NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor has started playing simulated games and New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns is hopeful the shortstop can return to the team by the end of June.“Our expectation’s he’s going to play games for us this month,” Stearns said Friday before the Mets opened a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves. “I don’t know exactly when this month, but that means we’re getting closer. We want to go as fast as possible and smart as possible, and that’s a delicate line.”Manager Carlos Mendoza said Lindor, who suffered a strained left calf while running the bases against the Minnesota Twins on April 22, played a two-inning simulated game Friday.Lindor took at-bats against a pitcher from Single-A Brooklyn, though he didn’t run after making contact. He also fielded ground balls.“More like a controlled environment (where) we’re simulating game action but we’re controlling it,” Mendoza said. “He’s going to do that again next week here, where instead of two innings it’s more like three, five (innings). And then we’ll revisit at the end of next week to see what’s the next step.”Lindor would still require a rehab stint in the minors following what will end up being his longest stay on the injured list, Mendoza said. Lindor has missed the last 44 games, during which the Mets have gone 22-22.He missed just 52 games in his first five seasons with the team and played at least 143 games in each of his first four nonpandemic seasons with Cleveland.Lindor will likely return to a club still trying to play its way back from a 12-game losing streak in April — the longest skid for the Mets since 2002.New York, which is in the midst of a 25-game stretch against teams that began June with a winning record, is in last place in the NL East.“There’s no question we’ve played better since April, but we still haven’t played consistent enough to get ourselves out of a hole that we dug in April,” Stearns said. “And we’re very aware of that. So we have to prove it. I continue to believe that we have people in the clubhouse who are capable of doing this.”Encouraging signs for SengaPitcher Kodai Senga took an encouraging step in his return from lumbar spine inflammation on Thursday, when he allowed one hit over six innings for Double-A Binghamton.Senga, whose start was pushed back two days due to ulnar nerve irritation, is expected to throw a bullpen in New York before making at least one more rehab start.

For the second time in the history of the World Cup, the United States Men's Soccer Team is kicking off its tournament on home soil when it takes on Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium).This is the first game in Group D (Turkiye and Australia are the other teams), with the USMNT and Turkiye rated co-favorites. The US is coming in off a loss to Germany in its send-off match, but played well enough to give it encouragement.The United States is favored in this game.More: 2026 FIFA World Cup full schedule, when do US soccer, Mexico playUSMNT starting lineupsGoalkeeper: 24 Matt FreeseDefense: 3 Chris Richards, 13 Tim Ream, 16 Alex FreemanMidfield: 5 Antonee Robinson, 17 Malik Tillman, 4 Tyler Adams, 8 Weston McKennie, 2 Sergiño DestAttack: 10 Christian Pulisic, 20 Folarin BalogunMore: Did Mexico win today? Mexico cruises past South Africa in openerWhere is USMNT playing today?At Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium).What channel is USA soccer on today?Match starts at 7 p.m. MT/8 p.m. CT. It is televised on FOX and Telemundo.Where is the USA soccer game todayIt is in Inglewood, Calif. at SoFi Stadium, which has been rebranded Los Angeles Stadium for this World Cup.Team USA soccer rosterGOALKEEPERS (3)25 Chris Brady24 Matt Freese1 Matt TurnerDEFENDERS (10)18 Max Arfsten2 Sergiño Dest16 Alex Freeman22 Mark McKenzie13 Tim Ream3 Chris Richards5 Antonee Robinson12 Miles Robinson23 Joe Scally6 Auston TrustyMIDFIELDERS (6)4 Tyler Adams14 Sebastian Berhalter8 Weston McKennie7 Gio Reyna15 Cristian Roldan17 Malik TillmanFORWARDS (7)11 Brenden Aaronson20 Folarin Balogun9 Ricardo Pepi10 Christian Pulisic21 Tim Weah19 Haji Wright26 Alejandro ZendejasWho are some up-and-coming players on the USMNT to look out for in the group stage?Ricardo Pepi, Gio Reyna and Falorini Balogun are the top young players to watch for the USMNT.Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: USA men's soccer roster for World Cup 2026 vs Paraguay. See list

Roger Federer is being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on August 29.After Serena Williams introduced Maria Sharapova at her induction last year, it got us thinking of who could introduce Federer.Our list has three tennis players, but Federer could also go outside the sport and tap his parents, agent, children, or someone else.MORE: Wimbledon singles main draw entry lists are missing big names1. Mirka FedererMirka checks two boxes. She is his wife and a former tennis player. Mirka was with him throughout the highs and lows of his professional career so she would be a fitting choice to introduce her husband.2. Martina HingisFederer often talked about the impact former WTA World No. 1 and fellow Swiss player Martina Hingis had on him when both were young and rising stars in the sport.MORE: What we know about the upcoming Katie Boulter, Alex de Minaur weddingHingis, 45, is only a year older than Federer. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2013 before coming out of retirement and playing four more years before her final retirement in 2017.3. Rafael NadalSep 23, 2022; London, United Kingdom; Roger Federer (SUI) and Rafael Nadal (ESP) change ends while playing against Jack Sock (USA) and Frances Tiafoe in a Laver Cup tennis match. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn ImagesRoger’s foe turned close friend, Rafael Nadal, would also be an ideal choice to do the honors. Nadal made a special effort to go to the 2022 Laver Cup and play with Federer in his final tournament. Their relationship continues now that both are retired.Two other possibilities come to mind, but both will be more than likely be playing at the US Open so they wouldn’t be able to do it. They are Stan Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic. Wawrinka and Federer were Swiss compatriots who have known each other since they were kids. Stan is retiring at the end of 2026 so it is more than likely that he will get a wildcard to play in New York. Novak Djokovic is not planning to retire anytime soon so he will definitely be in action at the 2026 US Open, and therefore, could not be in Newport, Rhode Island for the event.

Infantino takes a swipe at Italy: maybe they'd qualify with 64 teamsGianni Infantino, FIFA president, continues to stir controversy with his statements about the World Cup and the number of countries participating in this first historic edition. On this occasion, the head of world football was asked about his idea of increasing the number of teams in the World Cup, which had already been raised at the FIFA Council, and he surprised many by mentioning Italy’s absence. "For now, we are enjoying this first historic World Cup with 48 teams. Maybe Italy would qualify with 64 teams. I could expand it to 228 and see if they qualify," he said to CazeTV before the opening in Mexico. As expected, his words were not well received in the boot-shaped country and were seen as a sign of disrespect. This year, Italy suffered its third consecutive elimination in the World Cup qualifiers. It has not appeared at football’s biggest stage since Brazil 2014. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

Phoenix Suns forward Ryan Dunn’s interest in the NBA Finals goes beyond the series itself.He’s from New York, the state.The third-seeded Knicks can win their first NBA championship since 1973 with a Game 5 road victory June 13 against the San Antonio Spurs.“I kind of have a little favor for them, but I’m just watching as a student of the game,” said Dunn in a media scrum June 12. “More mostly seeing what they’re doing, what the physicality is. Just trying to take ways of how San Antonio and how the Knicks are playing and trying to learn how that intensity not only in the finals, but just in the whole playoffs.”"Have a little favor for them, but I'm just watching as a student of the game."Suns forward Ryan Dunn on NBA Finals as Knicks have a 3-1 lead on Spurs.Dunn was born in New Hyde Park, N.Y."I hope they close it out on Saturday." Suns went 2-0 vs. Knicks this season. #Sunspic.twitter.com/t7piyKNGXJ— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) June 12, 2026The second-seeded Spurs can extend the series with a win and force a Game 6 June 16 at Madison Square Garden. If necessary, Game 7 is scheduled for June 19 in San Antonio.“I hope they close it out on Saturday, but I can’t wait to see more basketball from them,” Dunn added.Phoenix swept the home-away series over the Knicks in its surprising 45-win season that ended with a first-round loss to then-defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.Dunn has since reflected on the season as the Suns won just 36 games his rookie year in 2024-25.“As a team, we exceeded expectations,” Dunn said. “Going into this offseason now, it’s trying to do the same thing, maybe even a little better. Not focusing on what the outside noise is saying. Focus on how individually we can get better. For me, it was going back and seeing what I’ve done well, what I can improve on. That’s kind of my whole focus this offseason. Trying to improve in areas I know need to be better at.”"They love being with kids." Sarah Krahenbuhl, Executive Director, Phoenix Suns/Mercury Foundation as Ryan Dunn attended their youth camp Friday at ALA Gilbert North.Next week: ALA Gilbert North.Week after: Thunderbird High.Registration: https://t.co/8EeImpD6JN#Sunspic.twitter.com/j606dJVQVS— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) June 12, 2026Dunn is taking time to relax, too. The 6-foot-8-inch forward spent June 12 at the organization’s youth basketball camp at ALA Gilbert North as he signed autographs and interacted with the kids.“That’s exactly why I do it, I was one of them back home in New York,” Dunn said. “I remember Tobias Harris would come to the camps and I was so excited to see him, being a kid that wanted to dream where he is.”Now playing for the Detroit Pistons, Harris is from Islip, N.Y.“To have the opportunity to come back in here and give back to the kids is what I do it for, the next generation of kids coming up,” Dunn continued. “They aspire to be us.”The Suns continue their camp at ALA Gilbert next week and it concludes the week after that at Thunderbird High School in Phoenix.“This is really great of us,” said Sarah Krahenbuhl, executive director, Phoenix Suns/Phoenix Mercury Foundation. “It’s all across the Valley. We have more than 1,100 kids that come out in a month and our players love coming out. This is really where their passion lies.”Dunn has established a checklist for improvement going into his third NBA season after averaging 5.8 points on 45.3% shooting and 4.2 rebounds in 70 games.Team Orange wins championship game at Phoenix Suns youth basketball camp Friday at American Leadership Academy, Gilbert North. Celebration incoming. #Sunshttps://t.co/NLIOLN5lKSpic.twitter.com/ZxfuhX8oY9— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) June 12, 2026“For me, reading the game a little better,” Dunn said. “Playing more aggressive, being more physical. Being able to make plays defensively, watching more film on guys. Defending without fouling. Just the whole game in general.”Dunn improved on his 3 from his rookie year, shooting 33.1% after connecting on 31.1% in 2024-25.“Obviously shooting, getting better at that, being more consistent there, but just playing, getting a better feel for the game and expanding on all aspects,” Dunn added.Dunn said he and head coach Jordan Ott have had offseason conversations about what’s next for the athletic forward.“He gave us some time off, but we came back in the gym and talked about different areas to improve that he’s seeing, that we see and we just come up with a plan throughout the whole season and the offseason and get better in each of those aspects,” Dunn said.“He’s transparent with us in every way, which I appreciate. He’s in the gym working with us, teaching us, giving us tips as well. A guy with his background and what he’s done in this league, is someone you have to respect and as our coach, you believe in him.”Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Suns forward Ryan Dunn has improvement checklist for Year 3

Two returning Panthers facing tough NFL training camp challenges originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.With Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales issuing a reward by canceling Thursday's final NFL mandatory minicamp practice, the players started summer break early.At least two returners from last season's squad may spend their vacation weeks on edge, realizing the challenges that could arise attempting to reclaim their spots on the 53-man roster. As the Panthers capped the offseason training activities (OTAs) and directed their focus to an early training camp, here are the situations facing tight end James Mitchell and defensive lineman LaBryan Ray when they report July 22.Tight end James MitchellPanthers general manager Dan Morgan ignored the position during the initial free-agent period and the NFL Draft last April, preferring the status quo. The top four depth chart includes Tommy Tremble, Ja'Tavion Sanders, Mitchell Evans and Mitchell. The one addition Morgan made was a reunion with special teams ace Feleipe Franks. Sanders said Thursday that the tight end room remains close and anyone could break out. "Honestly, anyone can have a breakout year," Sanders said. "Anytime anyone steps out on the field, there is no drop off."Tremble and Sanders, who is coming off an injury-plagued campaign, enter training camp as TE1 and TE2. Evans, the TE3, is a strong blocker and optimistic playmaker.Is there room for Mitchell?Defensive lineman LaBryan RayA reserve through this four-year stay, Ray emerged as an injury-depleted regular late in the 2024 season, starting nine games and generating his lone NFL sack. When called upon, the former Alabama standout has compiled 73 career tackles (29 solo) in 46 career appearances. With Tershawn Wharton sidelined with a neck injury, Ray, at 6-foot-4, 290 pounds, could slide over from defensive end to serve at nose tackle in the 3-4 base defense. But with Bobby Brown III, Cam Jackson and rookie Lee Hunter ahead of him on the depth chart and undrafted free agent Aaron Hall making an impression during rookie minicamp and OTAs, Ray likely will need a strong preseason to retain his reserve role.At least there's the practice squad.More NFL news:Report: Panthers, rising WR Jalen Coker agree on NFL contract extensionPanthers' Xavier Legette opens up about NFL strugglesUpon further review: Panthers TE Feleipe Franks' NFL mandatory minicamp catch confirmed'Go to replays:' Did Panthers TE Feleipe Franks make NFL mandatory minicamp catch?

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Michael Rucker works against the Colorado Rockies in the sixth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, April 17, 2022, in Denver. | David Zalubowski, Associated Press For the first time since 2023, Michael Rucker is back on an MLB roster.The former BYU pitcher and Auburn, Washington, native has been called up by his hometown Seattle Mariners, the team announced Thursday.Rucker is one of three BYU products currently in the big leagues, joining his former Cougars teammate Daniel Schneemann of the Cleveland Guardians and Athletics reliever Justin Sterner.When Rucker makes his Mariners debut, it will mark the first season since 2017 in which three different BYU players all appeared in at least one MLB contest.In 96 appearances for the Chicago Cubs between 2021-23, Rucker went 5-2 with a 4.96 earned run average and 120 strikeouts. His best campaign came in 2022, when he won three games and pitched to a 3.95 ERA.Prior to his MLB promotion, Rucker sported a 1.59 ERA across 22 2/3 innings in Triple-A this season.Rucker was excellent in two years at BYU after transferring from Gonzaga, posting a 16-2 record, 2.92 ERA and 150 strikeouts in 39 games (22 starts).After earning First Team All-West Coast Conference honors in 2016, he was selected by the Cubs in the 11th round of that year’s draft, becoming the 22nd player ever drafted out of BYU.Rucker will now join a Mariners pitching staff that currently boasts the fifth-best ERA in baseball as Seattle looks to capture its second consecutive American League West division crown. Michael Rucker pitches for BYU during a game in 2016. | Mark Philbrick, BYU Photo

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 11: Fox Sports announcers Rebecca Lowe, Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and Alexi Lalas during the Fox Sports FIFA World Cup Now show at SoFi Stadium on June 11, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Fox Sports via Getty Images); https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET3JzfQEOnA - Frank Micelotta/Fox Sports via Getty Images; FOX Sports/YouTubeWorld Cup pundit Alexi Lalas got a lesson in real time in how certain words and jokes don’t always translate when he dropped an expletive during a live broadcast, leaving his fellow Fox panelists stunned after he directed a profane insult at James Corden.Before the Group B match between Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday, June 12, Fox aired a promotional spot for FIFA World Cup on FOX After Hours With James Corden, the network’s new late-night show hosted by Corden. Following the video, fellow pundits asked Alexi Lalas for his thoughts on Corden during the live broadcast.“Can we talk about James Corden for a second?” host Rebecca Lowe asked.“What do you guys call them? A … full kit w**ker, right?” responded Lalas. “He’s all dressed up and ready to go.”The effect was immediate. Panelist Thierry Henry looked directly into the camera, visibly stunned, while Zlatan Ibrahimović could only respond with, “Whoa.”“Did he just say that?” said a flabbergasted Henry.Lowe quickly tried to smooth things over by stating, “Lucky we are on American television, because the W-word on British TV would have caused a lot more trouble.” The awkward exchange left the panel laughing nervously as they moved on from the unexpected live-TV moment.For folks outside the know of British slang, a “full kit w*****” is used in soccer culture to mock an adult who wears the complete professional playing uniform in public, outside of actually playing a match. It’s typically used to make fun of someone who is taking their fandom a bit too seriously. In the video that Lalas was referencing, Corden appears dressed head-to-toe in USA soccer gear.The expletive doesn’t quite hold the same meaning in the States as it does in the U.K., so it is probably not likely that Lalas will face much scrutiny for the slip-up on live television, though few mistook the “full-kit” part of his comment for a similar-sounding curse word.FIFA World Cup on FOX After Hours With James Corden premiered on Thursday, June 11, following that day’s World Cup matches at midnight ET. Each live episode runs for one hour, with new episodes airing nightly throughout the tournament. While the 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from June 11 through July 19, FIFA World Cup on FOX After Hours With James Corden is scheduled to air through July 15.Read the latest entertainment news on TV Insider.

One of the nation’s most recognizable characters, he delivered his wacky commentary for more than 40 years on the “Today” show.

Mavericks fans know exactly what Spurs fans are feeling about De'Aaron Fox right now originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Dallas Mavericks are nowhere near the NBA Finals, but their fans know exactly what Spurs fans are feeling after Game 4. When a team suffers a devastating playoff collapse, the conversation quickly shifts from the loss itself to whether a highly paid star is living up to expectations. That is where De'Aaron Fox finds himself right now.San Antonio appeared to have complete control against the New York Knicks before blowing a 29-point lead in one of the most shocking collapses of the postseason. The turning point that many fans focused on came late in the game. With the Spurs leading by one, Fox recovered a loose ball and attacked the basket instead of slowing the pace and forcing New York to foul. OG Anunoby blocked the shot, and the Knicks seized momentum shortly afterward.One possession did not cost San Antonio the game, but playoff losses have a way of magnifying every mistake. That scrutiny has only intensified because of Fox's contract. Earlier this year, the Spurs signed him to a four-year, $229 million extension, making him one of the franchise's biggest investments.That is why Mavericks fans can relate. They have seen how quickly fan frustration can turn into a debate over value. Once a player is paid like a superstar, every postseason mistake carries more weight. Fans expect elite performances in defining moments, and anything less invites criticism.The discussion has also been fueled by Fox's production. After averaging 27.4 points per game during Sacramento's 2023 playoff run, he has averaged 16 points this postseason while sharing offensive responsibilities with Victor Wembanyama. Meanwhile, young Spurs players such as Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper have continued to impress, creating even more comparisons.Fox is not solely responsible for San Antonio's collapse. Teams do not blow 29-point leads because of one player. Still, Mavericks fans understand what happens after losses like this. The focus shifts from one game to bigger questions about a star player, a massive contract, and whether the investment will ultimately be worth it.More NBA news:Klay Thompson's days in Dallas are numbered, and these 3 teams should be callingVictor Wembanyama under ‘aura farming’ fire after Spurs’ Game 4 meltdown in NBA FinalsVictor Wembanyama finds himself at center of ugly postgame sceneMitch Johnson’s blunt Victor Wembanyama take proves why Knicks had no answer in Game 3NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal shares savage honesty about Victor Wembanyama-Jalen Brunson incident that Knicks fans won't like

Jackson Schroder was a toddler when he started playing soccer. He hasn’t stopped, from the youth rec league level all the way up to high school.He recently graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School but is still playing on the travel circuit. In fact, he’s a member of the Legacy FC U19 team that will be playing in the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah, next month.Schroder is also giving back as a rec league coach, showing appreciation for and not forgetting his upbringing in the sport.That’s just the type of thing Gatorade looks for in its state award candidates across the high school landscape, and, in Schroder’s case, it seems to have stood out.Schroder, a defender for four years with the Flying Eagles, was announced as the winner of the prestigious Gatorade West Virginia Boys Soccer Player of the Year award Friday morning.“I’m beyond blessed and grateful to receive the award,” Schroder said. “I couldn’t thank my coaches, my amazing teammates and my family more. They’ve been here with me throughout it all, so I really appreciate all of their support. I’m just so grateful beyond measure to even be nominated, but to win it.”He found out at roughly the same time as everyone else, through a phone call from Steve Laraba, his coach at Woodrow Wilson. Laraba is in Los Angeles for the U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup match against Paraguay, but got to make the phone call at a little after 6 a.m. on the West Coast.Not that Schroder wasn’t busy himself.“I was actually walking out of the gym.” Schroder said, getting Laraba’s call after a back and biceps workout. “I answered the phone and he just said, ‘Congratulations.’ I asked him, ‘What for?’ I was confused. I didn’t have a clue what it was about. And then he broke the news to me. So I got in the car, rushed home, told my parents.”It wasn’t long before Schroder started getting more congratulatory calls, and then the official word via email and text from Gatorade.“I am so happy that Jackson has won this award,” Laraba texted from L.A. “He is an outstanding person, teammate and player. Jackson has worked very hard as a player and a student. The WWHS Boys Soccer program is extremely proud of him!”Gatorade included a testimonial about Schroder from Parkersburg South coach Rick George in its release.“Jackson Schroder was a standout,” George said. “He’s a fantastic defender with ridiculous speed. He single-handedly kept us from scoring on several occasions.”That was the word not only on Schroder, but also on the defense of which he was a valuable part. The Flying Eagles were known for making it hard for opponents to score. They defeated Hurricane for the Class AAA state championship in 2024 and finished runner-up to the Redskins in the Class AAAA title game after a shootout last fall.Schroder was part of a defense that posted 23 clean sheets and allowed just 26 goals in 44 games over the last two seasons.“It was by far the best four years of my life. I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Schroder said. “All my coaches, each day in practice they worked us, they pushed us hard, they pushed us to get better. All my teammates, from the goalie to the front — Bryson Doss, Tyler Radford, Jackson Gray, Vince Umberger — that whole defensive unit, I wouldn’t be where I am right now without them because they pushed and fought alongside me every single game and we helped lock it down in the back.”Schroder, who graduated with a 4.48 grade-point average, will attend Virginia Tech and major in chemical engineering. He would love the chance to coach in the future, which he is actually doing right now. He is an assistant for a U4 team on Mondays, then turns his attention to U14 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.“These kids are just starting to get into soccer, and I just like seeing how excited they get when they score and do something good,” Schroder said of the U4 team. “They look over at their parents and they’re just really giddy. It makes me happy to see that. … Just seeing (the U14) kids have fun, most of the team knows each other, and just seeing them bond, and they kind of have that chemistry. I don’t really have to do much. I have a a great team and they play hard each and every game.”It’s all part of giving back to the community and the sport he loves.“I definitely like to keep helping out in different communities, just making sure I’m out promoting youth soccer, because that’s where I started,” Schroder said. “If I wouldn’t have had coaches like Jerry Umberger, Steve Laraba, Jason Logan, Jay Rist, all of them, if I wouldn’t have had coaches like them to help kick me into gear, get me going, and promote it, support, coach, everything, I definitely wouldn’t be here without all of them. So I want to also be able to make that positive impact on kids throughout any age range in the community.”

Carmelo Anthony addressed his “ridiculous” remark, saying that Jeremy Lin deserved for the Knicks to match his offer from Houston instead of letting him walk over luxury tax concerns. “You got to think from my perspective, everything kind of came and went so fast and now I’m not on the Knicks anymore,” Lin said on the “7PM in Brooklyn,” a Wave Original. “And after that, I hear publicly a coach saying something and three teammates saying stuff publicly about like, ‘Oh, Linsanity didn’t vibe with everybody in the locker room.’ And so I’m like, ‘You got to think, Melo, I’m hearing this and I’m trying to piece together the story.’”New York PostThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Jeremy Lin, Carmelo Anthony clear air on 7PM in Brooklyn podcast

Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty ImagesEsmir Bajraktarevic has become the Wisconsin-born World Cup name the United States men’s national team may regret losing after choosing Bosnia and Herzegovina over the country where he developed.His route to the tournament has the kind of tension that makes an eligibility decision feel bigger with every new step in a player’s career.For the USMNT, this is no longer just about a former prospect switching flags, because Bajraktarević is now producing the moments that make another country’s World Cup story feel personal.Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty ImagesEsmir Bajraktarevic turns Milwaukee Messi tag into Bosnia and Herzegovina World Cup momentThe Sun reports that Bajraktarevic, nicknamed the “Milwaukee Messi,” helped send Bosnia to the World Cup after a playoff shootout against Italy in Zenica.The decisive moment came from the penalty spot, where he converted the kick that eliminated Italy and pushed Bosnia back onto the world stage.Bajraktarevic was born in Appleton, Wisconsin, after his parents left Bosnia and built a new life in the United States.He grew up with Bosnian language, food, and soccer culture still shaping the family home, which made his international choice feel rooted rather than opportunistic.That family background gives the penalty a deeper meaning than one successful kick in a shootout. Bajraktarevic has described the moment as one of the best feelings of his life, because the World Cup dream he once imagined as a child now has Bosnia’s shirt attached to it.Esmir Bajraktarevic gives USMNT a Bosnia and Herzegovina reminder before World CupThe American angle matters because Bajraktarevic was already known inside the USMNT system when Bosnia moved for him.He played for US youth teams and earned a senior cap in 2024, before choosing Bosnia when the opportunity arrived.His progress at club level has only made the decision more uncomfortable from an American perspective. Bajraktarevic recorded four goals and four assists in 28 Eredivisie appearances for PSV, including eight starts, during a title-winning campaign.Bosnia’s group with Canada, Qatar and Switzerland gives him a realistic chance to carry the story beyond qualification.Bajraktarevic grew up in Wisconsin, but the World Cup will now present him as one of Bosnia’s most compelling players and a talent the USMNT could not keep.Read more:Beer and burger prices stun World Cup fans at Canada vs BosniaWatch fans boo USA flag in build-up to Canada vs BosniaWorld Cup five-second restart rule explained as Canada awarded tournament’s first reverse throw-in

EAST LANSING – Friday, June 12, will be a date forever ingrained in the memory of Sydney DeKuiper. The Rockford High School senior had a heart-wrenching dilemma that she had to work through: Stand up as the maid of honor in her sister Sammie’s wedding or compete with her team in the program’s first MHSAA girls soccer Division 1 state title game. With her family’s support – and, most importantly, Sammie’s – she chose the latter. DIVISION 4: Harbor Springs girls soccer beats Royal Oak Shrine for D-4 state title“Luckily my family is the best and they support me so much and we’ve always been a sports family,” DeKuiper said. “It wasn’t exactly a hard decision; it just hurt my heart.” The risk was worth the reward. DeKuiper as she and Rockford defeated Troy, 2-0, to capture the program’s first state title. DeKuiper, who assisted on the final goal (scored by junior forward Amelia Chapin), said afterward there was nowhere else she’d rather be. “It's a true sisterhood, and I would die on this field for them if I could,” she said. “It’s my last time on the field with them and so I left everything out on the field for them.” The game started with a fast pace as both teams were eager to get on the scoreboard. Minutes in, the tempo slowed down, but physicality took its place as both teams received penalties. Neither team scored in the first half, but Troy had more opportunities to do so. The Colts had seven scoring chances – three of which came from junior Kaylee Worrell – compared to the Rams’ two. Rockford coach Stu Quackenbush said the team was resilient and welcomed the physicalicality. “I think what happened was [Troy] played physical as well. They were a fantastic team just being strong on the ball, 50-50s. Then I think it knocked us back a little at first,” he said. “It was something that we haven’t seen, a team take it to us like that in the first half in a while.” Rockford scored first, courtesy of senior forward Isla Brown with 17:29 left. The Rams held a 1-0 lead for much of the rest the half until Chapin scored an insurance goal with 2:07 left. Quackenbush, who had a different game plan for DeKuiper to get involved, credited her for following her instincts in that moment. “I’m yelling for Sydney to take it in the corner in order to bleed more clock. [She] ignores me because she’s intelligent and passes a brilliant ball over and finishes to get us that second goal, which was a buffer that we really needed,” he said. Rockford principal Ricky Clark said the team embodies what the school and community is all about, citing the team’s long history of playing together, dating back to grade school. “[Troy] at any point, had us against the ropes and they could have delivered us a blow and the way [our girls] worked together in the same way they worked together in our halls and on the team all the way down from when they were playing rec soccer.” DeKuiper may have missed her sister’s wedding, but she wasn’t alone for her special moment that she’ll remember forever. “All the fans are my supporters. I have the best community, and they have supported me so much,” DeKuiper said. Nominate a high school athlete for the Detroit Free Press boys and girls athlete of the week.Eric Guzmán covers youth sports culture at the Free Press as a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. Make a tax-deductible contribution to support this work.Contact Eric Guzmán: eguzman@freepress.com; 313-222-1850.This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: MHSAA girls soccer: Rockford nabs first title with shutout of Troy

John D. Rockefeller, the Gilded Age oil baron, became America’s first billionaire in 1916. Like Elon Musk’s ascension, the milestone made headlines.

Ole Miss vs. North Carolina baseball box score: Live stats from College World Series originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The North Carolina Tar Heels baseball team heads to Omaha for the 13th time in school history, facing the Ole Miss Rebels in the College World Series game on Friday night.For UNC head coach Scott Forbes, he's the first to lead his team to a CWS appearance twice in the first six years of his tenure. As a whole, the Tar Heels are the only team in the field to have gone twice in the past three seasons. Ole Miss comes in having a 57-year gap from the last time they faced UNC.First pitch in Omaha will be at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. 2026 NCAA Baseball Championship123456789RHEOle Miss (41-21)001000130North Carolina (50-12-1)00000010Ole Miss vs. UNC baseball box score: Live stats from College World Series NCAA ChampionshipOle Miss RebelsBatterPOSABRHRBIBBSOAVGOBP12Dom Decker2B301100.273.41227Judd Utermark3B300001.308.42136Will Furniss1B300001.307.41832Tristan BissettaLF200001.274.3849Hayden FedericoCF100010.293.4196Owen PainoSS200002.241.37824Austin FawleyC100010.232.3581Brayden RandleRF211001.256.34320Collin ReuterDH201000.262.361Total19131262B: Decker 1 (6)Randle 1 (6)RBI: Decker 1 (34)PitcherPOSIPHRERBBSOBFERA50Taylor RabeP5.010046203.5Total5.01004620Rabe 98 (57 strikes)North Carolina Tar HeelsBatterPOSABRHRBIBBSOAVGOBP2Jake SchaffnerSS300001.353.4685Gavin Gallaher2B300001.282.3768Owen HullCF200002.387.5026Macon WinslowDH100010.292.42744Erik Paulsen1B200000.293.4201Cooper Nicholson3B000020.262.43712Tyler HoweLF201000.248.37423Colin HynekC200001.269.35818Carter FrenchRF100011.230.386Total1601046PitcherPOSIPHRERBBSOBFERA29Jason DeCaroP5.131126212.2Total5.13112621DeCaro 77 (49 strikes)How to watch: Ole Miss vs. North Carolina 2026 NCAA Baseball Championship Game Date: Friday, June 12Time: 7 p.m. ETTV: ESPNMore NCAA NewsTroy vs. West Virginia baseball box score: Final stats from CWSUSC vs North Carolina baseball box score: Game 1Little Rock vs. Troy baseball box score: Game 1Texas vs. Texas Tech softball box score: Final Women's College World SeriesDemond Williams bombshell could have resulted in Lane Kiffin fired by LSU

Patrick Mahomes' $500 million deal puts the ball in Dak Prescott's court to help Cowboys originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Patrick Mahomes just reset the entire NFL quarterback market again. According to ESPN insiders Adam Schefter, the Chiefs and Mahomes agreed to a reworked contract extension through the 2033 season worth $504.75 million total -- the first NFL deal ever valued at more than half a billion dollars. Beginning in 2027, his earnings will average $64 million per year, setting a new NFL record for average annual value.That number matters directly to the Dallas Cowboys. Dak Prescott was the league's highest-paid active quarterback at $60 million per year for about two years until Patrick Mahomes just passed him. And while that shift is purely symbolic on its own, it forces a decision for the Cowboys. Now that the Louisiana native is no longer the highest-paid player, Dallas needs to see if he is willing to restructure his contract to give the team long-term financial relief.Dallas has been down this road before. In March 2026, the Cowboys restructured Prescott's contract by converting $38.2 million of his salary into a signing bonus. This cleared $30.5 million in immediate cap space, following a similar cap management move the previous offseason. Both times, Jerry Jones' franchise pushed the financial burden into the future instead of lowering what they actually owe.While Prescott's 2026 cap hit dropped to $44.6 million, his cap numbers spike to $76 million in 2027 and $86 million in 2028. High dead cap totals make moving on from him nearly impossible before 2028.Here comes the Tom Brady comparison, who routinely took below-market deals with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to keep his teams competitive. CeeDee Lamb also restructured his contract, stating simply, "I want to win." Micah Parsons said the same, noting he values championship talent over a record-breaking payday.The Cowboys need this financial relief very much. They are currently paying George Pickens a $27.3 million franchise tag alongside Lamb's $34 million contract, while also managing their expensive defensive line commitments. These numbers only work if Prescott takes an actual pay cut instead of shuffling his salary into future years.Mahomes' mega-deal doesn't obligate Prescott to change anything. But with the highest-paid quarterback label off his back, the pressure has quietly shifted. If Prescott wants a true Super Bowl window in Dallas, he now has a clear opening to adjust his contract and help build a winning roster.More NFL news:Jerry Jones confronted with uncomfortable truth about why the Cowboys keep falling shortCeeDee Lamb's disappointing season may have created a massive 2026 opportunityCowboys may have just answered their biggest backfield question without even tryingMaxx Crosby’s comments show there’s no chance he’s getting traded to the BearsRest of the NFC East is handing Cowboys a golden opportunity they can't afford to waste

“Bittersweet moment” as Canada held to draw in World Cup opener, says de FougerollesLuc de Fougerolles labelled Canada’s 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina as “one of the best moments of my life”, but accepted that a draw was “bittersweet” given the Canucks’ much-improved second half performance at the Toronto Stadium.Jovo Lukic’s first-ever senior international goal had handed Bosnia an early lead when he nodded home from a corner with 21 minutes on the clock in Toronto, although Jesse Marsch’s decision to bring Cyle Larin off the bench paid dividends when the Southampton forward equalised just two minutes into his cameo appearance.Speaking in the mixed zone after the match, Canadian defender Luc de Fougerolles admitted that “it’s a bittersweet moment” because “if you look at the game as a whole, we had the better chances and we could have won the game.“A first-ever [FIFA World Cup] point for Canada is something to take forward,” he explained, adding that “it’s a point on the board, we move on to Qatar and hopefully we’ll get three points there to put us in a good position to get out of the group.”The 20-year-old, who plays his club football in Belgium for FCV Dender, explained that walking out at the Toronto Stadium to the “roar of the crowd was one of the best moments of my life, to be honest with you.“It was a dream come true moment,” he added, but accepted that after a sluggish start, “as a team we’ll see what we can do better” next time out.Canada were much improved after the break and finally restored parity just two minutes after Larin’s introduction as a substitute.De Fougerolles admitted that “obviously we wanted to push to get the second goal as well, so I don’t think we could celebrate it as we would have wanted to.“We wanted to get the game going because I think we had the momentum at that point in time, so I think it was joy but also hunger to want to get the next one and win the game.“It was unfortunate that we couldn’t do that, but it was a nice moment for the whole team and for Kyle especially.“I think this week in training, we can fine-tune the finishing so that next week if we create those chances, we’ll take more of them and win the game. I think it’s positive that we created the chances; the next step is just to finish them off and kill the game.”Having picked up their first-ever FIFA World Cup point, Canada now turn their attention to their meeting with Qatar in Vancouver next Thursday, 18 June.

Boston Celtics fans have had a rough summer. First, they watched their team get bounced from the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs by the rival Philadelphia 76ers. Now, they must look on as the rival New York Knicks approach their first title in over 50 years.Celtics star Jayson Tatum isn't as bothered by the latter. He'd rather be fighting for a championship at the moment than sitting at home, but he's not actively rooting against the hated Knicks, who eliminated the C's in six games last postseason and are just one win away from prevailing over the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals. In fact, the six-time All-Star is viewing the series with no animosity at all."I'm not rooting for anybody, I'm also not rooting against anybody," Tatum told Front Office Sports when asked if he was annoyed watching the Knicks go up 3-1 in the Finals. "I think it does help that I've won a championship already, so (that) helps me sleep a little better at night. I just enjoy watching good basketball games."Tatum has always been a hoop head and is far from a vengeful player. On occasion, he's had some trash talk for Celtics foes like the Miami Heat and the 76ers, yet it's rare to see him degrade other teams.Taking the high road won't be as easy for Celtics fans. They don't own the championship hardware that Tatum took home in 2024 and they (depending on how long they've been alive) have a longer history of hating the Knicks, and New York sports in general.Regardless, the best plan of action for Tatum and the Celtics won't come from jeering the Knicks or cheering on the Spurs. It'll stem from analyzing the Finals with little bias and learning what they can do better for next year when the quest for banner No. 19 begins anew.Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on:Blue Wire: https://tiny.ee/CdKp iTunes: https://tiny.ee/RK47 YouTube: https://tiny.ee/cOW3This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Knicks? Spurs? Jayson Tatum is watching the 2026 NBA Finals with no bias

The Minnesota Vikings quarterback competition is heating up, and no one is backing down on social media from defending who they think should win the job. Through it all, the coaching staff has remained steadfast in their execution of this quarterback competition and has provided little insight to the quarterback room until recently.On Thursday, while speaking to the media, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell shared that the competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy will extend into training camp next month. "I want to see these guys in a very, very unique and difficult circumstance elevate their games to help the Vikings.”Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell says the team will take the QB competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy into training camp: "I want to see these guys in a very, very unique and difficult circumstance elevate their games to help the Vikings.”— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) June 11, 2026The job wasn't expected to be decided in June, so this move makes sense. Most reports seem to signal that Murray is in the lead heading into camp, but McCarthy still has support and potential to earn the job. This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Kevin O'Connell gives update on QB battle ahead of training camp

The response came after a federal judge rebuked officials for failing to immediately comply with the order he issued last week.

The NYPD is searching for a suspect after a 17-year-old boy was beaten into a coma near Madison Square Garden following Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday.The teenager was reportedly approached by a group of people then attacked over a verbal dispute in the aftermath of the New York Knicks’ historic comeback over the San Antonio Spurs. It ended with him getting punched and kicked in the head and body, causing him to have a seizure and go into a coma.Per New York’s WABC, the dispute was specifically about the series and involved a content creator attempting to provoke a crowd of Knicks fans:The fight apparently began with a content creator allegedly provoking Knicks fans. Detectives have reviewed cellphone video that shows the content creator interviewing a member of the crowd. The content creator asked members of the crowd, "Who do you got?" And one person said "I've got the Knicks."A person with content creator, in an apparent attempt to provoke the crowd for social media, responded, "Spurs in 7." The person being interviewed responded, "Go Knicks, suck my (expletive)."A fight then ensued. Police said the group of Knicks fans challenged the content creator, and the 17-year-old victim became involved and was assaulted. The NYPD released a picture of a suspect alleged to have punched and kicked the teenager on Friday morning:The story is the latest example of a disorderly scene following the Knicks’ win, which has them one win away from their first NBA championship since 1973.A total of 56 people were either arrested or hit with a criminal summons in the fallout of the game. One particularly ugly scene saw the Spurs getting greeted by a mob of Knicks fans at their team hotel, with some fans throwing projectiles at star Victor Wembanyama and shining laser pointers at the group.Wembanyama has since said the incident didn’t bother him, though it figures to be a subject of attention if the Spurs win Game 5 on Saturday and send the series back to Manhattan.

It took the United States less than 10 minutes to get its first goal of the World Cup. And it wasn’t even scored by a U.S. player.Paraguay’s Damián Bobadilla was credited with a seventh-minute own goal to give the U.S. an early 1-0 lead on Friday in Los Angeles. It was the third-earliest goal for the USMNT in World Cup history. And it came after a pretty linkup between Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Detroit Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty left after three innings of Friday night's game against Cleveland because of left leg discomfort.The right-hander allowed two runs on three hits with one walk and one strikeout before leaving. He threw 63 pitches, including 39 strikes, and left with the Guardians up 2-1.It is Flaherty's second-shortest outing of the season. He went two innings and allowed six runs in a 9-2 loss to Cincinnati on April 25.Flaherty came into the game with a 1-7 record. He has a 5.35 ERA in 15 starts after Friday's outing.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Maybe the Detroit Tigers’ rotation won’t be that crowded, after all.The Tigers are set to get left-hander Tarik Skubal and right-hander Casey Mize back from the injured list this weekend, but righty Jack Flaherty – the only Tigers starter not to miss a start this season for injury or suspension, exited early from the Tigers’ road game against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Friday, June 12.Flaherty departed after three innings Friday, having allowed two runs on three hits and a walk, with one strikeout, on 63 pitches. The Tigers later announced his exit as a result of “lower leg discomfort.”ROSTER SHUFFLE: Detroit Tigers cut Zack Short as Kenley Jansen returns from ILFlaherty was replaced by reliever Jacob Waguespack, himself a new Tiger after his call-up from Triple-A this week (following a trade from the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday). Waguespack threw a scoreless inning while allowing one hit and one walk.Flaherty has struggled this season, the second of his second stint with the franchise. The two runs allowed Friday raised his ERA to 5.35 on the season.In addition to Skubal and Mize, the Tigers have righty Keider Montero – who threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings on Thursday –left-hander Framber Valdez and rookie righty Troy Melton. Veteran Justin Verlander, 43, completed his second rehab start on Wednesday in Triple-A.This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jack Flaherty injury update: Tigers righty exits with leg discomfort

Maybe the Detroit Tigers’ rotation won’t be that crowded, after all.The Tigers are set to get left-hander Tarik Skubal and right-hander Casey Mize back from the injured list this weekend, but righty Jack Flaherty – the only Tigers starter not to miss a start this season for injury or suspension, exited early from the Tigers’ road game against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Friday, June 12.Flaherty departed after three innings Friday, having allowed two runs on three hits and a walk, with one strikeout, on 63 pitches. The Tigers later announced his exit as a result of “lower leg discomfort.”ROSTER SHUFFLE: Detroit Tigers cut Zack Short as Kenley Jansen returns from ILFlaherty was replaced by reliever Jacob Waguespack, himself a new Tiger after his call-up from Triple-A this week (following a trade from the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday). Waguespack threw a scoreless inning while allowing one hit and one walk.Flaherty has struggled this season, the second of his second stint with the franchise. The two runs allowed Friday raised his ERA to 5.35 on the season.In addition to Skubal and Mize, the Tigers have righty Keider Montero – who threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings on Thursday –left-hander Framber Valdez and rookie righty Troy Melton. Veteran Justin Verlander, 43, completed his second rehab start on Wednesday in Triple-A.This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jack Flaherty injury update: Tigers righty exits with leg discomfort

Fans at Charles Schwab Field in the College World Series have gone shirtless.It's a trending sweeping through sports called "Tarps Off."The fans, typically younger men or boys, congregate in the stands. They take their shirts off and wave the shirts in circles like a rally towel. A group has done it as Ole Miss baseball's CWS opener against North Carolina on June 12.Here's what to know about Tarps Off.What is Tarps Off?Tarps Off began during the 2025 college football season at an Oklahoma State game. According to The Athletic, it started when a fan was bet $10 by his sister that he wouldn't go stand in an empty section of Boone Pickens Stadium during an Oct. 11 game against Houston while twirling his shirt over his head. The fan, Trent Eaton, accepted the challenge and went through with it.Other fans eventually joined in. The section grew and it turned into a rowdy section.Other fanbases caught on, and eventually Tarps Off was appearing at games across the country.College football is solving the male loneliness epidemic with Shirtless Dude Sections. pic.twitter.com/Kcad6HzUeS— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) October 25, 2025End of the third quarter: Georgia 38, #MississippiState 14 pic.twitter.com/kHGtKxaCuw— Sam Sklar (@sklarsam_) November 8, 2025Tarps Off largely went away in the winter, but resurfaced during the MLB season. It boomed again with the St. Louis Cardinals, starting with a group from the Stephen F. Austin club baseball team.Want to join the movement? 🚫👕Starting tonight, the upper right field bleachers at Busch Stadium will become a dedicated high-energy fan section, inspired by the Tarps Off atmosphere fans have brought to the ballpark.Any fan in the ballpark, regardless of seat location, can… pic.twitter.com/wW2jPMNLkD— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 20, 2026Tarps Off at Ole Miss baseball vs UNC in CWSThe ESPN broadcast of Ole Miss vs North Carolina first showed a group of fans with Tarps Off midway through the game.They formed outside North Carolina's bullpen in left field.A large group of fans above the UNC bullpen are going tarps-off. pic.twitter.com/SJMrA37H1D— Sam Hutchens (@Sam_Hutchens_) June 13, 2026By the top of the seventh inning, the Tarps Off group had expanded even further in the outfield.2026 College World Series scheduleAll times CentralFriday, June 12Game 1: West Virginia 7, Troy 5Game 2: Ole Miss vs. North Carolina, 6 p.m. on ESPNSaturday, June 13Game 3: Oklahoma vs. Alabama , 2 p.m. on ESPNGame 4: Georgia vs. Texas, 7 p.m. on ESPNSunday, June 14Game 5: Troy vs Game 2 loser, 1 p.m. on ESPNGame 6: West Virginia vs Game 2 winner, 6 p.m. on ESPNMonday, June 15Game 7: Game 3 loser vs Game 4 loser, 1 p.m. on ESPNGame 8: Game 3 winner vs Game 4 winner, 6 p.m. on ESPNTuesday, June 16Game 9: Game 5 winner vs Game 6 loser, 1 p.m. on ESPNGame 10: Game 7 winner vs Game 8 loser 7 p.m. on ESPNWednesday, June 17Game 11: Game 6 winner vs. Game 9 winner 1 p.m. on ESPNGame 12: Game 8 winner vs Game 10 winner, 6 p.m. on ESPNThursday, June 18Game 13 (if necessary): TBD, ESPNGame 14 (if necessary): TBD, ESPNCWS finals championship seriesBest-of-threeGame 1: Saturday, June 20, 7 p.m. on ESPNGame 2: Sunday, June 21, 1:30 p.m. on ABCGame 3: Monday, June 22, 6 p.m. on ESPN, if necessarySam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: College World Series 'tarps off' meaning explained for shirtless fans

Artemis II pilot Victor Glover answers questions from the media during a stop at Kennedy Space Center July 30, 2025. ANAHEIM, Calif, - Capt. Victor Glover, M.S., has faced a number of daunting tasks in his life. From flying fighter jets as a Navy pilot to being one of four crew members on the Artemis II mission that flew past the moon in April 2026, the first crewed flight to leave Earth's low orbit since 1972. But on Friday he faced possibly his most daunting task yet.Throwing out the first pitch at a Los Angeles Angels game, to Mike Trout no less."That may be the thing I'm the most nervous about," Glover said. "Can I take a selfie and throw a pitch at the same time? It's just cool to be here and I'm gonna just focus on that, having fun and trying to enjoy the energy in the stadium."Captain Victor Glover, a member of the Artemis 2 crew that circled the moon earlier this year, is here to throw out the first pitch today pic.twitter.com/6RsCLrVlkH— Jack Haslett (@JackHaslett_13) June 12, 2026Glover's Tour Around SoCalGlover, a Pomona, CA native, has had quite the press tour in Southern California since he and his crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego. One of the most surreal for Glover was when he visited Ontario High School, his alma mater, to see that a building on campus had been named after him. Now he was standing on the field of the Big A before a game between the Angels and Tampa Bay Rays, where he recounted tales from his time on his mission, like when he saw the sun eclipse behind the moon from space, or his time back on Earth adjusting to gravity again.NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, left, and NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist, sit on a Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23 on the flight deck of USS John P. Murtha after they and crewmates Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II mission specialist, and NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander, were extracted from their Orion spacecraft after splashdown, April 10 in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.NASA/Bill Ingalls / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesNASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, left, and NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist, sit on a Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23 on the flight deck of USS John P. Murtha after they and crewmates Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II mission specialist, and NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander, were extracted from their Orion spacecraft after splashdown, April 10 in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.Glover also shared several pearls of wisdom about life, hard work and especially, sports. An athlete in high school and college when he attended Cal Poly, primarily competing in wrestling and football, Glover shared that he tried to play every sport in high school, including baseball, which was sure to help his first pitch efforts. A lifelong Raiders fan, whether they were in Los Angeles, Oakland or Las Vegas, he said, Glover has plenty of fond memories of time at the stadium and even some permanent reminders of those memories. Learning From and Loving SportsOne of those being a scar on the top of his head that he got after slipping and falling down at the Oakland Coliseum, something that Glover said now serves as a permant reminder to slow down every once in a while. "I love sports... I'm a fan of human greatness," Glover said. "I love to watch people with gifts share their gifts, and I mean, just watching batting practice... Everybody out there was gifted, and it's amazing to just see. My life has been a lot of sacrifice and one of the things I've sacrificed is watching a season of anything." Even past college at Cal Poly, where he studied general engineering for his bachelor's degree before later receiving master's degrees from three different institutions, sports have remained a big part of Glover's life, even if he doesn't have the chance to watch as many games anymore considering that he is, well, an astronaut. Glover especially appreciates the kind of mental benefits that sports, and exercising in general, have and he gave as much credit to where he is today to his physical fitness as he did his studies and military experience."I think they're intimately linked. I give as much credit to that as studying engineering and flying jets in the Navy. All of those things came together to help me learn and really to acquire the skills [of being an astronaut]," Glover said. The crew of Artemis II (from left) Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman pose for pictures as their ride to the moon is transported from the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. to the launch pad Jan. 17, 2026.Craig Bailey / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesThe crew of Artemis II (from left) Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman pose for pictures as their ride to the moon is transported from the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. to the launch pad Jan. 17, 2026.He continued, "But the big thing about sports is that whether you win or lose, Monday you're in the gym, you're on the track, you're on the diamond and you're putting in the work and that's kind of an amazing life skill to build over time... I think athletics is for the young people trying to figure out what you want to do... One thing that science has proven also is healthy for your brain... The one thing that's good for your brain is moving your body, and so having a healthy body is one way to keep your brain healthier."Conquering NervesOn the surface, there's a clear gap in magnitude between Glover throwing out the first pitch and what he's used to doing, flying jets, serving in the military and, again, going to space. The common ground that Glover found though between all of those tasks is the nerves. Whether it's walking to the mound ahead of the game, being loaded into a rocket destined to leave the atmosphere, or even something more mundane in anyone's life like getting ready to give a speech or learn to drive, there are going to be nerves present. The key for Glover is learning to live with those nerves and even learn from them. Cristina Koch Artemis II mission specialist (left), and commander Reid Wiseman (right) listen to pilot Victor Glover as they talk about their upcoming mission during a press conference at Kennedy Space Center, FL Monday, December 16, 2024 . Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORKCraig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesCristina Koch Artemis II mission specialist (left), and commander Reid Wiseman (right) listen to pilot Victor Glover as they talk about their upcoming mission during a press conference at Kennedy Space Center, FL Monday, December 16, 2024 . Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK"There's all kinds of things in the world that make you nervous. And I would say, instead of trying to think of the idea of doing things that don't make me nervous... I just know how to handle it. Things make me nervous, and I still do the thing. That's actually a gift. I don't think of nerves as this thing to avoid, or even to just get through. I think of it as an indication that what you're doing matters. What you're doing is really special."Now, the time has come for Glover to put his interstellar experience to work and deliver a rocket from the mound to Trout and kick off aerospace night at the Big A.

The USA’s opening match of the World Cup 2026 played out in front of more empty seats to raise further questions about Fifa’s ticket prices for the tournament. The World Cup co-hosts played their first match against Paraguay at the 70,000-capacity SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, but it failed to sell out. Pockets of empty seats could be seen clearly in the middle and lower tiers either side of the halfway line, in some of the most expensive parts of the stadium.Tickets remained on sale in the hours before kick-off but at extremely high prices, ranging between $1,940 and $2,735 in the Category 1 and Category 2 tiers. Last month, US president Donald Trump even said he “wouldn’t pay” the four-figure prices fans were quoted for to attend the USA-Paraguay match.Follow USA v Paraguay – live There were thousands of empty seats in just the second match of the tournament between South Korea and Czech Republic in Guadalajara on Thursday evening. There were also empty seats at Canada’s opening match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto early on Friday.Only 29 matches had sold out before the start of the World Cup on Thursday, with tickets still available on Fifa’s ticketing website for 75 matches in the days before the opening match, despite Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s claim that demand has been “unprecedented”.It comes as ticketing practices for the 2026 World Cup are to be investigated by chief legal officers in the United States. The attorneys generals of New York and New Jersey insist Fifa must answer questions after allegations of “artificially inflating prices” and “misleading fans” over the sale of match tickets, with world football’s governing body subpoenaed to provide information.Supporters have reported they were “misled” about the location of seats, including through the creation of more expensive ‘front’ category tickets released after the initial sales.It is also alleged variable pricing through various phases and subject to demand had allowed Fifa to raise prices for about 90 of the 104 fixtures by an average of 34 per cent. Fifa has also been able to hold back seats before releasing them later, driving up pricing by increasing scarcity. Infantino defended the price of World Cup tickets on the eve of the tournament, pointing towards the exorbitant cost of attending play-off matches in US sports, such as the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, and stating the World Cup is a bigger event. The pricing of the World Cup has been a hugely controversial issue since tickets were first released in November, with the initial sales drop revealing £3,000 tickets for the World Cup final and fans with a £5,000 bill to follow their teams right through to the final. The 2026 World Cup is estimated to be up to five times more expensive than the last World Cup in Qatar, with Infantino targeting an unprecedented revenues of $13bn from the tournament.

📹 São Paulo 'score' first own goal of World Cup 2026, rivals pounceThe first own goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is "Brazilian." Actually, it was scored by Paraguayan player Bobadilla, against the United States, this Friday (12).But since the 24-year-old midfielder plays for São Paulo, Brazilian rival fans on social media did not let the Tricolor player's mistake slide.In fact, Bobadilla was the first player active in Brazilian football to "find the net" at the 2026 World Cup.Check out the main reactions below!This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

Editor's note: Follow along live for 2026 World Cup opening match and the star-studded opening ceremony!Katy Perry took the stage about 10 minutes before kickoff of the United States' 2026 World Cup opening match against Paraguay. She performed "Wonder" while holding the hand of a 10-year-old Norwegian singer Tius Luka, who sang the opening and closing lines of the song.Luka recorded the song with her in 2021 when he was five years old. Perry posted a video of her and Luka on social media ahead of the performance, saying, "I heard his voice in 2023 and was inspired to write the verses for 'Wonder' and added it to my sixth album. Tius is 10 now and flew all the way to LA from Norway to sing this song with me."The internet was buzzing over her sparkly silver dress, which had a structured hoop that cause it to sharply jet out at the waist.Katy Perry performing “WONDER” at the opening ceremony of the #FIFAWorldCup in the United States. pic.twitter.com/iAd4mhAwGl— Katy Perry Today (@todaykatyp) June 13, 2026This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Katy Perry sings with 10-year-old Norwegian Tius Luka at World Cup

CLEVELAND (AP) — Tanner Bibee had eight strikeouts to win his second straight start as the Cleveland Guardians beat the Detroit Tigers 3-2 on Friday night to snap a four-game losing streak.Bibee — who went 0-7 in his first 13 starts this season — allowed only two hits in seven-plus innings, but they were home runs to Detroit's James Outman and Spencer Torkelson. The right-hander (2-7) retired 14 of the 15 hitters he faced between home runs.Cleveland's Patrick Bailey and Steven Kwan both had two hits and an RBI. Cade Smith retired the Tigers in order in the ninth for his MLB-leading 22nd save.Detroit starter Jack Flaherty (1-8) left after three innings because of left leg discomfort. The right-hander allowed two runs on three hits with one walk and one strikeout in his second-shortest outing of the season.Cleveland's Rhys Hoskins led off the second with a double to left field and scored when Bailey lined a base hit to left-center with two out. Bailey then scored on Brayan Rocchio's triple to right.Outman, who was claimed on waivers from Minnesota on Thursday, drove a sinker from Bibee into the stands in right-center on a 2-2 count to lead off the third. It was the first homer of the season for Outman, who batted .156 in 49 games for the Twins.The Guardians left their lead to 3-1 in the sixth on Kwan's base hit to center to score Angel Martínez.Bibee exited in the eighth after Torkelson homered to center on a full count.Up nextDetroit LHP Tarik Skubal (3-2, 2.70 ERA) is expected to be activated before Saturday's game. The two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner had arthroscopic surgery last month to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. LHP Joey Cantillo (4-3, 4.57 ERA) will go for Cleveland.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

OMAHA, NE — Walker Hooks is pitching for Ole Miss baseball in the biggest game of his career.The Rebels (41-21) are facing No. 5 seed North Carolina (50-12-1) at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 12 (ESPN).Hooks, the Rebels' sophomore relief pitcher, entered the College World Series to pitch in the seventh inning. He is relieving Hudson Calhoun. Ole Miss has a 2-1 lead with no outs and two runners on.Hooks is a left-hander who has grown into the Ole Miss closer this season. He has shown the ability to pitch multiple innings. Hooks pitched three total innings across two games at Auburn in the super regional. He allowed an earned run in both games but got both saves.Hooks was named to the second team of the Perfect Game's 2026 College Baseball All-American team.Here's what to know about Hooks.Walker Hooks statsHooks is 3-1 with a 2.43 ERA in 2026. He has nine saves.Ole Miss has used Hooks in three NCAA Tournament games, and has gotten the win all three times he's pitched.Walker Hooks MLB draft rankingHooks is in his second year of college baseball and is not eligible to be drafted.MORE: How Walker Hooks has emerged as Ole Miss baseball closer during win streakWalker Hooks hometownHooks is from Brandon, Mississippi and went to Brandon High school2026 College World Series scheduleAll times CentralFriday, June 12Game 1: West Virginia 7, Troy 5Game 2: Ole Miss vs. North Carolina, 6 p.m. on ESPNSaturday, June 13Game 3: Oklahoma vs. Alabama , 2 p.m. on ESPNGame 4: Georgia vs. Texas, 7 p.m. on ESPNSunday, June 14Game 5: Troy vs Game 2 loser, 1 p.m. on ESPNGame 6: West Virginia vs Game 2 winner, 6 p.m. on ESPNMonday, June 15Game 7: Game 3 loser vs Game 4 loser, 1 p.m. on ESPNGame 8: Game 3 winner vs Game 4 winner, 6 p.m. on ESPNTuesday, June 16Game 9: Game 5 winner vs Game 6 loser, 1 p.m. on ESPNGame 10: Game 7 winner vs Game 8 loser 7 p.m. on ESPNWednesday, June 17Game 11: Game 6 winner vs. Game 9 winner 1 p.m. on ESPNGame 12: Game 8 winner vs Game 10 winner, 6 p.m. on ESPNThursday, June 18Game 13 (if necessary): TBD, ESPNGame 14 (if necessary): TBD, ESPNCWS finals championship seriesBest-of-threeGame 1: Saturday, June 20, 7 p.m. on ESPNGame 2: Sunday, June 21, 1:30 p.m. on ABCGame 3: Monday, June 22, 6 p.m. on ESPN, if necessarySam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Walker Hooks is Ole Miss baseball star reliever vs UNC in CWS

Cleveland – The same team that slugged six home runs and scored 11 runs Thursday at Comerica Park, managed only two solo shots and nothing else Friday at Progressive Field.The Cleveland Guardians won their fifth straight game against the Tigers this season, winning the first of a three-game weekend set, 3-2.And in the process, might have lost the services of pitcher Jack Flaherty.Just as Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize are returning to the Tigers’ rotation, Flaherty left the game Friday night after the third inning for what the Tigers called left leg discomfort.He was at 63 pitches and endured a 30-pitch, two-run second inning. Catcher Patrick Bailey, hitting .154 at the time, laced a two-out, two-strike RBI single and then scored on triple by No. 9 hitter Brayan Rocchio.Flaherty, who changed his cleats between innings, set the Guardians down in order on 14 pitches in the third inning. On the final out, he twisted his body to field a high chopper hit by Kyle Manzardo. He stumbled but righted himself enough to throw Manzardo out at first.He went immediately down the tunnel and to the clubhouse for evaluation. The Tigers later said the discomfort was unrelated to the final play of the third inning.His sudden departure forced the Tigers to deploy four relievers to get through the rest of the game. Sub-optimal in the first game of a series and the first game of a six-game road trip with no off day.“We get it,” manager AJ Hinch said before the game. “We’re not naïve. We also understand whatever happens tonight, there’s going to be another game tomorrow, either to help us win the series or get us back in the series.”Right-hander Jacob Waguespack, just called up from Triple-A Toledo before the game, and lefty Drew Sommers each pitched a scoreless inning. But the Guardians tacked on the third run against Drew Anderson in the sixth on an RBI single by Steven Kwan.Ty Madden pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings, striking out the side in the eighth.The pitchers held the fort. The hitters couldn’t break through.The Guardians, as they did last month at Comerica Park, outplayed the Tigers in all facets. Defensively, they were nearly flawless.Rocchio made a sensational over-the-shoulder catch, running into left field, to steal a single from Colt Keith. Right-fielder Chase DeLauter made a diving catch on a soft, slicing lining by Dillon Dingler. Second baseman Travis Bazzana made a diving play going to his left to take a hit away from Riley Greene.And, after the one defensive mistake they did make, a throwing error on first baseman Rhys Hoskins, starting pitcher Tanner Bibee picked Zach McKinstry off first. It was the third time McKinstry has been picked off a base this year.The Tigers, meanwhile, produced four hard-hit balls against Bibee in his seven-plus innings. Both left the yard.James Outman, whom the Tigers claimed off waivers from the Twins Thursday, hit a 418-foot home run to right-center in his first at-bat as a Tiger. He came in hitting .156 and hadn’t homers since last September.Outman, who the Tigers got primarily to shore up the defense in the outfield, made a diving catch in the second inning which, at the time, looked like it would save a run.After Bibee retired 15 straight (including the pickoff of McKinstry), his night ended on a 416-foot home run to center field by Spencer Torkelson, his 11th.Bibee got two quick strikes but Torkelson worked the count full before detonating a middle-cut sinker.The Tigers came within a few feet of tying the game in the eighth, too. Rookie Kevin McGonigle lined a 92-mph slider from reliever Hunter Gaddis to wall in right center, tracked and caught by DeLauter. Closer Cade Smith pitched a clean ninth for the save. Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com@cmccoskyThis article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Tigers lost opener of three-game series against Cleveland

Summer is here, sort of, and it is everyone’s favorite time of the year, scouting time. Every year, we do Summer Scouting to preview college football for Bucs fans, but also give them an idea of names to follow and watch in the fall as needs pop up for Tampa Bay. Are we going to write about quarterbacks? Offensive tackles? Edge rushers? You know it, but why? Because other NFL teams will draft them, just as they will draft every other position. It all matters whether these players end up on the Bucs, the Bears, or the Steelers. We write these so Bucs fans can be the most informed fans. So if you are still with us, enjoy our latest Summer Scouting report as we prepare you for the Fall.FilmMichigan StateMichiganBackground InfoListed at 6-5/290 lbs.3-Star prospect according to 247 SportsTransferred from USC to AlabamaPlayed basketball in high schoolNotable career stats heading into 202656 Tackles9 Tackles for a Loss8 SacksNotable numbers from PFF heading into 202629 QB Hurries3 Passes batted at the line of scrimmage29 Defensive stopsPass Rush Win Rate of 27.59%StrengthsDemonstrates decent strengthPatient and doesn’t overcommit on assignmentsCan pull counters out of his back pocketUses leverage to win repsCan show some giddy up when the time calls for itPlayer SummaryDevan Thompkins is a tough study because there are times he blends in with the rest of the defensive line. However, on the flip side, he shows moments of brilliance, suggesting he could be a promising disruptor. He does a good job getting in the backfield, but when it comes time to have a plan, it seems winged. He does have some counters and leverage ability that allow him to win reps, but they need to be more consistent. This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: 2027 NFL Draft Summer Scouting Report on Alabama's Devan Thompkins

The News' Tony Paul gives his quick takes on the Tigers' 3-2 loss to the Guardians on Friday:One thing I lovedJames Outman didn't have a job or a home run yesterday. He's got one of each today.Outman had a nice Tigers debut Friday after he was claimed off waivers from the Twins on Thursday. The 29-year-old outfielder was put right into Detroit's lineup for the series opener in Cleveland, and made an immediate impact with a nice diving catch in center field, then his first home run as a Tiger.Outman homered leading off the third inning, teeing off on a 93-mph sinker and blasted the ball some 418 feet way over the wall in right-center field. He was homerless in 49 games (70 plate appearances) for the Twins this season. It was his first homer since Sept. 16, 2025. The guy had 23 homers for the L.A. Dodgers as a rookie in 2023.Outman's homer was one of two hits by the Tigers on Friday. Both were home runs. Spencer Torkelson later hit his 11th of the season, homering for the second day in a row.First Tiger AB is a HOME RUN! pic.twitter.com/x1s7tH45AQ— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) June 12, 2026One thing I didn'tThe Guardians have owned the Tigers in 2026, improving to 5-0 this season:May 18: Won, 8-2, at Comerica ParkMay 19: Won, 4-3, at Comerica ParkMay 20: Won, 3-2, at Comerica Park (10 innings)May 21: Won, 3-1, at Comerica ParkJune 12: Won, 3-2, at Progressive FieldYes, that's right. The Tigers have scored just 10 runs in five games against the Guardians this season. Tanner Bibee has limited Detroit to three runs on six hits over 15 innings in two starts in 2026, and now the Tigers' three-series winning streak is in jeopardy. At least they've got Tarik Skubal back Saturday and Casey Mize back Sunday.Tanner Bibee, Painted 87mph Cutter. 🖌️🎨8th K thru 6 pic.twitter.com/DmtCrRYz1o— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 13, 2026Three stars(Season total in parentheses)▶ Spencer Torkelson (10)▶ Ty Madden (1)▶ Tanner BibeePlayer of the game(Season total in parentheses)▶ James Outman (1)Tigers' uniform trackerTraditional home whites: 15-13Alternate home oranges: 3-1Motor City Connect home blues: 0-2Traditional road grays: 8-18Alternate road blues: 3-7Spencer Torkelson hits his 11th home run of the year. Dan Dickerson on the call #DNMWpic.twitter.com/5PFH3EU0Kz— Dan Dickerson Calls📞 (@dannydHRs) June 13, 2026Next Tigers game▶ Game 71: Twins at Guardians, 4:10 Saturday, Detroit SportsNet, 97.1ICYMI: Yesterday's Tigers recaptpaul@detroitnews.com@tonypaul1984This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Tigers recap, Game 70: One thing I loved, one thing I didn't

Summer is here, sort of, and it is everyone’s favorite time of the year, scouting time. Every year, we do Summer Scouting to preview college football for Bucs fans, but also give them an idea of names to follow and watch in the fall as needs pop up for Tampa Bay. Are we going to write about quarterbacks? Offensive tackles? Edge rushers? You know it, but why? Because other NFL teams will draft them, just as they will draft every other position. It all matters whether these players end up on the Bucs, the Bears, or the Steelers. We write these so Bucs fans can be the most informed fans. So if you are still with us, enjoy our latest Summer Scouting report as we prepare you for the Fall.FilmKent StateMissouriBackground InfoListed at 6-3/310lbs.3-Star prospect according to 247 SportsUnder Armour All-American in high schoolThe Oklahoman’s All-City First Team in 2021Competed in track and field in high schoolNotable career stats heading into 202648 Tackles10 Tackles for a Loss3 SacksNotable numbers from PFF heading into 202625 QB Hurries0 Passes batted at the line of scrimmage30 Defensive stopsPass Rush Win Rate of 12%StrengthsSheds blockers effortlesslyHas NFL-size and then someStrength for days to bring down ball carriers and bull rushNot much pass-rush production, but lives in backfieldsShowcases athleticism with his speed and sizePlayer SummaryDavid Stone does not have a lot of production in the box score, but the film is hilarious to watch unfold for him. He sheds blockers with ease, he showcases his strength, and has leverage on most players he engages with. He could be in the NFL today, and I would think he would find success. He has a chance to produce much more in the NFL than he has in college at either the nose tackle spot or outside. This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: 2027 NFL Draft Summer Scouting Report on Oklahoma's David Stone

EAST LANSING — When Marcellus was getting ready for Friday's Division 4 state semifinal matchup, head coach Christian Hutson was doing his best to take in the atmosphere.The state finals were once again played at McLane Stadium on the campus of Michigan State University. Marcellus had been on a significant hot streak in the MHSAA post season to date and reaching MSU for the semifinals was certainly a big deal. Hutson did his best to put it into words following the contest. Marcellus beat Painesdale Jeffers 4-0.“I wish every coach could experience this today,” an emotional Hutson said following his team's win on Friday. “Just this atmosphere and being on that field. You never know if it’s going to happen. It’s pretty awesome. I’m all smiles. I don’t know what to say because there’s been some years where it’s been tough for us. It’s paid off.”Cale Hackenberg had himself a day to lead the Wildcats. He was dominant on the mound, posting a ridiculous 15 strikeouts in seven innings of work. He faced only 26 hitters and hung zeros on the scoreboard consistently, never giving Jeffers an opportunity to make a threat.Hackenberg wanted the baseball prior to the game. In a conversation with Hutson and the coaching staff before the game, Hackenberg said he wanted the opportunity to put Marcellus in its first ever state finals appearance."I just trusted my team behind me. I really love playing with these guys, it's so much fun," Hackenberg said after Friday's win. "Winning games is so much fun and we've done a lot of that lately so I'm really glad to be here."Marcellus scoring a run in the first inning was all Hackenberg needed. Hackenberg tripled to get things going before Abram Coffey hit a sacrifice fly to give the Wildcats the lead. Coffey hit a 2-run single in the third inning as well to help pad the Marcellus lead.And even with his dominance on the mound — Hackenberg recorded an 80-percent strike throw rate on the day — he said there were a few butterflies early.But once settled in, he was all business."Definitely some butterflies, but once I settled in I was comfortable. It took about an inning or so," he said. "I was comfortable on the mound. Being up 3-4 runs, it was awesome."Marcellus will play Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart in the Division 4 state championship game on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.The Wildcats have never won a state championship in baseball. Hutson said his team is gonna fight and look to make their community proud."I think our whole town was here today. It's good to see, they brought the energy for us," Hutson said. "The support all the way through this tournament has been unreal."In Friday's win, which was the 22nd of the season for the Wildcats, Hackenberg slugged a pair of hits. Coffey registered two as well as they each tripled in the game. Gage Rumsey, Rory Rogers and Matthew Lehew each recorded a base hit as well.Jeffers logged only four hits in the contest.Sacred Heart beat Royal Oak Shrine Catholic 4-0 in the early game."We're gonna go out there and we're gonna battle. That's what my team is always gonna do, we're gonna play the game the right way and we're gonna battle," Hutson said. Contact Sports Editor Brandon Watson at bwatson@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @BwatsonSJ.This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Marcellus Wildcats in search of school's first baseball state title

Lead Stories says: Edited ListDoes a screenshot published on X accurately show the World Cup results predictions as they were pictured in a TikTok video? No, that's not true: The list of score predictions which appeared in a TikTok video has been altered. The TikTok prediction showed a score of "Mexico 3-1 South Africa" which proved to be incorrect. The actual score was Mexico 2-0 South Africa, the score shown in the edited screenshot.The altered image appeared in a post (archived here) published on X by @Only1tommo on June 12, 2026, after the Mexico-South Africa game was finished. The post was captioned:If you found out football was staged like WWE would you still watch it?This would be an insane correct score prediction... Two scores correct so far ✅This is the image included with the post:Image source: @Only1tommo post on X.The scope of this fact check is not to scrutinize predictions: rather, it is to point out that a screenshot showing a list of predictions has been deceptively edited.The screenshot (pictured above) of a TikTok video showing the handle of @Josh_Mufc89 has been altered. The original @Josh_Mufc89 video (archived here) was uploaded to TikTok on June 10, 2026. The Lead Stories composite image below shows a screenshot of the TikTok video (left panel) compared with the X post (right panel). The score for the Mexico-South Africa match has been changed from 3-1 to 2-0 -- the latter of which is the correct score of the June 11, 2026 match (archived here).The prediction that South Korea would beat Czechia 2-1, as shown in the TikTok video was correct (archived here). The @Only1tommo post said that two of the predicted scores were correct so far, but only one was correct -- the other was edited.Image source: @Josh_Mufc89 post on TikTok and @Only1tommo post on X.

CLEVELAND – The Detroit Tigers have beaten the Cleveland Guardians more than it seems like these past couple seasons, including in the ALDS last fall. They just can’t beat Tanner Bibee. Lately, the Tigers can’t even hit the Cleveland righty and didn’t again in the series opener at Progressive Field, losing 3-2 and falling to 29-41. Well, the new guy – James Outman – hit Bibee when he smacked a solo home run to keep the Tigers in it early. He also made a spectacular play in center to give Tigers righty Jack Flaherty a chance to get out of a jam in the second inning. Flaherty couldn’t take advantage, though, and left the game after three innings due to left leg soreness. The Tigers pitcher fell to 1-8 on the season. At the plateThis is how it goes when the Tigers face Bibee. Lots of flailing. Lots of looking. Lots of strikeouts. Lots of bases left empty. Outman crushed a 93-mph sinker that didn’t sink in the third inning, for a 418-blast that sailed deep into the right field seats. It was his first home run of the season and made A.J. Hinch look a touch prophetic. Before the game, the Tigers manager said the Tigers had picked up Outman primarily for his speed and glove in centerfield, a position where they’ve struggled this season. He also said he liked his power. Outman made a diving catch. Outman hit a home run. Spencer Torkelson hit one, too, in the eighth inning. He was the last batter Bibee faced. That gives Torkelson 11 homers on the season, and it gave the Tigers a reasonable chance in the ninth inning. INJURY UPDATE: Jack Flaherty exits with leg discomfortOn the moundFlaherty was evaluated for left leg soreness after his abbreviated outing. He gave up two runs on three hits in the second inning ... all with two outs. He couldn’t get the bottom of the order. After Outman made his diving catch on a Steven Kwan flare to shallow center, it looked like Flaherty might escape despite allowing a leadoff double to Rhys Hoskins. Then Patrick Bailey, added in a trade last month, singled on a 2-2 pitch to drive in Hoskins. Brayan Rocchio followed with a triple to the right-field wall, which would've been a double if Kerry Carpenter hadn’t misplayed the ball. Hinch talked about improving the outfield defense during his pre-game meet with reporters and mentioned the team’s lack of playmaking there as a reason for grabbing Outman off waivers. But then it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. The Tigers can’t beat Bibee. The Guardians have won each of his past nine starts against the Tigers, including the postseason. He’s 4-0 with a 1.58 ERA in that span, and nowhere near that when he pitches against the rest of MLB. He gave up two hits in seven innings plus one batter, and two runs – the Outman homer and the Torkelson homer. Other than that, no other Tiger squared the ball all night. As usual, he kept Detroit off balance mixing in a low-90s sinker, a curve, a high-80s cutter and a mid-90s four-seamer. If the Tigers appear like they miss even when Bibee throws average heat down the middle, they do and have done so for the better part of a few years. He struck out eight. Next up: Skub Day!Saturday's reason for optimism? Tarik Skubal, of course. The Tigers’ ace returns just five weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. Skubal made a rehab start for West Michigan, the Tigers' High-A affiliate, on Sunday, throwing five shutout innings and allowing two hits. The Tigers would welcome a similar effort on Saturday (4:10 p.m., Detroit SportsNet) at Progressive Field. Mostly, they’re just grateful they get to welcome him back so soon. Contact Shawn Windsor: swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him @shawnwindsor.This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers stumped by Cleveland Guardians, Tanner Bibee again

CLEVELAND – The Detroit Tigers have beaten the Cleveland Guardians more than it seems like these past couple seasons, including in the ALDS last fall. They just can’t beat Tanner Bibee. Lately, the Tigers can’t even hit the Cleveland righty and didn’t again in the series opener at Progressive Field, losing 3-2 and falling to 29-41. Well, the new guy – James Outman – hit Bibee when he smacked a solo home run to keep the Tigers in it early. He also made a spectacular play in center to give Tigers righty Jack Flaherty a chance to get out of a jam in the second inning. Flaherty couldn’t take advantage, though, and left the game after three innings due to left leg soreness. The Tigers pitcher fell to 1-8 on the season. At the plateThis is how it goes when the Tigers face Bibee. Lots of flailing. Lots of looking. Lots of strikeouts. Lots of bases left empty. Outman crushed a 93-mph sinker that didn’t sink in the third inning, for a 418-blast that sailed deep into the right field seats. It was his first home run of the season and made A.J. Hinch look a touch prophetic. Before the game, the Tigers manager said the Tigers had picked up Outman primarily for his speed and glove in centerfield, a position where they’ve struggled this season. He also said he liked his power. Outman made a diving catch. Outman hit a home run. Spencer Torkelson hit one, too, in the eighth inning. He was the last batter Bibee faced. That gives Torkelson 11 homers on the season, and it gave the Tigers a reasonable chance in the ninth inning. INJURY UPDATE: Jack Flaherty exits with leg discomfortOn the moundFlaherty was evaluated for left leg soreness after his abbreviated outing. He gave up two runs on three hits in the second inning ... all with two outs. He couldn’t get the bottom of the order. After Outman made his diving catch on a Steven Kwan flare to shallow center, it looked like Flaherty might escape despite allowing a leadoff double to Rhys Hoskins. Then Patrick Bailey, added in a trade last month, singled on a 2-2 pitch to drive in Hoskins. Brayan Rocchio followed with a triple to the right-field wall, which would've been a double if Kerry Carpenter hadn’t misplayed the ball. Hinch talked about improving the outfield defense during his pre-game meet with reporters and mentioned the team’s lack of playmaking there as a reason for grabbing Outman off waivers. But then it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. The Tigers can’t beat Bibee. The Guardians have won each of his past nine starts against the Tigers, including the postseason. He’s 4-0 with a 1.58 ERA in that span, and nowhere near that when he pitches against the rest of MLB. He gave up two hits in seven innings plus one batter, and two runs – the Outman homer and the Torkelson homer. Other than that, no other Tiger squared the ball all night. As usual, he kept Detroit off balance mixing in a low-90s sinker, a curve, a high-80s cutter and a mid-90s four-seamer. If the Tigers appear like they miss even when Bibee throws average heat down the middle, they do and have done so for the better part of a few years. He struck out eight. Next up: Skub Day!Saturday's reason for optimism? Tarik Skubal, of course. The Tigers’ ace returns just five weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. Skubal made a rehab start for West Michigan, the Tigers' High-A affiliate, on Sunday, throwing five shutout innings and allowing two hits. The Tigers would welcome a similar effort on Saturday (4:10 p.m., Detroit SportsNet) at Progressive Field. Mostly, they’re just grateful they get to welcome him back so soon. Contact Shawn Windsor: swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him @shawnwindsor.This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers stumped by Cleveland Guardians, Tanner Bibee again

President Donald Trump is pictured during an event where he signs a proclamation about the fishing industry, in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, June 11, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)2026-06-13T01:20:41Z WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that a “swift and lethal kinetic” U.S. strike has killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, whom he called “the infamous leader” of the Tren de Aragua gang.Tren de Aragua has been labeled by the United States as a terrorist organization. Guerrero Flores was charged in a New York federal court with racketeering conspiracy and other crimes, including lending support to terrorists in crimes that stretched more than a decade, authorities announced in December.U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said at the time that the gang is responsible for countless acts of violence, extortion and drug trafficking in North America, South America and Europe. Trump nominated Clayton on Thursday to be director of national intelligence. The U.S. State Department had offered rewards of up to $5 million for information leading to Guerrero Flores’ arrest In a post on his social media site, Trump wrote, “Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else and, under my leadership, we will find these vicious murderers and drug lords anytime, anyplace, and send them to the depths of hell where they belong.” The Pentagon had nothing to add beyond the Truth Social post from Trump.Trump has taken a series of extraordinary actions against the gang, including a series of strikes on small boats his administration has accused of smuggling drugs to America. At least 207 people have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in early September. Read More Trump and administration officials have consistently blamed Tren de Aragua for being at the root of the violence and illicit drug dealing that plague some U.S. cities. The president spent months repeating the claim — contradicted by a declassified U.S. intelligence assessment — that Tren de Aragua had operated under Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s control. The U.S. whisked Maduro out of Venezuela to face U.S. drug charges in January. Tren de Aragua originated more than a decade ago at an infamously lawless prison with hardened criminals in Venezuela’s central state of Aragua. The gang has expanded in recent years as millions of Venezuelans migrated to other Latin American countries or the U.S. in search of better living conditions.The size of the gang is unclear. Countries with large populations of Venezuelan migrants, including Peru and Colombia, have accused the group of being behind a spree of violence in the region. Still, unlike other criminal organizations from Colombia, Central America and Brazil, Tren de Aragua has no large-scale involvement in smuggling cocaine across international borders, according to InSight Crime, a think tank that tracks crime across Latin America.In Venezuela, gang leaders have long been known to participate in various illegal activities, including gold mining.__Associated Press writer Regina Garcia Cano in Mexico City contributed. WILL WEISSERT Weissert covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Andy Reid reacts to rumors Taylor Swift wedding is distracting Travis Kelce originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Andy Reid is not entertaining rumors that Travis Kelce is distracted by his wedding planning with Taylor Swift. “Listen, he has been here most of the offseason if not the whole offseason. He’s been around. It is good to have him here,” the Kansas City Chiefs head coach said of Kelce in a press conference on Friday, June 12. “He did the mandatory camp and [did] a nice job there. It’s good to have him back in and rolling."Reid added that Swift and Kelce's wedding, which is expected to occur over the summer, is not throwing him off his game. “You see no distractions with that and the wedding,” Reid continued.“It’s like when I got married my wife did everything, so I just kinda followed her lead on it.”Despite what the public might think, Reid explained that "he looks like he is pretty focused on this job."Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's weddingKelce proposed to Swift in August 2025 after two years of dating. The couple will reportedly get married on July 3 in New York City. Last week, TMZ reported that the couple will tie the knot in Madison Square Garden. In order to keep any potential crowds contained and for the safety of the guests and couple, Kelce and Swift have reportedly contacted NYPD as well as private companies for security. They will also have streets blocked off surrounding Madison Square Garden.The wedding is not expected to be anything less than grand, with a rumored 1,100 to 1,200 people invited. Swift has a lot of A-list friends that will reportedly attend. A longtime friend of the singer, Karlie Kloss, is said to have gotten an invite despite their rumored falling out years ago. Benson Boone has also been rumored to have snagged an invitation to the nuptials, and Swift's BFFs Gigi Hadid and Selena Gomez are also rumored to be a part of the singer's wedding party. More lifestyle news:Ben Stiller reveals wild superstitious act following Knicks Game 3 lossTaylor Swift says raspy voice came from cheering on Knicks during Songwriters Hall of Fame speechHow much Ben Stiller pays for NBA Finals tickets courtside at MSG will blow your mindSelena Gomez clears the air on rumored Taylor Swift shade for Knicks NBA Finals attendanceVictoria Beckham tells savage joke at David Beckham Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Yordan Alvarez became the first player to hit a grand slam and multi-run homer in the first inning of a Major League Baseball game, pulling off the feat for the Houston Astros against the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.He became the eighth player to hit a grand slam and a multi-run homer in an inning and the first since Angels slugger Kendrys Morales did it against Texas in 2012, according to Sportradar.The left-handed Alvarez drove in two runs with an opposite-field homer early in the inning and cleared the bases with a two-out shot to center, giving him six RBIs in Houston’s nine-run inning.Alvarez, the AL leader in homers, tied Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber for the MLB lead at 24 with his two-homer inning.The 28-year-old designated hitter, who is from Cuba, was the AL rookie of the year in 2019 with Houston. The three-time All-Star was the AL Championship Series MVP in 2021 and led the Astros with six RBIs the next year when they won the World Series.

Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesMirra Andreeva claimed her first Grand Slam title at the 2026 French Open, beating Maja Chwalinska in the women’s singles final.The Russian teenager, who was 19 at the time, took down Polish qualifier Chwalinska 6-4, 7-6 to capture her first major championship.Andreeva handled herself well after the win, and she has since received praise from former world number one Kim Clijsters.On the latest episode of ‘Love All’, Clijsters was asked if she thinks Andreeva’s win will take pressure off her or add more expectation.Photo by Antonio Borga/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty ImagesKim Clijsters highlights Mirra Andreeva’s respectful behaviour after French Open final“I think it will free her up, but I also think, just by going off her reaction, she looks so motivated to be like, bring on the next one,” said Clijsters. “I am ready now!”That is the feeling that I have. She looked so composed. For somebody who we have seen be so emotional on the court, her emotions when she won were so calm. It was like, let me be respectful to my opponent; it was very under control.“It was really nice to see. I love that relationship with them,” said Clijsters.I just love seeing a female coach do well and someone who has done it before herself. It is really great to see.What’s next for Mirra Andreeva after winning the French Open?Andreeva was scheduled to return at the Berlin Open, but those plans have changed. On Thursday, she confirmed her withdrawal from the tournament.“My team and I have decided to take more time to rest, recover, and better prepare for grass. I’ll miss the time in Berlin. Hope to be back next year!” said Andreeva.It’s a sensible call, giving herself more time before getting back on court. So where will we see her next?The expectation is that she’ll play at the Bad Homburg Open in Germany next week instead. Jessica Pegula won last year’s Bad Homburg title over Iga Swiatek, while Andreeva exited in the quarter-finals to Linda Noskova.After that event, all focus will shift to Wimbledon. Andreeva made it as far as the quarter-finals last year and will be aiming to go even further this time around. This year’s Championships get underway on June 29th.Read more:Tennis fans thrilled as Serena Williams joins forces with Karolina Muchova for BerlinAfter an unbelievable French Open run, Maja Chwalinska sends a message that has everyone talkingThis Wimbledon wildcard decision will infuriate fans — Serena Williams should win it hands down

BALTIMORE (AP) — Gunnar Henderson hit his 100th career home run in a three-hit night, Samuel Basallo also homered and the Baltimore Orioles beat the San Diego Padres 7-3 on Friday for their fifth straight victory.Henderson's 386-foot solo shot in the fourth inning moved him into a tie with Cal Ripken Jr. for homers by an Oriole before turning 25. Henderson trails Boog Powell (127), Manny Machado (121) and Eddie Murray (111).Shane Baz (4-6) went five innings, allowing six hits and three runs (two earned). Anthony Nunez, Keegan Akin, Yennier Cano, and Andrew Kittredge limited the Padres to a hit in four scoreless innings of relief.The O's scored three runs in both the first and second innings, with Basallo's two-run homer making it 3-1 in the first.Jackson Holliday and Adley Rutschman each hit sacrifice flies, and Pete Alonso had a two-run single. Tyler O'Neill went 2 for 4.For the Padres, Gavin Sheets had a first-inning two-run double and Fernando Tatis Jr. added an RBI single in the second. They were 4 for 14 with runners in scoring position, and left eight on base.Griffin Canning (0-5) allowed six hits and seven runs in five innings, striking out six and walking five.Up nextOrioles RHP Trey Gibson (1-1, 4.24 ERA) was set to start opposite Padres RHP Randy Vásquez (5-4, 3.63) on Saturday.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Canada’s men’s national team seemingly couldn’t catch a break in their opening match of theFIFA World Cup against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday after a shocking near-goal at a virtually empty net miraculously stayed out. In the 54th minute of the match, Canada’s captain Stephen Eustáquio fed the ball to Richie Laryea, staring at a wide-open net. Laryea, with his team already down 1-0 in the second half, fired the shot, only for a wild sequence of events to unfold. Sports: Soccer-Protesters Call On FIFA To Kick Iran Out Of World Cup, Citing Regime InvolvementDespite seemingly facing an empty net, Laryea’s shot miraculously deflected off the foot of Bosnia’s Sead Kolasinac before deflecting off the crossbar back into the field of play. FOX Sports commentators Darren Fletcher and Owen Hargreaves couldn’t believe their eyes when the ball did not make its way into the net.The near-miss didn’t spell immediate doom for Canada,as a late-game goal tied the score and ultimately led to a draw. Like this article? Keep independent journalism alive. Support HuffPost.How did this not go in for Canada?! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/VmEx3VbYGj— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 12, 2026How on earth has Sead Kolašinac kept this one out of the net 😳 pic.twitter.com/ylU0qhKAHQ— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 12, 2026Sports UpdatesThe White House’s UFC Arena Is ‘All Lit Up’ — And It Looks Like Total ‘****,’ Critics Say'Stop Lying': Ben Stiller Shocks Charles Barkley With Knicks Ticket ConfessionOfficials Try To Reassure World Cup Fans That Cartel-Attacked City Is SafeRead the original on HuffPost

Cyle Larin celebrates his goal during Friday’s game against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Photograph: Michael Steele/Getty ImagesIsmaël Koné almost passed out. Cyle Larin was almost deafened.Seventy-eight minutes into a Friday lunchtime where “almost” looked like becoming a Canadian curse, perhaps it was the jarringly definitive nature of that one single, swivelling moment that sparked such an uproarious outpouring of, well, everything.Until last week Toronto Stadium was BMO Field. In his post-match press conference Jesse Marsch’s head was still scrambled enough from the afternoon’s events that he tripped over the names of the stadium: “It doesn’t feel like the same BMO … I guess … you guys didn’t hear that,” Canada’s coach said.Related: Supersub Cyle Larin rescues point for Canada against Bosnia and HerzegovinaNo one has heard the home of Canadian football sound like it did when Larin lashed in his late equaliser to grab a first-ever men’s World Cup point for the tournament’s co-hosts in their 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The wild joy, the depth-of-the-chest relief of it all, the vocal cords still stretched as brains began some Group B mathematics and permutations. It all came out.“Honestly, I felt like I was going to faint. It was crazy,” said Koné, the man whose slaloming run in off the left had sparked the breakthrough. “I felt like we did everything to give ourselves the chance to score. We were on top of them, we were pushing the game, we had momentum, we hit the bar. We deserved it. It was just a relief.”Larin had been dropped to the bench for this long-awaited home opener, and he took just two minutes to prove his point after coming off the bench. The decibels soaring, he wheeled away to the southwest corner and put an index finger into each ear. Protecting the cochleae? Not quite.“That’s for the fans, the reporters, and the journalists who say I shouldn’t have been where I’m supposed to be,” said Larin after the game. His first international goal in 18 months had arrived when his country needed it most. “But I’ve always proved them wrong. And I did it again. Hopefully now they can shut up.”In one sense, perhaps. But maybe not definitively. Marsch had originally reshuffled his attack after two insipid displays in warm-up games against Uzbekistan and Ireland. Larin and Jonathan David, Canada’s record scorer, hadn’t clicked and the lack of finishing was causing the coach to even get a little cranky in the week leading in here. “We’re going to score more goals,” Marsch insisted on Monday. “So I don’t have to put up with any more stupid questions from you guys.”Marsch was just 12 minutes away from a full press conference worth of questions he’d find stupid. Larin helped him avoid feeling foolish. So now what?David’s glaring early miss and otherwise ineffective performance was probably the biggest negative from an afternoon that ended with such positivity. Tani Oluwaseyi, who’d replaced Larin in the starting XI, blazed an equally great opportunity over too. On the hour when Marsch called one David ashore to replace him with another, Union-SG’s Promise David, he was chasing the game and those scoring demons. That lasted only 16 minutes until Larin was unleashed and did the business, thanks in large part to a delicious flick from Promise David in the buildup.Marsch was asked if he hoped this would be the dam-buster, not for Larin but for his entire attack. “On one level you can say the subs we made [had] a big impact so they were some good decisions,” he said. “But I gotta figure a way to get more out of the starters too.”Next, his team jet across the country to Vancouver, where they will play Qatar on Thursday. One luxury afforded the co-hosts is an extra day’s break between games. Marsch could do with it as he weighs up his options. He admitted Jonathan David “didn’t have his best day” but reached for an intriguing example when he argued that Larin’s goal could spark a wider release.“A home World Cup is a different occasion. It’s a different feel,” the American added. “I do think we’ll learn from this and if you look at World Cups historically, doesn’t matter if it’s Argentina losing to Saudi Arabia last World Cup or different scenarios where it starts a little bit tense in the beginning stages. Then the games come more to life and you see truer versions of teams.”In the second-half when Canada were building that momentum which Koné referenced – and the Sassuolo midfielder was most responsible for that – Alphonso Davies sat on a cooler on the edge of the home dugout, his chin perched in the palm of one hand. The captain needs time to recover from injury. So too does defender Moïse Bombito.Perhaps the greatest gift that Larin delivered was time. The equaliser also helped give Canada its moment of belonging at its own World Cup. That’s significant.“I haven’t scored in a while, but I knew it was coming,” he said. “I’ve always come up [big] when Canada needed me.”

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Colin Hynek's three-run homer broke open a close game in the eighth inning and sent North Carolina to a 6-2 win over Mississippi in the College World Series on Friday night.The Tar Heels had just three hits through seven innings and led 3-2 when Hynek ripped Walker Hook's first pitch to him out to left with two outs.Carolina (51-12-1), playing in the CWS for the second time in three years, will face West Virginia on Sunday with control of Bracket 1 at stake. Mississippi (41-22), in Omaha for the first time since winning the national title in 2022, will try to stave off elimination against Troy on Sunday.North Carolina scored twice in the seventh inning to take a 3-2 lead, with Jake Schaffner's sacrifice fly tying it and Gavin Gallaher's line drive up the middle driving in the go-ahead run.Rebels leadoff man Dom Decker, hitless in two CWS games for Murray State last year, doubled twice off Carolina ace Jason DeCaro. Decker's first double put Mississippi up 1-0 in the third, and he scored the go-ahead run in the seventh on Judd Utermark's single off Caden Glauber.DeCaro, who pitched a two-hitter against Southern California in the second game of their super regional last Saturday, struck out nine in 6 2/3 innings and appeared to get stronger as he went along until Decker's hit in the seventh. Glauber (11-0) worked the last 2 1/3 innings.Owen Hull, the hero of the Tar Heels' super regional-clinching walk-off win over USC last Sunday, homered off Mississippi starter Taylor Rabe in the sixth to tie it at 1.Rabe, who retired the next two batters before Hudson Calhoun relieved, had turned in strong starts in the regionals and super regionals but wasn't as sharp against the Tar Heels. He allowed one hit over the first five innings, but he walked a season-high four.The Rebels had broken through against DeCaro in the third after left fielder Tyler Howe lost Brayden Randle's fly in the sun. The ball landed just inside the line, Randle ended up on second and he came home on Decker's double.___AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

One of the paths that the Los Angeles Lakers' offseason could conceivably take is one that would result in them trading for disgruntled Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo has apparently been unhappy with the direction the Bucks have been heading in, and many people across the NBA expect him to be moved sometime this summer.There have been multiple reports indicating that the Lakers will make a run at the two-time MVP. But according to Dan Woike, who covers the team for The Athletic, they don't seem to be in the mix for Antetokounmpo, at least not right now."The Lakers don’t seem like a Giannis team as of today," Woike wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).Right now, the thinking is that the Miami Heat are the favorites to land Antetokounmpo. It is believed that he wants to remain in the Eastern Conference and that he doesn't want to play with a ball-dominant guard. The Lakers, of course, have the most ball-dominant guard of all time, at least in terms of usage rate, in Luka Doncic.According to a recent report in The Athletic by Woike and Sam Amick, Doncic doesn't want the team to trade Austin Reaves for Antetokounmpo. Los Angeles could theoretically absorb the Greek native into its salary cap space, but other teams, such as the Heat, could make better offers that include attractive players.Antetokounmpo averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists a game this season, although he played in just 36 games due to injury. There are undoubtedly quite a few Lakers fans who want the franchise to go after the 31-year-old, even though it would likely result in a very top-heavy roster that wouldn't be strong or balanced enough to compete for the NBA championship.This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Woike: Lakers aren't in the mix for Giannis Antetokounmpo right now