Sports category, Page 606
AP study: 9 MLB teams cut payroll this winter; average salary up just 1.5%
NEW YORK — San Diego cut payroll by $96 million in the past year, the New York Mets by $50 million and the Los Angeles Angels by $49 million, among nine teams that slashed spending in a tepid free-agent market that sparked player unrest. The average salary increased 1.5% to...
NAIA all but bans transgender athletes from women’s sports; NCAA vows to ensure ‘fair competition’
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics announced a policy Monday that all but bans transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports at its 241 mostly small colleges across the country. The NAIA Council of Presidents approved the policy in a 20-0 vote at its annual convention in Kansas City, Missouri....
NBA Playoffs 2024: Playoff positioning battles continue, and see what games matter most
The last week of the NBA season has arrived. With no games Monday — the league typically tries to not play on the night of the NCAA men’s championship game — the schedule resumes Tuesday with 14 games, 13 of which have at least some form of playoff implications. The...
Rutgers CB Max Melton, Iowa DT Logan Lee hosted by Steelers for official pre-draft visitsVideo
Rutgers cornerback Max Melton and Iowa defensive tackle Logan Lee were guests of the Pittsburgh Steelers at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex for official pre-draft visits Monday. A four-year college starter, Melton (5-foot-11, 187 pounds) is projected as a likely slot/nickel in the NFL. A compilation of mock drafts at nflmockdraftdatabase.com...
Tim Benz: Improved lineup depth a big help, but Pirates star hitters are still the key
There has been a lot of conversation about how much the Pittsburgh Pirates’ lineup has been lengthened this year. It’s certainly a big reason why the franchise is off to an 8-2 start to open 2024. The Pirates are fourth in Major League Baseball with 59 runs. The team’s on-base...
Fox Chapel grad Carissa Shepard takes firm grasp on No. 1 singles spot for Seton Hill women’s tennis
As the first-year coach of the Seton Hill women’s tennis team, Megan Satira needed to prioritize learning her players’ abilities. She got more than she bargained for from sophomore Carissa Shepard. While Satira was on the court doing a drill with the players, Shepard unleashed a forehand. But instead of...
Allegheny Valley YMCA Gators shine at district, state swim championships
The Allegheny Valley YMCA Gators were well represented at the district championships and had 11 swimmers qualify for the state championships. They also broke multiple team records across both championship weekends. The districts were held at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio, on March 7-9, and the Gators sent 33...
Franklin Regional grad Caroline Tragesser sets sights on helping Ohio Dominican women’s golf make NCAAs
There is one distinction no one can take away from Caroline Tragesser when it comes to her place in the history of Ohio Dominican women’s golf: In the 21-year history of the program — all under coach Chris Deibel — the Franklin Regional grad is the first player from Pennsylvania....
Hempfield grad David Shearer earns call to Clarion Sports Hall of Fame
His school-record 42 points in a game at Hempfield has stood for 27 years. And David Shearer is not going to lie: He’s proud of it. Long miffed at the lack of recruitment from college coaches, the 45-year-old Shearer is humbled by such an impressive accomplishment in high school. “That...
Dawn Staley, South Carolina in good place to keep dynasty rolling
CLEVELAND — Dawn Staley and South Carolina have cemented their place as the next dynasty in women’s basketball. With two NCAA titles in the past three seasons and 109 wins in the last 112 games, it’s hard to argue with that. It doesn’t look like it’s going to end any...
Caitlin Clark’s college career is over but her impact on the game is not
Most points. Highest scoring average. Most 3-pointers in a season. Most 3-pointers in a career. Most national scoring titles. And so on, and so on, and so on. Caitlin Clark’s college career is over. And the stats she leaves behind are going to be in the record books — the...
Madden Monday: Why Penguins should start Tristan Jarry in Toronto despite Alex Nedeljkovic’s hot streak
When it comes to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ recent efforts to salvage their season, Mark Madden from 105.9 The X and TribLive points to one main reason. “This is all Sid,” Madden said during this week’s Madden Monday podcast. “All the usual suspects would say, ‘This is a team sport.’ Even...
‘Outstanding debut’: Joey Bart makes powerful impression on Pirates with homer, pitch calling
Joey Bart wanted to play free in his Pittsburgh Pirates debut, not worrying about the burden of being a high draft pick or the pressure that comes with being considered a successor to a superstar. From his first swing, Bart made a powerful impact on his new team. The 6-foot-2,...
First Call: Doubts about Justin Fields from Chicago; Tyler Huntley could’ve been a Steeler? Penguins’ playoff outlookVideo
Monday’s “First Call” has a rough review of new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields. We learn who the Steelers may have tried to acquire on the quarterback market if not for the Fields trade. The Penguins’ playoff picture is coming into focus. And we look at the next opponent for...
Pirates ‘can’t wait’ to see solar eclipse before batting practice Monday at PNC Park
Bailey Falter was unaware of the rare celestial event that will occur Monday afternoon until his wife mentioned over the weekend that the Pittsburgh Pirates will be at PNC Park during the solar eclipse. “I had no idea that was happening. I’ll be front and center watching it then, for...
Kentucky’s John Calipari in talks to become the next basketball coach at Arkansas
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky’s John Calipari has been in talks with Arkansas to become the school’s next men’s basketball coach. The Lexington Herald-Leader was told Sunday that Arkansas reached out to Calipari regarding the position following last week’s departure of Eric Musselman, who left Fayetteville after five seasons to become...
Perfect ending: South Carolina’s Dawn Staley wins 3rd national title as Gamecocks down Clark, IowaVideo
CLEVELAND — With the championship secured, Dawn Staley released a year’s worth of pent-up frustration and pain. The tears flowed freely. The burden lifted. South Carolina got past Caitlin Clark this time. A year after their perfect season crashed with a semifinal loss to Clark in the Final Four, the...
Nelly Korda wins 4th straight LPGA Tour start, beating Maguire in T-Mobile Match PlayVideo
NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Nelly Korda is on a roll not seen on the LPGA Tour in 16 years. She won four of the first seven holes, largely making the rest of the final Sunday in the T-Mobile Match Play a formality in beating Leona Maguire 4 and 3...
UConn, Purdue set to collide in NCAA title game after dominating March Madness
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The NCAA Tournament has reached its finish line, down to one game pairing the two best teams that routinely win in romps and boasting a marquee post matchup that features a two-time national player of the year. Maybe that will make this version of March Madness something...
Minor league report: Penguins’ winning streak reaches 5Video
Defenseman Jack Rathbone had a goal and two assists for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 5-1 home win against the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. Forward Avery Hayes had a goal and an assist for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (36-22-8-1) which extended a season-best winning streak...
Bhatia loses 6-shot lead and wins Texas Open in a playoff. The next stop is the MastersVideo
SAN ANTONIO — Akshay Bhatia nearly celebrated too soon Sunday, hurting his left shoulder while pumping his arms on a 12-foot birdie to force a playoff. He recovered to make birdie on the first extra hole and win the Texas Open over hard-luck Denny McCarthy to earn a trip to...
Hempfield grad Sowers elevates herself among top Division II pitchers in nation
A breakthrough season called for an encore, but Callie Sowers didn’t rest on her laurels or her repertoire to greet the curtain call at Bloomsburg. No, the ace softball pitcher went back into the lab in the offseason. “Last season was a stepping stone for me and a platform to...
William Byron leads Hendrick to 1-2-3 Martinsville finish
William Byron took the lead with 73 laps to go and held onto it during a two-lap overtime finish Sunday to enhance Hendrick Motorsports’ celebration of its 40-year anniversary of its first victory in racing with a victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway. Byron, the first of...
Augusta National’s 8th hole has uphill climb, blind shot
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Bruce Devlin hit the best shot he never saw at the Masters. It was the first round in 1967, and the Australian was 240 yards away on the par-5 eighth hole at Augusta National. He took a lash with his 4-wood. The ball landed on the front...
South Carolina finishes off perfect season with NCAA championship, beating Clark and Iowa 87-75Video
CLEVELAND — Kamilla Cardoso delivered again for Dawn Staley and South Carolina. A perfect finish. A dynasty. A team too big for Caitlin Clark and Iowa this time around. Cardoso had 15 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, and South Carolina completed its perfect season with an 87-75 victory over...
