The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is seen following a media tour intended to show building damage, April 22, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)2026-05-29T19:26:28Z WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trump’s name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center and blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations.U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, D.C., ruled that the Kennedy Center board’s March 16 vote to close the facility was “ill-informed and seemingly preordained” with no regard for its legal obligations.“The trustees might have assessed the propriety of closure in a number of prudent ways. This was not one,” he wrote.Cooper also concluded that the board “overstepped its statutory bounds” by unilaterally adding Trump’s name to the center. Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it, he said.Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s vice president of public relations, said Friday the institution is “confident that on appeal the court will uphold the Board’s will to recognize President Trump’s historic contributions to our nation’s cultural center.” She said the decision would be reviewed “carefully.” “Though the reality remains — the Center requires an urgent and significant restoration – a truth that even the plaintiff acknowledges,” Daravi said. “With $257 million secured by President Trump and approved by Congress, the resources are in place and we remain committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy.” Cooper held hearings in late April for parallel lawsuits challenging the project. One was filed by a group of cultural and historic preservation organizations. The other was brought Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat who serves as an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center’s board. He ruled in favor of Beatty’s request but rejected the other challenge. Read More Justice Department attorneys said renovation plans for the building are limited in scope and well within the board’s authority to make without needing outside approvals. The plaintiffs worry the president and his board allies will flout preservation rules designed to maintain the building’s historic fabric. In earlier statements in court hearings, attorneys for the Beatty and the preservation groups raised doubts about the limited scope of the project, pointing to Trump’s statements that he would “fully expose” the building’s steel skeleton. Beatty has said she was “very fearful that we’ll see what happened with the East Wing and what happened with the Rose Garden” if the center is closed and the renovations allowed unsupervised, referring to major changes the president has made at the White House.Trump, a Republican, has taken a keen interest in the Kennedy Center’s operations since he returned to White House last year. He installed a handpicked board that named him chairman. His name was added to the façade of a building that is considered a living monument to President John F. Kennedy.The Kennedy Center has kept up performances ahead of the closure, though at a much slower pace than in previous years. Trump attended the premiere of the musical “Chicago” in March and other shows, including “Moulin Rouge” are slated for June. Bill Maher, the comedian who has had an up and down relationship with Trump, is expected to be awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on June 28, an event that was anticipated to be one of the final big moments at the Kennedy Center before the closure.Cooper was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Barack Obama. STEVEN SLOAN Sloan is the Washington correspondent at The Associated Press. He managed the AP’s coverage of the 2020 and 2024 presidential campaigns. twitter

Nature, Published online: 29 May 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01706-2Scientists have long worried about the reliability of commercial antibodies, and the latest findings have sparked fresh concerns.

Nature, Published online: 29 May 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01732-0Failure will likely delay US space agency’s efforts to beat China to the lunar surface.

Before the 2025 Class 2A cross country state championships, Covington Catholic head coach Jeremy Mosher asked Joe Mayer what he wanted to hear as he came around the final turn with about 600 meters to go.Mayer told Mosher to ask him who wanted the win more, the same thing his dad, Dan, said as Joe headed toward the finish line to win the Class 2A, Region 4 individual title as a sophomore."That's something I'll never forget. That was a really cool moment," Mayer said.Mayer pulled away from Thomas Nelson's Daniel Filiatreau for a 10-second victory, earning the lone individual title of his high school career almost five months after his dad unexpectedly passed away.Mayer, the oldest of six children in his family, has shown incredible strength at home, in the classroom and on the track in the last year. He is one of six recipients of The Enquirer's Courage Award, to be presented at the High School Sports Awards show on Tuesday, June 16.Joe Mayer surrounded himself with community after his father's passingMayer graduates as one of the most accomplished runners in school history. He only won one state title, but earned nine top-three finishes at state meets and was member of three state championship relays and eight team state titles.For all of his athletic accomplishments, his relationship with the sport added a somber layer when Dan suffered a heart attack while out on a run on June 10, 2025."That was a hard thing to deal with for a while because running has given me so much, but it can be destructive in an instant. It was hard to come to terms with the idea that something I cared so much about and devoted so much time to could just turn on me like that," Mayer said.Dan's passing came at a usually joyous time for Joe. Having recently finished his junior year, he was attending his friends' graduation parties, but a knee injury kept him from running in a few postseason meets. That knee injury persisted into his senior year, leading to subpar race efforts and uncertainty about how he would perform in the postseason.As much as his coaches needed him to be a leader and extension of the coaching staff, Mayer leaned on his community for support."The relationships I've built, the people I've met, the way I felt loved for four straight years, unconditionally and constantly, it's amazing. None of the numbers or PRs or anything like that absolutely does not happen without that culture that starts with the people at the center of CovCath," Joe said.Mosher added: "Coaching high school athletes really is a calling. You're going to see them on the best day of their life, you're going to see them on what feels like the worst day of their life. For many of them, they get disqualified or whatever else. Some of them, you do see them on the worst day of their life. I think with Joe, the thing that's made him a great runner is that he's so even keel. He doesn't get too high and doesn't get too low. It's preternatural."Joe Mayer mirrors his father's best attributes in caring for his familyWhile balancing a 3.99 grade-point average, being the class president, an AP scholar and a member of the National Honor Society, Joe became the man of the house.He added his name to the family Costco membership to pick up groceries when needed. He made sure everyone was home when they needed to be and always took part in the family prayers, even FaceTiming in if he was out of the house."It's been really uncanny how kind and helpful he's been, but it's neat that (his siblings) have seen him continue to work hard this year," Joe's mother, Elizabeth, said. "I did tell the kids right away that we would not despair, that we were going to live with joy and gratitude, and I've reminded them constantly that this is how we're going to choose to live, and he's really risen to that challenge."He has mentored all his siblings but fostered a deeper relationship with his brother, Michael, teaching him the importance of faith and work ethic.Those character attributes come from his father.Dan, who received a Catholic education at Newport Central Catholic, Bellarmine University and Xavier University, took Joe to daily mass before school twice a week. When Joe got a speeding ticket, Dan gave him a stern talking-to but drove him to a track meet and prom the next day.Dan lost his mother, Karen, when he was in high school. The way he responded to tragedy set the standard for how Joe has lived in the past year."He chose to grow and to be someone who touched everyone he met and day in, day out, embody the values that we wanted to instill in his family," Joe said.At graduation on May 18, Mayer spoke as the student body president about being a model of unconditional love to everyone you meet. Just a few days later, after Rowan County seventh grader Walter Boone completed the 3,200-meter run at the state meet, Mayer took a few minutes to congratulate him on his effort.It's not uncommon for him to support up-and-comers in the running community. He made a habit of attending middle school track meets and talking to future Colonels."For a kid like him to come up to the younger ones, I think they really liked that he would go to those middle school races, just to see the new kids that are coming up and encourage them," Elizabeth said.As Joe heads off to college, he won't be far from home and family. After receiving Division I interest during his high school tenure, he chose to forego college athletics and enroll at the University of Kentucky. He won't leave the sport entirely, looking to participate at the club and intramural levels with some of his former Covington Catholic teammates.It's just the latest example of his maturity and prioritizing what matters most.This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Joe Mayer a model of courage for family, teammates after his father's death

Before the 2025 Class 2A cross country state championships, Covington Catholic head coach Jeremy Mosher asked Joe Mayer what he wanted to hear as he came around the final turn with about 600 meters to go.Mayer told Mosher to ask him who wanted the win more, the same thing his dad, Dan, said as Joe headed toward the finish line to win the Class 2A, Region 4 individual title as a sophomore."That's something I'll never forget. That was a really cool moment," Mayer said.Mayer pulled away from Thomas Nelson's Daniel Filiatreau for a 10-second victory, earning the lone individual title of his high school career almost five months after his dad unexpectedly passed away.Mayer, the oldest of six children in his family, has shown incredible strength at home, in the classroom and on the track in the last year. He is one of six recipients of The Enquirer's Courage Award, to be presented at the High School Sports Awards show on Tuesday, June 16.Joe Mayer surrounded himself with community after his father's passingMayer graduates as one of the most accomplished runners in school history. He only won one state title, but earned nine top-three finishes at state meets and was member of three state championship relays and eight team state titles.For all of his athletic accomplishments, his relationship with the sport added a somber layer when Dan suffered a heart attack while out on a run on June 10, 2025."That was a hard thing to deal with for a while because running has given me so much, but it can be destructive in an instant. It was hard to come to terms with the idea that something I cared so much about and devoted so much time to could just turn on me like that," Mayer said.Dan's passing came at a usually joyous time for Joe. Having recently finished his junior year, he was attending his friends' graduation parties, but a knee injury kept him from running in a few postseason meets. That knee injury persisted into his senior year, leading to subpar race efforts and uncertainty about how he would perform in the postseason.As much as his coaches needed him to be a leader and extension of the coaching staff, Mayer leaned on his community for support."The relationships I've built, the people I've met, the way I felt loved for four straight years, unconditionally and constantly, it's amazing. None of the numbers or PRs or anything like that absolutely does not happen without that culture that starts with the people at the center of CovCath," Joe said.Mosher added: "Coaching high school athletes really is a calling. You're going to see them on the best day of their life, you're going to see them on what feels like the worst day of their life. For many of them, they get disqualified or whatever else. Some of them, you do see them on the worst day of their life. I think with Joe, the thing that's made him a great runner is that he's so even keel. He doesn't get too high and doesn't get too low. It's preternatural."Joe Mayer mirrors his father's best attributes in caring for his familyWhile balancing a 3.99 grade-point average, being the class president, an AP scholar and a member of the National Honor Society, Joe became the man of the house.He added his name to the family Costco membership to pick up groceries when needed. He made sure everyone was home when they needed to be and always took part in the family prayers, even FaceTiming in if he was out of the house."It's been really uncanny how kind and helpful he's been, but it's neat that (his siblings) have seen him continue to work hard this year," Joe's mother, Elizabeth, said. "I did tell the kids right away that we would not despair, that we were going to live with joy and gratitude, and I've reminded them constantly that this is how we're going to choose to live, and he's really risen to that challenge."He has mentored all his siblings but fostered a deeper relationship with his brother, Michael, teaching him the importance of faith and work ethic.Those character attributes come from his father.Dan, who received a Catholic education at Newport Central Catholic, Bellarmine University and Xavier University, took Joe to daily mass before school twice a week. When Joe got a speeding ticket, Dan gave him a stern talking-to but drove him to a track meet and prom the next day.Dan lost his mother, Karen, when he was in high school. The way he responded to tragedy set the standard for how Joe has lived in the past year."He chose to grow and to be someone who touched everyone he met and day in, day out, embody the values that we wanted to instill in his family," Joe said.At graduation on May 18, Mayer spoke as the student body president about being a model of unconditional love to everyone you meet. Just a few days later, after Rowan County seventh grader Walter Boone completed the 3,200-meter run at the state meet, Mayer took a few minutes to congratulate him on his effort.It's not uncommon for him to support up-and-comers in the running community. He made a habit of attending middle school track meets and talking to future Colonels."For a kid like him to come up to the younger ones, I think they really liked that he would go to those middle school races, just to see the new kids that are coming up and encourage them," Elizabeth said.As Joe heads off to college, he won't be far from home and family. After receiving Division I interest during his high school tenure, he chose to forego college athletics and enroll at the University of Kentucky. He won't leave the sport entirely, looking to participate at the club and intramural levels with some of his former Covington Catholic teammates.It's just the latest example of his maturity and prioritizing what matters most.This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Joe Mayer a model of courage for family, teammates after his father's death

Top 2027 recruit Lauren Hassell has committed to Vanderbilt, she announced on Friday afternoon. The 6-3 forward from Clarksville (TN) chose the Commodores over Louisville and North Carolina. “It’s close to home,” Hassell previously told Rivals of her experience with Vanderbilt. “It’s literally only 30 or 40 minutes away. I’ve had a relationship with that coaching staff since middle school, so being able to grow and see how far the program has gone, being right up the street, has been really cool too. I’m having relationships with the people they’re bringing in too.”There were several factors that played a role in her decision.“Keeping those relationships,” Hassell said of factors that will aid in her decision. “But I don’t worry about that as much, because I know the people I talk to. They stay connected with me, talk to me quite often, just check on me with the injury. Another thing now that I have to look at, just getting older, is probably who I’m going to be playing with. Because that’s a big thing that, when I was in middle school, I didn’t really have to look at that because they would be long gone. Just knowing who will be there when I’m there and if there are coaching changes.”Hassell also discussed what she was looking for in play style.“Honestly, just a system where I can just be myself,” Hassell said. “Because I feel like the way that I’ve been trained my whole life and worked out my whole life, I can fit in any system I go to, just because of my versatility. I really don’t mind if I can still do what I want to do, if that makes sense.”

HOUSTON (AP) — Milwaukee reliever Abner Uribe received a one-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for his inappropriate actions towards the St. Louis dugout earlier this week, MLB announced Friday.Uribe is appealing the suspension so he will be available Friday night when the Brewers open a three-game series at Houston.The suspension comes after Uribe's behavior Tuesday night following an inning-ending strikeout in a 6-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.Uribe retired Alec Burleson on a called third strike with two outs and runners on first and second in the eighth, the only inning he pitched. Uribe then made three WWE-style crotch chops while facing the Cardinals dugout.The Cardinals challenged the call, which was close, but narrowly confirmed to be at the bottom of the strike zone.Brewers manager Pat Murphy said after the game that he was embarrassed by Uribe’s antics and that it was unacceptable.Uribe apologized through an interpreter Tuesday.“Everyone here knows me and knows who I am, and knows I have a bit of a history of being emotional out there,” Uribe said. “I think first I owe an apology to the Brewers. I owe an apology to my teammates, to my manager, all the bosses of the team. I understand that’s unacceptable, to go out there and react in a way like that.”Uribe was suspended for six games and fined following a benches-clearing brawl against the Tampa Bay Rays in April 2024.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Barcelona announce Anthony Gordon as their first signing of the summerBarcelona have confirmed that Anthony Gordon has joined the club as their first signing of the summer, following an agreement with Newcastle United. The 25-year-old had been courted by Liverpool and Bayern Munich, but the Blaugrana became the surprise winners of the race for his signature.Gordon is coming off the back of his third season at Newcastle, having initially moved to the Magpies for €45.6m from Everton in 2023. During those three years, he racked up 152 appearances, contributing 39 goals and 28 assists during that period. This season has been his most successful in front of goal, with 17 goals and five assists in his 46 outings – notably 10 of those goals came in his 12 appearances in the Champions League. The fee is reported to be around €80m, plus add-ons for the England international.Barcelona announce Anthony Gordon signingImage via FC Barcelona. Anthony Gordon signs Barcelona contract.On Friday, Barcelona confirmed the signing of Gordon, after he arrived in the Catalan capital on Thursday. Gordon completed a medical, and was later seen having dinner with his agents, Barcelona Sporting Director Deco and Head of Scouting Joao Amaral. Today, he signed his contract and was presented to the media.

Federal employees will now be fully barred from gender-affirming care under their health insurance programs, with no exceptions. The Trump administration has just updated their guidance for health insurance companies who want to provide plans to federal employees and have removed language that had previously allowed for exceptions. The new directive states that “carriers must remove any exceptions process … for coverage of excluded services for members who are mid-treatment within a surgical and/or hormonal regimen for diagnosed gender dysphoria.” Related Federal employees challenge Trump’s ban on gender-affirming health care Federal employees challenge Trump’s ban on gender-affirming health care The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) previously issued a letter last August which instructed health insurers not to offer gender-affirming care coverage for federal employees. However, the exceptions that it included allowed for a “case-by-case basis” approach which would enable trans federal employees who were “mid-treatment within a surgical and/or hormonal regimen for diagnosed gender dysphoria.” That exception was important to prevent people from being de-transitioned. But it was even more important in the case of trans people who had undergone procedures to remove the organs that produced their birth hormones, for whom stopping hormone treatment could cause drastic health problems. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today While employees could seek private health insurance, that is usually prohibited by the financial aspect, especially as a major part of the compensation for a federal job comes from its high quality health insurance. It’s important to remember that federal employees aren’t just people that work in the government, but those who work for it; that includes the TSA, National Park Rangers, and employees of the United States Postal Service. This move won’t just affect the employees, but also family members on their plans, with over 11 millions people on such plans. A recent Gallup poll estimates that as much as 1.3% of the U.S. population is trans, which means this could affect as many as 140,000 people. With the removal of such exceptions, the new directive appears targeted at driving trans people out of government jobs, much as the president’s trans military ban did before. The only small allowance that has been left in for trans people has been coverage for counseling for those diagnosed with gender dysphoria. However, last year’s memo noted that “covered counseling services must be provided by a licensed mental health provider and may include those who provide faith-based counseling.” The note about “faith-based counseling,” combined with the Supreme Court’s ruling against a conversion therapy ban earlier this year, could signal an administrative push towards conversion therapy. While this directive is not a ban or a legal ruling, strictly speaking, it is unlikely that any health insurance companies will still try to provide these services. The directive marks out clear expectations to the companies, and ignoring those expectations risks losing lucrative federal contracts. These changes will take affect when contracts are renewed in January 2027. At the end of 2025, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) filed a complaint against the original block on gender-affirming care on behalf of several federal employees. However, the government’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission rejected the complaint in March, upholding the limitation on coverage of gender-affirming care. In their rejection, they cited the Supreme Court’s Skrmetti ruling as part of their justification. When the complaint was first filed, Kelly Robinson, President of the HRC Foundation said, “This policy is not about cost or care — it is about driving transgender people and people with transgender spouses, children, and dependents out of the federal workforce.” Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Transgender pop music star Kim Petras said in an interview published yesterday that she somewhat regrets discussing her gender transition with the press during her childhood. However, she explores this regret and the happiness she feels about her choices in “Brutalist,” a song on her recently released album Detour. The German singer-songwriter publicly discussed her transition in a 2006 installment of the documentary series Stern TV when she was just 13, PinkNews reported. She had gender-affirming surgery two years later and was known as the “world’s youngest” person ever to undergo it (though such procedures are rarely ever conducted on minors). Related Kim Petras & Sam Smith made history, Beyoncé thanked the queer community at the Grammys Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today “I was 12 talking about it, which I kind of regret because privacy was really blurred, [but] I was really unashamed of talking about it because I was a kid and I was like, ‘This is the way it is.’ “Now that I’m in America, there’s so much shame around sex, sexual education is such a taboo, and it’s such a weird climate right now, especially about trans kids in particular. They’re the enemy right now.” “In this political climate, I’m happy I can stand for [the idea that] trans kids can transition and then be a grown-up and happy and make [those] choices. I made the right choices that I’m proud of to this day,” she continued. “But [at the same time] I have people saying I ruined my body and I ruined my life,” she added. “They don’t know me at all. They don’t know my history, that I went to so many psychologists and so many doctors and that it was a real thing that had an assessment and [they gave me] an answer [about] why I got to [get hormone treatment]. It saved my life and then there’s people who are like, ‘This saved your life, but you ruined everything.’” She said the idea of loving things that other people consider ugly coincides with her own experiences, both in making music that her label and managers disliked and in appreciating Brutalist architecture around Germany that others considered ugly. She explores this theme in her new album’s track “Brutalist,” she said. “If you work with the wrong people who don’t care about the artist and the artistry first, it becomes about money. You become a product and you become a joke in many ways. That’s what it felt like to me,” she said, referencing her early career. “There are people who surround themselves with teams who truly do let you be your greatest as an artist and don’t try to sway you into being less of an artist because they think it’s going to sell better.” The German-born pop star gained international notoriety in her early adolescence for appearing in a documentary and talk show to advocate for getting gender-affirming surgery at age 16, two years before the legal age of 18 in Germany. Though she’s been releasing music since 2008, her breakthrough came in 2017 when her single “I Don’t Want It at All” went viral on Spotify. She has since performed at Pride events in Sydney and Los Angeles. In 2021, she became the first out trans person ever to perform at the MTV Video Music Awards. She has collaborated with such musicians as Charli XCX, nonbinary singer Sam Smith, and others. In 2022, she released the sexually explicit album Slut Pop. In May 2023, she appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated‘s Swimsuit Issue, becoming the second out trans woman to be featured in it. She released her album Problématique in 2023 and her latest, Detour, this month. Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

In a speech to military leaders from the region, To Lam said that distrust and a lack of respect for established rules had created a culture of “the big fish swallowing the small fish.”

The Trump administration ejected a Chinese journalist amid fresh concerns about Beijing’s growing pressure on foreign correspondents.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) — Antonee Robinson got the news on the 13th hole of a golf course in the English countryside, Gio Reyna in a Connecticut parking lot while enjoying a smoothie alongside his wife and dog.Cristian Roldan tucked a phone into his pocket during a Seattle Sounders team meeting.“I just wanted it to feel and vibrate,” he said.American players dispersed across North America and Europe were told notification of coach Mauricio Pochettino’s World Cup picks would arrive via WhatsApp at 1 p.m. EDT on May 22.Chris Brady, hoping to earn the No. 3 goalkeeper spot, was in the Central time zone and waited nervously with Chicago Fire teammates.“When 12 struck, nothing came. ... What does that mean?” he remembered thinking. “But, yeah, eventually got the message.”Gathered now at the new U.S. National Soccer Training Center and a nearby hotel in Trilith ahead of their June 12 World Cup opener against Paraguay, players relaxed after making the cut for their sport's pinnacle event.“It was just sheer elation,” 27-year-old defender Mark McKenzie said. “Four years of hard work, sacrifice. It was obviously heartbreaking not making '22 but turned it directly into just motivation to make sure the next time around my name would hopefully be on that roster.”In the rush to get to the U.S., McKenzie left his film camera back in France, where he plays for Toulouse.Robinson, still the first-choice left back at age 28 after starting four years ago, hadn't allowed himself to think too far ahead during a season in which a difficult recovery from May 2025 knee surgery delayed his first Premier League start this season for Fulham until mid-December.He was on the 13th hole of Pyford Lakes in Woking when his phone buzzed.“I was playing bad, played bad after but I was a lot happier,” he said. “It was a massive relief just because the year I’ve had and the ups and downs personally.”Reyna, a son of former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna, was notoriously almost sent home from the 2022 tournament by then-coach Gregg Berhalter for lack of hustle during training. His status was uncertain because of an impressive club season with German club Borussia Moenchengladbach, which didn't start him after Dec. 19.He was outside Barvida in Norwalk, Connecticut, alongside wife Chloe and Melo, his 1-year-old Cavapoo, when Pochettino's video message flashed.“I was sitting in the car," the 23-year-old midfielder recalled. “We didn’t want to go home because we were both a little bit nervous.”Roldan, a member of the 2022 roster who didn't get into a match in Qatar, received an emotional hug from his brother Alex, a Sounders teammate. Cristian didn't play for the U.S. between July 2023 and his first call-up under Pochettino last September.“There was a lot of doubt in my mind, but there was a glimmer of hope,” he said. “When your name isn’t called each and every camp and you get further into the cycle, you feel like your chances are dwindling down. So, absolutely, I started to doubt myself a little bit. And then it made me play a little more free.”Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, a son of the former coach, didn't make his national team debut until last June. After getting the WhatsApp video, Sebastian called his dad — now coaching the Chicago Fire — and then his mom and his sisters.“It was barely a conversation. My mom started crying right away, and then my sister started crying, and I started crying," Sebastian said. “I was just telling them I love them, and thank you so much for all the sacrifices over the years, especially my mom. Yeah, I was crying for probably 45 seconds.”Auston Trusty was in a Glasgow hotel with Celtic teammates ahead of the next day’s Scottish Cup final against Dunfermline and fellow defender Alex Freeman was in an apartment in Spain with his father, Super Bowl champion Antonio Freeman.“I was definitely checking my phone like every minute,” Alex Freeman said. “We were kind of just waiting on the couch. When we got the call, it was kind of a good moment with family bonding.”Alejandro Zendejas, a 28-year-old forward, was picked after not playing for the U.S. since September. He learned of his selection while in San Antonio with his family and girlfriend. His father, Alfredo, burst into tears.“When he hugged me and stuff, I could feel shaking in his voice,” Zendejas said. “He started tearing up and that makes me tear up.”Zendejas was among the players on the roster bubble.“We joked around about his number being number 26,” Roldan said of Zendejas. “Him and myself, we were probably one of the later guys on the roster and we kind of share that kind of sentiment together.”Richards arrivesDefender Chris Richards arrived after going to Leipzig, Germany, with Crystal Palace for the UEFA Conference League final Wednesday, won by the Eagles over Rayo Vallecano.He traveled from London to New York on Thursday, then to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday morning. Richards, who hasn't played since tearing two ankle ligaments on May 17, went straight to the training center for medical evaluation and is to join practice on Saturday.___AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Much of the Los Angeles Rams’ roster will look the same in 2026, but one position group that saw a complete overhaul this offseason was cornerback. The Rams let Cobie Durant and Ahkello Witherspoon walk in free agency, and also saw Darious Williams retire from the NFL.To replace them, the Rams traded a first-round pick (and more) for Trent McDuffie, and promptly signed his teammate, Jaylen Watson, in free agency shortly thereafter. McDuffie and Watson will be Los Angeles’ top two cornerbacks this season, bringing an entirely new look to the secondary – both in terms of personnel and scheme.ESPN’s Ben Solak ranked the 10 most improved position groups in the NFL this offseason, and he put the Rams’ cornerback unit sixth on the list. Though Solak acknowledges Durant was a quality cornerback for much of his time in Los Angeles, there was plenty of room for improvement.As such, the story of the Rams' cornerback improvement starts not with McDuffie but with Watson. A suffocating presence at the line at 6-2 with over 32-inch arms, Watson is at his best winning the physicality battle in the first 5 yards. He isn't a perfect player (see: George Pickens film in 2025), but he's multiple tiers better than Forbes and Witherspoon. He will give Shula the tools he needs to play more man coverage, as will McDuffie, who is a wonderful press technician despite below-average 5-11 size.There’s a reason McDuffie and Watson worked so well in Kansas City, and it’s largely because of their differing skill sets. McDuffie is a smaller, quicker corner who still hits like a safety and mixes it up at the line of scrimmage. By contrast, Watson is a big, physical cornerback who presses receivers into oblivion and stays in their pocket early in the route.Both excel in man coverage, which was a staple of Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme with the Chiefs, so that will allow Chris Shula to be more versatile with the coverages he calls moving forward.The Rams will major in zone coverages and big cushions, and Watson can still play in those (and McDuffie will thrive in them). But Shula can be much more versatile in how he picks his matchups now that he has the pair of new cover men. Watson can handle the traditional "X" receivers who tend to give McDuffie issues (think Mike Evans), while McDuffie can travel inside and outside with versatile receivers (think Jaxon Smith-Njigba). Both can still zone off, and their pre-snap alignments won't reveal Shula's post-snap intentions. On both talent and scheme, this is a big leap.Although the Rams’ secondary wasn’t their only issue last season, it was a big problem, particularly in the playoffs. Sam Darnold picked apart Los Angeles’ coverage in the NFC title game and the Rams had no answer for Jaxon Smith-Njigba.Now they have someone who can match up with him no matter where he lines up, whether it’s in the slot or on the outside. And Watson can deal with bigger receivers who have caused problems for Los Angeles – guys like new 49ers receiver Mike Evans.This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams CBs ranked among NFL's most improved for 2026

FRISCO, Texas — The Big 12 was the final Power 4 conference to conclude its spring meetings Friday, as plenty of questions remain about the future structure and make-up of college sports.The SEC wrapped its own spring meetings in Destin, Fla., on Thursday. The Big Ten and ACC held their respective gatherings earlier this month.“I think we are the deepest conference in America,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said after the final board of directors meeting Friday.College Football Playoff expansion remains the biggest obstacle looming over the sport, with the SEC now the lone holdout preventing transitioning in 2027 to a 24-team model. The Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC all support the changes, but under the current CFP contract, the SEC and Big Ten must agree on any expansion moves. What’s next for the CFP, how that’s shaping the power divide among the country’s top conferences, and the impact of the Big 12’s new private-capital deal were among the buzziest topics throughout the week.Numbers GameDespite the united front among Big 12 leaders on support for a 24-team CFP, questions about exactly how that will be implemented and what unintended consequences it might have remain.“I loved four. I like 12,” UCF AD Terry Mohajir told Front Office Sports this week. “And I’m sure I’ll like 16 if it goes to 16.” But Mohajir, a former AD at Arkansas State and a member of the CFP selection committee from 2019 to 2021, isn’t completely sold on a 24-team model.The Big 12 would have had five teams in a 24-team playoff last season, CFP officials told the conference this week. However, the exact formula of a 24-team model for 2027 and beyond has not been solidified.“Does that mean more access for a Group of 5 league, more access for power conferences,” Mohajir said. “Or does that mean more access from two conferences? Does that mean that a 7-5 team can get in the playoffs because of the perceived strength of schedule? And a 9-3 team from the Big 12 or ACC, does a 7-5 team from the SEC or Big Ten trump them?”Conference Rankings Many Big 12 school and league officials were miffed by the SEC’s breakaway talk this week during private conversations with FOS. The SEC actually going off on its own and operating independently from the rest of college sports would not ultimately be a suitable option in their minds, those Big 12 sources said.The SEC’s confidence stems from its long-held belief that due to the strengths of its teams, each member faces a tougher schedule than teams in other conferences, regardless of records or standings. But it’s that attitude that rubs coaches, fans, and stakeholders from non-SEC leagues the wrong way.“I know how much they respect their conference,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said Thursday. “They’ve got absolutely great football teams in that conference. I just think that whenever you start saying that, it does discount a lot of the data.”Texas Tech, the Big 12’s 2025 champion, was the conference’s only team in the CFP last season. BYU fell short after an 11-1 regular season. McGuire also publicly challenged Texas to abandon their season-opener against Texas State and instead play Texas Tech—going so far as saying the Red Raiders had already contacted the Cowboys about playing that game at AT&T Stadium.Money MattersBig 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is extremely bullish on the new five-year business partnership between the conference and RedBird Capital Partners and Weatherford Capital. “We felt tapping into their ecosystem had some immediate benefits,” Yormark told FOS this week.RedBird last year helped broker the Big 12’s $100 million deal with PayPal, and will now be involved in more revenue-generating searches as an official conference partner. The Big 12 this month reported record revenue of $610.9 million for the 2024–25 fiscal year, which ranked last among the Power 4 conferences. The Big 12 is projecting revenue of roughly $710 million this year, Yormark said Friday. The private capital deal could also be influential in the Big 12’s next media-rights negotiations in 2030, sources told FOS. That’s because RedBird was a primary financial backer of SkyDance Media’s takeover of CBS Sports parent company Paramount, which is now merging with TNT Sports parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, pending regulatory approval.ESPN and Fox’s $2.28 billion Big 12 media rights deals run through the 2030–31 college sports season. Once the conference goes to market, sources expect CBS Sports—and potentially TNT Sports—to be another suitor for the Big 12, given the current relationships.Meanwhile, no Big 12 team has yet said it plans to utilize the option for a line of credit up to $30 million, as part of the RedBird deal, with many school sources citing the high interest rates (believed to be in the double-digits) as a deterring factor. While specific financial details of how schools would pay back that loan are unclear, one source told FOS that RedBird capped its returns in order to give “material returns” to the schools. A RedBird spokesperson previously told FOS that the partnership “is much bigger than just capital to schools—it’s a commercial partnership where RedBird and Weatherford are delivering commercial revenue to the Big 12.” RedBird had no further comment for this story.Editors’ note: RedBird IMI, in which RedBird Capital Partners is a joint venture partner, is the primary investor in Front Office Sports.The post Big 12 Spring Meetings Center CFP Expansion and Private-Capital Deal appeared first on Front Office Sports.

Credit: SNY GiantsJaxson Dart created a media firestorm last week when he introduced President Donald Trump at a political rally. The appearance shocked New York Giants teammate Absul Carter, who initially said on X that he thought the clip must be AI-generated.Given Trump’s vitriolic and authoritarian speeches, social media posts, and policies, seeing an NFL starting quarterback align himself with the very unpopular politician was shocking to many, although Carter’s response also received outsized criticism for breaking an unwritten code about teammates and the locker room.The media reactions have been intense from several angles, with demands that Carter apologize and that the New York media hold Dart’s feet to the fire.On Friday, the Giants quarterback finally spoke to the media about why he decided to stand with Trump and the impact it’s had on his teammates.Jaxson Dart issues a detailed statement on his decision to introduce Donald Trump and the impact that it has had on the Giants and his teammates pic.twitter.com/HOdT0rkJdL— SNY Giants (@SNYGiants) May 29, 2026“Obviously, this was a unique opportunity, you know, being asked and given the opportunity to introduce the President of the United States,” Dart told reporters. “You know, my thinking was, was pretty simple in the fact of, I’ve always love this country. I have extended family members who have fought in wars. I have two uncles who have retired from the Air Force Academy and served themselves, and I even have a great-grandfather who served as Secretary of Treasury at some point.“So the president position has always been a position that I’ve well respected regardless of political affiliation, regardless of political party. And, you know, my, my intentions were, were just that. I also understand in this world politics can be a sensitive matter, a sensitive topic.”Dart noted that he understands that, due to his position, everything he does will come with a degree of scrutiny.“I also understand that I am the quarterback of the New York Giants, and that involves a lot of responsibility,” he continued. “It’s under a limelight, under a microscope, and there’s a lot that comes with that. And it’s been something that I’ve embraced.”Regarding how his appearance may have affected his relationship with teammates who might not agree politically or who see Trump as a negative force in American culture, Dart says he appreciates everyone in the locker room and that they can talk to one another honestly.“We have such a cool opportunity as people, you know, to be in a locker room where it’s a melting pot of people from everywhere and we get to be together,” he said. “You know, I think that the connections that we build are special because we’re able to have vulnerable conversations, we’re able to learn from each other, to support each other, irrespective of the color of our skin. And we have a real brotherhood.“We’ve had a lot of honest conversations with each other as a team, and like to keep those things private between me and my teammates and just everything that’s been said. But, you know, I love these guys, and going forward, I can’t wait for what more we have to grow, you know, the culture of this team, our brotherhood. Obviously, we understand the biggest goal is to be the best team that we can be, to put ourselves in the best position to succeed, to chase a championship.”Dart was then asked whether he understood why introducing Trump specifically might have been an issue for some of his teammates, and the quarterback said that while he respects the question, he wouldn’t elaborate beyond his statement. He was then asked if he thought he’d made a mistake, and once again demurred.Dart is asked a follow-up on his teammates potentially having an issue with the decision:“I understand the question, but my statement is all that I have for you guys right now – that’s where I’m at” https://t.co/AbcxInuJXgpic.twitter.com/coGoE3c1qP— SNY Giants (@SNYGiants) May 29, 2026Regarding Carter, Dart said they talked and are on the same page about what they’re trying to accomplish.“Me and Abdul came here at the same time. We shared a lot of very similar experiences. We’ve experienced adversity through a season and had to have each other’s backs. And that’s exactly what we continue to do today,” said Dart. “You know, me and him are one of the closer guys on the team with each other. So, you know, we’ve had a lot of conversation and he’s my brother. I know that I’m a brother to him. And at the end of the day, we want to be the best people and players for each other.”Jaxson Dart and Abdul Carter embrace pic.twitter.com/zMj3i38z1n— SNY Giants (@SNYGiants) May 29, 2026Following his media appearance, Dart left the podium, and Carter approached for his turn. As the two met, they embraced in a clear sign that they, and the Giants, intend to put the situation behind them and move forward.The post Jaxson Dart discusses Donald Trump rally, relationship with ‘my brother’ Abdul Carter appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY SportsThe Minnesota Vikings brought in Kyler Murray to compete for the starting job with incumbent hopeful J.J. McCarthy. Of course, McCarthy is about the furthest thing from a guaranteed bet after struggling to stay healthy or develop to this point in his career.Vikings QB Room Needs Extreme Clarity before Week 1When organized team activities kicked off this week, McCarthy and Murray gave very different media interviews. Murray has been around the block and understands how to deal with external politics. McCarthy has not had that experience and has previously shown himself to be aloof.Jan 17, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) moves out to pass against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half in the NFC Wild Card playoff football game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY SportsAfter comments about a level of “awkwardness” and a classroom separation between the pair, it seems clear that keeping McCarthy and Murray together all season may not be wise."You've constructed a bomb here that's now ticking, and you have to deconstruct it without it blowing up in your face."– @thorku on the #Vikings QB battle between JJ McCarthy and Kyler Murray #SKOLpic.twitter.com/CzVhqCkGlQ— SKOR North – Minnesota Sports (@SKORNorth) May 28, 2026Murray was brought in to compete, as he is an outsider looking to establish himself with a new team. A veteran with 87 career starts, though, the Vikings quarterback job is his to lose. He’d need to be hurt, perform poorly, and have McCarthy show significant growth. If all of those things happen, then yes, the former 10th overall pick should be under center in Week 1.The problem is that it seems McCarthy is probably not ready to take the next step, and he certainly has shown as much from a social awareness perspective. Maybe we can give his first real comments a pass, since they’re just an early part of the process, but it’s hard not to think this will linger.You: Look, there's no way JJ's stock could fall furtherJJ: Hold my beer https://t.co/2mNmaa1Ruj— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) May 28, 2026If this is McCarthy’s viewpoint now, at the onset of a competition, expectations for how things will evolve after he loses the role can’t be promising. McCarthy is unlikely to back up Murray as the QB2 with Carson Wentz in tow, and at that point, it may be better to ship him out rather than stash him as a QB3 with no foreseeable future in Minnesota.Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy speaks during the national championship celebration at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. © Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK.Unfortunately, this is the reality the Minnesota Vikings are facing. This isn’t the desired outcome when using a high pick on a young player at the most important position in sports. To double down and let things linger could be far more damaging, however.

Voters cast their ballots at the Dryades YMCA polling location in New Orleans, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Sophia Germer/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)2026-05-29T20:17:28Z CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A federal judge has said that New Hampshire must make voter registration easier by allowing applicants to attest to their U.S. citizenship if they don’t have the documents to prove it.The case was seen as the first major legal test of an election reform that has been pushed nationally by President Donald Trump and has gained favor among many Republicans, though U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliot said she was not deciding whether requiring proof of citizenship itself is constitutional. Her ruling late Thursday night on a narrower question of New Hampshire law was significant, however, because it underscored the potential perils of implementing strict requirements for voters to document their U.S. citizenship so they can cast a ballot.Elliot found that changes in 2024 to the state voter registration law unconstitutionally removed one method of proof -- namely, a voter’s sworn affidavit attesting to citizenship. “The evidence shows that this is the only method of proof available to a significant number of New Hampshire voters,” she wrote.The changes took effect last year, after former Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, signed the bill two years ago. The attorney general’s office said it plans to appeal the judge’s ruling, calling the citizenship requirements a “common-sense approach to voter registration and election administration designed to protect the integrity of our elections.” The ruling was a win for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire and other plaintiffs who argued that the changes that took effect last year were burdensome and unnecessary. Read More “New Hampshire’s elections have always been safe, secure, and accurate — and this law could have unconstitutionally and needlessly prevented thousands of eligible voters from casting a ballot,” said Henry Klementowicz, deputy legal director of the ACLU of New Hampshire. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the Coalition for Open Democracy, the League of Women Voters of New Hampshire, the Forward Foundation and five voters, called the state’s voter registration law one of the most restrictive in the nation. During town elections last fall, some voters had trouble gathering passports, birth certificates or other proof of citizenship.New Hampshire is not the only state with a proof-of-citizenship law for voters. Arizona, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming have similar laws already in effect, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Florida passed a law this year requiring documentary proof of citizenship to vote, but it won’t take effect until next year.A similar law in Kansas, which required proof of citizenship for state and federal elections, was found in 2018 to violate both the U.S. Constitution and the National Voter Registration Act after it prevented more than 31,000 citizens from registering to vote.Arizona established a two-tiered system after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that the state could not require citizenship documentation for federal elections. In August 2024, the court allowed some parts of the state’s proof-of-citizenship law to be enforced as the legal fight continued in lower courts. The ruling comes as Trump is trying to push a proof-of-citizenship bill, the SAVE America Act, through Congress. Voting rights advocates say such a federal requirement could disenfranchise millions of people. A 2025 University of Maryland study estimated that 21.3 million Americans who are eligible to vote do not have or have easy access to documents to prove their citizenship, including nearly 10% of Democrats, 7% of Republicans and 14% of people unaffiliated with either major party. JULIE CARR SMYTH Smyth covers government and politics from Columbus, Ohio, for The Associated Press. She was part of the AP team honored as a finalist for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize in breaking news. twitter mailto 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The Tony-nominated stars of “Fallen Angels” demonstrate how to act drunk onstage and have a hilarious hangover.

Celtic Ready To Sell £10m Player Who Lost His Place: Right Decision From The Scottish Champions?According to Football Insider’s transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke, Celtic have already positioned themselves to accept an offer for Reo Hatate this summer. The Glasgow club view this window as their finest opportunity to generate a fee for the 28-year-old Japan international, who now enters the final two years of his contract. Sources close to the club indicate that Celtic’s hierarchy has moved on from Hatate in their long-term thinking, and they will not stand in his way once a suitable bid arrives.Celtic set to offload Japanese star in summer clear-outHis drop from the squad is striking. He failed to start a single match after the Scottish Premiership split and was absent entirely from both the title decider against Hearts and the Scottish Cup Final victory. That absence told the full story without a word being spoken.GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – MAY 10: Reo Hatate of Celtic arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Celtic and Rangers at Celtic Park on May 10, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)Though Hatate contributed 14 goal involvements and also starred in Champions League football during the 2024-25 campaign under Brendan Rodgers, this season saw him manage just four contributions from 19 starts. Martin O’Neill gradually phased him to the margins, and Transfermarkt currently values the midfielder at around €10m.Why must Celtic take the money and move forward?This is a moment Celtic simply cannot afford to misread. A footballer heading into the last two years of his deal, visibly displaced by his own manager in the biggest fixtures of the season, carries diminishing leverage on both sides. Celtic need to act decisively before that value erodes further.What should Celtic do after a Hatate exit?Selling Hatate generates funds that Celtic must redirect into a fresher, younger central midfield option with a higher ceiling. That is the only responsible course. Holding onto a player who no longer features in the manager’s biggest selections is not loyalty; it is a waste. The Parkhead club have done this well before, turning exits into smart recruitment cycles. Now they must do it again, because standing still while rivals invest is how the title runs quietly to an end.

Liverpool handed massive Adam Wharton boost as major update emergesLiverpool are in desperate need of new players. Their first-team squad have massively under-delivered this season and, unless they quickly improve their ranks, they could be left even further behind by their rivals.Most fans though that Arne Slot's men would be one of the main contenders for the Premier League title but, as proven by their fifth-place finish, that's far from the case.Each area of the Reds' team could do with a new face or two and, the fact that no concrete moves have been made yet is rather worrying.handed a boost in their chase for Adam Wharton.Crystal Palace are looking at signing Shea CharlesWharton has been one of the Premier League's best number sixes this term with the Englishman winning three trophies in the last 12 months.Crystal Palace's recent Conference League win proves how good they are and, even though Wharton hasn't been taken to the 2026 World Cup, he's still an exceptional talent.And, since he's one of the most sought-after midfielders in the world, it's hardly surprising to see Palace vying for the transfer of a new midfielder, which could lead to Wharton being moved on.That is, if a report from Sebastien Vidal is to be believed."Leeds United is pushing to sign Shea Charles this summer. The Southampton midfielder, long admired by Daniel Farke, is seen as a profile capable of following the trajectory of Ethan Ampadu at Elland Road," he wrote."Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest are also monitoring the situation."Liverpool need to figure out their transfer priorities as soon as possibleSeeing as though Slot seems to be staying in charge of Liverpool, it's clear that the Dutchman and Richard Hughes need to get on the same page about their recruitment this summer.There's a lot of changes that need to take place for the Reds to become title challengers again and, if they don't spend a decent chunk of change, they'll be shooting themselves in the foot.Even though Ryan Gravenberch may have been handed a bumper new deal at the start of the season, he's not been at his best and at the moment, he's failing to live up to the £280,000-per-week that he's being given.However, the introduction of someone such as Wharton could spur the former Bayern Munich man on the become better or even allow him to be moved further forward in Slot's midfield three.There are so many ifs and buts ahead of the 2026-27 summer transfer window and if we're being honest, nobody knows exactly what's going to happen.

UCLA and USC are joining the NIRSA Club Flag Football League for its inaugural season in January 2027. View this post on InstagramA post shared by NIRSA Club Flag (@nirsaflag)In partnership with the NFL, NIRSA is the first-of-its-kind, 7v7 women’s flag football league that will feature several talented institutions across the nation. There will also be a national championship help in April 2027.“Flag football is a cornerstone of NIRSA, and this league represents a natural evolution of our commitment to expanding access and opportunity in collegiate recreation,” said Pam Watts, NIRSA Executive Director. “As interest in flag football continues to accelerate, we are proud to partner with the NFL and our member institutions to create a structured, competitive environment that supports student development, leadership, and lifelong wellbeing.”“We’re grateful for NIRSA’s leadership and partnership because this initiative is about more than competition, it’s about opportunity,” said NFL SVP of Global Flag Football Brian Flinn. “We’re not just launching a league, we’re continuing to redefine who football is for and what’s possible at the collegiate level, elevating the sport and expanding pathways for athletes at every level.”In addition to UCLA and USC, other programs joining the league include: Georgia, Florida, Penn State, Central Florida, Colorado, Bowling Green, Radford, Coastal Carolina, North Florida and Wisconsin–River Falls. There are currently two HBCUs committed to the league in Texas Southern University and North Carolina A&T State University.As the inaugural season approaches, more schools are expected to join the league.Future 2028 Olympians Are Likely Competing in NIRSAFor the first time in history, flag football will be part of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. NIRSA creates a strong pipeline for flag football players to go from high school to college to the Olympics. Therefore, it is likely several future Olympians are already competing for NIRSA member schools. The development of this new league will also help with identifying and developing future Olympic flag football players.Flag football is quickly growing around the world, and the launch of NIRSA is creating a platform for the next generation of flag football players to develop. Photo Credit: The post UCLA, USC Join NIRSA Women’s Club Flag Football League For Inaugural Season appeared first on LA Sports Report.

If you’ve caught your breath following last weekend’s Egyptian boxing feast, then don’t bother getting too comfy, as the next couple of days are filled wall-to-wall with action.We can’t promise you Jason Statham and the Pyramids of Giza this time around, but how about more of your classic boxing diet of high-quality world title fights, returning pound-for-pound stars and questionable belts on offer? We’re starting out in Houston, Texas and ending up in an ice hockey arena in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Strap in!1. Foster and Ford throw it down in Houston There seems to be a genuine bit of needle in Saturday night’s WBC super featherweight world title fight.O’Shaquie Foster (24-3, 12 KOs) defends his 130-pound title on home soil against Raymond Ford (18-1-1, 8 KOs) and apparently thinks so little of the former WBA featherweight titlist that he is already looking into the future.“I was just really looking for a stay-busy fight,” Foster explained during fight week, alluding to future plans of jumping up in weight to take on one of the faces of the sport, Shakur Stevenson.Ford — who comes into this weekend on a three-fight win streak — obviously didn’t take too kindly to being viewed as a stepping stone. Ford admitted he was impressed by Foster’s most recent title defense over Stephen Fulton in December, but claims “it wouldn’t be enough” to beat him.How these two match up stylistically is yet to be seen, but there are enough tasty ingredients to suggest this could be one the most entertaining fights of the busy weekend.O’Shaquie Foster defends his WBC super featherweight world title on Saturday.Al Bello via Getty Images2. Bivol’s back, baby! After 15 months of inactivity, unified light heavyweight world champion Dmitry Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs) is back in action this weekend, defending his straps against Michael Eifert.And after such a long period of inactivity you’d be forgiven to be slightly underwhelmed by Bivol’s opponent … Eifert, after all, is 13-1 with just five knockouts on his slate and can only really lay claim to besting a 40-year-old Jean Pascal in 2023. But if you want to keep hold of your titles, you have to fight your mandatories, and Eifert has maneuvered himself into the top spot with the IBF after going on a seven-fight win streak.Bivol is returning from back surgery, is 35 years old, and is coming off the back of two bruising fights with Artur Beterbiev. What is left in the heart and tank of the Russian?We might not find out on Saturday. But if Bivol gets through unscathed, then expect a quick springboard into a Beterbiev trilogy or perhaps even David Benavidez.3. It’s No. 54 for SerranoPuerto Rican legend Amanda Serrano claimed 2026 will be her last year inside the ring, so we’re officially counting down the appearances from the aptly nicknamed “Real Deal.”Serrano (48-4-1, 31 KOs) defends her unified featherweight titles this weekend in El Paso, Texas, against rugged German contender Cheyenne Hanson (17-2, 13 KOs). At age 37, it’ll be Serrano’s 54th fight across an incredible 17 years of combat competition.With 31 stoppages on her slate, one more on Saturday night would tie her with Christy Martin for the most knockouts in women’s boxing history — a record Serrano has admitted “continuing to hunt” as she begins to plan her exit from the sport.This 126-pound contest sits on a four-fight MVPW-03 card, with the WBA lightweight rematch between Stephanie Han and Holly Holm taking center stage.4. Azim takes the Claggett examSteve Claggett is still living off his 2024 decision loss to Teofimo Lopez.(Well, I don’t know that for sure. But you would, wouldn’t you?)The 36-year-old Canadian was 38-7-2 going into that WBO world super lightweight title fight with “The Takeover” and was priced as big as +660 to cause what would have been a seismic upset. He got swept on the cards in Miami, but showed heart and cojones across the 36 minutes. He’s only been stopped once across his 18 years as a professional, and is now being used as a yardstick for Britain’s bright young starlet, Adam Azim.Is Adam Azim a future world champion?Justin Setterfield via Getty ImagesAzim has run to 14-0 as a pro and looked very good along the way. He’s found himself a good home and following inside Wembley Arena and will fight inside the north London venue for the third time in five outings.Azim is BOXXER’s jewel in the promotional stable’s crown, so you can understand why the 24-year-old isn’t being rushed. But if he walks through the durable Claggett (39-8-2, 27 KOs) on Saturday night, then there will be louder calls for bigger fish at 140 pounds. 5. Uzbekistan, Belgium or Germany? What are you feeling?Now, we don’t want to flood you with action this weekend, but there is still plenty more as we bend the boundaries on the point of this “5 things” article. Let’s finish up with some quick hits!5a. Two-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez has found himself a new trainer in Robert Garcia and has also found himself in Tashkent, Uzbekistan this Friday, taking on Asror Vokhidov at featherweight.5b. Everyone’s favorite Scrabble fighter, Armend Xhoxhaj, fights Roman Fress in Germany for three — that’s right, three! — WBO titles at cruiserweight. The WBO European, WBO International and WBO Intercontinental are all on the line in Magdeburg on Saturday night. I do hope WBO president Gustavo Olivieri has booked extra baggage on his flight!5c. Kevin Lerena vs. Ryad Merhy was so good in 2023 that, three years later, we are doing it all again. Well, maybe that isn’t the case, but we’re heading to Charleroi, Belgium anyway this time around as Lerena defends his WBC bridgerweight title after unsuccessful bids for heavyweight trinkets.

Live updates, score for New York's NYSPHSAA softball playoffs: Newburgh Free Academy vs. Pine Bush Senior originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.TBDHOW TO WATCH: Newburgh Free Academy vs. Pine Bush Senior on the NFHS Network__________Refresh for updates__________FINAL — Pine Bush Senior 17, Newburgh Free Academy 4__________FIFTH INNING — Pine Bush Senior 17, Newburgh Free Academy 4__________It's over. A 13-run inning makes it 17-5, and Pine Bush Senior wins it.__________The bases are loaded, and PBS could end this thing.__________PBS has exploded for nine runs, and there's still only one out. They lead 13-5, and they're only two runs away from ending this via the 12-run rule.__________NFA still clinging to the 5-4 lead, but unable to add to it with PBS coming up in the bottom of the fifth.__________FOURTH INNING — Newburgh Free Academy 5, Pine Bush Senior 4__________PBS is unable to answer, and they head to the fifth inning.__________NFA surges back into the lead at 5-4. Still batting with two outs and a runner at first.__________THIRD INNING — Pine Bush Senior 4, Newburgh Free Academy 2__________PBS gets a four-run rally in the bottom of the third to surge into the lead headed to the fourth inning.__________NFA is unable to add anything to the ledger, and PBS is headed back to the plate.__________SECOND INNING — Newburgh Free Academy 2, Pine Bush Senior 0__________PBS unable to get on the board, and they head to the third.__________NFA strikes first with a couple of runs to take a 2-0 lead. PBS coming up next.__________FIRST INNING__________Nothing for PBS, and they head to the second inning.__________NFA is unable to get any runs across to start the game, and PBS is up next.__________They're under way!__________Coming soon!__________How can I watch Newburgh Free Academy vs. Pine Bush Senior?Date: 3 p.m. EST local, Friday, May 29WATCH:Newburgh Free Academy vs. Pine Bush Senior on the NFHS NetworkMore high school softballCalvary Baptist Academy wins Louisiana's LHSAA Non-Select Division III softball state championshipNorth Carolina's NCHSAA postseason fast approaching with Weddington leading the wayAlabama's AHSAA softball playoffs set to get underwayFlorida's FHSAA softball district tournaments get the postseason started in the Sunshine StateTop-ranked Texas UIL softball squads all advance to the area playoffs

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ESPN Analyst Predicts 'Next Level' For Drake Maye If Patriots Land A.J. Brown originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Drake Maye and the New England Patriots are still waiting to see if major reinforcements are on the way before the 2026 season.The Patriots have remained connected to trade chatter involving A.J. Brown all offseason. Rumors will likely intensify as June 1 approaches, as the Philadelphia Eagles reportedly would wait until after that date to move the star wide receiver for salary cap purposes.ESPN analyst Booger McFarland considered how acquiring Brown would impact Maye on Wednesday's "NFL Live." The two-time Super Bowl champion believes the wide receiver would "without a doubt" make the runner-up MVP quarterback better."We're assuming that this A.J. Brown is gonna go through," McFarland said. "And if it does, what it does for Drake Maye is give him a bona fide No. 1 (receiver). Somebody that, regardless of what the coverage is on the play, regardless of what the down and distance is, Drake Maye has somebody to throw the football to. Every quarterback in the National Football League needs that."McFarland noted that Joe Burrow has Ja'Marr Chase, and Patrick Mahomes has leaned on Travis Kelce after starting his career with Tyreek Hill. Maye benefited from the Patriots adding Stefon Diggs last offseason, but Brown could give the 23-year-old a significant playmaker.That could make New England's offense more dangerous in 2026 after tallying the NFL's third-most yards last season."Everybody needs somebody that, when the chips are down, you can throw the football to. And preferably, that needs to be a guy on the outside playing the X position that can win one-on-one battles," McFarland said. "So, if they do make this trade, I think that’s gonna take Drake Maye’s game to the next level. It's gonna make this Patriots offense a little bit more diverse and give them some more weapons on the outside."More NFL: Former Star Receiver Challenges 'Disrespectful' A.J. Brown Narrative

NBA lottery reform winners and losers: Spurs and Thunder get richer, Kings and Nets slip further behind originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The NBA's new 3-2-1 lottery reform proposal became official on Thursday, and it will take effect next season. The league set out to create a proposal to curb tanking, instituting aggressive changes to the current system. There are bound to be unintended consequences, and there are a lot of teams whose outlook drastically changed as a result of the rules. As a refresher, those new rules include the following:The lottery is expanded from 14 to 16 teams, with each receiving one, two, or three ballsOne ball teams: The losers of the 7/8 play-in gameTwo ball teams: The three worst teams in the league (the relegation zone), along with the No. 9 and 10 seeds in each conferenceThree ball teams: Teams 4-11 in the reverse standingsTeams can no longer pick No. 1 in consecutive drafts or in the top five of three consecutive drafts, dating back to the 2025 draft. The NBA's new draft lottery odds, visualized ⬇️ https://t.co/bUdgWPReF9pic.twitter.com/IizHm5nL3M— Lev Akabas (@LevAkabas) May 28, 2026MORE: NBA anti-tanking draft rules: What to know about new punishments for worst teams in league2026 NBA lottery reform winnersPeople who hate tankingIf you think tanking should be eliminated no matter the cost, then these new rules are for you. The payoff simply isn't there any more, and we are going to see teams start to try to win much more aggressively. This is obviously better for the end of the regular season in particular, which has become a total slog as half the league tries to intentionally lose games. The penalty for finishing with a bottom-three record is going to make the worst teams try desperately to win what were otherwise meaningless March and April games.There are significant downsides to the new rules, but this is the biggest upside and it's somewhat undeniable. SpursThe Spurs have been hoarding first round picks for years. Some of those teams made those trades under the assumption that they wouldn't be bad enough to fork over top picks in future drafts. That logic is now out the window. Some of those picks could pay dividends soon. They own the following future picks: Hawks 2027 pickRight to swap with the Celtics in 2028 (top 1 protected)Right to swap with the Wolves or Mavericks in 2030 (top 1 protected)Right to swap with the Kings in 2031That Kings swap looks particularly juicy. San Antonio paid an extremely low price for that asset, taking on Harrison Barnes' contract back in the 2024 DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade. They got a useful rotation player and a potentially amazing pick without having to give up anything but cap space in return.ThunderThe Thunder still have a ton of future picks in their war chest. The new system gives them two shots at a top four selection. Those include the Spurs' 2027 first-rounder and a very juicy right to swap first-rounders with the Mavericks in 2028. Dallas might still be bad by then, giving Oklahoma City potentially an eight percent chance at the No. 1 pick two years from now. Teams in the middle (Bulls, Heat, Hawks, Blazers, Warriors, Suns)Under the old system, being in the middle was the worst place that you could be. You weren't quite bad enough to get saved in the lottery, and you weren't good enough to do anything meaningful in the postseason. The new system rewards the 4th through 10th-worst teams with the best odds at jumping up in the draft. Teams that have been perpetually stuck in Play-In purgatory, such as the Bulls, Heat, Hawks, and Warriors, could see a massive influx in talent with the No. 1 pick. That should be enough to turn a middling franchise into a serious contender in the span of just a few years. This is a complete reversal of the incentives under the old system, and it's going to take some getting used to. Smart teams will try to build in the middle now rather than bottoming out in the standings. MORE: NBA's anti-tanking draft reform is destined to flop2026 NBA lottery reform losersTeams at the start of rebuildsThe best way to rebuild your team has always been through the draft. It's going to be harder to plan that path now that the luck factor has increased so substantially. That is going to mean that teams at the bottom of the standings are going to be much harder-pressed to dig themselves out. There are other ways of improving your team aside from high draft picks. Salary cap management, savvy trades, and free agency are going to become more important components of team building for the worst of the worst. There is only so much that you can do though through those avenues of roster construction. The teams that are bad right now are probably going to be stuck there indefinitely until the league revisits the changes in the rules three years from now.Kings, Nets, and WizardsSpeaking of the bad teams, these three are hurt the most by the changes.The Wizards should be a lot better this year with the additions of Trae Young, Anthony Davis, and whoever they select at No. 1 (probably AJ Dybantsa). They are precluded from winning the No. 1 pick in the 2027 draft though due to the new rule forbidding back-to-back selections of that pick. The Kings and Nets are in significantly worse spots. They don't have a superstar to build around yet, and they don't have a clear path out of the bottom of the standings. GrizzliesThe league decided to make its new rules act retroactively, which hurt the Grizzlies the most out of any team (not coincidentally, they were the only team to vote no on the proposed changes). Memphis will get the best first-round pick between the Jazz, Cavs, or Wolves in 2027. But since the Jazz have selected in the top 5 in both 2025 and 2026, their pick is blocked from landing in the top five in 2027. The Grizzlies had no idea that this rule would be in effect when they traded for that pick, and that obviously lowers the value of that pick considerably.

Last season, the Oklahoma Sooners made it to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019. Despite a tough schedule in the SEC and two losses in the month of October, head coach Brent Venables led his team on a run through the month of November that resulted in a CFP berth.In 2026, OU is thinking bigger than just a spot in the playoff, as the program looks for its first-ever CFP win and more. The Sooners believe they have the roster to make a deeper run this time around, but they aren't seen nationally as a top-flight national title contender.CBS Sports placed its top national championship contenders into tiers for the upcoming season, and the Sooners sat right atop the second tier in writer Chip Patterson's list. A total of 12 teams were ranked in the top tier, with OU just missing the cut and being placed in Tier 2 as a dark horse."We could see the Sooners start as a top 10 team in 2026 after making the College Football Playoff last season, but for Brent Venables to get back and have a real shot to win it all, he's going to need a little bit more balance on offense against the best teams. John Mateer and Isaiah Sategna III can only carry so much weight in the biggest games of the season." - Chip Patterson, CBS Sports.It's no secret that Oklahoma's defense and special teams were up to the challenge in the SEC last year, but that the offense still lagged behind. The Sooners have placed an emphasis on running the ball better this fall. Venables and general manager Jim Nagy also focused on adding more playmakers around Mateer and Sategna, which should take some pressure off of OU's two best offensive engines.Only time will tell if OU has truly improved the offense, and if the defense and special teams will match their 2025 effectiveness. However, the expectations are high in Norman, and the folks inside the program believe they've assembled the right pieces to exceed those expectations this autumn.National Champions since 19921992: Alabama Crimson Tide1993: Florida State Seminoles1994: Nebraska Cornhuskers1995: Nebraska Cornhuskers1996: Florida Gators1997: Michigan Wolverines and Nebraska Cornhuskers1998: Tennessee Volunteers1999: Florida State Seminoles2000: Oklahoma Sooners2001: Miami Hurricanes2002: Ohio State Buckeyes2003: USC Trojans and LSU Tigers2004: USC Trojans2005: Texas Longhorns2006: Florida Gators2007: LSU Tigers2008: Florida Gators2009: Alabama Crimson Tide2010: Auburn Tigers2011: Alabama Crimson Tide2012: Alabama Crimson Tide2013: Florida State Seminoles2014: Ohio State Buckeyes2015: Alabama Crimson Tide2016: Clemson Tigers2017: Alabama Crimson Tide2018: Clemson Tigers2019: LSU Tigers2020: Alabama Crimson Tide2021: Georgia Bulldogs2022: Georgia Bulldogs2023: Michigan Wolverines2024: Ohio State Buckeyes2025: Indiana HoosiersContact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X@Aaron_Gelvin.This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: CBS Sports ranks OU in second tier of national title contenders

What channel is Ole Miss-Arizona State baseball on? Time, TV schedule, live stream to watch NCAA regional game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.One of the most intriguing games on Day 1 of the NCAA baseball tournament will serve as a nightcap Friday, with Ole Miss facing Arizona State in the Lincoln regional. The Rebels might have had an argument to host a regional, sitting 16th in the RPI after the SEC tournament, but instead will have to try and work their way to the supers via Nebraska with the Sun Devils the first in their path. Ole Miss (36-21) is led by right-hander Cade Townsend (3.81 ERA, 81 strikeouts in 59 innings), a potential first-round MLB Draft pick this summer and a pair of 20-home run hitters in Judd Utermark and Tristan Bissetta. The Sun Devils (37-19), looking for their first regional title in 15 years, have watched sophomore Landon Hairston post outrageous numbers this season: .413 average, 1.415 OPS, 28 home runs, 79 RBIs and even 11 stolen bases. On the mound, lefty 2026 draft prospect Cole Carlon leads the way for ASU with a 3.51 ERA and 124 Ks in 77 innings. It should be a great matchup under the lights in Lincoln. Here's all you need to know to tune in. What channel is Ole Miss-Arizona State baseball on today?TV channel: ESPN2Live streams: fubo, ESPN appThe Ole Miss vs. Arizona State game will air live on ESPN2 with Karl Ravech and Kyle Peterson on the call. Fans can stream the game via the ESPN app or fubo. Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox and 100+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)What time is Ole Miss vs. Arizona State baseball today?Date: Friday, May 29Time: 9 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. CTOle Miss and Arizona State will face off at the Lincoln regional Friday at 9 p.m. ET. The game will be at Haymarket Park in Lincoln, Nebraska.Lincoln Regional schedule 2026DateGameTime (ET)WatchMay 29Game 1: No. 13 Nebraska vs. South Dakota State4 p.m.ESPN appGame 2: Ole Miss vs. Arizona State9 p.m.ESPNU, fubo, ESPN appMay 30Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser3 p.m.ESPN appGame 4: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner8 p.m.ESPN appMay 31Game 5: Game 4 loser vs. Game 3 winner3 p.m.ESPN appGame 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner8 p.m.ESPN appJune 1Game 7: Game 6 rematch (if necessary)TBDESPN app

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Abner Uribe struck out Alec Burleson to end the eighth inning of a game against the St. Louis Cardinals on May 26.Looking toward his own dugout, Uribe thumped his chest. The 25-year-old right-hander then turned toward the visitors’ dugout at American Family Field and “chopped his crotch” three times as the crowd roared.On May 29, Major League Baseball decided Uribe chopped at least one time too many. The league suspended him one game for “his inappropriate actions towards the St. Louis Cardinals’ dugout during the top of the eighth inning of Tuesday’s game at American Family Field.”MORE: Former Phillies infielder announces immediate retirement from MLB at 30Uribe is appealing his suspension, and therefore will be active for the Brewers’ game against the Houston Astros, unless his appeal is heard before the 7:10 p.m. first pitch.MLB wasn’t the only authority that took exception to Uribe’s gesture. His own manager, Pat Murphy, called it embarrassing.“I don’t know what got over him,” Murphy said, via The Associated Press. “I mean, he’s an emotional guy, but that kind of thing, that’s just not how we do things.“I was embarrassed by it. Why are we doing it? It’s a 6-0 game. What are we doing there?”MORE: Braves announce death of former Rookie of the Year, All-StarUribe ultimately recanted, saying “everyone here knows me and knows who I am, and knows I have a bit of a history of being emotional out there. I think first I owe an apology to the Brewers. I owe an apology to my teammates, to my manager, all the bosses of the team. I understand that’s unacceptable, to go out there and react in a way like that.“But at the same time, I don’t think it’s unprofessional for their manager to be making signs towards our dugout saying that he’s going to be hitting guys.”Uribe referenced St. Louis Cardinals manager Oli Marmol’s alleged gesture toward a Cardinals pitcher to hit a Brewers batter with a pitch. But no Brewers were hit by pitches in the game, and Marmol said that was not the intent of his gesture.

Cigarettes are arranged for a photograph in New York on Dec. 17, 2019. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)2026-05-29T20:36:03Z NEW YORK (AP) — The cigarette smoking rate among U.S. adults dropped to another all-time low last year, with 1 in 11 adults saying they were current smokers, according to government survey data released this week. Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer, heart disease and stroke, and it’s long been considered the leading cause of preventable death.The preliminary findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were based on survey responses from more than 24,200 adults. In the survey, CDC officials defined current cigarette smoking as smoking at least 100 cigarettes in a lifetime and now smoking every day or some days.In the mid-1960s, 42% of U.S. adults were smokers. The rate has been gradually dropping for decades, due to cigarette taxes, tobacco product price hikes, smoking bans, public education campaigns and changes in the social acceptability of lighting up in public. In 2024, the percentage of current adult smokers fell below 10% for the first time. Last year, it was 9%, according to the new survey.The use of electronic cigarettes has been inching up among adults, but has held about steady in 2025, at about 7%. “The continued decline in smoking is a monumental public health achievement that has saved millions of lives and billions in healthcare costs,” said Yolonda Richardson, president and chief executive of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy and research organization. Read More Richardson said current smoking-prevention efforts have been set back by cuts President Donald Trump’s administration made that eliminated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health and its “Tips from Former Smokers” advertising campaign. She cited estimates that the “Tips” campaign alone helped more than 1 million Americans quit smoking and saved over $7.3 billion in healthcare costs. “This critical work must be restored and sustained to continue reducing smoking-related disease, death and healthcare costs nationwide,” Richardson said.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. MIKE STOBBE Stobbe mainly covers public health for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

Former Captain Shreve tight end Jacob Carruth has accepted his third head coaching job, and it has allowed him to return to North Louisiana.The 2014 Gator graduate has named the head football coach at St. Mary’s School in Natchitoches by the school’s administration. He comes to Natchitoches after coaching at Catholic Pointe-Coupee since 2023 and at North Central (2021-23).“We loved the community in New Roads and had a lot of success over the past three years at Catholic-Pointe Coupee,” Carruth said. “However, with our second child on the way we started thinking about the possibility of moving closer to family. The opportunity to take over at St. Mary’s presented itself at the perfect time. We are excited for this next chapter of our lives.”FIRST JOB: Former Captain Shreve standout Jacob Carruth named North Central head football coachNATIONAL HONOR: Here's why a North Webster football player earned national recognitionCarruth inherits a program that’s been a perennial powerhouse in District 3-1A in recent years, but that went 5-5 each of the past two seasons.“I have heard nothing but great things about St. Mary’s and they have a history of consistent success in football,” Carruth said. “After meeting the administration, I knew immediately they are hungry to get back to that level. The job seems to check all the boxes a coach looks for: talented players, supportive community, and an administration that supports coaches and gives them the tools necessary to succeed. I can’t wait to get to work on making Tiger football the pride of Natchitoches. St. Mary’s will be the place to be for football players in the area.”Carruth attended Louisiana Tech and graduated from LSUS. He began his coaching career at Homer High (2017-2019), then Glenbrook (2019-2021) before heading to North Central.Jimmy Watson covers Louisiana sports for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: The new St. Mary's football coach played tight end at Captain Shreve

Detroit — Six-time IndyCar series champion Scott Dixon knows the Detroit Grand Prix circuit is a tough one, considering how bumpy and tight it is, and he is appreciative of efforts to smooth the race surface in certain areas and to split the qualifying sessions, but this is a place that truly is grueling for drivers, not to mention the teams.The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix moved back to the downtown streets in 2023, and the 1.7-mile, nine-turn circuit is challenging mentally and physically. IndyCar series leader Alex Palou, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, was fastest during the series' first practice session Friday, while defending race champion Kyle Kirkwood was second, and his Andretti Global teammate Will Power was third.The IndyCar series qualifies on Saturday and the race is Sunday.Dixon wasn’t thrilled with the circuit in 2023, its first year after moving from Belle Isle, and wishes it had more corners and room, but he knows he has to race what’s presented.“New circuits, new places that we go to, there's always room for improvement, and it's not easy on downtown streets, for sure,” Dixon said Friday. “Each year they keep trying to try smooth and change it. But yeah, it's a tough track. It's very easy to lose concentration, make a mistake, and, obviously, I think for the race, as usual, will be mayhem.”Dixon, who has 59 career wins, including four in the Detroit Grand Prix, said it’s easy to lose concentration in the Detroit Grand Prix for a number of reasons.“It's quite hard to become comfortable here,” said Dixon, in his 26th IndyCar series, 25 with Chip Ganassi Racing. “I think each lap you're trying to push the limits, which we do at every track, but here with just the bumps and things like that, if you kind of miscalculate by a small amount, you're confined by the walls (and) they're very tight. There’s no real big runoffs or anything like that, so you got to take risks, and sometimes a lot of these circuits, you can get caught out, but here I'd say is more so than anywhere else.”Santino Ferrucci, who drives for A.J. Foyt Enterprises, made his first career start eight years ago in the Detroit Grand Prix. The bumps in this circuit, he said, add to what make this race special.“Having bumps in the middle of turns like 9, 1 or 6, 7 is a good thing,” Ferrucci said. “We've obviously smoothed a lot of that out due to driver's request, but the problem is we smooth that out like we did in St. Pete for turn 2, 3, you'd get rid of a passing zone going into 4. So yes and no, it's good and it's bad. I really love Belle Isle for that reason. We never really touched the track, and it was always technical, especially trying to come out of 2. Everybody complains about something, but it's amazing to me that what (they’ve done) to smooth this place out and make it beautiful, but sometimes you just want things to be left alone.”What Ferrucci wouldn’t mind changing is the race schedule, specifically, adding a break between last Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 and the Detroit Grand Prix.“I hate that we do this,” Ferrucci said Friday. “This has got to be the most grueling thing on the calendar. I get racing five weeks in a row, it's fine, but we did an engine on Fast Friday (in Indianapolis), and they're there till 1 in the morning, and they're back there for the whole weekend. During the month of May, the one day off they get, or half day off they get is kind of Saturday before the race, before they're up at 3:30 a.m. running all night, then the race is done, cars go straight back, and they're working till 2 a.m. every night to turn cars around to come here all worn out. I mean, it's terrible. One weekend off, it's not going to kill the momentum. It's not going to hurt anything. The winner of the 500 would get to enjoy winning the 500, which is the greatest race in the world. So I stand on the fact that we should have a weekend off, I really do.”Kirkwood has no issue with being back on the track five days after the Indianapolis 500.“I like driving every single weekend. I think it's great,” Kirkwood said. “My off weekends, I like to do whatever I possibly can to stay driving. Maybe for the crew guys and whatnot (it’s a problem), and I think that's probably the thought process, but quite honestly, it shows people's weaknesses a little bit better. People that are more prepared, more prepped, have the idea of what they need to do, and are focused on the future, do better in these circumstances. So, I think it's a good thing.“And there's also the viewership side, where we come off a phenomenal Indy 500, maybe the best ever. The finish was incredible. People want to see IndyCar the next week, and they're gonna turn it on and be like, ‘Oh, I watched that last week, I'm gonna put IndyCar on again and see how this race goes.’ I think we need to keep racing, we need to have back-to back-to-back races. I think it's great for everything. Of course it's going to be hard on people, like any sport is, but that's why we train, that's why we do all the work in the off season.”Kirkwood also likes that the IndyCar series goes from the high-speed Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval to the grueling Detroit Grand Prix.“It shows the diversity of our sport going from the highest speed to one of the lowest speed circuits, and mixing it all up,” Kirkwood said. “It shouldn't be a bunch of street courses, a bunch of road courses — that would kind of look weird in a schedule, so I like that it's a different cadence.”Dixon said he doesn’t get the point of racing the weekend right after the Indianapolis 500.“I think they try to say that it keeps the momentum going,” Dixon said, “but I think the momentum is far better off in celebrating the champion of the 500.”Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin said he’s fine not having a break after the Indy 500."There’s a lot going on for sure for everyone," McLaughlin said. "It's been like this for a long time. It sucks for the teams in terms of it is tiring and whatnot, but I enjoy it. I think a lot of people do, and it really sets our sport apart.”achengelis@detroitnews.com@chengelisThis article originally appeared on The Detroit News: IndyCar drivers grapple with adjusting to Detroit Grand Prix course

Milwaukee vs. Auburn baseball box score: Live stats from NCAA Baseball Championship Game 1 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Auburn Tigers have a prime opportunity to advance on Friday afternoon with the Milwaukee Panthers coming to town. It's the fourth time in the last five seasons Auburn is hosting an NCAA regional.Milwaukee is winners of seven straight games, earning a Horizon League tournament championship. The Panthers to their fifth NCAA Tournament and first since 2010.First pitch in Auburn on Friday will happen at Noon ET on ESPN+. 2026 NCAA Baseball Championship 123456789RHEMilwaukee (25-31)42041010113160Auburn (38-19)000320201890Milwaukee vs. Auburn baseball box score: Live stats from NCAA Baseball ChampionshipMilwaukee PanthersBatterPOSABRHRBIBBSOAVGOBP8Grant Ross3B513111.292.45222Charlie MarionRF522411.312.3902Dylan O'ConnellCF512013.340.43627Dominic KiblerDH321110.318.46820Bradyn HornLF411301.314.3876John Hadley1B513102.277.3837Connor Bozak2B320013.244.31113Joey SpenceC523101.240.33729Christian HolmesSS311110.193.254Total381316126122B: Hadley 1 (6)Spence 2 (12)Holmes 1 (10)3B: Hadley 1 (2)H: Marion 1 (13)Horn 1 (5)RBI: Ross 1 (23)Marion 4 (58)Kibler 1 (60)Horn 3 (35)Hadley 1 (23)Spence 1 (34)Holmes 1 (18)PitcherPOSIPHRERBBSOBFERA18Gavin TheisP4.043302175.039Riley PetersonP4.255504217.3Total8.29880638Peterson 74 (51 strikes)Theis 68 (40 strikes)Auburn TigersBatterPOSABRHRBIBBSOAVGOBP17Mason McCraineRF411001.307.4118Eric Guevara3B411400.333.3993Chase FralickC411101.310.4122Chris Rembert2B411000.343.39919Bub TerrellLF411002.302.38118Ethin Bingaman1B411301.321.41214Cade BelyeuCF311000.225.34011Brandon McCraineSS400001.340.42025Taylor BelzaDH312000.235.35027Christian ChattertonP000000-0.0%Total34898062B: McCraine 1 (10)H: Guevara 1 (13)Fralick 1 (15)Bingaman 1 (12)RBI: Guevara 4 (53)Fralick 1 (46)Bingaman 3 (45)PitcherPOSIPHRERBBSOBFERA4Jake MarcianoP1.086602103.324Justice de JongP0.100001110.120Marcel KulikP2.01110174.89Jett JohnstonP1.21002385.313Ethan HardenP0.20112247.141LJ CormierP2.244402122.842Abe ChancellorP0.22110141.4Total9.016131361248de Jong 8 (5 strikes)Kulik 27 (15 strikes)Johnston 30 (19 strikes)Marciano 29 (21 strikes)Harden 19 (9 strikes)Cormier 33 (19 strikes)Chancellor 19 (9 strikes)How to watch: Milwaukee vs. Auburn 2026 NCAA Baseball Championship Game 1Date: Friday, May 29Time: Noon ETTV: ESPN+More NCAA NewsArkansas vs. Nebraska softball box score: Final stats from Women's College World Series gameDeion Sanders buyout, contract details as Colorado Buffaloes coachArkansas vs. Georgia box score: Final stats from 2026 SEC Baseball ChampionshipBill Belichick, Jordon Hudson at Kentucky Derby leaves everyone saying the same thingDemond Williams bombshell could have resulted in Lane Kiffin fired by LSU

Striker Katie Wilkinson is confident Rangers can bounce back from their final-day title disappointment to lift the Scottish Cup on Sunday. Leanne Crichton's side would have pipped Hearts - who lost 2-0 to Hibernian - to SWPL success had they beaten Glasgow City, but were thrashed 6-0.Now they are aiming to salvage silverware in Sunday's cup final showdown against Celtic at Hampden, but Wilkinson knows it will be difficult to get over last weekend."It's been tough, we're all hurting from that still," she told BBC Scotland. "There's no point lying about that but ultimately we've got a game on Sunday that means a lot to us. At some point we've had to draw a line past Sunday and put our full focus on trying to win the cup. "It's going to be sore probably going into next season, the manner in which it happened, but we've got an opportunity on Sunday where we can feel maybe a per cent better and bringing silverware back to this club is what we're here for. We'll do everything we can to make that happen. "As a group we've really come together this week, after a tough day on Sunday, and I think that'll put us in good stead ready for Sunday."Rangers have won all five meetings with rivals Celtic this season - four in the league and once in the League Cup."We feel good," Wilkinson added. "When the group comes together you feel strong, we've worked hard this week. For us the focus is solely on us. We'll go into Sunday and do everything we can. "It's a cup final, anything can happen, but we're ready. We want to win the cup and we'll do everything to make that happen."

Pakistan and Australia will contest a three-match ODI series this summer starting on Saturday, May 30 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.The remaining two fixtures take place at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on June 2 and June 4.WATCH: Pakistan vs. Australia ODI series LIVEThe series marks the first time Australia have visited Pakistan for a bilateral 50-over assignment since 2022; the home side came from behind to win 2-1 on that occasion.Here's everything you need to know about Pakistan vs. Australia, including TV channel and streaming options for the ODI series.Pakistan vs. Australia cricket live stream, TV channel in AustraliaHere's how to watch this match in the United States and Canada:TV Channel: Foxtel - Fox CricketLive Stream: Kayo Sports, FoxtelThe three-match ODI series between Pakistan and Australia is available for live TV broadcast on Fox Cricket in Australia. Streaming options are available on Kayo Sports.New users of Kayo can currently sign up for a $1 for the first month FREE. This dedicated streaming service offers affordable, contract-free plans starting at just $29.99 per month. Plus, it’s a paradise for sports fans, streaming plenty of live action, including cricket, AFL, F1, and much more.KayoStream Pakistan vs. Australia ODI series liveGet your first month for $1. New customers only.Join NowWhat time does Pakistan vs. Australia match start in AustraliaThis match takes place at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Pakistan and starts on Saturday, May 30 at 9:30pm (AEST)Here's how that time translates across Australia: DateStart time (ET)AESTSat, May 309:30pmACSTSat, May 309:00pmAWSTSat, May 307:30pm

Lazio Set for Financial Boost Thanks to Their Former FlopLazio are expected to collect a significant fee through the resale of Vedat Muriqi, who is expected to return to Turkish football.Vedat Muriqi Failed to Prove His Worth at LazioThe Biancocelesti bought the imposing striker from Fenerbahce in the summer of 2020 for €22 million. However, the Kosvar wasn’t able to break into the manager’s rotation, whether under Simone Inzaghi or Maurizio Sarri. In his 18 months in the Italian capital, he was a mere backup for Ciro Immobile, and only managed to score two goals and two assists in 49 appearances.In January 2022, Muriqi signed for Mallorca on loan, before sealing a permanent switch at the end of the season. The Aquile received a transfer fee of €8 million, while retaining a sell-on fee of 45% on a future resale.Muriqi Has Been Revitalized in SpainDuring his time in Spain, the centre-forward managed to reignite his playing career and find his clinical touch once more. This season, he finished second in LaLiga’s goalscoring charts with 23 goals, only two behind Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe.The 32-year-old effectively scored half of Mallorca’s league goals (47), but it wasn’t enough to salvage the club, which suffered a final-day relegation, as they finished 18th in the table.Mallorca Ready to Sell Muriqi for €20mAccording to Il Corriere dello Sport (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Mallorca’s relegation will most likely push Muriqi out of the Spanish club, and a return to Turkiye could be on the cards, with several suitors vying for his services. Los Bermellones have set their asking price at €20 million, but they have to settle for a lower figure.In any case, Lazio will be keeping a close eye on the situation, as any financial boost would be welcome amid their complicated financial situation, and might help them increase their transfer kitty.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene has been on the job all season, but the job has been rehabbing, so the work he's put in has largely been out of sight. Since mid-March surgery to address bone spurs in his throwing elbow, Greene's been in the months-long and ongoing process of building back up to game form. For the first time since the regular season started, the process this week brought Greene back to his locker in the Reds clubhouse at Great American Ball Park.Back in Cincinnati for the Reds' homestand against the Atlanta Braves (May 29-31) and the Kansas City Royals (June 1-3), Greene is donning team gear and throwing again. His first side bullpen session took place May 26 at the club's Player Development Complex in Goodyear, Arizona, and it will continue in the Queen City. Reds Braves bobblehead Spencer Steer The Reds' Spencer Steer bobblehead is nostalgia to the max. How to snag oneReds Braves May 30 television Reds vs. Braves to air on cable Saturday. How to watch the gameGreene was scheduled for a second bullpen Friday, May 29, and a third on Monday, June 1, and those appointments are his focus for the time being, he said. Greene said he was still on schedule for the previously-prescribed return, which could happen in mid-to-late July. At one point during his May 29 remarks, Greene also noted he felt he was ahead of schedule for at least part of his ongoing rehab. Greene described his initial bullpen session as great, adding: "As professionals, we're so used to pushing through discomfort and once the discomfort's gone, you're like 'this is what this is supposed to feel like,' so that's the situation." "There's a lot of different mental things and trying to stay sharp," Greene said. "Every time I've had to rehab, there's a different perspective that I get, and my situation is not nearly as daunting or bad as I feel compared to other guys. Other guys who aren't prospects or don't have a fast-track to the big leagues, or are just in a little bit of a different situation where they might not have a home to come to like I have right now, which is Cincinnati and being around my teammates, being around staff."Reds manager Terry Francona said he loved that Greene was doing as well as he was, adding he didn't feel it was necessary to set public expectations on when Greene might return. "As far as the schedule goes, we're gonna do what's right by him," Francona said. "When he's ready, we will certainly welcome him back, but by me saying, 'hey, we can cut it by two weeks,' that's not gonna help anything." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds ace Hunter Greene is back in Cincinnati and throwing again

The Philadelphia 76ers have reportedly found their new president of basketbal operations. The team has agreed to a deal with Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Mike Gansey, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.Gansey will replace Daryl Morey, who was fired by the 76ers earlier this month.This story will be updated.

The PGA Tour heads to the Buckeye State next week for its seventh of eight signature events on the 2026 schedule.The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday begins Thursday, June 4, at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, as many of the PGA Tour's biggest stars compete for a $4 million check, 700 FedEx Cup points and of course, a handshake from the legendary tournament host, Jack Nicklaus.World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is back to defend his title as he looks to make it three wins in a row at Jack's Place, and others joining him in the field include Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth and more. One big name not there is Viktor Hovland, who withdrew on Friday, just ahead of the entry deadline.Keep scrolling to see the full list of players set to tee it up at the 2026 Memorial Tournament. 2026 Memorial Tournament fieldLudvig AbergZach BauchouDaniel BergerAkshay BhatiaKeegan BradleyJacob BridgemanSam BurnsBrian CampbellPatrick CantlayBud CauleyWyndham ClarkCorey ConnersJason DayNico EchavarriaHarris EnglishTony FinauAlex FitzpatrickMatt FitzpatrickTommy FleetwoodRickie FowlerRyan FoxRyan GerardLucas GloverChris GotterupBen GriffinHarry HallBrian HarmanRussell HenleyRyo HisatsuneTom HogeNicolai HojgaardBilly HorschelMark HubbardSungjae ImMichael KimSi Woo KimKurt KitayamaJake KnappMin Woo LeeShane LowryRobert MacIntyreHideki MatsuyamaDenny McCarthyMatt McCartyRory McIlroyMaverick McNealyAlex NorenAndrew NovakTaylor PendrithJ.T. PostonAaron RaiKristoffer ReitanPatrick RodgersJustin RoseXander SchauffeleScottie SchefflerAdam ScottAlex SmalleyBrandt SnedekerJ.J. SpaunJordan SpiethSam StevensSepp StrakaJackson SuberNick TaylorSahith TheegalaJustin ThomasJhonattan VegasGary WoodlandSudarshan YellamarajuCameron YoungThis article originally appeared on Golfweek: Who's playing in the 2026 Memorial Tournament? See the full field

The Baltimore Ravens and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield announced they are now accepting applications for the 2026 “Huddle Up for Health” grant program, which will award up to $50,000 to a Maryland nonprofit organization focused on mental health support and community wellness initiatives.Now entering its fourth year, the initiative continues the longstanding partnership between the Ravens and CareFirst while expanding efforts focused on behavioral health awareness, health equity, and community wellness throughout Maryland. According to the announcement, the selected nonprofit organization will not only focus on behavioral health support but also address broader social, economic, and environmental factors that impact overall community health.Ravens' director of community relations, Kelly Tallant, emphasized the importance of continuing to support organizations working directly within the mental health space.“The Baltimore Ravens remain deeply committed to supporting behavioral health at the community level. By confronting mental health challenges directly, the Ravens and CareFirst are helping to build a healthier, more compassionate future.”Previous recipients of the grant program include Nexus-Woodbourne Family Healing, Roberta’s House and Young Successful Leaders Incorporated, all of which received funding to help support youth recovery, grief counseling and trauma-focused programming.CareFirst Chief Marketing Officer Mack McGee said the partnership continues to focus on improving awareness and access to behavioral health resources across Maryland communities.Applications for the 2026 Huddle Up for Health grant program are open through Friday, June 26, 2026. The selected nonprofit organization will also be recognized during an upcoming Ravens home game.More information about the program and Ravens community initiatives is available on the Baltimore Ravens Community Page.This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens and CareFirst offer a $50,000 grant for health

Trump administration officials want local health authorities to constantly monitor the 18 passengers for another three weeks, a requirement that far exceeds typical protocols.

NICE, France (AP) — Nice stayed in Ligue 1 after beating Saint-Etienne 4-1 in the second leg of their promotion-relegation playoff on Friday.All of the goals came in the second half with striker Elye Wahi sealing the victory with two late goals. French Cup runner-up Nice finished 16th in Ligue 1 and Saint-Etienne placed third in Ligue 2.The first leg finished 0-0 on Tuesday and the return leg was played behind closed doors after crowd trouble marred Nice's final league game.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Members and coaches of the 2025-26 golf team pose for a team shot during BYU photo day on Sept. 2, 2025. | Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo A day after playing by themselves and thriving at the NCAA Men’s Golf National Championships, the No. 18 seed BYU Cougars struggled Friday and have some ground to make up if they hope to make the 15-team cut after 54 holes.In what was the official first round of the stroke-play qualifying portion of the tournament on Friday, BYU posted an 8-over 296 at La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.Thursday, while playing alone to avoid playing on Sunday when the other 29 teams in the field will play their third rounds, BYU shot a 1-under 287 and seemed to have a good handle on the treacherous par-72 North Course.However, only freshman Kihei Akina and senior Simon Kwon played well Friday, as Akina posted a 3-under 69 to go with the 1-under 71 he shot Thursday and Kwon matched par (72) with four birdies and four bogeys. Akina, ranked No. 8 in the country, posted one of the day’s best rounds.Fellow BYU freshman Parker Bunn, from South Ogden, was not as fortunate. Bunn got off to a shaky start with a bogey on the par-5 10th (BYU started on the No. 10 tee) and made only two birdies. He carded a 7 on the par-5 sixth hole. BYU junior Peter Kim, who, like Kwon and Tyson Shelley is a product of Salt Lake City’s Skyline High, shot a 6-over 78 on Friday but the Cougars had to count it because Shelley posted a 79.The Cougars had morning tee times Friday; Saturday, they will have afternoon tee times and begin on the No. 1 tee.Officially, BYU’s 287 score from Thursday will be inserted into the team leaderboard after the other teams complete their rounds on Sunday. The tee boxes and pin placements on Sunday will be exactly like they were on Thursday when the Cougars played alone.The top 15 teams when Sunday’s third round is finished will make the cut and play a fourth round Monday. The top eight teams after Monday’s round will make the match-play portion of the tournament.BYU tied for 13th last year and has never made the match play part of the championships since the format was instituted in 2009.The field also includes two other Utah prep golf products — Corner Canyon’s Bowen Mauss and Boston Bracken of Crimson Cliffs in St. George. Both freshmen play for No. 13 seed Arizona State. Kihei Akina lines up his putt on the 17th green during the final round of the 2025 Utah Open at Riverside Country Club in Provo on Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 27, 2026: Nate Furman #90 of the San Francisco Giants warms up during the sixth inning of a spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Scottsdale Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images Thursday was an off day for the San Francisco Giants, but not for their Minor League Baseball affiliates. All five of the teams who are in season played on Thursday (the Dominican Summer League doesn’t begin until Monday), and there were some exciting performances to talk about.So let’s talk about them!Link to the 2026 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.AAA Sacramento (32-20)Sacramento River Cats beat the Reno Aces (Diamondbacks) 7-2Box scoreThere seems to be a sentiment that Luis Arráez’s days as a Giant are limited. It seems unlikely that San Francisco will re-sign him next year, which means that if the team remains uncompetitive come July, Arráez will be on the trading block, opening up time for Casey Schmitt to be the team’s second baseman. But what about Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL)?Furman fits the Arráez mold, with preternatural contact skills, limited power, and bad second base defense, which apparently means he’s only two months with Ron Washington away from being a Gold Glove candidate. The Giants signaled how high they are on the 24-year old lefty, who was part of the Alex Cobb trade, when they gave him an invite to Spring Training and then assigned him to Sacramento despite just 21 career games in AA.He’s rewarded that confidence, and Thursday was perhaps his best day yet, as the 2022 4th-round pick hit 3-5 with a 2-run home run and a double. That’s a damn good day! FURMAN HR 🚨Nate Furman makes it a 7-2 ballgame! pic.twitter.com/vfbcaGg4ZD— Sacramento River Cats (@RiverCats) May 29, 2026Furman’s numbers are more good than great, as he has a .772 OPS and a 112 wRC+ with 6 stolen bases, but it’s been an exciting AAA debut, especially when you account for his inexperience entering the level (not only did he have just 21 games in AA before this year, but he had fewer than 200 total games played in his career due to injuries). He’s walking more than he’s striking out, and his K rate (12.8%) ranks 11th out of 71 qualified hitters in the Pacific Coast League. His Statcast page is hilariously Arráezean … massively blue bars when it comes to exit velocities, paired with extremely red bars for contact categories. If Arráez is traded in July, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Furman get a chance at second base, so the Giants can see if the youngster can replicate Arráez’s success and be the second baseman in 2027 (assuming there’s a season). He’s obviously not going to push Schmitt off the position, but the Giants aren’t tied to Schmitt being the everyday second baseman so much as just an everyday hitter somewhere. If I had to make a list of potential second base starters come next Opening Day, Schmitt would be at the top by a mile … but Furman would be the only other name on the list. First baseman Jake Holton also had a standout day, as the Minor League veteran went 2-5 with both a homer and a double, while also striking out twice. THE INCREDIBLE HOLT 💪Jake Holton's tank dead-center gives us the lead! pic.twitter.com/Z7LyeZtedK— Sacramento River Cats (@RiverCats) May 29, 2026After a slowish start, the 28-year old righty is starting to find his AAA rhythm, and is up to a .783 OPS and a 111 wRC+. He’s more emergency depth in the Trenton Brooks mold than anything else, but it’s nice to see him getting a shot at the highest Minor League level, after playing more than 300 games in AA for the Tigers (and hitting quite nicely, I might add). He’s playing well in AAA, which means he’s only ever one move or one injury away from getting a taste of the bigs.Another strong day for designated hitter Drew Cavanaugh (No. 19 CPL), who went 2-4 with a walk and a strikeout. The 24-year old catcher continues to dominate following a recent promotion, and is now 20-46 with 11 extra-base hits, 5 walks, just 8 strikeouts, and 3 stolen bases with Sacramento. They might have traded away their homegrown Gold Glover, but the Giants sure continue to have some intriguing and exciting options behind the dish! And speaking of recently-promoted prospects, nice to see a bounce-back day for left fielder Scott Bandura, who responded to Wednesday’s 0-5, 5-strikeout performance by hitting 2-5 with a double and a stolen base on Thursday, albeit with 2 strikeouts. He’s still finding his footing at the level — the 2023 7th-rounder is 8-35 with 12 strikeouts — but he’s certainly shown some flashes.Bandura gets us on the board with an RBI single! 🫡 pic.twitter.com/nWBK97Eofp— Sacramento River Cats (@RiverCats) May 29, 2026A decent start on the mound for RHP Carson Seymour, who threw 53 of 78 pitches for strikes while giving up just 1 run in 5 innings. Seymour, who allowed 5 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 4, hasn’t been sharp with the walks lately, but he has been doing a much better job suppressing runs. Following a 5-game stretch in which he allowed 19 earned runs in just 22.1 innings, Seymour has only ceded 3 runs in 16 innings over his last 3 starts, albeit with 7 walks against just 15 strikeouts. It hasn’t been the best season for him — he has a 4.04 ERA and a 4.62 FIP, with just 7.7 strikeouts per 9 innings — but hopefully he can keep this good streak running and get back to the Majors. A good bullpen showing, which featured a scoreless inning by RHP Ryan Walker, who allowed 1 hit. Walker has made 4 appearances for Sacramento since getting optioned, and has kept runs off the board in 3 of them. LHP Reiver Sanmartin made his 4th rehab appearance and struggled a bit, giving up 2 hits (including a double) and a run in an inning of work, with 1 strikeout. Sanmartin is on the 60-Day IL, so the Giants will need to make a roster move when he finishes his rehab … but that roster move doesn’t need to be at the Major League level (where they currently have 4 lefty relievers), as Sanmartin does have options remaining. RHP Wilkin Ramos also allowed 2 hits in an inning of work, but didn’t give up any runs and struck out 2, lowering his ERA to 2.00 (his FIP is lagging behind, at 4.02). Ramos gave up runs in each of his 1st 3 games this year, but since then has given up just 2 earned runs in 14 outings. AA Richmond (33-14)Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Akron RubberDucks (Guardians) 5-4Box scoreYet another strong game for right fielder Jonah Cox, who has officially graduated from “hot start” to “leveled up.” It’s been nearly 50 games and 200 plate appearances for the new-look Cox, whose swing has undergone changes that have resulted in dramatic improvements in both the stat sheet and the underlying metrics.He was back to his old tricks on Thursday, though, as he hit 3-5 with a pair of infield singles and a stolen base, while also knocking a double. Cox has, stunningly, hit safely in 40 out of 43 games this season, which includes 16 multi-hit games. A year after posting a .731 OPS, a 103 wRC+, a 22.4% strikeout rate, and a 12.0% swinging strike rate in High-A, he has a 1.130 OPS, a 196 wRC+, a 16.9% strikeout rate, and a 10.3% swinging strike rate in AA. He’s even stealing more bases, with 27 in 43 games, after an organization-leading 58 in 126 games a year ago (easier to steal bases when you’re getting on base seemingly every at-bat!). Just a phenomenal year, and the A’s 2023 6th-rounder is quickly becoming one of the top prospects in the system.Third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) hit 2-5 with a double, while second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL) went 2-3 with a sacrifice fly. Harber is up to a .948 OPS and a 148 wRC+ in his injury-shortened season, with 18 extra-base hits in 28 games, while the 22-year old Velasquez has a .758 OPS and a 107 wRC+ in his 3rd pass through Richmond.Harber finds some green to double the lead 👏 pic.twitter.com/j9Z16LelKf— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) May 29, 2026A fairly nondescript game on the mound. 24-year old LHP Cesar Perdomo had a so-so game, with 6 hits, 1 walk, and 2 runs allowed in 4 innings. Those numbers aren’t great, though Perdomo did strike out 5 batters. In all, it’s been an encouraging year for Perdomo, who has bumped his strikeouts from 8.3 per 9 innings last year (in High-A), to 10.2 this season. Not surprisingly, the increase of strikeouts has come hand in hand with a decrease in hits … last year with Eugene, Perdomo pitched 127.1 innings, and allowed 120 hits, including 13 home runs. This year, in 40.2 innings, Perdomo has only given up 33 hits, and just 1 home run. All of that has led to a 3.02 FIP, which ranks 4th among the 47 Eastern League pitchers with at least 30 innings thrown this year … though, in a testament to Richmond’s excellent season, ranking 4th in the league still results in ranking just 3rd on his own team, as the top of the list is anchored by LHPs Joe Whitman (No. 26) and Matt Wilkinson.The one stain on Perdomo’s resume this year has been the walks, which have bumped up a little, from 2.7 per 9 last season to 3.5 this year. That, plus some unfortunate sequencing, has given him a 4.43 ERA despite all the good stuff.Richmond’s rotation his been awesome this year, but their bullpen has struggled, so nice to see shutout performances from RHPs Manuel Mercedes and Brad Deppermann, and LHP Dale Stanavich, all who have ERAs that were happy to see scoreless games. Unfortunately the same could not be said for RHP Mitch White, who allowed 4 baserunners and 2 runs in an inning of work as his difficult season continues. High-A Eugene (36-12)Eugene Emeralds beat the Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays) 5-2Box scoreThe highly-touted top of Eugene’s lineup has struggled lately, but that wasn’t the case on Thursday, as the trio all had strong games. Hitting in their usual lineup construction, the threesome was led off by right fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL), who hit 2-5 but was caught stealing. Then it was center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL), who went 2-4 with a walk and a strikeout, followed by shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL), who hit 2-4 with a double and a walk. And just like that, the trio combined for 6 of the team’s 10 hits, 2 of their 3 walks, and 3 of their 5 runs batted in. The future is bright!Trevor Cohen, Dakota Jordan and Gavin Kilen each had two hits to lead the Emeralds offense past Vancouver on Thursday to improve their record to 36-12 (.750 winning percentage), the best record of all full-season minor league teams. Jacob Bresnahan fanned 5 over his five… pic.twitter.com/a36JRO6XI3— SFGProspects (@SFGProspects) May 29, 2026All 3 of those players have shown good things this year, but also with some question marks and red flags. Cohen, last year’s 3rd-round pick, has a .732 OPS and a 108 wRC+, though he hasn’t shown much power (.098 ISO) and his vaunted contact skills have done a better job suppressing strikeouts than accumulating hits (.264 average). Jordan, the team’s overslot 4th-round signing in 2024, has a .789 OPS and a 115 wRC+, but his 30.6% strikeout rate and 16.9% swinging strike rate are 13th and 8th-highest, respectively, out of the 58 Northwest League hitters with at least 100 plate appearances this season. Kilen has had the best line, with an .811 OPS and a 121 wRC+, but he’s had a fair share of slumps and hasn’t lit the league on fire quite as dramatically as some might have hoped given that he was the 13th overall pick out of the SEC. Those were the offensive stars, though third baseman Walker Martin also had a multi-hit game, as he went 2-4. Martin has really been struggling lately, and this was his 1st multi-hit game since May 12, so good to see him tally a few knocks.One of the team’s top prospects took the mound, as LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL) made his 6th start of the year, following a delayed season due to injury. It wasn’t the sharpest we’ve seen Bresnahan who, along with Furman, constituted the delightful haul the Giants got for trading Alex Cobb to Cleveland a few years back. But it certainly wasn’t a bad game, as he limited the Canadians to 5 hits, 2 walks, and 1 run in 5 innings. Bresnahan did an excellent job finding the strike zone, as he threw 52 of 77 pitches for strikes, and ended the day with 5 punchouts.There’s a lot of work to be done in order for Bresnahan to take home Pitcher of the Year honors for the 3rd consecutive season. Right now he has a 3.47 ERA and a 4.83 FIP, and is walking 5.0 batters per 9 innings (though he’s also striking out 10.4). The biggest change year over year, though, has just been that he’s been more hittable: with Low-A San Jose in 2025, Bresnahan allowed just 67 hits and 2 home runs in 93 innings. This year he’s ceded 20 hits and 3 home runs in 23.1 frames. Still, he’s a month away from being able to legally drink, and some rust is expected for anyone who has a delayed start to the season. It hasn’t been a breakout year, but it certainly isn’t a disappointing season, either.RHP Liam Simon wasn’t at his best, but had another scoreless showing, as he threw 2 shutout innings with 3 hits, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts, while throwing 18 of 27 pitches for strikes. It seems that Simon’s dramatic struggles with finding the strike zone post-Tommy John are finally behind him, and now we’re starting to see just how talented the 2022 5th-rounder is. Over an 11-game stretch spanning the end of last year and the start of this year, Simon threw 9.1 innings and walked 22 batters. In 9 games since? Just 6 walks in 14 innings, and he has a 10-game scoreless streak going. Low-A San Jose (26-22)San Jose Giants beat the Fresno Grizzlies (Rockies) 1-0Box scoreThe pitching in this game was quite a mixed bag. That’s not something you expect to say with a shutout, but I don’t know what else to call it. The performances were great, but concerning, as RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 13 CPL) exited the game with the trainers in the middle of an at-bat. According to Roger Munter, it appeared that Cayama was gesturing to his back or oblique, rather than his elbow or shoulder, and that’s obviously a good thing. Relatively speaking, of course … one of the team’s top prospects leaving in the middle of an at-bat is, it goes without saying, not a good thing at all.Cayama put up some zeros before the discomfort, but he wasn’t at his sharpest, as he didn’t strike out any batters in his 3 scoreless frames, while allowing 3 hits and a walk. Even with that unconventional 0-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (something you rarely ever see from a starter), Cayama’s numbers on that front remain exceptional: the 19-year old has 45 strikeouts against just 8 walks in only 36 innings this season. 32 hits and 4 home runs, however, have given him an ERA (4.50) and FIP (4.40) that don’t really reflect the quality of his pitches.The star on the mound was the piggybacker, who jumped in to save the day, as RHP Ben Bybee pitched 4 utterly dominant innings, giving up just 1 baserunner (a double) while striking out 5. It hasn’t been the smoothest transition to the pros for last year’s 8th-round pick, but games like this one (which featured 39 of 51 pitches going for strikes) show how much potential the 22-year old Arkansas product has. He only has a 3.63 ERA and a 4.04 FIP, but he does have 19 strikeouts to just 5 walks in 17.1 innings.Capping off the pitching performance was RHP Mauricio Estrella, who struck out 4 batters in 2 scoreless innings, with 1 hit allowed. In keeping with the theme, Estrella’s strikeout and walk numbers stand out more than his actual run suppression … his ERA is a fine 3.00 and his FIP a mediocre 4.03, but he has 33 strikeouts and just 6 walks in 27 innings … including 11 strikeouts against 2 walks in 8 shutout innings over his last 4 appearances.The offense did only just enough to secure a win for the great pitching, with the Baby Giants mustering just 4 hits, 0 extra-base hits, and 4 walks on the day. A pair of hitters reached base twice: center fielder Damian Bravo, who hit 1-3 with a walk, and third baseman Dario Reynoso, who went 0-2 with a strikeout, but drew 2 walks and stole his 6th base of the year. Bravo, a right-handed hitting 22-year old taken in the 15th round last year out of Texas Tech, has an .817 OPS and a 100 wRC+; Reynoso, a right-handed hitting 21-year old from the Dominican Republic, has a .961 OPS and a 143 wRC+, and also made a tremendous defensive play to end the game.ATTENTION @SportsCenter ‼️Catch from Dario Reynoso to end last night's game! pic.twitter.com/PgUgO1ec6s— San Jose Giants (@SJGiants) May 29, 2026Arizona Complex League (9-10)ACL Giants lost to the ACL Rangers 12-6Box scoreFirst things first: let’s cover some logistical stuff. During yesterday’s roundup, I noted that the transaction page had High-A Eugene outfielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) reassigned to the Complex League, which made no sense to me. Thankfully, Roger Munter, per the usual, has the information: it appears that the Cuban Diaz was, as is sadly not uncommon, unable to cross the border to Canadian soil with Eugene, so he’s staying fresh in Arizona instead, where he played in center field in this game, and hit 0-3 with a walk.Now to the more exciting stuff: another superstar showing from shortstop Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL). The 17-year old sensation did it again on Thursday, hitting 2-5 with both a home run and a double. Through 19 games, Hernández is hitting 25-75 with 5 home runs, 2 triples, 8 doubles, 8 walks, and just 13 strikeouts. All while playing a fluid shortstop (and third base), and stealing 3 bases in as many attempts. Have I mentioned that he’ll be wrapping Christmas presents when he celebrates his 18th birthday? And not because he plans many months in advance? Hernández is 1 of just 6 17-year olds who has at least 50 plate appearances in the Complex Leagues this year, and 3 of those other 5 are getting their butts kicked. The only 2 who are performing well spent last year in the Dominican Summer League, which Hernández, who signed in January, did not. Although, funnily enough, 1 of those 2 is Miguel Caraballo, the former Giants prospect who was traded to the Twins in December to facilitate the Giants getting Daniel Susac … he’s rocking an .871 OPS and a 122 wRC+ in his stateside debut. Back to Hernández, though. Despite his age and position, he is putting up staggering numbers. There are 166 Complex League hitters with at least 50 plate appearances, and he ranks 24th in average (.333), 66th in on-base percentage (.400), 5th in slugging percentage (.693), 4th in ISO (.360), 10th in OPS (1.093), and 19th in wRC+ (193). Truly an absurd season.Unfortunately, the same can only partially be said for his running mate, as Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) has not played since May 23 after suffering what we all hope is a minor injury. González, like Hernández, has been lighting the ACL on fire when he’s on the field … we just need to get him back on the field!Right fielder Evan Estevez only hit 1-4 with a strikeout, but he smashed a solo home run. The 18-year old right-handed hitter is in his debut stateside season after 2 years in the DSL, and right now the power and walks are the only things that are really playing. He has just a .204 average and a 33.8% strikeout rate (which has led to a .713 OPS and an 82 wRC+), but he has 3 home runs in just 77 plate appearances, and a 15.6% walk rate.It was a struggle on the mound for the ACL Giants, namely for their most notable pitching prospect, LHP Carlos De La Rosa (No. 30 CPL). De La Rosa, an 18-year old who came to the Giants in last year’s Camilo Doval trade, faced 7 batters and retired just 1 of them (by strikes, though). The other 6? 2 doubles, 2 singles, and 2 walks, planting 5 runs in just 0.1 innings on De La Rosa’s ledger.The starter struggled as well, as RHP Hunter Mensik allowed 6 hits (including a home run and a double), 2 walks, and 4 runs in 4 innings, though he did strike out 5 batters. Mensik was the team’s 17th-round pick last year, but was picked out of high school so he’s only 18. He’s shown his stuff can play at this level — he has 17 strikeouts in as many innings — but has struggled with hits, walks, and runs. Home run tracker5 — Jake Holton — [AAA]5 — Luis Hernández — [ACL]4 — Nate Furman — [AAA]3 — Evan Estevez — [ACL]Friday scheduleSacramento: 6:35 p.m. PT at Reno (SP: TBD)Richmond: 4:17 p.m. PT at Akron (SP: Greg Farone)Eugene: 1:05 p.m. PT at Vancouver (SP: Charlie McDaniel)San Jose: 7:05 p.m. PT at Fresno (SP: TBD)Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — You could make the case that, given where he stands alphabetically in the U.S. player pool, Alex Zendejas was almost certain to receive the No. 26 uniform on a 26-man World Cup squad.You could also reasonably conclude the number reflected his very much uncertain status in the weeks leading to Mauricio Pochettino’s roster announcement Tuesday in New York.As teammate Cristian Roldan said, “We joked around about his number because we were probably one of the later guys on the roster.”Truth is, there wasn’t much rhyme or reason to Zendejas’ 26. (Or Roldan’s 15.) And the 28-year-old winger — and only U.S. World Cup player employed by a Mexican club — was by no means someone chosen just to sit on the end of the bench.Coming off another standout season for Liga MX’s Club América, Zendejas brandished strong credentials as Pochettino and his staff weighed roster decisions ahead of this summer’s soccer festival across North America.There were doubts, however, about Zendejas making the cut. Since scoring a terrific goal against Japan in September, he withdrew from October camp with a knee injury, missed the November assembly and wasn’t summoned for the last camp, in March.It felt increasingly unlikely he’d make the cut.“I've always said it depends what you do at club level,” Zendejas said Friday. “I tried to do my best, and thankfully the call came in.”USMNT winger Alejandro Zendejas poses with his jersey during the United States World Cup roster reveal on May 26, 2026 in New York City.Ira L. Black/USSF via Getty ImagesHe was in San Antonio with his girlfriend and family when the message to all 26 chosen players arrived last Friday.“It's hard to make my dad cry,” he said of his father, Alfredo. “My mom, she's very sensitive, like me, but whenever my dad cries, that's how you know it’s serious. When he hugged me, I could feel shaking in his voice. He started tearing up, and that makes me tear up.”Until that moment, Zendejas had done a lot of waiting and wondering. Since América’s season had ended 12 days earlier with a quarterfinal defeat, he had bided his time by training on his own and attempting to remain match fit in case the call came.When it did, he celebrated with family before packing his bags for the roster celebration in lower Manhattan.“Super exciting week for me and my family — all these sacrifices ever since I was little, finally paying off,” he said. “They've always paid off [as a player], but it's just like another cherry on top, man. Super grateful to be here.”Zendejas is an X factor in Pochettino’s plans — a small, elusive and technical winger with the ability to keep opponents off-balance.Pochettino called him a “very interesting player tactically” because “he can play on the wings or in the midfield pockets [and] offers a number of possibilities.”Zendejas also brings productivity: 48 goals and 29 assists in 162 Liga MX matches since joining América five years ago. He is regarded as one of the league’s most impactful players.“He has something that's different, that's unique — his technical ability, his final product,” Roldan said. “We see that out in training every time we're with him — and he was killing it.”Problem was, he was also battling injuries. He missed all four club matches in January and four more between Feb. 12 and March 1. As he worked his way back, Pochettino left him off the March roster for the friendlies against Belgium and Portugal.“Credit to him for probably having a little bit of doubt in his mind but playing well and continuing to play well,” Roldan said.From Cuidad Juárez to the USMNT World Cup squadZendejas’ story began on both sides of the Rio Grande. Born in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, the family moved across the border to El Paso before he turned 1.“At home, I always spoke Spanish,” he said in English. “I love the Mexican culture, their food, their history, especially me living down there [now]. … I love both sides and the way it shaped me. I love it because I grew up doing both things at the same time. So I don't prefer one or the other. I'm just grateful to have both citizenship.”In soccer, he also straddled both countries. He came through the FC Dallas academy system and, at age 15, joined the U.S. Soccer residency program in Bradenton, Florida.Richie Williams, the U.S. under-17 national team coach at the time, admired not just Zendejas’ skill set but his off-field work ethic.“He was always around, helping move equipment and picking up balls,” Williams said. “Great kid on top of being a great player.”Like the 5-foot-6 Zendejas, Williams, a former MLS defensive midfielder, is small. So the 5-5 ex-MLS defensive midfielder could relate to the teenager using his strength to ward off challenges from bigger players.“Small guys still need to have agility and strength,” Williams said. “That’s what I remember: He wasn’t getting knocked off the ball.”Zendejas made the 2015 FIFA Under-17 World Cup squad in Chile, playing alongside current teammates Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Haji Wright and Auston Trusty.Despite Zendejas’ U.S. experiences, Mexico remained part of his soccer life. After launching his career with an FC Dallas homegrown contract, he moved to Chivas, the famed Mexican club in Guadalajara, then to Necaxa.Soon, the Mexican national team program took notice. (As a dual national, he was eligible for both countries.) In 2021-22, he made two appearances for Mexico’s senior squad.However, he was tied to the U.S. program because he had played in official competition. Without requesting a one-time switch, he was ineligible to play in those Mexican friendlies. FIFA declared them forfeits and fined the Mexican federation.Mexico’s pursuit continued, but Zendejas had made up his mind to remain with the U.S. program. He became the second Mexican-born player to play for the U.S. national team after Martín Vázquez in the 1990s. He’s also the first Liga MX player on a U.S. World Cup squad since Herculez Gomez and José Francisco Torres in 2010.In Mexico, Zendejas has dealt with the fallout of staying with the U.S.“It’s just how you manage it,” he said.He made seven of his 13 U.S. appearances in 2023 alone, scoring against Grenada in a Concacaf Nations League match. The following year, in Pochettino’s second game in charge, he played the second half of a friendly against Mexico in Guadalajara.Zendejas’ goal against Japan last fall in Columbus, Ohio, was a beauty: a 12-yard side volley in the first half of a 2-0 victory. Pochettino invited him back a month later, but a knee injury forced him to leave camp.“When you're injured, you're going through hard times … having my family, those friends, for sure helped me,” he said.The March camp came and went without him. His América campaign, though, got back on track with four goals and three assists the final month, including two goals and an assist in the playoff finale against Pumas.Pochettino took note. Zendejas’ eight-month absence from the U.S. scene ended Tuesday in New York with his introduction onto an outdoor stage — as that last player, No. 26.“I'm here,” he said, “and I'm happy.”

Tyler Nickel established himself as one of the top 3-point shooters across Division I, and the Vanderbilt senior is confident that trait will carry over into the NBA.Nickel averaged 13.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 40% from 3-point range in 36 games. He scored in double figures in 26 games, including a career-high 30-point performance on Dec. 13 in a win over Central ArkansasThe 6-foot-7 forward ranked 18th among all players in the country in 3-pointers, with 110, which ranked third all-time in a single season in program history. He was one of 15 players to knock down eight or more 3s in multiple games (2)."My biggest weapon is my long range, coming off screens, spacing the floor (and) things of that nature," Nickel said this week after working out with the Golden State Warriors. "Another thing that I think I can bring to a winning team is energy, intensity, toughness, that competitive and that fire mentality like I've always had my whole life."Nickel was among the prospects who competed in the draft combine earlier this month, averaging nine points and 3.5 rebounds in two scrimmage games. He also went 18-for-25 in the 3-point star drill, tied for the second-most makes among all participants.The 22-year-old Nickel projects as a strong fit for many teams at the next level because of the attention he draws from beyond the arc. He moves very well off the ball and is constantly moving and cutting, creating space for his teammates.Nickel, who said he has worked out with four teams and has 10-11 more scheduled, is considered a possible second-round pick this year. He is eager to prove himself in front of teams and believes he is ready to contribute at the next level."I think my skill and ability on the court are what make me an NBA player," Nickel said. "I think what every player at this level needs to have is an insane level of confidence, to the point of almost delusion. People have said that about me my entire life. They never thought I'd be a high-major basketball player, and hard work and belief in myself to the point of almost insanity got me there. From then on, just being consistent and being better every year, it has been the same thing."This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Tyler Nickel: Vanderbilt senior reveals 'biggest weapon' as a prospect

Her remarks, delivered during a closed-door interview before the House Oversight Committee, were a candid admission of her own powerlessness.

Nick Saban has been invited to testify as a witness at Wednesday’s hearing on the bipartisan Senate bill related to college sports, Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported. The bill was introduced by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) earlier this week and the witness list has not yet been finalized.This story will be updated.