Brazil national team hears talk on refereeing changes for World CupBrazil National Team attended a lecture on refereeing changes for the World CupCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBFPlayers and members of the Brazil National Team coaching staff attended a lecture on Friday night (29) at Granja Comary, in Teresópolis (RJ), about the refereeing changes for the World Cup. For the first time, the new resolutions of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body that determines the rules of football, will be implemented starting at a World Cup.The meeting was led by CBF Refereeing Commission president Rodrigo Cintra, who explained the changes to protocols involving VAR, goal kicks, throw-ins and substitutions, among other situations. FIFA’s goal is to maximize effective playing time over the 90 minutes.“This was the first time we had the opportunity to speak directly with the Brazil National Team players about the changes for the 2026/27 season, which for the first time will take place at a World Cup. I noticed tremendous interest from the players in fully understanding the details of these changes and the impacts they may have in a football match,” said Rodrigo Cintra.“It is worth remembering that we emphasized to the players that referees will not take the field looking for mistakes or randomly counting seconds. These rule changes are intended to bring more fairness and increase effective playing time,” he added.CBF Refereeing Commission president Rodrigo Cintra detailed the rule changes that will be implemented starting with the World CupCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBFThese new rules will already be applied in Brazil’s friendly against Panama on Sunday (31), at 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time), at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro. The refereeing team will be German, with Daniel Schlager as the main referee, Sven Washitzki-Günther and Rafael Foltyn as assistant referees, and Florian Badstübner as fourth official. Pascoal Müller and Robert Schröder will be on VAR.In addition to Cintra, the meeting was also attended by CBF refereeing director Netto Góes, Refereeing Commission vice-president Marcelo Van Gasse, and Davi Feques, manager of the CBF Academy.See the changes:VARWith the aim of reviewing clear and obvious errors, VAR will review red cards resulting from a clearly incorrect second yellow card. It may also correct the on-field referee if the referee has mistaken the identity of the player who committed a foul and unfairly issued a yellow or red card.VAR only changes who receives the card. It cannot review whether the foul occurred or not, except in penalty and goal situations.VAR will also correct corners or goal kicks awarded incorrectly. This correction must take place before play restarts.Brazil National Team attended a lecture on refereeing changes for the World CupCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBFSubstitutionsFrom the moment the fourth official raises the board to indicate a substitution, the player being replaced has up to ten seconds to leave the field at the nearest point. In the final five seconds, the on-field referee will begin a visual countdown.If the player being replaced takes longer than ten seconds, the substitute must wait one minute after the next stoppage.InjuriesWhen an outfield player appears to be injured, the on-field referee will authorize the medical team to enter the field and assess the player, not treat them. Treatment must take place off the field, and the player must remain out of the game for one minute of running time after play resumes and only with the on-field referee’s authorization.The exceptions to the one-minute rule apply to the following situations: goalkeeper injuries; serious collisions between players on the same team; concussions, heart problems and serious head injuries; when the injured player is the one taking a penalty. They also apply in situations where the player who suffers the foul is injured and the offending player is punished with a yellow or red card, provided the treatment is quick.Goal kicks and throw-insFor goal kicks and throw-ins, players will have a maximum of five seconds to put the ball back into play.This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MAY 21: Luis Severino #40 of the Athletics pitches against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 21, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Athletics had a much-needed day off yesterday to reset and, hopefully, figure out how to play better at home. The team opened its latest homestand by being swept in three games by the Seattle Mariners, who knocked the A’s out of first place in the American League West for the first time in several weeks.Now 10-15 at Sutter Health Park, things will not get any easier for the A’s. Tonight, the team begins a three-game weekend series against the New York Yankees, who own one of the best records in baseball. The “Bronx Bombers” enter on a four-game winning streak after sweeping the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City. Led by Aaron Judge and Ben Rice, the Yankees will look to bounce back after the Athletics took two of three from them in the Bronx earlier this season.For the A’s, however, it is imperative that they bounce back and take this series to avoid dropping both series this week. Veteran right-hander Luis Severino will take the mound in today’s series-opener. Severino was originally supposed to start Tuesday. The A’s moved his next start back a few days, adjusting the rotation to allow the team top pitching prospect, left-hander Gage Jump, to make his first MLB start that day. Jump wound up allowing four runs on nine hits in five innings.Facing his former team on seven days’ rest, Severino will likely pitch with extra motivation tonight. The 32-year-old enters his 12th start of the season with a 2–5 record, a 4.23 ERA, and 64 strikeouts over 61.2 innings pitched. He is coming off one of his best starts of the season, allowing two runs over seven innings against the Los Angeles Angels while recording a season-high 10 strikeouts. The Yankees’ offense is much more potent than the Angels and this game will be at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park, a place where Severino and the entire A’s pitching staff has struggled to replicate their success on the road.If the A’s want to snap their losing streak, they will need a strong performance from Severino and the bullpen to limit the Yankees’ opportunities and keep runs off the board. The Athletics’ offense must also improve after scoring just four runs in their previous three games. Here’s how the Athletics’ lineup looks for the series opener:Sevy start day. pic.twitter.com/4CKS8VZdFq— Athletics (@Athletics) May 29, 2026A’s manager Mark Kotsay is rolling out a lineup that looks very similar to the ones used over the past few games. Designated hitter Brent Rooker is back in the lineup and hoping to snap out of his slow start to the season. The biggest change comes at the top of the order. Right-handed hitter Colby Thomas gets the start in right field and will bat leadoff in place of the usual starter, left-handed hitter Carlos Cortes. Additionally, Henry Bolte draws another start over fellow outfielder Lawrence Butler, whose playing time has diminished significantly amid his season-long offensive struggles. Butler and Cortes are on the bench because left-handed pitcher Carlos Rodón will start for the Yankees. The 33-year-old veteran missed the first month of the season while completing his rehabilitation from offseason elbow surgery. Rodón enters his fourth start of 2026 with an 0-2 record, 4.15 ERA and 17 strikeouts over 13 innings pitched. He seems to be rounding into form, limiting the Toronto Blue Jays to one run over five innings in his most recent outing.The southpaw aims to win his first game of the year against an A’s lineup that has been scuffling lately. For the A’s offense to succeed, they will need to be patient at the plate, work counts, and capitalize on any mistake pitches over the heart of the zone.And the Yankees’ starting lineup this evening:Late-Night Baseball. #RepBXpic.twitter.com/wodUYT64ey— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 29, 2026The Yankees, led by their dynamic trio of Judge, Rice and Cody Bellinger, have hit the most home runs in MLB and rank fourth in runs scored. Last year, A’s owner John Fisher said he was looking forward to watching Judge hit home runs at Sutter Health Park, and that possibility looms again this evening. The matchup between Luis Severino’s power arsenal and the Yankees’ slugging lineup will likely hinge on traffic ahead of the heart of the order. If Severino wants his third win, he’ll need to consistently retire the bottom of the Yankees lineup and avoid letting Judge and Rice come to the plate with runners in scoring position in a park that punishes mistakes. With a win tonight and a Mariners loss, the Athletics can jump right back into first place. More importantly, they need this victory to close the week strong and secure their first win of the homestand. Let’s go A’s! Follow the Game:Watch:Athletics – NBCSCAListen:Athletics – Talk 650 KSTE, A’s Cast

The 2026 Illinois High School Association softball sectional championships were Friday, May 29.Here are the three teams from the Peoria area that advanced to supersectionals next week.CLASS 2ABrimfield/ElmwoodHow they won: Host Brimfield scored seven early runs for an 8-1 sectional championship win over Port Byron Riverdale on Friday, May 29. The Indians struck for three runs in the first, getting successive run-scoring hits from Kendyl Binder and Layla Hersemann, who came around to score on a dropped third strike. B/E added some insurance with four runs in the second. Sawyer Drury's RBI single started the offensive onslaught followed by an Anja Nelson RBI double as well as Reese Legaspi's two-run double. Drury did the rest in the circle, limiting Riverdale (27-5) to one run off seven hits. The Creighton signee struck out nine and walked two for her 16th win of the season. Nelson went 3-for-4 with Legaspi, Drury, Hersemann and Brooke Allen all adding two hits. B/E is back in the Elite Eight for a second consecutive season and fourth time since 2014.What's next: Brimfield/Elmwood (29-5) vs. Seneca (36-2), 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 1 at the East Peoria Supersectional.CLASS 3ADunlapHow they won: Dunlap claimed its first sectional title in 34 years by beating host LaSalle-Peru 10-0 on Friday, May 29. Eagles pitcher Sutton Centoni threw a three-hitter with seven strikeouts and let her offense do the rest. The Illinois signee added two of Dunlap's nine hits — all singles — including a run-scoring knock as part of a four-run seventh inning. Rachel Mies drove in three, while Addie Reed added a pair of RBIs. The Mid-Illini Conference champions used two runs in each of the third and fourth innings to take a 4-0 lead. Mies and Hallie Reed drew a bases-loaded walk in the third to score a pair. The fourth-inning runs came by Reed's sacrifice bunt and Lexi Hamer crossing the plate on an error. L-P (23-15) used a three-strikeout and seven-walk effort by Taylor Vescogni. This is the first time Dunlap is playing in the Elite Eight since a 1992 Class A state fourth-place finish. What's next: Dunlap (29-8) vs. New Lenox Providence Catholic (29-7), 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 1 at the East Peoria Supersectional.WashingtonHow they won: One swing of the bat helped send seventh-ranked Washington to its first Elite Eight in five years. Sophie Walker's three-run home run lifted the Panthers to a 3-2 win over No. 18 Champaign Central in the Lincoln Sectional title on Friday, May 29. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Walker stepped to the plate with two outs and two on and planted a 1-2 offering over the center-field fence. This scored Payton Swanson, who reached on a triple, and Addy MacGregor, who drew a five-pitch walk. Central (30-5-1) got a runner on in seventh, but a groundout ended the game. The Panthers trailed 2-0 after back-to-back one-run innings by Champaign Central in the first and second. Swanson finished 2-for-4 for half of Washington's hits. Washington has won five in a row and will look to win the program's third supersectional since 2015. What's next: Washington (26-8) vs. Chatham Glenwood (27-2), 6 p.m. Monday, June 1 at the Decatur Supersectional.Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA softball: 3 Peoria-area teams win 2026 sectionals

Patriots' Drake Maye uniting key Massachusetts figures at upcoming charity event originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye may only be 23, but recent efforts show that he is already proving himself to be one of the most important figures in the Massachusetts community.Ahead of his third year in the NFL, the standout QB is launching his own nonprofit to extend community outreach with his wife — Ann Michael. March saw the announcement of the official launch of the MayeDay Family Foundation and its mission to provide children and families enduring hardship with assistance and support needed to achieve a brighter future. In the same announcement, the Mayes also announced an inaugural MayeDay Family Foundation Celebrity Softball Classic to fund their mission. The Celebrity Softball Classic is set to take place shortly at Polar Park, home of the Worcester Red Sox, on Sunday, May 31.However, what makes the MayeDay Family Foundation Celebrity Softball Classic unique is something that has not been heavily reported — in addition to Patriots teammates who will be participating, other celebrities and professional athletes who will also be in attendance all have unique ties to the New England communities as well.Rumored list of athletes, celebrities to attend Patriots’ Drake Maye’s MayeDayPer sources, here is the rumored list of key figures participating in the event.New England Patriots — Maye, Head Coach Mike Vrabel , offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Christian Gonzalez, Hunter Henry, Will Campbell, Mike Onwenu, DeMario Douglas, Rhamondre Stevenson, Romeo Doubs, Brendan Schooler, Tommy DeVito, Marcus Jones, Mack Hollins, Robert Spillane, Jared Wilson, Jack Westover and former player Julian Edelman New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel talks to quarterback Drake Maye (10) during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. Imagn ImagesA long list of teammates and even former Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman have already confirmed attendance for the event, showcasing that community outreach is a priority for the AFC East team.Celebrities/professional athletesOther celebrities and professional athletes from other sports will also be participating, with a good number of them having significant ties to the Mass. area and communities.Olympic Gold Medalist, PWHL Boston Fleet Megan Keller — Megan Keller plays for the Professional Women's Hockey League's Boston team, the Boston Fleet. In addition to serving as the team's captain, Keller also lifted Team USA to win gold in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics by scoring the golden goal in overtime over Canada.MEGAN KELLER GOLDEN GOAL‼️U.S. WOMEN'S HOCKEY SECURES THE GOLD MEDAL🏅🇺🇸(via @NBCOlympics) pic.twitter.com/KKJVhlzQih— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 19, 2026NHL Boston Bruins Alum Zdeno Chara — Boston Bruins alum Zdeno Chara was an incredibly decorated player for the Bruins who brought pride to Boston from his years with the National Hockey League team from 2006 to 2020. He won the Norris Trophy with Boston in 2009 as the best defenseman and helped the Bruins to win the Stanley Cup in 2011 for the first time since 1972.PWHL Boston Fleet Jill Saulnier — Keller's teammate of Jill Saulnier will also join in on the Softball Classic. She won a Gold Medal with Team Canada at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and earned a Silver Medal at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. NHL San Jose Sharks Will Smith — Budding, young NHL star Will Smith became the highest draft pick in Boston College history when he was selected at No. 4 overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2023 Draft. A proud Boston native, Smith comes from a long line of BC alumni and has been doing offseason training throughout Mass. this summer.NHL Seattle Kraken Matty Beniers — Hingham, Mass. native Matty Beniers was the first-ever NHL Draft pick of the expansion Seattle Kraken when he was chosen No. 2 in the 2021 NHL Draft. He has previously credited playing outdoor and street hockey in Hingham as part of the reason he made it to the NHL.Barstool Sports' Dave Portnoy — Dave Portnoy invented Barstool Sports after getting his start distributing gambling tip sheets across Boston subway stations. He is a Swampscott, Mass. native who has previously praised Maye's on-field QB skillset across social media.Comedian Matt Rife — Stand-up comic Matt Rife is new to the New England area and recently moved right across the street from Gillette Stadium. Despite being from Ohio, Rife quickly engulfed himself into the Patriots fanbase and chose to immerse himself into the local community following his move.The New England Patriots cheerleaders will also be present, with veteran Kaitlyn Savary and rookie Jade Bucci slated to attend.Team Patriots vs. Team SoxThe two teams playing in the softball game will be Team Patriots versus Team Sox.Team Patriots features the Mayes, Allen, Campbell, Keller, Saulnier, Onwenu, Henry, Douglas, Stevenson, Doubs and Chara. This team will be coached by Vrabel.Team Sox will be coached by McDaniels and consists of Gonzalez, Schooler, Portnoy, Rife, Smith, Beniers, DeVito, Jones Hollins, Spillane, Wilson, Edelman and Westover.Other MayeDay Family Foundation Celebrity Softball Classic informationMaye said in a press release that he is excited to give back to the New England community that has provided him so much support in his ongoing career."Ann Michael and I are excited to launch the MayeDay Family Foundation to give back to the communities that have so strongly supported us," said Maye. "It's important for us to provide help for kids and families in need and we are looking forward to partnering with great organizations in New England."This was clearly reflected in who the foundation chose to attend the inaugural event with such strong ties to New England— indicating a clear nod by the Mayes for all of their gratitude to the Mass. community.The upcoming charity event will include a home run derby, postgame festivities and interactive family activities. Via the MayeDay Family Foundation social media, two tickets to the Oct. 18 game against the New York Jets in addition to two signed Maye jerseys and two sidelines passes are among the items that will be up for the silent auction.Gates open at 5 p.m. EST on Sunday at Polar Park on May 31. There will be a home run derby at 6 p.m., the softball game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. and fireworks will follow postgame.In addition to prioritizing charity work, Maye is about to enter his third year in the NFL and is coming off being named team captain and earned the 67th Bert Bell Award. It's clear as his career continues with the Patriots, he will serve as a pillar to the community for the Boston area.MORE:Drake Maye can accomplish feat in third season that Tom Brady never did for Patriots

The Allegiance 200NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway is under a weather delay on May 29.The race will not start on time, with a scheduled 7:20 p.m. Central green flag time.Truck Series practice was completely in full, but qualifying was canceled with about 13 trucks remaining later on May 29 with light rain.Layne Riggs is on the pole.This story will be updated.This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Truck Series race at Nashville weather delay update

Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag praised teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the team’s IPL 2026 campaign ended with a seven-wicket defeat against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2. Despite the loss, Sooryavanshi once again impressed everyone with a brilliant 96 off just 47 balls in Mullanpur on Friday.The 15-year-old opener continued his fearless run in the tournament, taking apart Gujarat’s experienced bowling attack with stunning strokeplay. Rajasthan had lost Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel early, but Sooryavanshi steadied the innings while still maintaining an aggressive approach.Speaking after the match, Parag could not hide his admiration for the youngster’s batting maturity."I can't put it into words, there's one way where you slog and score many runs. But he doesn't slog, you could see his innings today - he calculates and plays his shots. I can't say how, but hopefully he will go on to do well in his career, do well for the Rajasthan Royals and win us a second title," he said.Rajasthan Royals posted a strong total of 214/6, boosted further by Ravindra Jadeja’s unbeaten 45 and Donovan Ferreira’s explosive 38 not out off just 11 balls. Ferreira smashed Rashid Khan for four sixes in the final over to push the score beyond 200.However, Gujarat Titans made the chase look comfortable thanks to a superb opening partnership between Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan. The pair added 167 runs in just 77 balls and completely dominated Rajasthan’s bowling attack.Gill led from the front with a classy 104 off 53 balls, mixing elegant timing with aggressive strokeplay. Sudharsan contributed a rapid 58 before suffering another bizarre hit-wicket dismissal.The win sent Gujarat Titans into their third IPL final since joining the tournament in 2022. They will now face defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Ahmedabad on Sunday.Even in defeat, though, much of the attention remained on Sooryavanshi, whose remarkable performances have made him one of the breakout stars of IPL 2026.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 5: Logan Webb #62 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park on May 5, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images The San Francisco Giants head to Coors Field tonight to begin a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies. Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Logan Webb, who enters tonight’s game with a 5.06 ERA, 3.52 FIP, with 42 strikeouts to 15 walks in 48 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 10-5 loss to the San Diego Padres on May 5th, in which he allowed six runs on seven hits with four strikeouts in four innings. He’ll be facing off against Rockies right-hander Michael Lorenzen, who enters tonight’s game with a 7.21 ERA, 5.13 FIP, with 41 strikeouts to 18 walks in 53.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Rockies’ 5-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday, in which he allowed five runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and a walk in five innings. Join the conversation!Sign up for a user account and get:Fewer adsCreate community postsComment on articles, community postsRec comments, community postsNew, improved notifications system!Game #57Who: San Francisco Giants (22—34) vs. Colorado Rockies (20-37)Where: Coors Field, Denver, ColoradoWhen: 5:40 p.m. PTRegional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay AreaNational broadcast: n/aRadio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

NEW YORK (AP) — Miami Marlins pitcher Eury Pérez is expected to miss about two months with a bizarre leg injury sustained while he was stretching in the dugout.The right-hander exited Wednesday’s start in Toronto after throwing four shutout innings because his right hamstring spasmed while he was doing lateral lunges on the bench to limber up for the fifth. He was in such pain he needed assistance from a teammate to descend the steps into the clubhouse.Pérez had imaging Thursday that revealed a high-grade strain of his right gracilis, a long, thin muscle on the inside of the thigh.The 23-year-old Pérez is 3-6 with a 4.60 ERA in 12 starts, but his last two outings were excellent. He struck out a season-high nine against the Blue Jays before getting hurt, giving him 14 strikeouts without a walk while allowing just one run and five hits over his last 10 1/3 innings. He has 72 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings this year.“Unfortunate, with his last couple starts how well he was throwing the ball. We’ll just have to pick up and keep going,” manager Clayton McCullough said Friday before the Marlins opened a three-game series against the New York Mets. “It’s a team thing, so guys just have to step up and that’s all you can do.”McCullough said there’s no plan in place yet for how Miami will fill Pérez’s rotation spot beginning next week.Pérez was put on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Thursday, and the club recalled right-hander Josh Ekness from Triple-A Jacksonville. In another move, Leo Jiménez was reinstated from the seven-day concussion injured list and fellow infielder Graham Pauley was optioned to Jacksonville.Jiménez got hurt when he took a knee to the head from Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. while he was sliding into third base on May 19.Armed with a 98-99 mph fastball, the 6-foot-8 Pérez was rated one of baseball’s top prospects before making his major league debut at age 20 in May 2023.He sat out the 2024 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery with an internal brace, and returned to Miami’s rotation in June 2025. He is 15-18 with a 3.93 ERA in 51 career starts.“We know it’s a young pitcher that still had a lot of experiences to gain from just getting the chance to take the ball at the major league level every fifth or sixth day,” McCullough said.“So, that’s kind of the most frustrating part is, you sense a little bit that maybe this was a player that was starting to get on a little bit of a roll, put some things together, and now he’s obviously going to have to miss a significant amount of time.”

Iowa football got great news on Friday afternoon.Veteran offensive lineman Michael Myslinski has been approved for a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA, per the Des Moines Register's Chad Leistikow. The 6-foot-3, 285-pound lineman out of Jacksonville, Fla., had applied for a medical hardship waiver.While it was an expected formality, it's still fantastic news to see finalized for Iowa offensive line coach George Barnett, for Hawkeye offensive coordinator Tim Lester and, of course, for Myslinski.Myslinski took to social media to share the good news.#uncszn one last run ! pic.twitter.com/sBzcNtbtKf— Michael Myslinski (@MMys1inski) May 29, 2026Myslinski made his collegiate debut in his first possible career game, playing against Indiana to open up the 2021 Iowa football season. But, a knee injury as a freshman limited him to that lone game.Then, injuries plagued Myslinski over the next three seasons as well. The Bishop Kenny product played in one game in 2022, zero in 2023 and four games in 2024.Last season, Myslinski was finally healthy and earned his place as a second-teamer on the Hawkeyes' offensive depth chart. Myslinski made the most of his clean bill of health, playing in eight games and earning the team's Comeback Player of the Year Award.When starting right guard Kade Pieper was injured during Iowa's 26-21 loss at USC, Myslinski was the man that filled in. Per Pro Football Focus, Myslinski garnered 57 offensive snaps last season, including 14 in that contest at USC.With Beau Stephens and Logan Jones having moved on, Myslinski is in the mix to start at either center or guard in 2026.“Honestly, this is the best I’ve felt my whole career,” Myslinski told reporters after Iowa’s open spring practice. “It’s been a healthy two years pretty much.”Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnHawksThis article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football roster: OL granted sixth year of eligibility

The president rescinded two executive orders that led to prohibitions on the use of the vehicles in most national parks.

The prices of diesel and gasoline soared after the Iran war started, piling more hardship on people in Ruatahuna, one of New Zealand’s most remote villages.

Competing in its first state tournament, the Olentangy Berlin boys volleyball team saw its title hopes end May 29 at Wittenberg University.Hudson (21-5) defeated the Bears 31-29, 25-16, 25-15 in a semifinal and will play Cincinnati Moeller in the state final at 1 p.m. May 30 at Wittenberg.Berlin (21-6) rallied from a 5-1 deficit in the opening set to take a 7-6 lead and led by as many as seven on three occasions before the Explorers answered to take a 24-23 lead.The Bears tied the match at 24 and had a chance to close out the set, leading 28-27, before Hudson rallied.The Explorers controlled play in the final two sets to complete the sweep.Jett Boyce led Berlin with 31 assists, seven digs and two blocks, while Kushal Patyam had 11 kills and five digs and Jacob Lusk added nine kills, three blocks and two digs. Mitch Moran had six digs and five kills.Hudson, which lost in the state semifinals in 2023, is seeking its first OHSAA state title.Thomas Worthington falls to Cincinnati MoellerThomas (23-4) also fell short in its title quest, losing to Moeller 25-14, 23-25, 25-22, 23-25, 15-10 in the other Division I semifinal.The Cardinals responded several times in the match, including when they built a 19-13 lead in the second set after losing the opener.After losing the third set to fall behind 2-1, Thomas held off elimination by winning the fourth set, taking the lead for good at 20-19.Moeller (21-4) never trailed in the fifth set. Tied at 6 after three straight Thomas points, the Crusaders scored three in a row to take the lead for good.Alex Ondo led Thomas with 41 assists, three kills and two blocks. Curt Buddie had 21 kills, seven digs and one block, Aleko Giampouranis had 10 digs, eight kills and three blocks and Jacob Pitts added seven kills, seven blocks and one dig.St. Charles swept by Middletown FenwickA disappointing day for central Ohio teams concluded with St. Charles losing to Fenwick 25-21, 25-18, 25-16 in a Division II state semifinal.The first set ended up being the most competitive one of the match, with St. Charles (22-5) erasing a 9-6 deficit to take an 11-10 lead before Fenwick went ahead 12-11 and never trailed again.St. Charles never led in the second set. It led 10-6 in the third before Fenwick rallied to take the lead for good at 13-12.Charlie Koesters led St. Charles with 14 assists, five digs and three kills. Jack Ishmael had six kills, two blocks and one assist, and Jack Wiza added five kills, five assists and one dig.Fenwick (21-6) will play Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary in the state final at 4 p.m. May 30.High school sports reporter Frank DiRenna can be reached at fdirenna@dispatch.com and at @DispatchFrank on X.This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Central Ohio teams go 0-3 in OHSAA boys volleyball state semifinals

Shubman Gill opened up on Sai Sudharsan’s strange back-to-back hit-wicket dismissals in Gujarat Titans’ massive Qualifier 2 win over Rajasthan Royals, admitting that even he had never witnessed anything quite like it before.After producing a record-breaking century to guide GT into the IPL 2026 final, Gill opened up on Sudharsan’s freak hit-wicket dismissal, which happened for the second consecutive game. Sudharsan once again lost control of his bat while playing a shot and ended up disturbing the stumps in strange fashion.“I don't think I've ever seen anything. No one's seen anything like that, two matches, back to back in a row. The way he got out,” Gill said after the match.The Gujarat Titans skipper even joked that he might need to follow the same trick that fans had suggested online to avoid a repeat incident.“I saw some video on social media that taping his hand, I think I'm going to have to do that in the next match,” he added humorously.Despite the bizarre dismissal, Sudharsan once again played a crucial role in Gujarat Titans’ emphatic seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals. Chasing 215 in Qualifier 2, Gill and Sudharsan completely dismantled the RR bowling attack with a breathtaking 167-run opening partnership off just 77 balls, now the highest stand in IPL playoff history.Gill smashed a majestic 104 off 53 balls in what turned out to be one of the finest knocks of the season. His innings included 15 fours and three sixes as he brought up the fastest century in IPL playoff history. Sudharsan complemented him perfectly with a rapid 58 off 32 balls before his unusual dismissal once again became one of the biggest talking points of the night.Gill admitted that the understanding between him and Sudharsan has become one of Gujarat Titans’ biggest strengths this season.“I think we complement each other very well. We understand each other's game very well. And when we are batting out there, our communication is very good. We know one of us has to take down one of the bowlers,” Gill explained.The GT captain also revealed he was batting in a special rhythm where everything seemed to flow naturally.“I was in kind of a zone where I was only looking at the gaps and looking at the bowlers and looking at where I want to hit the ball. I wasn't looking to hit the ball too hard,” Gill said.Interestingly, Gujarat Titans were not expecting such a massive target after Rajasthan Royals appeared headed towards around 180-190 at one stage. However, Donovan Ferreira’s brutal assault on Rashid Khan in the final over, where RR collected 27 runs, pushed the total to 214/6.Earlier in the evening, teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had once again stolen the spotlight with a sensational 96 off 47 balls after Rajasthan lost Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel inside the opening two overs.But even Sooryavanshi’s brilliance proved insufficient once Gill and Sudharsan launched their extraordinary assault in the chase. Gujarat Titans eventually completed the highest successful chase in franchise history and booked a blockbuster IPL 2026 final clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Ahmedabad.

Sergei Pavlovich and Tallison Teixeira meet on the UFC Fight Night 277 main card Saturday at Galaxy Arena in Macau, China. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.Last event's results: 3-3UFC main cards, 2026: 49-29Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tallison Teixeira UFC Fight Night 277 previewSince having his six-fight winning streak snapped and losing two in a row, Pavlovich (20-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) is trending up again after back-to-back wins over Jairzinho Rozenstruik and most recently Waldo Cortes-Acosta last August. However, neither win was a finish.Teixeira (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has a chance to quickly make himself a potential heavyweight title challenger if he can stop Pavlovich. Teixeira is coming off a unanimous decsision win over Tai Tuivasa this past January.Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tallison Teixeira UFC Fight Night 277 expert pick, predictionFilling out the main card is a heavyweight showdown between Sergei Pavlovich and Tallison Teixeira.Despite desperately needing a step back in competition, the UFC matchmakers saw fit to pair Teixeira up with one of the few class heavyweights that the organization has to offer in Pavlovich.Bearing the resemblance of an industrial-sized refrigerator with humungous arms attached, Pavlovich is one of the most powerful punchers in the weight class. To Teixeira's credit, he has been training with Alex Pereira and company before this (which I believe is an overall improvement for the young Brazilian).Still, I'm not sure it will be enough to stop a more experienced and sound puncher who can punish Teixeira's resets and retreats.The pick is Pavlovich by knockout in Round 1.Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tallison Teixeira UFC Fight Night 277 oddsThe oddsmakers and the public favor the Russian fighter, listing Pavlovich -590 and Teixeira +430 via FanDuelSergei Pavlovich vs. Tallison Teixeira UFC Fight Night 277 start time, how to watchPavlovich and Teixeira are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 8:40 a.m. ET. The fight streams live on Paramount+.This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Macau: Pavlovich vs. Teixeira prediction, pick, time

May 1, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images After a sweep of the San Diego Padres, the Phillies will return to the place where their 2025 season ended as they begin a three-game series against the defending champion Dodgers in Los Angeles.Zack Wheeler gets the start for the Phillies. Wheeler has been fantastic since his return from the Injured List, and has given up just one total run in 20.1 innings over his last three starts.The Dodgers will go with lefthander Justin Wrobleski. Considering the Phillies’ struggles against lefty pitching this season, runs may be at a premium on Friday night.Game time is 10:15 PM and will be televised exclusively on Apple TV.

When an offense struggles and couch critics come out of the woodwork criticizing playcalling and/or the quarterback, one thing is always true: No one points a finger at a team’s pre-snap operation.Even though that’s what led to then-Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray’s injury in Week 5 last season when a shotgun snap came unexpectedly.New head coach Mike LaFleur understands how much those details affect the rhythm of an offense.During his first press conference after being hired in February, LaFleur was asked what he had specifically learned from head coach Sean McVay during his three years with the Los Angeles Rams.LaFleur quickly answered, “We like to say this in L.A.: ‘The worst playcall is the late playcall’. Get the playcall in to your quarterback. Get the playcall in to the offense so they can go operate. Even the time I had with Kyle (Shanahan) in San Francisco, having to go against the Rams. The one thing that always stood out was how they operated pre-snap. It just looked clean and sharp. And I am so fully invested in that portion of it.“Everyone's got good plays, in my opinion. Everyone has a good scheme, but it's really leading up to that moment. How clean do we get out of that huddle? How do we operate? How fast do I get that call in there to allow these players to go do what they do best? And I think that's something that we even just got better at in the last few years, particularly this last year. And that's something definitely that we'll implement as we get this thing going.”Noting the importance of the cadence for whoever the quarterback is, LaFleur said, "It's a massive weapon. From a quarterback standpoint, how can they all sound the same? Whoever ends up being the starting quarterback, you want all those other quarterbacks to mimic that cadence as much as possible."Earlier this month, LaFleur explained, "We spent a week here with the vets, before we even introduced a play, all we did was talk about pre-snap operation. The first thing that you talk about outside of the huddle is the snap count. That first week will always be the foundation. We will always reset, and always try to improve it. We're not going to skip steps."By all accounts, he hasn’t.When wide receiver Michael Wilson met with the media Wednesday, he was asked what he likes about LaFleur’s offense.“I don't want to reveal too much, but I like the motions that we utilize and how that affects the run and pass game,” he said, while adding, “I like our pre-snap operation and that's Mike's calling card when it comes to our offense. We want to be making sure we can control the controllables and be 100% as good as we can be in our pre-snap operation.“One thing I like about him is ... I'm excited every day to come to work because he makes learning exciting. He makes the experience fun. He's obviously a details guy, but he's not an over-details guy, which is great because he understands football is sort of like controlled chaos in a little bit of an, or a lot of, an uncontrolled environment. And so he gives us enough rules, but then allows sort of natural ability, playmaking ability, and natural athleticism and football wherewithal to kind of take over.”Six weeks after arriving in Arizona, LaFleur was asked at the NFL league meeting what it had been like building an offense with his own imprint.LaFLeur gave credit to McVay for basically starting over each year, by saying, “He always wants to stay one step ahead. And we always start from the ground up, because that's what you've got to do.”As for the work implanting the offense here, he said, “We tore this thing down. We have our foundational pieces that we're going to do schematically. But we started from scratch. And I want to hear people's opinions. And we left no stone unturned when it came to cadence, our formations, how we're calling our formations, all the way we're going to operate before the ball even snaps.”Then, there’s the offense itself. Quarterback Gardner Minshew II shared significant insight Wednesday when he said, “What this offense does well is it drives off complementary looks and simplicity with the illusion of complexity through motions, similar formations. We really don’t do a ton off each look, but just enough to put a seed of doubt.“The idea is we’re gonna get really good at what we do. I think it gives the players a ton of confidence. We have these things; this is what we’re gonna do. It’s your job to make it come to life. And I think we got the guys to do that.”We’ll learn soon enough if he’s right.Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur talks about new offense

NEW DELHI: The IPL 2026 Orange Cap and Purple Cap races witnessed another dramatic twist after Gujarat Titans defeated Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 on Friday to set up a summit clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.Despite Rajasthan Royals crashing out of the tournament, teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continued to hold the Orange Cap with another breathtaking knock. The 15-year-old smashed 96 off just 47 balls in New Chandigarh, taking his tally to 776 runs from 16 matches this season.However, his heroic effort was not enough to take RR into the final.The biggest threat to Sooryavanshi’s Orange Cap now comes from Gujarat Titans’ opening duo of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, who once again starred in a crucial chase.Gill hammered a stunning century in Qualifier 2 to climb to second spot in the standings with 722 runs, while Sudharsan’s fluent half-century helped him move to third with 710 runs.With GT now advancing to the IPL 2026 final against RCB in Ahmedabad on Sunday, both Gill and Sudharsan will get one final opportunity to overtake Sooryavanshi in the race for the tournament’s highest run-scorer award.The top five run-getters list is currently dominated by batters from playoff teams. Sunrisers Hyderabad stars Heinrich Klaasen and Ishan Kishan occupy fourth and fifth spots respectively, with 624 and 602 runs.RCB batting icon Virat Kohli remains in contention as well. Kohli currently sits sixth with exactly 600 runs and could still make a late surge in the standings during the final.IPL 2026 Orange Cap after GT vs RRRunsMAve.SR100s/50sSooryavanshi 7761648.50237.301/5Gill7221548.13163.711/6Sudharsan7101647.33159.551/8Klaasen6241548.00160.000/6Kishan6021540.13182.420/6Rabada overtakes Bhuvneshwar in Purple Cap raceThe Purple Cap standings also saw a major change after Gujarat Titans pacer Kagiso Rabada delivered another impactful spell in Qualifier 2.Rabada picked up 2/35 against Rajasthan Royals to jump to the top of the wicket-takers’ chart with 28 wickets from 16 matches.The South African speedster now leads RCB pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar by two wickets heading into Sunday’s title clash. Bhuvneshwar is second in the standings with 26 wickets and will have a direct chance to challenge Rabada in the final.Rajasthan Royals fast bowler Jofra Archer finished his campaign in third place with 25 wickets from 16 games.Chennai Super Kings pacer Anshul Kamboj occupies fourth spot with 21 wickets, while Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Eshan Malinga rounds off the top five with 20 wickets from 15 matches.IPL 2026 Purple Cap after GT vs RRWicketsMAve.Econ.Rabada281620.789.43Bhuvi261518.158.00Archer251622.369.31Kamboj211425.2310.52Malinga201525.359.33With one match left in the tournament, both the Orange Cap and Purple Cap races remain wide open heading into what promises to be a blockbuster IPL 2026 final.

Credit: The Dan Le Batard Show; Stugotz and Co.The bizarre, simmering tensions between Dan Le Batard and Jon “Stugotz” Weiner may finally be reaching a conclusion.The longtime Miami-based Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz co-hosts went through a sudden split last summer, around the time Le Batard’s Meadowlark Media inked a new licensing deal with DraftKings. Stugotz’s solo podcasts were dropped from the DraftKings and Meadowlark banner, and the host was rumored to be taking a “step back.” After a few more spots on the show, Stugotz made his final appearance in late August.As fall went on, Stugotz signed onto a FanDuel endorsement deal, joined Fox Sports Radio’s national lineup, and continued building his career separate from Meadowlark. Around January, when Stugotz announced his Fox show, he revealed he was due for nine more appearances under his Meadowlark contract, which he said he would satisfy under one unstated condition.Stugotz never made those appearances, and the story mostly went silent until this week, when Le Batard addressed the situation once again on his show. The host called it “crushing” to be in such a public stalemate with his longtime co-host and not be able to discuss it with the audience, adding that there’s a job waiting for Stugotz if he wants it.The comments did not appear to help matters, as Stugotz fired back Friday afternoon on his own radio show, revealing that while he plans to meet with Le Batard over the weekend for last-gasp negotiations over his future at Meadowlark, he is “pretty close to giving up” because of the disrespect he has felt from the company over the last year.“Right now is the first time I have no contract, no contractual obligations to Dan, to the show, to Meadowlark, other than I believe I’m the second-largest shareholder of that company,” Stugotz revealed.“I will tell you… they offered me a deal, an extension to my current deal, and I came back, I countered, and one of the counters was asking Dan to come on this show, and they said no. In fact, what they said to me was this: ‘We need Stu to show up to a couple of shows to show that he’s going to play ball before we agree or discuss any of this.’ And I said to them, ‘Twenty-plus years, I’m not agreeing to show up to do a couple of test shows because you guys want to see that I’m nice.’ Like, get the hell out of here.“If I agree to do the show, I will do the show that Dan and I have done for the last 20 years, and I will do it to the best of my abilities, like we’ve done for the last 20 years. I’m not going to mail it in; I’m not gonna yell at Dan. I want to try to work this stuff out so me and Dan can get back on the air together, because I heard what Dan said yesterday, and there’s a part of me that wants that as well. I want it for me, I want it for him, I want it for the show, and mostly, I want it for the audience.”As for the condition he set for the remaining nine shows on his contract earlier this year, Stugotz refused to reveal it specifically, but described it as “something that I think we should share in” and something that Le Batard “can deliver on if he wants to deliver on it.”Stugotz also disputed the assertion that he ever wanted to leave, explaining that while he had interest in pursuing solo hosting opportunities and other work outside the Le Batard Show universe, he would never have chosen to do so on such terrible terms.“I never imagined doing it outside the confines of the company that I helped create. So that’s the part that’s really frustrating,” he said.“I don’t mind doing it. I love what we’re doing. This show has been cathartic for me; it has been therapeutic for me… and we’re just getting started. But I would have liked the opportunity to do it within the confines of the company that I built with Dan Le Batard. And I don’t care what Dan says. Never, ever afforded that opportunity. And since we’re here, one of the other things he said is that he helped me with this. He did not. Dan did not help me with this. Helping me with this would be doing it within the confines of the company that I helped build. Again, that was not afforded to me, and no one over there helped me with any of this. This was done on my own.”Stugotz added that in their recent phone conversations, Le Batard has had a “different tone,” but that unless Le Batard “acknowledges” the fallout in terms that Stugotz agrees with, it will be a “difficult road back” to ever reuniting on air.“If we continue to have the godd*mn conversation that he and I have been having now for almost a year, I’m telling you, I’m getting pretty close to giving up,” he said.“So I’m going to give it one more try here, I’m going to try to connect with Dan this weekend… and hopefully we will get to some sort of resolution. Because I think I need it, I think he needs it, and I think everyone’s tired of this bullsh*t.”The year-long saga has been fairly messy and public. The two hosts continue to go back and forth from afar over semantic details without actually revealing the nature of their rift.Clearly, as Le Batard acknowledged himself this week when he said “business is hard,” something broke down behind the scenes that left Stugotz feeling disrespected or left out of what he feels he is entitled to. Going forward, it’s also unclear what Stugotz’s plans are with Meadowlark, considering he now hosts a daily radio show for Fox and iHeartMedia.But Stugotz believes history will favor him if the details ever emerge, and said he is “comfortable telling people” in due time if he cannot come to a satisfactory agreement with Le Batard.“I do want to come back. I want to be a part of it. I want to be able to do all of the things that we’re doing and some of the stuff over there,” Stugotz explained.“But we need to get to some sort of resolution soon, because I will not allow Dan to tell his version of the truth without me rebutting and me having a say in it. Because I am telling you right now, the only person in this equation, and this sounds to our audience because I’ve been painted as a liar, a phony, and a fraud for 22 years, but the person who has the truth on their side in this particular case is me.”The post Stugotz fires back at Dan Le Batard ahead of further talks: ‘I’m pretty close to giving up’ appeared first on Awful Announcing.

When the Iowa Cubs return to Principal Park in Des Moines on June 2, the Triple-A team will likely be bringing back a familiar face.Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsel told reporters in St. Louis, Mo., on May 29 that super utilityman Matt Shaw would likely join Iowa when the team opens a six-game series against Toledo that Tuesday. "Matts doing super well," Counsell said during a pregame meeting with scribes. "The plan kind of remains intact that we think he's going to be able to start a rehab assignment on Tuesday in Iowa. So, assuming everything progresses like it progresses, he's going to have basically a full weekend of kind of normal pregame stuff. He should be good to go on Tuesday in Iowa."Shaw was placed on the injured list back on May 22 with mild back tightness, retroactive to May 20. He was replaced on the big-league roster by prized Cubs prospect Pedro Ramrirez, who tore apart opposing pitching during his first stint in Triple-A in 2026.More: How Cubs prospect Matt Shaw made himself into one Minor League Baseball's best hittersShaw, 24, was hitting .242 (23-for-95) with six doubles, three home runs, three stolen bases and a .291 on base percentage to go along with a .400 slugging percentage in 42 games with Chicago this season. He's bounced around the field this season and provided an important option off the bench for the Cubs.Shaw remains one of the organization's top young players. The Cubs selected in the first round of the 2023 draft. Shaw rapidly rose through the minor leagues and made his big-league debut with Chicago in 2025. After some early-season struggles, Shaw was briefly demoted to Iowa in 2024 before eventually making a return to the big leagues.While the hitting wasn't great, the defense was exceptional. Shaw found a home at third base and played so well he became a Gold Glove finalist in 2025. Iowa starts the series on Tuesday at 6:38 p.m.Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018, 2020, 2023 and 2025 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Cubs plan for Matt Shaw to make rehab stint with Iowa Cubs next week

Joao Fonseca is the first Brazilian man to reach the fourth round at a major since Thomaz Bellucci in 2011 [Getty Images]"He's got the goods."The words of Novak Djokovic at the 2025 Australian Open after an 18-year-old Joao Fonseca had stunned ninth seed Andrey Rublev on his Grand Slam debut.As Friday afternoon gave way to Friday evening in Paris, Djokovic saw those "goods" first hand and lost.The booming forehand, the teasing drop shots, and - the piece de resistance - a trio of nerveless aces in game 12 of the deciding set to first save a break point and then convert match point.For the second match in a row, Brazilian teenager Fonseca fought back from two sets down to win. In round two, his opponent was world number 72 Dino Prizmic. In round three, a 24-time Grand Slam champion and third seed - who led 3-1 in the fifth set before Fonseca roared back to win an epic contest 4-6 4-6 6-3 7-5 7-5 in four hours and 53 minutes.The first teenager to beat Djokovic at a major at the 19th attempt and a win which, coupled with the second-round exit of Jannik Sinner and absence of defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, means there will be a new Grand Slam champion crowned in 2026.Fonseca, who briefly interrupted the applause on Court Philippe-Chatrier to say happy birthday to his mum sitting in his box, reflected on his astonishment at beating his "idol"."I actually didn't believe I could win the match. I just played and enjoyed being in the court," Fonseca, the world number 30, said."I was just trying to hit the ball as fast as I could. Djokovic doesn't miss and we still think he's 20. At the end of the match, he was more fit than me. When the day was getting darker, I felt much slower."I just believed I could do aces, it was crazy - I felt like John Isner. I have never done that before. I am super happy that I could finish like this."The clearest sign Father Time is closing in on Djokovic?French Open to take action against Vallejo for 'sexist' remarksFrench Open Daily: Djokovic knocked out in thriller'He has lived up to the hype' Fonseca struck 22 winners in the final set after only hitting 13 in the opening two [Getty Images]Fonseca has long been touted as the next big thing, first garnering attention when he followed in the footsteps of Sinner and Alcaraz to win the 2024 ATP Next Gen finals - the end-of-season showpiece for players under the age of 21 - before bursting into the spotlight with his victory over Rublev in Melbourne barely a month later.He clinched his maiden ATP title on the clay courts of Buenos Aires in February 2025 before reaching the third round on his French Open debut, where he lost to Britain's Jack Draper. And wherever he went, a carnival of Brazilian flags followed.Twelve months after making his bow in Paris as the world number 65, he returned as the 28th seed but, while there have been flashes of promise in that period - reaching the third round at Wimbledon, a second career title at last October's Swiss Indoors, and a quarter-final at the Monte-Carlo Masters - there was a sense he hadn't quite lived up to his precocious talent.No more. At the sixth time of asking, Fonseca is through to the second week of a major.He's gone where no teenager has gone before in beating Djokovic at a Grand Slam, and is only the sixth to do so at any ATP Tour-level event.He is the first player since Philipp Kohlschreiber, in 2009, to knock Djokovic out before the quarter-finals at the French Open and the first to do so at any Slam since the 2024 US Open."Joao Fonseca has definitely announced himself now," Annabel Croft said on BBC Radio 5 Live. "He can proudly say he has lived up to the hype, because everyone was saying he hadn't done much since the hype."When all the Brazilians and South Americans were running to the courts to watch him play a couple of years ago, now we know why.""It took time for him to find his feet, and the crowd was going to play such an important part if he could get them going, and it literally ended in fireworks," added former French Open semi-finalist Jo Konta on TNT Sports. "It was exactly the situation Joao needed to bring out that level of tennis."He just played one of the biggest matches we've seen for some time."'Blistering' forehand overpowers DjokovicDjokovic outperformed Fonseca in both winners (70 to 68) and unforced errors (39 to 47) but was outlasted by the young Brazilian and outclassed in the match's key moments.His trio of match-winning aces - one out wide to save a break point followed by a pair down the T which left the teenager scratching his head in amazement - will capture the headlines but it was his "blistering" forehand - which gave Konta "goosebumps" - that proved the difference.At points during the third and fourth sets, he was hitting the ball 40mph faster than Djokovic on his groundstrokes, with his brutal striking overpowering the Serb at the back of court. On many occasions, he simply opted to rip a winner, but he also showed his tactical awareness to mix in delicate drop-shots - including three in the penultimate game - to exploit the space he had created on the court."I have never seen forehands clonked as hard as we saw Joao Fonseca's hit today," Croft said."The fact they were consistently hitting the corners and the lines - at one stage Djokovic was just laughing, like 'how can this guy keep doing it and bringing it?'."Live scores, results and order of playGet tennis news sent straight to your phone

Novak Djokovic (left) was the only remaining Grand Slam champion left in the men's draw [Getty Images]When you consider all the ingredients and put them together in one pot, you could only conclude Novak Djokovic and Joao Fonseca cooked up a French Open classic. Five sets. Almost five hours. Fluctuating drama. A carnival atmosphere. And a conclusion which nobody dared predict until Fonseca blasted down another ace to seal a victory which will never be forgotten.It was a match for the ages.Not only because of the quality and drama on display in a gripping contest - but for the fact Djokovic was old enough to be Fonseca's dad. Djokovic, 39, departed Roland Garros for what he once again conceded might the final time, while 19-year-old Fonseca lapped up the acclaim after what seems certain to be the first of many memorable Grand Slam victories.With Jannik Sinner beaten and Carlos Alcaraz injured, Djokovic has watched a golden opportunity to land a standalone record 25th major slip through his fingers.Sure, German second seed Alexander Zverev and two-time French Open runner-up Casper Ruud remain in that half of the draw.But had third seed Djokovic come through against Fonseca - as looked likely at two sets up, with break points when leading 4-3 in the fourth - it felt like he would grind through the gears next week in cooler temperatures.Why beating Djokovic is coming of age moment for FonsecaFrench Open Daily: Djokovic knocked out in thrillerInstead, he must now reset and recharge to go again at Wimbledon next month.Given he is a seven-time champion on a grass surface which younger players have struggled to master, Djokovic will always fancy his chances at the All England Club.Djokovic can never be ruled out of becoming the oldest major men's singles champion in the Open Era, but Father Time has been sat waiting on his shoulder for a good while.By rights, he should probably be basking in a post-retirement glow by now. Coaching a young compatriot away from the public glare like Andy Murray, perhaps. Doing a promotional tour for a new Netflix documentary like Rafael Nadal, maybe.While his long-time rivals move into the next phase of their lives, Djokovic was retching at the side of a court in an attempt to summon the energy to beat a teenager.It is a testament to his superpower that he still wants to push himself to such limits against much younger opponents.As we have seen time and time again, Djokovic's insatiable appetite for the sport's biggest prizes will never diminish.But, having reached at least the semi-finals at the past five Grand Slams, this was the clearest sign yet that the ageing process was finally catching up with him.Djokovic looked in complete control as he moved two sets ahead, but could not maintain his level as Fonseca proved he is the real deal."It would be nice if it was best-of-three," Djokovic smiled."I just ran out of gas, to be honest. I didn't feel good at all on the court in the next couple of sets."Djokovic has always thrived in the best-of-five format of the majors, beating almost anybody who has stood in his way for the best part of two years.The only exceptions have been Sinner, Alcaraz and the muscle injury which forced him to quit against Zverev at last year's Australian Open.Everyone else has not been good enough, or not had the mentality, to see veteran Djokovic off.Djokovic had already spent almost seven hours on court - needing four sets to beat French pair Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Valentin Royer - before another five hours against Fonseca [Getty Images]Djokovic has continued to maintain he can beat anyone when he is playing close to his best.So the admission he made in the Roland Garros media centre - less than half an hour after walking off the court against Fonseca - was revealing."I think the level was really good. I was happy with my level," said Djokovic, who was playing at only his third event since losing to Alcaraz in the Australian Open final in January."I don't think I've done too much wrong with my game. It's just that he was just better."Like virtually everyone else who watches tennis, Djokovic has suspected for a long time that Fonseca has the capacity to go to the top.Djokovic revealed as early as last year's Australian Open that he was already a member of Fonseca's growing fan club, even though the Brazilian teenager had barely played a Grand Slam match at that stage.In their first meeting on the match court, Djokovic found out first hand how good he actually is.Fonseca's biggest weapon is the ferocious forehand that leaves opponents beaten and spectators gasping with excitement.While that was again the case on Court Philippe Chatrier, what was arguably more impressive was his ability to demonstrate a more subtle approach as victory came into sight.Fonseca knew Djokovic was waning physically on another hot Paris evening, showing the composure to play the right shots at the right times - and execute them - to inflict serious damage.If the greater consistency of his groundstrokes was the jab, the deftness of his dropshot was the body shot. The strength of his serve - firing down three aces from a break down to seal victory - proved to be the knockout blow."I think we all saw today why there is hype around him," said Djokovic.This was the moment which the thousands of boisterous Brazilians inside Chatrier - and those who have descended on tournaments over the past two years - had been waiting for.Fonseca was born in 2006 - Djokovic reached the French Open quarter-finals for the first time earlier that year [Getty Images]Queues have regularly been snaking outside the outside courts wherever Fonseca has played - from Melbourne to Miami, Roland Garros to Rio de Janeiro.Only two players from the South American nation - Maria Bueno and Gustavo Kuerten - have won major singles titles.Kuerten was the last Brazilian man to lift a Grand Slam singles trophy when he claimed his third French Open title in 2001.The fans who created pockets of green and gold - by wearing Brazil football shirts and waving national flags - celebrated joyously and chanted Fonseca's name when he completed a long-awaited landmark win.Now the Brazilians are dreaming Fonseca will follow in Kuerten's footsteps and win the Coupe des Mousquetaires next weekend.It is fanciful, seeing as he has only reached the last 16 of a major for the first time, but not impossible given the men's draw continues to be blown wide open.Djokovic's elimination means a first-time Grand Slam champion is guaranteed, following the shock departure of heavy favourite Sinner on Thursday.Someone will take advantage. On reflection, Djokovic may feel it should have been him. Live scores, results and order of playGet tennis news sent straight to your phone

NEW YORK (AP) — The last-place New York Mets are making a change to their pitching rotation, demoting David Peterson to the bullpen and replacing him with fellow left-hander Sean Manaea.It's a promotion for Manaea, who has been used mainly in long relief and mop-up duty this season after signing a $75 million, three-year contract in December 2024.Peterson, an All-Star in 2025 before fading in the second half, is 3-5 with a 5.57 ERA this year. He has made seven starts and five relief appearances but has been taking a regular turn, pitching several times in bulk relief following an opener.Now that role will go to Manaea. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said the 34-year-old will either start or pitch after an opener Monday night in Seattle.“We're going to give him a chance here,” Mendoza said Friday night before the series opener against the Miami Marlins.The 30-year-old Peterson, who can become a free agent following the World Series, was told to be available out of the bullpen beginning Sunday against Miami. He started Tuesday night in a 7-2 loss to Cincinnati, allowing six runs, three walks and a career-high 11 hits while throwing 90 pitches in five-plus innings. He also failed to back up home plate on one play, which cost the Mets when a relay throw from the outfield got away. “Obviously, he understands the situation. It's what's best for the team right now. But I also told him that it's an important role. We're going to need him,” Mendoza said. “The performance matters here, too. And if he throws the ball well, the way he's capable of, he's going to continue to get opportunities. ... He understood. Like I said, he's a professional, and he's going to do whatever the team needs." Manaea is 0-1 with a 5.56 ERA in 12 outings this season — all in relief. He has struck out 38 and walked 15 in 34 innings.Manaea was the Mets' best starter during his first season with the team, going 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA in 181 2/3 innings and helping them reach the 2024 National League Championship Series.He re-signed with New York as a free agent but began 2025 on the injured list with an oblique strain and struggled throughout the season. He finished 2-4 with a 5.64 ERA in 12 starts and three relief appearances, an obvious culprit as the Mets collapsed in the second half and missed the playoffs.With his velocity down in spring training this year, Manaea failed to earn a rotation spot and was placed in the bullpen. But his stuff has looked more crisp of late, and he struck out six while throwing 46 of 68 pitches for strikes in three innings of one-run ball Tuesday night against the Reds. ___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

The last time Texas A&M baseball battled back for a regional victory down five runs or more was in 2019 against West Virginia, but the Aggies rewrote history at Blue Bell Park in the Bryan-College Station Regional opener on Friday. After concluding the 2025 season without an appearance in the postseason, the Aggies secured a host for the first time since 2024 and etched their names into the history books again with their comeback win over Lamar on Friday.The Cardinals jumped out to a 5-0 lead through five innings, but Gavin Grahovac's solo blast and Chris Hacopian's two-run homer led the charge for an epic comeback in College Station. Texas A&M scored seven unanswered runs to capture a 7-5 victory over Lamar and advance to the winner's bracket for a showdown against either Texas State or USC. Here are some of the best social media reactions from Texas A&M's comeback win over Lamar on Friday:Down 5-0 in the fifth, the Aggies found a way to complete the comeback and advanceKeep finding a way ➡️ pic.twitter.com/G5IUGjRamh— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) May 30, 2026Clayton Freshcorn slams the door shut for the Aggies' first regional win since 2024Fri-DUB 👏 pic.twitter.com/u9HYa3fMGK— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) May 29, 2026Pics from the win at Olsen FieldAGS ADVANCE ➡️ pic.twitter.com/WcwAkdjipc— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) May 29, 2026Late-night winner's bracket matchup set for Texas A&MThat'll do it for Game 1! See u tomorrow at 8pm 👍 pic.twitter.com/s9U9lQc3wH— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) May 29, 2026Travis Chestnut gives the Aggies the leadAGS TAKE THE LEAD 🚨 @TravisChestnut_pic.twitter.com/f9ZClNkQgu— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) May 29, 2026Hacopian's massive two-run homerHacopian Homer 😤His 10th of the season 👏 pic.twitter.com/BiRxbpJMmF— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) May 29, 2026Grahovac's 45th in his collegiate careerHOME RUN, GAVIN GRAHOVAC 🚨‼️ @GavinGrahovacpic.twitter.com/UJqaymDpJD— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) May 29, 2026D1 Baseball's Kendall Rogers gives his thoughts on the winFINAL | Texas A&M fell behind 5-0 to Lamar, but @AggieBaseball battles back to take a 7-5 decision over the Cardinals to advance to tomorrow night's winner's bracket game. Chris Hacopian had a HR and three RBIs for the #Aggies.— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) May 29, 2026Freshcorn impresses for the save and the winFRESHCORN SLAMS THE DOOR 🔥🔥🔥🔥Texas A&M survives the pesky Lamar Cardinals. Aggies will face winner of USC/Texas State pic.twitter.com/8kRJbu44H5— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) May 29, 2026Things got a little chippy between Caden Sorrell and the CardinalsI caught the tail end of a little back and forth between Texas A&M CF Caden Sorrell and Lamar catcher Jake Wagoner.Intensity levels are raising a little bit here at Blue Bell. pic.twitter.com/gvVR0k8hqE— Tony Catalina (@Tony_Catalina) May 29, 2026Dubs for the Ags in Game 1THAT DUB FEELING 👏🏼#RoadToOmaha x 📸 @AggieBaseballpic.twitter.com/Wj4f6rqa2B— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) May 29, 2026Texas A&M refused to give up against LamarNEVER SEEN ‘EM QUIT pic.twitter.com/6Nry1UWCqO— Barstool Texas A&M (@BarstoolTexasAM) May 29, 2026Chestnut puts down an incredible bunt to give Texas A&M the leadAFTER BEING DOWN 5-0, THE AGGIES HAVE CLAWED BACK TO TAKE THE LEAD!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/Yru8b4vjif— Barstool Texas A&M (@BarstoolTexasAM) May 29, 2026Aggies rebound and take the game from the CardinalsIt ain’t a beauty contest…Aggies start sleepy but rebound in the back half of the game. The offense got going behind Gavin Grahovac, Caden Sorrell, and Chris Hacopian.Gavin Lyons and Clayton Freshcorn were outstanding in relief https://t.co/vOoyWMAKeK— Ryan Brauninger (@R_Brauninger) May 29, 2026Postseason saw at Blue Bell Park is so backHeaded to the third with the saw 👍#GigEmpic.twitter.com/KeWRNkAv8m— TexAgs (@TexAgs) May 29, 2026Gritty win for the Aggies in the regional openerHell of a win. Hell of a win. Couple hosts got nipped today, and I'm over the moon that we weren't one of them. Immaculate job out of the pen from Lyons and Freshcorn. I thought the move to Chestnut in the eighth was brilliant. We get the winner of State/USCw tomorrow.— Sidelines - Texas A&M (@SSN_TAMU) May 29, 2026Michael Earley is undecided on who will start on the bump Saturday nightMichael Earley says that Texas A&M has not yet made a decision about Saturday night's starting pitcher.The Aggies will face either USC or Texas State at 8 p.m. CT tomorrow evening.— Richard Zane (@RichardZane32) May 29, 2026Don't ever count out the AgsTexas A&M outscored Lamar 7-0 after this tweet to win the game. Pleased to have played a small role in inspiring a great Aggies team. 🫡 https://t.co/yjr71ok5gD— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) May 29, 2026Lamar head coach Will Davis gives his thoughts on the loss to Texas A&MHear from head coach Will Davis following the 7-5 loss to Texas A&M. pic.twitter.com/iVOofDy9dQ— Holton Pepper (@Pepper20021) May 30, 2026Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Best social media reactions from Texas A&M's epic comeback vs. Lamar

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — J.J. Spaun is thinking a little bit about his schedule and a lot about his putting while in contention at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial.The reigning U.S. Open champion believes he’s getting both lined up just about right three weeks before he tries to defend his first major title.Spaun surged with four birdies on his front nine before a couple of late bogeys in a 2-under 68 that put him at 8 under Friday, two shots behind Englishman Jordan Smith and one back of Hideki Matsuyama and three others after 36 holes at Colonial.Smith took the lead by himself with a 31-foot birdie putt at the par-3 16th, saved par from a bunker on 17 and missed a 9-footer for birdie on 18 to finish at 10 under with a second consecutive 65.“It’s going to be a new experience for us out here leading for the first time,” said Smith, a 33-year-old PGA Tour rookie who qualified through the DP World Tour and had his best finish at third in the Valpar Championship. “Not going to force anything, not going to rush anything, just going to see what happens and enjoy it.”Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion with 10 other tour victories, and Michael Thorbjornsen had matching 65s. They were at 9 under with Ryan Gerard (67) and 2023 Britisn Open champion Brian Harman (66).Spaun was joined by Akshay Bhatia (65), Russell Henley (66), Brice Garnett (66) and Alex Smalley (67).A.J. Ewart had the second hole in two days at the 195-yard, par-3 16th — Brandt Snedeker aced it in the opening round — and followed an opening 70 with a career-best 63, the low round of the day. He was at 7 under with Michael Brennan (66) and Mackenzie Hughes (67).Gary Woodland, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, was among 11 players at 6 under at Hogan’s Alley, where light wins and still-soft conditions led to 154 sub-par scores through two rounds. That tied the previous high of 154 sub-par rounds from when Zach Johnson set the 72-hole scoring record of 21-under 259.Temperatures reached the mid-90s with a heat index approaching 100, and conditions are supposed to stay that way through the weekend. There is almost no chance for rain.“It’s drying up just like it probably did a little bit yesterday afternoon,” Harman said. “The fairways will get firm and these fairways will get tougher to hit, and that’s how this place protects itself.”Defending champion Ben Griffin shot a second consecutive 68 and was 4 under along with Justin Thomas, a stroke above the cut line.Spaun, who was among six players tied for the lead after an opening 64, missed the cut in six of his first 13 events this year, including the Masters and PGA Championship. He said he changed putters because he was losing confidence on the greens.The highest-ranked player in the field at No. 9, Spaun kept his hot front nine going with a 15-foot par putt at 17 and was still without a bogey for the tournament before missing a pair of par putts outside 15 feet on the seventh and eight holes.“It’s nice to see that the putter switch was a good change,” Spaun said. “I found myself kind of resenting my putter at times when I’m out on the course. That’s been the only issue all year. My ball striking’s been pretty solid. The weeks that I putt just slightly better than average, I contend.”Spaun’s other two wins are both at the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio, including last month. He figures the 27 holes on Sunday in a rain-altered event might have contributed to a 74-75 at the Masters, and he shot 70-76 while playing a third consecutive week at the PGA.After playing the Memorial next week, Spaun will skip the Canadian Open before going to Shinnecock Hills.“It will be nice to have a week off and then get to Shinnecock and kind of feel fresh, but not like I’ve taken too much time off,” said Spaun, who skipped Colonial’s neighboring event, The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, last week.Smith made 181 feet of putts, including a 40-footer from the fringe on the par-4 12th. The long putt at 16 came two holes after his only bogey of the tournament so far at the par-4 14th.“The putter’s been hot the last two days, which is nice to see,” Smith said. “Swing still hasn’t felt 100%, but we’ve been hitting a lot of fairways and a lot of greens, which is key out here.”

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 13: Santiago Espinal #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates after hitting a home run during the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images LOS ANGELES — Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández was placed on the 10-day injured list on Friday with a left hamstring strain, which he suffered during Wednesday night’s win over the Colorado Rockies. Ryan Ward got called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to help fill in in left field with Hernández out. That was the expected move, but it wasn’t all.Santiago Espinal also re-signed with the Dodgers, after getting designated for assignment on Monday and cleared waivers on Wednesday. Hyeseong Kim was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City, giving Alex Freeland more of a runway at second base, especially against right-handed pitchers.Hernández suffered the injury in the third inning on Wednesday running out a groundout, and expressed frustration in the dugout before finally retreating to the clubhouse. There’s never a good time for an injury, but the timing was especially rough for Hernández, who found his hitting stroke of late after a three-week stretch with no extra-base hits. Hernández in his last 16 games hit .364/.419/.600, with three home runs, four doubles, and a 186 wRC+.It’s a Grade 1 hamstring injury for Hernández, manager Dave Roberts said, the mildest severity, though there is not yet a timetable for his return.With Hernández out, left field will likely be split between Alex Call, a right-handed hitter, and the lefty-batting Ward. After playing two games for the Dodgers in April while Freddie Freeman was on paternity leave, Ward in Triple-A struggled, hitting .211/.346/.312 with an 80 wRC+ and only six extra-base hits in his last 29 games. While Ward has played more first base this season in Oklahoma City — 27 starts, compared to nine in left field — he’s played plenty of corner outfield in Triple-A with 122 starts in left field and 92 starts in right field since the start of 2023.Call this season has started 11 games in a fill-in capacity all over the outfield — six starts in left, four in right, and once in center field — hitting .294/.413/.373 with four doubles and a 132 wRC+ in 63 plate appearances.“It’s not a complete platoon,” Roberts said. “I see Ryan Ward taking some at-bats versus right, I see Alex Call taking some at-bats versus left. But today, where Wheeler is just a really good pitcher, I want Alex to be in there, and feel that Alex can manage him and take some good at-bats.”Ward will likely start on Sunday against right-hander Andrew Painter, Roberts said. When Espinal was jettisoned on Monday, he left a Dodgers roster that had both Kiké Hernández and Teoscar Hernández. But within three days they lost both players, depleting the right-handed depth. The other right-handed option already on the 40-man roster is Tyler Fitzgerald, who has played third base, shortstop, second base, left field, and right field in Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Dodgers opted instead for the familiarity of Espinal, who played sparingly in his previous stint on the roster, with only 44 plate appearances in his 53 games active, and had just four hits in 26 at-bats against left-handed pitchers, against whom he has a career 104 wRC+.“With a star-studded team, you also have to have guys that know their roles. Espy is a guy that is good on the team, understands his value, is ready when called upon, and I trust him defensively,” Roberts said. “I like him versus left-handed pitching. I think having him back is pretty seamless too, because we only lost him for a few days.”Look for Espinal to start on Saturday against left-hander Jesús Luzardo, likely at third base as the Dodgers ease Max Muncy back in after getting hit by a pitch on his wrist.Kim was the odd man out, after just eight hits in 46 at-bats (.174/.250/.174) with 17 strikeouts over the last three weeks.“I think his swing has changed, I think he’s losing his legs a little bit, and he’s coming around the ball a little. There’s a lot more swing and miss than there was early. I think he is just playing a little bit more tentative, to my eyes, and not as free and easy as he was in some parts of last year and early on,” Roberts said. “Getting him back to playing everyday [in Triple-A] in a little bit less of a hotbox, he’ll perform back to where he can and will. That’s kind of what we were hoping for.”To make room on the 40-man roster for Espinal, Blake Snell was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Snell, who had arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies in his left elbow on May 19, isn’t eligible to return until July 11 — just two days before the All-Star break — at the earliest.

Jett Buck does it in the field and at the plate today | Nebraska Athletics They showed up! Nebraska fans turned out in mass to cheer on their Cornhusker baseball team on a day that flipped back and forth from light rain to beautiful sunshine. Hosting a regional for the first time in 18 years, the seats were full in the stadium with an announced sell out and the berms were full. Along the rails around the field people were standing three-deep trying to get a glimpse of the action on the field. Nebraska’s top starter Carson Jasa took the mound for Nebraska against the familiar opponent from north of the border. Jasa brought a 9-2 record to his matchup against SDSU starter Sam Schlecht (4-4). Both of them are tall right handers, but their collection of pitches could not be any different with Jasa the flamethrower and Schlecht being the master of the change up and off-speed stuff.Three straight strikeouts for Jasa in the fifth. M5 | Nebraska 2, SDSU 0 pic.twitter.com/D1X5blTSed— Nebraska Baseball (@HuskerBaseball) May 29, 2026Nebraska threatened early but could not muster a run, leaving two runners on base in each of the first two innings, and another one in the third. They struggled with Schlecht’s change-up and were not able to put the barrel of the bat on the ball.The Jacks put runners on the corners in the top of the third thanks to a walk and a hit, but a very slick double-play turned by Dylan Carey and Rhett Stokes bailed Jasa out of the inning with no damage done.Jett Buck led off the bottom of the fourth ripping a liner off the glove of third baseman Nolan Grawe and ended up on second base as well as sparking the Cornhusker crowd. Joshua Overbeek followed with a single to left, putting runners on the corners. Up came Trey Fikes who hit a line-drive that tipped off the glove of a leaping second baseman Matthew Werk. Buck scored for the first run of the game.The Big Red added one more off reliever Ty Madison as Stokes bunted the baserunners up 90-feet bringing up the top of the order. Mac Moyer put the ball in play on the right side allowing Overbeek to come home with the Cornhusker’s second run. After four innings, Nebraska was up 2-0.In the top of the sixth inning, Jasa plunked lead-off man Carter Taylor in the ribs and Dayton Franke followed with a single down the rightfield line to move him to third. Wanting to take advantage of some momentum, the Jacks called on Keagan Jirschele to lay down a bunt to squeeze home a run. Maybe a good idea, but poor execution as he sent the ball right back to Jasa, who flipped it to Worthley for the easy tag at the plate. Run averted.The Jackrabbits weren’t done trying to get that first run on the board. Werk laced a single to leftfield with runners on first and second. Franke was sent home and Jett Buck came up throwing. He threw a laser home to Fikes, who did a brilliant job grabbing the ball and putting the tag on the runner before he reached the plate. Second run averted.DON'T RUN ON THE 'SKRS. pic.twitter.com/3GUxDgg4Io— Nebraska Baseball (@HuskerBaseball) May 29, 2026SDSU would finally get a run in the inning when reliever J’Shawn Unger gave up his second single of the inning to Owen Siegert, who drove in Jirschele to make it 2-1 Nebraska. Unger walked the next batter to load the bases, raising the tension in the ballpark, but then gave the red-clad masses a chance to release it as he struck out Nate Wachter swinging. Dylan Carey gave the crowd what they were waiting for in the bottom of the eighth. He blasted a towering home run on a 2-2 pitch from Madison that brought the crowd to their feet once again. It looked like Nebraska may be able to blow this one open as Madison walked Sanderson and Drew Grego came to the plate. However, Grego’s bunt attempt flew into the glove of Grawe at third, who then fired across the diamond to double-off Sanderson.All was not lost on the inning though as Jett Buck showed that opposite field power we saw earlier in the season as he homered to the party porch in right-centerfield. Going to the ninth, Nebraska extended their lead to 4-2.With Ty Horn tossing lightly in the bullpen, Unger came back out for his third inning of work and faced the bottom of the Jackrabbit order. Franke grounded out to Overbeek and then Unger stepped up to win it in style by striking Jirschele and Werk. Ball game! Nebraska 4, South Dakota State 1.That's a @HuskerBaseball dub!📺: ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/pOHyXTZxu6— Big Ten Baseball (@B1Gbaseball) May 29, 2026Carson Jasa sat down at least three of his strikeouts looking at a sneaky off-speed pitch on the inside black. Of his eight strikeouts, six were called third strikes. He went 6.1 innings, giving up five hits, walking two and hitting one with 92 pitches for the win. J’Shawn Unger got his 13th save recording four strikeouts in 2.2 innings.The ballpark was full so it is a little surprise that official attendance was 7828. It appeared there would be more than that.With rain in the forecast most of the day Saturday, it could be a mystery what time Nebraska will play. They are scheduled for a 7:06 first pitch.Notes:Jett Buck’s throw-out at the plate brought the loudest roar in the stadium for quite some time. Plus, you rarely get to see that play in a game. As always, there are a few upsets in the first round of the regional tournament. One that matters to Nebraska is Milwaukee’s 13-7 win over 4th seeded Auburn. This took place in the regional that Nebraska’s is paired with. Yes, there is a lot of baseball to play! We can’t ignore St. Mary’s 3-2 win over top-seeded UCLA. That one has stolen the headlines.While the Nebraska – South Dakota State matchup was not a really attractive one, it is interesting that it was relegated to streaming rather than carried on one of the many ESPN networks when they assigned their top college baseball broadcast team to the regional. Karl Ravitch and Kyle Peterson are in the house for the weekend. The Mothership apparently wanted to save some travel expenses as Peterson could just drive down from Elkhorn. ONE DOWN. pic.twitter.com/rwDsT2SlrA— Nebraska Baseball (@HuskerBaseball) May 29, 2026

The No. 12 Florida State Seminoles faced off against St. John's in the first game of the Tallahassee Regional after a two-hour rain delay, and were defeated, 6-5.After St. John's didn't get on the board in the first inning, on the first pitch for Florida State, John Stuetzer hit a homer to deep left field to give the Seminoles an early 1-0 lead.In the bottom of the second, St. John's would tie it up with a homer to center field by Adam Agresti. Gabe Fraiser would hit his first homer of the season for FSU in the bottom of the second to deep left field to make it a 2-1 game.No scoring in the third, but a Brayden Dowd single to center field in the bottom of the fourth allowed Fraiser to score again, this time from second base. In the top of the fifth, Cristian Bernardini singled to right field and Will Cowan scored for St. John's to make it 3-2 FSU.In the bottom of the sixth, Cal Fisher singled, and Carter McCulley scored off a fielding error to extend FSU's lead to two. St. John's nearly robbed Dowd of a homer later in the inning, but he was unable to make the catch, and it became a double, allowing Fisher to score and making it 5-2 FSU.The eighth was not good for FSU. A solo homer by Dylan Fitzsimmons, Jon LeGrande scoring on a wild pitch, and Jayde Raifstanger scoring on a passed ball tied the game at 5-5.In the top of the ninth, Raifstanger singled to center field, and Fitzsimmons scored to give St. John's their first lead of the game and put FSU on the brink of being sent to the losers' bracket.Three outs later, the Seminoles now find themselves one loss away from their season ending early.Contact/Follow us @FSUWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of FSU news, notes, and opinions. Jacob Smith is a contributor for FSU Wire, part of the USA TODAY Network. You can also follow Jacob on X at @jsmith_sports.This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: FSU Baseball: Seminoles fall to St. John's

Report: 'Zero Chance' Giannis Antetokounmpo Returns To Bucks originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Boston Celtics are the second most likely team to land all-time great Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to Vegas odds. NBA fans know that Antetokounmpo and the Bucks are involved in hypothetical trade discussions nearly every offseason. The discussions usually result in the superstar saying that Wisconsin is his home, then leading the team to a first-round playoff exit (as was the case in 2023, 2024 and 2025).However, this time feels different. The Bucks have failed to make any noise in the postseason since winning their NBA Title in 2021. It has been one abject failure after another. It feels like this time, it really is time to shake things up. Award-winning writer Gery Woelfel reported on X that there is "zero chance" that Antetokounmpo will return to the Bucks next season."You never say never when it comes to the zany world of professional sports. Things can change in a heartbeat. But as of this tweet, there's virtually zero chance of Antetokounmpo remaining with the Bucks," Woelfel wrote. "I’m hearing a G.A. trade will likely include multiple teams and that it’ll probably go down in the days leading up to the draft, which commences June 23."I've been thinking about this hypothetical deal a lot lately, and I'm ready to go public with my official stance: if the Celtics are able to pair up Jayson Tatum and Giannis Antetokounmpo, they will win multiple championships. In the playoffs this year, the Celtics learned that you cannot always rely strictly on perimeter scoring. They haven't had a real post threat in ages.Keeping knock-down shooters like DerrickWhite, Tatum and Payton Pritchard, and adding in a black hole piece like Antetokounmpo that can start the offense in the low post will revolutionize Joe Mazzulla's offense. It's still a hypothetical, but hypothetically, Tatum and Antetokounmpo are hanging multiple banners in TD Garden. More NBA: NBA Insider Names Surprise Landing Spot For Giannis Antetokounmpo That Could Devastate Celtics Chances

🏥Verdolaga treatment room: Nacional's ins and outs for the finalAtlético Nacional is putting the final touches on its preparations for the Liga BetPlay title decider against Junior de Barranquilla. However, head coach Diego Arias faces a complex puzzle due to an alarming medical report and international call-ups for the FIFA window.Key absences through injury and national team dutyThe most painful loss is Dairon Asprilla, who had to undergo surgery after suffering a serious knee injury. He is joined by Argentine full-back Milton Casco, who has been ruled out due to fitness issues. On the international front, veteran goalkeeper David Ospina has already joined the Colombia national team, leaving Harlen Castillo to take over between the posts. Likewise, the club is urgently awaiting the Venezuelan Federation’s release of Eduard Bello from its squad for the friendly against Turkey.The return of key playersIt’s not all bad news for the Medellín side. The coaching staff is pleased to have defender Simón García back after he fully recovered from a viral illness. In addition, the attack will regain its full firepower with the return of Cristian "Chicho" Arango, who has served his suspension.This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

SEATTLE — Nolan Arenado was out of the lineup for the second consecutive game on Friday, May 29, but the Diamondbacks’ veteran third baseman said he was feeling much better and expected to start on Saturday in the second game of their series against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park.Arenado exited the Diamondbacks’ 7-5 win over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night due to right groin tightness.Manager Torey Lovullo said Arenado received treatment on his groin on Thursday’s off day and was expected to go through a full pregame workout on Friday evening.“He’ll most likely be available off the bench today and in the lineup tomorrow,” Lovullo said. “That’s what we’re anticipating.”Rehab updates on Corbin Burnes, Jordan Lawlar, et alRight-hander Corbin Burnes threw 20 pitches in a live batting practice session on Friday, his first time facing hitters since undergoing elbow surgery last year, Lovullo said.Burnes is expected to face hitters again on Tuesday as he continues to point toward a July return from the injured list.One of the hitters Burnes faced was outfielder Jordan Lawlar, who is working his way back from a wrist fracture. Lawlar was expected to progress to a game in the Arizona Complex League on Saturday.First baseman Pavin Smith shifted his rehab assignment to Triple-A Reno this week, getting four at-bats as the designated hitter on Wednesday night. He did not play on Thursday as planned, Lovullo said, because he was dealing with an illness. Depending on how he feels, Smith might serve as the DH again on Friday night for Reno.Left-hander A.J. Puk, who is also working his way back from elbow surgery, made his second appearance in the complex league on Wednesday, throwing a scoreless inning, and was expected to pitch again on Saturday.Diamondbacks at Mariners, 7:10 p.m., Cox, Ch. 34Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (3-4, 4.80) vs. Mariners RHP George Kirby (5-4, 3.54).At T-Mobile Park: Gallen gave up three runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Rockies in his most recent start, earning the win for the second outing in a row. … He got five whiffs on his slider, but only two on his fastball, a pitch with which he has been unable to miss bats this year. … Gallen has faced the Mariners twice, most recently in 2024, when he gave up three runs in five innings during a start in Seattle. He exited that game early due to a hamstring issue. … Kirby allowed five runs (three earned) in six innings against the Royals last week. He has worked at least six innings in seven of his 11 starts. … He was dominant in his lone career start against the Diamondbacks in 2024, firing seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball with one walk and 12 strikeouts. … Kirby is averaging a career-high 96.7 mph with his fastball. He has five other pitches, including a pair of breaking balls.Coming upSaturday, May 30: At Seattle, 7:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (2-3, 4.65) vs. Mariners RHP Bryan Woo (4-3, 3.82).Sunday, May 31: At Seattle, 1:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (5-3, 5.25) vs. Mariners RHP Bryce Miller (1-0, 2.25).Monday, June 1: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (5-1, 2.31) vs. Dodgers RHP Emmet Sheehan (3-1, 4.70).What to know about the Seattle MarinersThe Mariners completed a three-game sweep of the Athletics on Wednesday, May 27, to move to their record to 28-29, good enough, believe it or not, for first place in the American League West. Not all has gone according to plan for the Mariners this year. C Cal Raleigh, who smacked 60 homers last year, has only seven this year. On the injured list with an oblique injury, he was hitting just .161/.243/.317 through 41 games. The Mariners are also without 3B Brendan Donovan, their big offseason acquisition. He was off to a fast start (.274/.386/.452) through 25 games, but has twice landed on the injured list due to a groin strain. RHP Logan Gilbert has been dominant of late, not allowing a run in three of his past four starts, though he will not pitch in the Diamondbacks series. The series finale likely will be started by either RHP Bryce Miller or RHP Luis Castillo, who have been alternating in the fifth spot in the rotation.(This story has been updated to add information.)This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks-Mariners live updates. Health update on Nolan Arenado

The No. 10 FSU Seminoles were stunned by the St. John's Red Storm in the first game of the Tallahassee Regional, losing 6-5 in Dick Howser Stadium. FSU led 5-2 in the eighth inning, but the bullpen was unable to protect the lead as the offense went cold.It is FSU's first time losing in the regional round under Link Jarrett after they won the first six games. The Seminoles will now have to come out of the losers' bracket as they look to advance to the Super Regional round for the third straight time, requiring them to win four straight elimination games.FSU had a chance to tie the game in the ninth when Brayden Dowd and Hunter Carns singled, putting the tying run in scoring position with one out for Eli Putnam. He was unable to come through, hitting into a game-ending double play in his only at-bat after replacing Ben Barrett in the field. The Seminoles struggled all game with runners on, going 5-22 and stranding nine runners.It was a stunning loss for FSU, which was 35-0 when leading after seven innings prior to the game. Here is a look at how FSU fans reacted to the shocking loss.FSU loses to St. John'sFinal, Florida State falls to St. John's, 6-5.We'll be back tomorrow at 1 pm.— FSU Baseball (@FSUBaseball) May 30, 2026Is FSU baseball cursed?Dawg this program is CURSED— Jake Del Mauro (@NJNole79) May 30, 2026This is a costly loss for FSUImagine losing this game and using up our best relievers doing so— FSU Soccer National Champs! (@WoodyCumbie) May 30, 2026The winning run for St. John'sNo. 4 St. John’s STUNS No. 1 Florida State in the Tallahassee opener 🔥That’s the FOURTH four seed to defeat a national seed today 👀(🎥@espn) pic.twitter.com/k1IrduVuUe— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) May 30, 2026Not at allWell, losing the opening game in Regionals at home is not ideal.— TaReef KnockOut (@TaReefKnockOut) May 30, 2026The 8th inning was terrible for FSUWild pitches, blown lead, catcher’s interference, dropped fly ball… what else can go wrong this inning?!— EFESHEW (@EFESHEW) May 29, 2026A shocking loss for FSUUnbelievable.— JBA (@JenBassAllen) May 29, 2026UnderstandableThe boys are gonna make me crashout if they don’t secure this game 1— cole (@ColeW55) May 30, 2026FairI’ve seen enough.— Peej (@SeminolePeej) May 29, 2026John Stuetzer's home runI will never understand how Stuetzer gets so much power out of that swing pic.twitter.com/zqx2IR2fnZ— 12 (@D1Twelve2) May 29, 2026Pretty muchNoles.....sigh— UTAH NOLE 🍢 (@Utah_Nole) May 30, 2026Sports are cruel sometimesAll Florida State sports does is give me pain…. I’m tired— Mary 🤍 (@FSUStan4L) May 30, 2026Bad thingsI just took a quick nap on this flight when we were up 5-2. What happened?— Dillon Riera (@13d_riera) May 30, 2026It is a problemFlorida State Baseball should never lose to St. John’s University baseball. This is unacceptable.— Dan🇺🇸🍢☘️ (@NHseminole) May 30, 2026A frustrating gamepic.twitter.com/SHfF9gxVvF— BWNOLES (@bwnoles) May 30, 2026Losing sucksGoodbye world.— NotMobNole (@mobnole2) May 30, 2026Everybody copy soccerFSU sports is cursed until further notice (except soccer)— Mike Settle Jr (@settleml92) May 30, 2026It has been a whilewaiting for something good to happen to florida state pic.twitter.com/n6LjBnyUKp— Trey Rowland (@trey_rowland59) May 30, 2026It's toughAverage FSU fan experience: pic.twitter.com/bl6LgSIfuG— Barstool FSU (@FSU_Barstool) May 30, 2026Follow us @FSUWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida State news, notes, and opinions.This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Social media reacts to FSU losing to St. John's

White Sox's Munetaka Murakami exits Tigers game with leg injury originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Munetaka Murakami grimaced when he reached first base Friday night. After overrunning the bag, the Chicago White Sox rookie walked gingerly, massaging his right hamstring.White Sox manager Will Venable and members of the training staff hustled out for an examination. A short look sent shockwaves throughout Rate Field.Two seasons removed from experiencing a 121-loss campaign and drained from an extended rebuilding project, the White Sox were beginning to look like a legitimate contender in the AL Central.Led by Murakami's early power surge, the second-place White Sox (29-27) entered Friday three games behind the Cleveland Guardians.Murakami became the fourth player in MLB history to connect on 20 homers during his first 55 games.Following a short examination near first base, Murakami exited the game against the visiting Detroit Tigers. He was replaced by Luisangel Acuna, who scored the White Sox's first run on Miguel Vargas' run-scoring double.With the Tigers leading 2-1 in the seventh inning Friday, the White Sox did not immediately release an update on Murakami's condition.More MLB news:How New York Yankees are impacted by new MLB salary capWill Angels continue to regret trading Taylor Ward for Grayson Rodriguez?Phillies' $20M offseason saga regret over Nick Castellanos extending into summerReds thankful, Athletics regret non-tendering JJ Bleday

Day one of the 2026 Elite 11 Finals has arrived. The illustrious event, featuring 20 of the nation’s top quarterback recruits, is getting underway on Friday evening in Los Angeles.There are few higher honors for high school quarterbacks than being invited to the event, which will celebrate its 28th year in 2026. It brings together the country’s elite signal-callers for three days of competition, skill work and training, which culminates with a 7-on-7 skills showcase on Sunday.Each of the 20 passers landed invites to the finals after competing in one of the event’s seven regional feeder camps that occurred throughout the spring. FULL ELITE 11 FINALS ROSTER | ELITE 11 FINALS PREVIEWThis year’s group features each of the top 10 quarterbacks in the 2027 Rivals Industry Ranking and 15 of the top 20. Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power, as well as Rivals national experts Greg Biggins, Adam Gorney and Brandon Huffman are all on hand for the first throwing session and will provide coverage and analysis throughout. Join the discussion on the Rivals recruiting board here.Live Updates from Elite 11 Finals Day 1By:Hunter SheltonThree prevalent college QBs return as counselors05/29/2026 08:18:09 PMAuburn’s Byrum Brown, Cal’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and Washington’s Demond Williams Jr. are in LA and are serving as this year’s Elite 11 college counselors.Sagapolutele notably came to the 2024 Elite 11 Finals from Hawaii as an unranked prospect and left with his stock soaring after an impressive showing. He ended the 2025 recruiting cycle as the No. 20 overall prospect and No. 4 QB in the Rivals300. “Watching the college counselors warm up. Sagapolutele has such effortless arm strength, doesn’t have to strain to generate RPMs. Demond Williams has added significant mass in his lower body since high school. Byrum Brown is an imposing physical presence, looks like he’s working on tightening his release with QB coach Jordan Palmer.” — Charles PowerBy:Hunter SheltonRanking the regional performances05/29/2026 07:55:56 PMThe passers earned invitations after competing at regional feeder camps throughout the spring. Rivals got a look at each, and earlier this week, Power and Rivals National Scout Cody Bellaire ranked the top regional performances.Kentucky four-star commit Jake Nawrot headlined the list thanks to his big showing at the Indianapolis regional. Nawrot is the No. 2 QB in the updated Rivals300 rankings. “Nawrot put together the most consistent regional workout from start to finish,” Power wrote.By:Hunter SheltonPreviewing the Elite 11 Finals05/29/2026 07:49:32 PMThere’s never a shortage of storylines among the top passers from a scouting perspective. Rivals’ Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power Previewed the event earlier this week, naming some of the top arms in attendance and others who will look to bump their stock up over the next three days.“Ultimately, the Elite 11 Finals is just a piece of what is a multi-year evaluation process,” Power wrote. “The event is naturally highly subjective, due to the format. For Rivals, we factor in the high-level ability and consistency of the performance shown over the three days when formulating our Top Performers.”Of the top 20 quarterbacks in the Rivals Industry Ranking this cycle, 15 are in Los Angeles this weekend. Just two passers — Colton Nussmeier and Ryan Rakowski — are currently uncommitted.

Metamora High School has a doubles tandem that will play for third place in the state Saturday, while Dunlap and Metamora were locked in a fourth-place tie in the chase for team trophies at the 2026 IHSA boys state tennis finals in the Chicago area.The Eagles have a doubles tandem still alive, too, in Dunlap seniors Ethan Klemens and Harmin Patel. They play in the consolation semifinals Saturday.Metamora senior tandem Tommy Sopko and Weston Lange battled into the championship bracket semifinals before being stopped by Deerfield's Ryan Chernawsky and Blake Drexler 6-3, 6-2.They will play for third place at 8 a.m. Saturday.Here's how Peoria area players fared in the state tournament through action Thursday and Friday:Washington High School◾Washington senior Charles Schermerhorn defeated Mascoutah's Corbin Monfre 6-2, 6-3 in Class 1A action.He lost a second-round match to Roman Stukov (Vernon Hills) 6-0, 6-0.Schermerhorn then lost a tough consolation bracket match to Champaign St. Thomas More senior Wyatt Kirby 3-6, 6-3, (10-3).Dunlap High School◾Dunlap sophomore Ethan Laclef won his Class 1A opening match 6-1, 6-0, over Ryne Reatherford (Mt. Zion).He lost to Champaign Centennial's Samith Ramanath 6-1, 6-3. Laclef worked through three consolation bracket matches after that, beating Troy Triad's John Cass 6-1, 1-6, (10-6) in the second round, then Bloomington Cornerstone Christian Academy's Jonathan Farinas in the third round 6-1, 6-1, before elimination in the fourth round by Lake Forest senior Andrew Harris 6-2, 6-0.◾Dunlap freshman teammate Michael Dresden dropped an epic opening match to Lake Forest freshman Gino Ventura 7-5, 2-6, (10-7).He peeled off two wins in the consolation bracket, knocking out Crystal Lake Central's Ryan Spencer 6-3, 6-3 and Crystal Lake South's Bayel Muktar 6-2, 6-0. Dresden exited in the consolation third round to Salem's Jarett Rushing 6-0, 6-0.◾Eagles senior doubles tandem Ethan Klemens and Harmin Patel opened state with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Tyler Dodson and Jonah Garlick (Herrin).Next they knocked out Sycamore's Easton Schuld and Sam Eich 6-4, 6-2. Then Klemens/Patel beat Grayslake North's Chris George/Aidan Munday 7-5, 6-4 in the third round.The Dunlap duo dropped a quarterfinal match to Deerfield's Michael Cho and Elliott Kastin 6-2, 6-0. That dropped them into consolation quarterfinals, where they beat Metamora tandem Dane Hutchison and Hunter Poole 7-6 (5), 6-2 to gain a place in Saturday's consolation semis.They'll face Mascoutah's Jordan Beck and Eli Woodrome in that semifinal.◾Dunlap doubles tandem of Noah Lippens and William Song won their first two matches, beating teams from Urbana and Troy Triad.They ran into Metamora's Sopko and Lange in the third round, and fell 6-2, 6-3.Lippens and Song beat Holland's Rex Holthaus and Parker Schol in the fourth round of consolation 6-7 (1), 6-2, (10-8).They exited with a fifth-round loss to Chicago Latin's Theodore Schlater and Jakob Kohn 6-4, 6-2.Metamora High School◾Metamora sophomore Matt Poole dropped an opening match to Bloomington High School's Phillip Haning 6-3, 6-3. Poole came back to beat Jacksonville's Cole Nebel in consolations, then beat Jackson Dancer of Mahomet-Seymour 6-0, 6-1. Poole exited consolation with a third-round loss to Chatham Glenwood's Ben Loeffler 6-1, 6-2.◾Redbirds doubles tandem of Dane Hutchison and Hunter Poole won its first two matches over teams from Teutopolis and West Chicago, then fell to Lake Forest duo Nick Schweitzer/Owen Kuehnle 6-0, 6-1 in the third round.Hutchison and Poole won fourth- and fifth-round matches in consolation to reach the consolation quarterfinals, where they lost to Dunlap duo Klemens and Patel.◾Sopko and Lange, meanwhile, knocked off tandems from Macomb and Lake Forest in the first two rounds. Then they took out Dunlap duo Noah Lippens and William Song 6-2, 6-3 in the third round.They moved on to the state quarterfinals next, taking out Crystal Lake South's Zeke Boldman and Eryk Bucior 7-5, 0-6, 6-4.The championship run ended with a loss to Ryan Chernawsky and Blake Drexler in the state semifinals.They play at 8 a.m. Saturday for third place against Deerfield juniors Michael Cho and Elliott Kastin.Morton High School◾Potters doubles tandem of Tate Darcy and Joal Larson worked through four Class 1A matches at state.They lost their opener to Troy Triad tandem Owen Litteken and Jackson Naylor, then put together a pair of wins in consolation over Urbana's Xander Ashley and Theodore Nevins 4-6, 6-4, (10-6) and Prairie Ridge's Rory Senese and Matt Jones 6-4, 6-7, (10-5).Their state run ended in the third round of consolation with a loss to Macomb tandem Alex Simmons and Marc Simmons 6-2, 6-0.Peoria Christian◼ Doubles tandem Ian Durst and Samuel Loeb dropped a Class 1A opening round match 6-0, 6-0 to Kyle Fan and Jameson LaFave of Champaign University.They exited with a 6-3, 6-2 loss in consolation to Flora's Kyler Dennis and Luke Powless.Richwoods High School◼ In Class 2A, Richwoods sophomore Kace Tyler dropped his opening match to Chicago Payton's Yash Kaushik 7-5, 6-2. He was eliminated in the opening round of consolation by Wilmette Loyola Academy's Arman Khadivar 6-3, 7-6 (4).◾Richwoods sophomore and teammate Daniel Nathan played three matches deep into the championship bracket. He opened with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Huntley's Rithwik Depala. Nathan won a three-set second-round duel with Edwardsville's Brandon Wong 6-0, 1-6, (10-8).He lost a third-round match to Algonquin Jacobs' Samuel Santa Ines 6-3, 6-4.Nathan dropped into consolation's fourth round and ended his tournament with a three-set battle dropped to Park Ridge Main South's Krysyian Kostov 6-7 (2), 6-0, (10-4).This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Metamora, Dunlap duel for top four finish in IHSA boys tennis state finals

Munetaka Murakami injury updates: Latest news on White Sox slugger, AL HR leader after leaving game vs. Tigers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Arguably no MLB offseason acquisition has paid off more already than the Chicago White Sox's bet on Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami.Murakami had a surprisingly quiet market after being posted for MLB clubs to sign — partially because of defensive concerns and questions of how his "three true outcomes" type of approach would translate. But so far, even while striking out a ton, he's proven any doubters wrong, ranking among the league's home run leaders as Chicago has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence.However, in Friday's game against the Detroit Tigers, Murakami exited with an apparent injury, putting his status into question.Here's the latest on Murakami after being pulled from Friday's matchup.SN's MLB HQ: Live MLB scores | Updated MLB standings | Full MLB scheduleMunetaka Murakami injury updatesComing into Friday's AL Central showdown with Detroit, Murakami had appeared in all 56 of the White Sox's games this season. Not only has he been durable as a first baseman and designated hitter, but he's quickly emerged as one of MLB's deadliest power threats — and he's a significant part of the reason for Chicago hanging around .500 so far after years of struggles.However, in the third inning of Friday's game, Murakami hit a ground ball to second base and beat the throw for a potential double play, then was seen grabbing at his right hamstring.Murakami was subsequently pulled from the game, and the White Sox announced he would undergo "further evaluation."Munetaka Murakami left tonight’s game with right hamstring tightness. He is undergoing further evaluation.— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 30, 2026What happened to Munetaka Murakami?The White Sox are referring to Murakami's injury as "right hamstring tightness" for now. The injury came in the third inning of Friday's game against the Tigers, as Murakami began grabbing at his hamstring after sprinting to first base on a ground ball.Murakami beat the throw from second, but began wincing and limping afterward.Murakami left game after this play.pic.twitter.com/ikbq8Z5Yizhttps://t.co/r7KvgjUNtP— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) May 30, 2026MORE:Why Brewers' Abner Uribe was suspended for crotch-chop celebrationMunetaka Murakami statsMurakami is just 56 games into his MLB career, but he's already proven himself as an All-Star level power hitter, even while hitting just .242 and striking out 79 times — tied for second-most in the league.MUNETAKA MURAKAMI HR NO. 20🚨THE MOST HOME RUNS BY A ROOKIE BEFORE JUNE SINCE 1901 🤯 pic.twitter.com/N0Vrn1EHwQ— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) May 28, 2026Here's a look at Murakami's numbers so far:GamesH-ABR2BHRRBIBBKsSBAVGOBPSLGOPSWAR5648-198434204144791.242.381.566.9471.9MORE: Which MLB teams would be most impacted by the proposed salary cap rules?AL Home run leadersComing into Friday's game, Murakami was tied with Yordan Alvarez for the American League lead in home runs, swatting 20 in his first 56 games. Here's a look at the current AL home run leaders:PlayerTeamHome RunsYordan AlvarezAstros20Munetaka MurakamiWhite Sox20Byron BuxtonTwins17Aaron JudgeYankees17Ben RiceYankees16

CINCINNATI (AP) — Michael Harris II went 3 for 5 with three RBIs and the Atlanta Braves beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-3 on Friday night. Ronald Acuña Jr., who hit a grand slam in Thursday's win in Boston for his first home run since April 24, put the Braves ahead on Friday with his 38th career leadoff homer.Reds right fielder Blake Dunn prevented additional damage in the first inning when he scaled the right-center field wall to rob Harris of a home run then threw out the next batter, first baseman Matt Olson, trying to stretch a single into a double. Chris Paddack, who lost to the Braves on April 15 as a member of the Miami Marlins, issued consecutive walks to load the bases in the second. Harris' RBI single made the score 4-0. Paddack (0-7) remained winless after allowing four earned runs on seven hits with three walks in five innings. Solo homers by JJ Bleday and Nathaniel Lowe, both off right-hander Grant Holmes, cut the Reds' deficit to 4-2 in the fourth. Holmes allowed three earned runs on seven hits with a walk and five strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. Didier Fuentes (4-0) allowed one hit in 1 1/3 innings to earn the win.The Braves broke the game open against the Reds' bullpen in the sixth. Yunior Marte made his Reds debut and allowed Mike Yastrzemski's RBI double and an RBI single by Jorge Mateo. Harris singled off Caleb Ferguson to drive in two more runs making it 8-3. Dominic Smith had three hits and scored twice for the Braves. Marte, who was selected from Triple-A Louisville on Friday when Graham Ashcraft was placed on the 60-day injured list, retired one batter and allowed four earned runs.Up nextBraves LHP Martín Pérez (2-3, 2.70 ERA) opposes Reds RHP Brady Singer (2-4, 6.26) on Saturday. ___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

The modest drop marked the first decrease in homelessness in nearly a decade. The Housing and Urban Development report was published months later than usual.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Angel Martínez had an RBI single during Cleveland's four-run first and made a key defensive play in the second inning as the Guardians held on for a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.Cleveland's Chase DeLauter and Kyle Manzardo broke out of slumps with two hits apiece.Caleb Durbin had an RBI double in the fifth inning for the Red Sox. They have dropped six of seven.Colin Holderman (3-0), the second of six Guardians' pitchers, got the win with 1 1/3 innings of hitless ball. Starter Slade Cecconi allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings. Cade Smith picked up his MLB-leading 20th save.Boston's Brayan Bello, who came in after opener Tyler Samaniego (0-3) allowed four runs in the first, threw seven scoreless innings and allowed four hits with five strikeouts.Samaniego allowed six straight singles with one out, including RBI base hits by Rhys Hoskins and Angel Martínez. Hoskins scored after Boston center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela bobbled Martinez's line drive while getting it out of his glove for an error. Patrick Bailey extended Cleveland's lead to 4-0 with a sacrifice fly to bring in Manzardo.In the second inning, Boston's Mickey Gasper tried to score from second after Cleveland shortstop Brayan Rocchio was unable to field Isiah Kiner-Falefa's grounder, but Martínez easily threw out Gasper.Boston got all of its runs in the fifth. It opened the inning with four straight hits including Marcelo Mayer's RBI base hit and a double by Durbin down the right-field line to bring home Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Jarren Duran also had a sacrifice fly.Up nextBoston right-hander Sonny Gray (5-1, 3.27 ERA) looks for his fourth win in May. LHP Parker Messick (6-1, 2.24 ERA) was set to start for Cleveland.___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Lakeland (Fla.) four-star EDGE Santana Harvey has committed to Clemson, according to Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett.He chose the Tigers over Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Florida State and plenty of other Power Four offers.Harvey is the No. 327 overall prospect and No. 32 EDGE in the 2027 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 30 recruit in Florida.[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]Clemson is on a recruiting heater heading into the summer as it continues to close the deal with a slew of its top targets. Harvey, who’s back in Death Valley for his official visit this weekend, becomes the eighth prospect to pledge to the ACC program in May.“I like the family aspect there,” Harvey told Rivals’ Chad Simmons about Clemson last month. “Their history and how they develop guys at my position stand out. They’ve got a stable staff, and it’s a good spot academically too. There is a lot I like about Clemson.”The 6-foot-5, 225-pounder is the second commit of the day for head coach Dabo Swinney, following The Woodlands (Texas) College Park three-star wide receiver Julian Cromartie.An up-to-date look at the Clemson haul can be seen here. The class now features 15 total commits, ranks checks in at No. 15 in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings and also ranks No. 2 in the ACC, behind only the Miami Hurricanes.

BALTIMORE (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two-run double in the eighth inning to cap a furious Toronto rally, and the Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-5 on Friday night.Toronto trailed 5-0 at the start of the seventh and had managed only two hits before Baltimore's beleaguered pitching staff — which had been better of late — unraveled. Starter Trevor Rogers didn't get another out, allowing two-run homers to Kazuma Okamoto and Charles McAdoo. It was the first big league hit for McAdoo, who was making his debut.Tyler Wells relieved Rogers and got through the rest of the seventh. Then Yannier Cano (1-2) quickly gave up the lead the following inning. George Springer and Ernie Clement hit back-to-back singles, and they both scored on Guerrero's double.Jackson Holliday, Pete Alonso and Samuel Basallo homered for the Orioles. Mason Fluharty (3-0) won in relief. After closer Louis Varland pitched the previous two days, Braydon Fisher worked the ninth for his first career save.Toronto has won eight of 10.Adley Rutschman drew a bases-loaded walk from Austin Voth in the third, and Basallo's sacrifice fly made it 2-0. The three solo homers extended the lead — Holliday's came in the fourth, and then Alonso and Basallo hit consecutive drives an inning later.Rogers got a no-decision, snapping his six-game losing streak, and only one of the first 17 batters reached against him. But the Blue Jays put two on in the sixth before the left-hander got out of it thanks to a double play.By the seventh, Rogers was facing the middle of Toronto's lineup for a third time, and the Blue Jays teed off.As quiet as its first six innings were, Toronto finished the game with seven extra-base hits.Up nextToronto's Trey Yesavage (2-2) starts Saturday against Baltimore's Brandon Young (3-1).___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

With their team up 4-0 and seemingly on the cusp of the Stanley Cup Final, Carolina Hurricanes fans took a playful shot at the struggling visitors. Fans at Raleigh's Lenovo Center broke out into a boisterous "Olé" chant during the second period — the same chant that is frequently heard during Montreal Canadiens games at the Bell Centre. Hurricanes fans doing Ole chants with their team up 4-0 in Game 5 🫣 pic.twitter.com/dAgOP4Ien4— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 30, 2026Carolina fans have plenty to celebrate. Up 3-1 in the series, the Hurricanes appear poised to book their first Stanley Cup Final ticket since they won it all in 2006. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricanes fans mock Canadiens with Olé chant during Game 5 blowout

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 26: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves hits a two-run home run against the Boston Red Sox during the eighth inning at Fenway Park on May 26, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Atlanta Braves have scored the second most runs MLB so far this season and had plans of continuing this trend while facing the Reds an their started Chris Paddack and his 6.86 ERA.The first inning started off with a bang. Ronald Acuña Jr. hit the fourth pitch he saw for a solo shot in the first inning to set the tone with a solo shot to make the score 1-0. The interesting part is he saw three four-seam fastballs and then took a curveball deep. Notoriously this season he has struggled against four-seamers.After a Harris fly out Olson hit a ball to the wall and tried for a sliding double but got thrown out in a bang-bang play. Albies then flied out to end the top of the first. Grant Holmes looked good in the first, outside of a walk to Mosley High School graduated JJ Bleday, he sat down every other batter to include a strikeout.In the second inning the Braves started to blow the game open, Smith singled followed by a Riley walk and a Yastrzemki walk and the bases loaded. Jorge Mateo then hit a chopper to short in which he got out, but a run scored to make it 2-0. Tromp then came to the plate and did his job by hitting the ball deep to right to get a sac fly and make it 3-0. After a walk, Harris hit a single to score Mateo from second to make the score 4-0. Olson grounded out, but the damage had been done.Holmes then did what he does best early in a game and sat the Reds down in order in the second inning picking up two groundouts and a strikeout. To not be outdone, the Braves were also sat down in order in the third. In the third fr Holmes his rival Freidl who already has two HRs against him singled, but then Holmes struck back with back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout from De La Cruz.The only offense in the fourth for the Braves was a single by Yastrzemski. The fourth for the Red was very different. Bleday hit a shot to to RF to make the score 4-1. After a pop up and Stewart being caught try ing to steal third, Lowe hit a solo shot to make the score 4-2 Braves. Steer then singled, but after a mound visit Holmes got the last out. In the fifth, Harris singled, but was caught stealing second. He was initially called safe, but after a challenge it was overturned. That was the only offense for the Braves in the inning. The Reds got to Holmes again. This time with two singles After the hits Didier Fuentes came in the game. Holmes finished the game going 4.2 innings with seven hits (two HRs), three earned runs, one walk and five strikeouts. Solid work. Fuentes allowed a runner to score that he inherited, but then he got the strikeout to end the inning. After a single by Smith and a HBP from Riley, Yastrzemski hit a double to make the score 5-3. Yaz adds on 👏#BravesCountrypic.twitter.com/SDVguabR6R— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 30, 2026Mateo then singled to keep the scoring going and make it 6-3. Harris came in clutch after an intentional walk and singled to make the score 8-3, which would end up being the final score.*another* @MoneyyyMikeee highlight 💸🔥#BravesCountrypic.twitter.com/DCy8sMWBqz— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 30, 2026The Braves started the series off with a statement. They are the best overall team in MLB. After Fuentes the Braves pitched Lee, then Suarez, and finally Kinley who combined for 3.0 innings and allowed two hits, zero walks, zero runs, zero walks, and five strikeouts.The Braves showed out tonight and look to do it again when they face the Reds again tommorow. Harris and Smith had three hit nights and Ronald Acuña had a HR.

May 29—EVERETT — The Gonzaga Prep Bullpups might be trying to break new ground for their league, but they are playing as if they belonged all along.Starter Dylan Croall tossed a complete game, Jackson Mott set the tone with a home run and the fifth-seeded Bullpups beat the No. 1 Richland Bombers 5-2 in a State 4A semifinal at Funko Field — home of the Seattle Mariners minor league affiliate Everett AquaSox.Gonzaga Prep (23-4) reached the state championship game for the first time in program history and will face No. 2 Sumner (22-4) on Saturday at 4 p.m.The Greater Spokane League hasn't produced a baseball state champion since the state sanctioned the tournament in 1973. The Bullpups are just the 15th GSL team to reach a baseball "final four.""'When you play like that, you're supposed to be here," Gonzaga Prep coach Brian Munhall said. "And it was top to bottom.""Obviously we're the underdog, and I think being the underdog kind of takes some pressure on your back," Mott said. "Once you get on the field and you're in the moment, everything kind of goes away and you just start playing."It's the second time in the past two weeks that G-Prep has beaten the top-seeded Bombers (24-3), previously edging Richland 3-2 at Bomber Field in the District 6 title game on May 16."We respect the heck out of them and their traditions and what they've done, and we would love our program to be at the place that theirs is annually," Munhall said. "For them to win the big games and to be in them all the time is great. But we're excited that it's our turn.""We've earned the right to be here. Absolutely," Croall said. "We beat Richland twice, we beat everyone else. ... There's no reason for us to not be here. I mean, we've done everything possible to earn this."Both teams sent their respective league's pitcher of the year to the hill — Croall of the GSL, and Richland's Michael Revell of the Mid-Columbia Conference.Croall got the better of the head-to-head matchup. The Bullpup senior — headed to Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Chandler, Arizona, next year — allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks with five strikeouts, including a called strike three to Richland leadoff hitter Dylan Parrott to end the game."I'm still not over it," Croall said. "I mean, it still feels like I'm in the seventh inning, and I'm just... you know, I can't even get my words together.""We've known for years (Croall) was going to be a guy," Munhall said. "We knew he's one of the better arms in Spokane, but it's pretty nice that he saved his best outing of his career for the biggest moment, because that was electric."Revell, who committed to Division I Grand Canyon University, lasted just three innings. The Bullpups got to him for five runs on seven hits and three walks.With one out in the first, Jacob Wilson sent a liner back through the box that nearly hit Revell on his follow-through but instead carried into center for a single. With two down, Jonah Keller ripped a double into the left field corner that plated Wilson for a 1-0 lead.Richland answered back in the bottom half. Parrott doubled to the wall in right center, went to third on a wild pitch and scored when catcher Anthony Karis' throw sailed into left field.The Pups regained the lead in the second — all with two down. Sophomore Jacob Wood drew a walk, went to second on an infield single by No. 9 hitter Cole Comfort and scored on an RBI single by Karis, the 2026 GSL MVP.Mott made it 3-1 leading off the third with a solo blast to the right of the giant scoreboard in right center field. Keller followed with a walk, stole second and scored on a single by Jaxon Buckner for a three-run lead."Two-strike hole and hit a home run. I guess that's pretty cool," Mott said. "I kind of blacked out on adrenaline, I'll be honest. Just fired up.""That's a big swing that helped separate things, and obviously we watched the dugout blow up a little bit too. It created a whole lot of momentum," Munhall said.G-Prep loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth on an error, single and walk and Richland coach Grant Richardson went to the bullpen for Braylon Edwards. With one down, Karis hustled home on a wild pitch, but a double play ended the rally.Richland picked up a run in the sixth on an RBI single by Hayden Galloway, but the Bullpups cut the throw and nabbed Revell — who strayed too far off second on the play — to limit the damage."That's the little stuff in baseball that you constantly talk about," Munhall said. "We've yelled at our outfielders all year to make their throws cuttable, and in that moment, that's a huge game changer."The rest was up to Croall. He got a K and bouncer to end the sixth, then tossed a 1-2-3 seventh to close it out."My mindset going into the game was 'You're better than everyone, and you've got to prove that,'" he said. "And I did it."In the other semifinal, Sumner handled No. 6 Kamiakin 6-1. Junior starting pitcher Wyatt Plyler allowed just one hit and three walks with 10 strikeouts over six shutout innings.Kamiakin starter Zach Vega, who is headed to Gonzaga next year, gave up six runs — five earned — on seven hits and seven walks with three strikeouts.The Braves face Richland in an all-MCC showdown in the state third-place game at 10 a.m.2B(1) Tri-Cities Prep 10, (4) Northwest Christian 1: Colter Schorer allowed one run in a complete-game six hitter and the Jaguars (26-2) topped the Crusaders (21-4) in a semifinal at Carlon Park in Selah.Tilden Shumway went 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBIs and a stolen base for TCP.NWC faces 10th-seeded Toutle Lake (20-7) in the state third place game on Saturday at 10 a.m.

May 29—PULLMAN — Not long after Washington State missed what seemed like a golden opportunity, a chance to balloon a slim lead on Oregon State late in Friday's NCAA Tournament regional opener, a cloud of uncertainty hung over the Cougars' operation.In their first NCAA Tournament appearance in more than a decade and a half, they needed all the separation they could get on the Beavers, who finished the regular season ranked No. 7 nationally and commanded the No. 2 seed for this Eugene Regional. OSU may not be the country's most potent team offensively, but to dethrone a perennial powerhouse, WSU seemingly needed a bit more cushion.Instead, WSU starter Nick Lewis needed no more padding to send the Cougars onto Saturday's regional semifinals, twirling a complete-game gem to hold off the Beavers in a 3-2 victory.Washington State will play the winner of Yale and Oregon, the top seed and host school, at 6 p.m. Saturday. The winner will advance to Sunday's regional title game, while the loser will play at 1 p.m. Sunday for a chance to reach the title game."That was an all-time performance today," WSU coach Nathan Choate said in a postgame radio interview. "I mean, huge. At the right time."On 103 pitches, Lewis went the distance for the Cougars, who took the lead in the eighth inning on a run-scoring double from left fielder Dustin Robinson. The Beavers then elected to intentionally walk first baseman Ryan Skjonsby, the team's leader in home runs, to load the bases. The Cougars went down in order, opening the door for the Beavers, who had two innings to make up one run.They got zero thanks to Lewis, who earned his 10th win of the season by allowing just two runs on six hits, striking out one and walking zero. On a rainy afternoon in Eugene, Lewis wasn't fazed by the weather. In the eighth, he worked around a one-out double. In the ninth, he retired OSU in order.Lewis' was the type of outing that may well go down in the lore of this WSU program, which last reached the NCAA Tournament in 2010, when the Cougars came up one win shy of making the Super Regional. On Friday, they came one step closer to rewriting that piece of history too."I think it came down to attacking the strike zone with the runners on. Let them get themselves out," Lewis said. "I think I only had one strikeout, so I just had to pound the zone with the three pitches I've got. I knew even if those guys were to score, our offense always puts together good ABs, as you saw. So it was competitive all the way through."WSU needed some time to break through on offense. Against OSU starter Ethan Kleinschmit, the Cougars didn't register their first hit until the sixth inning, but that didn't stop them from scoring. In the fourth frame, WSU veteran outfielder Max Hartman scored on a throwing error from OSU catcher Jacob Galloway, whose attempt to throw out Hartman at third careened into the outfield. That tied the game at 1-1.The Beavers retook the lead in the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly, only for the Cougars to respond an inning later, when designated hitter Matt Priest pulled a two-strike pitch through the left side. That scored second baseman Gavin Roy, who had led off the inning with a walk.Finally, WSU took the lead for good in the eighth, when Robinson stayed back on a curveball and yanked it down the right-field line, sneaking it past OSU first baseman Jacob Krieg. Hartman, who had led off the inning with a single, came around to score. Robinson gestured and yelled back to his teammates in the dugout. The Cougars' lead was their first of the afternoon.That was all the scoring they needed because of Lewis, the Mountain West Pitcher of the Year, the Cougars' ace all season. He doesn't have overpowering stuff. He relies on deception. He throws only three pitches. To knock off the nationally ranked Beavers, Lewis needed nothing more.After the game, Choate understood what he had just seen from Lewis, whose name had recently been written mistakenly. Leading up to Friday's game, a local reporter had a typo and said WSU would start "Kyle" Lewis."Just so everyone knows, it's Nick Lewis," Choate said, emphasizing the first name. "Nick Lewis is his name."Was he referencing the report in question?"No, no, I don't know what you're talking about," Choate said. "I'm just saying Nick Lewis was pretty good. Nick Lewis."After his performance in Friday's regional game, Lewis likely won't see his name written incorrectly again any time soon.

The one thing Upper Arlington’s boys lacrosse team did not want to do May 29 was the one thing on everyone’s minds.A day after Ted Wolford, who won 16 state championships as coach of the Golden Bears from 1992-2016 and had served as an assistant since, died at age 66, UA returned to the Division I state tournament with a 13-4 win over visiting New Albany in the Region 3 final.“We joked that he would have hated that we made it about him, so we told the guys it wasn’t about winning for Ted, anything like that,” coach Kyle Olson said. “It was about worrying about the little things, because that is what he preached.”Senior midfielder Luke Backes and sophomore attacker Parker Old each had three goals and an assist to pace UA (18-3) into yet another state semifinal meeting with defending champion Cincinnati St. Xavier (19-1) on June 3 at Mason. The teams have met at that stage six times since 2019.Junior attacker James Janowicz added two goals for the Bears, who went an on 8-0 run after falling behind 2-0 in the first 1:47. Senior goalie Aiden Joly made 10 saves.UA lost to Worthington Kilbourne in a regional final at home last year.“It’s so satisfying,” Old said. “When we got the ball, we started to slow it down, get into our groove as an offense and play off each other more than one guy going to the cage. That really helped us.”Yellow roses and mums were spread across the portion of Ted Wolford Field where the facility’s name is imprinted on the turf. A moment of silence was held before the game, and UA took a team picture with the regional trophy near the name of the field after the game.“The support from the community and people who knew him has been unbelievable,” Olson said. “I can’t even tell you how many texts and calls I’ve received, and it’s not people who played for him. Countless Division I college coaches have reached out. So have high school coaches from around the country. His impact is immeasurable, and I was so proud of how the guys played together because that was exactly what he would want.”Dublin Jerome (14-7) and Cleveland St. Ignatius (14-5) will meet in the other semifinal June 3 at Ashland.Jerome defeated host Olentangy Liberty 12-7 in the Region 1 final May 29.Watterson boys, DeSales girls win Division II regionalsJunior defender Joe Hayes, sophomore midfielder Dash Hoy and freshman attacker Kaden Hoy each scored twice, and senior attacker Ryan Grim added a goal and three assists as the top-seeded Watterson boys team (17-2) won its second straight Region 7 championship, 10-4 over visiting and second-seeded DeSales (9-11).Watterson outshot DeSales 35-28 in moving to within two wins of a state title repeat.The Eagles will face Cincinnati Mariemont in a state semifinal June 2 at Centerville.Either Watterson or DeSales has won Region 7 every year since 2017.In the Region 7 girls final, four goals and three assists from senior attacker Campbell Heald and four goals from freshman midfielder Lillie Bogan powered DeSales (19-1) to a 19-3 rout of visiting and second-seeded Columbus Academy (16-5).Caroline Cross added three goals for the top-seeded and two-time defending champion Stallions, who will play Mariemont in a state semifinal June 3 at Centerville.High school sports reporter Dave Purpura can be reached at dpurpura@dispatch.com and at @dp_dispatch on X.This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Four central Ohio lacrosse teams advance to OHSAA state tournament

Alex Perez and Su Mudaerji meet on the UFC Fight Night 277 main card Saturday at Galaxy Arena in Macau, China. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.Last event's results: 3-3UFC main cards, 2026: 49-29Alex Perez vs. Su Mudaerji UFC Fight Night 277 previewPerez (26-10 MMA, 8-6 UFC), a former UFC flyweight title challenger, snapped a two-fight skid in his most recent bout by knocking out Charles Johnson this past January at UFC 324.Mudaerji (19-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) will enter UFC Macau on a roll after winning three fights in a row, most recently beating Jesus Aguilar in March.Alex Perez vs. Su Mudaerji UFC Fight Night 277 expert pick, predictionKicking off the main card in proper fashion is a flyweight fight between Alex Perez and Su Mudaerji that has fireworks written all over it.I still believe that Perez is one of the better flyweights that this division has had to offer over the past decade, but crazy circumstances and undeniable bad luck have plagued the American's path (almost as if the curse of Ian McCall was passed onto Perez). Nevertheless, Perez has still managed to maintain a ranking spot and is coming off a big upset win over Charles Johnson earlier this year. Mudaerji has made measurable improvements to his game that he deserves credit for, but I'm not sure his southpaw stylings will be enough to keep Perez off of him.Alex Perez, who faces Sumudaerji at #UFCMacau, is 0-1 against UFC-level southpaws, losing to Joe Benavidez off a head clash that was never called (something Joe himself acknowledged despite no one ever mentioning this in their breakdowns)Perez also KO’d a SP switching Inner G: pic.twitter.com/0fSJrVgKRD— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) May 29, 2026The pick is Perez to utilize his on-paper advantages in the wrestling and submission department to produce a win via second-round submission. Alex Perez vs. Su Mudaerji UFC Fight Night 277 oddsThe oddsmakers and the public favor the Sweede, listing Perez -132 and Mudaerji +112 via FanDuel.Alex Perez vs. Su Mudaerji UFC Fight Night 277 start time, how to watchAs the main card opener, Perez and Mudaerji are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 7:10 a.m. ET. The fight streams live on Paramount+.This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Macau: Alex Perez vs. Su Mudaerji prediction, pick, time

Irish mixed martial artist Conor McGregor reacts during the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) in Marbella on October 12, 2024. (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO / AFP) (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images Conor McGregor is raising the stakes for this weekend’s BKFC 90 fight card from Birmingham, England, as the former UFC double champion rolled out new knockout bonuses for every single bout.This weekend will feature a headlining title fight between BKFC U.K. welterweight champion Connor Tierney and veteran knockout artist Rico Franco. However, the main attraction at BKFC 90 is really the official bareknuckle debut of former UFC welterweight title challenger, Darren Till, who is in the absolute best shape of his entire fighting career (see HERE). “Gorilla” will square off with Aaron Chalmers in the co-main event.During Thursday’s pre-fight press conference, BKFC president, David Feldman, revealed that he had a conversation with McGregor on his way over to the media event. According to Feldman, McGregor demanded that a new knockout bonus be put in place for this weekend’s festivities, which will cover each and every fight. It sounds like McGregor didn’t leave Feldman the opportunity to say no.After all, McGregor is part-owner.“On the way over here, Conor McGregor called me and he said, ‘Dave, add a knockout bonus for every fight on Saturday night.’ So, we have a knockout bonus for every fight on Saturday night. Everybody has a chance at earning a knockout bonus on Saturday night courtesy of Conor McGregor,” said Feldman.Stick with Mania for more BKFC 90 fight card news and coverage.

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to feature in a record sixth World Cup (PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA)Cristiano Ronaldo heads to a record sixth World Cup blessed with a prodigiously talented group of team-mates as Portugal target glory for the first time on the global stage.Roberto Martinez's side are strong favourites to progress from Group K where they face DR Congo and tournament debutants Uzbekistan before the tricky test of Colombia.Ronaldo and long-term rival Lionel Messi are set to make more history by becoming the first players to feature in six World Cups.But since finishing fourth in Ronaldo's debut tournament in 2006, Portugal have rarely threatened to go all the way despite boasting the highest goalscorer in the history of international football on 143.Now 41, Ronaldo's presence has been seen as a major factor in Portugal sides not maximising their potential in recent tournaments.The Al-Nassr forward has failed to score in his last nine matches at the World Cup and Euros combined.Ronaldo was even dropped by Fernando Santos in favour of Goncalo Ramos during the 2022 World Cup.But Martinez has remained fiercely loyal to Ronaldo and with some justification.He scored in the quarter-final, semi-final and final as Portugal beat Spain on penalties to win the Nations League last year.Ronaldo also plundered five goals in as many qualifiers before a red card against the Republic of Ireland.A lesser light would likely have been banned for the start of the tournament, but Ronaldo escaped with just a one-match suspension.Martinez's reasoning for backing Ronaldo also reveals a lack of other credible options up front.Portugal's true strength lies with arguably the best collection of midfielders at the World Cup.Paris Saint-Germain pair Vitinha and Joao Neves line up alongside Premier League player of the year Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva.- Diaz now Colombia's star man -Colombia are led by their own ageing national hero in James Rodriguez, 12 years on from the tournament that made him a global superstar.Despite a nomadic and largely ineffective club career in recent years, James, 34, remains an integral part of the Colombia side which reached the Copa America final two years ago and finished third in South American qualifying.Luis Diaz is now the talisman for Los Cafeteros and arrives at the World Cup on the back of the best club season of his career at Bayern Munich.Colombia tickets have been among the most in demand of any in the tournament and they are sure to be backed by a huge travelling and ex-pat support.That makes life all the more difficult for Uzebekistan and DR Congo to upset the odds against the two big group favourites.Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov is the star name among an Uzbekistan squad made up largely of domestically-based players.However, there is World Cup winning experience on the Uzbek bench in Fabio Cannavaro, who captained Italy to success in 2006.DR Congo's only previous World Cup experience came 52 years ago, when they were known as Zaire, and left Germany without a point or goal to their name.A squad containing the likes of Newcastle's Yoane Wissa, Sunderland midfielder Noah Sadiki and West Ham defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka will be targeting at least a first World Cup win.Sebastien Desabre's side beat both Cameroon and Nigeria in play-offs to earn their place at the tournament.kca/pi

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr (Fayez NURELDINE)For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal's 2026 World Cup bid, while others believe his presence will prevent Roberto Martinez's strong side from flourishing.The debate around the five-time Ballon d'Or winner rages on, as it did at Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar -- yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup.The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr, and is the leading men's international goalscorer with 143 strikes.With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach insists that Ronaldo is being selected on merit rather than because of his status.The Spanish coach himself also faced scrutiny after Portugal's Euro 2024 quarter-final exit, with his detractors believing that such a strong squad was capable of winning.Martinez started Ronaldo in all five games they played but the striker failed to find the net in Germany.This season, Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes set a new record for Premier League assists, and the Paris Saint-Germain contingent –- including Vitinha, Joao Neves and Nuno Mendes -– are among the best in their positions in the world.When he was appointed in 2023, Martinez had the choice of whether to make a clean break from Ronaldo or maintain him as the team's captain and talisman, opting for the latter.In response to the naysayers, Martinez can point to the team's successful 2025 Nations League triumph as proof that he is right to lean on Ronaldo.The Portugal icon struck against Spain in the final to win his third international trophy, after Euro 2016 and the 2019 Nations League."I have many titles with clubs, but nothing is better than winning for Portugal," said Ronaldo after the game. "It's tears. It's mission accomplished, and pure joy."The striker is closing in on 1,000 career goals for club and country, currently just 17 short.Ronaldo is the team's captain and leader, feared by opponents and with international experience gained over more than two decades -- his Portugal debut was in 2003.Martinez has highlighted the "inspiring mindset" of the veteran forward, who operates now as a centre-forward rather than the flying winger of his youth.Ronaldo's team-mates still believe the striker is delivering for Portugal.PSG midfielder Vitinha told FIFA that it was "fantastic" to play with the former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward."He's one of the greatest players in history," said Vitinha."I'm very proud to share the dressing room with him, learn from him and witness his professionalism every day."I hope we can win the World Cup with him and for him as well."- 'Can't worry' about Ronaldo -In Portugal, where Ronaldo is a revered icon, it is rarely advisable to argue against him."Cristiano inside the box continues to be a very high-level player," Fernandes told Canal 11, a television channel run by the Portuguese football federation, in December."I know what people think, that it's clear we play better without Ronaldo, that the players are freer and more fluid," Fernandes continued."If that happens, it's partly our fault. We can't worry if Cristiano is on the pitch, because Cristiano can give us things."Portugal's pressing suffers with Ronaldo and the team appears more cohesive without him. When Ronaldo starts, sometimes it seems as if the team works largely to service him.The forward even came in for rare criticism in his protective homeland after he was sent off against Ireland for an elbow in qualifying, although FIFA let him off the hook by suspending two matches of his ban, meaning he is clear to play from the start of the World Cup.Portugal begin their campaign in Group K against DR Congo on June 17, before facing Uzbekistan on June 23 and Colombia on June 28.Martinez said he is not concerned that the intense tournament schedule might impact the 41-year-old."In my experience, at a World Cup, a player doesn't follow the pattern of club form, age-related performance or anything like that," said the coach after naming his squad for the tournament in North America.It is stronger than arguably any Portugal squad to arrive at a World Cup prior and even as the debates around Ronaldo continue, what is inarguable is that they have the quality to succeed this summer.bur-rbs/bc

Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo can provide Ghana with plenty of insight on group rivals England (Thomas KIENZLE)Antoine Semenyo is set for his second World Cup with Ghana, this time as an established Premier League forward, but he came close to abandoning his dream of becoming a professional footballer.Now at Manchester City, Semenyo is expected to play a key role for a Ghana side led by new coach Carlos Queiroz, after the Black Stars failed to qualify for the most recent Africa Cup of Nations.Four years is a long time in football, as Semenyo's meteoric rise since Ghana's group-stage exit in Qatar so vividly demonstrates.Semenyo managed just 19 minutes across two substitute appearances in a disappointing 2022 World Cup campaign, but barely a month later he made the step up to the Premier League after joining Bournemouth from Bristol City.The 26-year-old has scarcely looked back. His startling progress masks a demanding journey shaped by rejection that led Semenyo to consider a different career altogether.After three years at Bournemouth, Manchester City triggered Semenyo's release clause in January in a deal worth £65 million, fending off competition from Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham.Semenyo quickly endeared himself to City supporters, producing one of the great FA Cup final goals with an audacious back-flick to secure a 1-0 victory over Chelsea at Wembley earlier this month.There was a touch of irony in that moment: Semenyo was born just a stone's throw from Chelsea's Stamford Bridge home in west London.Despite spending his entire life in England, Semenyo said there was no question about representing Ghana."My mum and dad are Ghana through (and through). They never really mentioned anything about England," he told FIFA. "Obviously, living in England, you get the conversation of: 'Oh, you should represent England'. But it was never a conversation I ever had, really. Ghana came in when I was 19, 20, so I was never going to turn it down."- Character and resilience -Semenyo's character and resilience were forged during his youth. After being rejected by by Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and Millwall, he stepped away from the game for a year.But football runs in his blood. His father Larry played alongside former Leeds striker Tony Yeboah in the Ghanaian top flight, while younger brother Jai is on the books of Ligue 1 club Lorient. Semenyo was lured back to a youth academy programme in the south-west and eventually broke into the professional ranks, catching the attention of several clubs while studying sports science.Keen to stay in the area, he chose Bristol City, and signed his first contract just after turning 18.Opportunities did not come easily. The club sent him out on multiple loan spells early in his career before he forced his way into the first team.His Ghana debut followed in June 2022, and Semenyo eventually earned his move to the Premier League, blossoming into one of its most potent wingers under Andoni Iraola. Pep Guardiola believes his best years are still to come."It's surreal to be honest. I speak to my friends about it all the time. I didn't think I would ever make it this far," said Semenyo."I thought just being a professional was enough – signing for Bristol City was enough for me. So, to say that I'm going to (another) World Cup... yeah, it's amazing."His arrival at City underlined his reputation as one of the English game's most fearsome attackers, but he has not forgotten all the effort it took to get where he is."It's my mentality now. I have to be resilient. I have to work harder than the next person. I've always had that, my whole life. It gives me that extra grit, that extra bite," Semenyo told Sky Sports last year.mw/gj