THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” SATURDAY JUNE 15, 2024 (2024)

“THE SCOREBOARD”

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL STATE FINALS

CLASS 1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

FINAL | BARR-REEVE 6, LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC 1

CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

FINAL | NEW PRAIRIE 7, BREBEUF JESUIT 2

SATURDAY, JUNE 15

CLASS 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP|4:30 PM ET / 3:30 PM CT
PROVIDENCE (21-7) VS. ILLIANA CHRISTIAN (21-9)

CLASS 4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP|8 PM ET / 7 PM CT
MOORESVILLE (32-3) VS. LAKE CENTRAL (24-9)

NBA FINALS SCHEDULE

GAME 1: BOSTON 107 DALLAS 89

GAME 2: BOSTON 105 DALLAS 98

GAME 3: BOSTON 106 DALLAS 99

GAME 4: DALLAS 122 BOSTON 84

GAME 5: MAVERICKS VS. CELTICS, MONDAY, JUNE 17 (8:30 ET)*

GAME 6: CELTICS VS. MAVERICKS, THURSDAY, JUNE 20 (8:30 ET)*

GAME 7: MAVERICKS VS. CELTICS, SUNDAY, JUNE 23 (8 ET)*

* = IF NECESSARY

WNBA SCORES

WASHINGTON 83 CHICAGO 81

MINNESOTA 81 LOS ANGELES 76

NHL PLAYOFFS

2024 STANLEY CUP FINAL

FLORIDA PANTHERS (1A) VS. EDMONTON OILERS (2P)

GAME 1: FLORIDA 3 EDMONTON 0

GAME 2: FLORIDA 1 EDMONTON 1

GAME 3: FLORIDA 4 EDMONTON 3

GAME 4: PANTHERS AT OILERS — JUNE 15, 8 P.M. (ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVAS)

+GAME 5: OILERS AT PANTHERS — JUNE 18, 8 P.M. (ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVAS)

+GAME 6: PANTHERS AT OILERS — JUNE 21, 8 P.M. (ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVAS)

+GAME 7: OILERS AT PANTHERS — JUNE 24, 8 P.M. (ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVAS)

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

St. Louis 3 Chicago Cubs 0

NY Yankees 8 Boston 1

Washington 8 Miami 1

Philadelphia 5 Baltimore 3 (11)

Cleveland 3 Toronto 1

NY Mets 2 San Diego 1

Atlanta 7 Tampa Bay 3

Minnesota 6 Oakland 5 (10)

Cincinnati 6 Milwaukee 5

Houston 4 Detroit 0

Pittsburgh 5 Colorado 2

Arizona 7 Chicago White Sox 1

Seattle 3 Texas 2

LA Dodgers 4 Kansas City 3

LA Angels 8 San Francisco 6

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES

INDIANAPOLIS 3 JACKSONVILLE 2

PEORIA 9 SOUTH BEND 6

PEORIA 9 SOUTH BEND 2

LAKE COUNTY 3 FT. WAYNE 2

COLLEGE BASEBALL-NCAA TOURNAMENT WORLD SERIES

FRIDAY

NORTH CAROLINA 3 VIRGINIA 2

TENNESSEE 12 FLORIDA STATE 11

SATURDAY, JUNE 15

NC STATE VS. KENTUCKY, 2 P.M. (ESPN)

FLORIDA VS. TEXAS A&M, 7 P.M. (ESPN)

MLS

COLUMBUS 3 NEW YORK CITY 2

UFL

CHAMPIONSHIP: SUNDAY

BIRMINGHAM VS. SAN ANTONIO 5:00 (ST. LOUIS)

TOP NATIONAL SPORTS HEADLINES

NBA NEWS

MAVS THROTTLE CELTICS IN GAME 4 TO AVOID FINALS SWEEP

DALLAS (AP) — There were two options for the Dallas Mavericks. Pack for Boston, or pack for vacation.

Boston awaits.

These NBA Finals are not over, thanks to one of the biggest blowouts in title-round history. Luka Doncic scored 25 of his 29 points in the first half, Kyrie Irving added 21 and the Mavericks emphatically extended their season on Friday night, fending off elimination with a 122-84 rout of the Celtics in Game 4.

The 38-point final margin was the third-biggest ever in an NBA Finals game, behind only Chicago beating Utah 96-54 in 1998 and the Celtics beating the Los Angeles Lakers 131-92 in 2008.

“It’s real simple. We don’t have to complicate this. This isn’t surgery,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “Our group was ready to go. They were ready to celebrate and we made a stand. We were desperate. We’ve got to continue to keep playing that way. They’re trying to close the door. The hardest thing in this league is to close the door when you have a group that has nothing to lose. Tonight, you saw that.”

The Mavs’ stars were done by the end of the third quarter, with good reason. It was all Dallas from the outset, the Mavs leading by 13 after one quarter, 26 at the half and by as many as 38 in the third before both sides emptied the benches.

Before Friday, the worst NBA Finals loss for the 17-time champion Celtics was 137-104 to the Lakers in 1984. This was worse. Much worse, at times. Dallas’ biggest lead in the fourth was 48 — the biggest deficit the Celtics have faced all season.

The Celtics still lead the series 3-1, and Game 5 is in Boston on Monday.

“Preparation doesn’t guarantee an automatic success,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “I thought we had a great process. I thought we had a great shootaround. Thought we had a great film session yesterday. I thought the guys came out with the right intentions. I just didn’t think it went our way, and I thought Dallas outplayed us. They just played harder.”

The loss — Boston’s first in five weeks — snapped the Celtics’ 10-game postseason winning streak, longest in franchise history, plus took away the chance they had at being the first team in NBA history to win both the conference finals and the finals in 4-0 sweeps.

Jayson Tatum scored 15 points, Sam Hauser had 14 while Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday each finished with 10 for the Celtics.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 15 points, all in the fourth quarter, and Dereck Lively II had 11 points and 12 rebounds for Dallas. It was Lively who provided the hint that it was going to be a good night for the Mavs in the early going. He connected on a 3-pointer — the first of his NBA career — midway through the first quarter, a shot that gave the Mavs the lead for good.

They were off and running. And kept running.

“It doesn’t change anything,” Doncic said. “Like I said in the beginning of this series, it’s the first to four. And we’re going to believe until the end. We’re just going to keep going. I have big belief in this team that we can do it.”

It was 61-35 at the half and Dallas left a ton of points unclaimed in the opening 24 minutes as well. The Mavs went into the break having shot only 5 of 15 from 3-point range, 10 of 16 from the foul line — and they were in total control anyway.

“I think winning is hard. I think winning at any game is hard. But winning Game 4 of the NBA Finals is pretty damn hard,” Holiday said. “I think they came out desperate and I think they punched us in the mouth, and we couldn’t kind of recover the way we wanted to.”

The first-half lowlights for Boston were many, some of them historic:

— The 35 points represented the Celtics’ lowest-scoring total in a half, either half, in Mazzulla’s two seasons as coach.

— The 26-point halftime deficit was Boston’s second biggest of the season. The Celtics trailed Milwaukee by 37 at the break on Jan. 11, one of only eight instances in their first 99 games of this season where they trailed by double figures at halftime.

— The halftime deficit was Boston’s largest ever in an NBA Finals game, and the 35-point number was the second-worst by the Celtics in the first half of one. They managed 31 against the Lakers on June 15, 2010, Game 6 of the series that the Lakers claimed with a Game 7 victory.

Teams with a lead of 23 or more points at halftime, even in this season where comebacks looked easier than ever before, were 76-0 this season entering Friday night.

Make it 77-0 now. Doncic’s jersey number, coincidentally enough.

The Celtics surely were thinking about how making a little dent in the Dallas lead to open the second half could have made things interesting. Instead, the Mavs put things away and fast; a 15-7 run over the first 4:32 of the third pushed Dallas’ lead out to 76-42.

Whatever hope Boston had of a pulling off a huge rally and capping off a sweep was long gone. Mazzulla pulled the starters, all of them, simultaneously with 3:18 left in the third and Dallas leading 88-52.

“I expect us to be much better on Monday,” Celtics center Al Horford said.

The Mavs still have the steepest climb possible in this series — no team has successfully rallied from 3-0 down in NBA history — but the first step is done.

“We have nothing to lose,” Kidd said.

WNBA NEWS

MYSTICS HOLD OFF SKY FOR SECOND STRAIGHT VICTORY

Ariel Atkins pumped in 29 points and the Washington Mystics, who were winless earlier in the week, held on for their second consecutive victory, defeating the visiting Chicago Sky 83-81 on Friday night.

Aaliyah Edwards added 16 points and nine rebounds and Karlie Samuelson notched 12 points for Washington in a matchup between teams that have struggled for most of the season.

It was the first victory in six home games this year for the Mystics (2-12), who benefitted from Akins’ 9-for-13 shooting from the field.

Chennedy Carter scored 16 points, Dana Evans had 14 points and Kamilla Cardoso provided 12 points for the Sky (4-8), who took their third loss in a row, all by single digits. Angel Reese had 10 points and 14 rebounds.

Atkins made a jumper to put the Mystics up 81-73 with two minutes to play. Her two free throws with 1:01 left were the team’s last points.

Lindsay Allen’s layup for Chicago with 50.7 seconds to go pulled Chicago within 83-81.

Allen missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer with 5.8 seconds to play.

A foul by Washington’s Emily Engstler set Marina Mabrey to the free-throw line with 0.2 seconds remaining. Mabrey missed both attempts — the second one intentionally — as the game ended.

The Mystics posted only 15 points in the fourth quarter.

Chicago, down by 15 in the first half, closed within 52-49 midway through the third quarter. Evans had five straight Sky points, giving the team its first double-figure scorer in the game.

The Sky pulled even at 56-56 on an Evans 3-pointer with just under three minutes left in the period before the Mystics stretched their margin to 68-59 entering the fourth.

The Mystics held a 23-8 lead by the final minute of the first quarter. Washington shot 51.4 percent from the field in the first half to hold a 47-36 lead at the break.

Overall on the night, Chicago outshot Washington 45.5 percent to 43.8 percent.

NAPHEESA COLLIER SCORES 30 AS LYNX RALLY PAST SPARKS

Napheesa Collier scored 30 points and Courtney Williams added 15 points and 10 assists as the Minnesota Lynx came from behind to beat the visiting Los Angeles Sparks 81-76 on Friday in Minneapolis.

The Lynx (10-3) trailed by 12 points midway through the second quarter but trimmed their deficit to five by halftime. Minnesota took the lead with a 7-0 run to open the third quarter.

Los Angeles got within two points early in the fourth quarter. Rickea Jackson’s short jumper with 10.5 seconds trimmed the Lynx’s lead to 77-76.

Collier then hit two free throws on the ensuing possession, and the Lynx held on to win for the sixth time in their past seven games. Alanna Smith added 12 points and Bridget Carleton had 11 for Minnesota.

Jackson scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Los Angeles (4-9). Dearica Hamby added 16 points and 11 rebounds, Aari McDonald contributed 14 points and Lexie Brown tallied 12 off the bench. The Sparks dropped their second straight game after winning back-to-back contests for the first time this season.

Los Angeles got off to a hot start and led 14-7 when Jackson hit two free throws at the 4:18 mark of the first quarter. Hamby’s 3-pointer at the buzzer pushed the Sparks’ advantage to 25-14 after one quarter.

Nine straight points from Collier, punctuated by a pair of free throws with 25.4 seconds remaining in the period, allowed Minnesota to trim its 12-point deficit to just three. Hamby scored on a second-chance layup at the buzzer to carry Los Angeles to a 44-39 lead at the break.

Collier led all scorers with 17 points before halftime. Hamby and Brown paced the Sparks with 12 and 10 points, respectively, in the first half. Both teams went 15-of-29 (57.1 percent) from the floor in the first half.

The Lynx started the third quarter with a 7-0 run that produced their first lead since the opening minutes of the game, and they never trailed again.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

MLB ROUNDUP: YANKS’ ALEX VERDUGO REVISITS BOSTON, HOMERS IN WIN

Alex Verdugo went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs against his former team as the visiting New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox 8-1 on Friday.

The Yankees became the first team in the majors to reach 50 wins this year. Verdugo contributed to all three of the Yankees’ multi-run innings. He hit a two-run homer in the first, added an RBI double in a two-run fifth and chipped in a run-scoring single in a three-run ninth.

Anthony Rizzo went 2-for-3 with an RBI, Jose Trevino homered and Luis Gil (9-1) pitched five innings of one-run ball for New York. Gil yielded four hits and four walks while striking out six.

The Red Sox were limited to five hits and went scoreless against four New York relievers. Enmanuel Valdez had the team’s lone RBI. Boston’s Brayan Bello (6-4) allowed five runs (four earned) in 4 2/3 innings. He gave up six hits and three walks and struck out five.

Phillies 5, Orioles 3 (11 innings)

After a 71-minute rain delay, Alec Bohm hit a two-run double in the 11th inning and Philadelphia finished off host Baltimore in the series opener between teams with the second- and third-best records in the majors.

Kyle Schwarber led off the game with a home run and provided a go-ahead, two-out single in the 10th inning for the Phillies. Catcher Rafael Marchan, playing in just his second big-league game since 2021, homered in the fifth inning. Orion Kerkering (2-0) picked up the win despite allowing the tying run to score on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 10th.

Anthony Santander’s solo blast for the Orioles tied the score with two outs in the eighth. The Orioles have lost on back-to-back days after a season-best six-game winning streak. Jacob Webb (1-4) took the loss.

Mariners 3, Rangers 2

Mitch Garver slugged a two-run homer and Luis Castillo worked six solid innings as Seattle edged visiting Texas to win for the fifth time in six games.

Castillo (6-7) gave up four hits and two runs while walking one and striking out seven. After permitting three hits and both runs in the first inning, he stifled Texas over the next five innings. Three Seattle relievers got the last nine outs, with Ryne Stanek pitching the ninth inning for his sixth save.

Andrew Heaney (2-8) lasted 4 2/3 innings for Texas, allowing three runs on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Jose Urena supplied 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, but the Rangers weren’t able to come up with an equalizing run. Wyatt Langford had two hits and drove in a run for Texas.

Dodgers 4, Royals 3

Chris Taylor hit his first home run of the season and Freddie Freeman hit a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning as Los Angeles rallied to beat visiting Kansas City in the opener of a three-game series.

Miguel Rojas also homer for the Dodgers, who rebounded after scoring three combined runs against the Texas Rangers in back-to-back home losses.

Salvador Perez hit a three-run shot for the Royals, who lost for the fifth time in their past six games. Maikel Garcia had two hits and a run for Kansas City, which also lost for the sixth time in its past eight road games.

Mets 2, Padres 1

J.D. Martinez’s two-run double in the fourth inning lifted host New York past San Diego. The Mets have won nine of their last 13 games, while the Padres had their three-game winning streak snapped.

Sean Manaea (4-3) yielded a run in five-plus innings before Adam Ottavino, Jake Diekman, Sean Reid-Foley and Edwin Diaz (six saves) handled the final four frames.

Jackson Merrill homered in the fifth inning for the Padres, who got seven innings of two-run ball from Matt Waldron (4-6).

Cardinals 3, Cubs 0

Pedro Pages hit his first homer of the season, opening the top of the eighth with a solo shot to lift St. Louis over host Chicago.

Cardinals starter Kyle Gibson (5-2) scattered just two hits across seven innings, walking one and striking out six.

Cubs starter Jordan Wicks lasted just 1 2/3 innings before exiting the game with an oblique injury. Kyle Hendricks took over and surrendered just two hits across 4 1/3 shutout innings.

Nationals 8, Marlins 1

Lane Thomas hit a three-run homer to highlight a seven-run third inning and Washington cruised past visiting Miami in the opener of a three-game series.

CJ Abrams had three hits and drove in two runs, Jacob Young added two hits and two runs, Jesse Winker and Luis Garcia Jr. each had two hits and a run and Joey Meneses knocked in two runs for the Nationals, who have won six of seven.

Tim Anderson had three hits, his fourth straight multi-hit game, but the Marlins lost their third straight contest.

Guardians 3, Blue Jays 1

Will Brennan bashed a solo home run, a double and scored two runs and Cleveland defeated host Toronto to begin a three-game set.

In five-plus innings, Logan Allen (7-3) allowed a run on three hits and three walks with three strikeouts as the Guardians improved to 4-2 on their eight-game road trip.

The Blue Jays were held to three hits in the opener of a six-game homestand that followed a 3-3 trip. Toronto’s Kevin Gausman (5-5) allowed three runs and eight hits while striking out six without a walk in 5 1/3 innings.

Braves 7, Rays 3

Marcell Ozuna blasted his National League-leading 19th home run to highlight a five-run first inning that sent host Atlanta over Tampa Bay.

Ozuna’s three-run shot gave him 60 RBIs, also tops in the NL. The Braves’ Austin Riley ended a 5-for-35 (.143) slump by going 3-for-4 with a homer, a double and three RBIs. Starter Chris Sale (9-2) pitched seven innings and allowed two runs on five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. Raisel Iglesias entered the ninth inning with two runners on base and got Yandy Diaz on a grounder for the final out, earning his 18th save.

Tampa Bay starter Zack Littell (2-5) had his worst outing of the season. He pitched two innings and allowed a season-high seven runs, six earned, on eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

Astros 4, Tigers 0

Hunter Brown posted his fifth consecutive quality start and Mauricio Dubon capped a four-run, sixth-inning outburst with a two-run homer as Houston topped visiting Detroit.

Brown (3-5) recorded his second consecutive scoreless start, matching his season high of nine strikeouts. He was 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA over his previous four starts but elevated his performance a notch, working a season-best seven innings while allowing five hits and no walks.

Colt Keith had two of the five hits for the Tigers, who have lost three of four.

Reds 6, Brewers 5

Jeimer Candelario belted a two-run homer and TJ Friedl also went deep among his three hits, lifting visiting Cincinnati over Milwaukee.

Elly De La Cruz had an RBI triple among his two hits and Jonathan India and Friedl each added a run-scoring single. Jake Fraley also had two hits as the Reds overcame five errors — including three by De La Cruz — to record their ninth win in their past 11 games.

William Contreras launched a solo homer in the third inning for the Brewers and scored after an error by De La Cruz in the fifth.

Twins 6, Athletics 5 (10 innings)

Max Kepler belted a three-run homer in the sixth inning and hit a walk-off single in the 10th to lift Minnesota over Oakland in Minneapolis.

Kepler finished 3-for-4 for the Twins, who have won the first two games of the four-game series and three straight overall. Minnesota right-hander Jhoan Duran (2-2) earned the victory with two scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

Shea Langeliers hit a grand slam for the Athletics. Brent Rooker added an RBI, but Oakland dropped its seventh game in a row. Left-hander Scott Alexander (0-2) allowed an unearned run in the 10th.

Pirates 5, Rockies 2

Andrew McCutchen and Bryan Reynolds homered and finished with two hits each, Jack Suwinski also went deep, and Pittsburgh beat Colorado in Denver.

Luis Ortiz (3-2) got the win with five innings of relief for the Pirates.

Charlie Blackmon homered and doubled twice and Brenton Doyle had two hits for the Rockies, who lost starter Ryan Feltner to an apparent injury after surrendering Suwinski’s two-run homer in the seventh that made it 4-1.

Diamondbacks 7, White Sox 1

Joc Pederson and Eugenio Suarez homered and Ryne Nelson pitched six solid innings as Arizona notched a victory over Chicago in Phoenix.

Pederson and Tucker Barnhart had two hits and two RBIs apiece as Arizona won for the ninth time in its past 13 games. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. added two hits. Nelson (4-5) struck out eight and gave up one run on six hits and one walk.

Chicago’s Chris Flexen (2-6) gave up six runs (four earned) and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two as his winless streak reached seven starts. The White Sox have lost 19 of their past 22 games.

Angels 8, Giants 6

Mickey Moniak collected two doubles and a triple, Zach Neto added a home run and Los Angeles scored early and often in defeating host San Francisco to begin a three-game series.

Tyler Anderson (6-6) limited his former team to one run in 5 1/3 innings. The onslaught against Giants starter Spencer Howard (0-1) began with Michael Stefanic’s RBI single in the second inning and gained steam during a three-run third, which included Moniak hitting a two-run double.

The Giants’ lone run against Anderson came in the last of the fourth when Thairo Estrada’s double-play grounder scored Wilmer Flores. The hosts made things interesting with a five-run eighth, getting within 8-6 when Heliot Ramos smacked a three-run home run off Roansy Contreras.

REPORTS: MLB UMPIRE PAT HOBERG DISCIPLINED FOR GAMBLING VIOLATION

Umpire Pat Hoberg has been disciplined for violating Major League Baseball’s gambling rules and is appealing the decision, The Athletic and ESPN reported on Friday.

Per ESPN, Hoberg — who has not umpired a game this season — has denied betting on baseball. MLB issued a statement but did not clarify what discipline Hoberg could face.

“During this year’s Spring Training, Major League Baseball commenced an investigation regarding a potential violation of MLB’s sports betting policies by Umpire Pat Hoberg,” MLB’s statement read. “Mr. Hoberg was removed from the field during the pendency of that investigation. While MLB’s investigation did not find any evidence that games worked by Mr. Hoberg were compromised or manipulated in any way, MLB determined that discipline was warranted. Mr. Hoberg has chosen to appeal that determination. Therefore, we cannot comment further until the appeal process is concluded.”

MLB would not reveal more while the appeal is pending, per The Athletic. The appeal will be heard by commissioner Rob Manfred.

Hoberg released a statement to ESPN saying in part that “it would not be appropriate” to discuss his case while his appeal is under review.

“That said, I have devoted my adult life to the profession of umpiring, and the integrity of baseball is of the utmost importance to me. I look forward to the appeal process, and I am grateful that the Major League Baseball Umpires Association is supporting me in the appeal,” Hoberg said.

Hoberg, 37, became a professional umpire in 2019, a full-time major league ump in 2017 and worked his first World Series game in 2022, according to MLB’s umpires media guide. In that World Series, he earned a perfect score in the game he served as plate umpire from tracking site umpscorecards.com.

Hoberg’s reported discipline comes in the wake of other gambling-related issues in baseball and other professional sports in 2024. Earlier this month, former major leaguer Tucupita Marcano was banned for life for gambling on baseball, while four other players received a one-year suspension.

Earlier this spring, Ippei Mizuhara pleaded guilty to fraud for stealing money from Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani to settle gambling debts. David Fletcher, Ohtani’s former teammate with the Los Angeles Angels, is being investigated by MLB for allegedly placing wagers with an illegal bookmaker, per ESPN.

Umpires are covered by the same MLB statute that regulates player gambling, officially known as Rule 21. Those who gamble on games in which they weren’t involved receive a one-year ban, but those who gamble on games they’re involved are banned for life.

ASTROS RELEASE JOSÉ ABREU WITH $30.8 MILLION REMAINING ON HIS CONTRACT

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Astros released José Abreu on Friday, cutting ties with the former AL MVP less than halfway through a three-year, $58.5 million contract.

The 37-year-old Abreu was batting .124 (14 for 113) with two homers and seven RBIs this season, during which he spent time in the minors trying to fix his swing. The Astros still owe him $30.8 million from the deal he signed before last season.

A three-time All-Star during his nine years with the Chicago White Sox, Abreu was named MVP during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2014 after defecting from his native Cuba the previous year.

His production dropped off significantly with the Astros. He batted .237 last year, the lowest average of his career, with 18 homers and 90 RBIs.

Abreu is a career .283 hitter with 263 homers and 960 RBIs in 11 seasons.

Houston owes him $30,822,504, including $11,322,504 remaining from this year’s salary and $19.5 million for 2025. Any team can sign him for a prorated share of the $740,000 major league minimum, with the Astros responsible for the rest.

COLLEGE BASEBALL NEWS

MWCS: NO. 1 VOLS STUN FLORIDA STATE WITH 9TH-INNING RALLY

Dylan Dreiling’s fourth hit of the game was a walk-off single, capping No. 1 Tennessee’s four-run ninth inning and giving the Volunteers a stunning 12-11 win over No. 8 Florida State in the Men’s College World Series on Friday in Omaha, Neb.

The contest was the opener for both teams in the double-elimination event.

The Seminoles (47-16) led 9-4 through four innings and 11-8 through eight but couldn’t hold on.

Tennessee (56-12) was led by Christian Moore, who notched the second cycle in MCWS history. The other was accomplished by Jerry Kindall for Minnesota in 1956. Moore, the Volunteers’ leadoff hitter, went 5-for-6 and scored four runs.

Blake Burke added three hits, three RBIs and three runs for the Volunteers, while Kavares Tears had a two-run homer among his two hits.

Jaime Ferrer hit a two-run homer and knocked in four runs for the Seminoles. Marco Dinges went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, and Max Williams and Alex Lodise had two hits apiece.

Tennessee reliever Nate Snead (10-2) tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the win. Brennen Oxford (2-1), the third of four Florida State pitchers, took the loss.

In the bottom of the ninth, Tears led off with a triple against Conner Whittaker, and he scored on Dean Curley’s sacrifice fly, pulling the Volunteers within 11-9.

Oxford took over on the mound and issued a walk before getting a foulout to move Florida State within one out of a win. Moore doubled to put runners at second and third, and Burke’s two-run single to center tied the game.

Billy Amick singled, moving Burke to second and prompting Connor Hults to replace Oxford. Dreiling then sent a 1-0 pitch to left-center, ending the game.

NORTH CAROLINA’S WALK-OFF HIT SINKS VIRGINIA IN CWS OPENER

Vance Honeycutt lined a game-winning single to left field with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give No. 4 North Carolina a 3-2 victory over No. 12 Virginia on Friday in the opening game of the College World Series at Omaha, Neb.

Pinch hitter Jackson Van De Brake led off the ninth with a double just inside the right field line off Virginia’s Chase Hungate (7-2). Alex Madera laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Van De Brake to third and Colby Wilkerson was retired on a foul pop to catcher Jacob Ference.

Honeycutt came up and delivered the walk-off hit on a 2-1 pitch to make a winner of Dalton Pence (5-1), who tossed 3 1/3 hitless innings of relief. Casey Cook had three hits for the Tar Heels.

North Carolina (48-14) advances to face the winner of Friday night’s game between Tennessee and Florida State on Sunday night. The loser of the night contest will meet Virginia (46-16) in an elimination game, also on Sunday.

Virginia left-hander Evan Blanco allowed two runs and seven hits over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked two.

North Carolina struck in the bottom of the first as Cook singled with one out, moved to third on a double by Parks Harber and scored on Anthony Donofrio’s groundout.

The Cavaliers tied the score in the third when Ethan Anderson hit a one-out single, advanced to third on a double by Casey Saucke and scored on Henry Ford’s single to right.

Virginia took a 2-1 lead in the sixth as Henry Godbout drew a leadoff walk against North Carolina’s Matt Poston and Eric Becker followed with a double. After Bobby Whalen struck out, Griff O’Ferrall hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Godbout.

The Tar Heels knotted the score in the seventh as Madera led off with a single and was bunted to second. After the second out, Cook stroked a single to left to score Madera and end Blanco’s outing.

North Carolina right-hander Jason DeCaro allowed one run and four hits in four-plus innings. He struck out six and walked four.

2024 ABCA/RAWLINGS NCAA DIV. I ALL-AMERICA TEAMS ANNOUNCED

The 2024 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. I All-America teams have been announced and feature 14 student-athletes who are participating in the 2024 NCAA Div. I College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. ABCA/Rawlings All-Region first-team selections, which were announced June 11, were nominated for All-America honors.

First recognized in 1949, the ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. I All-America teams are selected by the ABCA All-America & Coach of the Year committee, which is chaired by Tommy Raffo. The committee also includes Mitch Canham (Oregon State University), Dean Ehehalt (Monmouth University), Brian Green (Wichita State University), Jeff Mercer (Indiana University), Brian O’Connor (University of Virginia), Jim Penders (University of Connecticut), and Butch Thompson (Auburn University).

The finalists for the ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. I Gold Glove team will be announced via Twitter by Rawlings Sporting Goods (@RawlingsSports) on Tuesday, June 18. The Gold Glove winners in all divisions will be announced on Wednesday, June 19.

In all divisions, the ABCA/Rawlings National Pitchers and Position Players of the Year will be announced on Monday, June 24.

The ABCA All-America teams now include nine divisions: NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA Divisions I, II and III, Pacific Association Division, and high school. ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove teams were first recognized in 2007.

NFL NEWS

CHIEFS’ NEW SUPER BOWL RINGS FEATURE FACTUAL ERROR

The Kansas City Chiefs’ new Super Bowl rings are a sight to behold, complete with 529 diamonds, 38 rubies and 14.8 carats worth of gems.

Unfortunately, they also feature an error in the engraving.

On the inside band of the ring, there is a rundown of the Chiefs’ postseason victories listed. While it’s true that Kansas City recorded a 26-7 win over Miami in the wild-card round, the Dolphins were erroneously listed as the AFC’s seventh seed. Miami, in fact, was the sixth seed.

Given all that went into winning Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers, it’s likely the Chiefs are willing to look past the inaccurate seeding of their wild-card foe.

UFL CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

The last American professional sports franchise to win three championships in a row is the Los Angeles Lakers, who won three consecutive NBA titles from 2000-02. And now the United Football League’s Birmingham Stallions are one win away from joining that exclusive three-peat club.

The Stallions (10-1) won USFL titles in 2022 and 2023 and can take the UFL crown Sunday, when they face a stingy San Antonio Brahmas squad at 5 p.m. ET at The Dome of America’s Center in St. Louis (Fox). The inaugural UFL championship game pits arguably the most exciting player in the league (Birmingham quarterback Adrian Martinez) against the league’s most impenetrable defense in San Antonio (8-3). The Brahmas are the only team to beat the Stallions this season, shutting them down 18-9 in Week 9.

Time: 5 p.m. ET, Sunday

Site: The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis

TV: Fox

Line: Stallions -3, O/U 41.5

Skip Holtz has the Stallions back in championship position, but it hasn’t been easy recently. Birmingham won its first eight games, extending its winning streak to 15 games dating to its final USFL season. But the Stallions lost to San Antonio in Week 9 and had to survive a game-winning field goal attempt by the Michigan Panthers in Week 10. Then they fell behind 18-3 to the Panthers in the second quarter of the USFL conference championship game this past Saturday. The Stallions showed their championship mettle, though, scoring the final 28 points to put themselves one win away from a three-peat.

Backup quarterback Matt Corral was one of the main heroes of the victory, replacing Martinez — the UFL MVP — in the second half and throwing two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to put the Stallions ahead. Corral finished 9-of-11 for 120 yards and the two touchdown passes after replacing Martinez, who threw an interception and lost two fumbles before being yanked. Martinez is expected to start Sunday.

Birmingham’s defense also stepped up in that win, picking off Michigan quarterback Danny Etling three times (one of which was returned for a game-tying touchdown by cornerback Daniel Isom), sacking him five times and recovering a fumble. Defensive end Dondrea Tillman had two of the Stallions’ five sacks.

As far as defenses go, no one has been able to solve what Phillips & Co. have drawn up in San Antonio. The Brahmas have given up a UFL-best 15.3 points per game and have held opposing offenses to a mere 13 touchdowns, as the St. Louis Battlehawks mustered only one offensive TD against San Antonio in this past Sunday’s XFL conference championship game. Only one team (the Battlehawks in Week 3) has hit the 20-point mark against the Brahmas, who have held their past eight opponents to 15 points or fewer.

The Stallions struggled against the San Antonio defense in Week 9, mustering only nine points in their only loss of the season. The Brahmas’ D will try to duplicate the task after sacking St. Louis quarterback AJ McCarron four times Sunday. Defensive tackle Prince Emili had two of those sacks, while All-UFL linebacker Tavante Beckett had five tackles against the Battlehawks.

The Brahmas’ offense doesn’t get as much buzz as the defense, but it has several former NFL players who stepped up in the St. Louis win. Former Raiders quarterback Chase Garbers — who has split time with Quinten Dormady this season — threw for 197 yards and two touchdown passes against the Battlehawks, one of those going to former Bills receiver Marquez Stevenson. Former Steelers running back Anthony McFarland Jr. ran for 115 yards and a touchdown, as San Antonio rushed for 213 yards.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

NO. 1 OHIO STATE ADDS 2025 4-STAR WR QUINCY PORTER

Ohio State received a commitment from four-star wide receiver Quincy Porter on Friday, adding to its top-ranked 2025 recruiting class.

Porter, from New Jersey’s Bergen Catholic High School, is ranked as the No. 8 wide receiver in 2025 and the No. 49 overall player in the class by the 247Sports composite.

Over the past two weeks, he made official visits to Penn State and Ohio State, and he was scheduled to visit Michigan on Friday.

Per the composite, the Buckeyes’ top-ranked class is powered by three five-star and 11 four-star commits. No. 2 Notre Dame has 21 commits — none with a five-star designation.

The five-stars in Ohio State’s 2025 class are quarterback Tavien St. Clair (Bellefontaine, Ohio) and cornerbacks Devin Sanchez (Houston) and Na’eem Offord (Birmingham, Ala.) They are ranked Nos. 2, 4 and 6 in the nation, respectively.

BLUE-CHIP S KAINOA WINSTON COMMITS TO MICHIGAN

Four-star safety Kainoa Winston committed to Michigan’s 2025 recruiting class on Friday.

The 247Sports composite lists him as the No. 9 safety and the No 43 overall player in the class.

Winston, who attends Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., is from Maryland. He took an official visit to Penn State last week following a May 31 trip to Ann Arbor.

“What really stood out about the visit is how authentic the people there are,” he told 247Sports about his trip to Michigan. “All the coaching staff, recruiting staff, and players are genuine and aren’t into all the hype and media.

“They’re about their business and winning games and championships, and that’s the main focus all around the program.”

With his commitment, Michigan’s recruiting class jumped to No. 40 in the 247Sports composite 2025 class rankings. The defending national champion Wolverines have seven four-star commits in the class.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS

KANSAS STATE LANDS FORMER ILLINOIS STANDOUT COLEMAN HAWKINS

One of the top players in the transfer portal, former Illinois big man Coleman Hawkins, announced Friday that he’s committed to Kansas State.

After four seasons with the Fighting Illini, Hawkins initially put his name in for the NBA draft. Without a draft assurance, he opted to withdraw from the draft and enter the transfer portal on April 30 for his fifth and final year of NCAA eligibility.

And he reportedly will be well-compensated. The Athletic said Friday that Hawkins will receive $2 million “in what’s believed to be the most lucrative college basketball NIL deal negotiated from a collective.”

The 6-foot-10 Hawkins is one more offseason addition to coach Jerome Tang’s Wildcats, who lost 10 scholarship players from last year’s team and have rebuilt through the transfer portal.

Kansas State also added guard Dug McDaniel from Michigan, forward Achor Achor from Samford, combo guard Max Jones from Cal State Fullerton – all of whom average 15 points per game or above.

They also added big man Ugonna Onyenso who went from being a Kentucky Wildcat to a Kansas State Wildcat, as well as former Villanova guard Brendan Hausen, former Arkansas center Baye Fall, and former UIC guard C.J. Jones. Forward Davis N’Guessan, who started 21 games last season and averaged 7.8 points per game, is the only returning starter for Kansas State.

Hawkins scored a career-high 12.1 points per game while adding 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 blocks over 35 games (all starts) in 2023-24. He shot a career-best 36.9 percent from 3-point range and was named an All-Big Ten honorable mention.

In 126 games (82 starts) for Illinois over four seasons, Hawkins contributed 7.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.

VIRGINIA G ELIJAH GERTRUDE (KNEE) TO MISS SEASON

Virginia guard Elijah Gertrude will miss the 2024-25 season after injuring his right knee in a scooter accident.

The 6-foot-4 sophom*ore had the accident on April 30 and underwent surgery on May 17, coach Tony Bennett said Friday.

A four-star recruit from Jersey City, N.J., Gertrude averaged 3.4 points in 16 games for the Cavaliers in 2023-24.

“He had a solid first season on Grounds and was off to a terrific start in our offseason workouts,” Bennett said. “Elijah’s surgery went well and he is already working hard on his rehabilitation.”

UCF’S JOHNNY DAWKINS INKS TWO-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION

UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins signed a two-year contract extension on Friday that spans through the 2026-27 season.

Dawkins, 60, guided the Knights to a 17-16 record in 2023-24 during the team’s first season in the Big 12. UCF lost in the first round of the NIT.

“I want to thank our president Alexander N. Cartwright and vice president and director of athletics Terry Mohajir for their confidence in me to continue leading this program,” Dawkins said. “We had some success in our first season in the Big 12, and I’m excited to continue building on that for the future. This is a special place for my family, and I’ve loved coaching UCF from day one. I’m always going to pour my whole heart into this University.”

Dawkins owns a 148-103 mark in eight seasons with the Knights. The team qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2019.

“If you were one of the record-setting number of people who attended our home games this season, you saw first-hand how we competed under Johnny’s leadership in our first season in the nation’s toughest basketball conference,” Mohajir said. “Johnny has done a great job leading this program and we’re excited he will continue to be our head coach.”

Dawkins posted a 156-115 record in eight seasons at Stanford (2008-16).

GOLF NEWS

PHENOM LUDVIG ABERG TAKES OVER TOP SPOT AT U.S. OPEN

Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg shot 1-under par 69 to claim the U.S. Open lead after Friday’s second round at Pinehurst, N.C., where the cutline became a hot topic.

Aberg, a 24-year-old former Texas Tech golfer who turned pro last June, is at 5-under 135 midway through the championship.

Bryson DeChambeau, who had five birdies and four bogeys for a 69, and Belgium’s Thomas Detry, who shot 67, are among the golfers one shot back at 4 under. They’re joined by first-round co-leader Patrick Cantlay (71), who overcame a double-bogey 6 on No. 8.

It was another round with a high degree of difficulty as golfers played Pinehurst No. 2 on a day with rising temperatures and heat advisories.

Nearly among the victims was World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who was in danger of missing the cut after a birdie-less 74. He was in the long list of golfers at 5 over, directly on the cutline.

Tiger Woods (73) wasn’t as fortunate, missing the cut. Woods, who shot 74 in the first round, had his only birdie on No. 4, but the three-time U.S. Open champion played the last 14 holes in 4 over to card a 73 and fall to 7 over.

France’s Matthieu Pavon (70) briefly shared the lead before finishing with back-to-back bogeys late in the day and tying for fifth place at 3 under.

First-round co-leader Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland shot 2-over-par 72, dropping a few spots by the time he finished following his morning tee time. He’s tied with Pavon and Tony Finau (69).

McIlroy had two bogeys by the time his first birdie came on No. 3, the 12th hole of his round. He was bogey-free Thursday.

“Overall, I felt like I did a pretty good job at keeping some of the mistakes off the scorecard,” McIlroy said. “I wish I had converted a couple more of the chances.”

Scheffler took a double-bogey 7 on No. 5. He hasn’t missed a cut since the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship, keeping that string alive.

“I’m proud of how I fought today,” Scheffler said. “I gave myself a good chance.”

Detry made a big move early in the afternoon to climb to 5 under through 14 holes and briefly held the sole lead. With bogeys on two of his last four holes, he relinquished the top spot.

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama had the day’s best round with a bogey-free 66, putting him at 2 under.

“I feel like my short game was on point today,” Matsuyama said. “That really helped my game.”

Xander Schauffele, also starting on the 10th hole, made a move before a double-bogey on No. 5 stemmed the momentum. Last month’s winner of the PGA Championship finished with 69, putting him at 1 under going to the weekend.

Germany’s Martin Kaymer (73), who won the U.S. Open on this course in 2014, is at 3 over and defending champion Wyndham Clark (71) is at 4 over.

Francesco Molinari of Italy shot a 72 that was bolstered by a hole-in-one on the par-3 ninth, which was his finishing hole. That ace made him 5 over for the tournament, allowing him to play the weekend. Sepp Straka of Austria also made a hole-in-one at No. 9.

TIGER WOODS’ LAST U.S. OPEN? ‘IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE’

Tiger Woods missed the cut at the U.S. Open by two shots — then said he didn’t know if this was his swan song at the major championship.

Woods posted a 3-over 73 Friday at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, dropping to 7 over for his two days on the course. The cut line at the notoriously difficult major came in at 5 over, with the top 60 players and ties advancing to the weekend.

Woods, 48, birdied the par-4 fourth hole by sinking a downhill putt from more than 16 feet out. He proceeded to bogey the next hole and carded three more bogeys without a birdie the rest of the way.

The 15-time major champion has spoken about playing just a handful of events each season as time goes on and he copes with his aging body. He indicated Friday that next month’s Open Championship at Royal Troon will be his last tournament of 2024.

“I don’t think even if I win the British Open I don’t think I’ll be in the (FedEx Cup) playoffs,” Woods said. “Just one more event and then I’ll come back whenever I come back.”

Then, Woods was asked how much it hurt to miss the cut, and whether he had considered it could have been his final U.S. Open.

“Well, it’s one of those things where in order to win a golf tournament, you have to make the cut,” Woods said. “I can’t win the tournament from where I’m at, so it certainly is frustrating. I thought I played well enough to be up there in contention. It just didn’t work out.”

“As far as my last Open Championship or U.S. Open Championship, I don’t know what that is. It may or may not be.”

Woods played this week on a special exemption. The three-time U.S. Open winner (2000, 2002, 2008) was not going to make the field otherwise, as the USGA’s exemptions for past winners only last 10 years.

One of the most remarkable achievements of Woods’ career came at the 2008 U.S. Open, when he defeated Rocco Mediate in sudden death after an 18-hole Monday playoff.

Woods’ favorite major is the Masters, where he’s made the cut in a record 24 straight starts. But he has failed to make the cut at any other major since the 2022 PGA Championship, where he withdrew after playing three rounds due to plantar fasciitis.

Asked what will be his main takeaway from this trip to Pinehurst, Woods merely called his week “frustrating.”

“I’m not here for the weekend,” he said. “Granted, my ball-striking and felt like my putting was good enough to be in contention, and I’m not.”

ALLY EWING, GRACE KIM TIED FOR LEAD AT MEIJER LPGA CLASSIC

Ally Ewing shot a scorching, 9-under 63 to move into a tie with Australia’s Grace Kim for the 36-hole lead at the Meijer LPGA Classic on Friday in Belmont, Mich.

Ewing and Kim stand at 11-under 133 after two trips around Blythefield Country Club after Kim posted a 65 Friday. They are two shots ahead of Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen (64 Friday) and South Korea’s Narin An (68).

Ewing’s bogey-free round began with three birdies over her first five holes, and she chipped in for eagle at the par-5 eighth hole. She sank four more birdies coming home, including a short putt at the par-3 11th after an excellent tee shot.

“I think you can make a lot of birdies out here,” Ewing said. “At the same time, I approach a golf course with what it gives me, so I try to play smart but aggressive golf.”

The 31-year-old, who has three LPGA wins to her name, found her form again after tying for third at the U.S. Women’s Open two weeks ago.

“Yeah, I think any time you get a good finish in any tournament, much less a major, you just see good golf for four days, definitely helps your confidence when you carry it over,” Ewing said. “The golf ball doesn’t know what I did last week, but it’s still important to attack it but also have confidence with it.”

Kim started her round on the back nine and also piled up three birdies over her first five. After bogeying No. 17, she bounced back with an eagle at the par-5 18th. She added a final bang with three straight birdies at Nos. 6-8.

Kim said the conditions changed drastically for her after playing Thursday’s round in heavy wind.

“I think I was the second-lowest scorer of the day (Thursday) in the afternoon, and, yeah that says a lot of how tough the conditions were,” Kim said. “But to be able to pull through and make a few more birdies, back-to-back birdies to finish my round, yeah, very much topped it off.”

Brooke M. Henderson of Canada, a two-time winner of this event, shot 69 Friday and is part of a tie for fifth at 8 under with Lauren Hartlage (69), Allison Corpuz (68), South Korea’s Jin Hee Im (65) and China’s Jing Yan (68).

World No. 1 Nelly Korda couldn’t recover from an opening-round 76. She shot a 5-under 67 on Friday but missed the cut line of 2 under by a single stroke.

“I’m very pleased with the way that I struck the ball today off the tee, something I’ve been struggling with this year,” Korda said. “This was by far the best I’ve hit it off the tee, so a little bit of positivity going into (the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship).”

RACING NEWS

DRIVERS EXPECT FUN, FULL HOUSE AT IOWA SPEEDWAY SERIES DEBUT

Iowa Speedway gets its turn in the NASCAR Cup Series spotlight for the first time in Sunday night’s Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol, and the prevailing feeling is that the inaugural event in the top series will reward fans with an eyeful and earful of excitement.

An earful would be just about right for the corn-themed state.

When NASCAR has branched out to new markets, the results have been generally fantastic, especially at the beginning, though some tracks fizzled out and are no longer listed as “present” when roll is called on the Cup Series’ schedule.

Speedways in Kansas, Texas, Las Vegas and near St. Louis have made it work and do well in front of good crowds, while others in Chicago, California, Kentucky and Wisconsin had obstacles that couldn’t be overcome and ultimately came to pit road and loaded up for the final time.

However, motorsports fans in the Midwest have deep roots and are plentiful. They show up in droves to harvest the bounty of tracks throughout the region, whether it is in a series governed by NASCAR, IndyCar, ARCA, or even the old K&N — including Iowa Speedway.

“I think what’s exciting for me about (Iowa) is I remember going there in K&N and Xfinity,” said Chase Elliott, who has won the series’ Most Popular Driver honors six straight times. “I remember fans always talking about how they wanted a Cup race, so I’m excited. … It’s been a worthy facility for a long time. I think it’s good.”

Reigning series champion Ryan Blaney hasn’t raced there in 10 years, but he’s excited to be back because of the track being wide, racy and at a unique length of 7/8th-mile.

“The fans there were always like really dedicated to the event and the weekend, no matter if it was IndyCar, trucks, Xfinity, whatever it was,” Blaney said. “It’s good for the area around there.”

When the central Iowa city of Newton threw its hat into the motorsports ring in 2004 and decided to build a new race track, it enlisted the design services of a Midwesterner — former NASCAR great Rusty Wallace.

To no one’s surprise, Iowa Speedway turned out to be something Wallace would certainly have liked to turn left on.

A winner of 55 Cup races and the 1989 championship, the Missouri native made it known throughout his career how much he enjoyed the 3/4-mile, D-shaped short track in Richmond. It bears a strong resemblance to the speedway in Newton, a town where the Maytag Washing Machine Co. got its start in 1893.

“I do think that anytime we go to a new facility or a new town of any sort, it’s been a home run,” said Blaney’s Team Penske teammate Joey Logano. “People show up. It’s the unknown. People like change and new things. I think (adding a new track) to the circuit every year makes total sense. It’s been healthy for the sport.”

Among others involved in Iowa Speedway, Wallace helped build it.

The fans will come.

TOP INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

(IHSAA NEW RELEASES)

BARR-REEVE “FINISHED THE JOB”, WINS FIRST BASEBALL CROWN

INDIANAPOLIS – Third time was the charm for the top-ranked Barr-Reeve Vikings on Friday night at Victory Field in downtown Indianapolis.

Making their third IHSAA baseball state finals appearance in program history – and second straight – the Vikings (28-6) avenged last year’s heartbreaking 1-0 championship loss and “finished the job” by halting No. 3 Lafayette Central Catholic’s bid at a second Class 1A three-peat.

Barr-Reeve junior ace Seth Wagler (8-1) pitched a complete-game and scattered six hits with five strikeouts, while the Vikings’ offense capitalized on five uncharacteristic Knights’ errors to win 6-1 and capture the program’s first-ever baseball state title.

“After last year, we were very motivated. We talked about it all year long. As soon as we lost last year, we were like, ‘We have the guys coming back, and we’re going to be just as good as we ever were, and we’re going to get back, and we did it,” Wagler said.

A Class 1A state finalist in 1998 and 2023, the Vikings fell short both times, but last year’s setback was extremely difficult to digest.

Wagler pitched a complete game, four-hitter in the 2023 state title game with 10 strikeouts, but the right-hander’s only earned run crossed home plate via a top-of-the-third balk with runners on the corners to give Lafayette Central Catholic the one run it needed to collect it’s state-leading ninth championship.

“It was very heartbreaking. I just felt like we had a great year, and obviously, that didn’t define our year when we lost 1-0 in the state championship, but to lose that way was just heartbreaking, and we knew we had it in us to come back,” Wagler said. “We just put that on our shoulders, and we worked with it.”

Wagler put the Vikings on his back in the rematch, retiring the first five and final eight batters he faced.

The Knights (27-7) plated their lone run in the bottom of the fourth, as sophom*ore Alex Schummer (1-for-3) laced a one-out, RBI single to left-center field after Lafayette Central Catholic put two runners on base to open the frame.

Senior Brinn Robbins (1-for-3) recorded LCC’s only extra-base hit, a triple to right field in the bottom of the second. Senior Gavin Boutelle went 2-for-4 for the Knights, who had won 20 straight state tournament games.

LCC’s six hits and two walks drawn provided potential scoring opportunities in the bottom of the second, third, fourth and fifth innings.

The Knights broke through once, but two highlight plays by senior shortstop Ethan Stoll in the third, including a backhand diving catch in left field for the third out, kept the Knights off the board.

Wagler stranded seven Knights’ runners overall and six in scoring position.

“He’s such a competitor. He attacks the strike zone, and he pitches to contact. He’s not a big power arm, and he trusts his defense, but more than anything, it’s the intangibles. The steadiness that Seth brings, his composure, his mound presence, and I think all of our guys feed off of his confidence when he’s out there,” Barr-Reeve head coach Trevor McConnell said.

“When he’s out there, everyone feels we have a chance to win the game. He’s just that guy that we’re fortunate to have and that your whole team feeds off of, especially if he does what he’s capable of doing, and he usually does.”

The Vikings built a 3-0 lead after two innings, beginning with a two-out rally in the top of the first sparked by the Knights’ first error.

An RBI double by junior Jacob Pauw (2-for-4) drove in the first run. A one-out RBI triple by senior Braydon Knepp (1-for-4) in the top of the second increased the lead to 2-0 before Stoll laid down an RBI-sacrifice bunt to make it 3-0.

Barr-Reeve’s two-run top of the fifth was fueled by a pair of Knights’ errors, which gifted Stoll two bases to lead off. Stoll later scored from third base on a throwing error during the next at-bat, as Ethan Graber was struck by a throw to first base after laying down a bunt.

Wagler helped his own cause in the next at-bat, driving in Graber with a single to left field to up the score 5-1.

“I think deep down we wanted it to be them in the finals after what happened last year, and that’s nothing against them,” McConnell said. “I think our kids collectively wanted another shot at that team. I had some people say, ‘It’s a bummer they didn’t get moved up to 2A,’ and you’re trying to be humble, but quietly, well, that’s the shot our kids want.”

A two-out RBI single by senior Tyler Graber (3-for-4) in the top of the seventh finalized the margin. Graber finished with a ground-rule double and a pair of singles.

“I’m glad we could come back and finish what we couldn’t finish last year,” Graber said. “That’s one way to lose a game, with a balk, and I’m sure (Seth) was wearing that for who knows how long? I’m just glad we got it done for him. It’s special. First time our baseball program has finished the job. It’s special.”

Lafayette Central Catholic was competing in its 12th state championship game since 2004 and are now 9-3 in those contests. Their tournament winning streak marks the third-longest in the event’s 57-year history behind their own state record of 38 from 2009-14 and Jasper’s run of 28 from 1996-99.

The Knights’ ninth state title clinched in 2023 extended the program’s and head coach Tim Bordenet’s all-time, state-record lead. LCC four-peated from 2009-12, but the Vikings ended their recent attempt at duplicating the feat.

“It was cool that it worked out the way it did,” McConnell said. “It’s a pretty neat story of having the heartache and the adversity and then working all year to come back and to get this moment and for it to turn our way this year was awesome. I’m so happy for our kids. They deserve it.”

NEW PRAIRIE’S BIG FOURTH INNING SECURES FIRST STATE TITLE

INDIANAPOLIS – Down to his final strike with two outs in the fourth inning, New Prairie sophom*ore Reed Robinson laced a two-run single to lead the Cougars to their first IHSAA baseball state championship with a 7-2 win over the Brebeuf Jesuit Braves on Friday night at Victory Field.

“I was… just trying to do whatever I can,” Robinson said. “Our team has been working for this moment and putting all the practice and work in the offseason into the game. It’s a big situation, obviously, but I love those situations and I love being in those moments. I love the pressure and I’m sure everyone on our team loves the pressure, and that’s what makes us so special.”

Robinson was central to the Cougars run-scoring effort in their first trip to the state championship game in school history. On a double-steal in the bottom of the first inning with Robinson acting as the lead runner, a throwing error by catcher Will Loftus allowed him to score the game’s opening run. A sacrifice fly by nine-hole hitter Colin Wind plated another in the next frame.

Brebeuf didn’t go quietly, knotting the game in the top of the fourth inning when Aiden Holtzapple reached safely on a fielding error by the shortstop Wind to plate two.

“I went out to the mound right after they tied it up, and before I could get there the guys were talking to each other like, ‘Hey, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We knew we were going to face some adversity.’” New Prairie head coach Mark Schellinger said. “You’ve just got to respond and that’s exactly what we did.”

The first two outs to New Prairie in the bottom of the fourth came on five quick pitches before the offense started rolling. A single by Colin Laskowski and back-to-back walks loaded the bases for Robinson, who was tied for the third-most RBI (41) in the state of Indiana this season. Three pitches after Robinson’s two-run single, three-hole hitter Jordan Davis matched the effort to extend the Cougars’ lead to four runs.

Errors by both teams assisted the scoring, with New Prairie plating its seventh run – third via error – in the bottom of the fifth.

Cougars starting pitcher Tyson Greenwood received a standing ovation coming off the field with one batter on in the top of the seventh inning. The senior tossed 6.0 two-run innings (one earned) with two walks and seven strikeouts in his quest to go to the distance. Joe Kinney entered in relief and clinched the championship with a strikeout to strand the bases loaded.

Christian Forniss and Maverick Geske combined to counter for the Braves, with Geske tossing a pair of scoreless innings in relief to close out the contest.

“Really, [the strategy] was going right at them,” Greenwood said. “We were talking about it the whole time before, it’s really just another baseball game. What was going to make us special was doing what we do, no matter the conditions. We were just going to overcome all of the challenges and face all of the adversity.”

The Braves defeated No. 1 Guerin Catholic in sectionals and No. 9 Crawfordsville in semi-state before meeting up with the No. 8-ranked Cougars in the championship. New Prairie’s path to the title featured no top-10 ranked opponents in either the regular season or bracket play. The Cougars’ stretch also featured 12 consecutive wins dating back to May 6.

The victory was New Prairie’s second state title regardless of sport in school history. The softball team brought home the school’s first title in 2023.

“It’s unbelievable,” Schellinger said. “Credit goes to the guys – Our last loss was kind of a gut-check moment. We were having a good year, the guys were playing well, but we knew we weren’t playing as well as we could. We talked about it a little bit and they fixed it.

“We were able to get out and play really well heading into the tournament, and we ended up here.”

INDY ELEVEN

INDY ELEVEN ACQUIRES ROMARIO WILLIAMS FROM HARTFORD ATHLETIC

INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, June 14, 2024) – Indy Eleven today announced the acquisition of Romario Williams via transfer from Hartford Athletic. In a corresponding move, Indy has transferred defender Younes Boudadi to Hartford. Per club policy, terms of the deal will not be disclosed, and the transaction is pending league and federation approval.

Williams appeared in 11 matches, making seven starts, at Hartford this season. The forward has a pair of goals off 13 shots in over 600 minutes of action.

Williams was selected as the third overall pick by Montreal in the 2015 MLS Draft. He played a pair of games for the MLS side that season as well as seven on loan at FC Montreal. The 2016 and 2017 seasons saw Williams appear in 49 total matches for the USL’s Charleston Battery FC, where he scored 25 goals and registered four assists.

His success brought him back to the MLS in 2018 as Williams spent two seasons as part of the Atlanta United organization. Overall, he saw action in 19 matches with the first team, playing in 17 to help the club win the 2018 MLS Cup, and 12 with Atlanta United 2. During the 2019 season, Williams appeared in seven matches with the Columbus Crew.

Williams returned to the USL Championship in 2020, scoring eight goals in 16 matches for Miami FC before playing internationally for Egyptian Premier League’s Ittihad Alexandria SC and Qadsia SC out of the Kuwait Premier League in 2021.

In July of 2022 he returned to the U.S. and played in 10 matches with New Mexico United before joining Colorado Springs ahead of the 2023 season. Williams scored 15 goals, tied for seventh in USL Championship action, and added three assists in 29 appearances with the Switchbacks.

The Jamaican has earned 15 caps and scored a pair of goals for the senior national team since his debut on Nov. 13, 2016. Williams also played for the U-17 side prior to college, making three appearances in the 2011 U-17 FIFA World Cup and five appearances in CONCACAF qualifiers.

As part of the transaction, Boudadi returns to Hartford, where he played during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Over two seasons in the Circle City, Boudadi played in 40 matches logging over 3,000 minutes and registering seven assists.

Indy returns home to host San Antonio FC on Saturday. Kick is slated for 7 p.m. ET and will air locally on WISH-TV, as well as on TelevisaUnivision, and stream on ESPN+. The Boys in Blue are unbeaten in 11 matches across all competitions and have a club-best seven consecutive wins in USL Championship action.

PREVIEW #INDVSA

Indy ElevenvsSan Antonio FC
Saturday, June 15, 2024–7:00 p.m. ET 
Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis
Dino Night

Follow Live
WISH-TV
TelevisaUnivision
Stream:ESPN+(click to subscribe)
Spanish Radio: Exitos Radio 94.3 FM &exitos943.com
In-game updates: @IndyElevenLiveTwitter feed
Stats:#INDvSAMatchCenteratUSLChampionship.com

SETTING THE SCENE
The Boys in Blue return to The Mike on Saturday to host San Antonio FC. This serves as the lone meeting between the two sides in USL Championship action this season, but the pair met up in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 (5.8) with Indy coming away with a 2-0 victory.

Indy is coming off a 1-0 win over Birmingham Legion FC and sits at 8-4-2 in third place in the Eastern Conference. San Antonio fell to Tulsa, 2-1, its last time out, and is 4-5-5 in the Western Conference.

SERIES VS. SAN ANTONIO
Sunday marks only the third meeting all-time in USL Championship competition between the teams, but fourth meeting overall.

Indy Leads 1-0-1 | GF 4, GA 3

Recent Meetings
May 8, 2024 ^ | W, 2-0 | Home
Oct. 14, 2023 | D, 3-3 | Away
Aug. 27, 2022 | W, 1-0 | Home
^denotes U.S. Open Cup match

GOALS
The Boys in Blue have scored in 14 straight USLC matches to open the 2024 season, bringing their total to 26 goals (3rd USL). The streak is the longest to open a USLC campaign and is the longest run overall within the same season for the club. In total, Indy has scored in 17 straight regular season matches dating back to Sept. 30, 2023.

The Boys in Blue have 15 first-half goals this season, the second highest total in league play (Charleston, 16).

TOTW REGULARS
Jack Blake has been named to the USL Championship Team of the Week five times in 2024, the most for any player in the league, while Aedan Stanley has three nods and a Player of the Week accolade to his name. Additionally, four players have had at least one selection in Younes Boudadi, Adrian Diz Pe, Benjamin Ofeimu and Augi Williams.

In total, six players have earned team of the week nods, while seven total have received either team or bench honors.

LAST TIME OUT
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Sunday, June 9, 2024) –Indy Eleven went on the road and defeated Birmingham Legion FC, 1-0, on Sunday.

Indy’s leading goal scorer Jack Blake got things started for the visiting team in the 34th minute, converting on his fifth penalty kick of the season. In addition to being a perfect 5-for-5 from the spot in 2024, Blake now has eight goals this campaign (T3 USLC) and 11 total over two seasons with the Boys in Blue. His five successful PKs are also the third most all-time for an Indy player in USL Championship action.

Indy is 6-for-6 from the spot this season (Williams).

The Boys in Blue outshot Birmingham 21-14 in the match, including a 9-1 advantage in shots on target. Blake posted a season-high eight shots and four on target.

Defensively, Callum Chapman-Page won a game-high three tackles and led the match with four clearances. Hunter Sulte was forced to make one save and picked up his second clean sheet in seven matches.

Scoring Summary
IND – Jack Blake (penalty) 34’

Discipline Summary
IND – Bench (caution) 90+3’

STREAKING
The Boys in Blue are now unbeaten in 11 straight matches across all competitions, including a club-best seven straight wins in USL Championship matches. The last loss for Indy came on April 13 against Charleston Battery, who sits just three points ahead of third-place Indy in the Eastern Conference standings entering the weekend. Indy is now only one of 12 teams in USL Championship history to make it seven straight wins.

The Boys in Blue have outscored their opponents 22-6 in those matches, while posting five clean sheets and never conceding more than one goal.

4.17 Chicago Fire FC II^ W, 1-0
4.20 at Colorado Springs Switchbacks SC D, 1-1
4.27 North Carolina FC W, 2-1
5.4 at Monterey Bay F.C. W, 1-0
5.8 San Antonio FC^ W, 2-0
5.12 at Miami FC W, 3-1
5.18 Hartford Athletic W, 4-1
5.22 Detroit City FC^ W, 3-0
5.25 Phoenix Rising FC W, 2-1
6.1 at Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC W, 2-1
6.9 at Birmingham Legion FC W, 1-0
^denotes U.S. Open Cup match

THIS IS MAY
Indy Eleven finished off the month of May going 4-0-0 in USL Championship action and 6-0-0 across all competitions. The four wins for the Boys in Blue are the most so far this season for a side in the USLC to take maximum points in a month.

TOP-10 TEAMMATES
Sebastian Guenzatti (6th, 73) and Augi Williams (9th, 71) serve as the only pair of active teammates in the USL Championship’s top 10 for all-time regular season goals. Williams currently sits at five goals in 2024, while Guenzatti has three. Williams also has a pair in U.S. Open Cup action this season to lead Indy.

ALLOW ME TO ASSIST YOU
Aedan Stanley has a league-best seven assists, which includes his first career multi-assist game, a two-helper performance against his old club Miami FC on May 12. He also has a team-high two in Open Cup games. Stanley has 15 career USL Championship assists, posting no more that three in a season before 2024.

2024: 7 | 2023: 3 | 2022: 3 | 2020: 2

THE [NEW] GAFFER
2024 is Indy’s first season under head coach Sean McAuley, who previously served as interim head coach/assistant at MLS-side Minnesota United FC. McAuley helped Minnesota to playoff appearances in each of his first three seasons, including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2020. In 2015, he hoisted the MLS Cup with Portland Timbers. McAuley opened his playing career with Manchester United and played for Portland Timbers and the U-21 Scottish National Team, among others.

McAuley got his first career win in the USL Championship on March 16, 2024, a 2-1 defeat of Memphis 901 FC.

USLC : 8-4-2 | USOC: 3-0-0 | OVERALL: 11-4-2

IN THE WIN COLUMN
The Boys in Blue had 13 regular-season wins in 2023 tied for the second most during a USL Championship season (2018) and behind the 19 victories from the 2019 season. Indy currently has eight in 2024, a total not reached until August 12 a season ago.

INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS

PEGUERO’S BLAST LIFTS INDY TO BACK-TO-BACK VICTORIES

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Liover Peguero crushed a go-ahead solo home run in the top of the ninth inning, lifting the Indianapolis Indians to a 3-2 defeat of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp on Friday night at 121 Financial Ballpark

Tied 2-2 in the top of the ninth, Peguero launched his fourth home run of the season off Anthony Maldonado (L, 4-3) to give the Indians (28-37) an advantage. The solo shot was Peguero’s second round-tripper in as many days after hitting a solo homer in Thursday night’s victory.

Indianapolis opened the scoring with a two-run first inning courtesy of a Matt Fraizer single to score Malcom Nuñez and Canaan Smith-Njigba. The trio combined for four of Indy’s five hits in the contest, with Nuñez’s 2-for-4 performance leading the pack.

The Jumbo Shrimp (30-37) responded in the next inning to tie the game with a pair of RBI singles from Jonathan Davis and Javier Sanoja. Jake Woodford held Jacksonville scoreless from then on, punching out seven total hitters over 6.0 innings in his organizational debut.

In relief of Woodford, the duo of Chris Gau and Geronimo Franzua (W, 2-4) allowed three hits across 3.0 innings to secure Indianapolis’ second consecutive win and tie the six-game series against Jacksonville at 2-2.

The Indians and Jumbo Shrimp will square off in the fifth game of the six-game set tomorrow at 6:35 PM ET. Southpaw Michael Plassmeyer (1-6, 8.74) is set to toe the rubber for the Indians, while RHP Shaun Anderson (0-1, 2.45) will get the nod for the Jumbo Shrimp.

INDIANA SOFTBALL

INDIANA SOFTBALL ADDS TRANSFER MELINA WILKISON

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– Indiana Softball head coach Shonda Stanton has announced the signing of transfer Melina Wilkison to the program.

Wilkison, a Greensburg, Ind. native, returns to her home state after spending three seasons at Ohio State. Wilkison played her freshman and sophom*ore seasons in 2022 and 2023 before redshirting in 2024 due to injury.

She will have two years of eligibility remaining for her time at Indiana. Softball America ranked her in the top 50 available portal prospects in the 2024 cycle.

At Ohio State, Wilkison enjoyed some highly successful seasons.

As a sophom*ore in 2023, she started all 53 games in right field and led the team in batting average (.373), RBI (44), runs scored (50), hits (66), home runs (11), slugging percentage (.718), on-base percentage (.439) and stolen bases (13).

In Big Ten play alone, she hit .311 at the plate with a .737 slugging percentage. She also hit a home run in four consecutive games between March 27 to April 2.

Her strong play earned her NFCA Second Team All-Region and First Team All-Big Ten honors in 2023.

As a freshman in 2022, she played in 49 games and started 45 times. She had the third-best batting average on the team, hitting .342 at the plate with 34 runs scored, 11 doubles, four home runs and 13 RBI.

She also led the team with 17 multi-hit games and in postseason play hit .429 with a .714 slugging percentage. She was named NFCA Third Team All-Region and to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and Big Ten All-Tournament Team in 2022.

Wilkison was a standout at Greensburg Community High School in her prep career. She was named the MVP of the Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference as a senior in 2021 and was named to the All-Conference team multiple times.

She set the program’s single-season triples record with 10 and earned All-District honors her senior year and was a third team All-Indiana selection as a sophom*ore.

She played club ball for the Beverly Bandits and also helped lead Greensburg to three-straight sectional titles in basketball, too.

INDIANA SWIMMING

INDIANA SWIMMERS, DIVERS TO COMPETE AT U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS

INDIANA WOMEN’S SOCCER

IUWS WELCOMES SEVE HIRST AS ASSISTANT COACH

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s soccer head coach Erwin van Bennekom announces the addition of new assistant coach Seve Hirst to his staff for the 2024 Fall season.

“We are thrilled to welcome Seve Hirst to the Indiana University Women’s Soccer staff,” van Bennekom said. “Seve’s wealth of experience on the field at all levels of the game, outstanding character and personality make him an ideal addition to our coaching staff. Both associate head coach Tim Verschuren and I have had the privilege of knowing and working together with Seve in the past, further solidifying our confidence in his abilities. We look forward to working together and building upon the steps we have taken so far. I want to welcome Seve and his family to Bloomington.”

Hirst recently served as an assistant coach at Seton Hall University for two seasons. During the 2022 fall season, the Pirates earned the most points in the Big East since 2013 and achieved six shutouts, the second-most in program history. In 2023, Hirst helped the Pirates achieve the most points in the Big East since 2011, most goals in a season since 2011, tied second for the most wins since 2012, and earn two draws against ranked teams for the first time in program history. Hirst also coached the 2023 Big East top goal scorer and Offensive Player of the Year.

Before his tenure at Seton Hall, Hirst coached with STA Soccer in New Jersey, starting in fall 2019, with previous stints in 2013-2014. He coached various teams, including the 2012 and 2007 Girls Academy teams. He will assume the role of Director of Coaching and Player Development at Cutters Soccer Club in Bloomington on July 1st.

Hirst’s coaching career also includes roles as an assistant coach for men’s soccer at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham (2019-2021), Northeastern University (2016-2018), and College of the Holy Cross (2014-2015) women’s soccer programs.

“I am excited and proud to join the coaching staff at Indiana University,” Hirst said. “I want to thank Erwin for this opportunity, and I am very grateful for his belief in me. The chance to learn from one of the best coaches in women’s college soccer and work with their incredible student athletes was one that I could not pass up. Indiana University is a great school, and I can’t wait to get the journey started.”

A native of Blackpool, England, Hirst graduated from St. Martin’s College in Lancashire, England, in 2007 with an honors degree in Coaching and Sport Performance. He began coaching at the grassroots level in England in 2003 after obtaining the English Football Association Level 1 coaching qualification as well as his FA Level 2 badge in 2006. Hirst and his wife, Codi, have one child, Winnie.

PURDUE SOCCER NEWS

2024 SOCCER SCHEDULE UNVEILED

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – As a new era begins for the Purdue soccer program, the schedule for the upcoming 2024 season has been announced.

Ten home games at Folk Field highlight the regular-season schedule. Seven non-conference matches, five at home, are followed by an 11-game Big Ten Conference slate, with five in West Lafayette. Two preseason exhibitions, one at Folk Field, precede the inaugural season for first-year head coach Richard Moodie.

“We are thrilled about our 2024 schedule,” Moodie said. We’re excited to play a competitive non-conference slate and to welcome the new teams to the Big Ten. I can’t wait to see everyone at Folk Field this fall!”

Eight opponents are coming off NCAA Tournament appearances a season ago, and five of them will visit Folk Field in 2024. Seven of Purdue’s 11 Big Ten games are against 2023 postseason teams.

Notable events that highlight the upcoming schedule start with the Boiler Gold Rush season-opening contest against Washington State on August 15. Senior Day and the annual Alumnae Reunion Weekend are both set for a September 1 matchup vs. Dayton. Additionally, the team’s Hammer Down Cancer game is on October 17 vs. Rutgers.

In Big Ten action, the Boilermakers will play all four conference newcomers, as they host USC and UCLA and travel to Washington and Oregon. Purdue will play at in-state rival Indiana, and the conference slate also includes the Old Gold and Black’s other two closest foes, with a home game against Illinois and a trip to Northwestern.

Moodie’s first year will mark the 27th season of Purdue Soccer. It’s the team’s 26th in the Big Ten after they played a non-conference-only slate in 1998.

Once again in 2024, admission will be free for all fans to every regular-season home game at Folk Field, along with the preseason exhibition contest.

A pair of exhibition games will get 2024 started, against UT Martin at Folk Field on August 6 and at Bowling Green on August 10.

The fourth annual Boiler Gold Rush season kickoff game will officially begin the 2024-25 Purdue Athletics year, as the Boilermakers host Washington State on August 15 at 7 p.m. ET. The program attendance record has been broken in each of the first three BGR games, as the latest edition saw 4,096 fans encircle Folk Field to begin the 2023 season. The record-setting trend started when 2,125 fans cheered on the Boilermakers in 2021 and 3,296 came out to Folk Field in 2022 before a new mark was set last season.

The opening weekend of the 2024 campaign concludes at in-state foe Butler on August 18. Two Chicago opponents come to West Lafayette the following weekend, as Purdue plays Loyola Chicago on August 22 and UIC on August 25.

A trip to the Windy City begins the third weekend of play, at DePaul on August 29, before the Old Gold and Black are back at Folk Field for two games to conclude the non-conference schedule.

September 1 is both Senior Day and the Alumnae Reunion Weekend against Dayton. Reunion Weekend festivities will include the football team’s season-opener against Indiana State on August 31, and information about how alumnae can register and a full list of events will be announced later this summer on PurdueSports.com/Soccer.

Nonconference action concludes against Alabama on September 5 under the Folk Field lights. The Crimson Tide are coming off an NCAA Second Round appearance in 2023.

One week later, a visit to Northwestern will commence Big Ten action on September 12. Another weekend off follows before two of the newest conference teams travel to West Lafayette, both coming off 2023 NCAA Tournament berths. The Boilermakers host USC on September 19 and UCLA on September 22.

Up next is a weekend in the Pacific Northwest to face the league’s other two newcomers, at Washington on September 26 and at Oregon on September 29.

Illinois comes to Folk Field a week later, on October 6. Then, on October 10, the Boilermakers head south to face rival Indiana in a prime time matchup in Bloomington.

Ohio State, on October 13, and Rutgers, on October 17, wrap up the Folk Field portion of the season. Back-to-back Sunday matinees in Michigan will conclude the regular season, at Michigan on October 20 and at Michigan State on October 27.

Beginning with IU, the last five opponents on Purdue’s schedule all made the NCAA Tournament a year ago, with Michigan State advancing to the third round.

2024 PURDUE SOCCER SCHEDULE

Tuesday, August 6 – UT Martin (exhibition), 5 p.m.

Saturday, August 10 – at Bowling Green (exhibition), 2 p.m.

Thursday, August 15 – Washington State, 7 p.m. – Boiler Gold Rush

Sunday, August 18 – at Butler, 7 p.m.

Thursday, August 22 – Loyola Chicago, 7 p.m.

Sunday, August 25 – UIC, 1 p.m.

Thursday, August 29 – at DePaul, TBA

Sunday, September 1 – Dayton, 1 p.m. – Senior Day, Alumnae Reunion Weekend

Thursday, September 5 – Alabama, 7 p.m.

Thursday, September 12 – at Northwestern, 7 p.m.

Thursday, September 19 – USC, 7 p.m.

Sunday, September 22 – UCLA, 1 p.m.

Thursday, September 26 – at Washington, TBA

Sunday, September 29 – at Oregon, TBA

Sunday, October 6 – Illinois, 1 p.m.

Thursday, October 10 – at Indiana, 7 p.m.

Sunday, October 13 – Ohio State, 1 p.m.

Thursday, October 17 – Rutgers, 7 p.m. – Hammer Down Cancer

Sunday, October 20 – at Michigan, 1 p.m.

Sunday, October 27 – at Michigan State, 1 p.m.

Home matches, in bold, played at Folk Field

All times Eastern and all dates and times are subject to change

PURDUE GOLF NEWS

SAPP ELEVATED TO HEAD COACH OF THE PURDUE MEN’S GOLF PROGRAM

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue University athletics department has announced that Andrew Sapp has been hired as the head coach of the Purdue men’s golf program.

Sapp has served as the assistant coach for the last two seasons and takes over for Rob Bradley, who left Purdue earlier this week for the head coaching position at South Carolina.

Purdue is coming off two of its best seasons in school history, reaching the National Championships in 2024 and a spot in top 40 in the final regular-season rankings and a Regionals appearance in 2023.

“I am thrilled to become the Men’s Golf head coach at Purdue. Having coached at Purdue with the previous two head coaches in Coach Brouse and Coach Bradley, I know what it takes to continue the tradition of Purdue Golf and keep it moving forward,” Sapp said. “I am extremely thankful to Mike Bobinski and Tim House for putting their trust in me. The backing that Purdue has for its golf program is tremendous and the support from the Kampen family, the Cosler family, the Ackerman family, the Allen family and the Spurgeon family has given us the best collegiate golf facilities in America. I love Purdue and I love the players we have assembled on this team and I look forward to continuing to work with them to help them grow and improve as they represent this great university.”

“Andrew’s resume in college golf speaks for itself. He is in an elite class of Big Ten head coaches who have taken a team to match play at the NCAA Championships,” said Tim House, Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director and Associate Vice President for Development. “More important to Mike Bobinski and me though, is the elite character we have seen him display with our young people. We are excited to support Coach Sapp as he continues the tradition of excellence for the Purdue men’s golf program.”

With Sapp’s help during the 2023-24 season, the Boilermakers reached the National Championships for the first time since 2017, while winning a pair of events in the fall season. Purdue’s two victories equaled its most since the 2015-16 campaign (three wins). Two players (Herman Sekne and Nels Surtani) were named All-Big Ten and PING All-Midwest Region with Sekne winning Purdue’s first Big Ten Golfer of the Year honor since 2002 (Lee Williamson).

This past season, the Boilermakers posted the second-best stroke average in school history (287.57), while the 2022-23 season produced the third-best stroke average to date (287.77). The Boilermakers set a 54-hole scoring record (814) while winning the Windon Memorial Classic last fall and owned three, 54-hole scores of 842 or better, the most in school history.

His tutelage was instrumental in the development of returnees Kent Hsiao, Nels Surtani and Sam Easterbrook. Hsiao was playing his best golf late in the season, leading after 36 holes at NCAA Regionals and then posting Purdue’s highest finish at the National Championships since 2004 with a 34th-place finish. Surtani earned All-Big Ten and All-Midwest Region accolades after winning the elite Puerto Rico Classic and placing 10th at NCAA Regionals. Lastly, Easterbrook posted back-to-back top-five finishes late in the spring at Calusa Pines and Ohio State and finished his season with the fourth-best freshman stroke average in school history.

Sapp brought a wealth of coaching experience to Purdue after having head coaching stints at East Carolina (2017-21), his alma mater North Carolina (2012-17) and the University of Michigan (2002-11). He was a part of the Purdue coaching staff from 1998 to 2002. Sapp also served as the President of the Golf Coaches Association of America from 2016-18.

Sapp began his coaching career at North Carolina in 1993, helping the Tar Heels to five straight NCAA Championship appearances and a 10th-place finish in 1997. Following that year, he came to Purdue, then helping the Boilermakers to a seventh-place finish in the NCAA Championships, while assisting with Purdue’s last All-American before Sekne (Lee Williamson). Purdue also won Regional titles in 2001 and 2002, and helped guide the women’s team to a ninth-place showing at the 2000 NCAA Championships.

In 2002, he was named Michigan’s head men’s golf coach, leading the Wolverines to a pair of top-10 national championship finishes in 2011 (10th) and 2009 (3rd). His 2011 squad won the 2011 NCAA Central Regional championship and he recruited and signed the nation’s No. 7-ranked golfer in high school. Almost 20 years later, Sapp still remains just one of three coaches to lead a team to the match play portion at the NCAA Championships.

In addition, he created the vision, assisted in the design and helped raise funds for a $2.5 million indoor practice facility at Michigan.

Sapp was named North Carolina’s head coach in 2011, improving the program’s ranking from 73rd in 2011 to 26th in 2017. The Tar Heels reached the 2017 NCAA Championships placing 18th and recruited and signed four of the top-10 nationally-ranked high school junior golfers.

In 2017, Sapp was hired at East Carolina, leading the Pirates to two team titles and signing two nationally-ranked top-100 players. While at East Carolina, he coached three players into the top five of the program’s all-time career stroke average list.

Sapp earned a pair of degrees from UNC, a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1993 and a master’s in sports administration in 1996.

An avid golfer still, Sapp competed in the 2022 U.S. Senior Open and narrowly missed qualifying for the 2024 U.S. Senior Open.

He and his wife Laura have one son, Connor.

BUTLER BASEBALL

LEWIS EARNS FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICA HONORS FROM PERFECT GAME

Sanford, Fla. — Butler first baseman Kade Lewis was selected to the 2024 Perfect Game Freshman All-America Second Team this week. The 2024 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year led the Bulldogs with a .377 batting average this season. He had 78 total hits, including 12 doubles, a team-high four triples and 10 home runs.

Lewis was the only BIG EAST player to be included on any of Perfect Game’s postseason teams. He joins Joey Urban and Tyler Houston as the only Bulldogs to earn All-American honors over the last decade.

Lewis had 25 multi-hit games for BU in his rookie campaign and led the team by recording multiple RBI’s in 13 contests. The true freshman went on a 14-game hitting streak in 2024 and reached base safely in 27-straight games for the Bulldogs.

Lewis started in 51 of the 53 games he appeared in. The talented rookie had 128 total bases and 51 RBI’s. Lewis hit near the top of the order and was able to score 43 runs for BU. He slugged .618 and walked 18 times to improve his on-base percentage to .436.

INDIANA STATE FOOTBALL

FORMER SYCAMORE LEGEND DAN BRANDENBURG INDUCTED INTO THE INDIANA FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State football alum and former All-American defensive lineman Dan Brandenburg was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame over the past week.

The Sycamore legend was voted in from the Region Four by the Past Presidents of the IFCA and was a member of the 29-member class inducted into the IFCA Hall of Fame.

Brandenburg, a 2013 Indiana State Hall of Fame inductee, was a sack specialist for the Indiana State football team from 1993-95. He posted 215 career tackles (116 solo, 99 assisted) and still holds the school career record with 32 sacks. Brandenburg also set the school record for sacks in a season with 13 during his sophom*ore campaign.

A three-time selection to the All-Gateway Conference team (1993, 1994, 1995), Brandenburg was named to several All-American teams during his career. He was selected to the first team by the American Football Coaches Association along with a second team selection by the Associated Press and Don Hansen’s Football Guide after his junior campaign. He was named to First Team by The Sporting News and American Football Quarterly after his senior season along with a third team selection by the Associated Press and an honorable mention selection by Don Hansen’s Football Guide.

He was named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s Silver Anniversary team in 2009 along with running back David Wright, defensive lineman Shannon Jackson, and defensive lineman Kyle Mitchell.

Brandenburg was selected in the seventh round of the National Football League’s player draft by the Buffalo Bills. He was the only Gateway Conference player taken in the draft. He played three seasons with the Bills and appeared in 42 games and started one while accumulating 13 tackles, one assist, and one fumble recovery.

Brandenburg played in the 1995 Blue-Gray All-Star Football Game, becoming just the third Indiana State player to earn a trip to the Christmas Day Classic joining Vencie Glenn and Craig Shaffer. He also participated in the NFL’s Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

He is currently a trainer for Athletes First and has mentored NFL stars like linebacker Micah Parsons.

INDIANA STATE TRACK

MARTIN NAMED USTFCCCA GREAT LAKES REGION MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD COACH OF THE YEAR

NEW ORLEANS – Indiana State Cross Country and Track and Field Program Director and Head Coach Angela Martin was selected as the 2024 USTFCCCA Great Lakes Region Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year, as announced Friday by the organization.

Martin was tabbed the region’s coach of the year for the second straight season, and has led the Sycamores to new heights in the last three years. She also swept the MVC Track and Field Coach of the Year awards for both indoor and outdoor season in 2024. Indiana State has won each of the last three MVC Men’s Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships, with the Sycamores setting program records for points scored at both 2024 championships.

Indiana State finished with a program record 221.5 points on the men’s side, marking the first time in program history that the Trees surpassed the 200-point mark at a conference championship. The Sycamores had eight individual conference champions and 17 all-conference honorees on the men’s side as part of a dominant performance at the Gibson Track and Field Complex.

The Sycamores also qualified double-digit entries for the NCAA East First Round for the third straight year, marking Indiana State’s best three-year stretch in over a decade. Elias Foor reached the NCAA Outdoor National Championships in the discus throw, where he earned Second Team All-America honors.

As a team, Indiana State had 18 men’s top-10 marks set during the 2024 outdoor season. The Sycamores also had a pair of men’s program records broken this outdoor season, Will Staggs (pole vault) and the 4x100m relay team of Casey Hood Jr., Daunte Majors, Isiah Thomas and Tahj Johnson climbing to the top of the program charts.

Indiana State also racked up multiple specialty awards this season. Elias Foor was named the MVC Most Valuable Athlete at the MVC Outdoor Championships after scoring in all four throws events, including three podium finishes, to rack up 26 points. Jake Ottersbach was named MVC Freshman of the Year after becoming the first Sycamore since 2001 to win the decathlon.

Friday’s announcement marks Martin’s fourth USTFCCCA Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year honor (2023 women’s outdoor, 2022 women’s indoor, 2023 men’s outdoor, 2024 men’s outdoor).

INDIANA STATE FOOTBALL

MALLORY ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF ADAM COX TO THE ISU FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State head football coach Curt Mallory announced the addition of Adam Cox to the Sycamore coaching staff as the former Iowa Hawkeye will take over the role of safeties coach at Indiana State.

Cox joins the ISU staff in the summer of 2024 following a graduate assistant stint with the University of Iowa football program assisting with the Hawkeye defense. He was a UI fullback during his playing career lettering in both 2013 and 2015.

In 2023, the Hawkeyes won 10 games, including their final four, to capture the Big Ten West Division for the second time in three years and finished the season ranked No. 24.

The Hawkeyes ranked fourth nationally in scoring defense (14.8) and passing efficiency defense (102.1), fifth in passing yards per game (170.7), and seventh in total defense (282.5) in 2023. DB Cooper DeJean was honored as the Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year. DeJean was also recognized as a unanimous consensus All-American and was a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy.

Iowa’s defense led the way in 2022, winning eight games, including five of their final six games. Iowa’s defense was in the top 12 in the nation in scoring defense (second), total defense (second), pass efficiency defense (fourth), passing yards per game (sixth), first down defense (10th), third down defense (11th) and rushing defense (12th).

The Hawkeyes won 10 games in 2021, winning the Big Ten West Division title and advancing to the conference championship game. Iowa concluded the season with an appearance in the Citrus Bowl and was ranked 23rd in the final national rankings. DB Riley Moss was honored as the Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year. Moss, defensive back Dane Belton, and linebacker Jack Campbell all earned first-team All-Big Ten honors.

Iowa’s defense set a school record and led the nation with 25 interceptions in 2021. The defense ranked among national leaders in takeaways (30, third), defensive touchdowns scored (four, seventh), pass efficiency defense (110.5, sixth), turnover margin (0.8, 11th), rushing defense (114.4, 13th), scoring defense (19.2, 13th), and total defense (328.8, 18th).

Cox returned to Iowa after serving as a graduate assistant coach at Central Michigan. He worked with the defensive secondary and special teams in 2018 and 2019 before coaching linebackers in 2020. Central Michigan won the MAC West Division in 2019 and competed in the New Mexico Bowl.

As a fullback for the Hawkeyes, Cox saw action in all 14 games in 2015 as the Hawkeyes posted a 12-2 overall record and won the Big Ten West Division. Iowa dropped a last-minute decision to Michigan State in the Big Ten championship game and earned a trip to the 2016 Rose Bowl. Cox missed the 2014 season due to injury.

Cox was a member of the Leadership Group as a senior in 2015 and was awarded the Brett Greenwood Award following the season. He earned Academic All-Big Ten honors as a senior as well.

Cox joined the program as a walk-on after attending Stillman Valley (Illinois) High School. He was put on scholarship prior to the 2014 season. He saw action in all 13 games in 2013, with three starts.

Cox earned his bachelor’s degree from Iowa in Health and Human Physiology. He is a native of Stillman Valley, Illinois.

INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SYCAMORE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SIGNS GUARD/FORWARD DAVINA SMITH

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State head women’s basketball coach Marc Mitchell announced the addition of Davina Smith to the program Friday morning.

Smith, a 6-0 guard/forward from Merrillville, Indiana, joins the Sycamores with two years of eligibility after transferring from IU East.

“Davina is a very versatile player,” Mitchell said. “She has the ability to play with her back to the basket and step out on the perimeter. Davina is extremely athletic and can defend multiple positions. She will provide much-needed scoring from the 3 and 4 positions. I believe the Indiana State fans will enjoy watching her play. #ASONE”

Smith played her first two seasons at IU East, where she was a Third Team All-River States Conference selection in 2023-24. She averaged 12.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in the 2023-24 season for the Red Wolves, knocking down more than 55 percent of her attempts from the field and 50 percent of her shots from behind the arc. A constant on the scoresheet for IU East, Smith scored in double-figures in 24 games last season, including a trio of 20-point games for the Red Wolves with a season-high 24 against Missouri Baptist. She also added eight games with double-digit rebounds, with a season-high 13 against both Grace and Brescia. Smith also had a six-assist performance against UM-Dearborn and dished out three-plus assists in seven games. She finished the season with eight double-doubles, scoring at least 10 points in every game in which she recorded double-digit rebounds.

As a freshman, Smith averaged 10.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game for IU East while starting every game for the Red Wolves. She shot better than 50 percent from the field for the season, while shooting better than 70 percent from the free throw line in conference play. Smith scored in double-figures 14 times as a freshman, nearly all of which came against conference foes, with a career-high 25 against IU Southeast. She also pulled down double-digit rebounds on seven occasions, including a season-high 13 against Cumberlands. Smith finished her first collegiate season with four double-doubles.

Smith averaged 11.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in her senior season at Merrillville (Ind.) HS, where she was an Honorable Mention All-State selection by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association, and she also earned all-conference honors in her senior season. Smith was a second team all-area selection by the Times of Northwest Indiana.

Smith joins Denyha Jacobs as signees in Indiana State’s 2024 class. Jacobs’ signing was announced Wednesday.

EVANSVILLE BASEBALL

UE’S SHALLENBERGER NAMED ABCA/RAWLINGS THIRD-TEAM ALL-AMERICA

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Evansville graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger (St. Louis, Mo./Priory) earned one of the nation’s top baseball honors on Friday, as he was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings Third-Team All-America squad in a vote of collegiate head coaches. He is the first Purple Ace to be named to the ABCA/Rawlings All-America squad since outfielder Kevin Kaczmarski led the nation in hitting in 2015.

Shallenberger earned All-America honors after a season in which he earned first-team all-Missouri Valley Conference honors and Greenville (N.C.) Regional All-Tournament team honors for the Purple Aces. He currently ranks in the NCAA’s Top 100 in 11 different offensive categories, including ranking 13th nationally in on-base percentage, a category he has ranked among the nation’s top 25 in for much of the season. Shallenberger set program records for both runs scored (72) and hit-by-pitches (28), while posting the second-highest single-season hit total in UE history with 91.

Overall, Shallenberger hit a team-best .374 with a team-high 21 doubles, two triples, 17 home runs and 64 RBI. He hit arguably the biggest home run in UE baseball history with a game-winning three-run home run in UE’s 6-5 victory over East Carolina to win the Greenville (N.C.) Regional and advance Evansville to its first-ever NCAA Tournament Super Regional appearance.

Shallenberger now joins an elite fraternity of UE players to earn ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors, as he is just the ninth Purple Ace to earn the award. The previous eight UE players to earn ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors includes Andy Benes (1988), John MacCauley (1991), Marty Watson (1993), Jamey Carroll (1996), Steve Obenchain (2002), Cody Fick (2011), Kyle Freeland (2014), and Kevin Kaczmarski (2015).

Evansville went 39-26 this season, advancing on to the 2024 NCAA Tournament by winning the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title. The Purple Aces won the Greenville (N.C.) Regional Tournament and forced #1 national seed Tennessee to the “if necessary” game three of the Knoxville Super Regional in UE’s first-ever NCAA Super Regional Tournament appearance.

INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES

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

NUMBERS IN SPORTS

1 – 24 – 20 – 57 – 36 – 27 -11

June 15, 1902 – Talk about a dominant club playing someone way below their paygrade! Justin Clark of Corsicana, Texas minors hits 8 home runs in 1 game as the Corsicana oil Citys slaughtered Texarkana 51 to 3. It may just be Minor League Baseball’s most lopsided baseball game! The game was originally scheduled to be played in front of the home Corsicana crowd but a Sunday blue law prevented the already scheduled game to be played there so it was moved to nearby Ennis, Texas where no Sunday law was in place. This new venue had a temporary fence set up at 210 feet from home Plate according to a post on The Sporting News Website.

June 15, 1928 – It was something that he was famous for, Philadelphia Athletics baseball star Ty Cobb, stole home plate for a record 54th time. This instance would be the final time the veteran would take this particular base unwarranted as he retired at the end of the season after an illustrious career in the MLB according to VintageDetroit.com. Pilfering home plate was a specialty for Cobb, who retired with a then-record 892 stolen bases in his 24 big-league seasons including one theft in a World Series game. The next closest player in home base robberies was Max Carey, who had 33 during his 20 seasons with Pittsburgh and Brooklyn. To put Cobb’s feat in perspective, consider that the two players who moved ahead of him in career steals, Rickey Henderson, Number 24 (most of his career) with 1,406 and Lou Brock, Number 20 (most of his career) taking 938, stole home only seven times between them.

June 15, 1938 – There were a few pieces of important sports history from this contest. During the first night game at Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field where fans got to see their home squad under the lights, The Cincinnati Reds defeated the Dodgers by the score of 6-0. Cincinnati’s Johnny Vander Meer, Number 57 tossed his unprecedented second consecutive no-hitter! Think about that for a moment. The man had two straight games pitched in the Major Leagues where no one reached base safely on a hit. The first game he did it was on June 11th at the friendly confines of Crosley Field in Cincinnati, where Vander Meer walked three while striking out four and allowing no hits against the Boston Bees. According to the Baseball Almanac, these two complete game shutout victories were also part of a nine game consecutive win streak by Johnny Vander Meer during the 1938 season. The lefthander known for his fastball, also went on to set a new National League record for consecutive hitless innings with twenty-one and two-thirds that still stands to this day!

June 15, 1953 – New York Yankees first baseman Johnny Mize, Number 36 became the 93rd MLB player to reach 2,000 career hits. The milestone accomplishment occurred in Mize’s final season in the Majors.

June 15, 1963 – San Francisco Giants ace and future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Number 27, Juan Marichal no-hit the Houston Colt .45s, by the score of 1-0. Marichal recorded 243 wins in his 16 year career with 2303 Ks and a 2.89 ERA.

June 15, 1965 – Detroit Tigers hurler Denny McLain, Number 17 in relief strikes out first 7 batters faced & record 14 in 6 2/3 innings as the Tigers rolled to a 6-5 win over Boston Red Sox. Also in the contest Bill Freehan, Number 11 tied an MLB record for a catcher receiving 19 putouts.

FOOTBALL HISTORY

Football History for June 15

June 15, 1878 – The world’s first moving pictures are taken by 12 different cameras. The subject was a horse with rider at full gallop by photographer Eadweard Muybridge. The purpose was to see if all 4 of the horses hooves left the ground at any point in time during its run, as it could not be determined with the naked eye, and the photos proved that they did. This set in motion a series of inventions that eventually placed visual media into what we have today. Football eventually embraced these technologies and is very connected to film through much of its history.

This next event is our Newspapers.com Football History Headline of the Day. The headline comes from the June 16, 1973 edition of the Del Rio News Herald from Del Rio, Texas with the great headline of:

First Rainout Ever makes Dome History

June 15, 1976 – In a bit of irony the Astrodome, the premier domed stadium where the Houston Oilers called home for many seasons, postponed an Astro’s baseball game due to a rain out when the visiting team and the umpires could not get to the stadium because of flooded streets. The report says that more than seven inches of rain fell on the Houston area that day forcing the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates and the game umpires to shelter in place. One Astrodome official stated, “It wasn’t exactly a rain-out, it was more of a rain-in.” Needless to say it is one of the more bizarre stories of the iconic sports stadiums you may ever read!

Hall of Fame Birthday for June 15

June 15, 1889 – John Kilpatrick was an end out of Yale University that was selected to join the ranks of legends in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955. The National Football Foundation shares that in 1910 the Princeton Tigers were a phenomenal football team and heavy favorites to beat Yale when the Bulldogs played the Tigers in the next-to-last game of the season. Princeton was unbeaten, untied, and unscored-upon. The course of that story ended in this game though. With the Tigers leading, 3-0, Yale quarterback Art Howe lofted a pass which John Kilpatrick hauled in at the Princeton 23 and prompltly streaked down the field for the winning touchdown, worth five points in those days. The victory gave Yale one of the greatest upsets in its’ history and a final 6-2-2 record. However, it was the year before, 1909, that the Elis had their best season. Called the greatest defensive unit in Eli football, that club won all 10 games and held each of its opponents scoreless. Mr. Kilpatrick was such a great and talented athlete that he is also a member recognized in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Though born in Canada he served the U.S. in the Army during World War I and received the Distinguished Service Medal. After football and the war he became a buusiness man in New York City highlighted by serving as the president of the Madison Square Garden Corporation.

June 15

Other Notable VIP Birthdays:

June 15, 1959- Raul Allegre was an NFL kicker that played for the Baltimore and Indianapolis Colts, the NY Giants and the NY Jets. He won a couple of Super Bowl Rings while playing for the Giants. In the NCAA Allegre played on teams from the University of Montana and Texas.

June 15, 1983- Derek Anderson NFL Quarterback that played for the Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills. The former Oregon State signal caller was originally drafted by the Baltimore Ravens though ironically he never played a snap for them in a regular season game. Anderson was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2007.

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

June 15

1902 — Corsicana defeated Texarkana 51-3 in a Texas League game. Nig Clark of Corsicana took advantage of the small park and hit eight homers. Some telegraph operators, thinking there was a mistake, reported the score as 5-3.

1925 — The Philadelphia Athletics went into the last half of the eighth inning trailing 15-4 and scored 13 runs to defeat Cleveland 17-15.

1938 — Four days after pitching a no-hitter against the Boston Braves, Johnny Vander Meer of the Cincinnati Reds pitched his second straight no-hit game, defeating the Dodgers 6-0 in the first night game played in Brooklyn.

1952 — The St. Louis Cardinals, down 11-0 entering the fifth inning, came back for a 14-12 triumph over the New York Giants in the first game of a doubleheader and set a National League record for best comeback.

1963 — San Francisco’s Juan Marichal pitched a no-hitter against the Houston Colts for a 1-0 victory, the first Giants no-hitter since Carl Hubbell’s in 1929.

1976 — The Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros were “rained in” at the Houston Astrodome as 10 inches of rain fell on the city. Only members of both teams were able to make it to the stadium. Umpires, fans and stadium personnel were unable to make it through the water.

1980 — Cleveland Indian Jorge Orta collected six hits, a double and five singles, and scored four times in a 14-5 triumph over the Minnesota Twins. Toby Harrah had seven RBIs.

1992 — Jeff Reardon broke Rollie Fingers’ career save mark of 341 when he preserved a 1-0 victory for the Boston Red Sox with one scoreless inning against the New York Yankees.

2002 — A double in the fifth inning of Texas’ 4-0 loss to Houston gave Rafael Palmeiro 1,000 career extra-base hits. He became the 25th major leaguer to reach that mark.

2016 — Miami’s Ichiro Suzuki raised his career total in the Japanese and North American major leagues to 4,257, passing Pete Rose’s record Major League Baseball total. Suzuki had two hits for the Marlins in a 6-3 loss to the San Diego Padres, Suzuki had 1,278 hits for Orix in Japan’s Pacific League (1992-00) and has 2,979 with Seattle, the New York Yankees and Marlins. His first hit Wednesday was on a dribbler in the first. His second was a double into the right-field corner in the ninth.

2016 — Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman hit for the cycle in a 9-8, 13-inning win over Cincinnati.

2018 — The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the staggering New York Mets 7-3. The freefalling Mets dropped four consecutive, 12 of 13 and 19 of 23. After starting the season 11-1, the Mets (28-38) went from 10 games over .500 to 10 games under earlier than any team in major league history. The previous mark was held by the 2011 Marlins, who did it in their 76th game.

2020 — The impasse over the resumption of the MLB season gets deeper, as CommissionerRob Manfred now states that there may not be a season at all. It was expected that he would decree a 50-game season, as allowed by the March 26th agreement between the MLBPA and owners, but he is now reluctant to do so.

2022 — The Astros are the first team to throw two immaculate innings in the same game, as Luis Garcia strikes out the side on nine pitches in the 2nd, and Phil Maton repeats the feat in the 7th. In both cases the three batters for the Rangers are the same: Nathaniel Lowe, Ezequiel Duran and Brad Miller. Garcia and Maton are respectively the 8th and 9th pitchers to accomplish the feat for Houston.

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June 16

1916 — Tom Hughes of the Boston Braves pitched a no-hitter in a 2-0 win over Pittsburgh Pirates.

1938 — Jimmie Foxx didn’t get a chance to hit as the St. Louis Browns walked him six straight times. The Boston Red Sox won anyway, 12-8.

1953 — The St. Louis Browns beat New York 3-1 to break the Yankees’ 18-game winning streak and end their 14-game losing streak.

1957 — Relief pitcher Dixie Howell hit two home runs in the 3 2-3 innings he pitched to lead the Chicago White Sox to an 8-6 victory in the second game of a doubleheader against the Washington Senators.

1971 — The Oakland Athletics hit five solo home runs in a 5-1 win over the Washington Senators. Mike Epstein and Joe Rudi had a pair homers and Dave Duncan one. Epstein’s home runs came in his first two at-bats to give him homers in four straight at-bats over two games.

1978 — After three ninth-inning near misses, Tom Seaver threw the first no-hitter of his 12-year career as the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0.

1991 — Otis Nixon of Atlanta stole six bases against Montreal to set a modern National League record and tie the major league record set by Eddie Collins of the Philadelphia A’s in 1912. Montreal won the game 7-6.

1992 — Boston’s Mark Reardon became baseball’s all-time save leader when he closed out a 1-0 win over the New York Yankees. Reardon logged his 342nd save to pass Rollie Fingers.

1993 — Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners hits his 100th career home run in Seattle’s 6 – 1 victory over Kansas City to become the fourth-youngest to hit the century mark. Only Mel Ott, Eddie Mathews and Tony Conigliaro did it faster than the 23-year-old Griffey.

2001 — John Olerud went 4-for-5 and hit for the cycle as Seattle beat the San Diego Padres 9-2. He hit a homer in the ninth to complete the cycle.

2009 — The San Diego Padres set a major league record with their 12th straight loss in interleague play when they fell 5-0 to Seattle.

2014 — Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, winner of eight National League batting titles, passes away from cancer of the salivary gland at 54.

2015 — Brock Holt became the first Boston player to hit for the cycle since 1996 and the Red Sox slugged their way out to a 9-4 victory over Atlanta.

2015 — Manny Machado and Chris Parmelee each hit two of an Orioles-record eight home runs, and Baltimore pounded woeful Philadelphia 19-3. The eight home runs were the most by the Orioles since their move from St. Louis in 1954.

2019 — An authentic Babe Ruth New York Yankees jersey from 1928-30 sets a record for a piece of baseball memorabilia as it sells for $5.64 million at auction.

2019 — The Padres and Rockies set a record for most combined runs in a four-game series with a total of 92, breaking the previous record of 88 set in 1929 between the Brooklyn Robins and Phillies.

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June 17

1915 — George “Zip” Zabel of the Chicago Cubs was called into the game against the Brooklyn Dodgers with two outs in the first inning. He won 4-3 in the 19th inning in the longest relief effort in the majors.

1943 — Player-manager Joe Cronin of the Boston Red Sox hit a three-run pinch homer in both games of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia A’s. The Red Sox won the opener 5-4 and lost the second game 8-7.

1960 — Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox connected for his 500th career home run off the Cleveland Indians. Williams, the fourth to accomplish the feat, hit a two-run homer off Wynn Hawkins in a 3-1 win.

1971 — Don Kessinger of the Chicago Cubs went 6-for-6, with five singles and a double, in a 7-6, 10-inning decision over the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field.

1978 — Ron Guidry of the New York Yankees struck out 18 California Angels to set an American League record for left-handers. Guidry, who struck out 15 in the first six innings, ended with a 4-0 four-hitter.

1993 — Baseball owners voted 26-2 in favor of expanding the playoffs for the first time in 25 years, doubling the teams that qualify to eight starting in 1994.

2007 — Brandon Watson extended his hitting streak to 43 games, breaking a 95-year-old International League record with a base hit in the Columbus Clippers’ 9-8 loss to the Ottawa Lynx. Jack Lelivelt set the IL record for the Rochester Hustlers in 1912.

2007 — Frank Thomas hit his record-breaking 244th homer as a designated hitter in Toronto’s 4-2 loss to Washington. The solo shot in the third inning moved Thomas past Edgar Martinez for the most homers by a DH in major league history.

2009 — Ivan Rodriguez catches the 2,227th game of his career, breaking Carlton Fisk’s record, in Houston’s 5 – 4, 10-inning loss to his former team, the Texas Rangers. For Texas, Omar Vizquel, the all-time leader for games played at shortstop, picks up his 2,677th hit, tying Luis Aparicio for most hits by a Venezuelan player.

2008 — Seattle’s Felix Hernandez struck out the side on nine pitches in the fourth inning of a 5-4 win over Florida, becoming the 13th pitcher in American League history to accomplish the feat.

2016 — Michaeal Saunders leads the Toronto Blue Jays to a 13-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles with three home runs and 8 RBIs.

2021 — The Arizona Diamondback set a new all-time mark with their 23rd consecutive road loss losing to the Giants 10-3.

June 18

1938 — The Brooklyn Dodgers signed Babe Ruth to coach for the remainder of the season.

1947 — Cincinnati’s Ewell Blackwell tossed a 6-0 no-hitter against the Boston Braves.

1950 — In the nightcap of a doubleheader, the Cleveland Indians scored 14 runs in the first inning for an American League record as they trounced the Philadelphia A’s 21-2.

1953 — At Fenway Park, Dick Gernert’s home run highlighted the 17-run, 14-hit seventh inning as the Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 23-3. The Red Sox were up 5-3 after 6 1/2 innings. The Red Sox scored the 17 runs on 14 hits and six walks and left the bases loaded. Gene Stephens collected three hits and Sammy White scored three runs and Tom Umphlett also reached base three times in the inning.

1960 — The San Francisco Giants fired Bill Rigney and selected Tom Sheehan as manager. At 66 years, 2 months and 18 days, Sheehan was the oldest man to debut as a manager of a major league team.

1967 — Houston Astro Don Wilson tossed the first of his two career no-hitters by blanking the Atlanta Braves 2-0, facing 30 batters and striking out 15.

1975 — Fred Lynn batted in 10 runs with three homers, a triple and a single in a 15-1 Boston Red Sox victory over the Detroit Tigers. Lynn’s 16 total bases tied an AL record.

1976 — Commissioner Bowie Kuhn voided the sale of Oakland Athletics stars Vida Blue, Rollie Fingers and Joe Rudi. Athletics owner Charlie Finley sold Blue to the New York Yankees for $1.5 million and Rudi and Fingers to the Boston Red Sox for $1 million each. Kuhn ordered the players to return to Oakland on grounds that they would upset the sport’s competitive balance.

1977 — New York Yankees outfielder Reggie Jackson and manager Billy Martin get into a dugout confrontation at Fenway Park that’s seen on national television. Martin removed his right fielder for loafing on a ball hit to the outfield. Jackson questioned Martin in the dugout and the two are eventually separated by coach Elston Howard.

1986 — California’s Don Sutton pitched a three-hitter for his 300th career victory as the Angels beat the Texas Rangers 5-1. The 41-year-old right-hander became the 19th pitcher in baseball history to win 300 games.

2002 — Luis Castillo of the Florida Marlins ties Rogers Hornsby’s 80-year-old record for the longest hitting streak by a second baseman, beating out a dribbler to the pitcher in the 6th inning to make it 33 games in a row. Florida beats the Cleveland Indians, 2 – 1.

2007 — Chone Figgins went 6-for-6 and drove in the game-winning run in the ninth inning to lift the Los Angeles Angels over Houston 10-9.

2011 — Connor Harrell hit the first College World Series home run in the new TD Ameritrade Park to break a sixth-inning tie and first-time qualifier Vanderbilt defeated North Carolina 7-3.

2012 — R.A. Dickey became the first major league pitcher in 24 years to throw consecutive one-hitters and Ike Davis hit a grand slam in the New York Mets’ 5-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. The previous pitcher to throw consecutive one-hitters was Dave Stieb for Toronto in September 1988.

2012 — Aaron Hill hit a solo homer in the seventh inning to become the fifth Arizona player to hit for the cycle, lifting the Diamondbacks to a 7-1 win over the Seattle Mariners.

2014 — Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers throws the second no-hitter of the year, shutting out the Colorado Rockies, 8 – 0. It comes less than a month after his teammate Josh Beckett had pitched a no-hitter on May 26th. He strikes out 15 without giving up a walk, the only baserunner coming on a two-base error by SS Hanley Ramirez in the 8th.

2017 — Nolan Arenado completed the cycle with a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Colorado Rockies stunned the San Francisco Giants by rallying for a 7-5 victory.

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June 19

1927 — Jack Scott of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched two complete games in a doubleheader. Scott beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-1 and lost 3-0 in the second game. Scott was the last pitcher in major league history to complete two games on the same day.

1938 – Cincinnati pitcher Johnny Vander Meer coming off two straight no-hitters, extended his string of hitless innings to 21 2/3 against the Boston Bees. Vander Meer gave up a single to Debs Garms in the fourth inning. The Red won 14-1 behind Vander Meer’s four-hitter.

1941 — En route to 56, Joe DiMaggio hit in his 32nd consecutive game, going 3-for-3, including a home run, against the Chicago White Sox.

1942 — Paul Waner got hit number 3,000 — a single off Rip Sewell — but the Boston Braves lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6.

1952 — Brooklyn Dodger Carl Erskine pitched a 5-0 no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs at Ebbets Field.

1961 — Roger Maris’ ninth-inning homer off Kansas City’s Jim Archer was his 25th of the year, putting him seven games ahead of Babe Ruth’s pace in 1927.

1973 — Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds and Willie Davis of the Los Angeles Dodgers both collect their 2,000th hits. It is a single for Rose against the San Francisco Giants and a home run for Davis against the Atlanta Braves.

1974 — Steve Busby of the Kansas City Royals hurled his second no-hitter in 14 months and gave up just one walk in beating the Brewers 2-0 at Milwaukee.

1977 — The Boston Red Sox hit five home runs in an 11-1 triumph over the New York Yankees. The five homers gave the Red Sox a major league record 16 in three games. Boston hit six homers on the 17th and five on the 18th, also against the Yankees. In the series the Yankees had no homers.

1990 — Gary Carter plays in his 1,862nd career game as a catcher to break the National League mark set by Al Lopez.

1994 — John Smoltz became the 14th major league pitcher to give up four homers in an inning when he was tagged by Cincinnati. The Reds set a team record for home runs in an inning, connecting four times in the first inning. Hal Morris, Kevin Mitchell, Jeff Branson and Eddie Taubensee homered. Smoltz allowed 20 total bases in the first inning, the most given up in the NL since 1900.

2015 — Alex Rodriguez homered for his 3,000th career hit as the New York Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 7-2.

2017 — Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger launched two more home runs, setting a major league record with his powerful start, and Clayton Kershaw became the first 10-game winner in the National League despite giving up a career-high four long balls as Los Angeles held on for a 10-6 victory over the New York Mets. Bellinger reached 21 homers in 51 career games — faster than any other player in big league history.

2019 — One day after fouling a bunted ball in his face during batting practice and breaking his nose, Max Scherzer takes the mound for the Nationals against the Phillies sporting a prominent black eye. He still stymies the opposition with 7 scoreless innings in a 2 – 0 win. “Trust me, this thing looks a lot worse than it actually feels,” he explains to journalists.

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June 20

1912 — The New York Giants outslugged the Boston Braves 21-12 with the teams scoring a total of 17 runs in the ninth inning. The Giants scored seven runs to take a 21-2 lead and the Braves scored 10 runs in the ninth.

1932 — Philadelphia’s Doc Cramer hit six singles in six at-bats and Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx and Mule Haas each drove in four runs in the Athletics’ 18-11 win over the Chicago White Sox. Haas hit a grand slam in the sixth inning to put the A’s up 12-6.

1956 — Mickey Mantle hit two home runs into the right centerfield bleachers at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium. Mantle hit both blasts off Billy Hoeft in the 7-4 win. He became the first player to reach the bleachers since they were were built in the late 1930s.

1973 — San Francisco’s Bobby Bonds broke Lou Brock’s National League record for leadoff home runs. Bonds’ 22nd career leadoff home run came off Don Gullet in a 7-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

1973 — Chicago’s Cy Acosta becomes the first American League pitcher to bat since the designated hitter rule went into effect. Acosta strikes out in the eighth inning, and still gets the win in the White Sox’ 8-3 win over California.

1980 — Freddie Patek, one of baseball’s smallest players at 5-foot-5, hit three home runs and a double to lead the California Angels in a 20-2 rout of the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park.

1992 — Kelly Saunders became the second woman to serve as a public address announcer at a major league game when she filled in for Rex Barney in Baltimore.

1994 — The Detroit Tigers’ string of 25 straight games hitting a home run ended in a 7-1 loss to Cleveland. The streak matched the major league mark set by the 1941 New York Yankees.

2004 — Ken Griffey Jr. hit the 500th home run of his career, off Matt Morris, to help the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-0.

2007 — Sammy Sosa hit his 600th home run, making him the fifth player to reach the milestone. Sosa, playing for the Texas Rangers following a year out of baseball, hit a solo homer off Jason Marquis. It came in the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs, the team he played for from 1992-2004.

2009 — Two games ended on wild pitches in extra innings. Nate Schierholtz scored the winning run for San Francisco on a wild pitch by Jason Jennings with two outs in the 11th inning and the Giants beat the Texas Rangers 2-1. Earlier, the Chicago Cubs beat Cleveland 6-5 in 13 innings when Andres Blanco came home on Kerry Wood’s gaffe.

2011 — The Florida Marlins named Jack McKeon interim manager. The 80-year-old McKeon became the second-oldest manager in major league history. Connie Mack managed the Philadelphia Athletics in a suit, tie and straw hat until 1950, when he was 87.

2015 — Max Scherzer pitched a no-hitter, losing his perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning when he hit a batter in the Washington Nationals’ 6-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Scherzer dominated in retiring the first 26 batters and was one strike from throwing the 22nd perfect game in major league history since 1900. Pinch-hitter Jose Tabata fouled off a pair of 2-2 pitches before Scherzer clipped him on the elbow with a breaking ball. Scherzer then retired Josh Harrison on a deep fly to left.

2016 — Colorado beat Miami 5-3 where eight solo homers accounted for all the runs in the game and set a major league record. Mark Reynolds hit two homers and Trevor Story, Nick Hundley and Charlie Blackmon also went deep for the Rockies. Marcell Ozuna homered twice and Giancarlo Stanton hit one for the Marlins. The previous MLB mark was five. The eight home runs were also the most in a game at Marlins Park since it opened in 2012. Five of the game’s first 13 batters connected.

2017 — Umpire Joe West worked his 5,000th major league game. West was behind the plate for a matchup between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The 64-year-old, nicknamed “Cowboy” Joe, is the third umpire to work at least 5,000 games, joining Hall of Famer Bill Klem (5,375) and Bruce Froemming (5,163). West made his major league debut as a 23-year-old on Sept. 14, 1976, at Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium in a game between the Braves and Houston Astros. He joined the NL staff full time in 1978. His 40 seasons umpiring in the majors are the most by any umpire.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

June 15

1901 — Willie Anderson edges Alex Smith by one stroke in a playoff to take the U.S. Open.

1938 — Johnny Vander Meer of the Cincinnati Reds pitches his second straight no-hit game, defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers 6-0 in the first night game played at Ebbets Field.

1947 — Lew Worsham beats Sam Snead by one stroke on the final hole of a playoff to win the U.S. Open.

1951 — Joe Louis scored his last knock out victory.

1957 — Dick Mayer beats defending champion Cary Middlecoff by seven strokes in a playoff to win the U.S. Open.

1969 — Orville Moody shoots a 281 to beat Deane Beman, Al Geiberger and Bob Rosburg by one stroke and capture the U.S. Open.

1970 — Shirley Englehorn wins the LPGA championship with a four-stroke victory over Kathy Whitworth in the playoff round.

1980 — Jack Nicklaus wins his fourth U.S. Open with a record 272 for 72 holes.

1984 — American boxer Thomas Hearns retains WBC light middleweight title with 2 round KO of Roberto Durán of Panama at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas; marks first time in his illustrious career Durán knocked out.

1985 — Pinklon Thomas knocks out Mike Weaver in the eighth round to defend his World Boxing Council heavyweight title at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

1986 — Ray Floyd, 43, beats Chip Beck and Lanny Wadkins by two strokes to become the oldest golfer to win the U.S. Open. It is Floyd’s fourth and final major victory.

1987 — Michael Spinks TKOs Gerry Cooney in 5 for The Ring heavyweight boxing title at Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey.

1991 — Carl Lewis, one jump away from losing his 64-meet winning streak in the long jump, comes through with a dramatic victory when he soars 28 feet, 4¼ inches to pass leader Mike Powell by a half-inch in the U.S. Championships in New York.

1996 — Roy Jones Jr. completes a unique doubleheader, successfully defending his IBF super middleweight title after playing in a pro basketball game. Jones stops Eric Lucas in the 11th round after scoring five points in a United States Basketball League game in the afternoon, helping the Jacksonville Barracudas beat Treasure Coast 107-94.

1997 — Ernie Els wins his second U.S. Open championship in four years, finishing one stroke ahead of Colin Montgomerie. Els has the shot of the day on the 480-yard 17th hole when he hits a 5-iron from 212 yards to just 12 feet on the peninsula green.

2001 — Los Angeles beats Philadelphia 108-96 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to complete the best playoff run in NBA history. The Lakers, who finish the playoffs with a record of 15-1, are the first to go through the playoffs undefeated on the road.

2003 — NBA Finals: San Antonio Spurs beat New Jersey Nets, 88-77 in Game 6 for franchise’s second title; MVP: Tim Duncan.

2003 — Jim Furyk wins his first major championship and put his name in the record books, matching the lowest 72-hole score in the 103 years of the U.S. Open. Furyk closes with a 2-over 72 to win by three shots over Stephen Leaney of Australia.

2004 — Detroit beats the Los Angeles Lakers 100-87 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals for the Pistons’ first championship in 14 years.

2008 — Down to his last stroke at Torrey Pines, Tiger Woods sinks a 12-foot birdie putt to force an 18-hole playoff against Rocco Mediate for the U.S. Open. They finish at 1-under 283, the first time since 2004 that someone breaks par in a U.S. Open.

2011 — The Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1972, beating the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 in Game 7 of the finals.

2014 — Martin Kaymer of Germany wins the U.S. Open after four days of dominance at Pinehurst No. 2. Kaymer finishes with an eight-shot victory over Rickie Fowler and Erik Compton and becomes the seventh player in the 114 years of the U.S. Open to go wire-to-wire.

2014 — The San Antonio Spurs win their fifth NBA championship, beating the Miami Heat 104-87 to win the series in five games.

2015 — Chicago’s Duncan Keith scores in the second period and directs a dominant defense that shuts down Tampa Bay’s high-scoring attack, and the Blackhawks beat the Lightning 2-0 in Game 6 for their third NHL title in the past six seasons.

2018— Christiano Renaldo, Portugal, scores a hat-trick in Portugal’s 3-3 tie with Spain in the World Cup. Renaldo becomes the fourth player to score in four different Worlc Cups and the first to score in eight consecutive major tournaments.

2019 — In a blockbuster NBA trade, the New Orleans Pelicans send forward Anthony Davis to the LA Lakers for Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart & 3 future 1st round draft picks.

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June 16

1927 — Tommy Armour wins the U.S. Open with a three-stroke victory over Harry Cooper in a playoff.

1946 — Lloyd Mangrum edges Byron Nelson and Vic Ghezzi to win the U.S. Open by one stroke in a 36-hole playoff.

1951 — Ben Hogan captures the U.S. Open for the second straight year with a two-stroke comeback victory over Clayton Heafner.

1956 — Cary Middlecoff wins the U.S. Open by one stroke over Ben Hogan and Julius Boros.

1968 — Lee Trevino becomes the first golfer to play all four rounds of the U.S. Open under par as he beats Jack Nicklaus by four strokes.

1974 — Hale Irwin beats Forrest Fezler by two strokes to win the U.S. Open. In what becomes known as the “Massacre at Winged Foot,” not a single player breaks par in the first round. Irwin’s 7-over 278 is the second-highest score since World War II — Julius Boros was 9-over in 1963.

1975 — NBA Milwaukee Bucks trade Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Walt Wesley to L.A. Lakers for 4 players.

1985 — Andy North wins the U.S. Open by one stroke over Taiwan’s Tze-chung Chen, Canada’s Dave Barr and Zimbabwe’s Denis Watson.

1985 — Willie Banks of USA sets triple jump record (58 feet 11 inches) in Indianapolis.

1993 — Michael Jordan scores 55 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 111-105 victory and a 3-1 lead over the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals.

1993 — Ken Griffey Jr. slugs his 100th career home run in Seattle.

1995 — Marlins outfielder Andre Dawson hits his 400th NL career HR (429).

1996 — 50th NBA Championship: Chicago Bulls beat Seattle Supersonics, 4 games to 2; the Bulls’ 4th title in 6 years.

1998 — The Detroit Red Wings become the first team to win consecutive Stanley Cups since Pittsburgh in 1992, completing a sweep of Washington with a 4-1 win behind two goals by Doug Brown. It’s the fourth straight NHL finals sweep, a first in major pro sports history.

1999 — Maurice Greene smashes the 100-meter world record at 9.79 seconds, breaking the previous mark of 9.84 set by Donovan Bailey at the 1996 Olympics.

2002 — A runaway winner again in the U.S. Open, Tiger Woods becomes the first player since Jack Nicklaus in 1972 to capture the first two major championships of the year with a three-stroke victory at Bethpage (N.Y.) Black.

2006 — Tiger Woods returns from his longest layoff by making his earliest departure at a major, missing the cut in a Grand Slam tournament for the first time as a pro. Woods, with rounds of 76-76, misses the cut at the U.S. Open by three strokes.

2008 — Tiger Woods wins the U.S. Open in a 19-hole playoff over Rocco Mediate, his 14th career major.

2013 — Justin Rose captures his first major championship and becomes the first Englishman in 43 years to win the U.S. Open. Rose shoots a closing 70 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa. for a 1-over 281 total and two-shot victory over Phil Mickelson and Jason Day.

2013 — Greg Biffle gives Ford a milestone victory with his second straight Sprint Cup win at Michigan International Speedway. It’s the 1,000th victory for Ford Motor Company across NASCAR’s three national series — Cup, Nationwide and Truck.

2015 — The Golden State Warriors win their first NBA championship since 1975, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-97 in Game 6. Stephen Curry and Finals MVP Andre Iguodala each score 25 points for the Warriors, who won the final three games after Cleveland had taken a 2-1 lead.

2016 — LeBron James scores 41 points, Kyrie Irving adds 23 and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors 115-101 to even an unpredictable series and force a decisive Game 7.

2018 — Video Assist Referee (VAR) technology used for the first time in a World Cup soccer match.

2022 — NBA Finals: Golden State Warriors beat Boston Celtics, 103-90 for a 4-2 series win; Warriors’ 4th title in 8 years; MVP: Stephen Curry.

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June 17

1954 — Rocky Marciano scores a 15-round unanimous decision over Ezzard Charles at New York to retain the world heavyweight title.

1960 — Ted Williams hit his 500th HR.

1961 — Gene Littler shoots a 68 in the final round to edge Doug Sanders and Bob Goalby in the U.S. Open.

1962 — Jack Nicklaus beats Arnold Palmer by three strokes in a playoff to win the U.S. Open.

1962 — Brazil beats Czechoslovakia 3-1 in Santiago, Chile to win its second straight FIFA World Cup title. Czechoslovakia scored first on a goal by Josef Masopust at 15 minutes. Two minutes later Amarildo tied the game. In the second half, Zito and Vavá scored goals to give Brazil the victory.

1973 — John Miller shoots a 63 in the final round to win the U.S. Open by one stroke over John Schlee at Oakmont, Pa. Miller’s 8-under 63 is the first ever carded in a major championship.

1976 — The 18-team NBA absorbs four of the six remaining ABA teams: the New York Nets, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets.

1979 — Hale Irwin wins the U.S. Open by two strokes over Gary Player and Jerry Pate.

1989 — The Quebec Nordiques select Swedish center Mats Sundin with the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft. He’s the first European player to be taken with the first pick.

1989 — U.S. beats Guatemala 2-1 in 3rd round of 1990 world soccer cup.

1990 — Fifty-year-old Harry Gant becomes the oldest driver to win a NASCAR race as he posts a 2.4-second victory over Rusty Wallace in the Miller 500 at Pocono International Raceway.

1991 — Payne Stewart escapes with a two-stroke victory over Scott Simpson in the highest-scoring U.S. Open playoff in 64 years.

1992 — Philadelphia 76ers trade Charles Barkley to Phoenix Suns.

1994 — O.J. Simpson doesn’t turn himself in on murder charges, LA police chase his Ford Bronco for 1½ hours before he eventually gives up (seen live on national TV).

1995 — Claude Lemieux snaps a tie at 3:17 of the third period as the New Jersey Devils open the Stanley Cup finals with a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. The victory, the ninth on the road, breaks the NHL playoff record for road wins.

2007 — Angel Cabrera holds off Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk by a stroke to capture the U.S. Open. Cabrera shoots a 1-under-par 69 in the final round at brutal Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club.

2007 — Kate Ziegler breaks swimming’s oldest world record, shattering the 1,500-meter freestyle mark by 9 1/2 seconds at the TYR Meet of Champions Mission Viejo, Calif. Ziegler wins the 30-lap race in 15:42.54, easily erasing Janet Evans’ 1988 mark of 15:52.10 set in Orlando, Fla. At the time, Evans was the first woman to break 16 minutes.

2008 — The Boston Celtics win their 17th NBA title with a stunning 131-92 blowout over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6. Kevin Garnett scores 26 points with 14 rebounds, Ray Allen scores 26 and Paul Pierce, the finals MVP, adds 17.

2010 — The Los Angeles Lakers beat Boston for the first time in a Game 7 to repeat as NBA champions. The Lakers win their 16th NBA championship, dramatically rallying from a fourth-quarter 13-point deficit to beat the Celtics 83-79.

2011 — Rory McIlroy becomes the first player in the 111-year history of the U.S. Open to reach 13-under par, and despite a double bogey into the water on the final hole, his 5-under 66 is enough set the 36-hole scoring record at 131.

2012 — Webb Simpson wins the U.S. Open outlasting former U.S. Open champions Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell.

2018 — Brooks Koepka wins a second consecutive U.S. Open, the first player to do so since Curtis Strange in 1989.

June 18

1910 — Alex Smith wins the U.S. Open by beating John McDermont and Macdonald Smith in an 18-hole playoff at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. Smith beats McDermont by four strokes and Macdonald Smith by six.

1921 — The University of Illinois wins the first NCAA track and field championships with 20¼ points. Notre Dame finishes second with 16¾ points.

1941 — Joe Louis knocks out Billy Conn in the 13th round at the Polo Grounds in New York to retain the world heavyweight title.

1960 — Arnold Palmer beats amateur Jack Nicklaus by two strokes to win the U.S. Open.

1967 — Jack Nicklaus shoots a record 275 to beat Arnold Palmer for the U.S. Open. Nicklaus breaks Ben Hogan’s 1948 record by one stroke.

1972 — Jack Nicklaus wins the U.S. Open by three strokes over Bruce Crampton and ties Bobby Jones’ record of 13 major titles.

1972 — UEFA European Championship Final, Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium: Gerd Müller scores a brace as West Germany beats Soviet Union, 3-0.

1975 — Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins wins the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman for the eighth consecutive year.

1984 — Fuzzy Zoeller shoots a 3-under 67 to beat Greg Norman by eight strokes in the 18-hole playoff at Winged Foot GC for the U.S. Open title.

1986 — California’s Don Sutton becomes the 19th pitcher in baseball history to win 300 games as he pitches a three-hitter to give the Angels a 5-1 triumph over the Texas Rangers.

1990 — Hale Irwin makes an 8-foot birdie putt on the 91st hole to beat Mike Donald in the first sudden-death playoff to decide the U.S. Open. It is the third U.S. Open title for the 45-year-old Irwin, the oldest winner in the tournament’s history.

1992 — Ottawa Senators make goalie Peter Sidorkiewicz their 1st draft pick.

1995 — Michael Johnson becomes the first national champion at 200 and 400 meters since 1899 as he captures both races at the USA-Mobil Championships.

1995 — FIFA Women’s World Cup Final, Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden: Hege Riise & Marianne Pettersen score within 3 minutes of each other to give Norway a 2-0 win over Germany.

2000 — Tiger Woods turns the 100th U.S. Open into a one-man show, winning by 15 strokes over Ernie Els and Miguel Angel Jimenez. Woods’ 15-stroke margin shatters the Open mark of 11 set by Willie Smith in 1899 and is the largest in any major championship — surpassing the 13-stroke victory by Old Tom Morris in the 1862 British Open.

2006 — Phil Mickelson’s bid for a third consecutive major ends with a shocking collapse when he bungles his way to a double bogey on the final hole, giving the U.S. Open to Geoff Ogilvy.

2017 — Brooks Koepka breaks away from a tight pack with three straight birdies on the back nine at Erin Hills and closes with a 5-under 67 to win the U.S. Open for his first major championship.

2017 — Diana Taurasi scores 19 points to break the WNBA career scoring record in the Phoenix Mercury’s 90-59 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. Taurasi finishes with 7,494 points, passing Tina Thompson’s mark of 7,488.

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June 19

1867 — Ruthless, ridden by J. Gilpatrick, wins the inaugural Belmont Stakes at Jerome Park in the Bronx. The filly earns $1,850 for her victory.

1914 — Harry Vardon wins his sixth and final British Open by shooting a 306, three strokes ahead of J.H. Taylor at Prestwick Club.

1936 — German heavyweight boxer Max Schmeling knocks out previously unbeaten Joe Louis in the 12th round. Schmeling’s victory sets off a propaganda war between the Nazi regime and the United States on the eve of World War II.

1938 — FIFA World Cup Final, Stade Olympique de Colombes, Paris, France: Luigi Colausig & Silvio Piola each score 2 goals as Italy beats Hungary, 4-1.

1954 — Ed Furgol edges Gene Littler by one stroke to win the U.S. Open, the first golf tournament to be televised nationally.

1955 — Jack Fleck beats Ben Hogan by three strokes in a playoff round to win the U.S. Open.

1973 — Pete Rose (Cincinnati Reds) and Willie Davis (LA Dodgers) both record 2,000th MLB career hit; Rose, a single in 4-0 win vs SF Giants; Davis, a HR in 3-0 win vs Atlanta Braves.

1977 — Hubert Green wins the U.S. Open by one stroke over Lou Graham.

1986 — Len Bias, the second pick in the NBA draft made by the Boston Celtics two days before, dies of a heart attack induced by cocaine use.

1992 — Evander Holyfield wins a unanimous decision over Larry Holmes to remain unbeaten and retain the undisputed heavyweight title.

1992 — Charlie Whittingham becomes the second trainer in history, behind D. Wayne Lukas, to top $100 million in purse earnings when Little by Little finishes second in the sixth race at Hollywood Park.

1999 — Dallas wins its first Stanley Cup, as Brett Hull’s controversial goal at 14:51 of the third overtime gives the Stars a 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 6.

2000 — NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers beat Indiana Pacers, 116-111 in Game 6 to win the franchise’s first title in 12 years; MVP: Shaquille O’Neal.

2005 — Michael Campbell answers every challenge Tiger Woods throws his way for a two-shot victory in the U.S. Open. Retief Goosen, the two-time U.S. Open champion, turns in a collapse that ranks among the greatest in major championship history. He loses his three-shot lead in three holes and closes with an 81 to tie for 11th at 8 over.

2006 — Cam Ward stops nearly everything giving the Carolina Hurricanes their first Stanley Cup title with a 3-1 victory over Edmonton in Game 7.

2011 — Rory McIlroy runs away with the U.S. Open title, winning by eight shots and breaking the tournament scoring record by a whopping four strokes. McIlroy shoots a 2-under 69 to close the four days at Congressional in Bethesda, Md., at 16-under 268.

2015 — Alex Rodriguez homers for his 3,000th career hit as the New York Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 7-2.

2016 — Dustin Johnson atones for his past mishaps in the majors winning the U.S. Open by three shots. Shane Lowry, who began the final round with a four-shot lead, Jim Furyk and Scott Piercy finish tied for second.

2016 — LeBron James and his relentless Cavaliers pulls off an improbable NBA Finals comeback to give the city of Cleveland its first title since 1964. James delivers on a promise from two years ago to bring a championship to his native northeast Ohio, and he and the Cavs become the first team to rally from a 3-1 finals deficit by beating the defending champion Golden State Warriors 93-89.

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June 20

1908 — Colin wins the Tidal Stakes at Sheepshead Bay and retires undefeated after 15 starts. No major American racehorse approaches this record until 1988, when Personal Ensign retires with a perfect 13-for-13 career.

1936 — Jesse Owens sets a 100-meter record of 10.2 seconds at a meet in Chicago.

1940 — Joe Louis stops Arturo Godoy in the eighth round at Yankee Stadium to retain the world heavyweight title.

1960 — Floyd Patterson knocks out Ingemar Johansson in the fifth round in New York to become the first boxer to regain the world heavyweight title.

1966 — Billy Casper beats Arnold Palmer by four strokes in a playoff to win the U.S. Open.

1967 — Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali, is convicted of violating the United States Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted. Clay is sentenced to five years in prison and fined $10,000, the maximum penalty for the offense. Ali remains free while his conviction is on appeal.

1968 — The Night of Speed. In a span of 2½ hours, the world record of 10 seconds for the 100 meters is broken by three men and tied by seven others at the AAU Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif. Jim Hines wins the first semifinal in a tight finish with Ronny Ray Smith, becoming the first man to break the 10-second barrier. Both runners are credited with a time of 9.9 seconds. Charlie Greene wins the second semifinal and then ties Hines’ 9.9 record in the final.

1976 — UEFA European Championship Final, Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia: Czechoslovakia upsets West Germany, 5-3 on penalties following 2-2 draw.

1980 — Roberto Duran wins a 15-round decision over Sugar Ray Leonard at Olympic Stadium in Montreal to win the WBC welterweight crown.

1982 — Tom Watson wins the U.S. Open by two strokes over Jack Nicklaus.

1982 — Pete Rose is 5th to appear in 3,000 games (Cobb, Musial, Aaron, Yaz).

1984 — Jockey Pat Day equals a thoroughbred racing record for an eight-race card when he wins seven races at Churchill Downs. Day’s only loss is in the fourth race.

1993 — Lee Janzen holes a 30-foot chip for birdie on No. 16 and adds birdies on the par-5 closing holes for a two-stroke victory over Payne Stewart in the U.S. Open. Janzen ties Jack Nicklaus’ record 272 total and Lee Trevino’s four straight rounds in the 60′s.

1993 — John Paxson hits a 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left as the Chicago Bulls win their third consecutive NBA title with a 99-98 victory over the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of the finals.

1994 — Ernie Els of South Africa becomes the first foreign winner of the U.S. Open since 1981, beating Loren Roberts on the second sudden-death hole.

1994 — Former NFL running back, broadcaster and actor O.J. Simpson arraigned on murder of Nicole Simpson & Ronald Goldman.

2004 — Retief Goosen captures his second U.S. Open in four years. In the toughest final round at the U.S. Open in 22 years, Goosen closes with a 1-over 71 for a two-shot victory made possible when Phil Mickelson three-putts from 5 feet on the 17th.

2004 — Ken Griffey Jr. hits the 500th home run of his career, off Matt Morris, to help the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-0.

2006 — Dwyane Wade caps his magnificent playoffs with 36 points and 10 rebounds to lead Miami past the Dallas Mavericks 95-92 as the Heat roar back from a two-game deficit to win the NBA finals in six games.

2013 — LeBron James has 37 points and 12 rebounds, and the Miami Heat repeat as champions with a 95-88 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

2017 — Tiger Woods checks into a clinic to manage his pain medication and sleep disorder, following his arrest for driving under the influence.

2018 — Christiano Renaldo scores a goal against Morocco to become the all-time leading European goalscorer (85) in international compitition.

2019 — Duke power forward Zion Williamson is the first player chosen in the 2019 NBA Draft.

2020 — Tiz the Law, ridden by Manuel Franco, wins the 152nd Belmont Stakes becoming the first New York-bred horse to win the event since 1882.

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