Sports category, Page 314
Brandin Cummings jumps off bench, vaults into vital role in Pitt’s quest to reach NCAA Tournament
For most of this season, Pitt sat just outside the group of four or five elite teams in the ACC. Eighth place in the 18-team conference — which is where the Panthers (16-10, 7-8) stand at the moment — feels about right. But that’s not the goal, and now that...
New Castle native, Pitt grad Scott McCurley hired as Steelers linebackers coach
The Pittsburgh Steelers made official Wednesday the hiring of former Pitt player Scott McCurley as the team’s inside linebackers coach. McCurley replaces Aaron Curry, who left the Steelers to accept a position with the New York Jets. A New Castle native, McCurley, 44, spent the past five seasons with the...
‘I’ve accepted it’: With Oneil Cruz in center field, Pirates believe his ceiling is cathedral
BRADENTON, Fla. — Oneil Cruz comes from a family of shortstops, so his switch to center field late last season came with concerns about whether the Pittsburgh Pirates star would accept the new position. Before Cruz left the Dominican Republic for spring training, his 6-year-old son provided the true test...
Bill Hillgrove credits Gov. Josh Shapiro for hoops knowledge during Pitt broadcast
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro sat courtside Tuesday night and provided analysis during the broadcast of the Syracuse/Pitt game at Petersen Events Center. But it was no mere political stunt. Shapiro came to play, said longtime Pitt play-by-play man Bill Hillgrove. The governor joined Hillgrove and Curtis Aiken for the first...
Pirates announce broadcast schedule for Grapefruit League games
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that SportsNet Pittsburgh will televise a dozen home games in Grapefruit League play this spring and show their opponents’ broadcast in seven others. The broadcast schedule includes this weekend’s openers, Saturday at the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota and Sunday’s home opener against the...
Penguins assistant GM Jason Spezza touts prospects, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s success
On individual and collective notes, Jason Spezza has ample reason to be pleased with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s season to date. Spezza, assistant general manager for the Pittsburgh Penguins, directly oversees the club’s American Hockey League affiliate. Led by first-year coach Kirk MacDonald, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins boast a 27-12-5 record and are second...
Mark Madden: Sidney Crosby offers Canada’s edge against U.S. in 4 Nations Face-Off final
It’s not as meaningful as it’s made out, but the U.S. and Canada figure to play a real slobberknocker of a hockey game Thursday night. Let’s preview the action with refreshing 4 Nations Face-Off notes. If you want blood, you got it. • Sidney Crosby made the most Sidney Crosby...
Spencer Horwitz takes a step in recovery, fielding grounders at first base for Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — Spencer Horwitz is finally playing first base for the Pittsburgh Pirates, even if his activity is limited to fielding grounders after workouts at Pirate City. His first spring training since being acquired by the Pirates was disrupted before it even started when Horwitz underwent surgery on his...
Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin expects to rejoin lineup against Capitals
Michael Bunting objected, a bit, to the premise of the question. His usual linemate Evgeni Malkin is probably not the same player at 38 as he was at 28. What can he still … Bunting interrupted the reporter offering the clumsy query. “Oh … I don’t know,” Bunting said while...
Researchers confirm Hall of Famer Bobby Hull had CTE when he died 2 years ago
CHICAGO — Bobby Hull, the Hall of Fame forward and two-time NHL MVP who helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 1961, had chronic traumatic encephalopathy when he died two years ago, his widow said in a statement released on Wednesday. Researchers at Boston University’s CTE Center found...
On Sports: Paul Skenes is so compelling he actually obliges MLB Network to — gasp — do a game in PittsburghVideo
Particularly with the Steelers and Penguins on runs approaching a decade each of not winning a playoff round, Pittsburgh sports fans are suffering from quite the inferiority complex lately. Leave it to the Pirates to elicit a backhanded, subtle dig from a national baseball outlet this week. Ron Darling and...
Trib 10: Power-ranked teams survive and advance … with 1 exception
While there were a few bracket busters here and there in the first round of the WPIAL basketball playoffs, only one affected the teams in the Trib 10. It had been a ho-hum opening round for the District 7 power teams with many receiving first-round byes or rolling past teams...
4 players score in double figures as Pitt rallies to defeat Syracuse
No one inside Petersen Events Center is talking about it, but Pitt can’t afford more than one regular-season loss (maybe not even one) if it wants to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive. The Panthers continued to walk that tightrope Tuesday night, fighting back to defeat Syracuse, 80-69, before a...
Rob Manfred calls A’s new park in Sacramento charming but still expects to be in Vegas by 2028Video
PHOENIX — Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred called the Athletics temporary home charming but reiterated he expects the franchise will open its new stadium in Las Vegas in 2028. Manfred recently visited the 14,000-seat minor league stadium in West Sacramento, Calif., and said the owners of the Triple-A River Cats and...
Guerrero plans to become free agent after season, fails to reach long-term deal with Blue JaysVideo
DUNEDIN, Fla. — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. plans to become a free agent after the season following the passing of his deadline Tuesday to reach a long-term agreement with the Toronto Blue Jays. “Listen, I want to be here. I want to be a Blue Jay for the rest of my...
Justin Turner agrees to $6 million, 1-year deal with the Chicago Cubs, AP source saysVideo
MESA, Ariz. — Justin Turner has agreed to a $6 million, one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation, giving the team additional infield depth. Turner can earn an additional $2.5 million in bonuses, according to the person who spoke to the...
Notre Dame hires Ja’Juan Seider away from Penn State to coach running backsVideo
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame hired running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider away from Penn State to do the same job for the Irish, coach Marcus Freeman announced Tuesday. Seider had been the Nittany Lions’ running backs coach since 2018 and was promoted to co-offensive coordinator in 2022 and assistant...
Panthers re-sign veteran QB Andy Dalton to 2-year contract to back up Bryce Young
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers re-signed quarterback Andy Dalton on Tuesday to a two-year contract, giving them a veteran presence behind starter Bryce Young heading into the 2025 season. The 37-year-old Dalton, who threw for 989 yards with seven touchdowns and six interceptions in five starts last season, was...
Ludvig Aberg, 1st to get card through PGA Tour University, making most of opportunityVideo
SAN DIEGO — Jon Rahm saw this coming, even if he might not have known the player — Ludvig Aberg — or how quickly the college kid would make his mark. Toward the end of LIV Golf’s inaugural season in October 2022, Rahm was still bullish about the PGA Tour...
‘It’s a new story, a new page’ for new Penguins defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok
Things were a little irregular during the Pittsburgh Penguins’ practice Monday in Cranberry. And why wouldn’t it be? Because of the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, NHL squads had been off for more than a week from all team-wide activities, including games and practices. For the Penguins, that idleness manifested...
Pittsburgh Riveters announce schedule for debut season
Pittsburgh Riveters SC will begin its first season with a home match May 16 at Highmark Stadium. The new pro women’s soccer franchise will host Cleveland Force to kick off the USL W League season. Both teams are part of the newly formed Great Forest Division in the Central Conference,...
U.S. GM Bill Guerin says he would welcome Trump when Americans play Canada for 4 Nations titleVideo
BOSTON — The general manager of the U.S. team in the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament said he would welcome a visit from President Donald Trump to the championship game between the United States and Canada on Thursday night. Bill Guerin, who played 18 years in the NHL for eight...
Canucks’ Quinn Hughes to replace Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy for U.S. in 4 Nations finalVideo
BOSTON — The United States didn’t have to sacrifice much when looking for a replacement for injured defenseman Charlie McAvoy in the 4 Nations Face-Off final: Reigning Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes was ready to step in. U.S. coach Mike Sullivan said Tuesday that Hughes was on his way to...
Injured forwards Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust participate fully as Penguins return to practice
The Pittsburgh Penguins conducted their first organized practice since Feb. 7 on Tuesday afternoon, as the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off break continues ahead of Thursday’s title game between Canada and the United States. While a handful of Penguins players who partook (and in the case of Team Canada captain Sidney...
Robert Morris opens 2025 football season on the road with back-to-back games vs. WVU, Youngstown State
Robert Morris’ 2025 football schedule, released Tuesday by coach Bernard Clark and the Northeast Conference, will include five Saturday home games at Joe Walton Stadium. The opener is Aug. 30 at West Virginia, a first-time opponent and the Colonials’ first game against a Big 12 team. Before the home opener...
