“THE SCOREBOARD”
NBA FINALS SCHEDULE
GAME 1: BOSTON 107 DALLAS 89
GAME 2: BOSTON 105 DALLAS 98
GAME 3: BOSTON 106 DALLAS 99
GAME 4: DALLAS 122 BOSTON 84
GAME 5: BOSTON 106 DALLAS 88
BOSTON WINS SERIES 4-1 (18TH NBA CHAMPIONSHIP)
WNBA SCORES
MINNESOTA 90 DALLAS 78
NHL PLAYOFFS
2024 STANLEY CUP FINAL
FLORIDA PANTHERS (1A) VS. EDMONTON OILERS (2P)
GAME 1: FLORIDA 3 EDMONTON 0
GAME 2: FLORIDA 1 EDMONTON 1
GAME 3: FLORIDA 4 EDMONTON 3
GAME 4: EDMONTON 8 FLORIDA 1
+GAME 5: OILERS AT PANTHERS — JUNE 18, 8 P.M. (ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVAS)
+GAME 6: PANTHERS AT OILERS — JUNE 21, 8 P.M. (ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVAS)
+GAME 7: OILERS AT PANTHERS — JUNE 24, 8 P.M. (ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVAS)
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
PHILADELPHIA 9 SAN DIEGO 2
ST. LOUIS 7 MIAMI 6 (12)
PITTSBURGH 4 CINCINNATI 1
BOSTON 7 TORONTO 3
ATLANTA 2 DETROIT 1
SAN FRANCISCO 7 CHICAGO CUBS 6
NY METS 14 TEXAS 2
LA DODGERS 9 COLORADO 5
LA ANGELS 5 MILWAUKEE 3
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
COLLEGE BASEBALL-NCAA TOURNAMENT WORLD SERIES
FLORIDA 5 NC STATE 4
TEXAS A&M 5 KENTUCKY 1
TUESDAY
NORTH CAROLINA VS. FLORIDA STATE 2:00
KENTUCKY VS. FLORIDA 7:00
MLS
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
TOP NATIONAL SPORTS HEADLINES
NBA NEWS
CELTICS DEMOLISH MAVS IN GAME 5 TO WIN RECORD 18TH TITLE
BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum put his hands behind his head, with TD Garden fans standing on their feet cheering around him, and took it all in.
Walking to the bench, he wrapped both arms around Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla.
The journey was complete.
The Boston Celtics again stand alone among NBA champions.
Tatum had 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, and the Celtics topped the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 on Monday night to win the franchise’s 18th championship, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in league history.
Boston earned its latest title on the 16th anniversary of hoisting its last Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2008. It marks the 13th championship won this century by one of the city’s Big 4 professional sports franchises.
“It means the world,” Tatum said on stage after the team received the trophy from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “It’s been a long time. And damn I’m grateful.”
Jaylen Brown added 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and was voted the NBA Finals MVP.
“I share this with my brothers and my partner in crime Jayson Tatum,” Brown said after the 107th career playoff game he and Tatum have played together — the most for any duo before winning a title.
Jrue Holiday finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Center Kristaps Porzingis also provided an emotional lift, returning from a two-game absence because of a dislocated tendon in his left ankle to chip in five points in 17 minutes.
They helped the Celtics cap a postseason that saw them go 16-3 and finish with an 80-21 overall record. That .792 winning percentage ranks second in team history behind only the Celtics’ 1985-86 championship team that finished 82-18 (.820).
Mazzulla, in his second season, at age 35 also became the youngest coach since Bill Russell in 1969 to lead a team to a championship.
“You have very few chances in life to be great,” Mazzulla said.
Luka Doncic finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds for Dallas, which failed to extend the series after avoiding a sweep with a 38-point win in Game 4. The Mavericks had been 3-0 in Game 5s this postseason, with Doncic scoring at least 31 points in each of them. He said the chest, right knee and left ankle injuries he played through during the finals weren’t an excuse for Dallas struggling throughout the series.
“It doesn’t matter if I was hurt, how much was I hurt. I was out there,” he said. “I tried to play, but I didn’t do enough.”
Kyrie Irving finished with just 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting and has lost 13 of the last 14 meetings against the Celtics team he left in the summer of 2019 to join the Brooklyn Nets.
Irving thinks better things are ahead for the Mavs.
“I see an opportunity for us to really build our future in a positive manner, where this is almost like a regular thing for us and we’re competing for championships,” he said.
NBA teams are now 0-157 in postseason series after falling into a 3-0 deficit.
Mavs coach Jason Kidd believes Doncic and his team will grow from this NBA Finals experience.
“I think the first step is just to be in it. I think that’s a big thing,” he said. “Yes, we lost 4-1, but I thought the group fought against the Celtics and just, unfortunately, we just couldn’t make shots when we had to, or we turned the ball over and they took full advantage of that.”
Boston never trailed and led by as many as 26, feeding off the energy of the Garden crowd.
Dallas was within 16-15 early before the Celtics closed the first quarter on a 12-3 run that included eight combined points by Tatum and Brown.
The Celtics did it again in the second quarter when the Mavericks trimmed what had been a 15-point deficit to nine. Boston ended the period with a 19-7 spurt that was capped by a a half-court buzzer beater by Payton Pritchard – his second such shot of the series – to give Boston a 67-46 halftime lead.
Over the last two minutes of the first and second quarters, the Celtics outscored the Mavericks 22-4.
The Celtics never looked back.
Russell’s widow, Jeannine Russell, and his daughter Karen Russell were in TD Garden to salute the newest generation of Celtics champions.
They watched current Celtics stars Tatum and Brown earn their first rings. It was the trade that sent 2008 champions Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn in 2013 that netted Boston the draft picks it eventually used to select Brown and Tatum third overall in back-to-back drafts in 2016 and 2017.
The All-Stars came into their own this season, leading a Celtics team that was built around taking and making a high number of 3-pointers, and a defense that rated as the league’s best during the regular season.
The duo made it to at least the Eastern Conference finals as teammates four previous times.
They finally reached the finish line in their fifth deep playoff run together.
After both struggling at times offensively in the series, Tatum and Brown hit a groove in Game 5, combining for 31 points and 11 assists in the first half.
It helped bring out all the attributes that made Boston the NBA’s most formidable team this postseason – spreading teams out, sharing the ball, and causing havoc on defense. And even chipping a tooth, like Derrick White did after he was landed on by Dereck Lively II.
“I’ll lose all my teeth for a championship,” White said.
And it put a championship bow on a dizzying stretch for the Celtics, that saw them lose in the finals to the Golden State Warriors in 2022 and then fail to return last season after a Game 7 home loss to the Miami Heat in the conference finals.
Tatum vowed that night to erase the sting of those disappointments.
Standing in a sea of confetti Monday night he was reminded by his 6-year-old son, Deuce, of what he’d accomplished.
“He told me that I was the best in the world,” Tatum said. “I said, ‘You’re damn right I am.’”
JOE MAZZULLA WAS A DIVISION 2 COACH NOT LONG AGO. HE’S NOW AN NBA CHAMPION, AND JUST GETTING STARTED
Joe Mazzulla has been called weird. He’s been called a sicko. He’s been called crazy.
Those comments weren’t coming from critics or haters directing anonymous insults toward the coach of the Boston Celtics. They came publicly from his own players who, by all accounts, absolutely adore him. And they are meant with all possible respect, especially now that those players — and everyone else — must call Mazzulla something else.
A champion.
A 35-year-old whose only head coaching experience before taking over the Celtics in the fall of 2022 was at the NCAA Division II level is now the leader of the best team in the NBA world. Boston wrapped up the NBA title on Monday night, beating the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 to finish off a five-game roll through the finals and secure the team’s record 18th championship.
“There’s nothing better than representing the Celtics,” Mazzulla said, “and being part of history.”
Including playoffs, Mazzulla’s record is now 148-54 — a .729 winning percentage. Among all coaches with at least 200 games in the NBA, nobody has a better record than that.
And when it was over, yes, the famously stoic Mazzulla smiled.
“The thing you just can’t take for granted in the game today is a coach’s greatest gift is a group of guys that want to be coached, want to be led, that also empower themselves,” Mazzulla said earlier in the series. “So, I think at the end of the day, just appreciate the fact that we have an environment where learning and coaching is important, and getting better and developing is important. You can’t be a good coach if your players don’t let you.”
He’s the 37th coach in NBA history to win a title and the seventh to do so from the Celtics’ bench, joining Red Auerbach, Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn, Bill Fitch, K.C. Jones and Doc Rivers.
And there are other names the Celtics call him, too. Like genius, for example. Mazzulla doesn’t hide his Christian faith, talks about three of his loves beyond family being Jesus, coffee and jiu-jitsu, is obsessed with things like international soccer, and in his spare time leads teams to NBA titles.
“He’s really himself. He’s like authentic to himself. We all appreciate that,” Celtics guard Payton Pritchard said. “He’s not trying to be somebody he’s not. So, I think that’s kind of like the sicko side of it. He’s different, but we respect that. Then the basketball genius, you can learn a lot from him as to how he sees the offensive side of things, the play calling, the game management, all that. He’s elite in that. I’ve personally learned a lot from him, and I think our whole group has.”
Alex Cora, the manager of the Boston Red Sox, makes no secret that he believes the Celtics are going to be enjoying success for a while. He’s close with Brad Stevens, the front office mastermind of the team, and has gotten to know Mazzulla somewhat well since he took over as coach. The respect he has for Mazzulla is clear.
It’s not like Mazzulla struggled in Year 1 after being shoved into the job unexpectedly following the scandal that led to the Celtics parting ways with Ime Udoka; the Celtics did make Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals last season. Cora just thinks things were more suited to Mazzulla’s needs in Year 2, such as bringing in assistants like Charles Lee (the next coach of the Charlotte Hornets) and Sam Cassell.
“I do believe that with everything that they went through, with the head coaching part of it, and Joe last year being the head coach but not having his staff, I think it was kind of like an obstacle for him,” Cora told reporters before a Red Sox game last week. “But he got the right people, they got the right coach.”
Mazzulla’s path to the NBA mountaintop could easily be described as non-traditional, and not just for the circ*mstances under which he got the job as Udoka’s replacement.
Mazzulla’s only previous experience as a head coach before taking over the Celtics was a two-year stint at Fairmont State in West Virginia, where he went 43-17 and made the NCAA Tournament in his second season. A native New Englander from Rhode Island, Mazzulla played at West Virginia, was an assistant for the Celtics’ G League team before taking over at Fairmont State, and then got hired by the Celtics again in June 2019 to be part of Stevens’ coaching staff.
They’re a lot alike, Mazzulla and Stevens. They don’t waste words. They don’t seek the spotlight. Asking them a question about themselves is almost certainly not going to get any sort of peel-back-the-curtain answer. It’s not about them. It’s just about wins.
“When Joe won coach of the month, I was like, ‘Hey, congratulations,’” Celtics guard Derrick White said. “And he just looked at me and said, ‘Nobody cares.’”
The closest Mazzulla likely came to getting a head-coaching gig in the NBA before getting promoted by Boston was in 2022, when he interviewed with the Utah Jazz. The Jazz hired Will Hardy, and Mazzulla said they made the right decision. But when he looked back at that process, Mazzulla hated one part of his interview.
He wore a suit. “They’re useless,” he said.
To be clear, that wasn’t where Mazzulla thinks he blew that interview. The Jazz asked him a fairly standard question. Paraphrasing, they wanted to know how Mazzulla, as a young coach — actually younger than some NBA players — felt he was ready to lead a team.
He didn’t have a great answer. But now, nobody will have to ask him that question again. Mazzulla answered it Monday night once and for all. He can lead a team to the top of the NBA world. The Celtics’ 18th banner will be raised this fall, and that’s more than enough for him.
“You get very few chances in life to be great and you get very few chances in life to carry on the ownership and the responsibility of what these banners are, and all the great people, all the great players that came here,” Mazzulla said. “When you have few chances in life, you just have to take the bull by the horns and you’ve got to just own it. And our guys owned it.”
HAWKS GM LANDRY FIELDS IS TAKING TRADE CALLS BUT INSISTS HE PLANS TO KEEP NO. 1 PICK IN NBA DRAFT
ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields says he likes his options for the potential top picks in the NBA draft — and he insists he’s not planning on trading the No. 1 pick, even though his phone lines remain open.
“I think we’re really excited by the draft,” Fields said Monday as he continued to prepare for the No. 1 overall pick in the draft on June 26. “And the more that we uncover, like we go, great, I’m glad we have No. 1. I keep joking around like I’m not giving it back. So, I think we’re in a really good position here. I’m excited about it, frankly.”
The Hawks were the surprise winner of the NBA draft lottery on May 12. Atlanta won the No. 1 draft pick despite just 3% odds after finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference at 36-46.
Fields says his initial enthusiasm about landing the top pick has not been diminished as he and his staff have examined options such as two French stars, Alexandre Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher, Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard and UConn center Donovan Clingan.
Even so, Fields acknowledged the task of determining which prospect should be No. 1 is an ongoing process. He said he, not team owner Tony Ressler, will make the draft choice.
The decision on keeping the No. 1 pick could be affected by the fact the Hawks have no other selections in the draft. The roster may need help from more than one draft pick after the team lost to Chicago in the first round of the play-in tournament.
Fields said he and his staff are assembling tiers of draft prospects. When asked if a trade down for more picks would be wise if he sees no prospect clearly ranking above all others, Fields said, “Eventually you’ll narrow down to your guy, for sure.”
Fields said the pool of possible top picks on the Hawks’ draft board continues to shrink.
“I would say a week ago it was wider than it is now,” he said. “The board is definitely shaping up, tearing itself out.”
Fields said he’s looking for a player “to be No. 1 and just the guy that we see is a great fit for us, not just for the next day, but for the future as well.”
Aside from a slight break on Sunday for Father’s Day, Fields has stayed busy on the phone, taking and receiving calls from other executives.
“For the most part, it continuously rings,” he said.
The Hawks have been frustrated by the inability to revive a franchise that has not won a playoff series since advancing to the 2021 Eastern Conference finals despite scoring leadership from guards Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. The Hawks kept Murray at the trade deadline in February when there was much speculation he might be dealt for draft picks.
Decisions about the future of center Clint Capela and forward De’Andre Hunter also may be looming this offseason. But the first priority is making a decision on the No. 1 pick.
“We as a group looked at a ton of different scenarios,” Fields said. “Like if you keep the pick, you try to get back into the draft. … With where we are right now, we’ll pick one. … We’re planning on picking one.”
WNBA NEWS
KAYLA MCBRIDE, LYNX SEND WINGS TO 8TH STRAIGHT LOSS
Kayla McBride scored 19 points and dished seven assists as the Minnesota Lynx pulled away for a 90-78 win over the visiting Dallas Wings on Monday night in Minneapolis.
Natisha Hiedeman finished with 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting off the bench for Minnesota (11-3), which won its fourth game in a row. Napheesa Collier scored 16 points and Alanna Smith chipped in 12 points to go along with a team-high nine rebounds.
Maddy Siegrist and Sevgi Uzun scored 17 points apiece to lead Dallas (3-10). Monique Billings finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Wings, who lost their eighth game in a row.
Dallas played without top scorer Arike Ogunbowale, who missed the game because of a sore Achilles. Ogunbowale is averaging 24.9 points per game this season.
The Lynx outscored the Wings 24-15 in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
Dallas pulled within 68-65 on Teaira McCowan’s layup with 9:31 remaining before Minnesota responded with a 10-0 run to seize control.
Smith made a basket to start the run, and Dorka Juhasz finished it with a layup to give the Lynx a 78-65 lead with 7:17 to go.
The Wings never got closer than six points within the lead the rest of the way.
Dallas trailed 43-39 at the half before taking a 48-47 lead with 7:43 remaining in the third quarter on Jacy Sheldon’s 3-pointer.
Courtney Williams made a basket as Minnesota pulled ahead 49-48 with 6:28 left, and the Lynx increased their lead to 66-61 in the final minute of the session. Kalani Brown made a layup at the buzzer to bring the Wings within 66-63 entering the fourth quarter.
Minnesota led 43-39 at the half.
The Lynx established a 27-18 lead late in the first quarter after Cecilia Zandalasini made a 3-pointer off an assist from Hiedeman. Minnesota went ahead 37-28 on Hiedeman’s 3-pointer with 7:01 left in the first half.
Dallas finished the first quarter with back-to-back baskets from Billings and Uzun to cut its deficit to 27-22, then closed the second quarter on an 11-6 run to pull within four points.
NFL NEWS
NFL COMMISSIONER ROGER GOODELL DEFENDS ‘SUNDAY TICKET’ PACKAGE AS A PREMIUM PRODUCT
LOS ANGELES (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated during testimony in federal court Monday that the league’s “Sunday Ticket” package, the subject of a class-action lawsuit, is a premium product while also defending the league’s broadcast model.
Goodell was called as a witness by the NFL as the trial for the lawsuit filed by “Sunday Ticket” subscribers entered its third week.
“We have been clear throughout that it is a premium product. Not just on pricing but quality,” Goodell said during cross-examination in a Los Angeles courtroom. “Fans make that choice whether they wanted it or not. I’m sure there were fans who said it was too costly.”
Goodell, who has been commissioner since 2006, said he believes this is the first time he has been called to testify in federal court during his tenure.
The class-action, which covers 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses who paid for the package from 2011 through 2022, claims the league broke antitrust laws by selling its package of out-of-market Sunday afternoon games at an inflated price. The subscribers also say the league restricted competition by offering “Sunday Ticket” only on a satellite provider.
The NFL maintains it has the right to sell “Sunday Ticket” under its antitrust exemption for broadcasting. The plaintiffs say that only covers over-the-air broadcasts and not pay TV.
If the NFL is found liable, a jury could award $7 billion in damages, but that number could balloon to $21 billion because antitrust cases can triple damages.
During the first two weeks of the trial, exhibits by the plaintiffs showed that Fox and CBS have long been concerned about how competition from a more widely distributed “Sunday Ticket” package could affect ratings for locally aired games.
Goodell said the NFL decided to put “Sunday Ticket” on DirecTV from 1994 through 2022 because it was one the few platforms available that had national distribution. He cited the fragmented nature of cable companies for why it wasn’t available on cable.
Goodell also said the league’s broadcast model, where local games are available over the air for all games, is why NFL games are highly rated.
“We sing it from the mountaintops, We want to reach the broadest possible audience on free television,” he said. “I think we are very pro-consumer. Our partners have found ways to build our fan base.”
Goodell also said that one reason the league decided to sell Thursday night games that had been exclusively on NFL Network from 2006 through 2013 to other networks was because of the quality of production.
Thursday night games were shared by CBS and NBC from 2014 through 2016 before Fox aired them for the next five seasons. Amazon Prime Video took over the package in 2022.
“I had my own opinion that our production was below standards that the networks (Fox and CBS) had set. We had not met that standard,” he said.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, a member of the league’s media committee, is expected to testify after Goodell.
BROWNS GM: DESHAUN WATSON AHEAD OF SCHEDULE IN REHAB
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry said quarterback Deshaun Watson is “really” ahead in his rehab from surgery on his throwing shoulder.
Berry told NFL Network on Monday that Watson has “worked his tail off” as he gets ready for Cleveland’s training camp next month.
“He’s really champing at the bit to (go full speed), but really, he’s had a really nice spring,” Berry said. “He’s thrown the ball well. Did a really nice job during our seven-on-seven and team periods during this veteran minicamp, so we’re excited as he gets into training camp and gets the pads on.
“He’s making excellent progress. Honestly if you didn’t know he got hurt last year, you really wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. We’re very excited once camp starts.”
Watson sustained a displaced fracture in his right shoulder in a Nov. 12 game against the Baltimore Ravens last season. He underwent surgery later that month.
Watson, 28, has played just 12 games for the Browns over two seasons since they acquired him from the Houston Texans. He served an 11-game suspension to begin the 2022 season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, in connection to lawsuits from more than two dozen female massage therapists alleging sexual harassment and assault.
Then, multiple injuries limited Watson to six games in 2023, when he threw for 1,115 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 61.4 percent of his passes.
Watson, a three-time Pro Bowler during his time with Houston, has thrown for 16,756 yards, 118 touchdowns and 45 interceptions in 66 games (65 starts) since entering the league in 2017. He has a 36-29 record as a starter.
BENGALS WIDE RECEIVER TEE HIGGINS SIGNS 1-YEAR FRANCHISE TENDER
CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins signed his one-year franchise tender for the 2024 season on Monday.
However, his long-term future with the team remains in doubt.
The fifth-year wideout received the franchise tag in February and didn’t participate in recent organized team workouts, including last week’s three-day minicamp.
Higgins will make $21.8 million — the designated franchise tag value for receivers this upcoming season — and the Bengals will have at least one more season with Ja’Marr Chase and Higgins as one the NFL’s top wideout duos, with a healthy Joe Burrow throwing to them.
If the 25-year-old Higgins and the Bengals don’t come together on a long-term deal before July 15, he can become a free agent next March and be eligible to sign with any team.
“I’m excited to move forward with Tee,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said in a statement. “He’s done a great job handling his situation, and we are happy to get him back in the fold so we can start working toward a great 2024 season. The locker room will be excited to have him back around.”
Since his second season in 2021, Higgins has played in the shadow of Chase, who is expected to get a long-term contract extension in the neighborhood of Justin Jefferson’s four-year, $140 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings.
Whenever Cincinnati adds Chase’s next contract to the five-year, $275 million extension Burrow signed before the 2023 season, the team is not expected to offer a long-term deal to its No. 2 receiver.
A second-round draft pick in 2020 — Burrow was the top overall pick in that draft — Higgins has 257 catches for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns, including back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2021 and ’22. He was key part of the Bengals drive to the Super Bowl after the 2021 season.
He finished with 656 yards and five TDs last season while struggling with a rib injury.
Tyler Boyd signed with Tennessee as a free agent in May. And the Bengals are hoping 2024 third-round draft pick Jermaine Burton from Alabama will work his way into the receiver rotation, with promising youngsters Charlie Jones and Andrei Iosivas also in that mix.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
LES MILES SUES LSU, NCAA AND COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME OVER 37 VACATED VICTORIES
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Les Miles, who coached the LSU Tigers to a 2007 national championship, is suing the university over its decision to vacate 37 of his teams’ victories between 2012 and 2015.
The lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in Baton Rouge alleges that LSU never gave Miles a chance to be heard before altering the coach’s career record significantly enough to disqualify him from consideration for the College Football Hall of Fame.
“Les was given no right to be heard, or even advance notice of LSU’s actions, despite LSU being a state-owned and state-run institution that is bound by constitutional safeguards,” Miles’ lawyer, Peter Ginsberg, said in a statement.
The decision in June 2023 to vacate the victories stemmed from an NCAA ruling that former Tigers offensive lineman Vadal Alexander had received financial benefits that violated NCAA rules at the time he played.
The lawsuit also names the NCAA and Atlanta-based College Football Hall of Fame as defendants, and it demands that they reinstate the vacated victories to Miles’ official career coaching record. LSU spokesman Michael Bonnette said the university was “not able to comment on pending litigation.” The other defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit.
Vacating the victories changed Miles’ official career record from 145-73 (.665) to 108-73 (.597). The lawsuit notes that a .600 career win percentage is required to qualify for the College Football Hall of Fame.
The lawsuit also contends that while LSU formally tied the vacated victories to alleged football violations, the university was trying to minimize its overall exposure to NCAA punishment for an array of violations that included conduct by former men’s basketball coach Will Wade, who was subsequently found by an NCAA probe to have committed major recruiting violations.
“Trying to placate the NCAA and avoid punishment for recruiting violations that almost entirely involved the Men’s Basketball Team and its coaches, and in no way implicated Les, LSU voluntarily offered to reverse dozens of victories earned by Les’ teams,” Ginsberg’s statement said.
Ginsberg called that an “irrational and unfair self-inflicted punishment” by LSU, and he criticized the NCAA for accepting it.
The specific violation involved a booster who did not work for LSU giving cash to Alexander’s father for a no-show hospital job. The lawsuit notes that while NCAA bylaws hold coaches responsible for those who report to them, the booster was not a “staff member of LSU or its football program and the NCAA did not find that Miles, as head coach, bore any responsibility for the sole violation that occurred during his time with the LSU football program.”
When Miles was fired by LSU in September 2016, he’d gone 114-34 with the Tigers in 11-plus seasons. He also coached at Oklahoma State from 2001-2004, going 28-21, and at Kansas from 2019-2020, where he went 3-18. Kansas fired Miles after he was accused of improper conduct involving female students at LSU.
BASEBALL NEWS
COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
TEXAS A&M’S RYAN PRAGER SHUTS DOWN KENTUCKY IN MCWS
Ryan Prager took a no-hitter into the seventh inning while leading No. 3 Texas A&M to a 5-1 victory over No. 2 Kentucky in the Men’s College World Series on Monday in Omaha, Neb.
Prager (9-1) wound up throwing 6 2/3 shutout innings as the Aggies (51-13) moved within one victory of advancing to the best-of-three championship. He yielded two hits, a walk and a hit batter while striking out four.
The Wildcats (46-15) took their first loss of the double-elimination portion of the MCWS. They will oppose Florida in an elimination game on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to meet Texas A&M on Wednesday. Either Kentucky or Florida would need to defeat the Aggies twice to reach the final round.
Ryan Nicholson broke up Prager’s no-hit bid when he singled to right with two outs in the seventh. Nolan McCarthy followed with a double before Josh Stewart replaced Prager and struck out pinch hitter Patrick Herrera to end the threat.
The game was scoreless until the sixth inning, when Texas A&M’s Hayden Schott hit a two-run single, Ali Camarillo had a two-run double and Kaeden Kent delivered an RBI single for a 5-0 lead.
Nicholson broke up the shutout bid when he homered with one out in the ninth inning off Stewart.
Schott finished with three hits, while Kent, Jackson Appel and Ted Burton had two hits apiece for the Aggies.
Nicholson collected two of the Wildcats’ four hits.
Kentucky starter Mason Moore (9-4) gave up four runs on five hits, three walks and a hit batter with three strikeouts in five innings.
FLORIDA RIDES HOMERS TO OUST NC STATE AT MCWS
Jac Caglianone blasted a three-run home run and Tyler Shelnut’s solo shot ultimately provided the difference as Florida eliminated No. 10 North Carolina State 5-4 on Monday at the Men’s College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
The Gators (35-29), who had only four hits, advanced to Tuesday night’s elimination game against the loser of the Kentucky/Texas A&M game on Monday night. Florida had lost its opening game 3-2 to No. 3 Texas A&M.
The Wolfpack (38-23) also lost 5-4 to No. 2 Kentucky, which used a walk-off homer with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning on Saturday.
Caglianone started Monday’s game on the mound for Florida and lasted one inning. With one out, he hit one batter and walked two to load the bases for Brandon Butterworth, whose single to shallow left plated the game’s first run.
Butterworth also delivered and RBI double in the fifth to account for the Wolfpack’s final run.
Florida responded to the early deficit with a four-run second inning. NC State starter Dominic Fritton retired one batter before walking two and yielding a single to load the bases for Cade Kurland, whose sacrifice fly evened the score. Caglianone then homered to right center for a 4-1 lead. It was his 34th home run of the season.
Alec Makarewicz hit his 24th homer this season, a two-run shot off Cade Fisher, to cut the Gators’ advantage to 4-3 in the third inning.
Shelnut’s two-out home run off Logan Whitaker pushed the Florida edge to 5-3 in the fifth. It was Shelnut’s 16th homer this season.
Fisher (4-3) earned the win after yielding three runs, four hits and one walk with three strikeouts in four innings. Brandon Neely went the final three innings, allowing only one hit while fanning six, to collect his fifth save.
Fritton (3-7) gave up four runs on two hits and three walks with three strikeouts in two innings.
MLB ROUNDUP: PIRATES’ PAUL SKENES STARS AGAIN IN WIN OVER REDS
Rookie Paul Skenes was at it again for the Pittsburgh Pirates, tossing six strong innings in a 4-1 win over the visiting Cincinnati Reds on Monday to open a three-game series.
Skenes (4-0) allowed one run on six hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. Aroldis Chapman and Colin Holderman each pitched a scoreless inning before David Bednar retired the Reds in order in the ninth for his 15th save.
Elly De La Cruz had three hits and stole his major-league-leading 37th base for Cincinnati, which entered the game tied with the Pirates for third place in the National League Central. The Reds have lost three straight and five of their last seven.
Skenes, the first overall pick in the 2023 draft, has allowed three earned runs or fewer in all seven of his starts for Pittsburgh, which has won three of its last four games.
Mets 14, Rangers 2
Brandon Nimmo homered and had four RBIs, DJ Stewart smacked a three-run shot and New York steamrolled host Texas in Arlington, Texas.
Francisco Lindor went 4-for-4 with three runs and two RBIs, and Pete Alonso and Francisco Alvarez both had three hits and two RBIs as New York won its sixth straight game to match a season best. The Mets’ 22 hits were their most since the team had 23 against the Atlanta Braves on Aug. 15, 2019.
David Peterson (3-0) allowed two runs and four hits over six innings for New York. He struck out six and walked three. Texas starter Jon Gray (2-3) was clobbered for nine runs and 11 hits in three-plus innings. He struck out two and walked none as the Rangers lost for the ninth time in their last 13 games.
Cardinals 7, Marlins 6 (12 innings)
Masyn Winn slugged a two-run homer in the top of the 12th inning to propel St. Louis past host Miami.
Miami scored once in the bottom of the 12th on Nick Gordon’s RBI triple, but he was thrown out at home on an attempted sacrifice fly to medium right field. The Cardinals blew three leads — 1-0, 4-1 and 5-4 — before finally hanging the loss on reliever A.J. Puk (0-8), who allowed Winn’s homer.
St. Louis also got a solo homer and a stellar catch by center fielder Michael Siani and two-run triple by Ivan Herrera. Andrew Kittredge (1-3) blew the save in the 11th but got the win. Marlins designated hitter Bryan De La Cruz ultimately forced extras with a three-run homer that tied the score 4-4 in the eighth inning.
Angels 5, Brewers 3
Zach Plesac threw six effective innings in a spot start as Los Angeles knocked off Milwaukee in Anaheim, Calif.
The Angels scratched starter Jose Soriano because of abdominal pain and turned to Plesac, who arrived earlier in the day and was expecting to serve in the bullpen. He gave up three runs on four hits and two walks in six innings, striking out one and making 86 pitches. Carlos Estevez pitched the ninth for his 13th save.
Zach Neto hit a two-run homer for the Angels. Jake Bauers and Brice Turang homered for Milwaukee, and Carlos Rodriguez (0-2), in his second major league start, surrendered five runs (four earned) in 4 2/3 innings.
Phillies 9, Padres 2
Kyle Schwarber hit a pair of two-run homers and Alec Bohm launched a three-run shot among his three hits to lift host Philadelphia over San Diego.
Rafael Marchan added four hits and two RBIs for the Phillies, who hammered out 18 hits. Philadelphia starter Cristopher Sanchez (4-3) tossed seven innings and gave up six hits and two runs (one earned) with five strikeouts and one walk.
Manny Machado had two hits for struggling San Diego, which has dropped four in a row. Padres starter Randy Vasquez (1-4) allowed 12 hits and six runs with two strikeouts and two walks in 4 1/3 innings.
Red Sox 7, Blue Jays 3
Tyler O’Neill led a four-homer barrage with two solo shots and Nick Pivetta pitched seven innings as Boston won at Toronto.
Rafael Devers and Ceddanne Rafaela also stroked solo homers for the Red Sox, who won for the fifth time in six games. Pivetta (4-4) allowed three runs on nine hits.
Blue Jays starter Yusei Kikuchi (4-6) gave up five runs and seven hits in four innings. Toronto’s Justin Turner and Davis Schneider hit solo homers.
Braves 2, Tigers 1
Ozzie Albies crushed a solo home run in the eighth inning to break a tie and propel Atlanta past visiting Detroit in the opener of the three-game series.
With two outs, Albies hammered a fastball from Shelby Miller (4-5) into the right field stands. The homer, his fifth, was measured at 407 feet and ended Albies’ 0-for-15 drought. It was Atlanta’s 10th in the last four games. The Braves have won four of their last five.
The winning pitcher was Daysbel Hernandez (1-0), who was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett earlier in the day. With closer Raisel Iglesias unavailable, set-up man Joe Jimenez worked a scoreless ninth inning and earned his first save.
Giants 7, Cubs 6
Thairo Estrada hit a three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning to lift San Francisco over host Chicago to begin their three-game set.
Giants closer Hector Neris (6-2) started the ninth with a 6-4 lead but batters reached on catcher’s interference and a walk with one out. Estrada then hit the first pitch over the fence in left-center field. Camilo Doval pitched the ninth for his 13th save. Heliot Ramos and Patrick Bailey also homered for the Giants, who had dropped two of three.
Ian Happ hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning off eventual winning pitcher Erik Miller (2-2), and Michael Busch had a two-run blast for the Cubs, who have lost four of five.
Dodgers 9, Rockies 5
Shohei Ohtani had three hits and scored twice, Freddie Freeman tied a franchise record with five walks, and Los Angeles beat Colorado in Denver.
Jason Heyward and Miguel Rojas also had three hits for the Dodgers. James Paxton (7-1) allowed one run on two hits while striking out a season-high eight in a season-best seven innings.
Greg Jones homered with two outs in the ninth for his first career hit, and Jacob Stallings and Hunter Goodman also went deep for the Rockies. Cal Quantrill (6-5) gave up three runs in five innings.
YANKEES’ GERRIT COLE TO MAKE SEASON DEBUT WED. VS. O’S
Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole will make his season debut for the New York Yankees on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles, manager Aaron Boone said Monday.
Cole began the season with nerve irritation and swelling in his pitching elbow. After time to recover, Cole made two rehab starts at Double-A Somerset and one at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before the Yankees determined he was ready to return this week.
The series at Yankee Stadium is an important one, as it pits American League East rivals with two of the three best records in baseball. The Yankees begin the week 50-24 and the Orioles are 47-24.
Cole, 33, went 15-4 with an American League-best 2.63 ERA in 33 starts in 2023. He struck out 222 batters while walking 48 in 209 innings. The Cy Young Award was the first of Cole’s career.
In 11 major league seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates (2013-17), Houston Astros (2018-19) and Yankees (2020-23), Cole is 145-75 with a 3.17 ERA over 300 games (all starts). He’s recorded 2,152 strikeouts over 1,859 innings, or 10.4 per nine innings
The Yankees have gotten by in Cole’s absence. Rookie Luis Gil locked down a spot in the rotation and is 9-1 with a 2.03 ERA over 14 starts. New York’s starters have combined to have the lowest ERA in the majors at 2.90.
DODGERS STAR MOOKIE BETTS PLACED ON IL WITH FRACTURED HAND
Los Angeles Dodgers star shortstop Mookie Betts was placed on the 10-day injured list after fracturing his left hand when he was hit by a pitch in the seventh inning of Sunday’s win over the Kansas City Royals, the team announced Monday.
Betts was hit in the left wrist by a 97.9-mph fastball from Royals reliever Dan Altavilla and went to the ground in extreme pain. Betts, who hadn’t been hit by a pitch this season, took a few minutes before walking to the dugout.
The team said Sunday that Betts won’t need surgery and there is no timetable for his return, and they had no further comment on those aspects of the situation on Monday.
“It’s just going to be rest and let the bones heal,” manager Dave Roberts said after Sunday’s game, calling it a big blow to the team.
Betts was last on the injured list in June 2022 with a cracked right rib.
Betts, 31, was 0-for-3 on Sunday to lower his batting average to .304. He entered the game leading the Dodgers in batting average (.307) and still leads the ballclub in on-base percentage (.405), hits (86), at-bats (283), triples (three) and walks (47) in 72 games. He also has 10 home runs and 40 RBIs in a National League-high 331 plate appearances.
A seven-time All-Star and six-time Gold Glove Award winner, Betts was the 2018 American League Most Valuable Player while with the Boston Red Sox. He is a career .295 hitter with 262 home runs and 796 RBIs in 1,337 games over 11 seasons with the Red Sox (2014-19) and Dodgers.
“He’s a superstar player; he’s a big part of our ballclub,” Roberts said Sunday. “But our guys understand that that’s part of baseball and you got to move forward. And guys are going to get opportunities and got to play well.”
In a corresponding move, the Dodgers recalled infielder/outfielder Miguel Vargas. Vargas, 24, started last season as the Dodgers’ starting second baseman before being sent down to Triple-A Oklahoma City after a poor performance through the first 81 games.
This will be his second stint in the majors this season. After being called up in mid-May, he hit .250 (5-for-20) in eight games with one home run and four RBI.
He was batting .290 with eight home runs and 38 RBIs in 41 games at Oklahoma City this season.
REPORT: YANKEES’ RIZZO OUT 4-6 WEEKS WITH FRACTURED ARM
New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo has a fractured arm and could miss four-to-six weeks, report The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Brendan Kuty, and Chris Kirschner.
Rizzo suffered the injury when he collided with Boston Red Sox pitcher Brennan Bernardino at first base while attempting to beat out a ground ball during Sunday’s game.
DJ LeMathieu is likely to play first base in Rizzo’s absence, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Rizzo, 34, had been scuffling at the plate before getting hurt. The three-time All-Star is hitting .223/.289/.341 with eight home runs across 70 games.
BRAVES PLACE RHP HURSTON WALDREP (ELBOW) ON INJURED LIST
The Atlanta Braves placed right-hander Hurston Waldrep on the 15-day injured list Monday with elbow inflammation.
Waldrep, 22, reported soreness following his second major league appearance on Sunday against Tampa Bay.
He surrendered six earned runs on five hits and four walks in 3 1/3 innings in Atlanta’s 8-6 loss against the Rays.
A first-round pick in 2023, Waldrep fell to 0-1 with a 16.71 ERA through two starts for the Braves.
The Braves also recalled outfielder Forrest Wall and right-hander Daysbel Hernandez from Triple-A Gwinnett and optioned outfielder J.P. Martinez to Gwinnett.
AARON JUDGE, BRYCE HARPER LEAD IN EARLY FAN VOTING FOR ALL-STAR GAME
New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge has been red-hot most of this season, and the fans are rewarding him for it.
Major League Baseball released its first update on fan voting for the 2024 All-Star Game, and Judge topped all other players with 1,366,315 votes. Judge, 32, currently leads the majors in home runs (26), RBI (64), walks (57), total bases (181) and slugging (.686). This would be his sixth trip to the All-Star Game.
Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper leads all players in the National League with 1,110,562 votes. Harper is batting .280 with 15 home runs and 46 knocked in for the NL East-leading Phillies.
The first phase of fan voting concludes at noon ET on June 27. The top vote-getter in each league from Phase 1 will receive an automatic starting position in the July 16th game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
The top two vote-getters at each position, and the top six outfielders, move on to Phase 2 of voting. Votes from the first phase do not carry over. At the conclusion of Phase 2 voting, the top vote-getter in each position will start the All-Star game.
All-Star Game starters will be announced July 3 with the full roster revealed four days later.
Here are the early results for Phase 1:
AMERICAN LEAGUE
First Base
1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays: 746,031
2. Ryan Mountcastle, Orioles: 693,594
3. Josh Naylor, Guardians: 404,389
4. Anthony Rizzo, Yankees: 269,056
5. Nathaniel Lowe, Rangers: 162,404
Second Base
1. Jose Altuve, Astros: 620,724
2. Marcus Semien, Rangers: 539,223
3. Michael Massey, Royals: 341,510
4. Jorge Mateo, Orioles: 276,440
5. Andrés Giménez, Guardians: 265,999
Third Base
1. José Ramírez, Guardians: 742,910
2. Jordan Westburg, Orioles: 366,670
3. Rafael Devers, Red Sox: 342,046
4. Oswaldo Cabrera, Yankees: 218,650
5. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Blue Jays: 199,424
Shortstop
1. Gunnar Henderson, Orioles: 740,436
2. Bobby Witt Jr., Royals: 541,261
3. Anthony Volpe, Yankees: 339,150
4. Corey Seager, Rangers: 295,300
5. Bo Bichette, Blue Jays: 231,694
Outfield
1. Aaron Judge, Yankees: 1,366,315
2. Juan Soto, Yankees: 1,252,020
3. Kyle Tucker, Astros: 593,358
4. Steven Kwan, Guardians: 464,274
5. Anthony Santander, Orioles: 321,333
6. Alex Verdugo, Yankees: 293,984
7. Colton Cowser, Orioles: 278,573
8. Adolis García, Rangers: 257,623
9. Mike Trout, Angels: 253,710
10. Julio Rodriguez, Mariners: 219,502
Catcher
1. Adley Rutschman, Orioles: 792,857
2. Salvador Perez, Royals: 588,952
3. Jose Trevino, Yankees: 234,469
4. Danny Jansen, Blue Jays: 212,782
5. Jonah Heim, Rangers: 176,821
Designated Hitter
1. Yordan Alvarez, Astros: 475,158
2. Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees: 408,610
3. David Fry, Guardians: 379,845
4. Ryan O’Hearn, Orioles: 290,091
5. Josh Jung, Rangers: 208,187
NATIONAL LEAGUE
First Base
1. Bryce Harper, Phillies: 1,110,562
2. Freddie Freeman, Dodgers: 713,858
3. Matt Olson, Braves: 154,672
4. Pete Alonso, Mets: 151,602
5. Jake Cronenworth, Padres: 139,632
Second Base
1. Luis Arraez, Padres: 613,068
2. Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks: 608,807
3. Bryson Stott, Phillies: 486,315
4. Ozzie Albies, Braves: 247,517
5. Gavin Lux, Dodgers: 183,441
Third Base
1. Alec Bohm, Phillies: 1,012,174
2. Manny Machado, Padres: 267,063
3. Joey Ortiz, Brewers: 244,957
4. Max Muncy, Dodgers: 226,585
5. Ryan McMahon, Rockies: 187,838
Shortstop
1. Mookie Betts, Dodgers: 1,023,690
2. Trea Turner, Phillies: 509,043
3. Elly De La Cruz, Reds: 324,559
4. Orlando Arcia, Braves: 147,103
5. Willy Adames, Brewers: 137,323
Outfield
1. Jurickson Profar, Padres: 900,541
2. Christian Yelich, Brewers: 821,037
3. Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres: 798,609
4. Teoscar Hernández, Dodgers: 761,934
5. Brandon Marsh, Phillies: 521,461
6. Nick Castellanos, Phillies: 439,764
7. Johan Rojas, Phillies: 363,047
8. Cody Bellinger, Cubs: 352,565
9. Heliot Ramos, Giants: 241,532
10. Jason Heyward, Dodgers: 191,133
Catcher
1. William Contreras, Brewers: 746,461
2. J.T. Realmuto, Phillies: 558,624
3. Will Smith, Dodgers: 557,970
4. Willson Contreras, Cardinals: 149,315
5. Sean Murphy, Braves: 132,575
Designated Hitter
1. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers: 1,002,377
2. Marcell Ozuna, Braves: 478,538
3. Kyle Schwarber, Phillies: 435,416
4. Rhys Hoskins, Brewers: 103,366
5. Donovan Solano, Padres: 101,195
NHL NEWS
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS FIRE COACH PASCAL VINCENT AFTER ONE TERRIBLE, INJURY PLAGUED SEASON
COLUMBUS (AP) — The Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday fired coach Pascal Vincent after one season in which they were one of the NHL’s worst teams.
New general manager Don Waddell announced the firing and said the search for a new coach would begin immediately.
The Blue Jackets finished last in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 27-43-12 and 66 points in 2023-24.
“As I spent time with Pascal over the past few weeks, I found him to be an outstanding person and smart hockey coach who worked very hard last year under trying circ*mstances, but I believe a change behind the bench is in our team’s best interest,” Waddell said in a statement released by the team.
Vincent joined the team before last season as an associate head coach but was elevated after new coach Mike Babco*ck resigned after his requests to see personal photos on his players’ phones was deemed invasive.
The Blue Jackets struggled with injuries to key players that caused them to use 47 different players during the season. Columbus was the worst team in the Eastern Conference and missed the playoffs for the fourth season in a row.
AUTO RACING NEWS
ANALYSIS: PENSKE REBOUNDS FROM INDYCAR CHEATING SCANDAL WITH A HOT STREAK THAT STRETCHES TO NASCAR
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — If you come for The Captain, you better not miss your shot.
Under fire at a level perhaps never seen before in his 87 years, Roger Penske has rebounded with a truly remarkable display of strength and determination. His IndyCar team in April was found to have an illegal advantage in a cheating scandal that threatened lasting damage to the Penske brand.
It came at the same time rival team owners were openly complaining about Penske’s leadership as owner of the IndyCar Series, which he acquired along with Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2020. His NASCAR team was mired in the same funk as the other Ford teams struggling to find victory lane.
The response from Team Penske has proven the mettle of the organization he has built.
Since IndyCar discovered the illegal push-to-pass software, Team Penske has won three of five IndyCar races. That stretch includes grabbing the front row in qualifying for the Indianapolis 500, which Josef Newgarden won for the second consecutive time; and a podium sweep in Wisconsin, where Will Power ended a two-year losing streak and took over the IndyCar championship standings.
His sports car program picked up a win at Laguna Seca and the pole at Spa. And even though Penske didn’t win the 24 Hours of Le Mans over the weekend, one of his three cars started from the pole — the first time a Penske car had been on pole at the world’s most prestigious endurance race since 1963, when Penske himself was in the driver lineup.
His NASCAR team is now leading the way for Ford in figuring out the new Mustang Dark Horse. Joey Logano won the exhibition $1 million All-Star race in May, and after coming up empty in the first 15 races of the season, Team Penske has wins in two of the last three events.
Austin Cindric won outside St. Louis, his first victory since his 2022 rookie season-opening Daytona 500 surprise, Logano followed with the pole at Sonoma and Ryan Blaney added a win Sunday night in the Cup Series debut at Iowa Speedway.
For those counting, that’s seven victories across three series since IndyCar branded Team Penske cheaters. The two NASCAR wins locked Cindric and Blaney into the playoffs; Newgarden’s win at Indy extended Penske’s record to 20 victories in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and came after Penske had suspended four team members, including team president Tim Cindric.
“All of Team Penske, they work really hard to be ahead of the game,” Blaney said at Iowa. “Engineers and crew chiefs are great. I think it’s a huge testament as an organization.”
As he let his drivers do their jobs on the track, Penske behind the scenes was finalizing a new television deal with Fox Sports that begins next season. Terms were not released, but in response to IndyCar team owner complaints that Penske hasn’t done enough to market the series, he landed a deal that guaranteed the entire season will air on the network most familiar to American racing fans.
Although IndyCar has enjoyed a healthy relationship with NBC Sports for 16 years — and NBC’s Peaco*ck app devotes hundreds of hours to the series — NBC doesn’t have the scheduling room to avoid placing IndyCar races on cable. NBC earlier this season moved the crown jewel race at Long Beach, California, to the USA Network and received just over 300,000 viewers; the race had 1.026 million viewers in 2023 when it was aired on NBC.
Penske has clearly stepped up during a crisis and shown just how deep his empire is and the loyalty his employees have to honoring him and his brand.
“I feel bad for Roger, that whole thing that happened,” Power said. “If you’re a team like Penske, people like to pound you if something like that happens — ‘Ha, ha, we knew that’s how you guys are fast.’
“But I know how much work goes into it. I know they don’t even venture into the gray. It frustrates me at time because I know other teams do. But they will not do that just because of that brand. Roger won’t allow that brand to be tarnished with cheating allegations,” Power added. “We don’t do that.”
Penske in early May concluded his investigation into the scandal, took decisive action in issuing team suspensions, and told his drivers to go be “Penske Perfect” on the racetrack.
Wow, have they delivered.
GOLF NEWS
U.S. OPEN CHAMP BRYSON DECHAMBEAU REACHES TOP 10 IN OWGR
Bryson DeChambeau’s victory at the U.S. Open rocketed him into the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking on Monday.
Despite not being able to earn world ranking points for LIV Golf events, DeChambeau made his way to No. 10 in the world after Sunday’s one-stroke victory over Rory McIlroy at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina.
It was DeChambeau’s second major title, both coming at U.S. Opens. He had not won a major since the 2020 U.S. Open during the COVID-19 pandemic.
DeChambeau, 30, began the calendar year ranked No. 155 in the world because the LIV events that mainly comprise his schedule did not earn him world ranking points. He placed second to Xander Schauffele at last month’s PGA Championship, which sent him from No. 124 at the time to No. 35.
DeChambeau was No. 38 entering last week and leapt 28 spots to No. 10 in the OWGR, passing players like reigning Open Championship winner Brian Harman, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and Max Homa.
Though McIlroy was upset with his finish at the U.S. Open — he bogeyed three of the last four holes to give DeChambeau the title — he passed Schauffele for the No. 2 spot in the OWGR. Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg, who tied for 12th Sunday, is now a career-high No. 4, passing Wyndham Clark (No. 5) and Norway’s Viktor Hovland (No. 6).
France’s Matthieu Pavon jumped into the OWGR’s top 20 for the first time. He moved four spots to the No. 20 position after placing fifth at Pinehurst, Pavon’s best career finish at a major.
Tony Finau tied for third with Patrick Cantlay and jumped nine spots to No. 19 in the world rankings. Cantlay, for his part, moved one spot past LIV’s Jon Rahm of Spain for No. 8 in the world.
60-PLAYER OLYMPIC MEN’S GOLF COMPETITION FIELD SET
The 60-player field for next month’s men’s golf competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics was finalized on Monday.
The competition is scheduled for Aug. 1-4 at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, the site of the 2018 Ryder Cup and the host of the DP World Tour’s Open de France since 1991.
The 60 players earned their spots based on the official International Golf Federation world ranking list as of Monday. Each of the top 15 players in the Official World Golf Ranking were eligible, with countries limited to a maximum of four participants. The remainder of the field was determined directly from the IGF ranking list.
American Xander Schauffele will return to the Olympics to defend his gold medal from four years ago. He will be joined by fellow Americans Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa.
Patrick Cantlay rose to eighth in the world after his tie for third at the U.S. Open on Sunday, but he was narrowly edged out by seventh-ranked Morikawa. Bryson DeChambeau claimed his second U.S. Open title at Pinehurst, but he finished as the sixth-highest-ranked American, 10th in the OWGR.
Meanwhile, Canada’s Corey Conners snuck one spot ahead of countryman Adam Hadwin, moving to 37th in the OWGR following his tie for ninth at Pinehurst.
OLYMPIC MEN’S FIELD (OWGR)
USA
–Scottie Scheffler (1)
–Xander Schauffele (3)
–Wyndham Clark (5)
–Collin Morikawa (7)
Ireland
–Rory McIlroy (2)
–Shane Lowry (33)
Sweden
–Ludvig Aberg (4)
–Alex Noren (55)
Norway
–Viktor Hovland (6)
–Kris Ventura (281)
Spain
–Jon Rahm (9)
–David Puig (113)
Japan
–Hideki Matsuyama (12)
–Keita Nakajima (83)
Great Britain
–Tommy Fleetwood (13)
–Matt Fitzpatrick (18)
France
–Matthieu Pavon (20)
–Vitor Perez (78)
Austria
–Sepp Straka (21)
Australia
–Jason Day (24)
–Min Woo Lee (36)
South Korea
–Tom Kim (26)
–Byeong Hun An (27)
Canada
–Nick Taylor (35)
–Corey Conners (37)
South Africa
–Christiaan Bezuidenhout (40)
–Erik van Rooyen (67)
Germany
–Stephan Jaeger (42)
–Matti Schmid (134)
Denmark
–Nicolai Hojgaard (44)
–Thorbjorn Olesen (85)
Belgium
–Thomas Detry (48)
Argentina
–Emiliano Grillo (52)
–Alejandro Tosti (98)
New Zealand
–Ryan Fox (59)
–Daniel Hillier (190)
Poland
–Adrian Meronk (73)
Chile
–Joaquin Niemann (99)
–Cristobel Del Solar (195)
Finland
–Sami Valimaki (100)
Taiwan
–Kevin Yu (108)
–C.T. Pan (140)
Netherlands
–Joost Luiten (147)
–Darius van Driel (237)
China
–Carl Yuan (155)
–Marty Dou Zecheng (338)
Colombia
–Camilo Villegas (177)
–Nico Echevarria (269)
Italy
–Matteo Manassero (180)
–Guido Migliozzi (198)
Belgium
–Adrien Dumont de Chassart (187)
India
–Subshankar Sharma (219)
–Gaganjeet Bhullar (261)
Puerto Rico
–Rafael Campos (221)
Mexico
–Carlos Ortiz (240)
–Abraham Ancer (312)
Thailand
–Kiradech Aphibarnrat (242)
–Phachara Khongwatmai (287)
Malaysia
–Gavin Green (257)
Paraguay
–Fabrizio Zanotti (343)
The women’s competition will take place Aug. 7-10 at Le Golf National.
OLYMPIC SWIM TRIALS
KATIE LEDECKY WINS AGAIN AT OLYMPIC SWIM TRIALS
Katie Ledecky made it 2-for-2 at the U.S. Olympic Team Swimming Trials in Indianapolis on Monday, edging Claire Weinstein by less than a second to win the women’s 200-meter freestyle.
Ledecky, a seven-time Olympic gold medalist who will compete in her fourth Olympics in Paris in July and August, won the 400 freestyle on Saturday. On Monday, she pulled away over the last 50 meters to touch the wall in 1:55.2 — 0.96 seconds quicker than Weinstein.
Ledecky was far from the only Olympic veteran to take home gold in Indianapolis.
Lilly King, who won gold at the women’s 100 breaststroke at the 2016 Rio Olympics then bronze in the same event at Tokyo in 2021, posted a time of 1:05.43 to win the event Monday by 0.67 seconds over runner-up Emma Weber. King currently holds the world record with 1:04.13. Lydia Jacoby, who won gold in the 100 breaststroke in Tokyo, finished third in Indianapolis and did not earn an automatic berth for Paris.
Katie Grimes, who wound up fourth in the women’s 800 freestyle in Tokyo, qualified for Paris in the 400 individual medley on Monday. Her winning time of 4:35.00 was 0.56 seconds better than Emma Weyant’s mark. Grimes has also qualified for the open water 10-kilomter event at Paris.
On the men’s side, Ryan Murphy is making his third trip to the Olympics after winning 100 backstroke by half a second over Hunter Armstrong. In swimming a 52.22, the American recordholder will try for his third Olympic medal in the event. He took gold at Rio and bronze at Tokyo.
First-place finishes weren’t restricted to Olympic veterans in Indianapolis. Luke Hobson, who turns 21 next week, won the men’s 200 freestyle with a time of 1:44.89, with Chris Guiliano close behind at 1:45.38.
The trials run through Sunday. For each event other than the 100 and 200 freestyles, the winner locks in a spot in the Olympics and the runner-up most likely earns a spot once the entire Team USA is filled at the end of the trials. The third- through sixth-place finishers in the 100 and 200 freestyle races can also make Olympic relay teams.
Two more event finals take place on Tuesday:
–Women’s 100 backstroke
–Men’s 800 freestyle
TOP INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES
INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS BASEBALL
SERIES PREVIEW: IOWA CUBS VS. INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS, JUNE 18-23
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Indians begin their seventh homestand of the 2024 season on Tuesday, June 17, against the Iowa Cubs, Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The six-game set, which runs through Sunday, June 23, is the second of three series between the two teams this season and only visit the I-Cubs make to Indy. Below is a preview of both teams, notable promotions, first pitches and more.
*Iowa Cubs (31-38, -17.0 GB, T-15th)
*2023: 82-65, 5th
International League Championships: N/A
Manager: Marty Pevey, 11th season (711-775, .478)
Top Prospects by MLB Pipeline: OF Owen Caissie (CHC No. 2/MiLB No. 35), RHP Michael Arias (9), INF BJ Murray Jr. (11), INF Luis Vazquez (13), OF Brennen Davis (22), RHP Porter Hodge (23)
The I-Cubs’ roster boasts six of the Chicago Cubs’ top 30 prospects according to MLB Pipeline. The club has lost five of its last seven since June 9 and is amidst a 12-game road trip that began last Tuesday at Ohio’s Huntington Park with a 2-4 record against the Columbus Clippers. Miles Mastrobuoni led the team to begin the road trip, hitting .462 (12-for-26) with a .548 on-base percentage and 1.279 OPS in those six contests. Since going 3-3 against Indianapolis from May 21-26 at Principal Park in Des Moines, Iowa, the I-Cubs are 9-10.
I-Cubs outfielders have been pulling their weight at the plate, with No. 2 prospect Owen Caissie (.284), Alexander Canario (.277) and Darius Hill (.273) logging the three best batting averages among active players on Iowa’s roster. With 13 home runs, Canario ranks among International League leaders in slugging percentage (4th, .590) and OPS (7th, .958). Caissie is tied for the seventh-most walks in the IL with 44. On the mound, southpaw Thomas Pannone ranks among qualifiers in innings pitched (6th, 69.0), ERA (9th, 4.04) and WHIP (9th, 1.29) across a league-leading 14 starts. Carl Edwards Jr. is tied for the fourth-most saves with seven in eight opportunities.
As a team, the I-Cubs’ offense ranks among IL leaders in walks (2nd, 341), doubles (3rd, 142), home runs (4th, 91), on-base percentage (4th, .359), OPS (4th, .801) and slugging percentage (5th, .442). The pitching staff trails only Norfolk in strikeouts (688) but has issued more walks than any other team in the league (339).
*Indianapolis Indians (29-38, -18.0 GB, T-17th)
*2023: 70-78, T-12th
International League Championships: 1963, 2000
Manager: Miguel Perez, 3rd season (173-191, .475)
Top Prospects by MLB Pipeline: RHP Braxton Ashcraft (No. 6)
After splitting a six-game road trip at 121 Financial Ballpark, home of the Jackonville Jumbo Shrimp, the Indians return to Victory Field for their lone homestand vs. Iowa in 2024. The Indians won three straight games from June 13-15, their first such winning streak since April 30-May 2 vs. the Buffalo Bisons. The winning streak broke a tough stretch for the Indians in which they went 3-12 over a 15-game span since Memorial Day. Over the six-game road trip, Indianapolis paired the best ERA in the IL (2.29) with the worst batting average in the league (.183).
Matt Gorski homered two times last week to continue his hot stretch over the past month and ranks among Minor League leaders in home runs (1st, 12), RBI (T-1st, 30), extra-base hits (T-1st, 20), total bases (T-1st, 74) and slugging percentage (2nd, .733) since May 16. Since that date, he also ranks among IL leaders in OPS (6th, 1.066). On the season, he is tied for the IL lead in triples (5) and ranks among league leaders in extra-base hits (7th, 28). Andrés Alvarez went 6-for-15 over five games at Jacksonville, including his second career-high tying four-hit game of the season on Saturday. Gilberto Celestino has also been hot lately, hitting .310 (9-for-29) with two doubles, two home runs and five RBI in his last eight games.
Pittsburgh Pirates No. 6 prospect Braxton Ashcraft made his Triple-A debut on Thursday and earned the win with 6.0 one-run innings, no walks and four strikeouts. The Indians bullpen helped lead the best pitching staff in the IL for the week, logging a 1.21 ERA (3er/22.1ip) in six games. None of Chris Gau (3.0ip), Geronimo Franzua (2.2ip), Brent Honeywell (3.0ip) or Isaac Mattson (4.0ip) allowed a single run during the series.
The Indians rank second among IL teams in triples (16), trailing Nashville’s 21.
Series Schedule
June 18, 7:05 PM: LHP Thomas Pannone (4-5, 4.04) vs. RHP Domingo Germán (0-4, 6.93)
June 19, 7:05 PM: RHP Kyle McGowin (0-0, 9.00) vs. RHP Braxton Ashcraft (1-0, 1.50)
June 20, 7:05 PM: TBD vs. RHP Jake Woodford (1-3, 5.01)
June 21, 7:05 PM: RHP Dan Straily (0-4, 5.95) vs. RHP Luis Cessa (2-2, 4.04)
June 22, 7:05 PM: RHP Riley Thompson (2-1, 6.31) vs. TBD
June 23, 1:35 PM: TBD vs. RHP Domingo Germán
What’s on the Menu
This week’s Hot Dog of the Homestand presented by Eisenberg is the Chicago Dog, a hot dog topped yellow mustard, pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, diced onions, tomato slices, sport peppers and celery salt on an everything bun. Fans can find them at the Links and Drinks carts located behind Section 105 and 120.
If the Indians win at home, fans win at home, too! Thanks to a partnership with Chick-fil-A®, fans can claim a free Chick-fil-A® entrée on the Chick-fil-A® App the day after every home victory.
Can’t-Miss Promotions
Start off the week with the Tuesday Dollar Menu brought to you by Eisenberg, featuring hot dogs, peanuts, potato chips, popcorn, Cracker Jack® and churros for just a buck each. Come back for Half-Off Wednesday Night presented by AAA Insurance and Best-One, when all Box, Reserved and Lawn seat tickets are 50% off when you enter the code HALF in the coupon code field before selecting your seats. With an offer that good, how do you not return for game two?
The weekend arrives early with Thirsty Thursday™ presented by Sun King Brewery and Wine Night presented by Daniel’s Vineyard taking over the ballpark. Sit back and enjoy $2 fountain Pepsi products and $3 draft beers at all concession stands, and take a stroll to the Center Field Plaza, where you can taste Daniel’s Vineyard’s portfolio of wines and enter to win exciting giveaways!
Build yourself back up for Friday’s contest, highlighted by LEGO® NINJAGO® Play Like a Ninja Night and Friday Fireworks presented by AAA Insurance and FOX59 after the game. Enjoy LEGO® short films pregame and after the final out, LEGO® building and themed photo opportunities.
Saturday night will be dedicated to paying tribute to the rich history of the Negro Leagues in Indianapolis as we host Negro Leagues Night in partnership with the Indiana Civil Rights Commission. Learn about the Negro Leagues when clips from the ABC News podcast, “Reclaimed: The Forgotten League” play in-park throughout the game. There will also be an opportunity to meet Vanessa Ivy Rose, the host of the podcast and granddaughter of Hall of Famer Norman “Turkey” Stearnes, in the Center Field Plaza for a book signing. In addition, the Indians will be wearing specialty Indianapolis Clowns jerseys to honor the Negro Leagues club. Fans may bid on the jerseys until the end of the seventh inning by texting VICTORY to 79230, with all proceeds benefiting Indianapolis Indians Charities. Purchasereplica Indianapolis Clowns merchandiseonline or at Victory Field on game day.
The homestand concludes with a 1:35 PM first pitch on Sunday! Arrive early for Yoga in the Outfield led by Studio YOU Yoga from 12:10-12:50 PM. Admission to the session is included in the price of your ticket, and participants are encouraged to bring their own yoga mat, water bottle, towel or blanket. After taking time for yourself to unwind, treat your kids to a free hot dog, bag of chips and Capri Sun® juice pouch as part of our Kids Eat Free Sunday deal presented by Meijer, and make sure they pick up their June Knot Hole Kids Club giveaway item while supplies last, provided by Riley Children’s Health and Williams Comfort Air! And remember, after every Sunday home game, Knot Hole members get to run the bases.
Notable First Pitches
June 20: Comedian Joey Mulinaro
June 22: Vanessa Ivy Rose, host of ABC’s Reclaimed: The Forgotten League podcast
June 23: Member of US Olympic Swimming Team (TBD), Bryson Crenshaw (age 5) from Riley Children’s Health
Single-game tickets are available for purchase, and group and premium reservations may also be made. For more on the Indians, visitIndyIndians.comor contact the Victory Field Box Office at (317) 269-3545 orTickets@IndyIndians.com.
INDY ELEVEN WOMEN’S SOCCER
GIRLS IN BLUE BATTLE LEXINGTON SC IN ROAD MATCH
#LEXvIND Preview
Indy Eleven vs. Lexington SC
Tuesday, June 18, 2024 – 6 p.m. ET
Toyota Stadium | Georgetown, Ky.
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Live Stream
In-game Updates
2024 USL W LEAGUE RECORDS
Indy Eleven: 6-0-1, 19 pts (+27), 1st in Valley Division
Lexington SC: 3-2-1, 10 pts. (+7), 3rd in Valley Division
SETTING THE SCENE
Indy Eleven will battle Lexington SC in an away match on Tuesday, June 18 at 6 p.m. In their most recent match, the Girls in Blue picked up their fourth clean sheet of the season, defeating Kings Hammer FC 1-0. Natalie Mitchell scored the goal for Indy Eleven off an assist from Emma Pelkowski. Last time out, Lexington SC claimed a 4-0 victory over Racing Louisville FC.
SERIES VS. LEXINGTON SC
The Girls in Blue lead Lexington SC in the all-time series record, going 4-0-0. In their previous match this season on June 2, 2024, Indy Eleven picked up a 4-0 clean sheet. Two goals came from captain Ella Rogers while Katie Soderstrom registered two assists and a goal. Natalie Mitchell and Maisie Whitsett both aided the team, earning one goal and one assist, respectively.
RECENT MEETINGS
June 2, 2024 | W, 4-0
June 22, 2023 | W, 3-0
June 9, 2023 | W, 2-0
May 21, 2023 | W, 3-0
TEAM NOTES
- For most goals scored, Captain Ella Rogers and Natalie Mitchell are tied with a team-high five goals.
- Mitchell also leads the team in points with five goals and three assists for a total of 13 points.
- This campaign, the Girls in Blue have earned four clean sheets.
- Indy Eleven has scored 33 goals over six games, only allowing six goals against.
- Beginning on June 18, 2023, the Girls in Blue have a 14-game unbeaten streak.
INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
USA BASKETBALL LOOKS FOR 12TH UNDER-18 GOLD MEDAL AT 2024 FIBA U18 WOMEN’S AMERICUP
The 2024 USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team will head south to Bucaramanga, Colombia, this week to compete for the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup title from June 17-23. The biannual series features eight teams from the FIBA Americas zone and will air live on FIBA’s official YouTube channel.
The Americans will begin the week-long quest for their 12th gold medal finish since the tournament’s conception in 1988 – and 10th consecutive since 2000 – with a triad of group play matchups. Slated in Group B, the USA will set off to the races against Brazil on June 17 at 4:10 p.m. ET, followed by contests against Puerto Rico on June 18 and Mexico on June 19 at 3:10 p.m. ET and 12:40 p.m. ET, respectively.
In her first head coaching appointment with USA Basketball, Indiana University head coach Teri Moren looks to uphold the USA’s dominating presence in the tournament and boost the program’s 70-2 tournament all-time record. She has claimed two gold medals in previous USA Basketball assistant coaching assignments.
Moren, along with assistant coaches Jose Fernandez (University of South Florida) and Niele Ivey (University of Notre Dame), are leading a 12-member unit of elite American talent from the high school graduating classes of 2024 and 2025 following a week-long training camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Equipped with a nationally acclaimed array of ball handling and shooting prowess, the USA’s backcourt includes Jasmine Davidson, Kayleigh Heckel, ZaKiyah Johnson, Jordan Lee and Alivia McGill.
Lee is the sole player in the guard rotation with USA Basketball competitive experience, as the University of Texas signee contributed seven points and two steals in a comeback victory for the 2024 USA Women’s Nike Hoop Summit team back in April.
Her four fellow guards will be adding USA Basketball participation to their impressive basketball resumes. Heckel, a five-star point guard regarded for her quickness and vision as a commander of the court, is off to USC next season. McGill will head to Florida next season, while Davidson and Johnson are pillared among the nation’s top 2025 recruits.
The American frontcourt puts forth no shortage of length and down-low dominance, featuring Sienna Betts, Joyce Edwards, Madison Francis, Leah Macy, Arianna Roberson, Kennedy Smith and Sarah Strong.
Smith and Edwards will be reunited in Colombia as the stars of the USA’s Nike Hoop Summit win – the pair lit up Moda Center to combine for 49 points against the World Select team at the showcase. Roberson, a 6-4 center headed to Duke, and Strong, a 6-2 forward going to UConn as a two-time gold medalist at the 2022 and 2023 FIBA 3×3 U18 World Cups, likewise represented the Americans at the Nike Hoop Summit.
Edwards is also a gold medalist at the 2023 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup in Madrid last summer, where she supplied an average of 12.6 points and 6.1 rebounds over seven matchups.
Betts, Francis and Macy will all sport the national colors for the first time in their USA Basketball competitive debuts.
Following the group phase, the eight national teams will earn seeds for tournament play to continue to the quarterfinals on June 20.
The four winners of Thursday’s quarterfinal matchups will not only advance to Friday’s semifinals but will also earn a bid to the 2025 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup. The championship and third-place games on June 24 will crown the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup medalists.
INDIANA SWIMMING
KING CLINCHES PARIS, THIRD OLYMPICS
INDIANAPOLIS – Five-time Olympic medalist Lilly King punched her ticket to the 2024 Paris Games, her third Olympics, Monday (June 17) night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
King won the 100-meter breaststroke at U.S. Olympic Team Trials with a time of 1:05.43, the only time under 1:06. It also ranks as the fourth fastest time in the world this season.
Indiana University’s all-time leading medal-winner among women’s athletes, King becomes IU’s first women’s swimmer to reach a third Olympics.
INDIANA BASEBALL
SIX INVITED TO MLB DRAFT COMBINE
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Ahead of the 2024 MLB Draft, six Hoosiers have been invited to the MLB Draft Combine. It is the last major gathering of eligible prospects in front of the 30 MLB franchises before July’s draft on All-Star weekend. The combine will be held at Chase Field in Phoenix.
The Indiana Baseball team will have six players in attendance, the most of any team in the conference. IU players will make up half of the Big Ten prospects that were invited to the five-day showcase. Running from June 18-23, the MLB Draft Combine will allow players to participate in performance assessments, workouts and strength tests for scouts.
Juniors Luke Sinnard, Carter Mathison, Brock Tibbitts, Josh Pyne and Nick Mitchell will join draft-eligible sophom*ore Connor Foley at the combine. Foley, one of the fastest rising names up draft boards, is eligible for the draft this season due to his age. He is currently No. 114 among MLB’s Top-200 Draft Prospects.
Despite missing the entire 2024 season due to injury, Sinnard has continued his rehab in Bloomington. He was an all-conference and all-region performer in 2023 while setting a single-season program record for strikeouts (114). The MLB has Sinnard at No. 184 on its Top-200 Draft Prospects list.
Mathison, Tibbitts, Pyne and Mitchell all helped IU to a fantastic offensive season in 2024, setting a team program single-season record in doubles (140). Mathison (All-Big Ten Tournament Team) and Tibbitts (All-NCAA Knoxville Regional Team) were productive players in the postseason while Pyne and Mitchell reached base at an electric rate for the Hoosiers in 2024.
The 2024 MLB Draft is set to take place from July 14-16 in Arlington, Texas during All-Star weekend. Since head coach Jeff Mercer has taken over the program, 10 different players have been picked in the top-10 rounds. Craig Yoho (RHP, Milwaukee) and Phillip Glasser (SS, Washington) were IU’s two players selected in last year’s proceedings.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
HARRIS INVITED TO MEXICAN NATIONAL TEAM TRAINING CAMP
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue freshman guard Gicarri Harris is 1-of-20 players invited to take part in training camp for Mexico Basketball’s National Team, starting this week in Tucson, Arizona.
The invitees will play two games on June 24 and 25, to attempt to qualify for a FIBA tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the following week in hopes of advancing to the Olympic games later this summer in Paris, France.
Harris is invited as he owns dual citizenship with the United States and Mexico.
Harris is one of two with Boilermaker connections attempting to compete in the Olympic Games. Zach Edey has qualified with Team Canada for the Olympics, but final roster selections have not been made yet for the Canadian squad.
Entering Purdue as a 4-star recruit, Harris had an outstanding scholastic campaign in Atlanta, and was ranked as high as No. 66 in the national recruiting rankings and the 10th-best combo guard in the country.by 247Sports. He led Grayson High School (Ga.) to its first State Championship as a senior during the 2023-24 season, owning a 30-2 record and a top-25 national ranking all season long.
Harris ended his career as the school’s all-time leading scorer and averaged 17.6 points, 6.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals, while shooting over 57 percent from the field during his senior campaign.
Harris becomes the second Boilermaker freshman to represent a national team this summer, as classmate Daniel Jacobsen was part of Team USA’s U-18 squad that won gold at last week’s FIBA AmeriCup in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
NOTRE DAME SWIMMING
GUILIANO EARNS SPOT ON TEAM USA FOR PARIS OLYMPICS
INDIANAPOLIS — Chris Guiliano is a United States Olympian.
On Monday, the rising Irish senior qualified for Team USA in the 200 meter freestyle with a time of 1:45.38. He is guaranteed a spot on the men’s 800 freestyle relay, and he will also likely swim the men’s 200 freestyle individual event as a result of taking second place at Olympic Trials. He is the first ever male swimmer out of Notre Dame to make the American Olympic team.
“I love these guys,” Guiliano said of his three fellow teammates who qualified for Team USA alongside him. “I’m excited to keep the relationship going forward. I can’t believe it”
Guiliano adds Olympian to his already lengthy list of accolades. He is a four-time individual ACC champion, five-time NCAA First Team All-American, and helped the Irish to their first ever top-10 finish at NCAA Championships in March.
Swimming at the 2024 Olympic Games will be held at the Paris La Defense Arena, located in the city of Nanterre. Indoor swimming kicks off July 27 and runs through August 4; in total, 35 medal events will be competed.
During the 2020 Olympic Games, Team USA swimmers earned 30 total medals – more than any other country at Games. American swimmers earned 11 golds, 10 silvers and nine bronze medals.
The full Team USA roster for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 will be confirmed in July.
IU-INDY ATHLETICS
MULTIPURPOSE IU INDY ATHLETICS CENTER TO BOOST DOWNTOWN ATHLETICS SPORTS DISTRICT
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana University Board of Trustees has approved the construction of a $110 million athletics center in downtown Indianapolis that will serve both the university and community. The athletic facility will be suitable for hosting significant indoor sporting and athletic events in a seating capacity currently not provided in the downtown area.
The IU Indianapolis Athletics Center will be approximately 134,000 gross square feet and include seating for 4,500 spectators.
The IU Indianapolis Athletics Center, which will be approximately 134,000 gross square feet and include seating for 4,500 spectators, will house a multipurpose arena with an auxiliary gymnasium and community gathering spaces. The facility also will accommodate approximately 16,000 square feet of office spaces, as well as significant athletics support spaces. It will be funded by $89 million in state appropriations — as part of the state’s biennial budget for the construction of an amateur sports facility — as well as $21 million in funding provided by IU Indianapolis.
“The board’s action is a major step in making a transformative project possible,” said Pamela Whitten, president of Indiana University. “Thanks to strong financial support from state partners, this facility will contribute to the continued growth of IU Indianapolis as a nexus of activity for the city and the surrounding region. It will serve as a home for Jaguar sports, university activities, and events for organizations from Indiana and beyond.”
The facility will include a basketball/volleyball court with seats for 4,500 patrons, as well as locker rooms, training facilities, and offices for IU Indianapolis Athletics and select National Sport Governing Bodies. A significant portion of the seating will be retractable to provide flexibility and multipurpose use for events like collegiate and high school sports, including volleyball and wrestling, as well as other recreational activities. The project will include requisite concourse spaces, concessions, restrooms, storage and mechanical/electrical spaces to support the facility.
“The athletics center represents yet another way IU Indianapolis is connecting with the community,” said Latha Ramchand, chancellor of IU Indianapolis. “Combined with Indiana University’s proud tradition of excellence in athletics, this facility will open up a multitude of future opportunities for residents and visitors of all ages and abilities to engage with our campus.”
“Indiana University prides itself on facilities that prioritize function while still offering innovative construction and beautiful design,” said Thomas Morrison, IU’s vice president for capital planning and facilities. “The athletics center will achieve each of these goals as it propels IU and the downtown community into its next chapter in hosting world-class amateur sporting events.”
The project will be situated on the IU Indianapolis campus immediately south of Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Hall, home to the Herron School of Art + Design. It will be a new addition to the IU Indianapolis Sports District, complementing the existing IU Natatorium, National Institute of Fitness and Sport, Michael A. Carroll Track and Soccer Stadium and IU Indianapolis Softball Complex. The project will now move forward for further consideration and approval by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and the State Budget Committee.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
SPENCER, HAYDEN AMONG THE ATTENDEE LIST FOR 2024 MLB DRAFT COMBINE
MLB.com – Indiana State pitchers Jared Spencer and Luke Hayden were both named as attendees for the 2024 MLB Draft Combine held over June 18-23, 2024, at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz.
The two Sycamores join 319 Draft-eligible prospects with 193 total collegiate prospects are set to attend the event. Prospects in attendance will have the chance to participate in Prospect Development Pipeline performance assessments — a series of comprehensive evaluations that utilize state-of-the-art technology to measure cognitive skills, speed of processing, athletic performance and on-field talent. They will also be able to take part in a pro-style showcase workout and strength tests.
Spencer made the transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation over the course of the 2024 season. He posted a 6-0 record with two saves, while posting a 4.08 ERA over 53.0 innings. Spencer posted a 72:33 strikeout-to-walk ratio over the year allowing opponents to hit just .216 from the plate.
Highlighting his season included wins over Michigan State, Souther Miss, Xavier, Purdue, UIC, and Valparaiso. His signature start came late in the season as the Centreville, Mich. native allowed just four hits and a run while striking out a career-high 10 batters against Valparaiso on May 16. He went at least 2.0 innings in 14 different games and struck out at least three batters 13 times over the course of the 2024 season.
Hayden was dominant over his first season with the Sycamores as the Bloomington, Ind. native was a 2024 MVC Baseball All-Conference Second Team selection, 2024 MVC Baseball Second Team Scholar-Athlete, and MVC All-Tournament team selection. He posted a 7-2 record on the mound while finishing third in the MVC in ERA (3.81) and seventh in opponent batting average (.248) over 78.0 innings.
Hayden started 16 games for the Sycamores making his ISU debut on February 19th with 6.0 shutout innings against South Florida in a 5-0 win. He recorded his first complete game on April 21 going 7.0 innings while striking out 11 in a series-clinching win over Illinois State. He added a strong performance in an elimination game in the MVC Tournament against UIC allowing just three hits while striking out nine in his second win over the Flames in 2024. He went at least 5.0 innings in nine different starts on the year.
For the fourth consecutive year, MLB Network will have exclusive coverage live from Phoenix. Beginning at 1 p.m. ET on June 18, there will be a complete broadcast of the event and breakdowns from MLB Network personalities and analysts, including Greg Amsinger, Jared Carrabis, Jim Callis, Al Leiter, Albert Pujols, Dan O’Dowd, Harold Reynolds, Xavier Scruggs and Buck Showalter. The five hours of coverage on Tuesday are also streaming on MLB.com, MLB.TV and in the MLB App.
Pitching Ninja analyst Rob Friedman will provide on-site analysis and Marquee Sports Network Player Development Analyst Lance Brozdowski will make his first appearance on the Network. Interviews with players and club personnel will also be featured as part of the coverage.
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
SYCAMORE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SIGNS GUARD SEMIE BRAR
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State head women’s basketball coach Marc Mitchell announced the addition of Semie Brar to the program Monday morning.
Brar, a 5-4 guard from Fresno, California, joins the Sycamores with one year of eligibility after transferring from Wagner.
“Semie is a combo guard who shoots the ball with range,” Mitchell said. “She is a very good decision maker who plays with a lot of energy. Semie is crafty and has a knack for scoring the ball. She brings with her a great deal of college game experience. We expect Semie to provide leadership and guidance for the Indiana State women’s basketball program. #ASONE”
Brar joins the Sycamores after spending the 2023-24 season at Wagner, where she led the Seahawks in scoring at 9.4 points per game. She had three games with 20-points, including a season-high 26 against Iona, while finishing the season with 11 games of double-figure scoring. Brar showcased an ability to knock down the three-ball, sinking a team-high 42 treys while connecting on better than 34 percent of her attempts from behind the arc. She also added 2.5 rebounds per game and had 10 games last season with four or more rebounds, including a season-best six at Rutgers. Brar also contributed 1.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game, both marks which ranked second on the team.
Prior to Wagner, Brar spent one season at Laney College, where she was an all-conference honoree. She averaged 19.2 points per game at Laney, connecting on nearly 50 percent of her shots from the field and just under 40 percent of her 3-point attempts while leading the Eagles with 52 3-pointers. Brar had 12 games with 20-plus points, including back-to-back games with 40-plus points against West LA and Yuba. She also pulled down 4.7 rebounds per game and dished out 4.5 assists per game on her way to a Second Team CCCWBCA All-State selection for the 2022-23 campaign.
Brar played her freshman season at Wittenberg, where she averaged 6.3 points per game in 21 games played. She saw an increased role down the stretch, averaging 9.7 points per game over the last nine games of the season while scoring in double-figures four times during that span. Brar connected on 37.5 percent of her 3-point attempts for the Tigers and was fifth on the team in scoring despite not starting a game. She also added 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game for a Wittenberg team that went 19-8 overall and earned a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Brar joins Denyha Jacobs and Davina Smith as signees in Indiana State’s 2024 class. Jacobs’ signing was announced Wednesday, while Smith’s signing was announced Friday.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE VOLLEYBALL
MASTODON WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL ANNOUNCES COACHING STAFF ADDITIONS
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne women’s volleyball head coach Steve Florio has announced his coaching staff for 2024. Brigitte Slack joins the staff as an assistant coach and Mario Capo joins as a graduate assistant coach.
“Welcome home Brigitte!” Florio said. “I’m thrilled to have Brigitte back in Fort Wayne and with our team. I’ve known Brigitte for over 20 years. She has excellent values, is of the highest character, and checks so many boxes when it comes to staff and team needs.”
Slack comes to Purdue Fort Wayne after spending the last three years as an Athletic Director for Hillel Academy of Tampa Bay and head coach of TEAMKiwi, a club of U-17 and U-12 teams in Tampa, Florida. Prior to her time in the Sunshine State, Slack was the Volleyball Program Director for the Savannah Country Day School in Savannah, Georgia. She was responsible for seven volleyball teams and doubled the varsity team’s win total in one season. Before her three years in Georgia, Slack spent four in Texas working for the Texas Tornados Volleyball Club, where she was working primarily as a recruiting coordinator and setters coach. She spent two years at North Side High School as the assistant coach for the varsity program. Before working in the Summit City, Slack was as assistant coach at Army in 2013-14, where she was responsible for developing a strategy that led to a 40 percent increase in solo blocks. She worked specifically with the setters at Army. Over the last 20 years, Slack has worked a variety of collegiate camps, both as a coach and as an organizer.
Slack is a 2004 graduate of Concordia Lutheran High School in Fort Wayne, where she was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023. She went on to play at Alabama, where she left the Crimson Tide as the all-time assists and assists per set leader. She led Alabama to three NCAA Tournament appearances. After Alabama, Slack played professional volleyball in Denmark and Germany.
“Brigitte’s vast amount of individual records, achievements, and team success in her playing career as a setter in the SEC and professionally in Europe are incredibly impressive and provide a wealth of knowledge for our team to learn from,” Florio said. “She’ll be working directly with our setters and our offense. What an amazing opportunity for them.
“Brigitte has coached all ages from youth to NCAA Division I. She has been on all sides of the recruiting process as a recruiting coordinator for club volleyball, as a recruiter at the NCAA level, and as a high-level recruit herself. That variety of experience will prove valuable in training our athletes and leading our recruiting efforts.
“From a team culture standpoint, her patient and positive demeanor combined with her various life experiences, including jobs in and out of volleyball, and most importantly as a loving mother, mesh with our goal of helping our athletes develop as good people. Also, for me, I value that she’s lived in different parts of the world, has held jobs in which she’s been in charge, and is a parent herself. She’ll bring an understanding of what I need as a head coach and a knowledgeable perspective as we work together to provide a quality and rewarding experience for our team.”
Capo stays in the Summit City after spending the last four years playing men’s volleyball at Indiana Tech. Capo played in 112 matches with the Warriors, recording 248 kills, 405 digs and 19 blocks. In 2022, he was selected to the WHAC Champions of Character Team. This past season, Capo helped Indiana Tech to a 26-6 record and a ranking in the NAIA National Top-15 as high as No. 10. Over his four years, the Warriors went 91-25 and competed in the NAIA National Championship three times. Capo is a Fishers High School alumnus, where he was a state champion in 2019 and the team MVP.
“I’m excited to welcome Mario to our staff,” Florio said. “He comes from a volleyball family and is a student of the game. Plus, his enthusiastic, positive mindset will fit in well with our staff. Having played multiple positions on college, I expect he’ll be able to help train several different skill sets and have valuable insight for in-match decisions and tactics. Most importantly, he is a good person that will further enhance our team culture.”
Slack and Capo join Purdue Fort Wayne for the 2024 season, which will kick off in August. The full schedule will be announced soon.
UINDY MEN’S TENNIS
ZEUCH, DERACHE EARN ITA ALL-AMERICA HONORS
TEMPE, Ariz. – UIndy Tennis student-athletes Tom Zeuch and Matthieu Derache were named ITA All-Americans by the organization following the conclusion of the 2024 spring season.
Zeuch, who topped the national singles rankings, was one of two GLVC competitors on the list, while he and Derache were the lone conference member among the doubles teams. Zeuch is a back-to-back All-America selection in both singles and doubles.
The Greyhounds concluded the season with a 19-5 record, highlighted by their second straight GLVC championship and No. 1 seed in the DII Midwest Regional.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS:https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS:https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS:https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS:https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS:https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS:https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS:https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS:https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS:https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS:https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS:https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS:https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS:https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS:https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS:https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS:https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BENDATHLETICS:https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS:https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS:https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS:https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OFTHE WOODS ATHLETICS:https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS:https://goleafs.net/
HOY CROSS ATHLETICS:https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS:https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS:https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
47 – 19 – 8 – 38 – 40 – 19
June 18, 1947 – The Cincinnati Reds pitcher Ewell Blackwell, wearing Number 47 tossed a no-hit gem against the Boston Braves in a 6-0 blanking at Crosley Field in Cincinnati.
June 18, 1950 – The Cleveland Indians set an American League Baseball record by tallying 14 runs in just the first inning in a blowout 21-2 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics in Cleveland Stadium. This was a the second game of a double header where the Indians bats heated up in a 7-0 victory with ace Bob Feller, Number 19 on the hill in game one of the twi-night double-header in a steady drizzle. Number 8, Ray Boone had a great day at the plate for Cleveland, batting .500 for the day between both games with 2 Home Runs.
June 18, 1953 – Boston Red Sox rookie Gene Stephens, Number 38 became the 1st player in AL history to register 3 hits in an inning. The young slugger helped Boston scored 17 runs in just the 7th Inning in a 23-3 rout of the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park.
June 18, 1967 – Houston Astros pitcher Don Wilson, Number 40 threw his own no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves for a 2-0 victory at the Astrodome in Houston.
June 18, 1975 – Boston Red Sox Fred Lynn wearing Number 19 knocked in 10 RBIs in a single game in a 15-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
June 18, 1921 – Detroit Tigers football franchise forms after being known as the Detroit Heralds the year prior and only survives part of the 1921 season. In the middle of the season the franchise folded and sent their roster to the Buffalo All-Americans.
The Newspapers.com Football History Headline of the Day comes from the June 19, 1973 Santa Cruz Sentinel in Santa Cruz, California when readers spotted the headline that day of:
NCAA Proposes Random Drug Testing for Athletes
This was in reference to the June 18, 1973 policy established where the NCAA set up mandatory random urine tests for all participants to test for illegal forms of drugs and narcotics. NCAA spokesman Robert W. Pritchard stated that, “The situation is critical,” and that the tests would not lead to punishment but were “only to gather facts that we hope will provide us future direction in fighting drug abuse.” According to the NCAA.com the organization still tests for steroids, peptide hormones and masking agents year-round and also tests for stimulants and recreational drugs during championships.
First NFL Helmet Logo
June 18, 1948 – The first use of a logo on an NFL helmet is credited to by Fred Gehrke, a running back for the Los Angeles Rams. According to a PFRA article written by Peter Vischansky for the organization’s Coffin Corner Publication in 2000, Gehrke sat down in his garage the summer of 1948 to paint a yellow laquer on his team’s leather helmets. He did not realize at the time that he was creating a muti-million dollar business and placing his name football immortality as well. Peter V. goes on to write that it was the blandness of helmets and uniforms of that time didn’t sit well with the art major Gehrke. He toyed with the idea of painting a helmet. Later after expressing this and at the urging of his coach, Bob Snyder, Fred made a pen and ink drawing to illustrate what the design would look like. Coach Snyder suggested the halfback paint a helmet with the ram horns on it that he could present to owner Dan Reeves. Using his skills as a technical illustrator, Fred painted two ram horns on an old college helmet. An intrigued Reeves had reservations about the legality of having an adornment on a helmet and said he would have to check with NFL. According to Gehrke, the answer Reeves got back from NFL was “You’re the owner; do what you want!” That did it! Dan Reeves commissioned Fred Gehrke to paint 75 helmets at $1.00 per helmet. The project took Gehrke all the summer of 1948 and history that stuck was made!
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
June 18
1938 — The Brooklyn Dodgers signed Babe Ruth to coach for the remainder of the season.
1947 — Cincinnati’s Ewell Blackwell tossed a 6-0 no-hitter against the Boston Braves.
1950 — In the nightcap of a doubleheader, the Cleveland Indians scored 14 runs in the first inning for an American League record as they trounced the Philadelphia A’s 21-2.
1953 — At Fenway Park, Dick Gernert’s home run highlighted the 17-run, 14-hit seventh inning as the Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 23-3. The Red Sox were up 5-3 after 6 1/2 innings. The Red Sox scored the 17 runs on 14 hits and six walks and left the bases loaded. Gene Stephens collected three hits and Sammy White scored three runs and Tom Umphlett also reached base three times in the inning.
1960 — The San Francisco Giants fired Bill Rigney and selected Tom Sheehan as manager. At 66 years, 2 months and 18 days, Sheehan was the oldest man to debut as a manager of a major league team.
1967 — Houston Astro Don Wilson tossed the first of his two career no-hitters by blanking the Atlanta Braves 2-0, facing 30 batters and striking out 15.
1975 — Fred Lynn batted in 10 runs with three homers, a triple and a single in a 15-1 Boston Red Sox victory over the Detroit Tigers. Lynn’s 16 total bases tied an AL record.
1976 — Commissioner Bowie Kuhn voided the sale of Oakland Athletics stars Vida Blue, Rollie Fingers and Joe Rudi. Athletics owner Charlie Finley sold Blue to the New York Yankees for $1.5 million and Rudi and Fingers to the Boston Red Sox for $1 million each. Kuhn ordered the players to return to Oakland on grounds that they would upset the sport’s competitive balance.
1977 — New York Yankees outfielder Reggie Jackson and manager Billy Martin get into a dugout confrontation at Fenway Park that’s seen on national television. Martin removed his right fielder for loafing on a ball hit to the outfield. Jackson questioned Martin in the dugout and the two are eventually separated by coach Elston Howard.
1986 — California’s Don Sutton pitched a three-hitter for his 300th career victory as the Angels beat the Texas Rangers 5-1. The 41-year-old right-hander became the 19th pitcher in baseball history to win 300 games.
2002 — Luis Castillo of the Florida Marlins ties Rogers Hornsby’s 80-year-old record for the longest hitting streak by a second baseman, beating out a dribbler to the pitcher in the 6th inning to make it 33 games in a row. Florida beats the Cleveland Indians, 2 – 1.
2007 — Chone Figgins went 6-for-6 and drove in the game-winning run in the ninth inning to lift the Los Angeles Angels over Houston 10-9.
2011 — Connor Harrell hit the first College World Series home run in the new TD Ameritrade Park to break a sixth-inning tie and first-time qualifier Vanderbilt defeated North Carolina 7-3.
2012 — R.A. Dickey became the first major league pitcher in 24 years to throw consecutive one-hitters and Ike Davis hit a grand slam in the New York Mets’ 5-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. The previous pitcher to throw consecutive one-hitters was Dave Stieb for Toronto in September 1988.
2012 — Aaron Hill hit a solo homer in the seventh inning to become the fifth Arizona player to hit for the cycle, lifting the Diamondbacks to a 7-1 win over the Seattle Mariners.
2014 — Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers throws the second no-hitter of the year, shutting out the Colorado Rockies, 8 – 0. It comes less than a month after his teammate Josh Beckett had pitched a no-hitter on May 26th. He strikes out 15 without giving up a walk, the only baserunner coming on a two-base error by SS Hanley Ramirez in the 8th.
2017 — Nolan Arenado completed the cycle with a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Colorado Rockies stunned the San Francisco Giants by rallying for a 7-5 victory.
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June 19
1927 — Jack Scott of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched two complete games in a doubleheader. Scott beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-1 and lost 3-0 in the second game. Scott was the last pitcher in major league history to complete two games on the same day.
1938 – Cincinnati pitcher Johnny Vander Meer coming off two straight no-hitters, extended his string of hitless innings to 21 2/3 against the Boston Bees. Vander Meer gave up a single to Debs Garms in the fourth inning. The Red won 14-1 behind Vander Meer’s four-hitter.
1941 — En route to 56, Joe DiMaggio hit in his 32nd consecutive game, going 3-for-3, including a home run, against the Chicago White Sox.
1942 — Paul Waner got hit number 3,000 — a single off Rip Sewell — but the Boston Braves lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6.
1952 — Brooklyn Dodger Carl Erskine pitched a 5-0 no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs at Ebbets Field.
1961 — Roger Maris’ ninth-inning homer off Kansas City’s Jim Archer was his 25th of the year, putting him seven games ahead of Babe Ruth’s pace in 1927.
1973 — Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds and Willie Davis of the Los Angeles Dodgers both collect their 2,000th hits. It is a single for Rose against the San Francisco Giants and a home run for Davis against the Atlanta Braves.
1974 — Steve Busby of the Kansas City Royals hurled his second no-hitter in 14 months and gave up just one walk in beating the Brewers 2-0 at Milwaukee.
1977 — The Boston Red Sox hit five home runs in an 11-1 triumph over the New York Yankees. The five homers gave the Red Sox a major league record 16 in three games. Boston hit six homers on the 17th and five on the 18th, also against the Yankees. In the series the Yankees had no homers.
1990 — Gary Carter plays in his 1,862nd career game as a catcher to break the National League mark set by Al Lopez.
1994 — John Smoltz became the 14th major league pitcher to give up four homers in an inning when he was tagged by Cincinnati. The Reds set a team record for home runs in an inning, connecting four times in the first inning. Hal Morris, Kevin Mitchell, Jeff Branson and Eddie Taubensee homered. Smoltz allowed 20 total bases in the first inning, the most given up in the NL since 1900.
2015 — Alex Rodriguez homered for his 3,000th career hit as the New York Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 7-2.
2017 — Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger launched two more home runs, setting a major league record with his powerful start, and Clayton Kershaw became the first 10-game winner in the National League despite giving up a career-high four long balls as Los Angeles held on for a 10-6 victory over the New York Mets. Bellinger reached 21 homers in 51 career games — faster than any other player in big league history.
2019 — One day after fouling a bunted ball in his face during batting practice and breaking his nose, Max Scherzer takes the mound for the Nationals against the Phillies sporting a prominent black eye. He still stymies the opposition with 7 scoreless innings in a 2 – 0 win. “Trust me, this thing looks a lot worse than it actually feels,” he explains to journalists.
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June 20
1912 — The New York Giants outslugged the Boston Braves 21-12 with the teams scoring a total of 17 runs in the ninth inning. The Giants scored seven runs to take a 21-2 lead and the Braves scored 10 runs in the ninth.
1932 — Philadelphia’s Doc Cramer hit six singles in six at-bats and Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx and Mule Haas each drove in four runs in the Athletics’ 18-11 win over the Chicago White Sox. Haas hit a grand slam in the sixth inning to put the A’s up 12-6.
1956 — Mickey Mantle hit two home runs into the right centerfield bleachers at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium. Mantle hit both blasts off Billy Hoeft in the 7-4 win. He became the first player to reach the bleachers since they were were built in the late 1930s.
1973 — San Francisco’s Bobby Bonds broke Lou Brock’s National League record for leadoff home runs. Bonds’ 22nd career leadoff home run came off Don Gullet in a 7-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
1973 — Chicago’s Cy Acosta becomes the first American League pitcher to bat since the designated hitter rule went into effect. Acosta strikes out in the eighth inning, and still gets the win in the White Sox’ 8-3 win over California.
1980 — Freddie Patek, one of baseball’s smallest players at 5-foot-5, hit three home runs and a double to lead the California Angels in a 20-2 rout of the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park.
1992 — Kelly Saunders became the second woman to serve as a public address announcer at a major league game when she filled in for Rex Barney in Baltimore.
1994 — The Detroit Tigers’ string of 25 straight games hitting a home run ended in a 7-1 loss to Cleveland. The streak matched the major league mark set by the 1941 New York Yankees.
2004 — Ken Griffey Jr. hit the 500th home run of his career, off Matt Morris, to help the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-0.
2007 — Sammy Sosa hit his 600th home run, making him the fifth player to reach the milestone. Sosa, playing for the Texas Rangers following a year out of baseball, hit a solo homer off Jason Marquis. It came in the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs, the team he played for from 1992-2004.
2009 — Two games ended on wild pitches in extra innings. Nate Schierholtz scored the winning run for San Francisco on a wild pitch by Jason Jennings with two outs in the 11th inning and the Giants beat the Texas Rangers 2-1. Earlier, the Chicago Cubs beat Cleveland 6-5 in 13 innings when Andres Blanco came home on Kerry Wood’s gaffe.
2011 — The Florida Marlins named Jack McKeon interim manager. The 80-year-old McKeon became the second-oldest manager in major league history. Connie Mack managed the Philadelphia Athletics in a suit, tie and straw hat until 1950, when he was 87.
2015 — Max Scherzer pitched a no-hitter, losing his perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning when he hit a batter in the Washington Nationals’ 6-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Scherzer dominated in retiring the first 26 batters and was one strike from throwing the 22nd perfect game in major league history since 1900. Pinch-hitter Jose Tabata fouled off a pair of 2-2 pitches before Scherzer clipped him on the elbow with a breaking ball. Scherzer then retired Josh Harrison on a deep fly to left.
2016 — Colorado beat Miami 5-3 where eight solo homers accounted for all the runs in the game and set a major league record. Mark Reynolds hit two homers and Trevor Story, Nick Hundley and Charlie Blackmon also went deep for the Rockies. Marcell Ozuna homered twice and Giancarlo Stanton hit one for the Marlins. The previous MLB mark was five. The eight home runs were also the most in a game at Marlins Park since it opened in 2012. Five of the game’s first 13 batters connected.
2017 — Umpire Joe West worked his 5,000th major league game. West was behind the plate for a matchup between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The 64-year-old, nicknamed “Cowboy” Joe, is the third umpire to work at least 5,000 games, joining Hall of Famer Bill Klem (5,375) and Bruce Froemming (5,163). West made his major league debut as a 23-year-old on Sept. 14, 1976, at Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium in a game between the Braves and Houston Astros. He joined the NL staff full time in 1978. His 40 seasons umpiring in the majors are the most by any umpire.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
June 18
1910 — Alex Smith wins the U.S. Open by beating John McDermont and Macdonald Smith in an 18-hole playoff at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. Smith beats McDermont by four strokes and Macdonald Smith by six.
1921 — The University of Illinois wins the first NCAA track and field championships with 20¼ points. Notre Dame finishes second with 16¾ points.
1941 — Joe Louis knocks out Billy Conn in the 13th round at the Polo Grounds in New York to retain the world heavyweight title.
1960 — Arnold Palmer beats amateur Jack Nicklaus by two strokes to win the U.S. Open.
1967 — Jack Nicklaus shoots a record 275 to beat Arnold Palmer for the U.S. Open. Nicklaus breaks Ben Hogan’s 1948 record by one stroke.
1972 — Jack Nicklaus wins the U.S. Open by three strokes over Bruce Crampton and ties Bobby Jones’ record of 13 major titles.
1972 — UEFA European Championship Final, Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium: Gerd Müller scores a brace as West Germany beats Soviet Union, 3-0.
1975 — Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins wins the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman for the eighth consecutive year.
1984 — Fuzzy Zoeller shoots a 3-under 67 to beat Greg Norman by eight strokes in the 18-hole playoff at Winged Foot GC for the U.S. Open title.
1986 — California’s Don Sutton becomes the 19th pitcher in baseball history to win 300 games as he pitches a three-hitter to give the Angels a 5-1 triumph over the Texas Rangers.
1990 — Hale Irwin makes an 8-foot birdie putt on the 91st hole to beat Mike Donald in the first sudden-death playoff to decide the U.S. Open. It is the third U.S. Open title for the 45-year-old Irwin, the oldest winner in the tournament’s history.
1992 — Ottawa Senators make goalie Peter Sidorkiewicz their 1st draft pick.
1995 — Michael Johnson becomes the first national champion at 200 and 400 meters since 1899 as he captures both races at the USA-Mobil Championships.
1995 — FIFA Women’s World Cup Final, Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden: Hege Riise & Marianne Pettersen score within 3 minutes of each other to give Norway a 2-0 win over Germany.
2000 — Tiger Woods turns the 100th U.S. Open into a one-man show, winning by 15 strokes over Ernie Els and Miguel Angel Jimenez. Woods’ 15-stroke margin shatters the Open mark of 11 set by Willie Smith in 1899 and is the largest in any major championship — surpassing the 13-stroke victory by Old Tom Morris in the 1862 British Open.
2006 — Phil Mickelson’s bid for a third consecutive major ends with a shocking collapse when he bungles his way to a double bogey on the final hole, giving the U.S. Open to Geoff Ogilvy.
2017 — Brooks Koepka breaks away from a tight pack with three straight birdies on the back nine at Erin Hills and closes with a 5-under 67 to win the U.S. Open for his first major championship.
2017 — Diana Taurasi scores 19 points to break the WNBA career scoring record in the Phoenix Mercury’s 90-59 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. Taurasi finishes with 7,494 points, passing Tina Thompson’s mark of 7,488.
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June 19
1867 — Ruthless, ridden by J. Gilpatrick, wins the inaugural Belmont Stakes at Jerome Park in the Bronx. The filly earns $1,850 for her victory.
1914 — Harry Vardon wins his sixth and final British Open by shooting a 306, three strokes ahead of J.H. Taylor at Prestwick Club.
1936 — German heavyweight boxer Max Schmeling knocks out previously unbeaten Joe Louis in the 12th round. Schmeling’s victory sets off a propaganda war between the Nazi regime and the United States on the eve of World War II.
1938 — FIFA World Cup Final, Stade Olympique de Colombes, Paris, France: Luigi Colausig & Silvio Piola each score 2 goals as Italy beats Hungary, 4-1.
1954 — Ed Furgol edges Gene Littler by one stroke to win the U.S. Open, the first golf tournament to be televised nationally.
1955 — Jack Fleck beats Ben Hogan by three strokes in a playoff round to win the U.S. Open.
1973 — Pete Rose (Cincinnati Reds) and Willie Davis (LA Dodgers) both record 2,000th MLB career hit; Rose, a single in 4-0 win vs SF Giants; Davis, a HR in 3-0 win vs Atlanta Braves.
1977 — Hubert Green wins the U.S. Open by one stroke over Lou Graham.
1986 — Len Bias, the second pick in the NBA draft made by the Boston Celtics two days before, dies of a heart attack induced by cocaine use.
1992 — Evander Holyfield wins a unanimous decision over Larry Holmes to remain unbeaten and retain the undisputed heavyweight title.
1992 — Charlie Whittingham becomes the second trainer in history, behind D. Wayne Lukas, to top $100 million in purse earnings when Little by Little finishes second in the sixth race at Hollywood Park.
1999 — Dallas wins its first Stanley Cup, as Brett Hull’s controversial goal at 14:51 of the third overtime gives the Stars a 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 6.
2000 — NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers beat Indiana Pacers, 116-111 in Game 6 to win the franchise’s first title in 12 years; MVP: Shaquille O’Neal.
2005 — Michael Campbell answers every challenge Tiger Woods throws his way for a two-shot victory in the U.S. Open. Retief Goosen, the two-time U.S. Open champion, turns in a collapse that ranks among the greatest in major championship history. He loses his three-shot lead in three holes and closes with an 81 to tie for 11th at 8 over.
2006 — Cam Ward stops nearly everything giving the Carolina Hurricanes their first Stanley Cup title with a 3-1 victory over Edmonton in Game 7.
2011 — Rory McIlroy runs away with the U.S. Open title, winning by eight shots and breaking the tournament scoring record by a whopping four strokes. McIlroy shoots a 2-under 69 to close the four days at Congressional in Bethesda, Md., at 16-under 268.
2015 — Alex Rodriguez homers for his 3,000th career hit as the New York Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 7-2.
2016 — Dustin Johnson atones for his past mishaps in the majors winning the U.S. Open by three shots. Shane Lowry, who began the final round with a four-shot lead, Jim Furyk and Scott Piercy finish tied for second.
2016 — LeBron James and his relentless Cavaliers pulls off an improbable NBA Finals comeback to give the city of Cleveland its first title since 1964. James delivers on a promise from two years ago to bring a championship to his native northeast Ohio, and he and the Cavs become the first team to rally from a 3-1 finals deficit by beating the defending champion Golden State Warriors 93-89.
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June 20
1908 — Colin wins the Tidal Stakes at Sheepshead Bay and retires undefeated after 15 starts. No major American racehorse approaches this record until 1988, when Personal Ensign retires with a perfect 13-for-13 career.
1936 — Jesse Owens sets a 100-meter record of 10.2 seconds at a meet in Chicago.
1940 — Joe Louis stops Arturo Godoy in the eighth round at Yankee Stadium to retain the world heavyweight title.
1960 — Floyd Patterson knocks out Ingemar Johansson in the fifth round in New York to become the first boxer to regain the world heavyweight title.
1966 — Billy Casper beats Arnold Palmer by four strokes in a playoff to win the U.S. Open.
1967 — Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali, is convicted of violating the United States Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted. Clay is sentenced to five years in prison and fined $10,000, the maximum penalty for the offense. Ali remains free while his conviction is on appeal.
1968 — The Night of Speed. In a span of 2½ hours, the world record of 10 seconds for the 100 meters is broken by three men and tied by seven others at the AAU Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif. Jim Hines wins the first semifinal in a tight finish with Ronny Ray Smith, becoming the first man to break the 10-second barrier. Both runners are credited with a time of 9.9 seconds. Charlie Greene wins the second semifinal and then ties Hines’ 9.9 record in the final.
1976 — UEFA European Championship Final, Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia: Czechoslovakia upsets West Germany, 5-3 on penalties following 2-2 draw.
1980 — Roberto Duran wins a 15-round decision over Sugar Ray Leonard at Olympic Stadium in Montreal to win the WBC welterweight crown.
1982 — Tom Watson wins the U.S. Open by two strokes over Jack Nicklaus.
1982 — Pete Rose is 5th to appear in 3,000 games (Cobb, Musial, Aaron, Yaz).
1984 — Jockey Pat Day equals a thoroughbred racing record for an eight-race card when he wins seven races at Churchill Downs. Day’s only loss is in the fourth race.
1993 — Lee Janzen holes a 30-foot chip for birdie on No. 16 and adds birdies on the par-5 closing holes for a two-stroke victory over Payne Stewart in the U.S. Open. Janzen ties Jack Nicklaus’ record 272 total and Lee Trevino’s four straight rounds in the 60′s.
1993 — John Paxson hits a 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left as the Chicago Bulls win their third consecutive NBA title with a 99-98 victory over the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of the finals.
1994 — Ernie Els of South Africa becomes the first foreign winner of the U.S. Open since 1981, beating Loren Roberts on the second sudden-death hole.
1994 — Former NFL running back, broadcaster and actor O.J. Simpson arraigned on murder of Nicole Simpson & Ronald Goldman.
2004 — Retief Goosen captures his second U.S. Open in four years. In the toughest final round at the U.S. Open in 22 years, Goosen closes with a 1-over 71 for a two-shot victory made possible when Phil Mickelson three-putts from 5 feet on the 17th.
2004 — Ken Griffey Jr. hits the 500th home run of his career, off Matt Morris, to help the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-0.
2006 — Dwyane Wade caps his magnificent playoffs with 36 points and 10 rebounds to lead Miami past the Dallas Mavericks 95-92 as the Heat roar back from a two-game deficit to win the NBA finals in six games.
2013 — LeBron James has 37 points and 12 rebounds, and the Miami Heat repeat as champions with a 95-88 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
2017 — Tiger Woods checks into a clinic to manage his pain medication and sleep disorder, following his arrest for driving under the influence.
2018 — Christiano Renaldo scores a goal against Morocco to become the all-time leading European goalscorer (85) in international compitition.
2019 — Duke power forward Zion Williamson is the first player chosen in the 2019 NBA Draft.
2020 — Tiz the Law, ridden by Manuel Franco, wins the 152nd Belmont Stakes becoming the first New York-bred horse to win the event since 1882.
TV SPORTS TUESDAY
| MLB REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| St. Louis at Miami | 6:40pm | Bally Sports Midwest Bally Sports Florida MLB.TV Fubo |
| Seattle at Cleveland | 6:40pm | Root Sports Bally Sports Great Lakes MLB.TV Fubo |
| San Diego at Philadelphia | 6:40pm | Padres.TV NBC Sports Philadelphia MLB.TV Fubo |
| Cincinnati at Pittsburgh | 6:40pm | Bally Sports Ohio ATTSN-Pittsburgh MLB.TV Fubo |
| Arizona at Washington | 6:45pm | YurView MASN2 MLB.TV Fubo |
| Baltimore at NY Yankees | 7:05pm | TBS MASN YES MLB.TV Fubo |
| Boston at Toronto | 7:07pm | NESN Sportsnet1 MLB.TV Fubo |
| Detroit at Atlanta | 7:20pm | Bally Sports Detroit Bally Sports South MLB.TV Fubo |
| Tampa Bay at Minnesota | 7:40pm | Bally Sports Sun Bally Sports North MLB.TV Fubo |
| San Francisco at Chi. Cubs | 8:05pm | NBC Sports Bay Area MARQ MLB.TV Fubo |
| NY Mets at Texas | 8:05pm | SNY Bally Sports Southwest MLB.TV Fubo |
| Houston at Chi. White Sox | 8:10pm | SCHN NBC Sports Chicago MLB.TV Fubo |
| LA Dodgers at Colorado | 8:40pm | SNLA Rockies.TV MLB.TV Fubo |
| Milwaukee at LA Angels | 9:38pm | MLBN Bally Sports Wisconsin Bally Sports West MLB.TV Fubo |
| Kansas City at Oakland | 9:40pm | MLBN Bally Sports Kansas City NBC Sports California MLB.TV Fubo |
| NHL PLAYOFFS | TIME ET | TV |
| Stanley Cup Finals Game 5: Edmonton at Florida | 8:00pm | ABC |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| UEFA Euro: Turkey vs Georgia | 12:00pm | VIX Fubo |
| UEFA Euro: Portugal vs Czech Republic | 3:00pm | FOX VIX Fubo |
| WNBA | TIME ET | TV |
| Los Angeles vs Connecticut | 7:00pm | NBC Sports Boston MNMT |
| New York vs Phoenix | 10:00pm | AFSN CBSSN |
| TENNIS | TIME ET | TV |
| London-ATP, Halle-ATP, Berlin-WTA & Birmingham-WTA Early Rounds | 5:00am | TENNIS |
| London-ATP, Halle-ATP, Berlin-WTA & Birmingham-WTA Early Rounds | 1:00pm | TENNIS |
