed with a 10-hit afternoon on Sunday. It is the first time the Beacons have posted at least 10 hits in consecutive games since doing so in the 2022 regular season finale versus Evansville and the subsequent MVC Tournament game against Indiana State.

Clutch At-Bats: Valpo finished the Sunday game at Illinois State 6-for-10 at the plate with runners in scoring position, its best batting average in such situations (minimum 10 at-bats) since going 7-for-11 against Western Illinois March 5, 2022. The six hits with RISP tied for the team’s second-most in a single game this season.

Seven Shutout Frames: Freshman Sydney McDermott got the start in the circle on Tuesday against UIC and twirled a gem through seven innings, keeping the Flames off the board in regulation before they touched her for a run apiece in the eighth and ninth innings. It was the second time in conference play that McDermott has pitched at least seven shutout innings, as against Bradley, she opened the game allowing just two hits in nine shutout innings before surrendering three runs in the 10th. In that contest, McDermott became the first player in program history to pitch nine straight shutout innings within the same game.

Multi-Hit Efforts: Valpo’s 11 hits in the middle game of the Illinois State series were spread over just five different players, as all five tallied at least two hits. It was the second time this year the Beacons have had five players with multiple hits in the same game, as they did so as well earlier this year in the win over Youngstown State. Sophom*ore Lexi Szostak had two hits against ISU after having a two-hit game earlier in the week versus UIC, doubling her total of two career multi-hit games entering the week. Meanwhile, senior Regi Hecker closed the weekend with back-to-back multi-hit games, giving her a team-high 10 such efforts this year.

Crompton Knocks It Around: Another one of the Beacons with multiple hits in the aforementioned Illinois State game was senior Emily Crompton, who finished the game 3-for-4 – her first career three-hit game and just the second multi-hit game of her career. Crompton has picked things up since the start of Valley play this year, hitting a team-best .323 in MVC action to date to boost her season batting average to .260, aided by going 5-for-9 over the course of the three games against the Redbirds.

Another First: It doesn’t seem likely that a senior 150 games into her career can find something to do for the first time, but that’s what senior Kayla Skapyak accomplished Sunday at Illinois State. With a runner on second and two out, the lefty slapper slapped a liner down the left-field line which kicked up chalk as it hit the line and then spun further into foul territory, allowing Skapyak to reach second for her first career extra-base hit. The RBI on the play was also just the fifth of her career. Skapyak enjoyed a strong series overall against the Redbirds, going 3-for-6 with two runs scored and two walks while fielding 10 chances in center field without a miscue.

Among the MVC’s Best: Entering this week’s action, senior Alexis Johnson ranks third in the Valley with 13 stolen bases, while sophom*ore Kam Utendorf paces the Beacons and ranks sixth in the MVC with a .356 batting average. In Valley-only play, Johnson has been errorless in the field on 68 chances – that is the ninth-highest number of chances for a player with a 1.000 fielding percentage in MVC play, with the top eight consisting entirely of catchers and first basem*n.

Hecker Hacking: Senior outfielder Regi Hecker has carried a strong end to her 2023 campaign into this 2024 season. Hecker is batting .343 this season and reaching base at a .422 clip, marks which rank 11th and 15th in the Valley, respectively. She continued her strong season at the plate in the Illinois State series, going 5-for-11 with three RBIs.

Offensive Bests: This year’s team put together a number of strong offensive performances in preconference play:

– 13 runs Feb. 16 in win over Morehead State, the program’s largest scoring output since March 2019

– 13 hits Feb. 18 in win over Youngstown State, the program’s highest single-game hits total since Feb. 2022

– 6 runs March 2 at Indiana, the program’s largest scoring output against a Power Five team since March 2012

– 12-4 run-rule win over Bowling Green March 3, the program’s first run-rule win since closing the 2022 regular season with a 10-0 win over Evansville

McDermott Mows Them Down: Freshman Sydney McDermott came to Valpo after earning Ohio All-State honors each of her last three years of high school, and has showcased that form in a number of starts this season. McDermott became the first Valpo player to throw complete games in three straight starts and surrender three or fewer hits in all three since Andrea Zappia in 2008, throwing a three-hitter against Texas A&M-CC, a eight-inning two-hitter versus Georgetown and a three-hitter against Bowling Green – a game which featured her retiring 15 Falcons hitters in a row.

International Experience: Sophom*ore infielder Kim Rodas continued her international career playing for Mexico over the summer, as she earned a bronze medal at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games. Rodas previously medaled with Team Mexico at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games, where her squad claimed the silver.

VALPO WOMEN’S GOLF

SCHREINER CRACKS PROGRAM RECORD BOOK FOR SEASON SCORING AVERAGE AS WOMEN’S GOLF CLOSES CAMPAIGN

The Valparaiso University women’s golf team closed out the Missouri Valley Conference Championship on Monday with the final round of the tournament, which was hosted by UNI at the par-72, 6188-yard Annbriar GC in Waterloo, Ill. Katie Schreiner (Fenton, Mo. / Summit) polished off a solid season by pacing the team on Monday.

How It Happened

Schreiner carded a 78 on the season’s final day, finishing the tournament with a team-best 54-hole total of 237 (t-42). She achieved par on 12 of the 18 holes on Monday.

Valpo’s next-best score was an 83, posted by both Anna Fay (Ada, Mich. / Forest Hills) and Taylor Skibinski (Michigan City, Ind. / Michigan City). Fay golfed 83 or better in each of the three rounds, finishing second on the team for the tournament at 248 (51st).

Rounding out the team’s top three in terms of tournament score was Madison Keil (LaGrange, Ind. / Lakeland) at 252 (t-53).

Valpo improved its second-round team score by eight strokes with a 329 on Monday, finishing the tournament at 989 and placing 12th. Illinois State won the league title at 889 with Kate Petrova of Evansville and Ali Schrock of Illinois State going to a playoff for medalist honors after finishing the 54 holes at 216.

Inside the Rounds/Season

Valpo had 14 birdies in the tournament, led by Keil with four.

Schreiner finished the season with a scoring average of 79.92, becoming the sixth golfer in program history to finish a season with a sub-80 scoring average. She ranks sixth in the single-season program record book and was the first Valpo golfer to average below 80 since Kayla Krueger in 2019-20.

Fay finished the season with a career average of 81.19, while Keil stands at 81.44 in 75 career rounds. Fay currently holds the best career scoring average in program history (minimum 20 rounds and two seasons), while Keil ranks fifth all-time in career scoring average.

The team posted a scoring average of 324.83 this year, the fifth best single-season scoring average in program history.

Thoughts from Head Coach Jill McCoy

“Katie had a great season and a solid finish. I am hopeful for a lot of hard work this summer and a strong start next fall.”

UINDY WOMEN’S LAX

WOMEN’S LACROSSE JUMPS TWO SPOTS IN IWLCA POLL

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. –Following a perfect weekend in GLVC action, the UIndy women’s lacrosse team jumped two spots in the IWLCA national poll to 12th, released Monday.

The Greyhounds are now 11-4 on the season and a perfect 5-0 in league play. UIndy has won five straight games dating back to March 30.

Back-to-back dominant second halves led the Hounds to victories this past weekend, including an

UINDY MEN’S LAX

HOUNDS HOLD STEADY IN NATIONAL RANKINGS

BALTIMORE – The UIndy men’s lacrosse held steady in the latest USILA national poll, ranking 11th for the second straight week.

The Greyhounds won their 10th game of the season on Saturday, defeating Quincy by a score of 17-7 at Key Stadium. UIndy has now won double-digit contests six times in only eight complete seasons as a program.

During the win, Caleb Parker became the fastest goal scorer in NCAA DII history, beating the Quincy keeper just four seconds into the game. The previous record was five seconds, most recently tied last weekend by GLVC-foe Maryville.

Limestone, Lenoir-Rhyne, and Tampa – all South region programs – rank atop the poll.

UINDY SOFTBALL

SMITH GRABS GLVC SOFTBALL WEEKLY AWARD

INDIANAPOLIS – University of Indianapolis senior pitcher Kenzee Smith was named a Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) weekly award winner in softball, it was announced by the league office Monday.

Smith is earning her 12th weekly award in her career and now holds the record for most POTW wins in UIndy softball history. The previous record was held by Megan Foley who grabbed 11 GLVC Pitcher of the Week awards during her time in a Greyhound uniform.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Kenzee Smith, #5 Indianapolis

Sr. | RHP | Indianapolis, IN

Major: Nursing

Team Results: 6-0 W, 9-1 W vs. Missouri S&T (4/13) | 2-1 W (9 inn.), 8-5 W vs. Maryville (4/14)

Tossed 16.0 innings in two complete-game outings, allowing just one unearned run

Earned the win in both starts to improve her record to 21-1

Posted 0.750 WHIP, while striking out 15 batters

Highlighted by nine-inning performance in first game against Maryville, allowing just six hits, one walk, and one unearned run while punching out seven hitters

Earns 12th career Pitcher of the Week Award (4/15/24, 4/8/24, 3/18/24, 3/4/24, 2/26/24, 5/1/23, 4/10/23, 2/28/22, 2/21/22, 4/12/21, 3/29/21, 3/22/21)

Last Greyhounds’ Pitcher of the Week: Kenzee Smith (4/8/24)

UINDY WOMEN’S GOLF

GREYHOUNDS WRAP REGULAR SEASON WITH TEAM WIN

ST. LOUIS— In its final regular-season tournament of the season, the UIndy women’s golf team topped a talented 16-team field at the UMSL Spring Invitational, held at the par-71 Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis Sunday and Monday.

The Greyhounds earned a five-stroke win, besting regionally-ranked Findlay (No. 1), Grand Valley (No. 3) and host UMSL (No. 4) in the process.

INS & OUTS

Two Hounds earned all-tournament accolades, with Anci Dy (-2) taking the runner-up spot and freshman Caroline Whallon (+4) finishing T-4. Both carded a round in the 60s on the week, with Dy going eagle/birdie on the final two holes to come within a single stroke behind medalist Mary Kelly Mulcahy of Findlay.

Appearing in the UIndy lineup for the first time ever, sophom*ore Macey Brown (+6) notched her best collegiate finish with a sixth-place performance. The Owensboro, Ky., native carded scores of 69-72 on Sunday to put herself in contention heading into Monday’s final round.

Freshman Jess Haines (+12) finished T-9 for her fourth straight top 10. Individuals Ellen Caton (+17) and Ava Ray (+20) finished T-20 and T-32, respectively, while senior Matilda Cederholm (+22) tied for 41st.

UP NEXT

The 2024 GLVC Championships are on tap. The three-day event is scheduled for April 26-28 at Oakwood Country Club in Coal Valley, Ill.

MARIAN MEN’S GOLF

BRANDON HEFFNER NAMED CROSSROADS LEAGUE GOLFER OF THE WEEK

Jackson, Mich. – Marian men’s golfer Brandon Heffner has been named the Crossroad’s League Golfer of the Week. This is the fourth time a member of the Knights has earned the honor this season.

Heffner helped Marian, the top-rated team in the Crossroads League, to win at the Midway Eagle Invite. He won the individual title in the tournament this past week in Kentucky. Heffner posted back-to-back scores of 71 to take the medalist honors. He helped the Knights claim their fourth win of the 2023-2024 season.

The Knights are back in action today Monday, April 15th at the Taylor Ackerman-Allen Invitational in Noblesville, Ind.

MEN’S GOLF EARNS FIFTH WIN OF SEASON AT ACKERMAN-ALLEN INVITE

West Lafayette, Ind. – For the second consecutive week and the fifth time this season, the Marian men’s golf team has earned their fifth tournament win, claiming victory at the Ackerman-Allen Shootout. Marian’s win came by one stroke, with Brandon Heffner sinking a putt on his final hole to give the Knights the team victory.

The Knights narrow one-stroke victory came with a team score of 582, as Marian defeated Wheaton College who scored a 583. Marian carded a 295 in the first round Monday, turning around in the second round score of 287. The Knights, who are the top-rated team in the Crossroads League, defeated fellow CL school and host Taylor by two as the Trojans tied for third with Cornerstone, both carding a 584. Parkland CC scored a 585 to round out the top-five.

Marian earned wins over Bethel, Indiana Wesleyan, Grace, St. Francis, and Mount Vernon Nazarene, holding a 12-stroke lead or more over five of their conference foes.

Individually for Marian, Nolan Potter was the individual leader, finishing sixth with an even par score of 144. Potter shot one-under in round one (71) and one-over in the second round (73). Lane Zedrick finished tied for ninth with a 145 total, firing a 76 in round one before shooting a lights-out 69 in the second round.

Weston Ogden tied for 14th with a score of 146, shooting a 74 in the first round and 72 in the second. Luke Beetz finished 28th overall with a 74+75=149, and Augie Mann and Will Pruitt both tied for 35th. Mann shot a 74 and 76 in his two rounds to get to his 150 total, while Pruitt fired a 75 in each round. Brandon Heffner placed 53rd overall with an 80 in round one and 73 in round two, sealing Marian’s win as he finished with a 153 total.

Marian’s regular season will conclude next Monday, as Marian plays in Indiana Wesleyan’s Sagamore Shootout.

MARIAN MEN’S TRACK

JACOB NETRAL NAMED CROSSROADS LEAGUE FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Jackson, Mich. – After an outstanding performance at the We Fly Track and Field Competition at Ball State, Marian’s Jacob Netral has been named the Crossroads League Track Athlete of the Week. Netral’s honor is the second overall this 2023-2024 school year, as he previously on the honor during the indoor season.

Netral had the most dominant performances of Marian’s throwers, breaking his own school record in the shot put for the second consecutive week at a D1 meet. He took first-of-31 athletes at Ball State. Netral is the only shot putter in the NAIA with a distance over 18 meters, as his distance of 18.34m leads the nation and world rank 40th in the NCAA DI comparison.

Marian will compete at the Gibson Invitational at Indiana State University Thursday, April 18th- Saturday, April 20th.

MARIAN BASEBALL

KNIGHTS WIN BETHEL SERIES IN MONDAY’S HOME SPLIT

INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian baseball team won their fourth Crossroads League series of the season on Monday afternoon, taking game one in a split doubleheader against Bethel University. Marian’s game one win recorded the 21st victory of the season, as Marian is now 21-18 overall and 16-12 in Crossroads League play following the two games.

Game 1 | Marian 12-1 Bethel | 7 Innings

Marian wasted little time in the opening game of the day getting their offense started, as the Knights poured in 10 runs over the first two innings against Bethel’s Riley Thomas. A walk to Kameron Salazar in the first inning started the offense, with Pierson Barnes posting an RBI single four batters later to give Marian a lead. Dawson Estep followed with a two-RBI double, and Max Steffen recorded an RBI with his single, capping the four-run surge with two outs.

In the second inning, a lead-off single for Caden Mason got the Knights rolling, with the bases loading following Rylan Huntley and Salazar taking free passes. Mason scored on a wild pitch to add to the lead, and Bryce Davenport recorded an RBI sacrifice fly to score the team’s sixth run. After a pitching change was forced, Marian continued to hammer runs, with Steffen poking a two-RBI single through the middle. Dawson Estep scored on a wild pitch, and Johnny Roeder recorded an RBI single, closing Marian’s big inning with a 10-0 lead.

The lead was more than enough for Marian’s starter Davis Enfield, who had another strong start on the mound. The righty faced the minimum in the first inning as his catcher Steffen caught a runner stealing after a base hit, and in the second the pitcher retired the side in order. Enfield would struggle slightly in the third inning, as a pair of base hits and error allowed the Pilots to bring home their first run of the day, but the redshirt-junior halted the bleeding with an inning-ending strikeout. Enfield would go on to surrender a pair of base hits in the fourth and one in the fifth, but the Pilots were unable to record a timely hit past Marian’s defense as the lead stayed at nine.

In the bottom of the fifth Marian tacked on two more runs to their lead, making up for struggles in the fourth inning as they left the bases loaded. Marian’s fifth inning offense started with two outs as Josh Lamb drew a walk, scoring on a double from Bryce Davenport. Davenport would come around to score on an error off the bat of Pierson Barnes, capping the team’s scoring at 12 runs.

A double play boosted Enfield’s life on the mound in the sixth inning, as Pierson Barnes, Estep, and Davenport connected on a 9-5-3 double play, retiring the lead-off double allowed by the starting pitcher. A pop up would end Bethel’s trip to the plate in the sixth inning, and in the seventh the Pilots sent four batters to the plate against Justin Johnson, with the southpaw pitcher stranding a two-out walk to close Marian’s 12-1 win.

Enfield had seven hits and allowed an unearned run in the win, moving to 3-0 on the season. Enfield retired five batters on the strikeout in the win. Offensively, Marian had 10 base hits and drew seven walks, with Estep having the best individual performance with a three-double game. Steffen had two of the team’s nine RBI, going 2-4 in the win.

Game 2 | Marian 3-6 Bethel

Seth Hogg got the nod in game two, and got off to a strong start in the first inning before surrendering a run in the second, giving up a solo home run to Jacob Sitterly. Marian answered the home run with three runs in the bottom of the third inning, getting two singles from Dawson Estep and Max Steffen, both of whom scored on Caden Mason’s two-RBI double. Mason and Rylan Huntley traded places as the shortstop followed up with an RBI double of his own, pushing Marian in the lead with a 3-1 edge.

The lead did not last long, as Hogg began to struggle on the mound in the third inning. Bethel roped three consecutive hits that scored two runs to tie the game, while a fourth hit and walk later loaded the bases. Garrett West was called on to replace his fellow classmate, but faced similar struggles as he attempted to record the final outs in the third, giving up two hits and a bases-loaded walk that scored three more runs for the Pilots. West was able to the exit the inning without allowing one of his own runners to score, as Marian trailed 6-3.

The 6-3 score would hold for the remainder of the game, as Bethel’s Ty Mickiewicz slowed down the Knights offense over their final five trips to the plate. A single for Bryce Davenport in the third inning would result without a score as the first baseman was back-picked by the Pilots catcher, and in the fourth Marian was retired in order. Marian would get the offense going in the fifth inning as Caden Mason and Kameron Salazar reached with base hits, but were left stranded at second and third as the Knights came away without a timely hit.

Jace Stoops kept Marian in the game with three scoreless innings, allowing four runners total to reach in his time on the mound. While the reliever helped keep Bethel in check, Mickiewicz shut down any chance of a Marian comeback, pitching the Knights into inning-ending double plays in both the sixth and seventh innings, ending the afternoon with a Bethel win.

The Knights had eight base hits in the series finale, with Mason having the team’s lone two-hit game. Mason had two RBI in the loss, with Huntley recording the team’s other RBI. Hoog would suffer the loss on the mound as he fell to 4-2 on the year, lasing 2.1 innings with five hits and six runs allowed. West did not allow his own runs to score as he gave up two hits in 1.2 innings, and Stoops lasted three innings, striking out four batters against two walks.

Marian will end their home season on Thursday and Saturday, as they host Taylor University. Thursday’s doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m., while Saturday’s senior day will begin at 1:00 p.m.

SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETICS

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 BENDATHLETICS: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 OFTHE WOODS ATHLETICS:https://smwcathletics.com/

GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS:https://goleafs.net/

HOY CROSS ATHLETICS:https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php

TAYLOR ATHLETICS:https://www.taylortrojans.com/

VINCENNES ATHLETICS:https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index

“SPORTS EXTRA”

NUMBERS IN SPORTS

3 – 4 – 1 – 19

April 16, 1929 – The New York Yankees became the first MLB team to permanently feature numbers on backs of uniforms. There was a methodology to the digits too, as the numbers corresponded to position in batting order. Yes you guessed it Babe Ruth batted 3rd with his Number 3, and Number 4 was Lou Gehrig. In a little know bit of trivia the lead off hitter that day was Number 1 Earl Combes. The Yankee uniforms have never displayed the manufacturers logo or the player name anywhere on them making the pinstripes of New York one of the most iconic and traditional uniforms out there.

April 16, 1935 – Speaking of George Herman Ruth, the 40-year-old future Baseball Hall of Fame hitter debuted in the National League with a HR and single in the Boston Braves 4-2 win over the New York Giants, in Boston.

April 16, 1940 – Cleveland Indians legendary pitcher Bob Feller, accomplished something no one else has ever done before. On this particular day Feller, Number 19 pitched the only Opening Day No-Hitter in MLB history. It was the Indians over the Chicago White Sox, 1-0 at Comiskey Park.

The website of NBA.com offers these nuggets of history for the day.

April 16, 1967 – Number 13, Wilt Chamberlain grabbed an NBA Finals record 26 rebounds in one half as Philadelphia defeated San Francisco 126-95 in Game 2. Also, both teams combined for 169 rebounds, tying an NBA Playoffs record.

Here are a couple of items from the Vintage Hockey Jerseys website

April 16, 1972 – The St. Louis Blues defeated the Minnesota North Stars 2-1 in game seven of the Stanley Cup Quarter-Finals. Kevin O’Shea, Number 21 assisted by his brother Number 22, Danny O’Shea scored at 10:07 of overtime to propel the Blues into the finals. Kevin O’Shea played in only four games during the regular season for the Blues in 1971-72, with no goals or assists.

April 16, 1992 – St. Louis Blues Hockey Hall of Fame Right Wing, Number 16, Brett Hull became the second player with three straight 70 goal seasons. Hull scores his 70th goal in a 5-3 victory over the Minnesota North Stars, joining Number 99, Wayne Gretzky, who accomplished the feat twice.

FOOTBALL HISTORY

Football History Headlines for April 16

April 16, 2019 – Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson becomes the highest-paid player in NFL history. According to an April 17, 2019 newspaper article in The Olympian from Olympia, Washington, Wilson signed a 4-year $140m extension including a record $65 Million signing bonus. $107 million of the contract was guaranteed! The columnist Greg Bell of the newstribune.com wrote that the quarterback’s agent, Mark Rodgers confirmed the contract’s figures. The amazing thing is that the Seahawks and Wilson’s reps were up into the wee hours of the night working on the deal as it was finalized at 12:44 AM on April 16, 2019 and the team called for a 1:30PM press conference to formally announce it. The deal works out to approximately a cool $35 million per year nearly doubling his previous annual salary of approximately $17 Million.

If you want to be able to be able to read through some old articles like The Olympian has, you need to check out Newspapers.com. At Newspapers.com, you can get access to over 640 million pages’ worth of news from the US, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland and more dating back from 1798 to yesterday. Get a free one week subscription to Newspapers.com by visiting SportsHistoryNetwork.com/newspapers . With a paid subscription, you’ll also be helping to support the production of this and other Sports History Network shows.

April 16, 2022 – The new USFL debuted their inaugural season with a game played in Birmingham, Alabama. There was supposed to be 3 additional games played the next day, Easter Sunday April 17, 2022 but severe weather delayed the start pushing the fourth and final game to Monday April 18. All regular season games were to take place in Birmingham with the playoffs and Title game scheduled for Tom Benson Stadium next to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Hall of Fame Birthdays for April 16

April 16, 1928 – The legendary defensive back of the LA Rams and the Detroit Lions Dick Night Train Lane was born. Night Train Lane was named first- or second-team All-NFL every year from 1954 through 1963. Named to seven Pro Bowls, Night Train intercepted 68 passes for 1,207 yards and five touchdowns during his Hall of Fame career. At the 1974 ceremonies in Canton the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Night Train Lane. We have more on this legend by simply clicking his name.

April 16, 1970 – Spokane, Washington – The top-notch Washington Husky defensive tackle from 1989 to 1991, Steve Emtman arrived into the world. This player was extremely focussed on his job at linebacker and ran with a high motor. Steve was extremely stout against the run and could rush the passers with the best of them according to the Football Foundation.org. Emtman served a red shirt season and then in his first year on the field he served in a reserve capacity spelling teammate on the D-line. When he finally started the next year his stellar play earned him second team All-American honors as well as the co-defensive players of the year in the Pac-10 conference. Steve won both the Lombardi and Outland trophies in his junior season and placed fourth in the Heisman voting. In his final collegiate game he was named the co-MVP of the Rose Bowl as the Huskies claimed a share of the national championship by completing an undefeated season easily beating Michigan 34-14. In that game Washington shut down Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard and limited the Michigan ground game to 74 yards. Emtman’s final career numbers read 14 sacks, and 134 tackles with 36 for loss. Steve was a three-time All-Conference player and a unanimous All-America selection. The National Football Foundation selected Steve Emtman for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006. Steve was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round but was only able to play six seasons due to injury.

April 16, 1972 – Cuyahoga Fall, Ohio – Quarterback Jim Ballard of Wilmington and Mount Union was born. Jim’s college career spanned from 1990 through 1993 and per the National Football Foundation he broke numerous records in Division III. The Mount Union Squad he led won the 1993 national Championship at the DIII level and Ballard earned first team All-America honors in that season just like he did the season prior in 1992. Ballard broke 17 Division III records and threw for over 12,000 yards and over 150 touchdowns. Jim Ballard received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008. Jim played in the CFL, NFL Europe and the Arena Football League during his 10- year professional career and led the Scottish Claymores to an NFL Europe World Bowl title in 1996. Ballard was inducted into the Scottish Claymores Hall of Fame in 2001. At last look Jim served as the commissioner of the Continental Indoor Football League in North Canton, Ohio.

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

April 16

1929 — Cleveland’s Earl Averill became the first American League player to hit a home run in his first major league plate appearance. The Indians won the game 5-4 in 11 innings on Carl Lind’s double.

1935 — Babe Ruth, 40, made a sensational National League debut in Boston. His single and homer off Carl Hubbell led the Braves over the Giants 4-2.

1940 — Bob Feller of Cleveland defeated the Chicago White Sox 1-0 in the only opening day no-hitter in major league history.

1948 — WGN-TV televised a baseball game for the first time. It was an exhibition game at Wrigley Field with Jack Brickhouse doing the play-by-play. The White Sox defeated the Cubs 4-1.

1961 — Beginning his historic chase of Babe Ruth’s 60 home run season-record, Roger Maris connects for his first homer in the twelfth game of the season for the Yankees.

1972 — Burt Hooton of the Cubs no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies 4-0 at Wrigley Field.

1978 — Bob Forsch of the St. Louis Cardinals no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies 5-0. Less than a year later, Bob’s brother Ken of the Houston Astros pitched a no-hitter against Atlanta. They are the only brothers to throw no-hitters.

1983 — LA Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey appears in his 1,118th straight National League game, breaking the mark held by Billy Williams.

1984 — Dave Kingman of the Oakland A’s hit three home runs, including a grand slam, in his first three at-bats. In total, he drove in eight runs in a 9-6 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

1989 — Kelly Gruber becomes the first player in Toronto Blue Jays history to hit for the cycle in a 15-8 victory against the Kansas City Royals.

1997 — The Chicago Cubs set the mark for worst start in National League history, making three more errors as they extended their losing streak to 12 with a 4-0 loss to the Colorado Rockies. Chicago broke the modern NL record of 0-10 set by Atlanta in 1988 and the overall NL record of 0-11 by the 1884 Detroit Wolverines.

2005 — Toronto’s Reed Johnson was hit by a major league record-tying three pitches — two with the bases loaded — in the Blue Jays’ 8-0 victory over Texas.

2006 — Albert Pujols hit three home runs, including a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth, to give St. Louis an 8-7 win over Cincinnati.

2007 — The Cleveland Indians became the first team in nearly 55 years to win a game with their only hit coming in their first at-bat. Grady Sizemore led off Cleveland’s 2-1 win over the Chicago White Sox with a double.

2009 — Ichiro Suzuki makes history as collects the 3,086th hit of his pro career, breaking the Japanese record held for decades by Isao Harimoto.

2009 — Grady Sizemore hit a grand slam and Cleveland ruined the first game at the new Yankee Stadium by beating New York 10-2.

2014 — Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda pitched the New York Yankees to a 3-0, 2-0 sweep of the Chicago Cubs in a chilly day-night-doubleheader. The Yankees had not won by shutout twice in one day since April 9, 1987, against Kansas City. No team in the major leagues had done it since Minnesota swept Oakland on June 26, 1988.

2015 — Giancarlo Stanton becomes the Marlins all-time leading home run hitter when he slugs #155 for his career.

BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW: 1976 (BASEBALL ALMANAC)..

Off the field…

The United States celebrated its bicentennial, marking the 200th anniversary of its independence. During the Fourth of July holiday period, hundreds of sailing ships (most from the nineteenth century) from around the world converged on New York City’s harbor to participate in the celebration.

Jimmy Carter was selected as the Democratic Party’s nominee for president, and the American people elected him to office over the incumbent president, Gerald Ford. In choosing Carter, the voters took a chance on a president about whom they knew little and one who prided himself on being relatively unknown outside his home state of Georgia. A political “recluse”, he had never been a national candidate and had no significant experience on the national scene or any close ties to Washington. In addition, as a candidate from the Deep South, Carter was distrusted by many in the New Deal coalition that had dominated his party since 1932.

An Air France jetliner was hijacked to Entebbe, Uganda by the “Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine” on June 27th. Once there, the hijackers separated the Jewish and Israeli passengers from the rest of the captives and demanded the release of several terrorists held in Israeli prisons. In a daring commando operation known as “Operation Thunderbolt” Israeli forces traveled 2,000 miles and landed at the Entebbe airport rescuing all hostages and terminating the terrorists.

In the American League…

New York Yankees catcher Thurman Munson was named the first team captain since “Iron Horse” Lou Gehrig had held the position in the 1930’s. Unfortunately, Munson, like his predecessor, would die before his time in a plane crash in 1979.

The Chicago White Sox’s Minnie Minoso joined the “four-decade player club” after entering a September 11th contest against the California Angels as a designated hitter. The fifty-three year-old went 0-3 as his team fell 7-3 to the “halos” and four years later Minoso became only the second five-decade player in Major League history.

On August 25th, the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees went head-to-head for five hours and thirty-six minutes during a nineteen-inning marathon. Willie Randolph, of the Yanks, set an American League record for extra innings with thirteen assists and twenty chances at second base.

In the National League…

On April 17th, Mike Schmidt of the Philadelphia Phillies, hit four consecutive homeruns (and a single) accounting for eight runs himself during an 18-16 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Pittsburgh’s John Candelaria proved that the “Candy Man” can after he pitched a 2-0, no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 9th. The six-foot, seven-inch Pirate struck out seven and walked one for the first no-no against the L.A. version of the Dodgers.

Sparky Anderson’s “Big Red Machine” compiled another stellar season with a record of 102-60. The Cincinnati Reds as they were also known as, later went on to sweep the New York Yankees in the World Series proving that they could maintain the momentum of their previous record-setting year (108-54) and once again, go the distance en route to their second Major League Championship in as many years.

Around the League…

The newly renovated Yankees Stadium was dedicated in a special pre-game ceremony attended by Mrs. Babe Ruth, Mrs. Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Don Larsen and eighty-five year old Bob Shawkey, who had pitched at the ballpark when it opened in 1923. In what some have considered to be a sign of the “Babe” showing disapproval of the changes to “his house”, the $3 million dollar scoreboard ceased to function.

Media tycoon Ted Turner, owner of the Atlanta Braves and their broadcasting station, took advertising to new highs (and lows) after signing Andy Messersmith for the 1976 season. First he chose to “nickname” their newest acquisition “Channel” then he issued him the number “17” which also happened to be Turner’s TV number. The preplanned marketing scheme resulted in Messersmith taking the field with “Channel 17” on his back. National League president, Chub Feeney quickly caught onto Turner and put an end to the tacky campaign.

On July 20th, “Hammerin'” Hank Aaron hit the 755th and final homerun of his career off the Anaheim Angels’ Dick Drago during a 6-2 Milwaukee Brewers’ win. The historical moment was soured though after the ball was retrieved by Dick Arndt, a member of the ground crew, who refused to return it to the rightful owner. Arndt was subsequently fired and has since then turned down offers of up to $10,000 from Hank Aaron himself.

In August, a contest was conducted across Washington to name the new expansion team in Seattle. After 15,000 entries, Roger Szmodis from Bellevue emerged the winner after proposing the name “Mariners”.

BASEBALL’S GREAT PITCHERS

TOM SEAVER (1967-1986)

Killer Stat: 1.121 Career WHIP

When Tom Seaver was up for Hall-of-Fame consideration in 1992, he earned 98.8 percent of the vote, which was the highest percentage of votes ever recorded at that time, showing how special his career truly was.

He won three Cy Young Awards and posted a career WHIP that is actually better than the one posted by Cy Young himself. Seaver won a World Series with the New York Mets in 1969 and was extremely popular with fans, earning 12 All-Star Game appearances. Seaver also ranks in the top 20 for career wins and the top 10 for pitching WAR, and he has the seventh most shutouts in history. In fact, his 61 shutouts are tied with Nolan Ryan, but Seaver took seven fewer seasons to get there.

TODAY IN NBA HISTORY

April 16, 1947

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born in New York on the same day that the opening game of the first NBA Finals was played–with the Philadelphia Warriors defeating the Chicago Stags 84-71 in Game 1. Abdul-Jabbar went on to play in a record 20 seasons with Milwaukee and the Los Angeles Lakers, setting an NBA record for points scored (38,387) and playing on six NBA Championship teams.

April 16, 1967

Wilt Chamberlain grabbed an NBA Finals record 26 rebounds in one half as Philadelphia defeated San Francisco 126-95 in Game 2. Also, both teams combined for 169 rebounds, tying an NBA Playoffs record.

April 16, 1983

In the regular season finale for both teams, San Antonio defeated Dallas at Reunion Arena 132-120. By hitting 53-of-75 shots, the Spurs set an NBA record for FG percentage (.707) in a single game.

April 16, 1991

The Philadelphia 76ers, in a 108-99 loss to New York at Madison Square Garden, set an NBA record for playing in the most overtime games in a season at 14. The Sixers were 8-6 in those OT games.

April 16, 1993

Following a 113-110 win over visiting Orlando, Cleveland coach Lenny Wilkens moved into second place on the NBA all-time wins list (trailing only Red Auerbach) with his 865th career victory. Seven weeks later, Wilkens left the Cavaliers to become coach of the Atlanta Hawks, a franchise he began his NBA playing career with when it was located in St. Louis.

April 16, 1994

Golden State’s Don Nelson became the seventh coach in NBA history to win 800 career games, following the Warriors’ 109-105 triumph over visiting Utah Nelson reached 800 wins in 1,372 games, the second-fastest coach to reach that mark, trailing only Red Auerbach’s 1,227 games.

April 16, 1996

The Bulls bettered the 1972 Lakers NBA record of 69 wins in one season with their 86-80 victory at Milwaukee. Chicago finished the season with 72 wins and only 10 losses, a mark that would stand as the NBA’s best in a single season until 2015-16. That season, the Golden State Warriors surpassed the Bulls’ record with a 73-9 finish.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

April 16

1939 — Stanley Cup Final, Boston Garden, Boston, MA: Boston Bruins beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 3-1 for a 4-1 series win; first best-of-7 SC Final series.

1940 — Bob Feller of Cleveland defeats the White Sox 1-0 in Chicago in the only opening day no-hitter in the major leagues.

1949 — The Toronto Maple Leafs win 3-1 to sweep the Detroit Red Wings for the second straight year in the Stanley Cup Finals.

1953 — Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Montreal Canadiens beat Boston Bruins, 1-0 for a 4-1 series win.

1954 — The Detroit Red Wings edge the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 in the seventh game to win the Stanley Cup.

1957 — The Montreal Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins 5-1 to take the Stanley Cup in five games.

1958 — Arnold Palmer edges Doug Ford by one stroke to capture the Masters.

1961 — The Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in six games with a 5-1 triumph over the Detroit Red Wings.

1978 — Cardinals’ Bob Forsch no-hits Philadelphia Phillies, 5-0, in St. Louis.

1980 — Arthur Ashe retires from professional tennis.

1983 — Steve Garvey sets NL record by playing in 1,118 consecutive games.

1987 — Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls scores 61 points in a 117-114 loss to the Atlanta Hawks and becomes the second player to surpass the 3,000-point mark in a season.

1989 — Costa Rica beats US 1-0, in 3rd round of 1990 world soccer cup.

1990 — Gelindo Bordin becomes the first Olympic men’s champion to win the Boston Marathon. The Italian finishes in 2:08:19. Rosa Mota of Portugal wins the woman’s division in 2:25:24.

1991 — The St. Louis Blues become the eighth team in NHL playoff history to come back from a 3-1 deficit, beating the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in the seventh game.

1995 — PGA Seniors’ Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Raymond Floyd wins by 5 strokes.

2000 — PGA Seniors’ Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Doug Tewell wins first of 2 Champions Tour major titles.

2001 — Lee Bong-ju of South Korea wins the Boston Marathon, ending a 10-year victory streak for Kenyan men. Kenya’s Catherine Ndereba wins the women’s race.

2003 — The Anaheim Mighty Ducks beat the Detroit Red Wings in a 3-2 overtime victory, making the Red Wings the first defending Stanley Cup winner in 51 years to be swept the following season in a four-game opening series.

2003 — Washington Wizards’ Michael Jordan plays his final NBA game.

2008 — Jason Kidd gets the 100th triple-double of his career with 27 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds in Dallas’ 111-98 victory over New Orleans.

2013 — Two bombs explode in the crowded streets near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring more than 270 in a bloody scene of shattered glass and severed limbs. Earlier in the day, Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia wins the 117th edition of the marathon and Rita Jeptoo of Kenya takes the women’s race.

2018 — Desiree Linden runs through icy rain and a near-gale headwind to win the Boston Marathon, the first victory for an American woman since 1985.

2019 — Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson becomes the highest-paid player in NFL history with a 4-year $140m extension.

TV SPORTS TUESDAY

BOWLING

7 p.m.

FS1 — PBA: The WSOB PBA Scorpion Championship, Allen Park, Mich.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

3 p.m.

PAC-12N — Gonzaga at Oregon

6 p.m.

CBSSN — Kansas St. at UConn

7 p.m.

ACCN — Kentucky at Louisville

SECN — Georgia Tech at Auburn

8 p.m.

ESPN2 — Texas Tech at Arkansas

COLLEGE GOLF

7 p.m.

GOLF — The Western Intercollegiate: Second Round, Pasatiempo Golf Club, Santa Cruz, Calif.

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

5 p.m.

BTN — Illinois at Northwestern

7 p.m.

BTN — Michigan St. at Michigan

MLB BASEBALL

1 p.m.

MLBN — Texas at Detroit

8 p.m.

TBS — Atlanta at Houston

11 p.m.

MLBN — Regional Coverage: Washington at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m.) OR Chicago Cubs at Arizona (9:40 p.m.)

NBA BASEKTBALL

7:30 p.m.

TNT — Western Conference Play-In Tournament: LA Lakers at New Orleans

TRUTV — Western Conference Play-In Tournament: LA Lakers at New Orleans (BetCast)

10 p.m.

TNT — Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament: Golden State at Sacramento

TRUTV — Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament: Golden State at Sacramento (BetCast)

NHL HOCKEY

7:30 p.m.

ESPN — Toronto at Florida

SOCCER (MEN’S)

3 p.m.

CBS — UEFA Champions League: Paris Saint-Germain at Barcelona, Quarterfinal – Leg 2

TENNIS

5 a.m.

TENNIS — Barcelona-ATP, Munich-ATP, Bucharest-ATP, Stuttgart-WTA, Rouen-WTA Early Rounds

5 a.m.

TENNIS — Barcelona-ATP, Munich-ATP, Bucharest-ATP, Stuttgart-WTA, Rouen-WTA Early Rounds

5 a.m. (Wednesday)

TENNIS — Barcelona-ATP, Munich-ATP, Bucharest-ATP, Stuttgart-WTA, Rouen-WTA Early Rounds

6 a.m. (Wednesday)TENNIS — Barcelona-ATP, Munich-ATP, Bucharest-ATP, Stuttgart-WTA, Rouen-WTA Early Rounds