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  • Florida stays alive in College World Series with 5-4 win over NC State

    Florida stays alive in College World Series with 5-4 win over NC State

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    OMAHA, Neb.  — Two-way star Jac Caglianone broke the Florida single-season home run record to give his school the lead an inning after he struggled on the mound and got pulled, and the Gators eliminated North Carolina State from the College World Series with a 5-4 victory Monday.

    What You Need To Know

    • Florida defeated NC State 5-4 on Monday in a College World Series elimination game

    • The Gators on Tuesday will play the loser of Kentucky-Texas A&M in another elimination game

    • Jac Caglianone homered in the second inning to break his own single-season record with 34

    • With Wolfpack runners on base in the seventh and eighth, Brandon Neely ended the innings with strikeouts

    Florida (35-29) moved to another elimination game Tuesday against the loser of Monday night’s Texas A&M-Kentucky matchup.

    The Gators are 4-0 in elimination games since regionals and 8-1 in win-or-go-home games in the past two NCAA Tournaments.

    “That’s the standard around here, and it’s our responsibility to uphold that standard, to play winning baseball and get here to Omaha and be the last team standing,” Florida’s Tyler Shelnut said. “Anytime we’re in a spot where our backs are against the wall, we honestly play our best baseball, hands down without a doubt.”

    Caglianone, a projected top-five pick in next month’s amateur draft because of his bat labored through a 33-pitch first inning on the mound. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound left-hander hit a batter and walked two to loaded the bases, gave up Brandon Butterworth’s RBI single and then got a strikeout and fly out to mitigate what could have been a big inning for NC State.

    His fastball averaged 89.5 mph in the inning, and it had never been below 92 mph in his career, according to ESPN. After the first inning, he could be seen rubbing his elbow in the dugout.

    Coach Kevin O’Sullivan opted to lift him for Cade Fisher (4-3).  He said Caglianone wasn’t sharp in super regionals against Clemson, and he could tell he was off on Monday.

    “Definitely didn’t have my best stuff today,” Caglianone said. “I knew I would still have opportunities at the plate to step up for my team.”

    Caglianone stayed in the game as the designated hitter and atoned for what happened on the mound. NC State starter Dominic Fritton (3-7) struck him out on three pitches in the first inning, but in the second, Caglianone drilled his low fastball over the right-center field fence for a three-run homer and 4-1 lead.

    The 404-foot low rider was his 34th homer of the season, breaking his school’s single-season record of 33 set last year. The home run tied him with Matt LaPorta (2004-07) for career homers at Florida with 74.

    “It’s a cool feeling,” Caglianone said. “Mr. LaPorta has reached out a couple times during the year. He’s actually here now with his kids and family. It was a special moment for sure. But end of the day, I was too caught up in just trying to win, staying here and surviving and advancing.”

    Caglianone became the first starting pitcher to homer in a CWS game since Auburn’s Tim Hudson did it against Rice in 1997.

    NC State coach Elliott Avent said he knew he would be replacing Fritton with Logan Whitaker in the third inning, but he left Fritton in to face Caglianone because of his success against him the last time he was up.

    “We thought we’d see if Caglianone wanted to chase again,” Avent said. “That ball he hit to right-center, you’re looking at a future big-leaguer. I can tell you that.”

    Whitaker replaced Fritton to start the third. He allowed two hits and a run and struck out 10 over seven innings.

    The Wolfpack’s Alec Makarewicz and the Gators’ Shelnut also homered, and NC State cut the lead to 5-4 in the fifth on Butterworth’s RBI double.

    NC State had its leadoff man reach base in the sixth, seventh and eighth but couldn’t push the tying run across. Luke Nixon got caught stealing second in the sixth. Then the Wolfpack left two runners on base in the seventh and stranded a man on third in the eighth when Brandon Neely ended both innings with strikeouts.

    NC State, which was third in the nation with seven walk-off wins, had the top of the order up in the bottom of the ninth. Neely caught Eli Serrano III looking at strike three, Garrett Pennington struck out when he couldn’t check his swing on a pitch out of the zone, and Makarewicz lined out to left field to end the game.

    Neely, who earned his fifth save, allowed one hit and struck out six in three innings. He has surrendered just three earned runs and struck out 32 in 21 innings in the NCAA Tournament.

    NC State (38-23) went 0-2 in the CWS for the first time in four all-time appearances.

    “These players took us on a ride of a lifetime,” Avent said. “This place is magical. It’s so hard to get here and so hard to leave.”

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    Associated Press

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  • Ferrer homers twice as FSU knocks Virginia out of CWS

    Ferrer homers twice as FSU knocks Virginia out of CWS

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    OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Jaime Ferrer hit two homers, Carson Dorsey turned in a third straight strong start, and Florida State bounced back from a gut-wrenching loss two days earlier to stay alive in the College World Series with a 7-3 win over Virginia on Sunday.

    The Seminoles (48-16) have won at least one game in five straight CWS appearances since 2010 and will play Tuesday against the loser of Sunday night’s North Carolina-Tennessee matchup.

    The Cavaliers (46-17) went 0-2 in Omaha for the second straight year and have lost six straight CWS games since 2021.

    Florida State was coming off a 12-11 walk-off loss to No. 1 national seed Tennessee in its CWS opener Friday night. Many in garnet and gold thought the Seminoles were robbed of a win when a check-swing call that could have ended the game instead went Tennessee’s way before Dylan Dreiling’s game-winning hit.

    FSU coach Link Jarrett said Friday’s outcome left him with a terrible headache that lasted well into Saturday, and he was concerned about how his team would respond.

    “This probably was the best game we played this year,” Jarrett said. “That sums up what’s in that dugout. It’s not easy to go to bed after that, not a pleasant day. To watch them play their best game, that’s a thrill I’ll never forget here. That’s beyond an experience I’ve ever had here, just the response.”

    Ferrer connected on Virginia starter Jay Woolfolk’s first pitch of the fourth inning and launched a wind-aided fly into the left-field bullpen off Joe Savino for a three-run shot in the fifth. Ferrer has three homers in two CWS games, five in his last four games and 22 for the season.

    Ferrer has driven in four runs in back-to-back games, making him the first player with multiple games with four or more RBIs in a single CWS since Southern California’s Robb Gorr in 1998, according to ESPN.

    Dorsey (8-4), who allowed three runs and struck out seven, was lifted for Brennen Oxford after giving up a base hit to start the eighth. In three NCAA Tournament starts, Dorsey has yielded five earned runs and struck out 20 in 21 innings.

    All four of Dorsey’s pitches were working at a high level, particularly his curve, and he leaned on the breaking more than usual.

    “We saw it work early in the game and we decided to stay with it,” he said. “No need to change what’s working.”

    The left-hander held the Cavaliers scoreless until the seventh, when the ball popped out of Ferrer’s glove as he tried to make a sliding catch of Henry Godbout’s liner to left. That allowed Ethan Anderson to score from second, and Casey Saucke followed with an RBI single.

    Woolfolk (4-2) left in the fourth after he tweaked his right knee on the pitch Ferrer drove out for his first homer of the game. Athletic trainer Brian McGuire made a mound visit, and Woolfolk threw some warmup pitches to see if he could continue. He got an out and walked Drew Faurot, prompting another visit from McGuire. This time Woolfolk came out and Savino relieved.

    “Freak accident,” an emotional Woolfolk said. “I feel fine. I feel great now. Just something that happened. I wish I could have kept going.”

    It was a difficult ending for Woolfolk, originally a two-sport athlete who was expected to compete for the starting quarterback’s job on the football team in 2023. He announced a month before fall camp that he would give up football to focus on baseball, and he was a weekend starter the first month of the season.

    He struggled with his control and went to the bullpen, but coach Brian O’Connor gave him another opportunity to start in the postseason and he turned in two of the best performances of his career in regionals and super regionals. He was sharp Sunday until he got hurt, striking out three while retiring the first six FSU batters.

    The game was delayed more than five minutes in the eighth inning after home plate umpire Linus Baker was shaken up when a foul ball into the dirt behind the plate bounced into his right knee and up under his mask’s chin pad. Medical personnel tended to Baker and gave him the OK to continue and equipment staff checked his mask before play resumed.

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    Associated Press

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  • LaViolette robs Florida of homer in 9th, preserves Texas A&M’s 3-2 CWS win

    LaViolette robs Florida of homer in 9th, preserves Texas A&M’s 3-2 CWS win

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    OMAHA, Neb. — Jace LaViolette robbed Cade Kurland of a go-ahead home run in the ninth inning, Justin Lamkin and two relievers struck out 16, and Texas A&M held off Florida 3-2 in a weather-delayed College World Series opener that ended early Sunday.

    What You Need To Know

    • Florida lost to Texas A&M 3-2 in the teams’ College World Series opener

    • Jace Violette, 6 feet, 6 inches tall, reached above the fence in the ninth to prevent what would have been Cade Kurland’s winning homer

    • The game was delayed because of weather and did not finish until early Sunday

    • The Gators play North Carolina State on Monday afternoon in an elimination game

    The Aggies (50-13) will play Kentucky on Monday night in a Bracket 2 winners’ game.

    The Gators (34-29), the national runners-up to LSU last year, will meet North Carolina State in an afternoon elimination game.

    Texas A&M scored its runs in the first three innings against Liam Peterson (3-5), the first freshman to start a CWS opener for Florida, and then relied on Lamkin, Chris Cortez (10-3) and Evan Aschenbeck to hold down the Gators’ high-powered offense.

    Florida had come from behind in four of its six NCAA Tournament wins and nearly did it again.

    Down a run in the eighth, the Gators loaded the bases with two outs against Aschenbeck. The left-hander, named Stopper of the Year as the nation’s top closer, got out of the inning when second baseman Kaeden Kent gloved Dale Thomas’ slow roller and got his underhand flip to first baseman Ted Burton in time for the third out.

    In the ninth, Michael Robertson reached with one out before Kurland sent a fly deep to right-center field. With his back against the fence, the 6-foot-6 LaViolette reached above it to make the catch. Aschenbeck walked All-America slugger Jac Caglianone before getting his 10th save with a strikeout of Ashton Wilson.

    “Super awesome game, and I told Jace I’m really happy he’s tall,” Aggies coach Jim Schlossnagle said.

    The wind was blowing in at 14 mph at the start of the game, which was delayed 4 hours, 7 minutes because of rain and lightning. The wind gusted over 25 mph in the afternoon before calming down after storms moved through.

    “I got a total wrong read off the bat, I’m not going to lie,” LaViolette said. “I looked up and thought this might be a homer, and my heart dropped for a second and then I was at the wall. I give a little credit to the wind. This ballpark plays a lot bigger than what it is, and the wind knocked it down a little bit. It was a real cool play.”

    Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan said he thought the ball was out, mostly based on Kurland’s reaction.

    “He thought he got it. I thought he got it. Right fielder made a heck of a play,” O’Sullivan said.

    Schlossnagle took a calculated risk starting Lamkin and saving fellow left-hander and season-long No. 1 pitcher Ryan Prager for the Aggies’ game on Monday. The Aggies are short of starting arms after a season-ending arm injury to Shane Sdao in last week’s super regional against Oregon.

    Lamkin had been in the weekend rotation until the final regular-season series, but he struggled in his previous two starts. In the last month, Lamkin’s only outing was a nine-pitch relief appearance against Louisiana in regionals.

    Schlossnagle needed Lamkin to give him a few innings and then turned the game over to Cortez and his 100-mph fastball. Lamkin did his part, allowing one baserunner and striking out six in three innings.

    The Aggies scored on Travis Chestnut’s bases-loaded infield single and a wild pitch in the second and on Caden Sorrell’s double in the third.

    Cortez kept Florida scoreless when the Gators threatened in the fourth and sixth, but they broke through in the seventh on back-to-back doubles by Tyler Shelnut and Thomas. Aschenbeck came on to face Michael Robertson, whose RBI groundout cut the Aggies’ lead to 3-2.

    The eighth and ninth inning turned out to be much more stressful for Aschenbeck and the rest of the Aggies.

    “Evan had to make really good pitches to get out of it,” Schlossnagle said. “Really good (opponent), playing in the College World Series with your season on the line, we trust Evan. You’re going to ride or die with your best.”

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    Associated Press

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  • Pride extend unbeaten streak to 13 games in draw with Courage

    Pride extend unbeaten streak to 13 games in draw with Courage

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    CARY, N.C. — The Orlando Pride remained one of two unbeaten teams in the National Women’s Soccer League this season with a scoreless draw on the road against the North Carolina Courage.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Orlando Pride and North Carolina Courage played to a 1-1 tie Saturday

    • The match marked the first time a team has earned a point in North Carolina this season

    • The draw boosted Orlando’s unbeaten streak to 13 games

    • Anna Moorhouse made five saves to get fifth clean sheet of the season

    The draw extended the Pride’s unbeaten streak to 13 games. The point is the first point earned by a visiting team against the Courage in the 2024 season. 

    Haley Hopkins had a good chance for North Carolina (5-7-1) from the center of the box in the 26th minute, but Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse made the save. Minutes later, Moorhouse stopped another shot from Ashley Sanchez.

    Moorhouse, who has five clean sheets for the 8-0-5 Pride this season, finished with five saves — including a kick save in a one-on-one situation with a Courage forward in the 33rd minute. Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy also made five saves for her fifth shutout.

    “The positives are the point on the road is probably something we would have taken before the game,” coach Seb Hines said. “No other team has done that against North Carolina. A clean sheet as well, shutout. It is really important to start to get that going as well. After the game, it is almost a bittersweet taste in our mouths because we felt like we played really well. We were really aggressive in our press and caused a lot of troubles to North Carolina and a lot of turnovers. I think, after all of it, we have to reward ourselves with a goal. We had countless amount of opportunities to score, and I think, on another day, we take them. That will probably be the reflection this week going into the Utah game next week.” 

    The game was delayed by about a half-hour because of field maintenance at Cary’s WakeMed Soccer Park.

    The KC Current are the other unbeaten team.

    The Pride’s next game is at 8 p.m. Friday at Inter&Co Stadium against the expansion Utah Royals (1-10-1).

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    Associated Press

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  • Dreiling’s hit in 9th gives Vols 12-11 walk-off win over Seminoles in CWS

    Dreiling’s hit in 9th gives Vols 12-11 walk-off win over Seminoles in CWS

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    OMAHA, Neb. — Florida State will play to avoid elimination from the College World Series on Sunday night after dropping its opener to top-seeded Tennessee 12-11 on Friday night.

    What You Need To Know

    • Florida State lost to Tennessee 12-11 in both teams’ first game at the College World Series

    • The Volunteers’ Dylan Dreiling punched in the winning run with a single in the bottom of the ninth inning

    • A check-swing call for Tennessee’s Blake Burke in the ninth kept the Vols in the game 

    • The Seminoles play Virginia in an elimination game on Sunday

    • The Vols’ Christian Moore became the first player to hit for the cycle at the tournament since 1956.

    Dylan Dreiling’s single into the left-center field gap drove in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the ninth inning as Tennessee rallied to beat Florida State, capping a night when Christian Moore became the first player in 68 years to hit for the cycle at the College World Series.

    Tennessee (56-12) will play North Carolina in a Bracket 1 winner’s game on Sunday night. Florida State (47-16) will meet Virginia in an elimination game in the afternoon.

    The Volunteers overcame sloppy defensive play and poor pitching, ratcheting up their high-powered offense another notch at the end to win their first CWS opener in five appearances since 2001.

    Moore went 5-for-6 for the Volunteers while becoming the first player to hit for the cycle at the CWS since Minnesota’s Jerry Kindall did it against Mississippi in 1956.

    Tennessee, which trailed 9-4 in the fifth inning, overcame its biggest deficit to win on the road or at a neutral site since coming from five runs down to win at UC Irvine in 2017.

    The Vols, in the CWS for a second straight year and third in the past four, trailed 11-8 entering the bottom of the ninth. Kavares Tears, who homered earlier, tripled leading off and scored on a sacrifice fly.

    Moore came to bat with two outs and a runner on base and was down to his last strike against Brennen Oxford (2-1) when he doubled into the left-field corner.

    “It was a fight, me against him, mano a mano,” Moore said. “I guess I won that.”

    That brought up Blake Burke, who delivered the tying single up the middle after he might have caught a break when third-base umpire Shawn Rakos signaled Burke checked his swing on a pitch with two strikes.

    “It was a check swing, and I didn’t go,” Burke said. “Just kept battling and that was the result.”

    FSU coach Link Jarrett’s body language in the dugout indicated he didn’t agree with the check-swing call. He did not directly address the play after the game. Had the call gone the other way, the game would have been over, and FSU would have won.

    “You guys saw the game,” he told reporters. “I need to watch every pitch of this game again. There’s factors in this that affect the outcome of the game, and I can’t tell from 90 feet away on the side what was going on with some of the things that occurred. Every pitch matters in these games, and you saw the result of this.”

    Burke moved to second on Billy Amick’s single off Oxford, and then Dreiling drove in the winning run on the second pitch from Connor Hults.

    Nate Snead (10-2), the sixth Tennessee pitcher, got the win after holding the Seminoles scoreless on one hit over the last 2-1/3 innings.

    The Seminoles took a 9-4 lead in the fourth inning when Jaime Ferrer hit a two-run home run, the first of the College World Series and his 20th of the season.

    After Tennessee scored off homers in fifth and sixth innings, Marco Dinges put FSU up 11-7 with a two-run double in the seventh inning. 

    Moore, the Vols’ leadoff man and a projected top-15 pick in the amateur draft next month, started his big night with a triple, his first since 2022, into the right-center gap in the first inning. He doubled in the second, singled in the fourth and drove the ball 440 feet to straight-away center for his 33rd homer of the season leading off the bottom of the sixth.

    “The whole game, I tried to get on base and set the tone,” Moore said. “I really, to be honest, didn’t know I did it (hit for the cycle).”

    The Vols’ first walk-off win of the season came after a grinding first half of the game. They committed three errors in a game for only the second time this season. The three errors also matched their most in 21 all-time CWS games. Tennessee pitchers combined to allow 13 hits, walk a season high-tying nine and hit a batter.

    The top-seeded Vols came to Omaha with a school-record 173 homers and averaging 9.2 runs per game for the season and 10.7 for the NCAA Tournament. Burke said it was only a matter of time before the offense cranked up.

    “We threw a bunch of jabs the whole game,” he said, “and landed the big punch in the ninth.”

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    Associated Press

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  • Olympic spots are on the line for Patrick Cantlay and Corey Conners at U.S. Open

    Olympic spots are on the line for Patrick Cantlay and Corey Conners at U.S. Open

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    PINEHURST, N.C. (AP) — David Puig of Spain knew the score even before he teed off in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. All he had to do was make the cut to move past Jorge Campillo and earn a spot in the Olympics this summer in Paris.

    “Unless someone like Eugenio Chacarra wins,” Puig said earlier in the week.

    What You Need To Know

    • Olympic spots are still up for grabs at the U.S. Open

    • This is the final week before the world ranking determines the 60-man field for the Paris Games

    • Patrick Cantlay has worked his way into the conversation for the United States

    • Canada has a tight race for its second spot

    He wasn’t thinking about Sergio Garcia, who also is still in the mix at the U.S. Open. With golf and the world ranking, there’s always more math involved than adding scores on a card.

    The U.S. Open is the final week before the Official World Golf Ranking is used to determine the 60-man field for the men’s competition at Le Golf National.

    Each country is allowed two players, with a maximum of four if they all are ranked among the top 15 in the world.

    Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and PGA champion Xander Schauffele, who won Olympic gold in Japan three years ago, already are assured a spot. Still to be determined is the other two players from the United States, along with tight races in Canada and possibly South Korea.

    United States

    Wyndham Clark has held down the No. 3 spot for the Americans for much of the year, and he still looks to be fairly safe.

    Collin Morikawa, who lost in a playoff for the bronze medal in Tokyo, seized control of the fourth spot when he was runner-up at the Memorial last week. Morikawa already has played in the final group of two majors this year.

    Patrick Cantlay watches his tee shot on the eighth hole during the second round of the U.S. Open golf tournament Friday, June 14, 2024, in Pinehurst, N.C. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

    Patrick Cantlay, however, emerged as a contender with rounds of 65-71 that left him one shot out of the lead going into the weekend.

    A victory would move him ahead of Clark in the world ranking, and a two-way tie for second might be enough to bump Morikawa.

    Morikawa still has the golf ball in his hand, even after a 74 on Friday left him in a tie for 51st going into the final two days at Pinehurst.

    Cantlay has never spoken much about the Olympics, saying at the start of the year only that “any time you have the opportunity to represent your country, it’s important.” He was in a similar situation for the Tokyo Games, falling short in the final qualifying week at Torrey Pines.

    Winning a major was his top priority at Pinehurst.

    Canada

    Nick Taylor sewed up his spot in the Olympics by winning the Phoenix Open in early February, and it has been a revolving door of candidates ever since — Corey Conners, Adam Hadwin, Dallas winner Taylor Pendrith and Mackenzie Hughes.

    Hadwin finished third at the Memorial and leaped past Conners for the No. 2 spot for Canada.

    But then Hadwin missed the cut at the U.S. Open. Conners, with a game built for tough majors like the U.S. Open because of his supreme iron play, put together rounds of 69-70 and was tied for ninth going into the weekend.

    Pendrith, who was 1-over par through two rounds at Pinehurst, also was still alive. Hadwin can only watch to see how it unfolds.

    Conners would need to finish 11th alone at the U.S. Open to move past Hadwin. Pendrith would need at least a two-way tie for third (and then that might depend on what Conners does).

    South Korea

    Tom Kim and Byeong Hun An appear to have the two spots locked up, especially with Sungjae Im missing the cut.

    The only player who can bump out An — who missed the cut — is Si Woo Kim, though he would need a two-way tie for third. Kim was seven shots out of that position going into Saturday.

    As for Im, he isn’t likely to lose any sleep over this. Im (and Si Woo Kim) won the team gold in the Asian Games last year in China, and that made them exempt from mandatory military service. For South Korean men, that’s better than gold.

    A word on Britain

    Team Britain is set with Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick after Justin Rose and Robert MacIntyre missed the cut.

    Most curious is Tyrrell Hatton, who is only four spots behind Fitzpatrick in the world ranking.

    Hatton was tied for ninth through 36 holes at Pinehurst. Something in the top 10 might have been enough to move past Fitzpatrick. Something a little better might have given Britain three players because Hatton is at No. 20.

    However, Hatton decided to remove his name from Olympic qualifying and is no longer eligible.

    Australia

    Adam Scott has never liked the idea of golf in the Olympics and removed his name from consideration, leaving Jason Day and Min Woo Lee virtually locked up for Australia.

    Former British Open champion Cameron Smith is a long shot. He started the weekend at 3 over and would need to finish third to have any chance of bumping Lee.

    Spain

    Here’s where it pays to play for LIV Golf (beyond the obvious).

    The Saudi-backed league does not get world ranking points. That actually helped Puig when he compiled a series of good finishes on the Asian Tour because the ranking formula is points earned divided by tournaments played over a two-year period.

    Puig has the minimum divisor of 40. So does Garcia, another LIV player. Garcia could finish second at the U.S. Open and that would be enough to move past Puig.

    It’s a long shot. And nothing is settled until the scores are in Sunday, the world ranking is published and the National Olympic Committee from each country certifies who’s going.

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    Associated Press

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  • Guardians beat Blue Jays 3-1

    Guardians beat Blue Jays 3-1

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    TORONTO (AP) — Will Brennan hit a solo home run and scored twice, Logan Allen pitched five innings for his first career win over Toronto, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Blue Jays 3-1 on Friday night for their fourth win in five games.

    What You Need To Know

    • Will Brennan hit a solo home run and scored twice, Logan Allen pitched five innings for his first career win over Toronto, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Blue Jays 3-1 for their fourth win in five games

    • Brennan and Andrés Giménez had two hits apiece as the Guardians improved to 31-7 when scoring first

    • Cleveland has won 11 of its last 16 road games
    • The Guardians are 23-15 away from home

    Brennan and Andrés Giménez had two hits apiece as the Guardians improved to 31-7 when scoring first.

    “When Will is on the fastball, he’s a really good hitter,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “That limits the chase and you start to see the hard contact.”

    Cleveland has won 11 of its last 16 road games. The Guardians improved to 23-15 away from home.

    Allen (7-3) allowed one run and three hits. The 25-year-old left-hander walked three and struck out three.

    “LA threw the ball phenomenal tonight,” Vogt said. “He was just missing the inside corner, but I think it kind of kept them off balance and allowed him to open up the rest of the zone.”

    Allen is 4-1 with a 3.86 ERA in his last six starts.

    “Logan is a stud and we’re going to need him,” Brennan said.

    Five Cleveland relievers followed Allen’s outing with four hitless innings.

    “They’ve been great, they’ve been awesome,” Allen said of his relievers. “They’ve definitely picked up us starters. We really appreciate it.”

    Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman allowed three runs and eight hits in five innings, losing for the second time in three starts.

    Toronto has lost two straight and three of its last four. The Blue Jays are 8-29 when scoring three or fewer runs, often forcing their pitchers to be nearly perfect.

    “As much as you try to block it out, it’s really hard to,” Gausman said of the lack of run support. “The reality is if we don’t pitch well we probably lose.”

    Coming off his first career shutout in a victory at Oakland on Saturday, Gausman (5-5) allowed three runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked none and struck out six.

    “I thought we took advantage of the few mistakes that he made,” Vogt said.

    Brennan and Daniel Schneemann hit back-to-back doubles off Gausman in the second, and Cleveland extended its lead on Brennan’s one-out homer in the fourth, his sixth of the season.

    Brayan Rocchio hit a leadoff double in the fifth and scored on a two-out hit by Giménez.

    Toronto got on the board in the sixth. Ernie Clement hit a leadoff double and Davis Schneider chased Allen with an RBI single.

    Right-hander Cade Smith replaced Allen and retired the next three batters.

    Cleveland’s Scott Barlow got two outs in the seventh and Sam Hentges came on to strike out pinch hitter Alejandro Kirk.

    Hunter Gaddis pitched the eighth and Emmanuel Clase finished for his 21st save in 24 chances.

    Roster Moves

    The Blue Jays recalled INF/OF Addison Barger from Triple-A Buffalo and designated DH Daniel Vogelbach for assignment.

    Up Next

    RHP Carlos Carrasco (2-5, 5.50 ERA) is scheduled to start for Cleveland on Saturday afternoon. Toronto had not named a starter.

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    Associated Press

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  • Friedl and Candelario homer off Peralta as Reds edge Brewers 6-5

    Friedl and Candelario homer off Peralta as Reds edge Brewers 6-5

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    MILWAUKEE (AP) — TJ Friedl went 3 for 5 with a homer, and the Cincinnati Reds withstood a five-error performance and a ninth-inning comeback attempt to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-5 on Friday night.

    What You Need To Know

    • TJ Friedl went 3 for 5 with a homer and the Cincinnati Reds withstood a five-error performance and a ninth-inning comeback attempt to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-5

    • Jeimer Candelario also went deep for the Reds, who won for the ninth time in their last 11 games

    • Milwaukee starter Freddy Peralta entered Friday having thrown 17 2/3 straight scoreless innings against the Reds

    • Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene got the win and Alexis Díaz got his 15th save

    Jeimer Candelario also went deep for the Reds, who won for the ninth time in their last 11 games. William Contreras hit a solo shot for the NL Central-leading Brewers.

    “Like I always say, no matter how you get the W, you want the W,” Candelario said.

    The Brewers trailed 6-3 when Christian Yelich and Willy Adames opened the ninth inning with back-to-back singles off Alexis Díaz. The Brewers loaded the bases when Rhys Hoskins hit a slow roller that shortstop Elly De La Cruz mishandled for his third error of the night.

    After Sal Frelick lined to second, Joey Ortiz walked to cut the lead to 6-4 and keep the bases loaded. Jackson Chourio then singled in a run, and pinch runner Jake Bauers attempted to score the tying run from second as right fielder Will Benson threw home.

    Home plate umpire Will Little initially ruled Bauers safe, but the call was overruled when replays showed Bauers’ left hand hit catcher’s Tyler Stephenson’s glove before touching the plate.

    “Just a great play all around,” Reds manager David Bell said. “Will charging, very aggressive, obviously made a great play. That was the game. The tag at the plate, that’s a really tough play for a catcher, especially in that situation, being able to hold on to the ball long enough to get the out.”

    With the potential tying run on third and winning run on second, Blake Perkins then popped up a bunt that Díaz caught to convert his 15th save in 17 opportunities.

    Perkins said after the game that “I think I kind of let the moment get a little bit too big for me.”

    “Listen, no one is more disappointed in the outcome of the events than me,” Perkins said. “I guess the best way to put it is I know the guys behind me are statistically better hitters. And I thought it would be a surprise to them and I thought it would be a higher-percentage for me, and just me in general. We’ve got someone who’s fast at third with a big lead. I just was trying not to be the hero, I guess is the best way to put it, and obviously it was a mistake.”

    Brewers starter Freddy Peralta (4-4) entered Friday having thrown 17 2/3 straight scoreless innings against the Reds. Peralta extended the streak to 19 2/3 innings on Friday before Friedl’s homer broke a scoreless tie in the third.

    The Reds hit Peralta hard the rest of the night. Peralta worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed a season-high six runs and a career-high 10 hits while striking out six and walking one.

    Over his last three starts, Peralta has allowed 13 runs — 12 earned — over 13 2/3 innings and his ERA has climbed from 3.61 to 4.38.

    “This game is about results, and that’s what I am not having right now,” Peralta said. “I just have to keep forcing, keep going, keep working. The most important thing for me is that I’m healthy. You have to move forward to the next one.”

    Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene (5-2) struck out five, walked five and allowed three hits and two runs in five innings.

    Milwaukee stayed in the game by scoring unearned runs in the fifth and sixth. De La Cruz committed two errors on one play in the fifth, and Candelario did the same in the sixth.

    Reds’ Move

    The Reds recalled OF/1B Nick Martini from Triple-A Louisville. OF Blake Dunn has been optioned to Louisville.

    Trainer’s Room

    Brewers RHP Jakob Junis (right shoulder) will pitch a second simulated game Monday in Arizona. Brewers OF Garrett Mitchell (left index finger) went 1 of 4 on Friday in a rehabilitation appearance with Triple-A Nashville.

    Up Next

    LHP Andrew Abbott (5-5, 3.28) pitches for the Reds and RHP Bryse Wilson (3-3, 4.19) starts for the Brewers when this series continues Saturday.

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    Associated Press

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  • Dawkins signs 2-year contract extension with UCF basketball

    Dawkins signs 2-year contract extension with UCF basketball

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    ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Basketball coach Johnny Dawkins has signed a two-year contract extension with the University of Central Florida that continues through the 2026-27 season, Vice President and Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir announced Friday.

    The university did not announce financial terms of the contract.

    “I love being here at UCF and am forever grateful for the opportunity this university has given me,” Dawkins said in post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

    In late March, Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 had reported that UCF had offered Dawkins an extension, but said at the time that the sides still were working on contract details.

    Dawkins is 148-103 in his eight seasons as UCF’s coach, completing the 2018-19 and 2016-17 seasons with 24 victories each. He has led the Knights to postseason tournaments in four of those seasons, including reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2019 after beating VCU 73-58.

    The Knights just missed knocking off top-seeded Duke in the second round when a tip-in at the buzzer rolled off the basket. The team also has played in three NIT Tournaments under Dawkins. The team has only finished under .500 in one season, 2020-21, with Dawkins as coach.

    After the 2022-23 season, Knights forward Taylor Hendricks was drafted No. 9 overall by the Utah Jazz after his freshman season.

    The 2023-24 season was UCF’s first in the strong Big 12, and the Knights won seven conference games in the regular season, including victories against Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech, when those teams were ranked in the Top 25. UCF also beat Oklahoma State in the league tournament.

    “If you were one of the record-setting number of people who attended our home games this season, you saw firsthand how we competed under Johnny’s leadership in our first season in the nation’s toughest basketball conference,” Mohajir said. “Johnny has done a great job leading this program and we’re excited he will continue to be our head coach.”

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    Spectrum Sports Staff

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  • Trop and Gas Plant redevelopment plan takes next step forward

    Trop and Gas Plant redevelopment plan takes next step forward

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It’s a step forward for the redevelopment of Tropicana Field and the Historic Gas Plant District. Thursday night, St. Petersburg City Council members voted 5-3 to schedule the second reading of an ordinance that would approve a development agreement for the site. They also gave the OK for a second reading of an ordinance on rezoning and a public hearing on increasing the Intown Redevelopment Plan’s redevelopment program budget. All are scheduled to take place on July 11.

    What You Need To Know

    • St. Petersburg City Council approved a number of measures Thursday that move the Rays/Hines deal for the Trop and Gas Plant District redevelopment forward

    • Members could take a final vote on July 11

    • Dozens of residents spoke both for and against the plan at Thursday’s meeting

    • Read previous coverage here

    Before the meeting began, groups including Sierra Club Florida and Faith in Florida held a rally outside city hall, asking the council to “pump the brakes” on making a decision on the plan.

    “It’s ignoring the will of the people,” said Bishop Manuel Sykes, one of those who spoke at the rally.

    Speakers said they weren’t asking council to scrap the Rays/Hines deal, but they do want to see changes made to the plan. Among their concerns were environmental impacts and the project timeline when it comes to features meant for the community, like affordable housing.

    “We’re talking about getting a stadium done in a matter of three years, and everybody else’s concerns may be addressed over the next 27 years,” Sykes said.

    Inside, dozens addressed council during public comment.

    “Fundamentally, this is rotten,” said William Kilgore, an organizer with the St. Petersburg Tenants Union. “This is our money. This is public wealth, and we’re giving it to a private corporation.”

    The $1.3 billion project would see St. Petersburg contribute $287 million, while Pinellas County and the Rays would put in $312 million and $770 million, respectively.

    Supporters told the council the project is the chance to bring new opportunity to the area with mixed use development.

    “That million-and-a-half square feet of office space — if we don’t do this deal, that office space will not come,” said one speaker.

    Others said the deal is the best chance to fulfill past promises made to Gas Plant residents, which was razed to make way for the Trop.

    “If Rays/Hines is not approved, who is going to ensure that the efforts to fulfill those promises are going to be made?” one speaker asked members.

    A sticking point for some council members was that they haven’t received finalized documents on the plan and have been working with drafts.

    “It is our duty to do our due diligence, and we can only do that appropriately with final documents and not being rushed through this process,” said council member Lisset Hanewicz. 

    Council Chair Deborah Figgs-Sanders noted members had previously decided they needed to have final documents two weeks before making a final decision.

    “I’m going to vote for the motion as is, but if we don’t have those documents, we cannot really discuss them on July 11. It’s a given. We voted on that,” said Figgs-Sanders.

    Officials said if members didn’t have final documents two weeks before the July 11 meeting, they could push the items back to July 18.

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    Sarah Blazonis

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  • St. Pete city leaders discuss stadium deal ahead of first official votes

    St. Pete city leaders discuss stadium deal ahead of first official votes

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    There was no opportunity for public comment, but the city encouraged anyone who would like to watch the discussion to do so online. During the meeting, city council members reviewed the multiple proposed agreements related to the stadium and Gas Plant District and the city’s financial involvement.

    On Thursday, a St. Pete City Council meeting set for 4 p.m. could end with members taking their first official votes on the project. In order to be in favor, five city council members must vote yes. A tie would mean the deal would not move forward as it stands now.

    The agreement states the City of St. Pete would contribute $287.5 million towards the new stadium and an additional $142 million for the surrounding infrastructure. The proposal also states the city would agree to sell public land needed for the project at below appraised value.

    On Wednesday, City Administrator Robert Gerdes talked about his memories of downtown and how that has changed with the Rays.

    “You know, I have been here all my life. I remember what downton was like in the 1980s, I remember what Kenwood was like, I remember what Old North East was like. Now people may say MLB (Major League Baseball) had nothing to do with the renaissance in this city. I’m not so sure about that.”

    In addition to the ballpark, the latest plans from the Rays-Hines development team include 5,400 residential units with roughly 1,250 to be designated as affordable or workforce housing. It also includes a $50 million investment from Rays-Hines for a new Woodson African American History Museum, spots for retail, restaurants, conference centers, offices, and an outdoor space for gatherings.

    Council member Brandi Gabbard shared her concerns about the project and cited hurricane activity in the area.

    “We are a costal community, we see that hurricane season, we have a lot of vulnerabilities around that potential for a major catastrophe to happen in our city,” Gabbard said. “And when you are building an asset of this size, you have to look and see how it could correlate to response.”

    She added, “I have a lot of concern around verbiage that I am not seeing here in this agreement. Specifically there is a lot of glass on this particular (proposed) building, and can you tell me what category that would be rated?”

    Council member Lisset Hanewicz cited feedback from residents.

    “We get questions. And I get questions definitely about whether or not it’s appropriate to put that much money and whether it’s necessary on the public end,” Hanewicz said.

    During a community meeting Tuesday, St. Pete residents voiced their concerns about the makeup of the current plan. Many who attended the meeting felt the deal wasn’t fair to taxpayers, that more attention needs to be paid to infrastructure, and that the needs of those nearby are getting overlooked.

    “I see how this translates into opportunities for business owners, for corporations,” said Brian Peret, president of the Campbell Park Neighborhood Association. “But I don’t see how it translates to small business owners or local individuals or people who make at or below 80% of the AMI and my concern is without significant incentives or requirements to make that happen, it’s not going to happen.”

    Mayor Ken Welch openly backs the plan and during the last meeting on the Gas Plant District in May, stated he feels the proposal strikes a good balance for everyone involved.

    “Having lived this experience I believe the set of agreements that we have developed with input and extensive community engagement are the key to completing this journey in a manner that’s fiscally responsible, equitable, and honors the promises of jobs and inclusive economic opportunity,” he said.

    A formal and final vote on the plan is currently scheduled for July 11. Pinellas County commissioners will have to hold a similar vote on whether to approve their share of the costs. No date has been set for that vote.

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    Erin Murray

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  • With only SEC and ACC teams, College World Series might offer glimpse of future

    With only SEC and ACC teams, College World Series might offer glimpse of future

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    OMAHA, Neb. — The College World Series begins Friday, and only two conferences will be represented on the game’s biggest stage for the first time since the event expanded to eight teams in 1950.

    The Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference each are sending four teams, the SEC for the fourth time since 2015 and seventh overall and the ACC for the first time since 2006.

    What You Need To Know

    • The 2024 College World Series opens Friday with eight teams 

    • But only two conferences, the SEC and the ACC, are represented

    • Florida, Florida State, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina State, Texas A&M and Kentucky are the teams; see capsules below

    • Since 2014, 50 of the 80 CWS teams have been from the SEC (31) or ACC (19)

    • Some coaches at smaller schools say they are struggling to compete because of NIL deals and unlimited transfers

    Their exclusivity this year hints at an even greater concentration of power in the sport as college athletics moves into an era when players, already able to transfer around freely, can make more money than ever, scholarship limits are likely to be removed and the richest schools pour more resources into facilities.

    The CWS opens Friday with an all-ACC matchup between North Carolina (47-14) and Virginia (46-15) and Tennessee (55-12) of the SEC playing Florida State (47-15) of the ACC. Games the next day match Kentucky (45-14) of the SEC against the ACC’s North Carolina State (38-21) and Texas A&M (49-13) against Florida (34-28) in an all-SEC meeting.

    College baseball has never been better, coaches and administrators say. The shortening of the amateur draft since the COVID-10 pandemic has kept talented older players in school, regular-season television coverage has expanded and attendance has increased.

    “I honestly believe we’re probably in a golden age of college baseball right now,” American Baseball Coaches Association Executive Director Craig Keilitz said.

    Beneath the surface, there is concern the transformation of college athletics will further reduce the number of programs capable of competing at the highest level.

    Baseball already is top heavy. The SEC has claimed four consecutive national championships and nine of the past 14, and has had at least one team in 14 of the past 15 finals. Since 2014, 50 of the 80 CWS teams have been from the SEC (31) or ACC (19).

    Part of the sport’s charm has been the ability of smaller programs to occasionally rise up and challenge the big-name brands, scenes familiar to fans of the March Madness basketball tournaments.

    Evansville, which had one of the oldest rosters in the country this year, came within one win of going to Omaha by extending its super regional against overall top-seeded Tennessee to three games. Oral Roberts made it to the CWS last year and won a game. Stony Brook was here, along with Kent State, in 2012. Coastal Carolina, then in the Big South, won the national title in 2016.

    “Those are the teams you root for,” Cal State Fullerton coach Jason Dietrich said. “Not to say you don’t root for the other schools, but you love the underdog, the teams that don’t have the bells and whistles.”

    Transfers and tender

    As with other sports, the transfer portal and athletes’ ability to earn endorsement money through name, image and likeness deals have turned baseball on its head.

    Florida State, Kentucky and Texas A&M each went into their super regionals with five players in their everyday lineups who started at other Division I schools. The number was two for North Carolina, NC State and Tennessee and one for Virginia.

    Kentucky had the most Division I transfers on its roster with 12; NC State had the fewest with five.

    Baseball receives only 4.8% of overall NIL spending, according to Opendorse, and is far behind the top three sports — football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball. The top 25 NIL earners in baseball are making an average of $45,000 per year.

    But with most players receiving a partial scholarship because of the current NCAA limit of 11.7 per team, any income helps offset the cost of attendance. Schools offering the most NIL money through their donors naturally get the best players.

    Since July 1, 2021, the average estimated annual NIL spending per SEC baseball team was $820,000 to $920,000, based on more than 150,000 NIL transactions disclosed through or processed by Opendorse, a company that works with dozens of schools and more than 40 collectives on NIL activities. A number of SEC teams are said to be spending well into the millions.

    The average NIL spending in the ACC is half that of the SEC but still ranks second among all conferences.

    If scholarship limits are removed, which is the expectation, deep-pocketed programs could choose to fully fund their programs.

    This year, each program can divvy up 11.7 scholarships among 32 players. If all 32 get full rides in the future, the chasm between the haves and have-nots in the sport surely will deepen. And there could be additional money for baseball players in the major conferences as part of the revenue-sharing plan proposed in the NCAA’s antitrust case settlement.

    Ripple effects

    Dietrich grew up in Southern California and remembers when the small-budget Titans were one of college baseball’s best programs. Fullerton has appeared in 18 CWS, most recently in 2017, and won four national titles, tied for fifth most.

    Dietrich can’t offer the amenities of the major-conference schools and must recruit players who often need a year or two of seasoning. Fullerton has smaller NIL money available compared with larger programs, so Dietrich is susceptible to losing the players he develops and can land larger endorsement deals elsewhere.

    Fullerton went to an NCAA regional last year but lost three starting position players and its best reliever to the draft and then had another everyday starter and a bullpen arm join five teammates in the transfer portal. The Titans were 16-38 this season.

    “We’re doing everything we can,” Dietrich said. “Our goal is to go to Omaha and compete for a national championship. We see there are some obstacles ahead, but that’s just the way it is.”

    Big Ten-bound UCLA is one of the biggest brands on the West Coast but has struggled since making a regional in 2022. Eleven players went into the portal the next two cycles, and most were difference-makers like pitchers Thatcher Hurd and Gage Jump (both to LSU).

    Personnel losses to the portal and the draft left Bruins coach John Savage relying on one of the most freshmen-heavy rosters in the country. He noted the physical mismatch between his 18-year-old freshmen against the opponent’s 24-year-old seniors. The result was a last-place finish in the Pac-12 this year.

    Retiring Coastal Carolina coach Gary Gilmore said he’s not against the idea of NIL money for athletes. He is against the lack of guardrails around it, especially with booster-funded collectives at the big schools spending freely and rules that allow players to transfer as often as they like without penalty.

    “If Major League Baseball, the NBA and NFL had a system where everyone was a free agent every year, do you realize what chaos it would be?” Gilmore said. “If you did it in baseball, it would be the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers and Texas. The rest of the teams couldn’t compete. That’s what is going on right now. There’s not a level playing field.”

    Teams playing for 2024 national championship

    A look at the eight teams competing in the College World Series, which starts Friday at Charles Schwab Field. (Capsules in order of CWS opening games. Coaches’ records through super regionals):

    Virginia (46-15)

    • Coach: Brian O’Connor (885-368-2 in 21 years at Virginia and overall).
    • Road to Omaha: Won Charlottesville Regional — Beat Penn 4-2, beat Mississippi State 5-4, beat Mississippi State 9-2. Won Charlottesville Super Regional — Beat Kansas State 7-4, beat Kansas State 10-4.
    • 2024 record vs. CWS teams: 3-4 (2-1 vs. North Carolina, 1-2 vs. N.C. State, 0-1 vs. Florida State).
    • Last CWS appearance: 2023.
    • All-time record in CWS: 13-12 in six appearances (won national title in 2015).
    • Meet the Cavaliers: C Jacob Ference (.354, 17 HRs, 43 RBIs), 1B Henry Ford (.339, 17, 68), 2B Henry Godbout (.370, 9, 46), SS Griff O’Ferrall (.332, 5, 51), 3B Eric Becker (.363, 8, 46), LF Harrison Didawick (.297, 23, 68), CF Bobby Whalen (.370, 2, 35), RF Casey Saucke (.343, 14, 64). Starting pitchers: Evan Blanco (8-3, 3.69 ERA), RHP Jay Woolfolk (4-1, 5.95), RHP Joe Savino (3-2, 3.18). Relievers: RHP Chase Hungate (7-1, 3.71), LHP Owen Coady (1-1, 5.94), LHP Angelo Tonas (3-0, 3.96), RHP Aidan Teel (2-2, 7.88), LHP Blake Barker (2-1, 7.31), RHP Ryan Osinski (4-1, 4.80), RHP Matt Augustin (2-0, 4.28).
    • MLB alumni: Ryan Zimmerman, Ricky Horton, Javier Lopez, Mark Reynolds, Phil Gosselin, Sean Doolittle, David Adams, Pavin Smith.
    • Short hops: Brian O’Connor grew up across the Missouri River from Omaha in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and he has participated in the CWS as a pitcher (1991, Creighton), assistant (2002, Notre Dame) and head coach. … Virginia is in CWS for second straight year and third time in four years. … The Cavaliers’ .336 season batting average is the best among teams in Omaha. … Their 116 homers are 33 more than the previous program record of 83, set last year.
    • Quotable: “We’ve got excellent young men who represent this uniform the right way and they’re tigers. They’re just completely relentless with everything they do. You won’t be able to get the smile off my face that they have the opportunity to go back to Omaha. I’m very, very confident we’ll be ready to play whenever they tell us to play and believe we’ll have a deeper run than we had last year.” — O’Connor.

    North Carolina (47-14)

    • Coach: Scott Forbes (153-87, four years at North Carolina and overall).
    • Road to Omaha: Won Chapel Hill regional — Beat LIU 11-8, beat LSU 6-2, beat LSU 8-4, beat LSU 4-3 in 10 innings. Won Chapel Hill super regional — Beat West Virginia 8-6, beat West Virginia 2-1.
    • 2024 record vs. CWS teams: 2-4 (1-2 vs. Virginia, 1-2 vs. N.C. State).
    • Last CWS appearance: 2018.
    • All-time record in CWS: 18-23 in 11 appearances.
    • Meet the Tar Heels: C Luke Stevenson (.283, 14 HRs, 58 RBIs), 1B Parks Harber (.341, 20, 63), 2B Alex Madera (.301, 2, 34), SS Colby Wilkerson (.282, 3, 33), 3B Gavin Gallaher (.337, 8, 38), LF Casey Cook (.339, 18, 76), CF Vance Honeycutt (.314, 26, 65), RF Anthony Donofrio (.338, 7, 52), DH Alberto Osuna (.285, 14, 56). Starting pitchers: RHP Jason DeCaro (6-1, 3.89 ERA), LHP Shea Sprague (3-1, 4.00), RHP Aidan Haugh (4-2, 4.53). Relievers: LHP Dalton Pence (4-1, 2.04, 8 saves), RHP Matthew Matthijs (12-4, 3.65), RHP Ben Peterson (3-2, 4.97), RHP Matt Poston (5-2, 5.25), LHP Kyle Percival (4-0, 2.42), RHP Connor Bovair (1-0, 3.71), RHP Cameron Padgett (1-0, 4.91).
    • MLB Alumni: Michael Busch, Cooper Criswell, Tim Federowicz, Zac Gallen, Matt Harvey, Chris Iannetta, Andrew Miller, Colin Moran, Mike Morin, Ryder Ryan, Kyle Seager, Jacob Stallings, Trent Thornton, Adam Warren.
    • Short hops: The Tar Heels’ 47 wins are their most since they had 48 in 2009. … They scored the winning run or runs on their last at-bat in three of their five NCAA Tournament wins. … Honeycutt broke his school single-season home run record when he belted his 26th in the super regional-clinching win. … Matthew Matthijs’ 12 wins lead the ACC and are ranked third nationally.
    • Quotable: “I’m really happy for this team, these players. I’ve been fortunate enough to be in Omaha, and these guys haven’t. My whole goal, I just want to get these guys there because they deserve to be there.” — Forbes.

    Florida State (47-15)

    • Coach: Link Jarrett (70-46 in two seasons at FSU; 371-244 overall in 12 seasons).
    • Road to Omaha: Won Tallahassee Regional — Beat Stetson 7-2, beat UCF 5-2, beat UCF 12-4. Won Tallahassee Super Regional — Beat UConn 24-4, beat UConn 10-8, 12 innings.
    • 2024 record vs. CWS teams: 5-1 (3-0 vs. Florida, 1-1 vs. N.C. State, 1-0 vs. Virginia).
    • Last CWS appearance: 2019.
    • All-time record in CWS: 30-46 in 23 appearances.
    • Meet the Seminoles: C Jaxon West (.263, 2 HRs, 26 RBIs) or McGwire Holbrook (.268, 2, 16), 1B Daniel Cantu (.311, 8, 40), 2B Drew Faurot (.294, 6, 28), SS Alex Lodise (.276, 7, 41), 3B Cam Smith (.402, 16, 56), LF Jaime Ferrer (.319, 19, 58), CF Max Williams (.301, 13, 43), RF James Tibbs III (.374, 28, 94), DH Marco Dinges (.321, 15, 66). Starting pitchers: LHP Jamie Arnold (11-3, 2.77 ERA), LHP Carson Dorsey (7-4, 4.67), RHP Connor Whittaker (5-0, 4.75). Relievers: LHP Brennen Oxford (2-0, 2.94, 6 saves), RHP John Abraham (5-1, 4.24), LHP Connor Hults (2-1, 4.45), LHP Andrew Armstrong (5-0, 6.98), RHP Joe Charles (1-0, 6.52), RHP Noah Short, 1-1, 7.71), RHP Ben Barrett (1-0, 5.27), LHP Brady Louck (1-1, 7.06), LHP Rowan Hudson (0-1, 9.20), RHP Yoel Tejeda Jr. (1-2, 5.95).
    • MLB Alumni: Buster Posey, J.D. Drew, Stephen Drew, Kevin Cash, Doug Mientkiewicz, Paul Sorrento, Deion Sanders, Richie Lewis, Luis Alicea, Terry Kennedy, Johnny Grubb, Dick Howser.
    • Short hops: Jarrett is taking his second school to the CWS. His Notre Dame team made it in 2022. He played in three CWS as an FSU shortstop in the 1990s. … Tibbs, the ACC player of the year, hit three homers in the 10-8, 12-inning super regional-clinching win over UConn. His 28 homers are FSU’s most since Marshall McDougall hit 28 in 1999. … The Seminoles’ 24-win improvement extends the largest year-over-year jump in program history. … The Seminoles have homered in 15 consecutive games and in 57 of 62.
    • Quotable: “There are a lot of things that come at you when you’re in Omaha. There are a lot of interviews, a lot of distractions, a lot of people. The first opening weekend in Omaha is right up there with an experience at an NFL Super Bowl playoff-type game, the Final Four, Augusta. It’s that. And they’re going to feel it, and I’m probably more prepared for it now because of what I had to go through in Omaha in 2022.” — Jarrett.

    Tennessee (55-12)

    • Coach: Tony Vitello (290-111 in seven years at Tennessee and overall).
    • Road to Omaha: Won Knoxville Regional — Beat Northern Kentucky 9-3, beat Indiana 12-6, beat Southern Mississippi 12-3. Won Knoxville Super Regional — Beat Evansville 11-6, lost to Evansville 10-8, beat Evansville 12-1.
    • 2024 record vs. CWS teams: 5-1 (2-0 vs. Kentucky, 2-1 vs. Florida, 1-0 vs. Texas A&M).
    • Last CWS appearance: 2023.
    • All-time record in CWS: 9-12 in six appearances.
    • Meet the Volunteers: C Cal Stark (.231, 10 HRs, 28 RBIs), 1B Blake Burke (.376, 19, 56), 2B Christian Moore (.375, 32, 71), SS Dean Curley (.273, 12, 46), 3B Billy Amick (.313, 23. 64), LF Dylan Dreiling (.320, 20, 64), CF Hunter Ensley (.292, 11, 45), RF Kavares Tears (.330, 18, 55), DH Dalton Bargo (.294, 8, 27). Starting pitchers: LHP Chris Stamos (3-0, 4.02 ERA), RHP Drew Beam (8-2, 4.44), LHP Zander Sechrist (4-1, 3.26). Relievers: RHP AJ Causey (13-3, 3.77), LHP Kirby Connell (4-1, 3.98), RHP Nate Snead (9-2, 3.34, 5 saves), LHP Andrew Behnke (3-1, 3.12), RHP JJ Garcia (3-0, 3.97), RHP Aaron Combs (2-1, 2.65).
    • MLB alumni: Todd Helton, Phil Garner, Rick Honeycutt, Luke Hochevar, R.A. Dickey, Joe Randa, Mike Difelice, Bubba Trammell, Chris Burke, Mike Lincoln, Steve Searcy, Nick Senzel.
    • Short hops: The Vols’ 173 home runs are a school record and second most in Division I history behind LSU’s 188 in 1997. … This is the Vols’ second straight CWS and third in four years. … Seven home runs in super regional-clinching win tied a school record. … The Vols have hit at least six home runs in six games. … The Vols are averaging 10.7 runs and 4.33 home runs per game in NCAA Tournament. … Billy Amick, Christian Moore and Cal Stark each have four homers in the tournament.
    • Quotable: “Omaha is real fun to go to. If you don’t play that well, it ain’t that fun.” — Vitello.

    North Carolina State (38-21)

    • Coach: Elliott Avent (1,036-613 in 28 years at NC State; 1,260-826 in 36 years overall).
    • Road to Omaha: Won Raleigh Regional — Beat Bryant 9-2, beat South Carolina 6-4, beat James Madison 5-3. Won Athens Super Regional —Beat Georgia 18-1, lost to Georgia 11-2, beat Georgia 8-5.
    • 2024 record vs. CWS teams: 5-3 (2-1 vs. North Carolina, 1-1 vs. Florida State).
    • Last CWS appearance: 2021.
    • All-time record in CWS: 5-5 in three appearances.
    • Meet the Wolfpack: C Jacob Cozart (.300, 19 HRs, 53 RBIs), 1B Garrett Pennington (.348, 18, 65), 2B Matt Heavner (.264, 10, 33), SS Brandon Butterworth (.250, 7, 31), 3B Alec Makarewicz (.380, 22, 80), LF Luke Nixon (.260, 14, 29), CF Eli Serrano III (.297, 9, 39), RF Noah Soles (.221, 5, 22), DH Alex Sosa (.226, 6, 24). Starting pitchers: RHP Sam Highfill (7-2, 5.06 ERA), Dominic Fritton (3-6, 7.35), RHP Logan Whitaker (3-1, 6.06). Relievers: RHP Jacob Dudan (4-2, 4.40), RHP Derrick Smith (3-1, 4.50), RHP Andrew Shaffner (0-0, 5.56), LHP Ryan Marohn (4-2, 3.97), RHP Hollis Fanning (2-1, 7.41), RHP Carson Kelly (1-0, 9.64), RHP Shane Van Dam (4-0, 4.58), LHP Cooper Consiglio (5-4, 4.97), RHP Jaxon Lucas (1-0, 9.43).
    • MLB Alumni: Carlos Rodon, Trea Turner, Andrew Knizner, Mike Caldwell, Dan Plesac, Tim Stoddard, Greg Briley.
    • Short hops: Third CWS appearance since 2013. The 2021 Wolfpack were one win away from making the finals when the NCAA removed them from the CWS because of COVID-19 protocols. … Their .332 team batting average in NCAA Tournament is best among CWS teams. … Alec Makarewicz has five of his team’s 17 doubles in the tournament. … Pennington hit two of his four NCAA Tournament home runs in super regionals.
    • Quotable: “Not that it ever gets old going to Omaha. Yes, I want to go again. Yes, I want to eat at the Drover restaurant. I’ve kept that menu up probably three weeks.” — Avent, referring to the iconic Omaha steakhouse.

    Kentucky (45-14)

    • Coach: Nick Mingione (261-164 in eight years at Kentucky and overall).
    • Road to Omaha: Won Lexington Regional — Beat Western Michigan 10-8, beat Illinois 6-1, beat Indiana State 5-0. Won Lexington Super Regional — Beat Oregon State 10-0, beat Oregon State 3-2.
    • 2024 record vs. CWS teams: 3-3 (1-2 vs. Tennessee, 2-1 vs. Florida).
    • Last CWS appearance: First appearance.
    • All-time record in CWS: 0-0.
    • Meet the Wildcats: C Devin Burkes (.250, 3 HRs, 35 RBIs), 1B Ryan Nicholson (.299, 21, 61), 2B Emilien Pitre (.298, 9, 56), SS Grant Smith (.248, 5, 34), 3B Mitchell Daly (.302, 6, 44), LF Ryan Waldschmidt (.346, 14, 46), CF Nolan McCarthy (.286, 7, 39), RF James McCoy (.228, 6, 25), DH Nick Lopez (.350, 6, 50). Starting pitchers: RHP Trey Pooser (7-1, 3.46 ERA), RHP Mason Moore (9-3, 4.93), LHP Dominic Niman (8-2, 6.24). Relievers: LHP Jackson Nove (1-0, 5.46), RHP Cameron O’Brien (3-0, 3.94), RHP Robert Hogan (1-0, 2.58), RHP Ryan Hagenow (2-0, 1.96), RHP Johnny Hummel (3-0, 3.49, 7 saves), LHP Evan Byers (3-1, 5.32).
    • MLB Alumni: Jeff Abbott, Joe Blanton, Kyle Cody, Sean Hjelle, Paul Kilgus, Jason Kipnis, Jim Leyritz, James Paxton, JT Riddle, Chris Rusin, Terry Shumpert, Mark Thompson, Brandon Webb.
    • Short hops: The Wildcats tied with Tennessee for the SEC regular-season title. … Their 45 wins ties for the most in school history (2012). The Wildcats have consecutive 40-win seasons for first time. … Their 2.00 team ERA and 4.6 hits allowed per nine innings in NCAA Tournament rank first. … Pitchers have allowed four runs over the past 39 innings.
    • Quotable: “You know you’re confident in getting (to Omaha) with your squad. But, man, when it actually happens, it’s like you look around and you’re like, ‘We’re going to Omaha!’ It’s crazy. It’s crazy.” — Burkes.

    Texas A&M (49-13)

    • Coach: Jim Schlossnagle (131-60 in three seasons at Texas A&M; 942-453 in 23 seasons overall).
    • Road to Omaha: Won College Station regional — Beat Grambling 8-0, beat Texas 4-2 in 11 innings, beat Louisiana-Lafayette 9-7. Won College Station Super Regional — Beat Oregon 10-6, beat Oregon 15-9.
    • 2024 record vs. CWS teams: 1-3 (1-2 vs. Florida, 0-1 vs. Tennessee).
    • Last CWS appearance: 2022.
    • All-time record in CWS: 4-14 in 7 appearances.
    • Meet the Aggies: C Jackson Appel (.330, 10 HRs, 40 RBIs), 1B Ted Burton (.295, 9, 43), 2B Kaeden Kent (.302, 3, 21), SS Ali Camarillo (.297, 7, 35), 3B Gavin Grahovac (.306, 22, 63), LF Caden Sorrell (.264, 10, 36), CF Travis Chestnut (.272, 12, 41), RF Jace LaViolette (.314, 28, 77), DH Hayden Schott (.331, 8, 59). Starting pitchers: LHP Ryan Prager (8-1, 3.10 ERA), LHP Shane Sdao (5-1, 2.96), RHP Justin Lamkin (2-2, 5.73) or RHP Brad Rudis (6-0, 2.29). Relievers: RHP Chris Cortez (9-3, 2.83), RHP Tanner Jones (3-1, 6.33), RHP Brock Peery (2-1, 3.60), LHP Kaiden Wilson (0-1, 8.31), RHP Zane Badmaey (3-0, 2.70), LHP Evan Aschenbeck (6-1, 1.66).
    • MLB Alumni: Davey Johnson, Chuck Knoblauch, Scott Livingstone, A.J. Minter, Doug Rau, Ross Stripling, Mark Thurmond, Michael Wacha.
    • Short hops: The Aggies will be without projected top-five draft pick Braden Montgomery, who broke his right ankle in the super regional opener. … The Aggies have drawn a nation-high 396 walks. … Their pitching staff leads the country with 11 shutouts. … Travis Chestnut leads NCAA Tournament with four of the Aggies’ 13 stolen bases. … Aschenbeck’s 1.66 ERA and 0.80 walks plus hits per innings pitched (WHIP) are the best in the country. … Schlossnagle is among 13 coaches to lead multiple schools to a CWS. He led TCU to five CWS.
    • Quotable: “I never take it for granted. Nolan Ryan went to the World Series his rookie year and never went back. I’ll remind our players of that. You never know when you’ll get a chance to go back. I’ve never been part of the championship series or won it, so I’d like to do that.” — Schlossnagle.

    Florida (34-28)

    • Coach: Kevin O’Sullivan (715-347 in 17 years).
    • Road to Omaha: Won Stillwater Regional — Beat Nebraska 5-2, lost to Oklahoma State 7-1, beat Nebraska 17-11, beat Oklahoma State 5-2, beat Oklahoma State 4-2. Won Clemson Super Regional — Beat Clemson 10-7, beat Clemson 11-10 in 13 innings.
    • 2024 record vs. CWS teams: 4-8 (0-3 vs. Florida State, 2-1 vs. Texas A&M, 1-2 vs. Tennessee, 1-2 vs. Kentucky).
    • Last CWS appearance: 2023.
    • All-time record in CWS: 25-26 in 13 appearances (won national title in 2017).
    • Meet the Gators: C Brody Donay (.250, 12 HRs, 27 RBIs), 1B Jac Caglianone (.411, 33, 68) or Luke Heyman (.247, 16, 49), 2B Cade Kurland (.251, 14, 41), SS Colby Shelton (.257, 20, 55), 3B Dale Thomas (.228, 3, 20), LF Tyler Shelnut (.264, 15, 50), CF Michael Robertson (.255, 2, 25), RF Ashton Wilson (.327, 2, 14), DH Heyman or Donay. Starting pitchers: LHP Pierce Coppola (0-4, 9.16 ERA), RHP Liam Peterson (3-4, 5.97), LHP Jac Caglianone (5-2, 4.71). Relievers: RHP Jameson Fisher (5-0, 4.35), LHP Cade Fisher (3-3, 7.24), RHP Brandon Neely (3-4, 5.45), RHP Jake Clemente (2-0, 5.68), LHP Frank Menendez (1-0, 4.96), RHP Luke McNeillie (4-6, 7.20), RHP Ryan Slater (5-2, 6.70), RHP Blake Purnell (0-0, 7.78).
    • MLB alumni: Pete Alonso, Harrison Bader, David Eckstein, Mark Ellis, Dalton Guthrie, Jonathan India, A.J. Puk, David Ross, Brady Singer, Mike Stanley, Brad Wilkerson, Mike Zunino.
    • Short hops: The Gators’ .548 winning percentage is tied for lowest by a team entering the CWS. Bradley was 17-14 (.548) entering the 1950 CWS. … Caglianone’s 73 career homers are two behind active leader Tommy White of LSU. … O’Sullivan has led Gators to Omaha in nine of past 14 postseasons. … The Gators are 36-0 in their past 36 NCAA Tournament games in which they have owned a multi-run lead in the seventh inning or later, according to ESPN.
    • Quotable: “Going through the struggles and having every game matter the last two or three weeks of the year probably toughed us up a little bit.” — O’Sullivan.

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  • Jerry West, a 3-time Hall of Fame selection and the NBA logo, dies at 86

    Jerry West, a 3-time Hall of Fame selection and the NBA logo, dies at 86

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    Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, died Wednesday morning, the Los Angeles Clippers announced.

    He was 86.

    What You Need To Know

    • Legendary basketball player, coach and executive Jerry West died Wednesday at 86, the Los Angeles Clippers announced

    • West, nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his late-game exploits as a player, went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 and again as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010; he will be enshrined for a third time later this year as a contributor

    • He was an All-Star in all 14 of his NBA seasons, a 12-time All-NBA selection, part of the 1972 Lakers team that won a championship, an NBA Finals MVP as part of a losing team in 1969 and was selected as part of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team

    • West was general manager of eight NBA championship teams with the Los Angeles Lakers, helping build the “Showtime” dynasty; he also worked in the front offices of the Memphis Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors and the Clippers


    West, nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his late-game exploits as a player, went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 and again as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010. He will be enshrined for a third time later this year as a contributor.

    West was “the personification of basketball excellence and a friend to all who knew him,” the Clippers said in announcing his death. West’s wife, Karen, was by his side when he died, the Clippers said.

    He was an All-Star in all 14 of his NBA seasons, a 12-time All-NBA selection, part of the 1972 Lakers team that won a championship, an NBA Finals MVP as part of a losing team in 1969 and was selected as part of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

    West was general manager of eight NBA championship teams with the Los Angeles Lakers, helping build the “Showtime” dynasty. He also worked in the front offices of the Memphis Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors and the Clippers. Among his many, many highlights as an executive with the Lakers: he drafted Magic Johnson and James Worthy, then brought in Kobe Bryant and eventually Shaquille O’Neal to play alongside Bryant.

    Even in the final years of his life, West was considered basketball royalty. He routinely sat courtside at Summer League games in Las Vegas, often watching many games in a day while greeting long lines of players — LeBron James among them — who would approach to shake his hand and pay him respect.

    “The game transcends many things,” West said while attending Summer League last year. “The players change, the style of play may change, but the respect that you learn in this game never changes.”

    He’s 25th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, and while the league has never confirmed that West was in fact the model for its logo — a player dribbling a ball, set against a red-and-blue background — the league has never said otherwise, either.

    “While it’s never been officially declared that the logo is Jerry West,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in 2021, “it sure looks a lot like him.”

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  • Brandon Lowe hits game-ending homer as Rays rally past Cubs 5-2

    Brandon Lowe hits game-ending homer as Rays rally past Cubs 5-2

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Brandon Lowe capped Tampa Bay’s four-run ninth inning with a three-run homer, lifting the Rays to a 5-2 victory over the struggling Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.

    Richie Palacios started the rally with a leadoff double against Héctor Neris (6-1). Ben Rortvedt reached on a one-out walk before José Caballero’s RBI single tied it at 2.

    Yandy Díaz then struck out swinging before Lowe drove a full-count pitch deep to right-center for his third homer of the season.

    Chris Devenski (2-1) worked a scoreless ninth for the win.

    Chicago wasted a sharp performance by Jameson Taillon, who pitched six scoreless innings of four-hit ball. The Cubs have dropped 13 of their last 18 games.

    Christopher Morel put Chicago in front 1-0 with his 13th homer in the fourth off Zach Eflin.

    Garrett Cleavinger replaced Eflin with two on and two outs in the sixth and gave up a first-pitch RBI single to pinch-hitter David Bote.

    Tampa Bay got on the board in the seventh when Palacios scored on Hayden Wesneski’s wild pitch.

    Elfin surrendered seven hits in his second start after missing 2 1/2 weeks with lower-back inflammation.

    This is just the third series the Cubs have played at Tampa Bay. The others were in 2008 and 2017.

    TRAINER’S ROOM

    Cubs: RHP Ben Brown (neck strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list. He returned to Chicago for tests.

    Rays: LF Randy Arozarena was scratched with right hamstring tightness, but he grounded out as a pinch hitter in the seventh. He did not stay in the game after his at-bat. The 2023 AL All-Star is hitting just .175 with eight homers and 20 RBIs this season.

    UP NEXT

    Cubs RHP Javier Assad (4-2, 2.74 ERA) and Rays RHP Aaron Civale (2-5, 5.51 ERA) are Wednesday night’s starters.

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  • Speights joining basketball coaching staff at USF

    Speights joining basketball coaching staff at USF

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    TAMPA, Fla. — Former NBA and Florida Gators power forward/center Mareese Speights is joining the University of South Florida’s college basketball staff as director of player development, the program announced.

    Speights, a native of St. Petersburg, played 10 seasons in the NBA after being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 16 overall pick in 2008. He also played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, and he spent his last season in the league with the Orlando Magic. He went to the NBA playoffs in seven postseasons, including with the Warriors team that won the championship in 2015.

    After completing his NBA career, Speights played for the Guangzhou Loong Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association from 2018 to 2021.

    During Speights’ two seasons with the Gators, he played on the team that won its second national championship in the 2006-07 season under then-coach Billy Donovan.

    Most recently, he was an assistant coach at Georgia Southern.

    The move to USF is a return home for Speights, who played high school basketball at Admiral Farragut in St. Petersburg. Speights also played at Gibbs High School and Hargrave Military Academy.

    The Bulls also hired Luke Moeller as a video coordinator. He had been a graduate assistant for the Bulls the past two seasons.

    USF finished the 2023-24 college basketball season with a 25-8 record and for a short time was ranked No. 25 in the AP college basketball poll in Amir Abdur-Rahim’s first season as coach. The Bulls advanced to the second round of the NIT, where they fell to VCU.

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    Spectrum Sports Staff

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  • Florida needs 13 innings but KOs Clemson, advances to College World Series

    Florida needs 13 innings but KOs Clemson, advances to College World Series

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    CLEMSON, S.C. — Michael Robertson’s two-run double in the bottom of the 13th inning on Sunday night sent Florida to an 11-10 victory over Clemson, and with it, the Gators earned a berth in the College World Series.

    After Clemson took a 10-9 lead in the top of the 13th, Florida’s Luke Heyman and Tyler Shelnut reached on singles in the bottom of the inning. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, Clemson intentionally walked Brody Donay to load the bases.

    Robertson ripped a double to left-center field, scoring Jaylen Guy, who was a pinch-runner for Heyman, and Shelnut followed with the winning run.

    Robertson’s clutch hit sent Florida (34-28) to Omaha, Neb., for the 14th time. The Gators won the championship in 2017 and finished second last year.

    The Gators claimed the dramatic victory after the Tigers (44-16) had delivered big play after big play to keep their season alive.

    In the top of the ninth inning, Florida led 9-6 and was two outs from advancing when the Tigers’ Cam Cannarella stepped to the plate with runners on first and second. He laced the first pitch to right field for a game-tying three-run home run.

    Clemson was in deep trouble again in the bottom of the 10th, when Florida had runners on first and second with two outs. Ashton Wilson drove a deep fly over Cannarella’s head, but the Clemson center fielder was able to track it down in the air and make the catch at the wall with his back to home plate.

    With two out and the bases empty in the 13th inning, Clemson’s Alden Mathes ripped an 0-2 pitch to right field for the go-ahead run.

    Luke McNeillie (4-6) pitched the last two innings for the win, although he served up Mathes’ home run in the 13th.

    In Game 1 of the super regionals at Clemson on Saturday, the Gators defeated the Tigers 10-7.

    Ethan Darden (5-5) took the loss. He pitched 1-1/3 innings, allowing four hits, plus the tying and winning runs.

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    Associated Press

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  • FSU advances to College World Series; Florida tops Clemson in Game 1

    FSU advances to College World Series; Florida tops Clemson in Game 1

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    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — James Tibbs III hit his third home run of the game, a two-run shot in the top of the 12th inning, and Florida State defeated UConn 10-8 on Saturday, sweeping the Tallahassee Regional for a berth in the College World Series.

    After Max Williams led off the 12th with a single and Cam Smith flied out, Tibbs drove a 1-0 pitch deep over the fence in right field for the go-ahead runs. In the bottom of the inning, Conner Whittaker allowed a two-out single but struck out Paul Tammaro to end it and send the eighth-seeded Seminoles to Omaha, Neb., for the 24th time. They have never won the national championship.

    Tibbs’ dramatic home run was his third two-run shot of the game. It was his 31st home run of the season and his 100 RBI are tied for first in the nation. He went 5-for-6 with six RBI on Saturday. Williams had three hits and scored twice.

    In the top of the ninth, Florida State (47-15) loaded the bases on a walk, a single and an error. Then Drew Faurot lifted a fly to left field and Jordan Williams scored from third. The next two batters flied out to end the inning.

    UConn’s Matt Malcolm tied it with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth.

    Connecticut (35-26) loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth inning. Luke Broadhurst laced a double to center field, scoring three runs and giving the Huskies a 7-6 lead. Earlier, he had an RBI-single in the first inning and a two-run home run in the fifth. He finished 4-for-5 with six RBI.

    In the top of the eighth, Jaxson West tied it up with a leadoff home run to right field.

    There were eight home runs in the game, six by Florida State.

    In Game 1 of the matchup on Friday, FSU set NCAA super-regional records for the most runs scored in a game and largest margin of victory in a 24-4 victory. Jaime Ferrer hit two of Florida State’s five home runs, and Tibbs III and Marco Dinges each added four RBIs. The Seminoles drew 15 walks and struck out just once. Five of their 18 hits were homers, including two-out shots by Dinges and Williams. Smith and Tibbs each drew two-out, bases-loaded walks in the third inning for an 8-0 lead.

    Caglianone’s 32nd HR helps Florida beat host Clemson 10-7 in Game 1

    CLEMSON, S.C. — Jac Caglianone hit his 32nd home run of the season to spark Florida’s seven-run fifth inning, and the Gators beat Clemson 10-7 on Saturday to win Game 1 of the best-of-three Clemson Super Regional.

    Florida (33-28) can clinch a berth in the College World Series with a win in Game 2 on Sunday.

    Caglianone, a former standout at Tampa’s Plant High, hit an 0-1 pitch over the wall in left field for a three-run home run to give the Gators the lead for good before Michael Robertson’s RBI single capped the explosion and made it 9-4 in the top of the fifth.

    Tristan Bissetta hit a solo shot for Clemson (44-15) in the home half of the inning, and Jarren Purify scored on a sacrifice fly before a groundout by Blake Wright drove in Alden Mathes in the bottom of the sixth to pull the Tigers within 9-7.

    Caglianone, a projected top-10 pick in the upcoming MLB draft, finished 2-for-4 with a walk. Dale Thomas went 2-for-5 with an RBI, and Tyler Shelnut hit a solo homer for Florida.

    Jimmy Obertop drew a two-out walk to load the bases before and advanced to second, while Mathes scored on a wild pitch. Bissetta walked to again load the bases, and Jack Crighton took four consecutive balls to get Wright home and give Clemson a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.

    Purify led off the second inning with a triple and scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0, and after Ashton Wilson’s sacrifice fly drove in Cade Kurland to get Florida on the scoreboard in the top of the third, Obertop led off the home half of the inning with a homer to make it 4-1.

    Mathes finished 3-for 5-with two runs for the Tigers.

    Brandon Neely came on in the sixth and pitched four scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk while striking out seven for Florida to earn his fourth save of the season.

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  • Photos from the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio

    Photos from the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio

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    DUBLIN, Ohio — Golfers from the PGA Tour came to Ohio this week for the Memorial Tournament held at the Murfield Village Golf Club in Dublin. 

    Here are some photos from the event as play continued through the weekend at the tournament that has attracted thousands of spectators.

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • ReliaQuest Bowl kicks off Dec. 31 games on ESPN; Gasparilla Bowl is Dec. 20

    ReliaQuest Bowl kicks off Dec. 31 games on ESPN; Gasparilla Bowl is Dec. 20

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    TAMPA, Fla. — The ReliaQuest Bowl will kick off the Dec. 31 games at noon on ESPN, and the Gasparilla Bowl is set for Dec. 20, the Tampa Bay Bowl Association and ESPN announced as part of ESPN’s 2024-25 football bowl schedule release Thursday.

    What You Need To Know

    • The ReliaQuest Bowl will be played at noon Dec. 31 at Raymond James Stadium

    • The Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., also at Raymond James Stadium

    • Both games will be broadcast on ESPN

    • The announcements were made as part of ESPN’s 2024-25 football bowl schedule release Thursday

    The game, which is played at Raymond James Stadium, matches teams from the Southeastern and the Big Ten conferences. 

    “We are thrilled to kick off an exciting day of games leading into the New Year’s holiday,” ReliaQuest Bowl Chairman Greg Orchard said.  

    Tickets will go on sale to the public in the fall through Ticketmaster, with details to come. Premium ticket packages are available now through the bowl office by calling 813-874-BOWL. 

    The Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl is set to take place at Raymond James Stadium on Friday, Dec. 20, at 3:30 pm ET and will air on ESPN.

    The teams for that game are selected from a group that includes the SEC, Atlantic Coast Conference and the American Athletic Conference.

    Along with announcing the game date, the Gasparilla Bowl said it extended its partnership with Union Home Mortgage as the title sponsor for another two years, making the company the longest-tenured title sponsor in the bowl’s history.

    Ticket information for the Gasparilla Bowl will be announced later this fall. 

    The dates and times for Orlando’s two bowl games also were revealed Thursday.

    The Cheez-It Citrus Bowl will move to New Year’s Eve this year, and the Pop-Tarts Bowl shifts to a Saturday, Dec. 28.

    The Citrus Bowl, played at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium, features the top teams from the Southeastern and Big Ten Conferences. The 2024 game will be the 79th and will kick off at 3 p.m. on ABC.

    The Pop-Tarts Bowl, which last year became a national sensation for its mascot and production, will start at 3:30 p.m. and also will air on ABC. Top teams from the ACC and Big 12 compete in the game at Camping World Stadium.

    Tickets to both of this year’s games can be purchased now through Florida Citrus Sports. They won’t go on sale to the general public until the day after this year’s teams are selected Dec. 8.

    This year’s bowl season will include the expanded 12-team College Football Playoffs for the first time. First-round games will be Dec. 20 and 21 at campus sites. The quarterfinals are Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, 2025, with the semifinals set for Jan. 9 and 10 and the championship game on Jan. 20.

     

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  • Hoops After Dark League returns for third year

    Hoops After Dark League returns for third year

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    CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Hoops After Dark League, a partnership between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the City of Cleveland, is back for a third year, with the championship game taking place on Aug. 16 at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Hoops After Dark League, a partnership between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the City of Cleveland, is back for a third year

    • The program is meant to “advance Mayor (Justin) Bibb’s comprehensive violence prevention strategy by connecting young men aged 18-26 to sport and personal development resources”

    • The eight-week-long program begins with tryouts from June 10 through 13, league play from June 24 to 31, playoffs from Aug. 7 through 14 and the championship game on Aug. 16

    • The league’s players must participate in personal development workshops before the games on subjects ranging from financial literacy to gun violence prevention

    A press release from the Cavs said the program is meant to “advance Mayor (Justin) Bibb’s comprehensive violence prevention strategy by connecting young men aged 18-26 to sport and personal development resources.”

    It claims that the program has featured 200 players and more than 1,000 spectators.

    “We are proud to continue our partnership with the Cavaliers to reintroduce Hoops After Dark for the third consecutive summer,” Bibb said in the release. “Initiatives like this play a crucial role in spearheading efforts for a safer city by addressing the underlying causes of violence and offering a constructive avenue through the universal language of sports, which has the power to bridge diverse backgrounds and bring communities together. Through Hoops After Dark, we have the opportunity to effect tangible change within our community, and we are eager to build on the momentum and achievements of this program.” 

    The eight-week-long program begins with tryouts from June 10 through 13; league play from June 24 to 31; playoffs from Aug. 7 through 14 and the championship game on Aug. 16.

    Tryouts will be held from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Neighborhood Resource and Recreation Centers in Cudell (June 12), Glenville (June 11) and Zelma George (June 10).

    Registration is available here.

    The release states that the league’s players must participate in personal development workshops before the games on subjects ranging from financial literacy to gun violence prevention.

    They are also connected to community resources and, this year, will be able to attend a job fair “with organizations dedicated to hiring players.”

    “We are looking forward to bringing Hoops After Dark back for a third year in partnership with the City of Cleveland following two extremely successful initial seasons. The program’s unique ability to use basketball to impact our community, provide safe spaces and support individuals in their efforts to become the best version of themselves is something we are deeply passionate about,” said Nic Barlage, Cleveland Cavaliers, Rock Entertainment Group and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse CEO in the release. “We’re committed to using our platform for driving greater outcomes and are excited to see the positive and lasting impact Hoops After Dark will continue to have on the young people who participate across the greater Northeast Ohio community.”

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    Cody Thompson

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