Ball State defensive back Gavin Yates-Lyons died on Saturday, days after he was shot in a parking garage.He was 18.“We mourn the passing of Gavin Yates-Lyons,” Ball State said in a statement. “We extend sincere condolences to his family, friends, coaches, teammates and all who held him close. May you find comfort and strength during this challenging moment.”Yates-Lyons was one of three people that was shot in a Tallahassee, Florida, parking garage early on May 24. Specifics of that incident are not yet known, but police arrived to find a man “suffering from life-threatening injuries and transported him to a local hospital," according to the Tallahassee Democrat.Two other men suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the shooting. An investigation is still ongoing. Yates-Lyons graduated from Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia, which sits right over the border with Florida about 90 minutes from Tallahassee. Yates-Lyons signed with the Cardinals in December. He finished high school early and enrolled at Ball State in January to participate in spring practice with the Cardinals. According to the Muncie Star Press, Yates-Lyons returned home to attend his high school graduation ceremony. That was held the day before the shooting. "Gavin was an extraordinary person and it is difficult to express the grief we all feel,” Ball State football chief of staff Pete Roley said on social media. “Our hearts are with his family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time. Thank you to the Ball State admin, staff and community for the support of our players and staff as we mourn.”

Even with the nature of their largely international new look cast, the Nittany Lions still believe they can find depth through recruits as well. That is why it may come as no surprise that they have extended offers to 2027 guards that they believe can be game changers for their squad. Christian Cast, a four star, and Shawn Foster, a three star, are two players that the Nittany Lions could turn to even with Filipino guard Andy Gemao on board. Still, the Nittany Lions may want to save face after the whole Dylan Mingo saga. After committing to North Carolina over the Blue and White, Mingo ended up following his brother Kayden, a former Penn State Nittany Lion, to Baylor. To make matters worse, Gemao's status as a Penn State player could be up in the air as NCAA strictures could hinder the deal entirely. Therefore, both Cast and Foster could represent the perfect contingency plans.Cast is the No. 1 player in the state of Michigan, proving to be someone that could be pivotal in Penn State's broader recruiting circles. Penn State may need a better finisher at the rim at the point guard position. Cast is also a calming presence who can operate an offense at a high level. When considering the structure of Penn State's offense, Cast could be just what they need to piece together their new look roster. Foster on the other hand, could be seen as a much more developmental prospect in the long run. However, he is also in a battleground state for the Nittany Lions, as the No. 8 prospect in the state of Ohio, and has a similar profile to Cast. Should head coach Mike Rhoades wish to develop similar players, he could look no further than these two 2027 guards. This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State extend offers to 2027 guards

Victory over Senegal was Mauricio Pochettino's second as US coach against top-15 opposition, after beating Uruguay (TIMOTHY A. CLARY)Coach Mauricio Pochettino said the United States' impressive 3-2 friendly win over Senegal Sunday can help the American public trust in their national team as the country prepares to host the World Cup. The US, along with Canada and Mexico, is co-hosting the tournament which kicks off June 11, with hopes high that stars like Christian Pulisic can lead the home side deep into the knockout stages.Though there are no minnows among World Cup opponents Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey, anything less than progress beyond Group D would be an embarrassment for the US men's national team.The American public's expectations had been deflated by recent friendly losses to Portugal and Belgium, and a longstanding poor track record against the most elite sides.But Sunday's win -- Pochettino's second as US coach against top-15 opposition, after beating Uruguay in November -- could prove as useful boosting morale among supporters as within the Team USA set-up, the coach said."The good feelings with that victory, I think it's more important for the environment than for us," said Pochettino."For us it's important always to win. But it is important also for the environment to trust a little bit after the last two games, against Belgium and Portugal."He added: "Today... we saw the commitment of everyone there. We have attitude and commitment, we have the talent, we have players that have enormous talent."Former Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager Pochettino took over the US team at a low ebb in September 2024.After the dismal failure of not qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, the US had won the 2021 Gold Cup and three consecutive Nations Leagues.But after a respectable showing at the 2022 World Cup under coach Gregg Berhalter, the wheels came off spectacularly, with multiple early tournament exits leading to the dramatic hiring of the Argentine.Pochettino shook up a staid dressing room, scouring Major League Soccer for up-and-coming talent that could offer vital competition -- or alternatives -- to established stars.Even US talisman Pulisic has come under pressure and scrutiny in recent months.The AC Milan forward had not scored a single goal in 2026, and had not struck for the US since 2024. He managed a goal and an assist Sunday before being withdrawn at half time."The performance of Christian in 45 minutes was really, really good," said Pochettino."I think he has still potential of to improve but in the way that he's training (from) day one, I felt that was what he needed.""I'm so happy for him also because after the long time, a few months, he scored again, which is important for a player, knowing the preparation to the World Cup," added the coach.Sergino Dest, playing in a more forward role than his typical defensive duties permit, scored on his return from injury, while first-choice striker Folarin Balogun added a third off the bench in the second half.- 'The right attitude' -The confidence boost of fending off Africa Cup of Nations finalists Senegal comes at a crucial time, with the US about to face the challenge of arguably the World Cup's most evenly matched and competitive group.Before that, Pochettino's men face another daunting friendly against Germany in Chicago this Saturday."In one week, we are going to face another amazing national team like Germany," said the coach.But "to be honest, it doesn't matter if we face Germany or another team.""Why? Because in different (previous) games, we were the problem. Not to be in the right place, with the right commitment and with the right attitude, being a very solid group, and being all together, like we showed today." amz/rcw

San Jose Sharks star Macklin Celebrini came up short of a medal at the men's hockey world championships, but he did walk away with two individual honors on Sunday, May 31.The Canadian captain was named the tournament's best forward by the International Ice Hockey Federation directorate. He also was one of the three forwards named to the media all-star team.Celebrini, who turns 20 in June, ranked second in the tournament with 14 points, one behind Switzerland's Sven Andrighetto. He was tied for the second-most goals with six.He had one of the plays of the tournament with a long backhand flip pass that led to a Dylan Holloway goal against Finland.Captain Canada Macklin Celebrini feeds Dylan Holloway for the go ahead goal in the first period. Former #SJSharks defender Dylan DeMelo with the secondary assist. Canada up 2-1 in #MensWorlds Semis pic.twitter.com/MIM5FKfuzQ— TEAL TOWN USA - A San Jose Sharks Podcast (@TEALTOWNUSA) May 30, 2026Celebrini was named captain before the tournament and held the position even after the arrival of Sidney Crosby.Canada, which was upset by Norway in last year's quarterfinals, won its seven preliminary round games and beat the defending champion United States in the quarterfinal.But it lost to Finland in the semifinals and to Norway in the bronze medal game to finish without a medal for the third year in a row.Celebrini also represented Canada in the last year's world championships and in the Olympics.He had a standout second season with the Sharks, setting a team single-season scoring record and being named a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award. He's eligible to receive a contract extension on July 1.Hockey world championships individual awards Most Valuable PlayerRoman Josi, Switzerland Tournament Directorate three best playersBest goalkeeper: Henrik Haukeland, NorwayBest defender: Roman Josi, SwitzerlandBest forward: Macklin Celebrini, CAN Media All-Star TeamGoalkeeper: Leonardo Genoni, SwitzerlandDefender: Roman Josi, SwitzerlandDefender: Henri Jokiharju, FinlandForward: Macklin Celebrini, CanadaForward: Sven Andrighetto, SwitzerlandForward: Aleksander Barkov, FinlandThis article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sharks' Macklin Celebrini receives hockey world championships honors

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A historic season has come to an end for USC Upstate baseball.The Spartans made it to Sunday, May 31, of the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional, where they were eliminated in a 12-1 loss to 2-seed Oklahoma State — the same team they upset to open up the regional and clinch Upstate’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win.Prior to securing the No. 3 seed in regionals, Upstate also won its second straight Big South Tournament championship. Thirty-four victories also made 2026 one of the program’s winningest seasons yet.“We lost nine straight in April, and I don't know how many people know that,” Spartans coach Kane Sweeney said after the loss. “But to go from losing nine straight games to where we finished this year, at one point rattling off 14 of 16, just shows the resiliency of this group, the fight that we have in our program.”Sweeney praised his group of seniors and lamented how much he would miss them.“They mean a lot to me,” Sweeney continued. “They stayed here with me through the coaching change a couple years ago.”The 11 seniors included Wylie Waters, Jake Armsey, Alex Ritzer, Brady Small, Tyler LeJeune, Spencer Warfield, Preston Lucas, Gage Griggs, Johnny Sweeney, Reece Hemmerling and Juan Reyes. “It's a really special group, and the only thing that I'm disappointed in is that I don't get another day to coach them,” Sweeney concluded.Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for The Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@usatodayco.com. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: USC Upstate baseball historic season ends in NCAA Tournament regionals

Subscribe to The CooligansApple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTubeThe Cooligans are LIVE with immediate reaction to the United States men's national soccer team’s thrilling 3–2 victory over the Senegal national football team in a high-stakes World Cup warm-up! Did the performance answer important questions, or raise even more concerns? We break down the biggest moments from the match, what stood out tactically, and whether the team showed enough to build momentum heading into the summer.We also give Player of the Game honors to Christian Pulisic after a standout performance and ask the big question: is he officially back? Has he finally moved past his dry spell, and can he carry this momentum into the biggest tournament of his career? Plus, we debate whether major MLS-based call-ups are still limiting this squad’s ceiling and try to predict who ultimately wins the starting goalkeeper job.Finally, we zoom out and ask whether this USMNT has matured enough to truly go far at the FIFA World Cup. Is this the moment the group finally comes together, or are there still warning signs? We also preview the final warm-up against Germany national football team and what the team must prove before the tournament officially begins.Timestamps:(6:30) - USMNT vs Senegal game breakdown(17:15) - Player of the Game: Christian Pulisic(35:00) - USMNT mature enough to make long World Cup run?(48:45) - USMNT vs Germany game previewSergino Dest of United States celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the international friendly match between United States and Senegal at Bank of America Stadium on May 31, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images)🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTubeCheck out all episodes of The Cooligans the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

SEATTLE (AP) — Victor Robles' infield single scored Randy Arozarena in the 10th inning as the Seattle Mariners completed a three-game series sweep with a 3-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.Seattle has won a season-high six straight games and has three series sweeps this season. Arizona dropped its third straight after winning 10 of its previous 11 games and was swept in a series for the third time in 2026.With Arozarena on second as the automatic runner in the 10th, Luke Raley was intentionally walked and Cole Young dropped a textbook sacrifice bunt off Diamondbacks reliever Jonathan Loáisiga (2-2) to advance the runners. Robles hit a grounder up the middle against a drawn in infield and D-backs shortstop Geraldo Perdomoto dove to make the stop, but bobbled the ball, allowing Robles to reach safely and the winning run to score. The surging Mariners twice took a one-run lead, first on a home run by Young in the second inning and again in the sixth inning on a solo shot by Dominic Canzone. Young’s home run was his fourth of the season, tying his total from his 2025 rookie year in 2025. Canzone’s was his seventh of the season. Seattle hit 10 home runs in the three-game series and outscored Arizona 15-9.Arizona responded each time Seattle went ahead, but never took the lead against Luis Castillo (2-5), who threw five innings of two-run ball in relief of Bryce Miller. The Seattle starter threw five scoreless innings, and combined with Castillo to limit the Diamondbacks to three hits. The Mariners, meanwhile, racked up 11 hits.Up nextMariners RHP Emerson Hancock (4-2, 2.78 ERA) will start on Monday night against the New York Mets, who have not named a starter. Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodríguez (5-1, 2.31) opens a home series Monday against the Los Angeles Dodgers and RHP Emmet Sheehan (3-1, 4.70). ___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Michigan basketball’s title defense starts with Elliot Cadeau back in the lineup. Cadeau withdrew from the 2026 NBA draft and is returning for 2026-27, and Trey McKenney is also back for his sophomore season, giving coach Dusty May two proven guards as Michigan replaces multiple championship contributors and works three new transfer bigs into the rotation.The Wolverines head into next season as defending national champions after a 69-63 win over UConn on April 6. That team finished 37-3 overall and 19-1 in the Big Ten, but expected departures included Yaxel Lendeborg, Nimari Burnett, Roddy Gayle Jr. and Will Tschetter.Elliot Cadeau keeps Michigan basketball steady at guardCadeau’s return gives Michigan basketball a true carryover piece at the point. His decision to come back, paired with McKenney’s return, means Dusty May does not have to rebuild the Michigan basketball backcourt from scratch.That matters most on the defensive end. Returning guards can keep coverages organized, handle point-of-attack work, and help new frontcourt pieces settle into Michigan’s help rotations and ball-screen defense.Michigan also has Morez Johnson Jr., Aday Mara, L.J. Cason, Winters Grady, Oscar Goodman, Malick Kordel and Ricky Liburd listed among eligible returners in the post-title roster outlook. Brandon McCoy Jr. joins that group as the headliner of a 2026 class with six signees.Michigan’s frontcourt rebuild will decide the ceilingMay attacked the roster’s biggest turnover spot on April 28. Michigan added Jalen Reed, J.P. Estrella and Moustapha Thiam, and all three have two seasons of eligibility remaining.Thiam brings the clearest interior production after averaging 12.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 50 blocks at Cincinnati while earning All-Big 12 honorable mention. His size and shot blocking give Michigan basketball an option to play deeper drop coverage and protect the rim without overloading help from the wings.Estrella averaged 10.0 points and 5.4 rebounds in 33 games in his last season at Tennessee. Reed averaged 9.5 points and 5.7 rebounds in six games before a season-ending Achilles injury, after also dealing with an ACL injury earlier in his career.Those additions give Michigan basketball more lineup paths than it had a month ago. May can lean into length with Thiam or Mara, use Estrella at forward, or see whether Reed can handle a larger two-way role as he gets healthy.How the rotation could take shapeCadeau and McKenney give Michigan basketball a stable perimeter base, and McCoy adds another high-end guard option. That should let May sort out the frontcourt in phases instead of asking the entire roster to learn together at once.The biggest question entering 2026-27 is which big-man combinations hold up best behind Michigan’s returning guards. If Thiam locks down the middle, Michigan can stay stronger at the rim. If Reed and Estrella give May more mobile frontcourt minutes, the Wolverines could switch more often and play smaller lineups without losing rebounding support.

Red Sox may have gotten Jarren Duran back at exactly the right time as blazing hot streak continues originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Boston Red Sox were definitely in a bad spot with Jarren Duran just a few short weeks ago, but since then, things have changed. And definitely for the better.For the first couple months of the season, it seemed like the Red Sox made a bad decision not trading Duran for things they needed. He was ice cold, and couldn’t get on base. However, in his last 13 games, he’s been insane. Now, he’s become a driving force in Boston’s lineup like he used to be.Pre-hot streak Duran was horrible © Thomas Shea-Imagn ImagesBefore his hot streak, Duran was pretty bad. He was only hitting .174, had 27 hits, four home runs, and 18 RBI in 39 games played. For a guy who was an All-Star MVP just two seasons ago, and a vital piece of the offense last season, this was very disappointing for Duran.Duran is now blazing hot © Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesNow, Duran is on fire. In his past 13 games before today, he was slashing .333/.385/.684/1.069 with three doubles, a triple, five home runs and 14 RBI. Today’s game against the Cleveland Guardians was no different. He went 1-3 with a leadoff dinger to start the game and get Boston’s offense rolling.This streak has brought his season averages from down in the dumps to .219/.286/.409/.695 with nine doubles, a triple, 10 homers, 33 RBI, and 10 stolen bases in 53 games.Jury’s still out on a potential trade Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Because of this rising success, Duran’s value has skyrocketed back almost to where it was in the offseason. With that in mind, trading Duran for a right-handed counterpart might be in the best interest of Boston. Although, the Red Sox have been missing their future franchise star Roman Anthony for a while now as he sits on the IL with a torn ligament in his finger. With no real timetable for his return, giving away Duran doesn’t make sense. Hopefully, the Red Sox get Anthony back before the trade deadline, so they can make an informed decision on what to do with their two left fielders.MORE MLB NEWSRed Sox finally getting the Sonny Gray they traded for after remarkable turnaroundRed Sox seeing encouraging signs from Caleb Durbin after difficult start to seasonVeteran reliever Tommy Kahnle presents Red Sox with difficult bullpen choice

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Ben Rice had two extra-base hits and four RBIs in a 13-run third inning that was the biggest for the New York Yankees in 21 years, carrying them to a 13-8 victory over the Athletics on Sunday.The Yankees got the first 12 batters on in the inning against A’s pitchers Jacob Lopez (4-3) and Michael Kelly, marking the first time they pulled that off in nearly 77 years. It was New York’s biggest inning since scoring 13 runs in the eighth against Toronto on June 21, 2005, and was one run off the franchise record set in 1920 against the Washington Senators.Rice did the most damage with a two-run double and two-run triple, but eight of the nine Yankees batters had at least one hit and one RBI in the inning. Austin Wells was the lone exception with two walks and two runs scored.New York finished the 43-minute half inning with 11 hits, four walks and four steals while sending 18 batters to the plate and facing 75 pitches. It was the most runs allowed in an inning by the A’s since they gave up 14 against Cleveland on June 18, 1950, in the first inning of the second game of a doubleheader.The big inning made for an easy day for Will Warren (7-1), who settled down after allowing three unearned runs in the first with five straight scoreless innings to help cap a 5-1 trip for New York.The A’s struck for four runs off reliever Tim Hill in the seventh on a solo homer by Brent Rooker and a three-run shot by Jonah Heim.The Athletics allowed 47 runs on a 1-5 homestand that started with a three-game sweep by Seattle.Up nextBoth teams are off Monday before resuming play Tuesday. RHP Cam Schittler (7-2, 1.50 ERA) will start at home for New York against Cleveland’s Joey Castillo (4-2, 3.57). LHP Gage Jump (0-1, 7.20) starts for the A’s on the road against Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon (2-4, 5.37).

May 31—BaseballClass 2AFirst roundRiverview (15-7) vs. Mercyhurst Prep (20-2)11 a.m. Monday at Mercyhurst University, ErieDistrict seeds: Riverview 7-3, Mercyhurst Prep 10-1Winner plays: Winner of 5-1 Everett (18-6)/7-2 Fort Cherry (18-2) in quarterfinals Thursday (site/time TBD)Players to Watch: Owen Orbich, Riverview; Zack Kruszewski, Mercyhurst PrepExtra bases: The Raiders again found success on the turf at Washington & Jefferson's Ross Memorial Park as they captured a third-place consolation victory there for the second year in a row. Riverview, in the PIAA tournament for the third time in six seasons, punched its ticket to states and a rematch with Mercyhurst Prep with a dominating performance at the plate, on the mound and on defense against South Side. The Raiders produced 13 hits and drew six walks. All nine in the batting order reached base at least once. Junior Miles Duncan homered, and freshman Jake Sprajcar and junior Ian Stempfer each drove in two runs. It was the sixth time this season Riverview scored 10 or more runs in a victory. Junior Lukas Duncan again made his mark on the mound as he went the distance. He scattered five hits, walked four and struck out seven. He pitched a shutout in last year's third-place win over Laurel. Junior Owen Metz, the starter for the Raiders' semifinal game against Fort Cherry, is expected to get the start Monday. Riverview fell behind early to Mercyhurst Prep in last year's PIAA first-round matchup before its rally fell short in a 5-3 loss. The Duncan brothers and juniors Rex Roberts and Ashton Saunders started that game. The Raiders, the only Alle-Kiski Valley baseball or softball team left in this year's postseason, are making this run without a senior on the roster. The 1983 Riverview team finished third in the WPIAL playoffs before making a run to the Class AA state title. Raiders teams are 4-4 all-time over five PIAA playoff appearances. ... The Lakers won their ninth District 10 championship with their convincing victory over Saegertown on Memorial Day. Prep is on a roll with the D-10 title win their 18th victory in a row. The Lakers own a collective .405 team batting average. Prep senior ace Hunter Krahe, a Charleston Southern (Division I) commit, most likely will get the start against the Raiders. He started last year's game against Riverview and gave up nine hits, struck out four, and walked one in the victory. Junior Hayden Spencer, again one of the top hitters in the Lakers lineup, had a big hit in the game with a two-run double as part of a four-run first inning. Mercyhurst followed last year's win over Riverview with a 3-2 quarterfinal victory over District 5 champion Tussey Mountain. WPIAL champion Freedom ended the Lakers' state-playoff run 2-0 in the semifinals at Slippery Rock University. Prep is 8-12 all-time in state playoff games. This is its 13th all-time trip to states as it seeks its first PIAA title. Senior Zack Kruszewski leads a six-pack of regulars batting .400 or better. He owns a .587 average (37 for 63) with 20 RBIs, seven doubles, two triples and two home runs. Senior Noah Reigel has driven in a team-best 29 runs, and Spencer, who is batting an even .500 (26 of 52), has 23 RBIs. Junior Cameron Aresco (.500) and senior Jack Stoker (.440) are also dangerous.Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

This weekend, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko and his staff hosted a talented group of 2027 prospects, including several of the program's 14 commits in the unanimous No. 1-ranked 2027 class, which includes a nation-leading 5 five-star prospects, led by safety Kamarui Dorsey and edge Zyron Forstall.Along the defensive line, one of the Aggies' early DL commits, four-star Myels Smith out of Ingelwood, California, made his way back to College Station for his official visit this weekend, and based on what we've heard from various insiders, Elko and defensive line coaches Elijah Robinson and Tony Jerod-Eddie have locked down the trench player for the long run. Smith made it official on his Instagram page, stating that he has closed his recruitment and intends to sign with the Aggies in early December. This is a massive development in the recruiting landscape, given that Smith is now a top-60-ranked player and the 4th-ranked defensive lineman after his impressive 2025 junior season.Standing 6'3" and nearly 250 pounds, Smith has quickly become one of the more feared interior pass rushers after recording 91 tackles, an eye-popping 30 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and four pass breakups last season. A plug-and-play defensive tackle, Smith's development track under Mike Elko and his D-line staff should result in the California native earning a starting job in his second season.According to 247Sports, Myels Smith is currently positioned as the 51st-ranked 2027 prospect, fourth-ranked defensive lineman, and 5th-ranked prospect in California. Texas A&M DT commit Myels Smith has shut down his recruitment per his instagram. @MyelsSmith | @GigEm247pic.twitter.com/SJFovJ48KA— Cade Draughon (@Cade_Draughon) May 31, 2026Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M commit and 2027 DL, Myels Smith shuts down recruitment

Washington is betting that 2028 wide receiver Noah Bozeman will have a breakout junior year at John Muir (Calif.).The Huskies offered Bozeman earlier this month after his performance at nearby Sierra Canyon's annual spring showcase. Washington was only his eighth offer, following UNLV, Colorado State, Oregon State, UCLA, Oregon, Kentucky, and Mississippi. But more events across Southern California have put Bozeman on even more radars recently, with offers rolling in from Utah, Syracuse, and Arizona State.AGTG!!! After a great conversation with @Coach_KC84 I’m blessed to receive an official offer from the University of Washington!!!@MuirFootball@TheMatt_V@adamgorney@GregBiggins@SGVNSports@latsondheimer@nlevelsports@RivalsHS@247Sports@BrandonHuffman@on3recruitspic.twitter.com/kSNQI26xfW— Noah Bozeman (@D1boze6) May 8, 2026At 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Bozeman totaled 34 catches for 633 yards and 8 touchdowns as a freshman in 2024. He added another 580 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2025 as a sophomore and has been touted as a potential breakout player in the region heading into his junior season.A varsity basketball player and sub-12-second 100-meter dash runner at John Muir, Bozeman clearly has the athletic upside of a potential Power 4 contributor. His frame is impressive for an underclassman as well, so Washington's early identification of him could prove paramount in luring him to Montlake when 2028 rolls around.That will be even more important with major programs beginning to take notice. Bozeman took a visit to USC in March, but has yet to report an offer from the Trojans, and the fact that Oregon and Mississippi beat the Huskies to the punch speaks to how highly touted Bozeman could quickly become if he progresses the way many people are expecting.Washington has done well with wide receivers since head coach Jedd Fisch arrived with wide receivers coach Kevin Cummings in tow, signing four-star recruit Chris Lawson and unearthing three-star recruit Dezmen Roebuck, expected to be the Huskies' top receiver as a sophomore, in 2025, before bringing in four-star Jordan Clay from Texas, four-star Trez Davis from Louisiana, four-star Mason James from Oklahoma, and three-star Blaise LaVista from Illinois. Four-star Zerek Sidney from Arizona and in-state four-star Braylon Pope are both committed in the 2027 class.This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Huskies extends offer to rising 2028 California WR

Texas A&M baseball will face USC in the College Station Regional final on Sunday night, with an opportunity to secure its 11th appearance in a super regional. To get here, the Aggies dominated Texas State, 17-2, in a late-night offensive onslaught Saturday at Blue Bell Park. Texas A&M's lineup exploded for 20 hits, including two home runs, and 16 RBI. Left fielder Jake Duer led the team with a career-high six RBI, while designated hitter Chris Hacopian continued adding to his impressive regional performance, going 3-of-6 with four RBI. Meanwhile, right-handed pitcher Weston Moss had one of the best outings of his collegiate career against the Bobcats, striking out a career-high 10 hitters, while allowing just five hits and two earned runs through 7.1 innings pitched. In the elimination game on Sunday afternoon, the Trojans claimed a 15-4 win over the Bobcats to advance to the regional final against the Aggies. With Texas A&M 2-0 in the College Station Regional, USC must defeat them tonight to avoid being eliminated and force Game 2 on Sunday. After much speculation about the status of Aiden Sims, head coach Michael Earley confirmed the right-hander would miss the rest of the season. His absence from the starting rotation will likely result in left-handed pitcher Ethan Darden getting the start on the bump for the Aggies against the Trojans. Follow along with live coverage below of the regional final between Texas A&M and USC at Olsen Field:Starting pitchersTexas A&M:TBAUSC:TBAGame scheduleCollege Station Regional Final - May 31 at 8 p.m. CTChannel: TBDStreaming: ESPN+Ways to follow the gameTV/Streaming: TBA/ESPN AppRadio: Locally Sports Radio 1150/93.7 The ZoneSocial: Follow the @AggiesBaseball on X for updatesInternet: 12thMan.com / 12th Man Mobile app for live play-by-playContact/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: Live coverage, score of Texas A&M's NCAA Regional Final vs. USC

Central Valley athletes were well represented on the podium at the 2026 CIF State Track & Field Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis.Julius Sanders, a junior at Clovis West, finished first in the boys' long jump with a personal best of 24' 5 1/4".Sanders is the first local to win the long jump since Caleb Foster (Clovis North) in 2019. Kayden Lewis-Burnley, a junior at Clovis HS, came in 4th place with a jump of 23' 11".Karsyn Van Grouw won the boys' discus with a throw of 202' 1".The Buchanan senior makes it 3 straight wins in the discus for the Central Section following back-to-back titles from Clovis North's Mckay Madsen. Clovis North senior Cooper Haydock finished in 4th in this year's event with a throw of 188' 5".Other local medalists:Girls 100m Hurdles4th Sofia Lopes (Central East) 13.74Girls 300m Hurdles4th Sofia Lopes (Central East) 42.17Boys 110m Hurdles5th Wyatt Ruby (Redwood) 13.59* (New school record)Girls 400m Dash8th Gracie Serpa (Redwood) 55.77Boys 100m Dash8th Donovan Dunmore (Buchanan) 10.50Boys 400m Dash7th Emanuel Morgan (Central East) 47.42Girls Discus8th Ella Merrihew (Clovis) 145' 2"Boys Long Jump1st Julius Sanders (Clovis West) 24' 5 1/4"4th Kayden Lewis-Burnley (Clovis) 23' 11"Boys High Jump6th Davion Cockheran (Central East) 6'7"6th Jaxson Silverstrom (San Joaquin Memorial) 6'7"Boys Discus1st Karsyn Van Grouw (Buchanan) 202'1"4th Cooper Haydock (Clovis North) 188'5"Boys Triple Jump4th Austin Alcantara (Redwood) 47' 11"Girls 4x100 Relay 7th Buchanan (46.60)Girls 4x800m6th Buchanan (9:10.14)Girls 4x400m8th Clovis West (3:53.62)Boys 4x400m3rd Central East (3:14.38)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Christian Pulisic sank to his knees in the north corner of Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, bellowing a scream that was part exultation, part exorcism. He’d just scored his first goal of the calendar year, shortly after a pinpoint assist, and he let out five months’ worth of frustration all at once. He embraced Ricardo Pepi and Sergiño Dest, his head slumped in relief. The drought, at last, was over. The USMNT can take plenty of positives from Sunday’s 3-2 friendly victory over Senegal in Charlotte, but the key takeaway is this: Pulisic, at long last, is back among the world of the scoring, thanks to this brilliant slice around Senegal goalkeeper Mory Diaw: Prior to Sunday afternoon, Pulisic’s last goal in any match came on Dec. 28 in an AC Milan victory over Hellas Verona. His last goal for the United States was all the way back on Nov. 19, 2024 against Jamaica in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Nations League. He could score for neither club nor country, as the poetic line goes. Nineteen AC Milan games, plus eight USMNT games, all without a goal, are the kinds of combined dry stretches that provoke irritation, then frustration, then desperation … at least in the stands, if not on the pitch. “I’ve played well in recent months,” Pulisic insisted after the match, “but all people seem to care about is goals, so hopefully now people can stop talking about it.” With all due respect to Pulisic, who’s clearly more than a little tired of fielding drought-related questions, the talk is understandable; the World Cup is a results-oriented business, and “goals” trump “playing well” every time. The face of the American World Cup effort, leading a roster that’s as in-form and in stride as any in United States World Cup history, could only spin a half-year scoring drought so many ways. And fortunately, he no longer needs to. “Obviously, just a friendly, we’ve got big games ahead and I’ve got to be ready,” he said after the match, looking visibly relieved and satisfied. Of the goal celebration, he took a moment in the spotlight before looking forward: “I felt great. It was exciting. Ready for a big summer ahead.”Christian Pulisic broke his scoring drought and immediately let go of months of frustration.Omar Vega/USSF via Getty Images“We believe in him, and we wouldn't be here if he wasn't the player that he is, and the person that he is,” Weston McKinnie said. “Obviously, it's amazing for all of us to witness it, and to see him break that spell. But we move forward and count on him in a lot of things, and so I think (he will) come through when we need it.”The goal snips a dangling, irritating narrative thread that had run through the entire USNMT lead-up to the World Cup. Speaking to reporters on Thursday at the USMNT’s Georgia headquarters, coach Mauricio Pochettino declared Pulisic a “special player,” one who inspires and warrants confidence. "I mean, it's a pleasure that we are going to try these three weeks to recover his confidence,” Pochettino added, “and we really trust in him and we have the confidence that he's going to perform.” Pulisic didn’t need three weeks. As it turned out, he needed just three days, and a match against a lively if somewhat disorganized top-15 squad in Senegal.“That's a strong team, in my opinion, I think it's a really good team,” Pulisic said of the Lions of Teranga. “So I think we can feel good about it. But there's still a lot of work in front of us.”The United States’ ability to thrive in the World Cup remains open to debate, but the nation’s ability to build brands remains unmatched. Pulisic, who hails from Hershey, Pennsylvania, is already the centerpiece of multiple campaigns — Michelob Ultra, Gatorade, Visa and Hershey’s chocolate, among others —- and his face and form will adorn countless ads, billboards, building wraps and hype videos for the next six weeks. You’re going to see him more than your own relatives from now until mid-July, thanks to the Hype Industrial Complex that fuels this World Cup. Hype is easy to build, though. Reputation? That’s a much tougher ask. As Pulisic’s goal drought grew, as the USMNT matches in March and the AC Milan games throughout the spring rolled on without a Pulisic goal, you could almost sense the growing desperation, the increasing possibility that America’s greatest World Cup hope might not be up for the moment. And that could still happen. A goal in a friendly like Sunday’s is good for the stat sheet and good for the soul, but not much else. Pulisic still needs to prove himself once the United States begins group play on June 12 … and several knowledgeable observers have no doubt he will.“He's going to score in the World Cup,” Pochettino said Thursday. “Yes, I really trust on that.” And now, with some incontrovertible, spectacular evidence, so can everyone else. “Any player goes through high and low moments in their career,” McKinnie said. “Obviously the outside world may have been worried and been questioning what he looked like (this summer), but Christian has showed countless times, on club level and on country level, that he shows up in the moments that we need him the most.”

She's not just one of the best."She is the best hurdler the Valley's ever seen," says Cedric Pulliam.Sofia Lopes is determined to keep making history in the Valley."She's broken all of the Central section records," Pulliam said.Even though she's a top-three hurdler in the state of California, Sofia says she still hasn't peaked."I'm always looking for better," she said. "I guess you could say I'm never satisfied."Her talent level is high, but the Central East senior's mental toughness is elite.That type of strength comes from her family."My mom and my dad have always been my coach," she said. "They always tell us like, you're not an average teenager."There's certainly nothing average about the Lopes household."She's been around track and field all her life, even when she was in the womb," Pulliam said.All four of Sofia's older sisters were in college athletics, and her mom ran track at every level."They always say you have to have a different mindset than others, and I think that's what makes me so locked in," Lopes said.Committing to the next level was a no-brainer."Choosing USC, it wasn't hard," Lopes said. "Right when I stepped onto the campus, I just knew."Before Sofia heads down south to a top track and field program in the country, she's got some business to take care of in the Valley.Next week, the best athletes from across the state will meet at Veteran's Memorial Stadium for the CIF State Championship."I love having competition," Lopes said. "It pushes me so much more, it builds my fire so much more, so I know that when I run next to someone who might be better than me or have a closer time, I know I'll get my PR."Sofia holds the Central section record in the 300-meter hurdle, needing to shave off just hundredths of a second to crack the top ten in the nation.She's hoping she'll get there, running amongst the best in California next weekend."Fresno - people don't really pay that much attention to it, but a lot of great athletes have come out of Fresno," Lopes said. "I love when people sometimes, like, they don't see me as a competitor. It makes me want to push, to show them like I belong here."For sports updates, follow Sydney Berger on Facebook, X and Instagram.

NEW DELHI: When the moment demanded a finisher, Virat Kohli delivered in trademark fashion.The Royal Challengers Bengaluru superstar fittingly struck the winning runs as RCB defeated Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, successfully defending their title and securing a second IPL crown.And as Kohli launched the match-winning six into the stands, the celebrations that followed became one of the defining images of the night.Kohli first hammered Arshad Khan for a boundary in the fifth ball of the 18th over to level the score before finishing the chase in style on the very next delivery. The veteran batter got a full ball in his arc and powered it over long-on for a towering six, sparking scenes of jubilation among players and fans alike.Kohli's iconic celebration lights up AhmedabadAs soon as the ball disappeared into the stands, Kohli removed his helmet and turned towards the RCB dugout.With emotions pouring out, he gestured towards his teammates before spreading his arms and soaking in the moment. Holding his bat in one hand and helmet in the other, Kohli applauded the crowd that had turned the world's largest cricket stadium into a sea of red.The camera quickly found Anushka Sharma in the stands.The actor celebrated wildly, clenching both fists and pumping her arms in delight as RCB players rushed onto the field to surround their talisman. The heartfelt reaction instantly became a viral moment on social media.WATCH:— IPL (@IPL) Chasemaster delivers on the biggest stageThe title-clinching six capped another memorable innings from Kohli.Earlier in the chase of 156, he had smashed the fastest half-century of his IPL career, reaching the landmark in just 25 balls. The knock also placed him among the fastest fifty-makers in IPL final history.Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer had set the tone with a blistering opening partnership, helping RCB record the fastest team fifty ever in an IPL final.However, Gujarat Titans fought back strongly after the opening stand of 62, claiming four wickets for just 29 runs to briefly raise hopes of a comeback.Kohli, though, remained calm amid the chaos. Anchoring the chase while continuing to score at a brisk rate, he ensured RCB never lost control of the target.And when the winning moment arrived, it was only fitting that Bengaluru's biggest icon finished the job himself — with a boundary, a six, and celebrations that will be remembered for years.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Kaedan Korczak (6) looks to block a shot from Anaheim Ducks F Cutter Gauthier during the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.RALEIGH, N.C. — The Vegas Golden Knights would love nothing more than to throw a block party at Lenovo Center beginning Tuesday night. It’s a path, albeit a painful one, to winning a second Stanley Cup.Blocking shots in the NHL takes courage. Ask Pavel Dorofeyev, who took one off the knee in the Anaheim series then returned to the ice and was the overtime hero of Game 5 when he scored the game winner.“It’s kind of a s— part of my job, but it hurts more when I miss it,” I just had to get myself together and get back on the ice,” was Dorofeyev’s now-famous postgame quote. And it exemplifies what the mentality is when it comes to blocking shots.On this team, no one is exempt when it comes to getting in front of pucks. It’s one of those “non-negotiables” that coaches love to talk about. And John Tortorella has been a long-time advocate of demanding his players block opponents’ shots.The memo was received loud and clear, Through three rounds of this year’s playoffs, the Knights have a total of 278 blocked shots compared to 223 for their opponents. Shea Theodore, who’s not known for being a big shot-blocking presence unlike his blueline partner Brayden McNabb, is second in the NHL in postseason blocks with 46. McNabb has 31 and ranks sixth, followed right behind by Noah Hanifin with 30 and Rasmus Andersson is 11th with 26 blocks.And if you think the Vegas forwards get a free pass, guess again. Colton Sissons has 17 blocks, Jack Eichel has 16 and Nic Dowd has 14. Dorofeyev? He’s got nine and he’s got the bruises to prove it.Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin is the Hurricanes’ top shot-blocker with 28, which ranks him ninth in the playoffs. The Canes don’t block a lot of shots. But don’t be fooled. Opponents don’t get a lot of shots for Carolina to block as shot suppression is preached by coach Rod Brind’Amour. In five games of the Eastern Conference Final, the Montreal Canadiens managed just 89 shots total, an average of under 18 shots on goal. No wonder the Habs were sent packing.Can Carolina contain Vegas’ attack? Can the Knights get enough shooting volume each game to make Frederik Andersen work in the Carolina net? Or will the Canes have to block more shots in order to get the desired result?Conversely, will Carolina be able to pressure Carter Hart enough and not get frustrated when Theodore, McNabb and the rest of the Knights throw their bodies in the way of shots from the Canes’ shooters?Defenseman Dylan Coghlan said it’s a mindset that was there before Tortorella arrived, basically emanating from assistant coach John Stevens, whose primary responsibility is working with the Vegas defensemen.“It’s just one of those things you have to do,” Coghlan said. “I think (Stevens) said it a few times — it hurts more if it goes by you. So just having that mentality and trying to do everything you can.“I think it started as a joke, but I don't think anybody takes it as a joke. It's true, if it goes by you and it's in the net, then it's not a great feeling, rather than taking it to a soft spot, and it stinging a little bit. I think we're willing to do whatever.”Which was why Dorofeyev got in front of that shot in the Anaheim series. Yeah, it hurt. But it would’ve hurt more had he not blocked it and the puck went in the back of the net.So while the Hurricanes have their “Junkyard Dog” line of Taylor Hall, Logan Stanhoven and Jackson Blake, the Knights have their own version of a Junkyard Dog. It’s all about eating pucks.

Tre Phelps was thrown out of Georgia's win over Liberty on Sunday night. (David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesWhile he drilled a huge home run on Sunday night, Tre Phelps didn’t make it to the end of Georgia’s 6-1 win over Liberty. Phelps, after hitting a deep two-run homer in the sixth inning of the NCAA regional final game at Foley Field in Athens, was actually thrown out of the game. Right before Phelps turned to round first base, he was seen making hand signals and celebrating toward the Liberty dugout. It’s not exactly clear what Phelps said in the moment, or whether he was talking to the Liberty dugout or the Georgia fans sitting above it. Phelps kept celebrating all the way around the bases to his own dugout, too, and didn’t seem to realize that he was ejected until much later.But clearly, the officials had seen enough of a celebration to warrant his ejection. Georgia head coach Wes Johnson followed suit, too, after he came out and erupted at the umpires over the call. After a few moments, Johnson then left the field with his player.Phelps has hit 19 home runs this season. The junior earned first-team All SEC honors this season. Regardless of the incident that followed, the home run sparked a huge rally for the Bulldogs. They added four more runs in the eighth inning, thanks in part to a home run from Michael O’Shaughnessy, who came in to replace Phelps the rest of the way. The five-run win sent the Bulldogs into the super regional round, where they’ll now take on the winner of the Starkville regional. Because of his ejection, Phelps will now have to miss the Bulldogs’ next game. But the Bulldogs are moving on, and Phelps, even if his celebration got out of hand, sparked that comeback to help them move into the next round. Their hopes for a College World Series appearance, which would be the program’s first since 2008, are still alive.

The NASCAR O'Reilly Series competed at Nashville Superspeedway, and it was a thrilling event. Jesse Love won Stage 1 while Justin Allgaier won Stage 2; however, only one driver could enter victory lane at Nashville. At the end of the night, it was a JR Motorsports driver in the winner's circle.Allgaier and the No. 7 team for JR Motorsports won the O'Reilly Series race at Nashville, earning their fourth victory of the 2026 O'Reilly Series season. Allgaier was forced to pass Joe Gibbs Racing driver Brent Crews after the No. 19 car had elite speed on Saturday night.Crews' car didn't react the same after the final green-flag pit stops, and Allgaier was able to pull through for another win at Nashville. The JR Motorsports driver has been amazing in the O'Reilly Series, and he will carry a significant points lead into the off-weekend after the event in Nashville.NASCAR results: O'Reilly Series race at Nashville Superspeedway (May 2026)No. 7 Justin AllgaierNo. 19 Brent CrewsNo. 18 William SawalichNo. 41 Sam MayerNo. 20 Brandon JonesNo. 17 Corey DayNo. 1 Carson KvapilNo. 88 Kyle LarsonNo. 54 Taylor GrayNo. 8 Sammy SmithNo. 21 Austin HillNo. 99 Parker RetzlaffNo. 39 Ryan SiegNo. 26 Dean ThompsonNo. 00 Sheldon CreedNo. 2 Jesse LoveNo. 96 Anthony AlfredoNo. 51 Jeremy ClementsNo. 32 Rajah CaruthNo. 31 Blaine PerkinsNo. 44 Brennan PooleNo. 92 Leland Honeyman Jr.No. 27 Jeb BurtonNo. 28 Kyle SiegNo. 48 Patrick StaropoliNo. 42 Logan BeardenNo. 24 Harrison BurtonNo. 91 Mason MaggioNo. 02 Ryan EllisNo. 87 Austin GreenNo. 45 Lavar ScottNo. 07 Josh BilickiNo. 0 Garrett SmithleyNo. 35 Dawson CramNo. 33 Cleetus McFarlandNo. 55 Joey GaseNo. 53 David StarrNo. 38 JJ YeleyThis article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Justin Allgaier wins NASCAR O'Reilly race at Nashville in May 2026

The NASCAR Truck Series competed at Nashville Superspeedway, and it was the Front Row Motorsports show. Layne Riggs won the first two stages; however, the No. 34 team was caught up in track-position-related incidents. Meanwhile, Chandler Smith was trying to track down Rajah Carruth at the end, but it didn't end as expected.Riggs and the No. 34 team from Front Row Motorsports came back to win the Truck Series race at Nashville, earning their third victory of the 2026 Truck Series season. The Front Row Motorsports driver had fresher tires and used them to pass Caruth, with some help from Smith.This is Riggs' second straight win in the Truck Series, and he is now the new points leader. The No. 34 team has been hitting on all cylinders after winning at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Now, Riggs is a winner at Nashville, and the momentum isn't going to fade anytime soon.NASCAR results: Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway (May 2026)No. 34 Layne RiggsNo. 7 Rajah CaruthNo. 38 Chandler SmithNo. 45 Ross ChastainNo. 18 Tyler AnkrumNo. 52 Stewart FriesenNo. 9 Grant EnfingerNo. 91 Christian EckesNo. 17 Giovanni RuggieroNo. 20 Daniel DyeNo. 62 Parker RetzlaffNo. 88 Ty MajeskiNo. 1 Brandon JonesNo. 44 Andres Perez De LaraNo. 19 Daniel HemricNo. 13 Cole ButcherNo. 26 Dawson SuttonNo. 4 Stefan ParsonsNo. 12 Brendan QueenNo. 14 Mini TyrrellNo. 22 Derek LeemkeNo. 10 Corey LaJoieNo. 81 Kris WrightNo. 33 Frankie MunizNo. 93 Caleb CostnerNo. 76 Spencer BoydNo. 11 Kaden HoneycuttNo. 99 Ben RhodesNo. 2 Clayton GreenNo. 5 William SawalichNo. 16 Justin HaleyNo. 98 Jake GarciaNo. 15 Tanner GrayNo. 77 Jesse LoveNo. 25 Carson FergusonNo. 42 Tyler ReifThis article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Layne Riggs wins NASCAR Truck Series race at Nashville in May 2026

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 22: Ridge Lovett of Nebraska University celebrates wining the 149 pound weight class during the NCAA Division 1 wrestling national championship finals on March 22nd, 2025 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images A rising promotion within the combat sports world, Real American Freestyle has really put freestyle wrestling on the forefront with its UFC-style cards while exhibiting some of the world’s top talent.On Saturday night, RAF 09 featured a trio of Huskers in Ridge Lovett and Antrell Taylor at Lightweight (155 pounds), and Christopher Minto at Middleweight (175 pounds). Lovett — who is going to be in Final X in June at 70 kg — earned his biggest career win over an Olympic medalist, while Taylor and Minto fell to former Penn State superstars.RAF has a great model going and supplies college and high school wrestlers with an avenue to earn money and continue their career beyond college.Ridge Lovett vs. Bajrang PuniaLightweight (155 pounds)In one of the matches of the night, Lovett faced off against Punia of India — a five time World and Olympic Medalist at 60 and 65 kg. Punia won Olympic bronze at 65 kg in 2021.Lovett started the scoring with a single-leg takedown in the first period while also collecting a shot-clock point to go up 3-0.In the second of three two-minute periods, Lovett got another takedown and a turn to go up 7-0, but Punia showed his experience when he scored a four-pointer with a chest wrap off Lovett’s shot. Lovett stayed on the leg and immediately scored the reversal before adding a late takedown and tilt with double boots in, giving him the 11-6 lead. Lovett scored first in the third period with an exposure from a crotch lock before Punia scored a late takedown, but it wasn’t enough. Lovett got the win 13-8.RAF 09 | NCAA 🥇 Ridge Lovett (USA) over OLY 🥉 Bajrang Punia (IND), 13-8.Ridge Lovett shows off his deep bag of freestyle turns, mounting a large lead over Olympic and World medalist Bajrang Punia. He was able to see it out, for his first win on RAF! pic.twitter.com/Iv9utBA1wT— InfaWrest (@InfaWrest) May 31, 2026With a Final X date looming against former World Champion Zain Retherford, Lovett is on a roll. He won the US Open title in April before winning a gold medal at the Pan-American Championships in May. On the year, Lovett is 10-1 at the Senior level with his only loss coming 5-5 on criteria against Kazakhstan’s Maiis Aliyev at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series in February. Aliyev is a former U20 and U23 World Team member and has a U20 bronze at the Asian Championships.Final X will take place June 19 with Lovett taking on Retherford in a best-of-three series.Christopher Minto vs. Jason NolfMiddleweight (175 pounds)Minto took this match on short notice to face off against Nolf who is still considered to be one of the best wrestlers in America. A three-time NCAA Champion and two-time Hodge Trophy winner, Nolf is one of the best wrestlers ever to not make a World or Olympic team. And Minto gave him all he could handle in this one. Both wrestlers exchanged push-out points to start the match before Nolf was able to score a late exposure out of an extended scramble to go up 3-1 (see it below at the beginning). Minto did then cut the lead to 3-2 with a last-second push out. 3x NCAA Champion🥇Jason NOLF (USA) makes it 4 straight wins in Real American Freestyle ‼️🙌Nolf for the 10-5 win over 2026 NCAA Finalist🥈Chris MINTO (USA) pic.twitter.com/2ahJr1IiQ2— GlobalWrestOrder (@GlobalWresOrder) May 31, 2026Minto then took a 3-3 criteria lead with a push out off a re-attack and added two more points when he exposed Nolf during a far-ankle scramble. Minto then made a big mistake against Nolf when he went for a lat drop but was put on his back instead (see it above at the end), giving Nolf the 7-5 lead after two periods.Minto gave up a shot-clock point in the third and wasn’t able to get to his offense, eventually dropping the match 8-5. Despite the loss, I think Minto probably turned some heads with this performance against an icon in the sport in Nolf.Antrell Taylor vs. Zain RetherfordLightweight (155 pounds)Taylor also took his match on short notice after multiple wrestlers pulled out of this match against Retherford. Facing Lovett’s Final X opponent, Taylor was unable to get much going against the defense of Retherford.Taylor gave up a shot-clock point in the first period before Retherford scored two push outs in the second to go up 3-0. Retherford added another shot-clock point in the third before taking Taylor down late and sinking in the bow and arrow late for an additional exposure.RAF 09 | 23' 🌎 🥇 Zain Retherford (USA) over NCAA 🥇 Antrell Taylor (USA), 8-0.After a successful return to wrestling at the WTT, Zain Retherford continues to win. As he takes out Antrell Taylor 8-0, with a collection of 1 point exchanges before he scored a takedown and a turn pic.twitter.com/JaQjw0DfH1— InfaWrest (@InfaWrest) May 31, 2026When the dust settled, Taylor lost the match 8-0.Going into his senior season, it’s clear that Taylor is likely focusing on folkstyle for one last run at a second NCAA title — with potentially a RAF match or two sprinkled in there. Taylor did not try to make a World Team this year, but I’d anticipate him being in contention for Team USA in 2027 and beyond after his college career is over.

Arizona has accomplished its first goal at the NCAA Championships and is well-positioned to cross another off the list. The Wildcats shot 4-under par on Sunday during the third round at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif., raising their tournament score to -8 through 54 holes. That’s good for a tie for fourth place and well above the cut line to make the top 15 and advance to Monday’s fourth round.The top eight teams after Monday move on to match play, which Arizona has never reached since the format was introduced in 2019. Two years ago it was in contention going into the final round only to finish 15th.The UA is currently eight strokes ahead of ninth-place Oklahoma, which is even through three rounds.Sunday’s top round for Arizona was carded by Tianyi Xiong, who had a 3-under 69, while Zach Pollo was 1-under and the other three shot par. That includes senior Filip Jakubcik, who remained at -10 for the championship and is off shot behind Oklahoma State’s Preston Stout for the individual lead. The individual champion will be crowned after Monday’s fourth round of stroke play.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru not only defended their IPL title in style but also secured the biggest financial reward of the season after defeating Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the IPL 2026 final in Ahmedabad.RCB's title-winning campaign was rewarded with ₹20 crore in prize money, while Gujarat Titans received ₹12.5 crore after finishing runners-up.The final proved to be a fitting end to a dominant season for Rajat Patidar's side. After restricting Gujarat Titans to 155/8, RCB chased down the target with 12 balls to spare to clinch their second successive IPL crown.Virat Kohli once again delivered on the biggest stage, remaining unbeaten on 75 off 42 balls. The veteran batter struck nine fours and three sixes as he guided RCB home with a trademark chase masterclass.Kohli's innings was backed by a strong start from Venkatesh Iyer and a useful contribution from Tim David, who scored 24 off 17 balls. The former RCB captain eventually sealed victory with a six, sparking wild celebrations among players and supporters.Earlier in the evening, RCB's bowlers laid the foundation for the triumph. Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed Gujarat Titans' star opening pair of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan inside the powerplay, while Rasikh Salam Dar impressed with figures of 3/27.Washington Sundar fought a lone battle with an unbeaten half-century, but GT could only manage 155/8 on a surface that offered little assistance to stroke-makers.Despite the disappointment of losing the final, Gujarat Titans will take consolation from a strong campaign that ended with a runners-up finish and a prize money payout of ₹13 crore. After recovering from an inconsistent start to the season, Shubman Gill's side reached their second IPL final before being outclassed by the defending champions.IPL 2026 Final Prize MoneyTeamFinishPrize MoneyRoyal Challengers BengaluruChampions₹20 croreGujarat TitansRunners-up₹12.5 croreWhile the trophy once again belongs to RCB, both finalists leave IPL 2026 with significant financial rewards after producing memorable campaigns that culminated in a blockbuster final in Ahmedabad.

ELKHART LAKE – PJ Jacobsen lost a piece of bone in the tip of his left index finger this season.That’s the one next to his nub of a pinky. The one nearly torn off when he was 11.Bobby Fong has a torn rotator cuff.Fortunately he makes his living racing motorcycles, not throwing a baseball. And fortunately it hurts him more getting out of bed than when he’s crouching at speed.Sean Dylan Kelly has a chip fracture in his right middle finger.He’s not supposed to put pressure on the finger, yet he can squeeze the brake lever with only his index finger enough to slow his BMW from 190 mph in time to make a turn.That was your podium for the second Superbike race of MotoAmerica weekend May 31 at Road America. So naturally the conversation turned to the sorts of ailments that afflict two-wheeled speed demons.Results: MotoAmerica Superbikes at Road America Race 1Results: MotoAmerica Superbikes at Road America Race 2“You have no choice, really, to go out there, whether you’re hurt or whatever, and there’s always gonna be somebody just chomping at the bit to get your seat,” said Fong, the Yamaha rider who left Road America with a pair of third-place trophies. “We can’t call in sick. It is a very stressful job, for sure.“Sometimes I wonder why the hell I’m doing this. But leaving the track knowing that you had a good result is the best feeling in the world.”Kelly enjoyed the best weekend of the three, adding his first win of the season and second overall in the premier Superbike class to a runner-up finish a day earlier.Jacobsen crossed the line 0.381 seconds behind Kelly after placing fourth a day earlier. The runner-up was the best Superbike finish for the Ducati team owned by IndyCar racer Graham Rahal.Cameron Petersen, who won the first Superbike race of the weekend Saturday, finished fifth in the second go-round. Cameron Beaubier, the all-time Superbike wins leader at the 4-mile track, might have been a contender but crashed while leading Saturday, suffered a dislocated shoulder and was not medically cleared for Sunday.“You should donate me your bone,” Jacobsen said in a fitting exchange with Kelly.“There is a piece that’s kind of dangling, so maybe we could,” Kelly responded. “Money talks, you know.”More: Royal Enfield brings different motorcycle opportunity to Road America paddockThe realization of Kelly’s temporary handicap made Fong’s eyes pop. In this group, that’s saying something.“The way things are going, I might not have no fingers left,” Jacobsen said, mostly joking.“I’ve just got to grow this confidence and the injury, put that aside and just keep working through all that stuff. We race motorcycles, we’re all strong here, and we're all in the same mindset of doing these same things.”The things they do might make sense in the context of racing in general and motorcycle racing specifically. Step back, though, and look through the lens of a layman or spend too much time thinking, and the entire endeavor seems bonkers.While one goal is to not get hurt, another – the main goal – is to emerge from handlebar-to-handlebar and nose-to-tail battles reaching speeds of 190 mph at a track like Road America. That’s about as fast as Indy cars and IMSA prototypes go, but on two wheels and with leathers for protection rather than carbon fiber.Results: MotoAmerica Supersport at Road America Race 1Results: MotoAmerica Supersport at Road America Race 2But speed is relative, riders often begin picking up the pace when they’re preschoolers and the trust they have in themselves and those around them helps mitigate the risk to the point the reward makes it worthwhile.“You’re all out here to do the same job and that means that everyone's smart and we're all going the same speed,” Kelly said. “When you pass somebody [who’s just] sitting there at 180, obviously that’s pretty scary, but when you’re next to another guy that's also going 180, 190, then you don’t really notice.“When the front tucks at 180, you pucker up a little bit for sure, or if something happens or if you were expecting to feel really good and then you go out and you try something and then it turns out that you’re in some more pain than you expected, that doesn’t help.“But in terms of speed, we’re all out there going the same speed and doing for the same job and I think we’re all pretty smart.”This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Motorcycle riders at Road America explain crashing, racing hurt

ELKHART LAKE – PJ Jacobsen lost a piece of bone in the tip of his left index finger this season.That’s the one next to his nub of a pinky. The one nearly torn off when he was 11.Bobby Fong has a torn rotator cuff.Fortunately he makes his living racing motorcycles, not throwing a baseball. And fortunately it hurts him more getting out of bed than when he’s crouching at speed.Sean Dylan Kelly has a chip fracture in his right middle finger.He’s not supposed to put pressure on the finger, yet he can squeeze the brake lever with only his index finger enough to slow his BMW from 190 mph in time to make a turn.That was your podium for the second Superbike race of MotoAmerica weekend May 31 at Road America. So naturally the conversation turned to the sorts of ailments that afflict two-wheeled speed demons.Results: MotoAmerica Superbikes at Road America Race 1Results: MotoAmerica Superbikes at Road America Race 2“You have no choice, really, to go out there, whether you’re hurt or whatever, and there’s always gonna be somebody just chomping at the bit to get your seat,” said Fong, the Yamaha rider who left Road America with a pair of third-place trophies. “We can’t call in sick. It is a very stressful job, for sure.“Sometimes I wonder why the hell I’m doing this. But leaving the track knowing that you had a good result is the best feeling in the world.”Kelly enjoyed the best weekend of the three, adding his first win of the season and second overall in the premier Superbike class to a runner-up finish a day earlier.Jacobsen crossed the line 0.381 seconds behind Kelly after placing fourth a day earlier. The runner-up was the best Superbike finish for the Ducati team owned by IndyCar racer Graham Rahal.Cameron Petersen, who won the first Superbike race of the weekend Saturday, finished fifth in the second go-round. Cameron Beaubier, the all-time Superbike wins leader at the 4-mile track, might have been a contender but crashed while leading Saturday, suffered a dislocated shoulder and was not medically cleared for Sunday.“You should donate me your bone,” Jacobsen said in a fitting exchange with Kelly.“There is a piece that’s kind of dangling, so maybe we could,” Kelly responded. “Money talks, you know.”More: Royal Enfield brings different motorcycle opportunity to Road America paddockThe realization of Kelly’s temporary handicap made Fong’s eyes pop. In this group, that’s saying something.“The way things are going, I might not have no fingers left,” Jacobsen said, mostly joking.“I’ve just got to grow this confidence and the injury, put that aside and just keep working through all that stuff. We race motorcycles, we’re all strong here, and we're all in the same mindset of doing these same things.”The things they do might make sense in the context of racing in general and motorcycle racing specifically. Step back, though, and look through the lens of a layman or spend too much time thinking, and the entire endeavor seems bonkers.While one goal is to not get hurt, another – the main goal – is to emerge from handlebar-to-handlebar and nose-to-tail battles reaching speeds of 190 mph at a track like Road America. That’s about as fast as Indy cars and IMSA prototypes go, but on two wheels and with leathers for protection rather than carbon fiber.Results: MotoAmerica Supersport at Road America Race 1Results: MotoAmerica Supersport at Road America Race 2But speed is relative, riders often begin picking up the pace when they’re preschoolers and the trust they have in themselves and those around them helps mitigate the risk to the point the reward makes it worthwhile.“You’re all out here to do the same job and that means that everyone's smart and we're all going the same speed,” Kelly said. “When you pass somebody [who’s just] sitting there at 180, obviously that’s pretty scary, but when you’re next to another guy that's also going 180, 190, then you don’t really notice.“When the front tucks at 180, you pucker up a little bit for sure, or if something happens or if you were expecting to feel really good and then you go out and you try something and then it turns out that you’re in some more pain than you expected, that doesn’t help.“But in terms of speed, we’re all out there going the same speed and doing for the same job and I think we’re all pretty smart.”This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Motorcycle riders at Road America explain crashing, racing hurt

For the second straight year, the No. 1 overall seed has crashed out of the NCAA baseball regionals. UCLA’s season came to a close after a 6-5 loss to Saint Mary’s in extra innings.The Gaels picked up the one-run win after sending the game to extras with a game-tying run in the bottom of the ninth. Then, Saint Mary’s stunned the Bruins in the 10th inning with Makoa Sniffen’s walk-off base hit that sent Cody Kashimoto home for the win. Both of those high-stakes RBIs came with two outs on the board.It’s the second time in three days that UCLA has been upset by Saint Mary’s: The Gaels shocked the Bruins in the regionals’ opener on Friday. Jacob Johnson gave his team the lead with a solo homer in the top of the ninth, and Cam Staton closed it out on the mound to give Saint Mary’s a 3-2 win.Prior to 2025, no No. 1 seed had ever failed to at least make the regional final, per ESPN. Now, UCLA joins Vanderbilt, who fell to Wright State last year, as the second No. 1 seed to stumble early, for the second year in a row.Saint Mary’s will now face Cal Poly for a chance to stay alive, in a rematch of the Gaels’ 14-1 loss to the Mustangs on Saturday. Because this stage of the tournament is double elimination, Saint Mary’s will have to beat Cal Poly twice (once on Sunday and once on Monday) in order to advance.UCLA, meanwhile, will be heading home. The Bruins’ early exit also marks another poor showing from the Big Ten, baseball-wise, leaving Oregon and USC as the only teams left in the conference — for now.

More jarring than shocking. That's how the UCLA Bruins’ NCAA regional exit on Sunday felt. After two weeks of struggling, UCLA finally succumbed, getting walked-off on at their home ballpark by Saint Mary’s to end the 2026 season.Throughout the entire postseason, UCLA has given themselves zero margin for error. You can blame it on injuries, an abnormally tough regional bracket, or whatever you choose, blowing the 5-2 lead on Sunday is still a massively disappointing end to an otherwise amazing season.SAINT MARY'S ELIMINATES THE NO. 1 OVERALL SEED UCLA IN WALK-OFF FASHION 😱 pic.twitter.com/hJGgMWVVon— ESPN (@espn) May 31, 2026Roch Cholowsky will be one of the top picks of the MLB Draft this summer but he didn’t make a difference during the Los Angeles Regional, going 1-4 in Sunday’s game and 2-12 overall in the regional without recording an extra base hit.Without ace Logan Reddemann, the UCLA pitching staff saw everyone’s role increase, with Wylan Moss becoming the team’s No. 1 and with so many close games, the Bruins relied heavily on their most dependable relievers. Cal Randall and Easton Hawk are terrific arms out the bullpen for UCLA but head coach John Savage had to ask too much out of them. Reddemann’s absence is hardly an excuse, he’s been out for over a month and the Bruins just didn’t have the impact starting pitching to silence the lineups of Saint Mary’s and Virginia Tech over the regional.No. 1 overall seeds have been bounced in the regional in back-to-back seasons but UCLA’s is much worse. Vanderbilt backed their way into the overall No. 1 seed at the end of the 2025 season, the Bruins made history by sitting at the top for the entire regular season.UCLA becomes the 5th #1 overall seed to be bounced in regionals... 2nd straight year.No sport with bigger parity. pic.twitter.com/u1asT4Z7A9— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) May 31, 2026Were the Bruins stacking wins in a Big Ten Conference that's not all that competetive? Why did the team consistently struggle against every other California-based schools besides USC? Why did the lineup go quiet as soon as the postseason began? There are plenty of questions for the UCLA program after an early exit to the 2026 season.This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: No. 1 UCLA didn't get unlucky during their NCAA regional exit

WWE said ciao from its premium live event, Clash in Italy 2026, the first one to take place in the country with an eager European crowd ready for a big night in the ring.Five matches made up the card on Sunday, May 31. Fans were familiar with them as they were all rematches, including the Undisputed WWE Championship match between Cody Rhodes and Gunther, and Roman Reigns facing Jacob Fatu for the second time in May.The show kicked off in a massive way with The American Nightmare defeating the Ring General to keep the Undisputed WWE Championship. Rhea Ripley followed it up by maintaining her own title, despite foul play from Jade Cargill's crew at the end of the match. After that though, the results started shaking things up.The rematch between Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi did not last long, but it was absolutely ferocious all the way through, with Lesnar earning his revenge and landing a massive seven F-5's. This will almost certainly not be the last time we see these two face off.That was followed up with Sol Ruca taking the Women's Intercontinental Championship from Becky Lynch before a nearly hour-long match between Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu wound up with Fatu falling to the Tribal Chief. Perhaps Fatu will finally acknowledge Roman Reigns now.Follow USA TODAY Sports for all of the results, highlights and analysis from Clash in Italy 2026:Tribal combat for the World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe intensity in both Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu was evident from the beginning, and it didn't take long for this fight to get outside the ring. As is to be expected in tribal combat, this fight was brutal to the maximum. The steel steps were used on multiple occasions, even as a throwable weapon.Roman Reigns throws the STEEL STEPS right at Jacob Fatu's head!! 😱 pic.twitter.com/UZ3IwzDcuD— WWE (@WWE) May 31, 2026It got so wild and went everywhere throughout the fight. At one point, Jacob Fatu even wound up under the ring. He also ended up getting hit with concessions. There was no telling what was going to happen as these two duked it out.Some snacks for the crowd, courtesy of @WWERomanReigns 🍿 pic.twitter.com/K019ZFLIwz— WWE (@WWE) May 31, 2026Reigns had several opportunities to end the fight, but his injured right hand gave Fatu far more leeway than most combatants would normally have.Fatu's best chance came after he landed a spear on the Tribal Chief, a move normally exclusive to Reigns. Shockingly though, Reigns shrugged it off rather quickly.Despite it all, Reigns had numerous massive hits, finishing off the fight by slamming Fatu through a table and hitting him with a spear before the pin. It was clear the moment the slam happened that Reigns had the fight in the bag.Reigns has tamed the Samoan werewolf. He remains World Heavyweight champ and we will have to wait to see if Fatu will finally acknowledge Reigns.AND WITH ANOTHER SPEAR...ROMAN REIGNS WINS!#WWEClashpic.twitter.com/Ps6m03BMxb— The Movement - Pro Wrestling (@TheMovementXx) May 31, 2026Sol Ruca is the new Women's Intercontinental championThe Man's experience was on display early in this fight, with Lynch displaying an intimate understanding of Sol Ruca's tendencies. Lynch understood that Sol Ruca liked to take risks, so Becky Lynch weathered Sol Ruca's early storm and took advantage as soon as the first opportunity arose.Lynch maintained momentum for a good amount of this fight, landing multiple uppercuts and sustaining every blow that Sol Ruca threw at her. In fact, while Sol Ruca had a few opportunities to pin Becky Lynch, it never felt as though Becky Lynch was close to losing. It felt like The Man was playing with her food a bit; the type of arrogant attitude that Becky Lynch has become known and loved for.SUPER X-FACTOR OFF THE TOP FROM SOL RUCABUT BECKY KICKS OUT!#WWEClashpic.twitter.com/1Oo9p64YMF— The Movement - Pro Wrestling (@TheMovementXx) May 31, 2026However, that attitude came back to bite Lynch. While Lynch was taking advantage of Sol Ruca's mistakes, Lynch's first mistake led to her demise. Sol Ruca hit The Man with a Sol Snatcher to secure the win.SUPER X-FACTOR OFF THE TOP FROM SOL RUCABUT BECKY KICKS OUT!#WWEClashpic.twitter.com/1Oo9p64YMF— The Movement - Pro Wrestling (@TheMovementXx) May 31, 2026Brock Lesnar gets revenge on Oba FemiOba Femi entered the ring at Inalpi Arena with the chants of thousands backing him up. The crowd was electric watching him get ready to take on Brock Lesnar. However, Lesnar took that energy and immediately turned it on its head, hitting Femi with several F-5's before the bell that had fans concerned this match was going to end sooner than anticipated.BROCK LESNAR ATTACKS OBA BEFORE THE BELLBROCK LESNAR HITS QUADRUPLE F-5'S BUT OBA FEMI KICKS OUT 🤯🤯🤯#WWEClashpic.twitter.com/W1vKNRAVFc— The Movement - Pro Wrestling (@TheMovementXx) May 31, 2026Femi fought back though, and before we knew it, both competitors were at each other's throats. The fight was absolutely fierce with neither man able to get an advantage on the other.This fight was not long, but boy was it fierce. While Femi was able to kick out of the first set of F-5's, Lesnar would hit Femi with seven F-5's, and even someone as great and as durable and as seemingly unbeatable as Femi could not handle the toll. Lesnar won the match, earned his revenge, and it's clear that the fans want MORE.BROCK LESNAR BEATS OBA FEMI!!! 😱 THE BEAST HAS TAMED THE RULER!! pic.twitter.com/Iz2izxKnK4— WWE (@WWE) May 31, 2026Rhea Ripley maintains title vs. Jade CargillThe second match of the event didn't take long to get furious. The two female powerhouses were trading serious blows early on.A dropkick from Ripley outside of the ring led to a flying knee to Ripley's jaw. Jade Cargill takes the time to gloatpic.twitter.com/aP0xxtCs07— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) May 31, 2026Ripley took a while to recover from that massive blow, but by the time Cargill got the Aussie back in the ring, Ripley had recovered.Later in the match, Cargill continued putting the pressure on the champion. Sleeper holds, clotheslines, and shoulders in the corner had Ripley on the metaphorical ropes, but Ripley soon started to rally, hitting Cargill with a German suplex, and a flying drop kick to give herself a pin opportunity on Cargill. Cargill kicked out though.From that moment on, neither competitor could find an edge. Every opportunity for Ripley seemingly created a greater opportunity for Cargill and vice versa. A razor's edge from Ripley led to a DDT from Cargill. Just when it looked like Ripley had found an advantage, Cargill's backup showed up, and it couldn't have come at a more opportune time.After Ripley landed a Riptide on Cargill, Ripley looked primed for a win, but Michin grabbed Cargill's leg and put in on the top rope to keep the fight alive.Ripley turned her attention to Michin and B-Fab, and promptly got her own backup in Charlotte Flair to help as well. Cargill tried to take advantage of the distraction, but Flair put Ripley's leg on the ropes as well, returning Michin's favor to keep the fight alive.Charlotte Flair is here to help Rhea Ripley.#WWEClash pic.twitter.com/r9F5LPbQv5— 📝 (@wrestlescripts) May 31, 2026That was all the room Ripley needs. Just moments later, the champion was able to land the finishing blow, maintaining her title.RIPTIDERHEA RIPLEY RETAINS!#WWEClashpic.twitter.com/4k6929c6f9— The Movement - Pro Wrestling (@TheMovementXx) May 31, 2026Cody Rhodes, Gunther kick off Clash in ItalyThe Unidsputed WWE Champion set the stage for Clash in Italy, facing off against the Ring General Gunther. The crowd seemed to be backing their European brethren ahead of the match.The crowd sings Gunther to the ring!pic.twitter.com/zMWkTajTGq— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) May 31, 2026These two had faced off one other time in their career, with Cody Rhodes winning at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia in 2024. Early on, it was clear Gunther was out for revenge, especially after the American Nightmare started doing acrobatics in the ring, seemingly not taking the match as seriously as Gunther would like. Gunther immediately followed that up with massive chops in the corner and in the center of the ring to grab early momentum.rhodes was able to fight back, but Gunther was clearly in commadn early, landing multiple kicks and putting the champ in several holds that Rhodes struggled to get out of. More often than not though, every escape Rhodes pulled off would end up with a vicious shoulder check from Gunther putting Rhodes on the floor.Rhodes' first big hit was a pedigree. Nearly pinning Gunther.Cody Rhodes with the Pedigree! #WWEClashpic.twitter.com/Mk6MtwbHrU— Fightful Wrestling (@Fightful) May 31, 2026Rhodes then hit the Ring General with a power slam, followed by a series of jabs that had Gunther dazed. However, Rhodes' attempt to take advantage by getting on the ropes was countered. Gunther landed a drop kick and power bomb that Rhodes just barely kicked out of.Rhodes did manage to recover nicely though, landing a danger kick and his signature Cross Rhodes to earn his own pin opportunity. But Gunther kicked out.The two traded blows afterwards. Gunther nearly choking out Rhodes. Rhodes nearly forcing Gunther into a submission, but neither man was giving his opponent much room to breathe. Gunther clearly had more in the tank though as the match went on.That said, Rhodes would be the one laughing at the end. All he needed was one more opening, putting Gunther in a sleeper hold, and although Gunther got out, he was clearly not in the right head space, and Rhodes capitalized, hitting Gunther with a Cody Cutter that had Gunther out. Just to ensure he was done, Rhodes hit Gunther with a Cross Rhodes to secure the pin and maintain his title as Undisputed WWE champion.CROSS RHODES FROM CODYTHE REF COUNTS THE PIN AND CODY WINSBUT GUNTHER HAD HIS FOOT UNDER THE ROPE!#WWEClashpic.twitter.com/GOzOlYCLZa— The Movement - Pro Wrestling (@TheMovementXx) May 31, 2026The win wasn't without controversy though. Replays showed that during the final pin, Gunther's foot was under the final rope, meaning the pin should have been called off. However, the referee's view was obscured and he did not see the foot. The ref's call was final. Gunther was obviously very upset.When is WWE Clash in Italy 2026?Clash in Italy is on Sunday, May 31.WWE Clash in Italy 2026 start timeWWE Clash in Italy 2026 starts at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. Coverage begins at noon ET/9 a.m. ET.How to watch WWE Clash in Italy 2026Hour one of Clash in Italy 2026 will air on ESPN and ESPN's streaming service.After the first hour, Clash in Italy will stream exclusively on ESPN's streaming service. Viewers can sign up for a subscription to the site here, which starts at $29.99 a month.ESPN's service is available through select cable and TV packages, including:DIRECTVFubo TVHulu + Live TVSpectrumVerizon FiOSU-verseCoxComcast XfinityIf your cable or TV package includes the ESPN streaming service, you can figure out how to activate it here. Internationally, Clash in Italy will be available on Netflix in most markets.Where is WWE Clash in Italy 2026?The event emanates from Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy.WWE Clash in Italy 2026 match cardMatches not in orderOba Femi vs. Brock LesnarWomen's Intercontinental Championship match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sol RucaWWE Women's Championship match: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Jade CargillUndisputed WWE Championship match: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. GuntherTribal Combat for the World Heavyweight Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jacob FatuHow to watch WWE Clash in Italy 2026 preshowThe preshow will be available to stream for free on YouTube and WWE's social media channels. It will also be available to stream on ESPN's streaming service, and the final hour of the show (1-2 p.m. ET) will air on ESPN.When is WWE Clash in Italy 2026 preshow?The 2026 Clash in Italy preshow begins at noon ET/9 a.m. ET.Clash in Italy predictionsWhat happens at Clash in Italy? See the full predictions here.Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar Winner: Oba Femi.Women's Intercontinental Championship match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sol Ruca Winner: Becky Lynch.WWE Women's Championship match: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Jade Cargill Winner: Rhea Ripley.Undisputed WWE Championship match: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Gunther Winner: Cody Rhodes.Tribal Combat for the World Heavyweight Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jacob Fatu Winner: Jacob Fatu.What is Tribal Combat?The family affair for the World Heavyweight Championship will be under Tribal Combat.The match will essentially be a no disqualification match, meaning anything goes. It's the same type of stipulation as Bloodline rules, which was used in the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match between Rhodes and Reigns at WrestleMania 40 and Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match at SummerSlam 2024 between Rhodes and Solo Sikoa.Fans starting to flow into Inapli ArenaWith Clash in Italy set to begin soon, the fans are starting to channel into the arena. WWE gave us a quick look at the fan interest before the event.The Doors are OPEN for #WWEClash in Italy! 🫡#WWEClash in Italy streams TODAY at 2 ET/11 PT on the @espn App in the U.S. and @netflix internationally, with the first hour streaming LIVE on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/D9uYxqYblh— WWE (@WWE) May 31, 2026Clash in Italy rematchesEvery wrestler will be facing someone they have fought before, with most happening in recent weeks. Here is the result of every one and when it happened.Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar: WrestleMania 42 (April 19), Femi wins.Becky Lynch vs. Sol Ruca: Saturday Night's Main Event (May 23), Lynch wins.Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill: WrestleMania 42 (April 19), Ripley wins.Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther: Crown Jewel 2024 (Nov. 2, 2024), Rhodes wins.Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu: Backlash 2026 (May 9), Reigns wins.WWE PPV scheduleThe premium live events continue with Clash in Italy the second one in May after Backlash on May 9. The full calendar hasn't been released yet, but here's what to know about the PPV schedule so far in 2026:Clash in Italy: May 31 in Turin, Italy.Night of Champions: June 27 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.SummerSlam: Aug. 1-2 in Minneapolis.Money in the Bank: Sept. 6 in New Orleans.Survivor Series: TBA (typically in late-November)Oba Femi arrives in ItalyLooking to tame the Beast Incarnate for a second time, Oba Femi has officially arrived in Italy.OBA!! OBA!! OBA!! 👑The RULER @Obaofwwe is HERE and is READY for Brock Lesnar! #WWEClash in Italy streams TODAY at 2 ET/11 PT on the @espn App in the U.S. and @netflix internationally, with the first hour streaming LIVE on ESPN! 👀 pic.twitter.com/TPE6dZj9eb— WWE (@WWE) May 31, 2026WWE championsHere are the current champions heading into Clash in Italy:Undisputed WWE Champion: Cody RhodesWorld Heavyweight Champion: Roman ReignsWWE Women's Champion: Rhea RipleyWomen's World Champion: Liv MorganIntercontinental Champion: PentaWomen's Intercontinental Champion: Becky LynchUnited States Champion: Trick WilliamsWomen's United States Champion: Tiffany StrattonWWE Tag Team Champions: Damian Priest and R-TruthWorld Tag Team Champions: The Vision (Bron Breakker and Austin Theory)WWE Women's Tag Team Champions: Brie Bella and PaigeThis article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WWE Clash in Italy results: Lesnar gets revenge, Fatu falls

NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may not have featured in the IPL 2026 final, but the 15-year-old ended the season as one of its undisputed stars.As Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Gujarat Titans by five wickets in Ahmedabad on Sunday to defend their title, Sooryavanshi dominated the post-match awards ceremony, collecting a host of individual honours after a record-breaking campaign.However, it was his candid admission on stage that stole the spotlight.After being named the Most Valuable Player of IPL 2026, the teenage opener admitted he was feeling nervous while speaking at the presentation ceremony."It feels good but I feel a bit under pressure having to give the interview," Sooryavanshi said, drawing smiles from the audience.A season to rememberThe youngster enjoyed a phenomenal breakthrough campaign, scoring 776 runs in 16 innings at a staggering strike rate of 237.30.His fearless batting transformed Rajasthan Royals' fortunes and made him one of the most talked-about players of the tournament.The numbers were equally impressive. Sooryavanshi finished as the highest run-scorer of the season to claim the Orange Cap, comfortably staying ahead of Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill and teammate Sai Sudharsan.He also shattered bowling attacks throughout the tournament, smashing 72 sixes and consistently scoring at a breathtaking pace.Reflecting on his rapid rise, the youngster showed maturity beyond his years."How to play each game, you can't play every game the same way. If I have to stay injury free I have to work on my fitness. Everyone is very supportive. All senior players, support staff, everyone backs me and it's a good atmosphere," he said.— IPL (@IPL) Awards galore for RR wonderkidThe MVP award was only one of several honours collected by Sooryavanshi on the final night of the season.In addition to the Orange Cap, he was named Emerging Player of the Season, Super Striker of the Season for his astonishing strike rate of 237.3, and Super Sixes of the Season after clearing the ropes 72 times.Although Rajasthan Royals fell short of reaching the final after losing to Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2, Sooryavanshi's performances ensured the franchise remained in contention until the final week of the tournament.For a player who is only 15, IPL 2026 was a season of records, awards and unforgettable innings. Yet amid all the accolades, it was his honest confession about feeling nervous during the interview that perhaps revealed the teenager behind the superstar.— IPL (@IPL)

Pochettino said the referees did not enforce the rules in Sunday’s friendly as they will be during the World Cup. Photograph: John Dorton/USSF/Getty ImagesThe US men’s national team’s 3-2 win against Senegal means plenty in the context of the Americans’ warm-up for the World Cup. But it was a seemingly throwaway moment midway through the first half that captured many observers’ attention: Head coach Mauricio Pochettino, crouched on the ground by the US bench, motioning toward a laptop unsteadily held by an assistant, a group of players behind him rapt in attention.“It was a new one for sure,” a laughing US defender Mark McKenzie said of the scene, which more closely resembled what you might see during a time-out in the NBA than in any soccer match, let alone a top-class international on the eve of the World Cup.It was also an instantly memeable image, with social media awash with users joking about all manner of things Pochettino may have been pointing at on that screen.Reality was far more basic: the screen was simply showing a series of plays in which Pochettino felt the US could have done better in one way or another. The head coach has earned a forward-thinking reputation; speaking to media after the game, he claimed that he was the first to do this sort of on-the-spot video analysis with players, claiming that he first started the practice in 2009 when he first started as a manager with La Liga side Espanyol.“The players need to feel, but they also need to see,” said Pochettino. “I think it’s very helpful for the player to see actions. When they see the image, I think it’s really important.”At the World Cup, every match will be paused midway through each half just like it was on Sunday, regardless of weather conditions. It’s a controversial move that Fifa claims is done in the interest of creating a level playing field across games, in a tournament where several matches are anticipated to be played amid high temperatures and thus have the mandated cooling breaks as a matter of player safety.The mid-half breaks were observed for the United States’ March friendlies as well, despite the games being played indoors at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. They were repeated on Sunday in Charlotte despite temperatures sitting in the mid-70s F throughout.If the scene creates worry that the American World Cup will suddenly be awash with American timeouts, rest easy. An exact replica won’t happen at the World Cup, where players are not allowed off the field during the cooling breaks. However, Pochettino said the team is still waiting for clarity about what will be permitted on the field during that time (other than water).Related: Christian Pulisic shines as US kick off World Cup preparations with 3-2 win over SenegalCynics have pointed out that the breaks allow broadcasters the opportunity to sell additional advertising that would otherwise be unthinkable (or at least incredibly risky) to insert in the middle of what is meant to be a continuously-flowing game. Managers, meanwhile, are seeing the breaks as a heretofore unseen coaching opportunity. In March’s friendlies, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez bluntly called the three-minute break “A tactical stop”“During three minutes – we’ve seen many examples in other sports, basketball, futsal – the game can really change,” he said.Speaking to reporters on Sunday, McKenzie admitted that though that this particular type of time-out, with the laptop and all, is not something he’s experienced before. But he admitted that it was “beneficial” for the US as they sought to hold on to what was then a 1-0 lead.“It gives us that minute or so to fine-tune some things, make some adjustments, maybe figure out in our press or in our defensive transitions, whatever it may be, where we can improve,” he said. “But it kinda helps to take a breath, reset yourselves as a collective.”Soccer purists are no fans of the breaks. And interestingly given his actions on Sunday, Pochettino considers himself to be in that camp.“I’ll use the water break to try and help my players. But still, I don’t like [them],” he told the media. “Of course if it’s too hot I think the water break is important. Because the health of the player is first. But if it’s not too hot …. I think it’s not necessary. I think the players are prepared and are ready to compete during 45 minutes. But it’s like plenty of rules today. Rules that for sure I don’t like. They say they are going to help with the spectators. But we are going in a direction where we are going to change. The football that we know is not going to exist, and it will become another sport.”

Broncos Undrafted Rookie Spotlight: Brent Austin joins deep cornerback group originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Denver Broncos have one of the league's more prominent secondaries, making it difficult for anyone to crack the 53-man roster at that position as an undrafted free agent. Brent Austin is an intriguing prospect nonetheless, and he will finish up this year's undrafted spotlight series. All other Broncos undrafted prospects can be found here at The Sporting News. Name: Brent AustinPosition: CornerbackSchool: CaliforniaHeight: 5-foot-11Weight: 180Austin is another well-traveled college prospect who began his collegiate career at James Madison. After two seasons there, Curt Cignetti was hired as the head coach at Indiana and while many of his players followed him there, Austin transferred to South Florida. Born in San Bernardino, Austin chose to transfer to California to finish out his college career. He had 110 total tackles and three interceptions in his career. Two of those three picks were returned for touchdowns, so he is dangerous if he ever gets the ball in his hands. #Broncos beat out several teams for Cal CB Brent Austin 👀 https://t.co/VlaQkvu9Ve— Ryan Edwards (@redwardsradio) April 29, 2026He joins a deep cornerback group that already has five spots pretty well locked in to Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss, Ja'Quan McMillian, Jahdae Barron and Kris Abrams-Draine. If the Broncos choose to keep a sixth cornerback on the roster, Austin will be competing against Reese Taylor, Jaden Robinson and fellow undrafted free agents Ahmari Harvey and Paul Manning. Chances of making final 53-man roster (1-10 scale): 2Austin is incredibly solid in zone coverage and is adept at breaking up passes in tight windows. He will have to improve in his man-to-man skills and his lack of size is going to be a concern in that area at the professional level. However, his game film suggests a player who is learning from mistakes and growing on the field. The Broncos have a great cornerback room and barring an injury or an unforeseen trade, it will be quite difficult to make the team. However, the progression of training camp and preseason games could reveal that Austin is the best undrafted player in the bunch for the Broncos this year. That could sway the team's decision to keep a sixth cornerback. HOT READ:4 Broncos players with best chance to steal roster spots in 2026If not, he is all but a lock for the practice squad, unless another team swoops in on waivers and steals him from Denver. More Broncos ContentBroncos Undrafted Rookie Spotlight: Dasan McCullough a familiar name for Sean PaytonBiggest worry each AFC West rival presents for Broncos in 2026Broncos Undrafted Rookie Spotlight: Joseph Manjack played at 3 big programs in collegeBroncos Undrafted Rookie Spotlight: Luke Basso brings fresh competition to special teams spot

CHARLESTOWN – There are a lot of smart coaches out there who will tell you it is faster to push the ball up the court via than the pass than the dribble.But even the most successful, veteran coaches must question that philosophy after watching Jason Gardner Jr. zip through the defense on his way to the basket.The Fishers’ standout, who missed most of his junior season with a broken bone in his left hand, looked intent on making up for lost time on Sunday. Gardner Jr. finished with a game-high 30 points and six assists to help the Indiana Junior All-Stars to a 109-99 win over the Kentucky Junior All-Stars on Sunday at Charlestown High School.“I’ve been playing with a lot of these kids for a long time,” Gardner said of his Junior All-Stars’ teammates. “Me and Cooper (Zachary) have been playing together since like second grade and Harper (Baker-Lands) and Isaiah (Hill) since third or fourth grade … this team actually knows each other really well, so we were able to pull through.”The Indiana Juniors jumped all over Kentucky early, running out to a 25-9 lead with its starting core of Gardner Jr. and Zachary from Fishers, Baker-Lands of Plainfield, Pike’s Hill and Mt. Vernon’s Max Vise. But Kentucky proved to be a resilient, feisty group, cutting into the lead and trailing just 60-53 at halftime. Kentucky took the lead briefly, 76-75, with 13 minutes left and was down just 91-90 with under 7 minutes remaining.An 8-0 run by the Indiana All-Stars, which included four points from Gardner Jr., and a tough up-and-under by Zachary, created enough separation for Indiana to hold on and extend its winning streak to three games in the series and overall record to 10-5 against the Kentucky Juniors since the series started in 2012.Baker-Lands added 19 points and four steals for Indiana. The 7-foot Purdue recruit Hill had 15 points, and seven rebounds and Vise added 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting. Zachary was also in double figures with 11 points and five assists.For Gardner Jr. and Zachary, the game was a chance to get back on the court together for the first time in a game since the end of the high school season. Gardner Jr. returned from the hand injury he suffered in the fifth game of the season to play in the sectional, but the Class 4A top-ranked and undefeated Tigers were upset in the sectional championship by Carmel.A lot has happened since then, including coach Garrett Winegar taking a new job at Iowa United Prep and Miles Wayer, previously an assistant at Fishers, coming back after one season at Greenfield-Central to coach.“(Monday) we have our first June practice, so that will be good to start off,” Gardner Jr. said. “I was kind of expecting (Wayer) to get the job. He was there my freshman and sophomore year, so it’s not like a new coach you have to learn to get to know him. Me and Miles have a really good relationship from my freshman and sophomore year, so it’s nothing new.”The relationship between Gardner Jr. and Zachary makes the duo a tough cover.“There’s only so much you can do because we know each other so well,” Zachary said. “When I drive and I find him, it’s like nothing else. Just playing with him is the best feeling because we know each other so well.”Other notes and takeaways from Sunday’s game>>>Zachary said he expects Fishers to come into June plenty motivated after last year’s abrupt ending to the season. The Tigers will lose Indiana All-Star Kai McGrew and Ethan Hillman to graduation but have a strong core returning.“Coach Wayer is going to come in there with chip on his shoulder because he had a sour taste in his mouth from losing to Mt. Vernon in the sectional final and we have a sour taste in our mouth from losing to Carmel,” Zachary said. “That added little bit of chip on our shoulder is going to make us even better and make for a great June and great fall and hopefully it carries over into the spring and we get the job done at the end of the year.”>>>Montez Gay, a 6-6 junior from George Rogers Clark, led Kentucky with 20 points and five rebounds. Omari Jointer (Woodford County) added 17 points and 6-8 Matthew Langhi (Marshall County) added 17. Kentucky shot a sizzling 63% from inside the 3-point line and 8-for-25 from beyond the arc.>>>The effort on both sides was outstanding. The referees had a step in during a free throw as something of a “chill out” warning. That was honestly refreshing to see in an all-star game.>>>Devin Bolden was 4-for-4 from the field and finished with eight points and four rebounds. It was essentially the final appearance as a Cardinal Ritter Raider for the 6-8 Bolden, who will be going to Rocktop Academy in New Jersey, where former Ritter coach Derrick Williams is now coaching.>>>Pike guard Jahari Miller, a core Junior All-Star, was in attendance prior to the game but gone by tipoff. His status for Wednesday’s game is unclear. Miller was not in the starting lineup for Sunday’s game, which a source said likely factored into the early departure.>>>Indiana All-Star week continues with Monday’s Futures Games at New Palestine. The girls’ game begins at 6 p.m., with the boys to follow. The Junior All-Stars will play the senior Indiana All-Stars on Wednesday at Mt. Vernon.>>>The Charlestown gym is a gem. It has old school sunken gym feel with the modern amenities. Last year’s game was my first visit. Just wish it was closer. Neat place.Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.Get IndyStar's high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana All-Stars: Jason Gardner Jr. scores 30 points in win over Kentucky

The candidate forced a runoff on Sunday in what could herald another gain for the right-wing wave sweeping Latin America.

Seventeen years taught Royal Challengers Bengaluru how to endure. One title taught them how to win."Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing," Vince Lombardi once famously said. For the longest time, RCB seemed trapped in the latter cycle. Season after season, they carried the hopes of one of the IPL's most passionate fanbases, only to fall short.That wait finally ended in 2025, and by successfully defending their crown in 2026, RCB doubled their IPL trophy tally in the space of two seasons and became only the third franchise after Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians to retain the IPL title.Rajat Patidar joined an elite club of captains alongside MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, while RCB completed a transformation few would have imagined during the franchise's years of heartbreak.For nearly two decades, RCB were defined by superstars. Virat Kohli was the centrepiece and remains so. Before him and alongside him were icons such as AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle.Yet the unlikely catalyst behind the franchise's golden era has been Patidar, the understated captain from Madhya Pradesh who now has two IPL titles to his name and has overseen the most successful period in the franchise's history.More importantly, the 2026 campaign proved that the 2025 triumph was no fluke. It was merely the beginning. After years of searching for the right combination, RCB's think tank of Mo Bobat, Andy Flower and Dinesh Karthik assembled a squad that was not dependent on one individual carrying the burden.The old RCB often relied on individual brilliance. There were seasons powered by Gayle's destruction, campaigns rescued by de Villiers and years when Kohli shouldered almost the entire batting responsibility. Kohli still led from the front in 2026, finishing as the franchise's leading run-scorer once again, but this time he had support. Plenty of it.The march towards a second successive title fittingly ended at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the venue where RCB had broken their curse a year earlier.Winning a title is difficult; defending one is an altogether different challenge. But RCB were up for it. They finished atop the points table with nine wins in 14 league matches, brushed aside Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 and then repeated the feat in the final against the same opponents.Calm Head, Aggressive TeamAt the centre of that transformation stood Patidar.When he took over the captaincy, the challenge extended far beyond tactics. Over the last two seasons, however, Patidar has quietly moulded the team in his own image: calm off the field, aggressive once the contest begins.The captain also led from the front with the bat, finishing the season with 501 runs at an average of 41.75 and a strike rate of 192.69. His 42 sixes were among the highest in the tournament.When RCB stumbled against Rajasthan Royals, Patidar rebuilt before accelerating to 63. At Wankhede, he smashed 53 off just 20 balls. Against Lucknow Super Giants, his 61 nearly dragged RCB to an unlikely chase. Then came Qualifier 1, where he produced arguably the innings of the season, blasting 93 off only 33 deliveries with nine sixes to effectively settle the contest before Gujarat Titans had even begun their pursuit.Yet even in a team that had evolved beyond dependence on individuals, Kohli remained its foundation.Virat Kohli: Still The Standard BearerAt 37, Kohli once again topped RCB's run charts, scoring 657 runs at an average of 54.75 and a strike rate of 165.49, with one century and five half-centuries. His unbeaten 105 against Kolkata Knight Riders silenced any doubts after consecutive ducks. His 81 against Gujarat Titans in a chase of 206 was pure class. His unbeaten 69 in the season opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad ensured RCB's title defence began with a statement victory.And when the biggest stage arrived, Kohli once again found a way to leave his mark. The man who had spent nearly two decades carrying the hopes of the franchise produced his fastest IPL fifty in the final (75*), setting up the chase that sealed RCB's second consecutive title.Different Heroes, Same ResultAs Josh Hazlewood became the perfect foil to Bhuvneshwar Kumar with the ball, Devdutt Padikkal emerged as the ideal partner for Kohli and Patidar in the batting unit.Padikkal returned to Bengaluru last season after enduring difficult spells elsewhere, but IPL 2026 was his true renaissance. He finished with 464 runs at a strike rate of 168.72 and consistently supplied the aggression.His 61 off 26 balls against SRH turned a daunting chase of 202 into a comfortable pursuit. His fifty against CSK laid the platform for RCB's mammoth total of 250. Against GT, he scored a crucial 55 off 27 deliveries.The batting depth did not end there.Tim David's role was clear from the start: finish games. His 305 runs came at a strike rate of 189.44. The defining performance arrived against CSK, when he blasted an unbeaten 70 off just 25 deliveries. Throughout the season, David delivered impactful cameos that repeatedly tilted matches in RCB's favour.Alongside him stood Krunal Pandya, one of the most valuable all-rounders in the tournament. Krunal scored 226 runs at an average of 37.66 while striking at 145.80 and also chipped in with 14 wickets. His contributions often arrived in moments of crisis.The 73 against Mumbai Indians in the dramatic last-ball victory at Raipur was as clutch a performance as any during the season.Phil Salt's season was curtailed by injury, but his impact when available was huge. In just six innings, he scored 202 runs at a strike rate of 168.33 and provided explosive starts that helped establish RCB's aggressive identity early in the tournament.Not to forget Venkatesh Iyer, who warmed the bench for most of the IPL 2026 before being pressed into action when both Bethell and Salt were unavailable and provided the impetus with the bat in the playoffs. His 73* off 40 at No.4 vs PBKS was the standout.If the batting supplied the firepower, the bowling supplied the control that ultimately separated RCB from the rest of the field.Bhuvi, Hazlewood And The New RCB FormulaFor years, RCB's batting attracted most of the attention while questions lingered over their attack. Bhuvneshwar Kumar changed that. The veteran seamer finished with 28 wickets at an average of 17.89 - just one shy of the Purple Cap - and an economy rate below eight.His spell against DC, where he and Hazlewood reduced the opposition to 8 for 6, was among the most devastating new-ball performances of the season. Against MI, he delivered another match-winning spell. Time and again, Bhuvneshwar gave RCB early control, allowing the rest of the attack to operate from positions of strength. At 36, he looked every bit the leader of a championship bowling unit.Hazlewood's numbers were modest by his lofty standards — 15 wickets from 13 matches — but his influence was immense. The Australian relentlessly hit hard lengths, created pressure and repeatedly forced batters into mistakes.Then there was Rasikh Salam.The young fast bowler emerged as one of the discoveries of the season, collecting 19 wickets in just 12 matches. Trusted in difficult phases of the innings, Rasikh repaid that faith with breakthroughs at crucial moments and completed a pace attack that combined experience with youthful energy - his three-wicket haul in the final a testament to that.Even when Hazlewood missed games early in the tournament, Jacob Duffy stepped in seamlessly and chipped in during the final as well.Viewed individually, those performances were memorable victories. Viewed collectively, they tell a larger story.Every major win featured a different hero. Sometimes it was Kohli. Sometimes Patidar. Sometimes Padikkal. Sometimes David. Sometimes Krunal. Sometimes Bhuvneshwar. Sometimes it was the bowlers operating as a collective unit. That was the defining characteristic of this championship side.Every major win featured a different hero. Sometimes it was Kohli. Sometimes Patidar. Sometimes Padikkal. Sometimes David. Sometimes Krunal. Sometimes Bhuvneshwar. Sometimes it was the bowlers operating as a collective unit. That was the defining characteristic of this championship side.The first IPL trophy ended one of the league's longest waits. The second confirmed something even more important. Royal Challengers Bengaluru are no longer a franchise chasing history. They may well be on their way to creating one.

MORGANTOWN, WV — One moment, Kentucky baseball was cruising toward another NCAA Tournament Super Regional.UK was just three outs away from a victory, up 9-6 on West Virginia entering the top of the ninth Sunday night. But the Wildcats couldn't put away the Mountaineers. WVU rallied to score five runs in the ninth. Kentucky failed to respond in the bottom of the ninth to prevent a stunning collapse, losing 11-9 at Kendrick Family Ballpark.While failing to hold onto a three-run lead in the final frame, it's not over for Kentucky. It was the first loss of the regional for UK and coach Nick Mingione. In the double-elimination format, the Cats and Mountaineers return for a winner-take-all matchup Monday. Game time and television information will be announced later.This story will be updated.Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky baseball drops NCAA Tournament region final to West Virginia

Where did every player go to college on the Spurs' 2025-26 NBA Finals roster? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Spurs are preparing to play in the NBA Finals for the first time in 12 years, and they have a young core that consists of several players who are only a few years removed from collegiate basketball.Multiple players have played in systems coached by some of the best coaches in NCAA history, so despite these players getting ready to make their NBA Finals debuts, this isn't the first time they've played on a big stage in front of thousands of people.Where did every player go to college on the Spurs' 2025-26 NBA Finals roster?Here's the list of colleges each player attended before playing in the NBA.MORE: Every Spurs player's nickname from Victor Wembanyama to Luke KornetKeldon Johnson: KentuckyJulian Champagnie: St John'sHarrison Barnes: UNCDe'Aaron Fox: KentuckyCarter Bryant: ArizonaDylan Harper: RutgersStephon Castle: UConnLuke Kornet: VanderbiltDevin Vassell: Florida StateVictor Wembanyama: InternationalJordan McLaughlin: USCKelly Olynyk: GonzagaLindy Waters III: Oklahoma StateBismack Biyombo: InternationalDavid Jones García: DePaul, St. John's, MemphisHarrison Ingram: Stanford, UNCMason Plumlee: DukeEmanuel Miller: Texas A&M, TCUMore NBA news:Spurs run to the 2026 NBA Finals outdid Thunder's 2025 roster in this categoryNBA players reveal most likely outcome for Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, and it's not what you thinkJaylen Brown revealed as trade candidate for 3 teams by NBA insiderWizards receiving inquiries on their No. 1 draft pick from multiple teamsHow much NBA Finals experience do the Knicks and Spurs rosters have?

Bryce Mitchell was successful in his bantamweight debut. | Getty/UFCBryce Mitchell has received a new opponent less than a week before UFC Fight Night 278. Mitchell will square off against Santiago Luna at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Luna is a replacement for Victor Henry, who withdrew from the bantamweight bout for undisclosed reasons. The promotion confirmed the change following an intiial report from

Alabama vs Oklahoma State baseball box score: Live stats from NCAA Baseball Championship Game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Oklahoma State Cowboys will get their shot at the top dog in the bracket. Oklahoma State has survived two elimination games to get to this point. An Alabama win will put them in the Super Regional round. In that scenario, the Cowboys post season would be over. The Crimson Tide are expected to start freshman Myles Upchurch. The freshman has garnered All SEC honors with an 8-3 record in 14 starts. The Cowboys will look to sophomore Noah Wech for this must win scenario. Wech has pitched 41 innings but only has a 2-4 record in 24 appearances. 2026 NCAA Baseball Championship 123456789RHEAlabama (39-19)0130460Oklahoma State (39-21)003321Alabama vs Oklahoma State baseball box score: Live stats from NCAA ChampionshipAlabamaBatterPOSABRHRBIBBSOAVGOBP9Bryce FowlerCF311000.326.4231Justin LebronSS311001.273.38310Brady NealC200100.330.44132Jason Torres3B110001.241.36933John LemmDH202200.256.38442Eric HinesLF200001.271.3264Brennan Holt2B201101.238.38413Luke Vaughn1B200000.217.37014Peyton SteeleRF111010.224.316Total18464142B: Lebron 1 (12)RBI: Neal 1 (46)Lemm 2 (33)Holt 1 (21)PitcherPOSIPHRERBBSOBFERA11Myles UpchurchP3.023314133.6Total3.02331413Upchurch 54 (28 strikes)Oklahoma StateBatterPOSABRHRBIBBSOAVGOBP14Alex ConoverLF100001.364.4831Brock ThompsonSS100001.285.42313Kollin RitchieCF211000.323.4627Avery Ortiz3B200001.246.3514Campbell SmithwickC000000.274.41812Colin Brueggemann1B100000.259.3725Garrett Shull2B100001.220.3496Remo IndomenicoRF010010.214.43845Deacon PomeroyDH111200.209.404Total9322142B: Ritchie 1 (13)H: Pomeroy 1 (3)RBI: Pomeroy 2 (8)PitcherPOSIPHRERBBSOBFERA26Noah WechP4.064314214.8Total4.06431421Wech 61 (37 strikes)How to watch: Alabama vs Oklahoma State 2026 NCAA Baseball Championship GameDate: Sunday, May 31Time: 8 p.m. ETTV: ESPN+More NCAA NewsSaint Mary's vs. UCLA baseball box score: Final stats from NCAA Baseball Championship Game 1Milwaukee vs. Auburn baseball box score: Final stats from NCAA Baseball Championship Game 1Arkansas vs. Georgia box score: Final stats from 2026 SEC Baseball ChampionshipBill Belichick, Jordon Hudson at Kentucky Derby leaves everyone saying the same thingDemond Williams bombshell could have resulted in Lane Kiffin fired by LSU

SEATTLE (AP) — When Bryce Miller was relegated to watching Seattle Mariners games on television from the team’s spring training complex as he rehabbed a left oblique injury, the right-hander was left with frustrating viewing. The Mariners spent most of April and May mired in mediocrity, twice falling five games below .500 less than a year removed from being eliminated by the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. Seattle’s top talent entered the 2026 season hungry for the first World Series appearance in franchise history. But, simply qualifying for the postseason when the Mariners owned a 10-15 record in late April seemed unlikely. “The first however many games, (we) never really played to our potential, I don’t think,” Miller said. “We knew even the games that we won, either we wouldn’t pitch that well, or we wouldn’t hit that well.”After their sixth straight win, a 3-2 walk-off victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, it has become clear the Mariners are finding their groove. Over their longest win streak of the season, Seattle has yielded just 12 runs, only allowing more than two in a game once in a 7-6 win on Friday night. Simultaneously, the Mariners – who had the third-most home runs as a team last season (238) — are leaning more into their power stroke despite the continued absence of last year’s AL MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh, who is still sidelined with a right oblique strain. All-Star utilityman Brendan Donovan has been out, too, since May 15 with a left groin muscle strain. The Mariners finished the month of May with 42 home runs, tied with the Chicago White Sox for the most in the major leagues. Center fielder Julio Rodríguez, notorious for his slow starts, chipped in 10 of those on his own. “I just really feel like things now are trending (up) for us,” Rodríguez said. “The hits are falling. The guys who can hit home runs are hitting the home runs. And, I feel like everything’s coming together now.” As is often the case with the more successful teams in franchise history, though, Seattle has been buoyed by its rotation, one which currently features six starters. Manager Dan Wilson has elected to use six starting pitchers rather than a traditional five-man rotation because no individual has pitched his way out of a role, and has instead “piggybacked” veteran right-hander Luis Castillo in relief of Miller. Castillo, currently the highest paid player on the Mariners’ roster, has accepted the assignment. He considers himself proud to be part of a rotation that has the seventh-lowest ERA (3.72) in the majors. “I know that any one of us, if we’re all needed (in) the bullpen,” Castillo said, with team interpreter Freddy Llanos translating, “I think we’re all willing to do it.”From Miller’s vantage point, it was inevitable the Mariners – who following their latest win have a 31-29 record and own a 2 1/2-game lead in the AL West – would eventually hit their stride. As deep in the season as July 27, Seattle was 56-50 before it fired on all cylinders to finish the year, going 36-20 en route to clinching a division crown. Unlike much of the first two months, when consistency was hard to come by for the Mariners, Wilson has seen oodles of it from Seattle over the last week. Whether that sample proves to be an aberration or an indication that more winning baseball looms near remains to be seen. But, Wilson and company have been pleased with Seattle’s all-around play of late nonetheless — a sentiment rarely shared by Mariners fans much of the spring. “Swinging the bat really well, and what we’ve seen on the mound has been so consistent,” Wilson said. “You do both of those things and you play good defense, good things happen consistently. And, I think we feel like we’re in a much better spot that way.”___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Georgia Tech vs. Oklahoma baseball box score: Live stats from NCAA Baseball Championship Game 4 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Georgia Tech Baseball program is one win away from its first Super Regional in two decades.The Yellow Jackets have been dominant in the Atlanta Regional so far this tournament. Now the Oklahoma Sooners stand in the way. This will be a good battle and final test for GT in a historic season. 2026 NCAA Baseball Championship 123456789RHEGeorgia Tech (50-9)20510000880Oklahoma (34-22)020800111133GT vs. Oklahoma baseball box score: Live stats from NCAA ChampionshipGeorgia Tech Yellow JacketsBatterPOSABRHRBIBBSOAVGOBP3Carson KerceSS231030.378.4678Drew BurressCF513201.361.4772Jarren Advincula2B311100.430.50225Vahn LackeyC310011.407.52911Ryan Zuckerman3B411212.348.4434Alex HernandezRF411201.351.46410Kent Schmidt1B400001.310.4701Parker BrosiusLF201010.329.5006Caleb DanielPH100000.291.3767Will BakerDH300002.332.464Total21012934756032308H: Burress 1 (15)Hernandez 1 (13)RBI: Burress 2 (58)Advincula 1 (66)Zuckerman 2 (79)Hernandez 2 (57)PitcherPOSIPHRERBBSOBFERA24Jackson BlakelyP3.055525173.431Justin ShadekP2.02110394.832Brett BarfieldP1.01000134.715Cooper UnderwoodP1.01111156.518Caden GaudetteP0.0000000-Total7.013111131038Shadek 37 (24 strikes)Barfield 11 (7 strikes)Blakely 72 (44 strikes)Underwood 26 (16 strikes)Oklahoma SoonersBatterPOSABRHRBIBBSOAVGOBP1Jason WalkCF512201.258.3549Camden Johnson3B411012.318.39048Deiten LachanceC411400.333.4057Jaxon WillitsSS301011.285.38520Trey GambillDH422102.287.41710Brendan BrockLF422301.282.36617Dasan HarrisRF221001.357.43016Dayton Tockey1B312011.232.3896Kyle Branch2B311101.226.319Total1843322431364255102B: Willits 1 (14)Harris 1 (6)H: Lachance 1 (13)Gambill 1 (8)Brock 2 (12)RBI: Walk 2 (21)Lachance 4 (56)Gambill 1 (33)Brock 3 (49)Branch 1 (19)PitcherPOSIPHRERBBSOBFERA31Cameron JohnsonP0.0000000-22LJ MercuriusP3.010022125.118Gavyn JonesP2.01001395.249Jackson ClevelandP3.056523176.5Total8.08876841Mercurius 48 (30 strikes)Jones 37 (20 strikes)Cleveland 65 (38 strikes)How to watch: Georgia Tech vs. Oklahoma 2026 NCAA Baseball Championship GameDate: Sunday, May 31Time: 6 p.m. ETTV: ESPN+More NCAA NewsSaint Mary's vs. UCLA baseball box score: Final stats from NCAA Baseball Championship Game 1Milwaukee vs. Auburn baseball box score: Final stats from NCAA Baseball Championship Game 1Arkansas vs. Georgia box score: Final stats from 2026 SEC Baseball ChampionshipBill Belichick, Jordon Hudson at Kentucky Derby leaves everyone saying the same thingDemond Williams bombshell could have resulted in Lane Kiffin fired by LSU

PAWTUCKET – After losing last year’s Division II Boys Tennis Championship, Prout showed up to Slater Park determined to get itself a title.The Crusaders are going to have to wait for it.Prout led North Smithfield in Sunday’s D-II final, 2-1, with two matches seemingly headed in their direction when Mother Nature decided to spoil the whole thing, with a rainstorm postponing the match until Monday.With a men’s league scheduled to take place at Slater Park on Monday, the two teams will now finish their match at East Providence High School at 4:30 p.m., with the Division III match between top-seeded Warwick and No. 3 Providence Country Day set to follow.The 2026 RIIL Tennis Championships were originally scheduled for Saturday, but rain wiped out the entire day of play and pushed the matches to Sunday. The State Championship opened play, and East Greenwich’s 4-1 win over Barrington ran long, forcing a delay in play for Division II.Prout didn’t seem to mind. The Crusaders got rolling with a win at No. 4 singles by Lawson Graybill, which was soon followed by a victory from Nico Testa at No. 1 singles. North Smithfield picked up a victory from Ben Cuddy and Alex Sevegny at No. 3 doubles to cut the deficit in half.Prout led in three matches when play was stopped. Luke Cavanagh was on top 6-4, 5-3 at No. 2 and the No. 1 doubles team of Wilson Babij and Brady Kopka was up 6-4, 5-4. At No. 2 doubles, the team of Jack Paiva and Alex Demos came back to take a 2-6, 6-1, 3-1 lead.North Smithfield was ahead in the other match, as No. 3 Oliver Drolet won his first set 7-5 but trailed 4-3 in the second.This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: What happened in the 2026 RIIL Division II Boys Tennis Championship

High school football schedules for the 2026 season are coming out one-by-one out of every state around the country and one that is a breeding ground for college prospects is Illinois, with a number of squads finalizing their fall slates.[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]Coming in next from the state of Illinois when it comes to high school football schedules is the Wheaton (IL) St. Francis Spartans, which won the IHSA Class 5A state championship last season. The Spartans finished the 2025 campaign with a 11-3 record and have a chance to repeat this fall with the roster they have returning. One of the most important returners to the Spartans for the 2026 season is running back Tivias Caldwell, who nearly rushed for almost 1,000 yards last year. Caldwell carried the rock 146 times for 936 yards and scored nine touchdowns. The full St. Francis 2026 football schedule can be seen below, with all official game times included with each contest. St. Francis Football 2026 ScheduleAug. 21 – at New Palestine (IN), 7 p.m. Aug. 28 – Chicago (IL) Clemente Community Academy, 7 p.m. Sep. 4 – at Chicago (IL) Brother Rice, 7:30 p.m. Sep. 11 – at Chicago (IL) St. Rita, 7 p.m. Sep. 18 – Oak Park (IL) Fenwick, 7:30 p.m. Sep. 25 – La Grange Park (IL) Nazareth Academy, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 – at Arlington Heights (IL) St. Viator, 7:30 p.m.Oct. 9 – Niles (IL) Notre Dame College Prep, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16 – at Lombard (IL) Montini Catholic, 7:30 p.m. 2026 Season is quickly approaching! #ALLINpic.twitter.com/xpDwrP1jSl— St. Francis HS Spartan Football (@SFHSFBWheaton) May 28, 2026More about St. Francis High School“St. Francis High School is a private Catholic institution known for its academic excellence and strong community values. With a student body of approximately 700, the school offers a range of extracurricular activities, including a robust athletics program. The school ranks highly among Illinois private schools, emphasizing not only academic achievement but also the development of character through sports and community service. Students participate in various sports, contributing to a vibrant school spirit and camaraderie.”How to Follow Illinois High School FootballFor Illinois high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Prairie State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across the state of Illinois.

NEW DELHI: For nearly two decades, Virat Kohli has lived and breathed Royal Challengers Bengaluru. On Sunday night in Ahmedabad, he finally experienced a moment he had imagined countless times.After smashing the winning six to seal RCB's second IPL title and complete a successful title defence against Gujarat Titans, Kohli revealed that finishing the chase himself had long been a personal dream."Stuff you dream of. Thought of this moment many times, wanting to hit the winning run," Kohli said after his unbeaten 75 guided RCB to a five-wicket victory at the Narendra Modi Stadium.The innings was vintage Kohli — controlled, aggressive and decisive. It also featured the fastest half-century of his 19-season IPL career, reached in just 25 balls.Dream finish on the biggest stageKohli admitted he felt unusually calm despite the pressure of a title chase."I felt really relaxed coming in. The team we have gives confidence to see any kind of situation through. Knew exactly what to do in the chase," he said.The former RCB captain had set the tone early alongside Venkatesh Iyer, with the pair helping Bengaluru record the fastest team fifty in IPL final history."I told Venky we need to kill the game in the powerplay. There was total clarity," Kohli revealed.Even at 37, the batting superstar continues to evolve. Asked about his 25-ball fifty, Kohli explained how the rise of fearless young cricketers has forced him to adapt."Such is the demand, super young players are pushing you to up the ante. I had to change my mindset, not my game so much, take on bowlers and get extra runs," he said.— IPL (@IPL) A champion team, not a one-man showPerhaps the most satisfying aspect of the triumph for Kohli was the strength of the squad around him."We've had to wait for so long and then just to have a group of guys where you don't feel that you are the only guy who has to step up for the team is amazing," he said.Kohli praised the contributions of Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Krunal Pandya and Rasikh Salam Dar, calling RCB a complete side. The batting great also highlighted RCB's consistency throughout the season."Come the big situation, you need the big boys to step up. But I knew we have a champion side," he added. "We topped the table, there's a reason why we got here first. If we stick to our cricket and execute our plans, we are the best team in the competition."As chants echoed around the stadium, Kohli reserved special praise for the fans."We have 14 home games, not seven. We have fans behind us all the time. Ninety percent fans were on our side despite it being GT's home ground," he said.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) reacts in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium. LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers continue to look every bit like a club finding its stride.Behind another gritty outing from Yoshinobu Yamamoto and a memorable first career home run from Ryan Ward, the Dodgers powered past the Phillies 9-1 on Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium, securing their fifth consecutive series victory and continuing a dominant stretch that has seen them win 14 of their last 17 games.At 38-21, the Dodgers finished May with an 18-10 record and now hold a 5½-game lead over the Padres in the National League West, their largest division advantage of the season.For a team that has spent much of the first two months searching for consistency, Sunday's victory felt like another example of everything clicking at once.The biggest reason Sunday never felt competitive was Yamamoto.Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium. William Liang-Imagn ImagesLos Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium.The right-hander wasn't operating with his sharpest command, but he once again demonstrated why the Dodgers trust him against baseball's best lineups. Facing a Phillies club packed with power and postseason experience, Yamamoto battled through traffic, elevated pitch counts and several stressful innings before delivering 5⅓ scoreless innings.His final line: 5⅓ innings, four hits, no runs, two walks, one hit batter and 10 strikeouts on 104 pitches.The 10 strikeouts matched a career high and marked a season-best total, whose ERA dropped to 2.86. Three of those strikeouts came against Major League home run leader Kyle Schwarber."My pitches had a good force and energy," Yamamoto said afterward.The performance perfectly embodied what Roberts praised before the game."He beats good teams, he manages stress, can limit damage, he can take a punch early and keep going," Roberts said.That's exactly what happened Sunday.Even without his best command, Yamamoto consistently made the pitches he needed when trouble surfaced. Roberts elected to remove him with one out in the sixth inning rather than push him further."He could've found a way to get through that sixth inning," Roberts said. "But I felt, to what cost? The good ones know how to get Major League hitters out even when they don't have their best stuff."The Dodgers made sure Yamamoto had breathing room early.Alex Freeland opened the scoring in the second inning with an RBI double, his first hit since rejoining the club from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Kyle Tucker followed later in the inning with an RBI single that pushed the lead to 2-0.For Tucker, the afternoon represented a welcome breakthrough.The All-Star outfielder spent Saturday taking batting practice on the field for the first time all season. He is not the first to do something like this. Shohei Ohtani never takes batting practice outdoors unless he’s struggling at the plate.It may have paid immediate dividends.Tucker finished 2-for-4 with a single, a double and an RBI. In the fifth inning, Mookie Betts took a walk then Tucker got a hold of Tanner Banks’ slider and hit it off the wall for a double. Alex Call then hit a two-run single, extending the lead to 6-0.But the moment everyone inside Dodger Stadium will remember belonged to Ward.In his first career game at Dodger Stadium, the 28-year-old outfielder launched the first home run of his major league career, a fourth-inning solo shot off Phillies’ Andrew Painter.Ryan Ward with his first Major League career homer! pic.twitter.com/w4GPR11ccF— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 31, 2026The ball disappeared over the fence, and Ward admitted afterward he barely remembers the moment."Kind of a blackout, if I'm honest with you," Ward said. "I hit it and just kind of went numb. Watching it go over the fence was really cool and an incredible feeling for sure."For a player who spent years grinding through the minor leagues while waiting for an opportunity, it was the culmination of countless bus rides, long seasons and unanswered questions."He's spent a lot of time in the minors," Roberts said. "Those are special moments."Ward quickly recovered the baseball afterward and said it will be displayed next to the ball from his first major league hit.The clubhouse was equally thrilled.Freeland, who followed Ward's blast with a home run of his own to nearly the same spot in left field, spoke glowingly about his teammate."I'm just uber excited for Ryan Ward," Freeland said. "I don't think there's anybody that deserves it more than him. So to share that moment with him is kind of special."Freeland's resurgence has become one of the more encouraging developments for the Dodgers. After beginning the season on the Opening Day roster, he returned to Triple-A to rebuild his swing. Since being recalled this week, he has looked noticeably more confident and productive.Sunday was his best game yet.Freeland finished 2-for-3 with a home run, double, two RBIs and two runs scored.More importantly, he continues to show an understanding of his role on a veteran roster loaded with stars."Everyone in this locker room is a superstar," Freeland said.That perspective matters for a young player trying to carve out a place on a championship-caliber team.The offense never slowed after the fourth inning.Freddie Freeman added a sacrifice fly in the sixth after Andy Pages tripled. Max Muncy crushed his 14th home run of the season in the seventh. By the time the Phillies finally broke through on Bryson Stott's ninth-inning solo homer, the outcome had long been decided.The Dodgers finished with 13 hits and received contributions from nearly every spot in the lineup. Betts was the only player without a hit going 0-for-3 on Sunday.Just as importantly, they once again looked like a team playing with confidence, depth and momentum.Now comes a quick turnaround.The Dodgers head to Arizona for a four-game series against the Diamondbacks beginning Monday night before returning home next weekend to host the Angels.After taking two of three from one of the National League's premier contenders, they leave Los Angeles with even more evidence that they're becoming the version of themselves many expected all along.

Gavin Błachowicz got the start in today’s elimination game. | Nebraska Athletics The take-home from the game this afternoon, as well as last nights, is that Nebraska’s bullpen is not very deep and what can be an explosive offense is not at the level it needs to be for post-season play. Both Arizona State and Mississippi exploited these weaknesses, on top of the fact that Nebraska simply did not play good baseball this weekend. That said, today’s game also demonstrated what made Nebraska baseball fans fall in love with this team this season. Will Bolt said after the game that this season was basically a microcosm of the season and the fact that their tenacity shown each and every game continued to the final out epitomizes what this team is all about. They didn’t give up and because of their faith and trust in each other, more often than not they came out on top. Bringing a regional back to Haymarket Park has been a stated goal of Will Bolt since he arrived and there is no question that the fan-base was pumped up to see the Big Red go up against top teams on a national stage. But, as the score shows today, the Cornhuskers were not up to the challenge.In the early going, Sun Devil second baseman Nu’u Contrades made an early bid for Player of the Game. With one out in the bottom of the first, he launched a huge homerun to right-centerfield for the games first run. He followed that up with a web-gem play in the field, charging hard and bare-handing a ground ball by Case Sanderson and then whipping an almost impossible throw to get him out at first base.With one swing of his bat leading off the top of the third inning, Joshua Overbeek tied the game up with a solo dinger the opposite way. ASU pitcher Colby Guy didn’t allow any momentum to build as he then struck out Drew Grego, got Rhett Stokes to ground out, and then struck out Mac Moyer. However, it was a new ball game at 1-1, though that would not last very long.BEEK ANSWERED THE CALL. Solo HR ties the game. 🎥 ESPNT3 | Nebraska 1, ASU 1 pic.twitter.com/yLEbxLPGcf— Nebraska Baseball (@HuskerBaseball) May 31, 2026Gavin Blachowicz had pitched well the first couple of innings, with the exception of the ball he left over the plate that Contrades sent out of the park, but things did not go well in the bottom of the third. The Sun devils put up four more runs, three of them after what should have been an inning-ending double play that blew up on an errant throw by Stokes to Carey. The big blow came on a two-run homer by Dominic Longo. Blachowicz has shown a propensity to serve up homeruns this season and one had to wonder how that would work out against a team noted for knocking the ball out of the park. After three innings, ASU held a 5-1 lead.After Nebraska failed to muster any offense in the top of the fourth, Cooper Katskee came in to relieve Blachowicz. That presents an interesting question should Nebraska turn this around, who will start the game tonight? That’s the last thing anyone in the third base dugout is worried about at this time is to get there, they have to win this one.It got spicey in this inning when with one out, Landon Hairston, known as Harry Bonds, struck out looking. When he heard the umpire ring him up, he gave a bat flip of at least four revolutions straight up into the air. The crowd went nuts and after consultation, he was ejected from the game. Things got amped up a few minutes later when Will Bolt pointed out that Hairston had not left the dugout, which resulted in him taking the walk of shame down the third baseline to the clubhouse. Landon Hairston Jr has been ejected from the game in Lincoln for unsportsmanlike conduct.Will now be suspended next game whether that is later today or opening day 2027. pic.twitter.com/HrUpj3pcIh— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) May 31, 2026After the excitement, and an opportunity for Nebraska fans to loudly share their thoughts with Mr. Hairston the teams got back to the game. The Cornhuskers were not able to make anything of an Overbeek single. In the bottom half, Arizona State extended their lead by a run on a solo homerun by Dominic Smaldino. Sun Devils up 6-1.It got really ugly for Nebraska in the bottom of the sixth as ASU batted around and scored five runs. Katskee got a quick out, but then gave up a single and a double, resulting in Coach Childress taking a walk to the mound and pulling him for Colin Nowaczyk. After intentionally walking Contrades, he gave up a run-scoring single to Dean Toigo and a grand slam homerun to Smaldino, his second round-tripper of the game. The Big Red had a huge mountain to climb, down 11-1.Bolt’s Boys found life in the top of the seventh inning, and wouldn’t you know, it was Trey/Larry Fikes who got it rolling. The catcher slapped a double just inside the chalk down the first baseline for a double. Overbeek then worked a walk. Max Buettenback came on to pinch-hit and put a charge in one that was caught on the warning track in leftfield. Up came Stokes, who nubbed a dribbler off his bat down toward third base. It was fielded by pitcher Josh Butler, who sailed it over the first baseman’s head. In came Fikes with Nebraska’s second run.The top of the order grabbed this momentum as Moyer looped a double into no-man’s land behind third base to score Overbeek and Stokes. Then Worthley came up and ripped a double of his own to score Moyer. Dylan Carey grabbed the baton and singled to move Worthley to third before Sanderson hit one deep to centerfield that was caught near the warning track, but scored Worthley. Nebraska had climbed back into it a bit and were now down 11-6.Huskers are rallying!! 😤📺 ESPN#B1GBaseball x @HuskerBaseballpic.twitter.com/XOkhPxuO4b— Big Ten Baseball (@B1Gbaseball) May 31, 2026Neither team got anything going in the eighth inning and Nebraska came up with their season on the line in the top of the ninth facing Taylor Penn. Rhett Stokes struck out and Mac Moyer worked a walk. Jeter Worthley then looped a single between a charging centerfielder and a retreating second baseman. One out and two runners on base.Dylan Carey ripped a single to leftfield that scored Moyer and led to Derek Schaefer coming into pitch for Penn. Case Sanderson got hit by a pitch to load the bases and that brought up Nebraska’s hottest hitter, Jett Buck. He flew out to rightfield, but Worthley scored and Carey moved to third base. Up came Trey Fikes, the potential tying run. He ripped a line-drive that went right at the Sun Devil right fielder to end the game and end Nebraska’s season.The last game of any season is always tough for a multitude of reasons. This will be the last time fans see Dylan Carey and Joshua Overbeek play at Haymarket Park, and they’ve also most likely seen the last of Carson Jasa in a Nebraska uniform. Others who have made a mark on the program will be gone as well, and a few fan favorites, like Jalen Worthley and Caleb Clark. Over the course of the summer, the coaching staff will be on the road evaluating future talent and, in the fall, another twenty-plus players will join the program. It will most definitely be a different team going forward, but it is safe to say that this team has left a positive mark on the program.Coach Bolt stressed after the game that this was truly a player led team, in large part due to the leadership from Dylan Carey, Joshua Overbeek, and other senior leaders. He believes that this has been built strong enough that it will carry on as new players join the program and new leaders emerge. Fall practice is just four months away!Give it all. pic.twitter.com/RBP0WSBv9y— Nebraska Baseball (@HuskerBaseball) May 31, 2026Notes:My partner at Corn Nation, Aaron Rastovski, has said many times that Jeter Worthley is the luckiest hitter he’s seen. Today reinforces that observation as the balls he hits just seem to find a crack here or a space there to land. Then again, he’s fearless at the plate for a young hitter and will give Nebraska fans a lot to cheer about in the future.Having not given much attention this season to walk-up songs and stadium music, it is worth giving a shout-out to ASU’s Dominic Longo for using the Michael Buble version of Feeling Good. Not a genre of music used very often for this purpose.From the I Haven’t Seen That Before File, it is not unusual at all to see a player injured on the field, and I’ve seen some players on television get wobbly from extreme heat. However, I’ve never seen a pitcher walk to the back of the mound after the second out of the inning and throw up . . . violently. Three times! Apparently, Gavin Blachowicz has told reporters that he always throws up before games. Well, this time it happened a little later. And, he struck out the next guy for his first K of the game.During the press conference following the game, Arizona State coach Willie Bloomquist asked to make a point after the questions finished to praise the Nebraska fan base and express how great it was to play in this kind of atmosphere. He also noted that the accommodations were great and that everyone that they dealt with from Nebraska was first-class. Nebraska fans like to hear this, but it means a little more when it is not solicited.STILL IN IT 😈#ForksUp /// #Onwardpic.twitter.com/Uw00jNfnlq— Sun Devil Baseball (@ASU_Baseball) May 31, 2026

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Cristian Volpato has been vaulted into Australia's World Cup squad just days after confirming a switch of national eligibility from Italy, and four years after he declined an invitation to join the Socceroos ahead of the 2022 tournament.Coach Tony Popovic included the 22-year-old Volpato in the 26-man squad announced Monday, Australian time. He and striker Tete Yengi were among 17 players selected in a World Cup squad for the first time.Skipper Mat Ryan, with 104 international caps, and veteran Mathew Leckie were picked for a fourth World Cup, equaling the Australian record held by Tim Cahill and Mark Milligan.“A range of factors has gone into selecting this final World Cup squad,” Popovic said in a statement. "Some difficult decisions had to be made ... but it’s also a credit to all the players involved who worked extremely hard during an extended and challenging pre-camp.“I’d like to acknowledge the players who contributed to our direct World Cup qualification but are not part of this squad."The Sydney-born Volpato played for Italy's Under-21 team but was eligible to make the switch to Australia under FIFA rules because he never played a competitive game for the senior Italy team. Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup being co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada.Volpato only joined the Socceroos camp in Los Angeles on the weekend, too late to participate in the 1-0 World Cup warmup loss to Mexico at Pasadena.Australia will play another warmup game on Saturday against Switzerland at San Diego to finetune for Group D games against Turkey at Vancouver on June 13, the U.S. at Seattle six days later and Paraguay at Santa Clara on June 25.___Australia squad:Goalkeepers: Mat Ryan, Patrick Beach, Paul Izzo.Defenders: Aziz Behich, Jordan Bos, Cameron Burgess, Alessandro Circati, Milos Degenek, Jason Geria, Lucas Herrington, Jacob Italiano, Harry Souttar, Kai Trewin.Midfielders: Cameron Devlin, Jackson Irvine, Connor Metcalfe, Mathew Leckie, Paul Okon-Engstler, Aiden O’Neill.Forwards: Ajdin Hrustic, Nestory Irankunda, Awer Mabil, Mohamed Toure, Nishan Velupillay, Cristian Volpato, Tete Yengi.___AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Regional action in the 2026 NCAA baseball tournament is winding down, and by the time action on Sunday draws to a close, we could have most of the 16 spots in the Super Regionals locked in.At least one regional will extend into Monday, due to the weather. Delays and postponements in the Tallahassee regional have pushed Game 6 of that bracket to Monday, and depending on how that game unfolds a double-header may be necessary to determine what team advances out of that bracket.Whether we see more games on Monday depends on what happens on Sunday night in the various regional finals. Remember, the regionals are a double-elimination format.Here, we’ll be tracking each team that advances to the Super Regionals.North CarolinaUNC became the first team to secure a spot in the Super Regionals, thanks to a 9-3 win over East Carolina at Boshamer Stadium, advancing in front of their hometown fans.The Tar Heels were the No. 5 overall seed in the NCAA baseball tournament, and rolled through the Chapel Hill regional for their first regional sweep since 2019. UNC scored eight runs in the first three innings against the Pirates, loading the baes in each of those innings.UNC won their first game on Friday 8-0 against VCU, and then won a pair of games against East Carolina to move on to the Super Regionals. The Tar Heels will host the winner of the College Station regional, either Texas A&M or Southern California, in the best-of-three Super Regionals starting on Friday, June 5. GeorgiaThe Bulldogs booked a spot of their own in the Super Regionals, with a 6-1 win over Liberty.However, it came at a bit of a price.Third baseman Tre Phelps blasted a two-run home run in the sixth inning, giving the Bulldogs their first lead of the game against the Flames. But Phelps, and then coach Wes Johnson, were tossed from the contest after the umpires ruled that Phelps taunted the Liberty dugout after the home run. You can see it all unfold here:TRE PHELPS GIVES GEORGIA THE LEAD AND THEN GETS TOSSED FOR CELEBRATIONWES JOHNSON TOSSED. WOW. pic.twitter.com/kL36K3AVXS— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) May 31, 2026Phelps will be in line to miss Game 1 of next weekend’s Super Regional series. The Bulldogs will host either Mississippi State or Louisiana in that series. Georgia began the NCAA tournament as the No. 3 overall seed. TexasTexas became the third team to book a spot in the Super Regionals, with a 6-4 win over UC Santa Barbara.But it was a tense final inning at UFCU Disch–Falk Field, after what had been two comfortable games for the Longhorns.Texas won its first two games of the Austin regional by a combined score of 35-2, with wins over Holy Cross and Tarleton State. But Sunday evening’s game against UC Santa Barbara was much closer than those two contests. The Gauchos loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth against the Longhorns, thanks to a pair of singles and a hit batter. That forced Texas to bring in Luke Harrison, who got the start on Friday against Holy Cross and went four innings, to try and get the final out. Harrison got outfielder Rowan Kelly to fly out, and the Longhorns could celebrate a spot in the Super Regional.Texas entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 6 overall seed, and they’ll be the host for a Super Regional next weekend. The LonghornsThey’ll take on either Oregon or Oregon State in that Super Regional.

Kansas vs Arkansas baseball box score: Live stats from NCAA Baseball Championship Game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Kansas is 2-0 in this baseball tournament. After beating Arkansas last night, Kansas will need to secure another victory in Lawrence to advance. Arkansas is coming off of three games in 24-hours. The Razorbacks are expected to start Ethan McElvain played vs Missouri State on Friday as a reliever. However, he has won ALL SEC honors and has a 6-0 record with a remarkably low 1.03 ERA. 2026 NCAA Baseball Championship 123456789RHEKansas (44-16)0006230213140Arkansas (41-21)13100207112Kansas vs Arkansas baseball box score: Live stats from NCAA ChampionshipKansasBatterPOSABRHRBIBBSOAVGOBP2Tyson LeBlancSS422310.344.4285Tyson OwensCF400013.276.40721Augusto MungarrietaC320011.295.39216Josh Dykhoff1B533301.295.37723Dariel Osoria2B514100.242.37731Jordan BachRF221130.287.4227Dylan Schlotterback3B411100.278.38426Brady BallingerLF512202.289.4014Max Soliz JrDH511101.206.317Total212034652944723782B: LeBlanc 1 (12)Osoria 2 (12)Ballinger 1 (14)H: LeBlanc 1 (24)Dykhoff 1 (16)Osoria 1 (9)RBI: LeBlanc 3 (68)Dykhoff 3 (56)Osoria 1 (42)Bach 1 (44)Schlotterback 1 (31)Ballinger 2 (45)Soliz Jr 1 (20)PitcherPOSIPHRERBBSOBFERA34Mathis NayralP1.02332174.929Boede RaheP0.21000033.625Riane RitterP1.23110485.545Manning WestP3.031111133.915Toby ScheidtP1.12222085.3Total7.211775639Rahe 13 (9 strikes)Ritter 27 (20 strikes)West 42 (25 strikes)Nayral 34 (19 strikes)Scheidt 26 (13 strikes)ArkansasBatterPOSABRHRBIBBSOAVGOBP42Damian RuizLF512201.309.4428Camden KozealSS501102.318.41027Ryder HelfrickC522300.283.41717Zack StewartDH200020.260.3963Nolan Souza2B411001.274.36218Reese Robinett1B211020.257.3744Maika NiuCF313110.271.34416Christian TurnerRF300001.241.3395TJ Pompey3B411001.262.350Total210332553241621262B: Ruiz 1 (13)Niu 1 (14)H: Helfrick 2 (18)RBI: Ruiz 2 (30)Kozeal 1 (71)Helfrick 3 (53)Niu 1 (50)PitcherPOSIPHRERBBSOBFERA33Ethan McElvainP3.154433171.948Cooper DossettP1.00000136.922Peyton LeeP1.11000159.240James DeCremerP0.0000000-29Cole GiblerP1.03320265.538Colin FisherP1.134311105.6Total8.01413116845Dossett 8 (6 strikes)Lee 20 (10 strikes)Gibler 26 (20 strikes)Fisher 48 (27 strikes)McElvain 65 (34 strikes)How to watch: Kansas vs Arkansas 2026 NCAA Baseball Championship GameDate: Sunday, May 31Time: 6 p.m. ETTV: ESPN+More NCAA NewsSaint Mary's vs. UCLA baseball box score: Final stats from NCAA Baseball Championship Game 1Milwaukee vs. Auburn baseball box score: Final stats from NCAA Baseball Championship Game 1Arkansas vs. Georgia box score: Final stats from 2026 SEC Baseball ChampionshipBill Belichick, Jordon Hudson at Kentucky Derby leaves everyone saying the same thingDemond Williams bombshell could have resulted in Lane Kiffin fired by LSU