The Panther baseball team moved to 5-0 on the season with two more wins Thursday in Hutchinson. After a 4-3 win in game one, Great Bend made things more comfortable in game two with a 14-2 win.

Hutchinson plated two runs in the first inning of game one and led 2-1 into the top of the fifth. Carson Umphres doubled and scored on a single from Ian Premer to tie the game. The Salthawks got a run back in the bottom of the fifth, then Trenton Kern doubled and scored on a single from JJ Grove in the sixth to again tie the game at three.

Umphres struck out the first two batters in the sixth but the Salthawks had two runners in scoring position when an offensive interference call ended the threat.

Owen Kaiser reached on an error to open the top of the seventh. He advanced to third on a sacrifice from Slade Mohr and a single from Hunter Herrman. Kaiser scored the go-ahead run on a 2-out single from Peyden Oelger. The Salthawks put the tying run on third with one out in the bottom of the seventh but Umphres struck out the final two batters to again end the threat.

Umphres threw all seven innings for the win, striking out 10, walking one, and allowing three earned runs on six hits.

The Panther offense pounded out 13 hits. Kern doubled and singled twice, Mohr singled and doubled, and Umphres singled, doubled, and walked. Premer also had two hits.

Great Bend scored in all six innings of game two, book-ended by a pair of five-run frames. Herrman picked up the win, striking out six and walking two in five innings of work. He allowed one earned run on two hits. Mohr allowed an earned run on three hits in his one inning on the mound.

Grove had the big game at the plate with a home run and single, driving in four and scoring twice. Premer tripled and singled twice, Umphres doubled twice and singled, and Kaiser doubled and drove in three runs and scored twice. Carson Poe singled and walked three times, coming around to score once.

The Panthers play host to Kapaun on Tuesday, April 2 at the Sports Complex.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886547614.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsThe Panther baseball team moved to 5-0 on the season with two more wins Thursday in Hutchinson. After a 4-3 win in game one, Great Bend made things more comfortable in game two with a 14-2 win.Hutchinson plated two runs in the first inning of game one and led 2-1 into the top of the fifth. Carson Umphres doubled and scored on a single from Ian Premer to tie the game. The Salthawks got a run back in the bottom of the fifth, then Trenton Kern doubled and scored on a single from JJ Grove in the sixth to again tie the game at three.Umphres struck out the first two batters in the sixth but the Salthawks had two runners in scoring position when an offensive interference call ended the threat.Owen Kaiser reached on an error to open the top of the seventh. He advanced to third on a sacrifice from Slade Mohr and a single from Hunter Herrman. Kaiser scored the go-ahead run on a 2-out single from Peyden Oelger. The Salthawks put the tying run on third with one out in the bottom of the seventh but Umphres struck out the final two batters to again end the threat.Umphres threw all seven innings for the win, striking out 10, walking one, and allowing three earned runs on six hits.The Panther offense pounded out 13 hits. Kern doubled and singled twice, Mohr singled and doubled, and Umphres singled, doubled, and walked. Premer also had two hits.Great Bend scored in all six innings of game two, book-ended by a pair of five-run frames. Herrman picked up the win, striking out six and walking two in five innings of work. He allowed one earned run on two hits. Mohr allowed an earned run on three hits in his one inning on the mound.Grove had the big game at the plate with a home run and single, driving in four and scoring twice. Premer tripled and singled twice, Umphres doubled twice and singled, and Kaiser doubled and drove in three runs and scored twice. Carson Poe singled and walked three times, coming around to score once.The Panthers play host to Kapaun on Tuesday, April 2 at the Sports Complex.&nbsp;

Panther baseball moves to 5-0 with sweep of Hutchinson

The Lady Panthers split with Hutchinson a year ago. That was not at all the case Thursday on the road as Great Bend took game one from the Salthawks 17-5, then completed the sweep with a 12-4 win in game two. The Lady Panthers move to 4-0 on the season.

After a pair of scoreless innings to open game one, Great Bend did all its damage in the middle innings with five runs in the third, eight in the fourth, and four more in the fifth. Hutchinson scored all five of its runs in the fourth and fifth innings.

Braelyn Turner picked up the win in the circle, throwing all five innings. The sophomore struck out five, walked five, and allowed five earned runs on six hits.

The Panther offense belted out 15 hits in the win. Freshman Kya Behr went 4-for-4 with a double and three singles, driving in four and scoring twice. DeShawnna Bryant homered and singled twice, finishing with four RBIs and a run scored. Alyssa McCauley doubled for her lone hit, driving in a run and scoring twice. Denver Ringo singled twice and came around to score three times. Camdyn Post singled twice with an RBI and three runs scored. Paige Thexton singled and walked, driving in two and scoring twice. Kamryn Koelsch reached with a single and pair of walks.

Great Bend opened game two with a 5-run first and led 6-0 after two innings. The teams played largely even in the middle frames before the Lady Panthers plated three insurance runs in the top of the seventh.

Chayla Prendergast threw all seven innings for the win, striking out four and walking three. The freshman allowed four earned runs on nine hits.

Behr stayed hot at the plate with a pair of doubles and a single to finish with six RBIs and three runs. Bryant doubled and singled twice, and walked to finish with 2 RBIs and a run. Koelsch doubled and singled twice with an RBI. Prendergast doubled for her lone hit. Post walked three times and scored three runs, and Thexton walked twice with a pair of runs.

The Lady Panthers will make-up Tuesday's games against Manhattan and McPherson Monday at the Sports Complex.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886567489.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsThe Lady Panthers split with Hutchinson a year ago. That was not at all the case Thursday on the road as Great Bend took game one from the Salthawks 17-5, then completed the sweep with a 12-4 win in game two. The Lady Panthers move to 4-0 on the season.After a pair of scoreless innings to open game one, Great Bend did all its damage in the middle innings with five runs in the third, eight in the fourth, and four more in the fifth. Hutchinson scored all five of its runs in the fourth and fifth innings.Braelyn Turner picked up the win in the circle, throwing all five innings. The sophomore struck out five, walked five, and allowed five earned runs on six hits.The Panther offense belted out 15 hits in the win. Freshman Kya Behr went 4-for-4 with a double and three singles, driving in four and scoring twice. DeShawnna Bryant homered and singled twice, finishing with four RBIs and a run scored. Alyssa McCauley doubled for her lone hit, driving in a run and scoring twice. Denver Ringo singled twice and came around to score three times. Camdyn Post singled twice with an RBI and three runs scored. Paige Thexton singled and walked, driving in two and scoring twice. Kamryn Koelsch reached with a single and pair of walks.Great Bend opened game two with a 5-run first and led 6-0 after two innings. The teams played largely even in the middle frames before the Lady Panthers plated three insurance runs in the top of the seventh.Chayla Prendergast threw all seven innings for the win, striking out four and walking three. The freshman allowed four earned runs on nine hits.Behr stayed hot at the plate with a pair of doubles and a single to finish with six RBIs and three runs. Bryant doubled and singled twice, and walked to finish with 2 RBIs and a run. Koelsch doubled and singled twice with an RBI. Prendergast doubled for her lone hit. Post walked three times and scored three runs, and Thexton walked twice with a pair of runs.The Lady Panthers will make-up Tuesday's games against Manhattan and McPherson Monday at the Sports Complex.

Lady Panther softball dominates Hutch to move to 4-0

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Grant Nelson converted a go-ahead three-point play with 38 seconds
remaining, and Alabama beat top-seeded North Carolina 89-87 to reach
the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school
history. Nelson finished with a season-high 24 points, 19 in the
second half, and he blocked RJ Davis’ attempt at a tying layup
after giving Alabama the lead. The Tide face sixth-seeded Clemson on
Saturday for a berth in the Final Four. Armando Bacot finished with
19 points and 12 rebounds for North Carolina. Rylan Griffen and Aaron
Estrada scored 19 points each for Alabama and Mark Sears scored 18.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Chase Hunter scored 18 points and converted a three-point play with
25.7 seconds remaining, and Clemson advanced to the Elite Eight for
the second time in school history, beating Arizona 77-72 in a West
Region semifinal. PJ Hall added 17 points for the sixth-seeded
Tigers, who advanced to face either top-seeded North Carolina or No.
4 seed Alabama. Clemson last reached the final eight in 1980, when
there were 48 teams in the NCAA Tournament. Jaden Bradley scored 18
points for second-seeded Arizona, which had a horrific shooting
night, going 5 of 28 from 3-point range.

BOSTON (AP) —
Top-seeded and defending NCAA champion UConn advanced to the Elite
Eight with another double-digit victory, beating San Diego State
82-52 in a rematch of last year’s title game. Stephon Castle had 16
points and 11 rebounds. Cam Spencer scored 18 and Tristen Newton
added 17 points and seven rebounds for the Huskies. They will play
the winner of the other East Region semifinal between No. 2 Iowa
State and No. 3 Illinois for a spot in the Final Four in Glendale,
Arizona. The Huskies followed up blowouts last weekend with their
ninth straight double-digit March Madness victory.

BOSTON (AP) —
Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 29 points and Illinois reached the Elite
Eight for the first time since 2005, beating Iowa State 72-69 in an
East Region semifinal on Thursday night. Shannon had 20 points in the
first half for the third-seeded Illini, who never trailed. He broke
away for a dunk in the closing seconds and later hit two free throws
to help Illinois fnally put away the second-seeded Cyclones. Illinois
reached a regional final for the fourth time in the past 40 years and
will meet defending champion UConn on Saturday for a trip to the
Final Four. Curtis Jones scored 26 points to lead Iowa State

DALLAS (AP) —
Houston is playing in its fifth Sweet 16 in a row, its best March
Madness run since making three consecutive Final Four appearances in
the Phi Slama Jama era four decades ago. The Cougars were Big 12
regular-season champions this season after making the move into that
power conference. They play blueblood Duke on Friday night at the
home of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, about 250 miles from the
Houston campus. Another Atlantic Coast Conference team, No. 11 seed
North Carolina State, takes on second-seeded Marquette and former
Texas coach Shaka Smart in the first Dallas game.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)
— North Carlina State's Sweet 16 game against Stanford in the
women's NCAA Tournament is bit of a harbinger of what’s to come.
That’s because next season the perennially talented Cardinal are
headed to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Second-seeded Stanford plays
No. 3 seed N.C. State on Friday night in the Portland 4 Region,
before top-seeded Texas plays No. 4 seed Gonzaga. Stanford is among
five Pac-12 teams — most of any conference — that have advanced
to the Sweet 16 as the league’s days dwindle due to conference
reallignment.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Pablo Lopez pitched seven sparkling innings, Royce Lewis
homered before leaving with an injury, and the Twins beat the Royals
4-1 to begin defense of their AL Central crown. Carlos Correa added
three hits and two RBIs for Minnesota. That was plenty of support for
Lopez, who gave up a homer to Maikel Garcia, the first batter he
faced, but little else on a warm and sunny afternoon. He allowed four
hits and struck out seven without a walk. Cole Ragans struck out
nine, a Royals record for opening day, but still took the loss after
pitching six strong innings.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Shohei Ohtani reached three times in his home debut for the Dodgers,
and Los Angeles beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1 in the Dodger
Stadium opener to a season of sky-high expectations. Mookie Betts and
Freddie Freeman homered in the third inning, and Tyler Glasnow
pitched six innings of two-hit ball for the Dodgers. No offseason
addition to the Dodgers' star-studded lineup was bigger than Ohtani,
who showed no signs of distraction after a tumultuous week in which
he emphatically denied betting on sports after the firing of his
longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.

ARLINGTON, Texas
(AP) — Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim was going down to block a
low pitch when he heard the ball tip off the bat and saw it change
directions. Home plate umpire Chad Fairchild didn’t hear or see the
same thing in the ninth inning of the season opener for the World
Series champions. The Chicago Cubs took the lead on that disputed
play before Texas rallied to win 4-3 on Heim’s game-ending RBI
single in the 10th inning Thursday night. Fairchild told a poll
reporter after the game that he ruled a swinging strike. Asked if he
had seen a replay, Fairchild said he had, but refused to talk about
what he saw on it.

UNDATED (AP) —
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says he hopes the sport’s
gambling investigation of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will
be short but he isn’t sure. MLB announced its investigation Friday
after the Dodgers fired Ohtani’s interpreter and friend, Ippei
Mizuhara, following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about
his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well over $1
million. Ohtani said Monday he never bet on sports or knowingly paid
any gambling debts accumulated by Mizuhara.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)
— Many fans at the Oakland Coliseum were still hanging out in the
parking lot when Alex Wood delivered the first pitch of the season
for the Athletics against the Cleveland Guardians. And they had no
intention of going into the stadium. In protest of the A’s planned
move to Las Vegas in 2028, fan groups staged a boycott of the home
opener Thursday, purchasing tickets to the game to organize a block
party outside the stadium. A half-hour before the game’s first
pitch, hundreds of fans gathered in the far corner of the parking
lot. They displayed “Sell” T-shirts and flags and threw beanbags
at caricatures of team executives —including owner John Fisher and
president Dave Kaval.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.
(AP) — Tampa Bay All-Star shortstop Wander Franco was placed on
administrative leave through June 1 under an agreement between Major
League Baseball and the players’ association while the
investigation continues in an alleged relationship with a minor.
Administrative leave is not disciplinary under the sport’s joint
domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, and a
player continues to be paid. Franco, who has a $2 million salary this
year, remained in his native Dominican Republic while authorities
there investigate and did not report to spring training.

HOUSTON (AP) —
Scottie Scheffler is off to a solid start in his bid for a third
straight PGA Tour victory. The world's No. 1 player shot a 65 in the
Houston Open and trails Taylor Moore and Wilson Furr by one shot at
Memorial Park. Scheffler has 28 consecutive rounds under par to start
the year. Moore made bogey on his first hole and then had an eagle
and five birdies for a 64. Furr matched him late in the day, holing
out from 120 yards for eagle on the par-4 fifth and closing with
birdies on 8 and 9. Pierceson and Parker Coody became the first twins
to play with each other on the PGA Tour.

Milwaukee	at	N-Y
Mets	1:40 p.m.	(Postponed)

Atlanta	at	Philadelphia	3:05
p.m.	(Postponed)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710682717672.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Grant Nelson converted a go-ahead three-point play with 38 seconds
remaining, and Alabama beat top-seeded North Carolina 89-87 to reach
the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school
history. Nelson finished with a season-high 24 points, 19 in the
second half, and he blocked RJ Davis’ attempt at a tying layup
after giving Alabama the lead. The Tide face sixth-seeded Clemson on
Saturday for a berth in the Final Four. Armando Bacot finished with
19 points and 12 rebounds for North Carolina. Rylan Griffen and Aaron
Estrada scored 19 points each for Alabama and Mark Sears scored 18.LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Chase Hunter scored 18 points and converted a three-point play with
25.7 seconds remaining, and Clemson advanced to the Elite Eight for
the second time in school history, beating Arizona 77-72 in a West
Region semifinal. PJ Hall added 17 points for the sixth-seeded
Tigers, who advanced to face either top-seeded North Carolina or No.
4 seed Alabama. Clemson last reached the final eight in 1980, when
there were 48 teams in the NCAA Tournament. Jaden Bradley scored 18
points for second-seeded Arizona, which had a horrific shooting
night, going 5 of 28 from 3-point range.BOSTON (AP) —
Top-seeded and defending NCAA champion UConn advanced to the Elite
Eight with another double-digit victory, beating San Diego State
82-52 in a rematch of last year’s title game. Stephon Castle had 16
points and 11 rebounds. Cam Spencer scored 18 and Tristen Newton
added 17 points and seven rebounds for the Huskies. They will play
the winner of the other East Region semifinal between No. 2 Iowa
State and No. 3 Illinois for a spot in the Final Four in Glendale,
Arizona. The Huskies followed up blowouts last weekend with their
ninth straight double-digit March Madness victory.BOSTON (AP) —
Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 29 points and Illinois reached the Elite
Eight for the first time since 2005, beating Iowa State 72-69 in an
East Region semifinal on Thursday night. Shannon had 20 points in the
first half for the third-seeded Illini, who never trailed. He broke
away for a dunk in the closing seconds and later hit two free throws
to help Illinois fnally put away the second-seeded Cyclones. Illinois
reached a regional final for the fourth time in the past 40 years and
will meet defending champion UConn on Saturday for a trip to the
Final Four. Curtis Jones scored 26 points to lead Iowa StateDALLAS (AP) —
Houston is playing in its fifth Sweet 16 in a row, its best March
Madness run since making three consecutive Final Four appearances in
the Phi Slama Jama era four decades ago. The Cougars were Big 12
regular-season champions this season after making the move into that
power conference. They play blueblood Duke on Friday night at the
home of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, about 250 miles from the
Houston campus. Another Atlantic Coast Conference team, No. 11 seed
North Carolina State, takes on second-seeded Marquette and former
Texas coach Shaka Smart in the first Dallas game.PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)
— North Carlina State's Sweet 16 game against Stanford in the
women's NCAA Tournament is bit of a harbinger of what’s to come.
That’s because next season the perennially talented Cardinal are
headed to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Second-seeded Stanford plays
No. 3 seed N.C. State on Friday night in the Portland 4 Region,
before top-seeded Texas plays No. 4 seed Gonzaga. Stanford is among
five Pac-12 teams — most of any conference — that have advanced
to the Sweet 16 as the league’s days dwindle due to conference
reallignment.KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Pablo Lopez pitched seven sparkling innings, Royce Lewis
homered before leaving with an injury, and the Twins beat the Royals
4-1 to begin defense of their AL Central crown. Carlos Correa added
three hits and two RBIs for Minnesota. That was plenty of support for
Lopez, who gave up a homer to Maikel Garcia, the first batter he
faced, but little else on a warm and sunny afternoon. He allowed four
hits and struck out seven without a walk. Cole Ragans struck out
nine, a Royals record for opening day, but still took the loss after
pitching six strong innings.LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Shohei Ohtani reached three times in his home debut for the Dodgers,
and Los Angeles beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1 in the Dodger
Stadium opener to a season of sky-high expectations. Mookie Betts and
Freddie Freeman homered in the third inning, and Tyler Glasnow
pitched six innings of two-hit ball for the Dodgers. No offseason
addition to the Dodgers' star-studded lineup was bigger than Ohtani,
who showed no signs of distraction after a tumultuous week in which
he emphatically denied betting on sports after the firing of his
longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.ARLINGTON, Texas
(AP) — Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim was going down to block a
low pitch when he heard the ball tip off the bat and saw it change
directions. Home plate umpire Chad Fairchild didn’t hear or see the
same thing in the ninth inning of the season opener for the World
Series champions. The Chicago Cubs took the lead on that disputed
play before Texas rallied to win 4-3 on Heim’s game-ending RBI
single in the 10th inning Thursday night. Fairchild told a poll
reporter after the game that he ruled a swinging strike. Asked if he
had seen a replay, Fairchild said he had, but refused to talk about
what he saw on it.UNDATED (AP) —
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says he hopes the sport’s
gambling investigation of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will
be short but he isn’t sure. MLB announced its investigation Friday
after the Dodgers fired Ohtani’s interpreter and friend, Ippei
Mizuhara, following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about
his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well over $1
million. Ohtani said Monday he never bet on sports or knowingly paid
any gambling debts accumulated by Mizuhara.OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)
— Many fans at the Oakland Coliseum were still hanging out in the
parking lot when Alex Wood delivered the first pitch of the season
for the Athletics against the Cleveland Guardians. And they had no
intention of going into the stadium. In protest of the A’s planned
move to Las Vegas in 2028, fan groups staged a boycott of the home
opener Thursday, purchasing tickets to the game to organize a block
party outside the stadium. A half-hour before the game’s first
pitch, hundreds of fans gathered in the far corner of the parking
lot. They displayed “Sell” T-shirts and flags and threw beanbags
at caricatures of team executives —including owner John Fisher and
president Dave Kaval.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.
(AP) — Tampa Bay All-Star shortstop Wander Franco was placed on
administrative leave through June 1 under an agreement between Major
League Baseball and the players’ association while the
investigation continues in an alleged relationship with a minor.
Administrative leave is not disciplinary under the sport’s joint
domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, and a
player continues to be paid. Franco, who has a $2 million salary this
year, remained in his native Dominican Republic while authorities
there investigate and did not report to spring training.HOUSTON (AP) —
Scottie Scheffler is off to a solid start in his bid for a third
straight PGA Tour victory. The world's No. 1 player shot a 65 in the
Houston Open and trails Taylor Moore and Wilson Furr by one shot at
Memorial Park. Scheffler has 28 consecutive rounds under par to start
the year. Moore made bogey on his first hole and then had an eagle
and five birdies for a 64. Furr matched him late in the day, holing
out from 120 yards for eagle on the par-4 fifth and closing with
birdies on 8 and 9. Pierceson and Parker Coody became the first twins
to play with each other on the PGA Tour.COLLEGE
BASKETBALLNCAA Sweet 16EASTFinal	UConn	82	San
Diego St.	52	Final	Illinois	72	Iowa
St.	69	WESTFinal	Clemson	77	Arizona	72	Final	Alabama	89	North
Carolina	87	MAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	Texas	4	Chicago
Cubs	3	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Baltimore	11	L.A.
Angels	3	Final	Detroit	1	Chicago
White Sox	0	Final	Minnesota	4	Kansas
City	1	Final	Toronto	8	Tampa
Bay	2	Final	N.Y.
Yankees	5	Houston	4	Final	Cleveland	8	Oakland	0	Final	Boston	6	Seattle	4	NATIONAL LEAGUEMilwaukee	at	N-Y
Mets	1:40 p.m.	(Postponed)Atlanta	at	Philadelphia	3:05
p.m.	(Postponed)Final	Cincinnati	8	Washington	2	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	7	St. Louis	1	Final	San
Diego	6	San Francisco	4	Final	Pittsburgh	6	Miami	5	Final	Arizona	16	Colorado	1	NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal
OT	Atlanta	123	Boston	122	Final	New
Orleans	107	Milwaukee	100	NATIONAL HOCKEY
LEAGUEFinal	Ottawa	2	Chicago	0	Final	Pittsburgh	3	Columbus	2	Final	Toronto	5	Washington	1	Final	N-Y
Islanders	3	Florida	2	Final	Montreal	4	Philadelphia	1	Final	Carolina	4	Detroit	0	Final	Minnesota	3	San
Jose	1	Final	St.
Louis	5	Calgary	3	Final	Vegas	4	Winnipeg	1	Final	Edmonton	4	Los
Angeles	1	Final SO	N-Y
Rangers	3	Colorado	2	Final	Dallas	3	Vancouver	1	Final	Seattle	4	Anaheim	2

Friday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pablo Lopez admitted to feeling some anxiety when the Twins ace stepped on the mound to face the Royals on opening day.

It didn't calm him down any when Maikel Garcia homered off him three pitches later.

The All-Star right-hander eventually managed to get his nerves under control, holding Kansas City to just three more hits without a walk while breezing through seven innings Thursday. And when Royce Lewis homered, and Carlos Correa had three hits and two RBIs, Minnesota had a 4-1 victory to begin its defense of its AL Central crown.

“You shake it off,” Lopez said of that ominous first at-bat. “Let it go, as hard as that can be sometimes. It was about not letting go of my plan, and attacking the zone. If you attack the zone, you'll get some good results.”

In fact, it was reminiscent of last season, when Lopez (1-0) shut down the Royals in a 2-0 victory to open the season.

Brock Stewart worked the eighth for Minnesota. Griffin Jax earned the save by handling the ninth.

“It was a tight game,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “You have to get in the weeds a little bit. Have good at-bats, put the ball in play when we have runners on base. I was pleased with the way we executed.”

Cole Ragans (0-1) set a Royals record for opening day with nine strikeouts in just six innings. But the 26-year-old left-hander, who arrived in a midseason trade with Texas last year, also allowed two runs on five hits and three walks.

“His stuff was good. He got two outs on three pitches in the first,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Correa is obviously a tough out for a lot of a lot of pitchers. (Lopez) was really good. They gave him a couple of runs. We’ll take that every time out.”

Chiefs coach Andy Reid began the festivities on a sun-splashed afternoon by hauling the club's latest Lombardi Trophy to the mound, where team owner Clark Hunt and president Mark Donovan held two other Super Bowl trophies. Then Reid, who worked as a vendor at Dodger Stadium as a teen, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett.

Lewis delivered the first hit of the day for Minnesota, a no-doubt shot to left field with two outs in the first. Garcia delivered the second for Kansas City, a tying homer of his own into the left-field bullpen leading off the bottom half.

Minnesota pulled ahead in the third when Correa's double brought home Manuel Margot. The hit proved costly, though, when Lewis pulled up near third base with a right quad injury; Edouard Julien replaced him.

“He had an MRI and we're going to take some time to evaluate,” said Baldelli, adding that Max Kepler had an X-ray that came back clean after he fouled a pitch off his knee. “I hope Kep is going to play (Saturday) but we're just going to have to see.”

The Twins added two runs off Chris Stratton in the ninth to give their bullpen a cushion it hardly needed.

“Not the way you want to start the season on the injury side of things,” Baldelli said, “but how you want to see your team go out and fight and get a win on opening day.”

Twins: RHPs Jhoan Duran (right oblique strain), Josh Staumont (left calf strain), Justin Topa (left patellar tendinitis) and Zack Weiss (right shoulder strain) and LHP Caleb Thielbar (left hamstring strain) were placed on the injured list.

Royals: RHP Carlos Hernandez (right shoulder impingement), LHPs Jake Brentz (left hamstring strain) and Josh Taylor (left biceps) and INF Michael Massey (lower back strain) were placed on the IL. All of them remained in Arizona.

After taking Friday off, the Twins send RHP Joe Ryan to the mound against Royals RHP Seth Lugo on Saturday. The Royals signed Lugo to a three-year, $45 million contract during their offseason overhaul of the starting rotation.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pablo Lopez admitted to feeling some anxiety when the Twins ace stepped on the mound to face the Royals on opening day.It didn't calm him down any when Maikel Garcia homered off him three pitches later.The All-Star right-hander eventually managed to get his nerves under control, holding Kansas City to just three more hits without a walk while breezing through seven innings Thursday. And when Royce Lewis homered, and Carlos Correa had three hits and two RBIs, Minnesota had a 4-1 victory to begin its defense of its AL Central crown.“You shake it off,” Lopez said of that ominous first at-bat. “Let it go, as hard as that can be sometimes. It was about not letting go of my plan, and attacking the zone. If you attack the zone, you'll get some good results.”In fact, it was reminiscent of last season, when Lopez (1-0) shut down the Royals in a 2-0 victory to open the season.Brock Stewart worked the eighth for Minnesota. Griffin Jax earned the save by handling the ninth.“It was a tight game,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “You have to get in the weeds a little bit. Have good at-bats, put the ball in play when we have runners on base. I was pleased with the way we executed.”Cole Ragans (0-1) set a Royals record for opening day with nine strikeouts in just six innings. But the 26-year-old left-hander, who arrived in a midseason trade with Texas last year, also allowed two runs on five hits and three walks.“His stuff was good. He got two outs on three pitches in the first,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Correa is obviously a tough out for a lot of a lot of pitchers. (Lopez) was really good. They gave him a couple of runs. We’ll take that every time out.”Chiefs coach Andy Reid began the festivities on a sun-splashed afternoon by hauling the club's latest Lombardi Trophy to the mound, where team owner Clark Hunt and president Mark Donovan held two other Super Bowl trophies. Then Reid, who worked as a vendor at Dodger Stadium as a teen, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett.Lewis delivered the first hit of the day for Minnesota, a no-doubt shot to left field with two outs in the first. Garcia delivered the second for Kansas City, a tying homer of his own into the left-field bullpen leading off the bottom half.Minnesota pulled ahead in the third when Correa's double brought home Manuel Margot. The hit proved costly, though, when Lewis pulled up near third base with a right quad injury; Edouard Julien replaced him.“He had an MRI and we're going to take some time to evaluate,” said Baldelli, adding that Max Kepler had an X-ray that came back clean after he fouled a pitch off his knee. “I hope Kep is going to play (Saturday) but we're just going to have to see.”The Twins added two runs off Chris Stratton in the ninth to give their bullpen a cushion it hardly needed.“Not the way you want to start the season on the injury side of things,” Baldelli said, “but how you want to see your team go out and fight and get a win on opening day.”TRAINER'S ROOMTwins: RHPs Jhoan Duran (right oblique strain), Josh Staumont (left calf strain), Justin Topa (left patellar tendinitis) and Zack Weiss (right shoulder strain) and LHP Caleb Thielbar (left hamstring strain) were placed on the injured list.Royals: RHP Carlos Hernandez (right shoulder impingement), LHPs Jake Brentz (left hamstring strain) and Josh Taylor (left biceps) and INF Michael Massey (lower back strain) were placed on the IL. All of them remained in Arizona.UP NEXTAfter taking Friday off, the Twins send RHP Joe Ryan to the mound against Royals RHP Seth Lugo on Saturday. The Royals signed Lugo to a three-year, $45 million contract during their offseason overhaul of the starting rotation.

Lopez shuts down Royals as Twins begin defense of AL Central title with 4-1 win

Softball -Game 1- Great Bend 17 Hutchinson 5 -Game 2- Great Bend 14 Hutchinson 4

1. Great Bend Sports on 104 3 the Point sponsored by Venture Corporation, Advanced Truck &amp; Diesel, Mpire Reality, Nex-Tech, The 10th Street Eye Care Center, Damm Pipe Testing, Delgado's Mexican Restaurant, Comfort Pro, Haz Mat Response, American Plains Co-op, Marmie Auto Group, Sutherlands, Stone Sand Company &amp; Stone Waste Management, S&amp;J Trucking, Schroeder Homes &amp; Remodeling, Unruh Brothers Trash Service, Great Bend Pizza Hut, Advanced Therapy &amp; Sports Medicine, Keller Real Estate &amp; Insurance, Innovative Livestock Services, Beugelsdijk Chiropractic, Magna Dry Cleaning Services, People's Bank &amp; Trust, The Fieldhouse, Great Bend Rec, Insurance Planning, Farmer's Bank &amp; Trust, USD 428, Scott's Welding, University of Kansas Health Systems, Edward Jones Financial Services.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886602159.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Softball -Game 1- Great Bend 17 Hutchinson 5 -Game 2- Great Bend 14 Hutchinson 4<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/zp51dklr/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>1. Great Bend Sports on 104 3 the Point sponsored by Venture Corporation, Advanced Truck &amp; Diesel, Mpire Reality, Nex-Tech, The 10th Street Eye Care Center, Damm Pipe Testing, Delgado's Mexican Restaurant, Comfort Pro, Haz Mat Response, American Plains Co-op, Marmie Auto Group, Sutherlands, Stone Sand Company &amp; Stone Waste Management, S&amp;J Trucking, Schroeder Homes &amp; Remodeling, Unruh Brothers Trash Service, Great Bend Pizza Hut, Advanced Therapy &amp; Sports Medicine, Keller Real Estate &amp; Insurance, Innovative Livestock Services, Beugelsdijk Chiropractic, Magna Dry Cleaning Services, People's Bank &amp; Trust, The Fieldhouse, Great Bend Rec, Insurance Planning, Farmer's Bank &amp; Trust, USD 428, Scott's Welding, University of Kansas Health Systems, Edward Jones Financial Services.

1. Barton Community College basketball on 104 3 the Point sponsored by Nex-Tech Wireless, Damm Pipe Testing, Mpire Overhead Door, Best Western Angus Inn, Marmie Auto Group, Rosenberg Family Dentistry, The University of Kansas Health System, Venture Corporation, Nex-Tech, Cougar Booster Club, The 10th Street Eye Care Center, Freedom Claims Management and Kansas Fishing Tools

<div><a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/information/boosterclub/index"><img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1635967480149.jpeg"></a>

</div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647912774016.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Barton Men 93, Indian Hills 78<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/t3eloj4d/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>1. Barton Community College basketball on 104 3 the Point sponsored by Nex-Tech Wireless, Damm Pipe Testing, Mpire Overhead Door, Best Western Angus Inn, Marmie Auto Group, Rosenberg Family Dentistry, The University of Kansas Health System, Venture Corporation, Nex-Tech, Cougar Booster Club, The 10th Street Eye Care Center, Freedom Claims Management and Kansas Fishing Tools

Barton Men 93, Indian Hills 78

- Barton Basketball coach Jeremy Coombs joins us from Hutchinson to preview Thursday night's national semifinal game after the Cougars dispensed of Northwest Florida State Wednesday 87-73 at the NJCAA National Tournament.

- Great Bend Panther Baseball coach Randy Beck talks about his teams 3-0 start heading into Thursday's doubleheader at Hutchinson.

- Barton Softball coach Carson Dubose will be in to talk about the Cougars Wednesday double header with Dodge City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Thursday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark, and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Thursday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark, and Mike Hesher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W7N0bmrxPoE?si=H94luFq4hnbYeSAi" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- Barton Basketball coach Jeremy Coombs joins us from Hutchinson to preview Thursday night's national semifinal game after the Cougars dispensed of Northwest Florida State Wednesday 87-73 at the NJCAA National Tournament.- Great Bend Panther Baseball coach Randy Beck talks about his teams 3-0 start heading into Thursday's doubleheader at Hutchinson.- Barton Softball coach Carson Dubose will be in to talk about the Cougars Wednesday double header with Dodge City.- Thursday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Thursday on Sports Day (Watch)

By TODD MOORE Barton Sports Info

Blasting seven home runs on their thirty-four hits the Barton Community College softball team chalked up 21-2 and 9-0 five inning victories Wednesday at Cougar Field to complete its season sweep over Dodge City Community College.

Trailing 2-0 after the Conquistadors' first at-bat, Barton tied it in the home half on the first of its game one six fence clearers in going on to post thirty unanswered runs by scoring in each of its eight frames at the plate.

The six long balls is the most for the program since the 2022 season when the Cougars launched seven on an April 6 trip to Pratt Community College.

Barton's twin bill sweep improves the Cougars to 13-5 in league and 16-12 overall while Dodge City drops to 5-13 and 5-23 on the season.

The Cougars' scheduled Friday hosting of Southeast Community College has been canceled leaving the weekend away from competition before welcoming 17th ranked Butler Community College to Cougar Field next Wednesday for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader.

Leading the hit brigade was the birthday performance of Allyson McDougal going 6-of-7, beginning the third frame of game one with her 3rd trot around the bases of the year and driving in Barton's first plate crosser of the nightcap's first inning extending her hit streak to seven straight games.

Following Josie Oakley's two-out, first collegiate home run driving in two getting Dodge City off to good start, Leslie Ramos tied it up in the home half launching her third of the year scoring Laci Dryden's leadoff single.

The Cougars blew the game open in their second at-bat putting ten on the board behind ten hits including a pair from Cameron Pelzel and Lani Dryden and home runs by Laci Dryden on a three-run shot, Elina Bartlett's two-run dinger, and Mikaila Herring's two-run round tripper.

McDougal's base trotter led off the third frame with Pelzel's double driving in two more pushing the lead to 15-2.

Ramos' fourth inning double, one of six Cougars to collect three or more hits in game one, scored on Aly Lawrence's single to start a six-run frame. McDougal and Bartlett singles loaded the bases with Chloe Enslinger clearing them all on a grand slam for the first of the freshman's two deep balls on the day. Laci Dryden closed out the scoring by matching Enslinger and Ramos' four RBI's each by lacing a run producing single to close out the scoring.

Bartlett logged seven innings in the circle to pick up both victories improving to 6-2 on the year, hurling three frames in the first and four in the second until giving way to Alicia Goseland to close it out. The duo combined to scatter ten total hits with just two free passes.

Game two had the Cougars out to an early lead on McDougal's RBI single followed by two more runs in the second frame on Laci Dryden's two-RBI single to score Herring's single extending her consecutive game streak to seven and Pelzel's reach on a fielder's choice.

The Cougars then put three on the board in both the third and final fourth frame at-bat. The third being highlighted by Enslinger's two run fence clearer for her second of the day and 5th of the freshman's season followed by Pelzel's RBI double before the top of the lineup did the damage in the fourth. Laci Dryden's leadoff hit began the frame, Ramos and Lawrence with consecutive doubles and McDougal capping the RBIs with a single as Lawrence would steal home giving Barton another insurance run.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711622953540.jpeg" alt="Chloe Enslinger takes a rip Wednesday in Barton's double header sweep of Dodge City (Photo-Diego Sano)" />
 <figcaption>Chloe Enslinger takes a rip Wednesday in Barton's double header sweep of Dodge City (Photo-Diego Sano)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoBlasting seven home runs on their thirty-four hits the Barton Community College softball team chalked up 21-2 and 9-0 five inning victories Wednesday at Cougar Field to complete its season sweep over Dodge City Community College.Trailing 2-0 after the Conquistadors' first at-bat, Barton tied it in the home half on the first of its game one six fence clearers in going on to post thirty unanswered runs by scoring in each of its eight frames at the plate.The six long balls is the most for the program since the 2022 season when the Cougars launched seven on an April 6 trip to Pratt Community College.Barton's twin bill sweep improves the Cougars to 13-5 in league and 16-12 overall while Dodge City drops to 5-13 and 5-23 on the season.The Cougars' scheduled Friday hosting of Southeast Community College has been canceled leaving the weekend away from competition before welcoming 17th ranked Butler Community College to Cougar Field next Wednesday for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader.Leading the hit brigade was the birthday performance of Allyson McDougal going 6-of-7, beginning the third frame of game one with her 3rd trot around the bases of the year and driving in Barton's first plate crosser of the nightcap's first inning extending her hit streak to seven straight games.Following Josie Oakley's two-out, first collegiate home run driving in two getting Dodge City off to good start, Leslie Ramos tied it up in the home half launching her third of the year scoring Laci Dryden's leadoff single.The Cougars blew the game open in their second at-bat putting ten on the board behind ten hits including a pair from Cameron Pelzel and Lani Dryden and home runs by Laci Dryden on a three-run shot, Elina Bartlett's two-run dinger, and Mikaila Herring's two-run round tripper.McDougal's base trotter led off the third frame with Pelzel's double driving in two more pushing the lead to 15-2.Ramos' fourth inning double, one of six Cougars to collect three or more hits in game one, scored on Aly Lawrence's single to start a six-run frame. McDougal and Bartlett singles loaded the bases with Chloe Enslinger clearing them all on a grand slam for the first of the freshman's two deep balls on the day. Laci Dryden closed out the scoring by matching Enslinger and Ramos' four RBI's each by lacing a run producing single to close out the scoring.Bartlett logged seven innings in the circle to pick up both victories improving to 6-2 on the year, hurling three frames in the first and four in the second until giving way to Alicia Goseland to close it out. The duo combined to scatter ten total hits with just two free passes.Game two had the Cougars out to an early lead on McDougal's RBI single followed by two more runs in the second frame on Laci Dryden's two-RBI single to score Herring's single extending her consecutive game streak to seven and Pelzel's reach on a fielder's choice.The Cougars then put three on the board in both the third and final fourth frame at-bat. The third being highlighted by Enslinger's two run fence clearer for her second of the day and 5th of the freshman's season followed by Pelzel's RBI double before the top of the lineup did the damage in the fourth. Laci Dryden's leadoff hit began the frame, Ramos and Lawrence with consecutive doubles and McDougal capping the RBIs with a single as Lawrence would steal home giving Barton another insurance run.

Lady Cougars slug 7 home runs in sweeping Dodge City

By TODD MOORE Barton Sports Info

For the first time since 1999 and just the third time in program history, the top seeded Barton Community College men's basketball team advanced to the 2024 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament semifinals with a dominating 87-73 victory over 8th seeded Northwest Florida State College in Wednesday afternoon's quarterfinal contest.

Extending the program's third longest winning streak to 25 straight, the Cougars improve to 34-1 on the year in advancing to Thursday's first semifinal game at 5:00 p.m. against 5th-seed Indian Hills Community College (29-5). The Warriors advance to the semifinals for the second straight year after taking down 13th seeded Odessa College 74-68 and sets up a rematch of the 2018 National Tournament when the Cougars knocked off the top seeded Indian Hills squad.

Trailing 10-7 following a 7-0 Raiders run just 5:45 into the contest, the Cougars answered the call scoring the next 12 over the ensuing three plus minutes to regain a lead they'd never surrender over the final 33:57.

Coming off the bench providing the spark with five points during the key 12-0 stretch, Keandre Kindell's lone trey knotted things for the final time at 10-apiece with additional buckets by Myles Thompson, Brent Moss and Cooper Jackson's And-1 pushing the Cougars out to a nine-point 19-10 lead.

Holding a plus-16 advantage in bench points, back-to-back Kindell and Moss buckets stretched Barton's lead to double-digits with the largest lead of the opening half coming 2:16 later on a pair of Jones tosses and another Kindell layup making it 40-25.

An 8-0 Raiders close out to end the opening stanza cut the Cougars lead to seven, 42-35 at the halftime break.

Finishing 3-of-13 from beyond the arc, Ring Malith's lone long-distance ringing increased the lead to double-digits for the remaining 17:15.

Six different Cougars amplified the lead to 18 stringing together a 9-1 run with 12:55 to play as one of seven Jackson thefts created a breakaway resulting in a Raiders flagrant-2 ejection for a 1-of-2 trip to the free throw line.

Leading by as many as 23 with 6:09 remaining following a pair of Malith buckets mixed between a Lajae Jones flush capping a 6-0 spurt, Barton would have to withstand a furious 17-5 Raiders rally that sliced the margin to 11 with 1:22 left. The Cougars, who finished 24-of-33 from the stripe, held off the charge converting five-of-six from the line for the 14-point victory.

Moss led seven Cougars scoring with six in double figures finishing with a career high 18 points and five rebounds. Malith added 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting while Mozae Downing-Rivers finished with 12 points and seven assists sharing distribution honors with Kindelll as Barton had 20 assists on its 30 made field goals finishing at 50% shooting for the second straight game.

Kindall led a trio with 11 points joined by Thompson and Jackson with Jones finishing just shy of a double-double with 9 points and team high 11 rebounds and three blocks.

A trio of Raiders finished in double-digits with Tavion Banks recording the lone double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds off the bench helping NWFS to a plus-3 rebound advantage. Jamal Sumlin shared team high scoring honors with 16 and Rasheed Jones rounded out the double-figure scoring finishing with 13.

- The 2024 Tournament is Barton's fifth appearance in program history – the first since 2018

- Northwest Florida State was making their 14th tournament appearance and third straight

- Barton's 50% shooting was the 13th time over the 50% mark

- Northwest Florida State had its two-year run of making the semifinals snapped

- Barton was outrebounded for just the fifth time this season

- 212 career steals *2nd most – 106 behind Eric Bush's 319 (1999-01)

- 387 career assists *3rd most – 66 behind Gene Butler's 453 (1990-92)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711622609376.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoFor the first time since 1999 and just the third time in program history, the top seeded Barton Community College men's basketball team advanced to the 2024 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament semifinals with a dominating 87-73 victory over 8th seeded Northwest Florida State College in Wednesday afternoon's quarterfinal contest.Extending the program's third longest winning streak to 25 straight, the Cougars improve to 34-1 on the year in advancing to Thursday's first semifinal game at 5:00 p.m. against 5th-seed Indian Hills Community College (29-5). The Warriors advance to the semifinals for the second straight year after taking down 13th seeded Odessa College 74-68 and sets up a rematch of the 2018 National Tournament when the Cougars knocked off the top seeded Indian Hills squad.Trailing 10-7 following a 7-0 Raiders run just 5:45 into the contest, the Cougars answered the call scoring the next 12 over the ensuing three plus minutes to regain a lead they'd never surrender over the final 33:57.Coming off the bench providing the spark with five points during the key 12-0 stretch, Keandre Kindell's lone trey knotted things for the final time at 10-apiece with additional buckets by Myles Thompson, Brent Moss and Cooper Jackson's And-1 pushing the Cougars out to a nine-point 19-10 lead.Holding a plus-16 advantage in bench points, back-to-back Kindell and Moss buckets stretched Barton's lead to double-digits with the largest lead of the opening half coming 2:16 later on a pair of Jones tosses and another Kindell layup making it 40-25.An 8-0 Raiders close out to end the opening stanza cut the Cougars lead to seven, 42-35 at the halftime break.Finishing 3-of-13 from beyond the arc, Ring Malith's lone long-distance ringing increased the lead to double-digits for the remaining 17:15.Six different Cougars amplified the lead to 18 stringing together a 9-1 run with 12:55 to play as one of seven Jackson thefts created a breakaway resulting in a Raiders flagrant-2 ejection for a 1-of-2 trip to the free throw line.Leading by as many as 23 with 6:09 remaining following a pair of Malith buckets mixed between a Lajae Jones flush capping a 6-0 spurt, Barton would have to withstand a furious 17-5 Raiders rally that sliced the margin to 11 with 1:22 left. The Cougars, who finished 24-of-33 from the stripe, held off the charge converting five-of-six from the line for the 14-point victory.Moss led seven Cougars scoring with six in double figures finishing with a career high 18 points and five rebounds. Malith added 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting while Mozae Downing-Rivers finished with 12 points and seven assists sharing distribution honors with Kindelll as Barton had 20 assists on its 30 made field goals finishing at 50% shooting for the second straight game.Kindall led a trio with 11 points joined by Thompson and Jackson with Jones finishing just shy of a double-double with 9 points and team high 11 rebounds and three blocks.A trio of Raiders finished in double-digits with Tavion Banks recording the lone double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds off the bench helping NWFS to a plus-3 rebound advantage. Jamal Sumlin shared team high scoring honors with 16 and Rasheed Jones rounded out the double-figure scoring finishing with 13.GAME NOTES- The 2024 Tournament is Barton's fifth appearance in program history – the first since 2018- Northwest Florida State was making their 14th tournament appearance and third straight- Barton's 50% shooting was the 13th time over the 50% mark- Northwest Florida State had its two-year run of making the semifinals snapped- Barton was outrebounded for just the fifth time this seasonRecord Book WatchCooper Jackson- 212 career steals *2nd most – 106 behind Eric Bush's 319 (1999-01)Mozae Downing-Rivers- 387 career assists *3rd most – 66 behind Gene Butler's 453 (1990-92)

Barton routs Northwest Florida State to reach NJCAA Final Four

NEW YORK (AP) —
Baseball season openers in New York and Philadelphia have been
postponed a day until Friday because of rainy forecasts in both
cities. Pete Alonso and the New York Mets were scheduled to host the
Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday afternoon, a day featuring the first
full slate of major league games this year. The Los Angeles Dodgers
and San Diego Padres started the regular season with a two-game
series in South Korea last week. But with wet weather expected much
of Thursday in Queens, the Mets announced Wednesday the game was
pushed back to Friday afternoon. Minutes later, the Philadelphia
Phillies announced their sold-out opener against the NL East rival
Atlanta Braves was moved from Thursday at 3:05 p.m. to Friday at the
same time due to anticipated rain.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Catcher Will Smith and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a $140
million, 10-year contract, raising the team’s spending to nearly
$1.4 billion for five key players since December. Smith’s deal
supersedes an $8.85 million, one-year agreement reached in January.
The 28-year-old was a first-time All-Star last year, when he hit .261
with 19 homers and 76 RBIs. Smith has a .263 average with 91 homers
and 308 RBIs in six seasons with the Dodgers. Los Angeles has
committed almost $1.37 billion to two-way star Shohei Ohtani,
right-handers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, outfielder
Teoscar Hernández and Smith.

BOSTON (AP) — No.
1 overall seed UConn has looked unbeatable so far during its bid to
become the first school since 2007 to win back-to-back NCAA
Tournament titles. Its next hurdle in the Sweet 16 is a rematch with
fifth-seeded San Diego State, which the Huskies beat in last year's
title game. The other regional semifinal features a matchup between a
second-seeded Iowa State team that has the best defensive rating
against No. 3 seed Illinois, which boasts the top offensive rating of
remaining teams.

UNDATED (AP) —
Arizona's Caleb Love arrived from North Carolina with a bad
reputation. Perception didn’t meet reality once Love put on a
Wildcats uniform. The Wildcats are in the Sweet 16 for the second
time in three years under coach Tommy Lloyd, facing Clemson in Los
Angeles on Thursday. Love has been a huge part of Arizona’s
success. The 6-foot-4 guard leads the Wildcats with 18.1 points per
game. He was named the Pac-12 player of the year and a third-team
Associated Press All-American after leading Arizona to the Pac-12
regular-season title.

UNDATED (AP) —
UConn's Donovan Clingan recently joined Hakeem Olajuwon and David
Robinson as the only players ever to get 14 points, 14 rebounds and
eight blocks in an NCAA Tournament game. UConn's Sweet 16 game with
San Diego State represents just the fourth time two teams that faced
off for the championship have met again in the NCAA Tournament the
following year. Those facts and some other notable statistics are
included as part of these numbers you need to know about each team in
the Sweet 16.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
The quality of the Atlanta Coast Conference took its share of
criticism this season. Yet, the league has four teams in the NCAA
Tournament's Sweet 16. Two are in the West: top-seeded North Carolina
and sixth-seeded Clemson. Two are in the South: Duke and North
Carolina State. The league is 8-1 in the tournament so far, winning
its games by an average of 18.4 points per game. The Tar Heels face
fourth-seeded Alabama on Thursday in Los Angeles. The other regional
semifinal pits Clemson against second-seeded Arizona.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Latrell Wrightsell Jr. will be a gametime decision for Alabama’s
NCAA Tournament game against North Carolina on Thursday night. The
senior guard continues to be evaluated for a head injury that he
suffered during the first half of last Sunday’s 72-61 victory over
Grand Canyon. Wrightsell was not on the court during the 15 minutes
of practice open to reporters on Wednesday as the Crimson Tide
(23-11) prepared for their West Regional semifinal game. Wrightsell
got elbowed in the head while trying to defend on a 3-point attempt
with less than seven minutes remaining in the first half.

SEATTLE (AP) —
Danny Sprinkle says it's very personal for him to take over as the
new head coach at Washington. Sprinkle played in college at Montana
State and his first job as a head coach came with his alma mater. The
feelings, he says, are very similar taking over at Washington.
Sprinkle's dad, Bill, played football at Washington and the family
has been Husky fans for decades. But with that comes pressure to help
turnaround a Washington program that has only one NCAA Tournament
appearance in the past 12 years. Sprinkle left Utah State after one
season to take the Washington job. He led the Aggies to the Mountain
West regular season title.

STANFORD, Calif.
(AP) — Ever since Kyle Smith watched Mike Montgomery turn Stanford
from an also-ran into a national basketball power, he viewed the
Cardinal job as the dream destination in his coaching career. The
dream has now been realized with Smith being introduced as Stanford’s
new coach. College basketball has undergone a sea change since
Montgomery took Stanford to a Final Four in 1998 and then a No. 1
ranking in three out of five seasons starting in 1999-2000 with the
transfer portal, NIL money and conference realignment. But Smith is
adamant that the Stanford education and brand can still attract top
players.

UNDATED (AP) —
NCAA President Charlie Baker is urging states with legal wagering on
sporting events to ban betting on individual player performances.
Prop bets allow gamblers to wager on statistics a player will
accumulate during a game. The NBA has opened an investigation into
Toronto Raptors two-way player Jontay Porter amid gambling
allegations related to his own performance in individual games. Ohio,
Vermont and Maryland are among the states that have removed prop
betting on college athletes. The American Gaming Association
estimates $2.7 billion will be bet this year on the NCAA men’s and
women’s basketball tournaments through legal sportsbooks.

UNDATED (AP) — The
NCAA women’s basketball tournament has so far been the most
successful it has ever been in regards to attendance and viewership.
Some of that attendance is driven by crowds turning out to watch
their home teams at the 16 campus sites hosting first- and
second-round games. The Utah women’s team had to stay 30 miles away
from its game site because of lack of hotel availability and faced
racism when they went out to eat. NCAA Vice President for Women’s
Basketball Lynn Holzman says she wants a review of all tournament
logistics and plans pushed up from 2025 to this year.

Final	L.A.
Clippers	108	Philadelphia	107	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710682717672.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —
Baseball season openers in New York and Philadelphia have been
postponed a day until Friday because of rainy forecasts in both
cities. Pete Alonso and the New York Mets were scheduled to host the
Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday afternoon, a day featuring the first
full slate of major league games this year. The Los Angeles Dodgers
and San Diego Padres started the regular season with a two-game
series in South Korea last week. But with wet weather expected much
of Thursday in Queens, the Mets announced Wednesday the game was
pushed back to Friday afternoon. Minutes later, the Philadelphia
Phillies announced their sold-out opener against the NL East rival
Atlanta Braves was moved from Thursday at 3:05 p.m. to Friday at the
same time due to anticipated rain.LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Catcher Will Smith and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a $140
million, 10-year contract, raising the team’s spending to nearly
$1.4 billion for five key players since December. Smith’s deal
supersedes an $8.85 million, one-year agreement reached in January.
The 28-year-old was a first-time All-Star last year, when he hit .261
with 19 homers and 76 RBIs. Smith has a .263 average with 91 homers
and 308 RBIs in six seasons with the Dodgers. Los Angeles has
committed almost $1.37 billion to two-way star Shohei Ohtani,
right-handers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, outfielder
Teoscar Hernández and Smith.BOSTON (AP) — No.
1 overall seed UConn has looked unbeatable so far during its bid to
become the first school since 2007 to win back-to-back NCAA
Tournament titles. Its next hurdle in the Sweet 16 is a rematch with
fifth-seeded San Diego State, which the Huskies beat in last year's
title game. The other regional semifinal features a matchup between a
second-seeded Iowa State team that has the best defensive rating
against No. 3 seed Illinois, which boasts the top offensive rating of
remaining teams.UNDATED (AP) —
Arizona's Caleb Love arrived from North Carolina with a bad
reputation. Perception didn’t meet reality once Love put on a
Wildcats uniform. The Wildcats are in the Sweet 16 for the second
time in three years under coach Tommy Lloyd, facing Clemson in Los
Angeles on Thursday. Love has been a huge part of Arizona’s
success. The 6-foot-4 guard leads the Wildcats with 18.1 points per
game. He was named the Pac-12 player of the year and a third-team
Associated Press All-American after leading Arizona to the Pac-12
regular-season title.UNDATED (AP) —
UConn's Donovan Clingan recently joined Hakeem Olajuwon and David
Robinson as the only players ever to get 14 points, 14 rebounds and
eight blocks in an NCAA Tournament game. UConn's Sweet 16 game with
San Diego State represents just the fourth time two teams that faced
off for the championship have met again in the NCAA Tournament the
following year. Those facts and some other notable statistics are
included as part of these numbers you need to know about each team in
the Sweet 16.LOS ANGELES (AP) —
The quality of the Atlanta Coast Conference took its share of
criticism this season. Yet, the league has four teams in the NCAA
Tournament's Sweet 16. Two are in the West: top-seeded North Carolina
and sixth-seeded Clemson. Two are in the South: Duke and North
Carolina State. The league is 8-1 in the tournament so far, winning
its games by an average of 18.4 points per game. The Tar Heels face
fourth-seeded Alabama on Thursday in Los Angeles. The other regional
semifinal pits Clemson against second-seeded Arizona.LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Latrell Wrightsell Jr. will be a gametime decision for Alabama’s
NCAA Tournament game against North Carolina on Thursday night. The
senior guard continues to be evaluated for a head injury that he
suffered during the first half of last Sunday’s 72-61 victory over
Grand Canyon. Wrightsell was not on the court during the 15 minutes
of practice open to reporters on Wednesday as the Crimson Tide
(23-11) prepared for their West Regional semifinal game. Wrightsell
got elbowed in the head while trying to defend on a 3-point attempt
with less than seven minutes remaining in the first half.SEATTLE (AP) —
Danny Sprinkle says it's very personal for him to take over as the
new head coach at Washington. Sprinkle played in college at Montana
State and his first job as a head coach came with his alma mater. The
feelings, he says, are very similar taking over at Washington.
Sprinkle's dad, Bill, played football at Washington and the family
has been Husky fans for decades. But with that comes pressure to help
turnaround a Washington program that has only one NCAA Tournament
appearance in the past 12 years. Sprinkle left Utah State after one
season to take the Washington job. He led the Aggies to the Mountain
West regular season title.STANFORD, Calif.
(AP) — Ever since Kyle Smith watched Mike Montgomery turn Stanford
from an also-ran into a national basketball power, he viewed the
Cardinal job as the dream destination in his coaching career. The
dream has now been realized with Smith being introduced as Stanford’s
new coach. College basketball has undergone a sea change since
Montgomery took Stanford to a Final Four in 1998 and then a No. 1
ranking in three out of five seasons starting in 1999-2000 with the
transfer portal, NIL money and conference realignment. But Smith is
adamant that the Stanford education and brand can still attract top
players.UNDATED (AP) —
NCAA President Charlie Baker is urging states with legal wagering on
sporting events to ban betting on individual player performances.
Prop bets allow gamblers to wager on statistics a player will
accumulate during a game. The NBA has opened an investigation into
Toronto Raptors two-way player Jontay Porter amid gambling
allegations related to his own performance in individual games. Ohio,
Vermont and Maryland are among the states that have removed prop
betting on college athletes. The American Gaming Association
estimates $2.7 billion will be bet this year on the NCAA men’s and
women’s basketball tournaments through legal sportsbooks.UNDATED (AP) — The
NCAA women’s basketball tournament has so far been the most
successful it has ever been in regards to attendance and viewership.
Some of that attendance is driven by crowds turning out to watch
their home teams at the 16 campus sites hosting first- and
second-round games. The Utah women’s team had to stay 30 miles away
from its game site because of lack of hotel availability and faced
racism when they went out to eat. NCAA Vice President for Women’s
Basketball Lynn Holzman says she wants a review of all tournament
logistics and plans pushed up from 2025 to this year.WEDNESDAY SCORESNIT QuarterfinalsFinal	Utah	74	VCU	54	Final	Seton
Hall	91	UNLV	68	CIT Round 4Final	Norfolk
St.	75	Fort Wayne	67	CBI ChampionshipFinal	Seattle	77	High
Point	67NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Charlotte	118	Cleveland	111	Final	Golden
State	101	Orlando	93	Final
OT	Brooklyn	122	Washington	119	Final	New
York	145	Toronto	101	Final	Atlanta	120	Portland	106	Final	L.A.
Clippers	108	Philadelphia	107	Final	Minnesota	106	Detroit	91	Final	Chicago	125	Indiana	99	Final	L.A.
Lakers	136	Memphis	124	Final
OT	Houston	132	Oklahoma City	126	Final	San
Antonio	118	Utah	111	Final	Phoenix	104	Denver	97	NATIONAL HOCKEY
LEAGUEFinal	Ottawa	6	Buffalo	2

Thursday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer

Sixteen may be sweet, but it isn’t the only relevant number as&nbsp;the NCAA Tournament&nbsp;heads into the regional semifinals.

Here are some other numbers worth knowing for each team. These statistics will help you learn more about each of the remaining teams and could explain how some of them got this far.

UCONN: In UConn’s&nbsp;second-round victory&nbsp;over Northwestern, Donovan Clingan became just the third player in tournament history to get 14 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks in a game. The others to do it were Hakeem Olajuwon for Houston in 1983 and David Robinson for Navy in 1986. The blocks also were the most ever by a UConn player in a tournament game.

SAN DIEGO STATE: The Aztecs’&nbsp;Sweet 16 matchup&nbsp;with defending national champion UConn will mark the fourth time that two teams have faced each other in the tournament a year after&nbsp;meeting in the final.&nbsp;The losing team from the championship won the rematch in one of the three previous instances, when Duke beat UNLV in a 1991 semifinal. Cincinnati won two straight championship games over Ohio State in 1961-62. Florida beat UCLA in the 2006 championship game and in a 2007 semifinal.

ILLINOIS: Illinois has won six in a row, and&nbsp;Terrence Shannon Jr.&nbsp;has scored at least 25 points in each of those games. The 6-foot-6 guard has averaged 30.5 points and has shot 52.8% (56 of 106) from the floor during that stretch. He also shown an uncanny knack for drawing fouls during the streak. Over his last five games, Shannon has gone 51 of 58 on free-throw attempts.

IOWA STATE: Iowa State is allowing just 61.2 points per game to rank fourth among all Division I teams in scoring defense. Since&nbsp;falling 73-65&nbsp;to Houston on Feb. 19, the Cyclones haven’t allowed any of their last 10 opponents to exceed 65 points. The Cyclones next face Illinois, which ranks ninth in points per game (84.6) and has averaged 91.3 points over its last four contests.

ALABAMA: Mark Sears and Aaron Estrada were the first set of Division I teammates since 1996-97 to both have at least 410 points, 125 assists, 120 rebounds, 50 3-point baskets and 40 steals during the regular season. Sears is averaging 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals. Estrada has 13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

NORTH CAROLINA: Armando Bacot had seven straight tournament double-doubles and six consecutive tourney games with at least 15 rebounds before he ended up with 18 points and seven boards in a&nbsp;second-round victory&nbsp;over Michigan State. His seven straight NCAA double-doubles matched Tim Duncan and Olajuwon for the NCAA record.

ARIZONA: Arizona’s&nbsp;first-round triumph&nbsp;over Long Beach State marked the 19th time this season the Wildcats had five different players score in double figures. No other Division I team had that many games this season in which five different players had at least 10 points.

CLEMSON: Each of Clemson’s first two tournament opponents has shot below 40% against the Tigers. Clemson won its&nbsp;first-round game&nbsp;by limiting New Mexico to 29.7% shooting, the lowest percentage the Tigers had ever allowed in an NCAA tourney game. Clemson now faces Arizona, which shot 52.8% in its&nbsp;second-round victory&nbsp;over Dayton.

CREIGHTON: Baylor Scheierman is&nbsp;the first Division I men’s player in history&nbsp;to have at least 2,000 career points, 1,000 rebounds, 500 assists and 300 3-point baskets. Scheierman, who is in his second season at Creighton after playing three seasons at South Dakota State, has 2,208 points, 1,250 rebounds, 578 assists and 352 3-pointers.

TENNESSEE: Tennessee is making its 10th&nbsp;Sweet 16&nbsp;appearance – including its seventh in the last 18 years – but the Volunteers have never reached the Final Four and earned their lone regional final berth in 2010.

GONZAGA: Gonzaga is&nbsp;in the Sweet 16&nbsp;for the ninth straight time, the longest active streak of any Division I team. Going back to 1975 – the first year that all teams had to win at least one game to reach the Sweet 16 – the record for consecutive Sweet 16 appearances is owned by North Carolina with 13 straight from 1981-93.

PURDUE: Zach Edey is the first player since Kareen Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor) in 1968 to have at least 50 points and 35 rebounds while shooting 65% from the field in his first two games of an NCAA Tournament. Edey has shot 67.9% (19 of 28) and has totaled 53 points and 35 rebounds in victories over&nbsp;Grambling State&nbsp;and&nbsp;Utah State.

DUKE: Jared McCain has gone 10 of 17 from 3-point range through the first two rounds. In the Blue Devils’&nbsp;second-round blowout&nbsp;of James Madison, McCain became the first freshman to score at least 30 points without committing a turnover in an NCAA Tournament game since the event expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

HOUSTON: The Cougars showcased their depth by surviving a&nbsp;second-round matchup&nbsp;with Texas A&amp;M in overtime even after four of their five starters fouled out. They became the first team to win an NCAA game while having at least four players foul out since 1987, when UTEP overcame foul trouble to beat Arizona.

MARQUETTE: Marquette owns a 75-29 record under coach Shaka Smart despite posting a negative rebound margin in each of his three seasons. The Golden Eagles have been outrebounded in each of their last eight games but have gone 5-3. They’re getting outrebounded by 3 boards per game this season. The only other Sweet 16 team with a negative rebound margin is North Carolina State (minus-0.8), which faces Marquette on Friday.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE: Mohamed Diarra has 6.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game this season, but he’s averaged 11.7 points and 13.5 rebounds over his last six. Michael O’Connell scored in double digits three times and totaled 14 3-point baskets in 31 regular-season games. He’s reached double figures in six of seven postseason games and has gone 12 of 22 from 3-point range during that stretch.

By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports WriterSixteen may be sweet, but it isn’t the only relevant number as&nbsp;the NCAA Tournament&nbsp;heads into the regional semifinals.Here are some other numbers worth knowing for each team. These statistics will help you learn more about each of the remaining teams and could explain how some of them got this far.EAST REGIONUCONN: In UConn’s&nbsp;second-round victory&nbsp;over Northwestern, Donovan Clingan became just the third player in tournament history to get 14 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks in a game. The others to do it were Hakeem Olajuwon for Houston in 1983 and David Robinson for Navy in 1986. The blocks also were the most ever by a UConn player in a tournament game.SAN DIEGO STATE: The Aztecs’&nbsp;Sweet 16 matchup&nbsp;with defending national champion UConn will mark the fourth time that two teams have faced each other in the tournament a year after&nbsp;meeting in the final.&nbsp;The losing team from the championship won the rematch in one of the three previous instances, when Duke beat UNLV in a 1991 semifinal. Cincinnati won two straight championship games over Ohio State in 1961-62. Florida beat UCLA in the 2006 championship game and in a 2007 semifinal.ILLINOIS: Illinois has won six in a row, and&nbsp;Terrence Shannon Jr.&nbsp;has scored at least 25 points in each of those games. The 6-foot-6 guard has averaged 30.5 points and has shot 52.8% (56 of 106) from the floor during that stretch. He also shown an uncanny knack for drawing fouls during the streak. Over his last five games, Shannon has gone 51 of 58 on free-throw attempts.IOWA STATE: Iowa State is allowing just 61.2 points per game to rank fourth among all Division I teams in scoring defense. Since&nbsp;falling 73-65&nbsp;to Houston on Feb. 19, the Cyclones haven’t allowed any of their last 10 opponents to exceed 65 points. The Cyclones next face Illinois, which ranks ninth in points per game (84.6) and has averaged 91.3 points over its last four contests.WEST REGIONALABAMA: Mark Sears and Aaron Estrada were the first set of Division I teammates since 1996-97 to both have at least 410 points, 125 assists, 120 rebounds, 50 3-point baskets and 40 steals during the regular season. Sears is averaging 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals. Estrada has 13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game.NORTH CAROLINA: Armando Bacot had seven straight tournament double-doubles and six consecutive tourney games with at least 15 rebounds before he ended up with 18 points and seven boards in a&nbsp;second-round victory&nbsp;over Michigan State. His seven straight NCAA double-doubles matched Tim Duncan and Olajuwon for the NCAA record.ARIZONA: Arizona’s&nbsp;first-round triumph&nbsp;over Long Beach State marked the 19th time this season the Wildcats had five different players score in double figures. No other Division I team had that many games this season in which five different players had at least 10 points.CLEMSON: Each of Clemson’s first two tournament opponents has shot below 40% against the Tigers. Clemson won its&nbsp;first-round game&nbsp;by limiting New Mexico to 29.7% shooting, the lowest percentage the Tigers had ever allowed in an NCAA tourney game. Clemson now faces Arizona, which shot 52.8% in its&nbsp;second-round victory&nbsp;over Dayton.MIDWEST REGIONCREIGHTON: Baylor Scheierman is&nbsp;the first Division I men’s player in history&nbsp;to have at least 2,000 career points, 1,000 rebounds, 500 assists and 300 3-point baskets. Scheierman, who is in his second season at Creighton after playing three seasons at South Dakota State, has 2,208 points, 1,250 rebounds, 578 assists and 352 3-pointers.TENNESSEE: Tennessee is making its 10th&nbsp;Sweet 16&nbsp;appearance – including its seventh in the last 18 years – but the Volunteers have never reached the Final Four and earned their lone regional final berth in 2010.GONZAGA: Gonzaga is&nbsp;in the Sweet 16&nbsp;for the ninth straight time, the longest active streak of any Division I team. Going back to 1975 – the first year that all teams had to win at least one game to reach the Sweet 16 – the record for consecutive Sweet 16 appearances is owned by North Carolina with 13 straight from 1981-93.PURDUE: Zach Edey is the first player since Kareen Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor) in 1968 to have at least 50 points and 35 rebounds while shooting 65% from the field in his first two games of an NCAA Tournament. Edey has shot 67.9% (19 of 28) and has totaled 53 points and 35 rebounds in victories over&nbsp;Grambling State&nbsp;and&nbsp;Utah State.SOUTH REGIONDUKE: Jared McCain has gone 10 of 17 from 3-point range through the first two rounds. In the Blue Devils’&nbsp;second-round blowout&nbsp;of James Madison, McCain became the first freshman to score at least 30 points without committing a turnover in an NCAA Tournament game since the event expanded to 64 teams in 1985.HOUSTON: The Cougars showcased their depth by surviving a&nbsp;second-round matchup&nbsp;with Texas A&amp;M in overtime even after four of their five starters fouled out. They became the first team to win an NCAA game while having at least four players foul out since 1987, when UTEP overcame foul trouble to beat Arizona.MARQUETTE: Marquette owns a 75-29 record under coach Shaka Smart despite posting a negative rebound margin in each of his three seasons. The Golden Eagles have been outrebounded in each of their last eight games but have gone 5-3. They’re getting outrebounded by 3 boards per game this season. The only other Sweet 16 team with a negative rebound margin is North Carolina State (minus-0.8), which faces Marquette on Friday.NORTH CAROLINA STATE: Mohamed Diarra has 6.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game this season, but he’s averaged 11.7 points and 13.5 rebounds over his last six. Michael O’Connell scored in double digits three times and totaled 14 3-point baskets in 31 regular-season games. He’s reached double figures in six of seven postseason games and has gone 12 of 22 from 3-point range during that stretch.

Some numbers to help you get your March Madness fix for the Sweet 16

- Live listen in's to Barton's quarterfinal matchup with NW Florida State at the NJCAA National Basketball Tournament.

- Great Bend Lady Panther Softball coach Carrie Minton will preview Thursday's doubleheader at Hutchinson.

- The "Voice of the Tigers" Gerard Wellbrock will talk everything Fort Hays State.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Wednesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark and Mike Hesher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1-K7cbzgyhg?si=uyrPzyqj025IjjJo" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- Live listen in's to Barton's quarterfinal matchup with NW Florida State at the NJCAA National Basketball Tournament.- Great Bend Lady Panther Softball coach Carrie Minton will preview Thursday's doubleheader at Hutchinson.- The "Voice of the Tigers" Gerard Wellbrock will talk everything Fort Hays State.- Wednesday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Wednesday on Sports Day (Watch)

Barton Men 87, Northwest Florida State 73

<div><a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/information/boosterclub/index"><img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1635967480149.jpeg"></a>

</div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647912774016.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Barton Men 87, Northwest Florida State 73<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/mlbcuyjq/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>1. Barton Community College basketball on 104 3 the Point sponsored by Nex-Tech Wireless, Damm Pipe Testing, Mpire Overhead Door, Best Western Angus Inn, Marmie Auto Group, Rosenberg Family Dentistry, The University of Kansas Health System, Venture Corporation, Nex-Tech, Cougar Booster Club, The 10th Street Eye Care Center, Freedom Claims Management and Kansas Fishing Tools


KANSAS CITY -- The Royals were
one of the busiest teams this offseason revamping their roster in
hopes of making a significant stride toward contending.


The team they’re chasing
down in the division? The Twins.


That should make it a fun
Opening Day matchup as the Twins look to repeat as the American
League Central champions and the Royals hope to mesh their new
veterans with a young homegrown core to turn around a 106-loss season
in 2023.


Here’s everything you need
to know about Opening Day:

When
is the game and how can I watch it?


Opening Day is Thursday at
3:10 p.m. CT at Kauffman Stadium. Fans follow on MLB.TV and Gameday
on MLB.com. The game will also be available to listen on Royals Radio
Network or Treasure Island Baseball Network.

Twins: The fact that
the Royals are putting a lefty on the mound for Opening Day means
that the Twins’ lineup likely won’t be totally representative of
how they should look for most of the season, considering manager
Rocco Baldelli loves to platoon aggressively.


This also might not be fully
representative of Minnesota’s lineup against southpaws, since there
are other considerations likely to come into play, like the honor of
being in the Opening Day lineup for a veteran.

Royals: The Royals
believe their lineup will be improved with the return of Vinnie
Pasquantino at first and the addition of Hunter Renfroe in the
outfield, as well as the younger hitters getting another year of
experience. Adam Frazier, as a lefty, likely starts the game at
second base with Michael Massey beginning the season on the injured
list.


Kansas City won’t have one
set designated hitter this season, so Nelson Velázquez could find
himself in the corner outfield with several hitters rotating in at
DH.

Twins: Pablo López,
RHP (11-8, 3.66 ERA in 2023)


It’s the second straight
Opening Day nod for López, who figures to be fixed into this role
for many years to come. Though he pitched to a 3.66 ERA last season,
López was also durable, a workhorse and frequently flashed utter
dominance. And, by the way, he was on the mound when the Twins
snapped their 18-game playoff losing streak.


López’s elite underlying
numbers suggested his ERA should have been much better, and his 234
strikeouts from a year ago ranked second in the AL by a whisker.

Royals: Cole Ragans,
LHP (7-5, 3.47 ERA in 2023)


Ragans draws his first Opening
Day start after wowing the Royals last year following the trade that
sent him from Texas to Kansas City. The Royals selected Ragans for
Opening Day over veteran additions Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha,
sending a message that Ragans has emerged as their budding ace.


Ragans posted a 2.64 ERA in 12
starts and dominated hitters in 2023, and now, he begins the quest to
prove that status over a full year of starts as one of the leaders on
the pitching staff.

How
might the bullpens line up after the starter?


Twins: This … is a very good
question, and the main issue that has blossomed this spring. Three of
Minnesota’s top five relief options will open the season on the IL,
headlined by closer Jhoan Duran, who figured to continue his run as
one of the most dominant relievers in MLB.


With Caleb Thielbar and the
newly acquired Justin Topa also opening on the shelf, the
high-leverage opportunities should go to Brock Stewart and Griffin
Jax (in some order), and the other late-and-close arms will likely be
Steven Okert and Jay Jackson (again, in some order). As to what those
orders will be, and how the Twins will bridge the innings to get
there? Let’s find out.

By
ANNE ROGERS MLB.COM
KANSAS CITY -- The Royals were
one of the busiest teams this offseason revamping their roster in
hopes of making a significant stride toward contending.
The team they’re chasing
down in the division? The Twins.
That should make it a fun
Opening Day matchup as the Twins look to repeat as the American
League Central champions and the Royals hope to mesh their new
veterans with a young homegrown core to turn around a 106-loss season
in 2023.
Here’s everything you need
to know about Opening Day:When
is the game and how can I watch it?
Opening Day is Thursday at
3:10 p.m. CT at Kauffman Stadium. Fans follow on MLB.TV and Gameday
on MLB.com. The game will also be available to listen on Royals Radio
Network or Treasure Island Baseball Network.What
are the likely lineups?
Twins: The fact that
the Royals are putting a lefty on the mound for Opening Day means
that the Twins’ lineup likely won’t be totally representative of
how they should look for most of the season, considering manager
Rocco Baldelli loves to platoon aggressively.
This also might not be fully
representative of Minnesota’s lineup against southpaws, since there
are other considerations likely to come into play, like the honor of
being in the Opening Day lineup for a veteran.
Carlos Santana, 1B (S)
Byron Buxton, CF
Carlos Correa, SS
Royce Lewis, 3B
Kyle Farmer, 2B
Ryan Jeffers, C
Max Kepler, RF (L)
Manuel Margot, LF
Alex Kirilloff, DH (L)
Royals: The Royals
believe their lineup will be improved with the return of Vinnie
Pasquantino at first and the addition of Hunter Renfroe in the
outfield, as well as the younger hitters getting another year of
experience. Adam Frazier, as a lefty, likely starts the game at
second base with Michael Massey beginning the season on the injured
list.
Kansas City won’t have one
set designated hitter this season, so Nelson Velázquez could find
himself in the corner outfield with several hitters rotating in at
DH.
Maikel Garcia, 3B
Bobby Witt Jr. SS
Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B (L)
Salvador Perez, C
MJ Melendez, LF (L)
Hunter Renfroe, RF
Adam Frazier, 2B (L)
Nelson Velázquez , DH
Kyle Isbel, CF (L)Who
are the starting pitchers?
Twins: Pablo López,
RHP (11-8, 3.66 ERA in 2023)
It’s the second straight
Opening Day nod for López, who figures to be fixed into this role
for many years to come. Though he pitched to a 3.66 ERA last season,
López was also durable, a workhorse and frequently flashed utter
dominance. And, by the way, he was on the mound when the Twins
snapped their 18-game playoff losing streak.
López’s elite underlying
numbers suggested his ERA should have been much better, and his 234
strikeouts from a year ago ranked second in the AL by a whisker.
Royals: Cole Ragans,
LHP (7-5, 3.47 ERA in 2023)
Ragans draws his first Opening
Day start after wowing the Royals last year following the trade that
sent him from Texas to Kansas City. The Royals selected Ragans for
Opening Day over veteran additions Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha,
sending a message that Ragans has emerged as their budding ace.
Ragans posted a 2.64 ERA in 12
starts and dominated hitters in 2023, and now, he begins the quest to
prove that status over a full year of starts as one of the leaders on
the pitching staff.How
might the bullpens line up after the starter?
Twins: This … is a very good
question, and the main issue that has blossomed this spring. Three of
Minnesota’s top five relief options will open the season on the IL,
headlined by closer Jhoan Duran, who figured to continue his run as
one of the most dominant relievers in MLB.
With Caleb Thielbar and the
newly acquired Justin Topa also opening on the shelf, the
high-leverage opportunities should go to Brock Stewart and Griffin
Jax (in some order), and the other late-and-close arms will likely be
Steven Okert and Jay Jackson (again, in some order). As to what those
orders will be, and how the Twins will bridge the innings to get
there? Let’s find out.

Royals open season against Minnesota Thursday

By TODD MOORE Barton Sports Info

The Barton track and field program opened their outdoor season this past Saturday in Arkansas City with nine national qualifying performances competing in the Mark A. Phillips Tiger Invitational.

The women's squad posted four of the national qualifying marks led by two coming from the reigning indoor Field Athlete of the Year Treneese Hamilton. Hamilton won the Javelin throw with a 43.39m (142-04) stab in the ground to better her previous mark by two feet in moving up a spot on the program all-time list to 9th furthest. Freshman Kyndall Blessing joined Hamilton with a national ticket with a debut 36.88m (121-00) mark in placing third.

Hamilton also picked up another national entry in the hammer throw with a personal best 46.85m (153-08) in placing 3rd on the day with Blessing in 14th at 39.44m (129-04).

Ivanilda Semedo also won an event with a national qualifying mark in the discus throw marking a 49.85m (163-06) with Hamilton taking 13th on a 35.76m (117-04) throw.

All five of the men's qualifiers were in the throws in coming away with an event title as well.

Christopher Crawford led a 1-2-3 placing in the discus at 54.99m (180-05), edging out Christopher Young's 54.58m (179-01) and the 53.58m (175-09) from Ricardo Hayles' collegiate debut.

Young chalked up another qualifying mark in the hammer throw with a 5th place 54.02m (177-02) mark for 5th place while Boris Peranovic also punched his national ticket with a 48.75m (159-11) throw in placing 9th.

Barton has a short week of preparation ahead before traveling to Emporia, Kansas, for the one-day Emporia State Relays.

400m: 14th Ashley Shaw (1:02.52), 22nd Widlife Vermilus (1:06.38)

800m: 21st Widlife Vermilus (2:57.66), 25th Karina Estrada (3:19.38)

Discus Throw: 1st Ivanilda Semedo (NQ 49.85m, 163-06), 13th Treneese Hamilton (35.76m, 117-04), DNP Cedricka Williams (Foul)

Javelin Throw: 1st Treneese Hamilton (PB NQ 43.39m, 142-04 *Moves up from 10th to 9th program best *2ft better), 3rd Kyndall Blessing (NQ 36.88m, 121-00)

Hammer Throw: 3rd Treneese Hamilton (PB NQ 46.85m, 153-08), 14th Kyndall Blessing (39.44m, 129-04), 29th Ivanilda Semedo (33.51m, 109-11), DNP Cedricka Williams (Foul)

100m: 20th Jermaine Thompson (10.97), 24th Brandon Pemberton (11.12), 33rd Malachi Carter (11.23), 35th Noah Kincade (11.23)

200m: 32nd Noah Kincade (PB 22.59), 34th Jermaine Thompson (22.65), 46th Brandon Pemberton (22.93)

400m: 6th Corlando Chambers (49.11), 31st Grayden Stapleton (53.14)

Discus Throw: 1st Christopher Crawford (NQ 54.99m, 180-05), 2nd Christopher Young (NQ 54.58m, 179-01), 3rd Ricardo Hayles (NQ 53.58m, 175-09), DNP Justin Barker (Foul)

Hammer Throw: 5th Christopher Young (NQ 54.02m, 177-02), 9th Boris Peranovic (NQ 48.75m, 159-11), 18th Ricardo Hayles (39.40m, 129-03), DNP Christopher Crawford (Foul), DNP Justin Barker (Foul)

Shot Put: 16th Boris Peranovic (12.65m, 41-06.00)

Triple Jump: Kalil Murphy (14.49m, 47-06.50)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711536636771.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoThe Barton track and field program opened their outdoor season this past Saturday in Arkansas City with nine national qualifying performances competing in the Mark A. Phillips Tiger Invitational.The women's squad posted four of the national qualifying marks led by two coming from the reigning indoor Field Athlete of the Year Treneese Hamilton. Hamilton won the Javelin throw with a 43.39m (142-04) stab in the ground to better her previous mark by two feet in moving up a spot on the program all-time list to 9th furthest. Freshman Kyndall Blessing joined Hamilton with a national ticket with a debut 36.88m (121-00) mark in placing third.Hamilton also picked up another national entry in the hammer throw with a personal best 46.85m (153-08) in placing 3rd on the day with Blessing in 14th at 39.44m (129-04).Ivanilda Semedo also won an event with a national qualifying mark in the discus throw marking a 49.85m (163-06) with Hamilton taking 13th on a 35.76m (117-04) throw.All five of the men's qualifiers were in the throws in coming away with an event title as well.Christopher Crawford led a 1-2-3 placing in the discus at 54.99m (180-05), edging out Christopher Young's 54.58m (179-01) and the 53.58m (175-09) from Ricardo Hayles' collegiate debut.Young chalked up another qualifying mark in the hammer throw with a 5th place 54.02m (177-02) mark for 5th place while Boris Peranovic also punched his national ticket with a 48.75m (159-11) throw in placing 9th.Barton has a short week of preparation ahead before traveling to Emporia, Kansas, for the one-day Emporia State Relays.Barton Women's Results100m: 41st Myla Tabora (13.42)200m: 43rd Myla Tabora (28.70)400m: 14th Ashley Shaw (1:02.52), 22nd Widlife Vermilus (1:06.38)800m: 21st Widlife Vermilus (2:57.66), 25th Karina Estrada (3:19.38)1500m: 27th Karina Estrada (6:51.19)Discus Throw: 1st Ivanilda Semedo (NQ 49.85m, 163-06), 13th Treneese Hamilton (35.76m, 117-04), DNP Cedricka Williams (Foul)Javelin Throw: 1st Treneese Hamilton (PB NQ 43.39m, 142-04 *Moves up from 10th to 9th program best *2ft better), 3rd Kyndall Blessing (NQ 36.88m, 121-00)Hammer Throw: 3rd Treneese Hamilton (PB NQ 46.85m, 153-08), 14th Kyndall Blessing (39.44m, 129-04), 29th Ivanilda Semedo (33.51m, 109-11), DNP Cedricka Williams (Foul)Barton Men's Results100m: 20th Jermaine Thompson (10.97), 24th Brandon Pemberton (11.12), 33rd Malachi Carter (11.23), 35th Noah Kincade (11.23)200m: 32nd Noah Kincade (PB 22.59), 34th Jermaine Thompson (22.65), 46th Brandon Pemberton (22.93)400m: 6th Corlando Chambers (49.11), 31st Grayden Stapleton (53.14)800m: 26th Charles Green (2:17.02)Discus Throw: 1st Christopher Crawford (NQ 54.99m, 180-05), 2nd Christopher Young (NQ 54.58m, 179-01), 3rd Ricardo Hayles (NQ 53.58m, 175-09), DNP Justin Barker (Foul)Hammer Throw: 5th Christopher Young (NQ 54.02m, 177-02), 9th Boris Peranovic (NQ 48.75m, 159-11), 18th Ricardo Hayles (39.40m, 129-03), DNP Christopher Crawford (Foul), DNP Justin Barker (Foul)Shot Put: 16th Boris Peranovic (12.65m, 41-06.00)Triple Jump: Kalil Murphy (14.49m, 47-06.50)

Barton Track and Field opens outdoor season with nine national qualifying performances


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Quan
Lax had 15 points, JJ Wheat scored four of his nine points in the
final 35 seconds, and Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) closed on a 10-0 run to
beat Langston (Okla.) 71-67 for the program’s first NAIA
championship. Freed-Hardeman trailed 67-61 with 54 seconds remaining
before its full-court defense caused problems for Langston, which
turned it over 19 times overall. Langston had a shot blocked and
Wheat raced the other way for a fast-break layup to make it 70-67 at
12.4. After a timeout Langston missed a 3-pointer, Freed-Hardeman
tapped it out to midcourt and the game appeared to be over as
confetti dropped onto the court. But officials put 0.2 seconds on the
clock and the celebration was delayed. Peyton Law made 1 of 2 free
throws to end it.


LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) —
Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart confirms on social media
that John Calipari will return as men’s basketball coach despite
calls for his firing following the Wildcats’ third consecutive
early exit from the NCAA Tournament. Barnhart posted Tuesday night on
X, formerly known as Twitter, that he and the Hall of Fame coach have
talked about the direction of the men’s program. He posted: “I
can confirm that he will return for his 16th season as our head
coach.” Kentucky was seeded third in March Madness, but fell 80-76
to No. 14 seed Oakland in the first round on Thursday.


ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Kickoff
returns are returning to the NFL. Team owners have approved a new
rule that will take what essentially had become “a dead play” and
make it an integral part of the game again. The major overhaul to
special teams has been in the works for years. It takes elements of
the kickoff rules used in the XFL and tweaks them for use in the NFL
beginning in 2024. There were 1,970 touchbacks on kickoffs last
season that now could be returns. There were 92 fair catches last
season that are no longer allowed. Any ball caught in the field of
play must be returned.


SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Utah
coach Lynne Roberts says her team experienced a series of “racial
hate crimes” after arriving at its first women's NCAA Tournament
hotel in Idaho last week.. She revealed what happened after Utah lost
to Gonzaga in the second round on Monday night. Roberts says there
were concerns about safety among the traveling party. Utah was
staying about 30 miles away in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and was
relocated to a different hotel on Friday. Authorities say they are
looking into what happened.


UNDATED (AP) — St. Louis
Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak says center
fielder Dylan Carlson will begin the season on the injured list with
a sprained left shoulder. Carlson was injured in a collision Monday
with right fielder Jordan Walker. Prospect Victor Scott will be the
opening-day starter in center field. Carlson’s injury is the latest
setback to the Cardinals’ outfield. Tommy Edman was originally
expected to start in center field. He is on the IL with a wrist
injury. Left fielder Lars Nootbaar received the same designation
because of fractured ribs.


PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona
Diamondbacks and pitcher Jordan Montgomery have agreed on a $25
million, one-year contract with a vesting option for 2025, according
to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The
Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the
agreement was subject to a successful physical. If Montgomery makes
at least 10 starts this season, the option would become guaranteed at
$20 million and the left-hander also would gain the right to opt out.
The option price would escalate to $22.5 million if he makes 18
starts and to $25 million if he makes 23 starts — a figure he has
reached in three straight seasons. The addition bulks up the
defending National League champions’ rotation just days before the
regular season begins.


ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Los
Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is optimistic Shohei Ohtani will
become closer with his teammates in the absence of former interpreter
and constant companion Ippei Mizuhara. Ohtani and Mizuhara were
practically inseparable at Angel Stadium during his six years with
the Angels, and they spent ample time together away from the
ballpark. The changes caused by Mizuhara’s firing amid allegations
of gambling and theft could be jarring to a baseball star who thrives
on routine. But Roberts says he has already seen Ohtani engaging more
openly with his teammates in the past few days without Mizuhara
around to help.


SEAFORD, N.Y. (AP) — A
women’s roller derby league in suburban New York City has thrust
itself into the national discussion over the rights of transgender
athletes. The Long Island Roller Rebels are suing Nassau County
Executive Bruce Blakeman over an order meant to prevent women’s and
girl’s leagues and teams with transgender athletes from using
county-run parks and fields. The league is gearing up for its season
opener next month but faces uncertainty about where some of its
upcoming games will be played. The league’s vice president says
there was never any question the group would take a stand against the
ban.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707734642080.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Quan
Lax had 15 points, JJ Wheat scored four of his nine points in the
final 35 seconds, and Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) closed on a 10-0 run to
beat Langston (Okla.) 71-67 for the program’s first NAIA
championship. Freed-Hardeman trailed 67-61 with 54 seconds remaining
before its full-court defense caused problems for Langston, which
turned it over 19 times overall. Langston had a shot blocked and
Wheat raced the other way for a fast-break layup to make it 70-67 at
12.4. After a timeout Langston missed a 3-pointer, Freed-Hardeman
tapped it out to midcourt and the game appeared to be over as
confetti dropped onto the court. But officials put 0.2 seconds on the
clock and the celebration was delayed. Peyton Law made 1 of 2 free
throws to end it.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) —
Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart confirms on social media
that John Calipari will return as men’s basketball coach despite
calls for his firing following the Wildcats’ third consecutive
early exit from the NCAA Tournament. Barnhart posted Tuesday night on
X, formerly known as Twitter, that he and the Hall of Fame coach have
talked about the direction of the men’s program. He posted: “I
can confirm that he will return for his 16th season as our head
coach.” Kentucky was seeded third in March Madness, but fell 80-76
to No. 14 seed Oakland in the first round on Thursday.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Kickoff
returns are returning to the NFL. Team owners have approved a new
rule that will take what essentially had become “a dead play” and
make it an integral part of the game again. The major overhaul to
special teams has been in the works for years. It takes elements of
the kickoff rules used in the XFL and tweaks them for use in the NFL
beginning in 2024. There were 1,970 touchbacks on kickoffs last
season that now could be returns. There were 92 fair catches last
season that are no longer allowed. Any ball caught in the field of
play must be returned.
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Utah
coach Lynne Roberts says her team experienced a series of “racial
hate crimes” after arriving at its first women's NCAA Tournament
hotel in Idaho last week.. She revealed what happened after Utah lost
to Gonzaga in the second round on Monday night. Roberts says there
were concerns about safety among the traveling party. Utah was
staying about 30 miles away in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and was
relocated to a different hotel on Friday. Authorities say they are
looking into what happened.
UNDATED (AP) — St. Louis
Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak says center
fielder Dylan Carlson will begin the season on the injured list with
a sprained left shoulder. Carlson was injured in a collision Monday
with right fielder Jordan Walker. Prospect Victor Scott will be the
opening-day starter in center field. Carlson’s injury is the latest
setback to the Cardinals’ outfield. Tommy Edman was originally
expected to start in center field. He is on the IL with a wrist
injury. Left fielder Lars Nootbaar received the same designation
because of fractured ribs.
PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona
Diamondbacks and pitcher Jordan Montgomery have agreed on a $25
million, one-year contract with a vesting option for 2025, according
to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The
Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the
agreement was subject to a successful physical. If Montgomery makes
at least 10 starts this season, the option would become guaranteed at
$20 million and the left-hander also would gain the right to opt out.
The option price would escalate to $22.5 million if he makes 18
starts and to $25 million if he makes 23 starts — a figure he has
reached in three straight seasons. The addition bulks up the
defending National League champions’ rotation just days before the
regular season begins.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Los
Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is optimistic Shohei Ohtani will
become closer with his teammates in the absence of former interpreter
and constant companion Ippei Mizuhara. Ohtani and Mizuhara were
practically inseparable at Angel Stadium during his six years with
the Angels, and they spent ample time together away from the
ballpark. The changes caused by Mizuhara’s firing amid allegations
of gambling and theft could be jarring to a baseball star who thrives
on routine. But Roberts says he has already seen Ohtani engaging more
openly with his teammates in the past few days without Mizuhara
around to help.
SEAFORD, N.Y. (AP) — A
women’s roller derby league in suburban New York City has thrust
itself into the national discussion over the rights of transgender
athletes. The Long Island Roller Rebels are suing Nassau County
Executive Bruce Blakeman over an order meant to prevent women’s and
girl’s leagues and teams with transgender athletes from using
county-run parks and fields. The league is gearing up for its season
opener next month but faces uncertainty about where some of its
upcoming games will be played. The league’s vice president says
there was never any question the group would take a stand against the
ban.TUESDAY
SCORESCOLLEGE
BASKETBALLNIT
Quarterfinals
Final	Georgia	79	Ohio St.	77	
Final	Indiana
St.	85	Cincinnati	81NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final	Golden
State	113	Miami	92	
Final	Oklahoma City	119	New
Orleans	112	
Final 2OT	L.A.
Lakers	128	Milwaukee	124	
Final	Dallas	132	Sacramento	96	NATIONAL
HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final	Boston	4	Florida	3	
Final	Pittsburgh	4	Carolina	1	
Final
OT	Washington	4	Detroit	3	
Final OT	N-Y
Rangers	6	Philadelphia	5	
Final	New Jersey	6	Toronto	3	
Final OT	Nashville	5	Vegas	4	
Final
OT	Edmonton	4	Winnipeg	3	
Final	Chicago	3	Calgary	1	
Final	Montreal	2	Colorado	1	
Final	Seattle	4	Anaheim	0	
Final	Arizona	6	Columbus	2	
Final	Dallas	6	San Jose	3		
CBI Semifinals
Final	High Point	81	Arkansas
St.	80