Archive

2025

Browsing

The NCAA baseball tournament bracket is headlined by the SEC, which as a deserving reward for another dominant regular season was assigned half of this week’s regional host sites and awarded 13 bids in the tournament’s 64-team field.

This is totally unsurprising: SEC teams rank No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 in the USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll entering the tournament while the league has 11 teams in the Top 25.

The league’s regional hosts include Texas, which will look to rebound from an early exit from the SEC tournament, and Tennessee, the defending national champions. The eight hosts tie the tournament record from one conference previously set by the SEC in 2023 and the 13 teams set a new record.

Three ACC teams will play host for the regionals in North Carolina, Florida State and Clemson. Big Ten newcomers Oregon and UCLA are hosts, as are Coastal Carolina and Southern Mississippi from the Sun Belt and Oregon State, an independent.

Regional play features four teams in a double-elimination format. Winners will advance into best-of-three super regional play next weekend.

Beginning with the SEC, here are the biggest winners and losers from the World Series bracket:

Winners

The SEC

The full list of hosts: No. 1 Vanderbilt, No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Arkansas, No. 4 Auburn, No. 6 LSU, No. 7 Georgia, No. 10 Mississippi and No. 14 Tennessee. Joining this group are Alabama, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Florida and Kentucky. As you can tell, there is simply no conference that’s close to the SEC. As in the NCAA softball tournament, the SEC has so many teams in the field, and so many near the top of the bracket, that the league is the undeniable favorite to bring home the national championship. Of course, the SEC has won the past five crowns and six of the past seven.

North Carolina

After capturing the ACC tournament for the second time in four years, No. 5 UNC is the highest-ranked seed from outside the SEC. The Tar Heels will also draw what looks on paper like a friendly regional that includes Oklahoma, Big Ten tournament champion Nebraska and Patriot League winner Holy Cross. UNC will open against the Crusaders, who needed extra innings to win the clinching game against Army and capture their second conference title in program history.

Oregon State

Playing as an independent with the Pac-12 on hiatus, No. 8 Oregon State was able to corral a path toward hosting a super regional thanks in large part to a strong RPI ranking and a very challenging non-conference schedule that was mostly loaded with road games. This is a huge deal for the Beavers, who have gone 30-7 in regional games played at Goss Stadium. Coming out of the weekend against the group of TCU, Southern California and Saint Mary’s would put Oregon State on track to host its super regional. That the Beavers drew a top-eight seed has to be tough for rival Oregon to swallow after the Big Ten regular-season co-champions swept a four-game set in late April.

Losers

Texas A&M

After going all the way to the championship series against the Volunteers last season and beginning this year ranked No. 1, the Aggies were unable to find a groove and fell short of the tournament despite making a late run in the SEC tournament. In doing so, A&M became the first preseason No. 1 team to miss the bracket since 1991, painting the Aggies as one of the biggest letdowns in the recent history of college baseball. You can point to a brutal schedule loaded with ranked competition, injuries to a few key returning contributors and the drop in offensive production as the culprits behind this unexpected swoon. But there’s no sugarcoating just how disappointing this season was for A&M.

The Big 12

Arizona State, Kansas State and Oklahoma State sneaked into the tournament as three of the last teams to be selected, joining TCU, Arizona, Kansas, Cincinnati and West Virginia to give the Big 12 eight teams in the bracket. That a good chunk of these teams just barely cracked the 64-team tournament helps show where the league stands in the national picture, however. None of the Big 12 teams will host a series this weekend. But keep an eye on Arizona in the regional hosted by Oregon; the Wildcats’ pitching heads into the tournament on fire, with starters allowing just one run in the past 22.1 innings.

Georgia

Another Big 12 team that could make some noise is Oklahoma State, the third seed in the regional hosted by No. 7 Georgia. The Bulldogs might have the toughest draw of any host, in fact, with the Cowboys joined by Duke and Binghamton. While Georgia has the talent, confidence and experience to advance to the second weekend, the Bulldogs will be tested by the Cowboys and Blue Devils, two opponents capable of pulling off an upset and reaching super regional play. Georgia has eight players with at least 10 home runs, led by Robbie Burnett’s 20 and all-league pick Slate Alford’s 17, but will need to get even more from pitcher Brian Curley, who has developed into the Bulldogs’ No. 1 arm.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The contenders during the 2025 NBA playoffs may be different than anticipated when the postseason began, but the team favored to win the championship more than a month ago continues to deliver whenever its perch has been challenged.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are now the overwhelmingly NBA Finals favorites after taking a 3-1 series lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals. The Thunder were pegged to win the title by oddsmakers before the playoffs began, and their performance in big spots against the Denver Nuggets in the conference semifinals and again in Game 4 at Minnesota have strengthened that faith.

The Eastern Conference finals have also reached a pivotal juncture, with the Indiana Pacers holding a 2-1 series lead over the New York Knicks. The Pacers are favored to win the series after taking the first two games at Madison Square Garden, but the Knicks are coming off a resounding come-from-behind win at Indiana in Game 3. They play Game 4 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Tuesday.

Whatever team emerges from either conference will be in position to end a long championship drought or win the first title in franchise history. Here’s a look at the current NBA championship odds from BetMGM now that the league’s conference finals are in full swing:

NBA championship odds

BetMGM odds for NBA Finals winner as of Tuesday, May 27:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (-375)
2. Indiana Pacers (+550)
3. New York Knicks (+1000)
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (+4000)

NBA conference finals bracket

Eastern Conference

No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 4 Indiana Pacers (Indiana leads series 2-1)

Western Conference

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves (OKC leads series 3-1)

Watch the NBA playoffs with Fubo

NBA playoffs 2025: Conference finals schedule

All times Eastern.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

Game 1: Thunder 114, Timberwolves 88
Game 2: Thunder 118, Timberwolves 103
Game 3: Timberwolves 143, Thunder 101
Game 4: Thunder 128, Timberwolves 126
Game 5, May 28: Timberwolves at Thunder | ESPN, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.
Game 6, May 30: Thunder at Timberwolves | ESPN, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.*
Game 7, June 1: Timberwolves at Thunder | ESPN, Fubo | 8 p.m.*

New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers

Game 1: Pacers 138, Knicks 135
Game 2: Pacers 114, Knicks 109
Game 3: Knicks 106, Pacers 100
Game 4, May 27: Knicks at Pacers | TNT, Sling TV | 8 p.m.
Game 5, May 29: Pacers at Knicks | TNT, Sling TV | 8 p.m.
Game 6, May 31: Knicks at Pacers | TNT, Sling TV | 8 p.m.*
Game 7, June 2: Pacers at Knicks | TNT, Sling TV | 8 p.m.*

*if necessary

Watch Knicks vs. Pacers with Sling TV

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Oklahoma City Thunder relied on all the attributes that led them to the NBA’s best record at 68-14 and the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Offense, defense, star power and depth propelled the Thunder to a 128-126 victory in Game 4 of the conference finals Monday, making it a 3-1 series lead for the Thunder who can finish the series in Game 5 Wednesday (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). Oklahoma City is trying to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012.

NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a playoff career-high 40 points, and All-NBA forward Jalen Williams had a playoff career-high 34 points for the Thunder. Oklahoma City held Minnesota All-Star Anthony Edwards to an uneventful 16 points and Julius Randle to five points.

Here are the winners and losers from Game 4 between the Thunder and Timberwolves:

Thunder vs. Timberwolves Game 4 winners

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named MVP for the first time in his career last week, reached 40 points in a playoff game for the first time in his career, and it also was the first time he recorded 10 assists in a playoff game. He was one rebound shy of a triple-double and scored seven of his 11 fourth-quarter points on free throws – including five made three throws in the final 14.5 seconds.

He has scored at least 30 points in six of Oklahoma City’s past seven playoff games and is averaging 30.1 points in the four conference finals games.

Jalen Williams

Williams surpassed his previous playoff high (32 points against Denver in overtime earlier this month) with 34 points – 14 coming in the fourth quarter when the Thunder needed his offense to hold off a Minnesota rally. He was 13-for-24 from the field and 6-for-9 on 3-pointers, including a key 3 with 3:34 left in the fourth quarter that pushed OKC’s lead to 116-109 and another with 1:21 to play that gave the Thunder a 123-116 lead. He also had five assists, three rebounds and three steals.

Chet Holmgren

Holmgren scored 21 points on 9-for-14 shooting and added seven rebounds and three blocks. That two-way performance is what helped make the Thunder the No. 1 defensive team and No. 3 offensive team.

Minnesota’s bench

Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 23 points on 9-for-15 shooting, including 5-for-8 on 3s, and Donte DiVincenzo had 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including 5-for-8 on 3s for the Timberwolves, whose bench produced 64 points. Naz Reid had 11 points and Terrence Shannon Jr. had nine.

Thunder vs. Timberwolves Game 4 losers

Anthony Edwards’ scoring

Edwards had 16 points on 5-for-13 shooting and was just 1-for-7 on 3s. That’s not enough – the Timberwolves need more shooting and scoring from Edwards. It’s the second time Edwards, who averaged 27.6 points during the regular season, has scored fewer than 20 points in this series.

Oklahoma City executed another strong defensive gameplan, keeping Edwards from dominating.

Julius Randle’s production

Randle had just five points, was 1-for-7 from the field and missed all three of his 3-point attempts. He had just six points in Game 2, and it’s difficult for the Timberwolves to win conference finals when their second-best scorer has fewer than 10 points.

Timberwolves turnovers

Minnesota coach Chris Finch has bemoaned turnovers throughout the series, and Game 4 was another turnover-laden game for his squad. The Timberwolves committed 23 turnovers leading to 22 Thunder points. That facet of the game has turned into a major storyline of the series.

In Game 1 of the Western finals, the Timberwolves committed 19 turnovers leading to 34 Thunder points. In Game 2, Minnesota had 14 turnovers leading to 22 Oklahoma City points. The Timberwolves lost both games. In Game 3 at home, the Timberwolves turned the basketball over just 10 times for 15 Thunder points and won.

Late-game ‘intentional’ fouls

With the Thunder ahead 126-123 with less than 10 seconds to play, they played the foul game, preventing Minnesota from attempting a potential score-tying 3-pointer.

Oklahoma City fouled Minnesota’s Naz Reid with 7.8 seconds and 7.2 seconds left. The Thunder had a foul to give on the first foul and sent Reid to the free throw line on the second foul. After Reid made two free throws and Gilgeous-Alexander made two free throws, the Thunder fouled Edwards with 3.5 seconds left so he couldn’t try a 3. Edwards made the first and intentionally missed the second.

The Thunder made the sound strategic decision for certain, but it also sullied the finish of a great game.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, appears to be leaning in on her rising political stardom this week, briefly sharing what appeared to be a fan-made song that referred to the Democratic firebrand as the ‘leader of the future.’

‘Jasmine Crockett, she rises with the dawn. Fighting for justice, her light will never be gone,’ the song went. ‘A voice for the people, standing strong and proud. Infectious with passion, she’ll never bow down. Leader of the future, she’s breaking all the chains. Jasmine you rock girl, keep leading the fight.’

The roughly two-minute-long song was set against what appeared to be photos of Crockett that were lightly animated using artificial intelligence (AI). It ended with a minute of Crockett’s own comments at a recent House hearing.

Fox News Digital observed the video on Crockett’s Instagram Story, where users post highlights that normally disappear after 24 hours. It was also visible on her Instagram Reels tab. Crockett’s official House of Representatives account was listed as a co-author alongside another Instagram account that appears to specialize in AI-generated musical video clips.

Crockett’s account notes that posts are made by her staff unless the letters ‘CWC’ are present. Her account appears to have shared, but not originally posted the video. Fox News Digital reached out to Crockett’s office to ask if she took any part in creating or sanctioning the post.

After Fox News Digital’s inquiry, mention of the video disappeared from Crockett’s page. 

‘A beacon of hope, we know you won’t deceive,’ the song continued at another point. ‘Democratic champion, her mission’s loud and clear. For every single citizen, she’ll always be near. No MAGA could silence the truth she displays. Jasmine, you rock girl, keep leading the fight.’

Crockett has garnered a notable fan base among the progressive left since bursting on the national stage just over two years ago.

She has been known for public comments that have pushed the boundaries of congressional decorum and have even earned her censure threats from her Republican colleagues in the House.

Crockett garnered controversy in late March for referring to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who is in a wheelchair, as ‘Governor Hot Wheels.’ She later clarified in a statement that she ‘wasn’t thinking about the governor’s condition,’ but she did not apologize.

She also appeared to cash in on a spat she was part of during a House Oversight Committee hearing last year, when her response to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., claiming Crockett had ‘fake eyelashes,’ was to mock Greene as having a ‘bleach blonde bad built butch body.’

Crockett later moved to trademark the phrase through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

House Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., is taking aim at Georgia’s senior senator in a new ad highlighting the vulnerable Democrat’s stance on transgender student athletes.

Carter, who is running for Senate, is releasing a 30-second advertisement titled, ‘Ossoff Fan,’ which features a purported transgender woman complaining about Carter’s own Republican stances. It opens by showing a transgender woman, played by a stubble-chinned biological male wearing a wig and a dress, sitting in a living room beside a dumbbell watching Carter on Fox News.

‘He’s been MAGA from the beginning,’ the person says on the phone. ‘He’s been loyal to Trump, defended him during impeachment.’

The person on the other line says, ‘And Buddy helped Trump at the border with deportations.’

The transgender person picks up a trophy and says, ‘And preventing people like me from competing in women’s sports. Buddy Carter even believes there’s only two genders.’ 

‘Now Buddy wants to help Trump in the Senate and beat Jon Ossoff,’ the individual says. ‘It’s just not fair.’ Meanwhile, the voice on the phone quips, ‘After all Ossoff has done for us!’

The ad ends with the transgender person picking up a sign with pink lettering that says, ‘Ossoff for Senate,’ putting on a pair of wedge sandals, and stomping to their car.

The short but punchy advertisement signals that Republicans still believe the debate surrounding transgender inclusion is a potent issue for turning out voters in favor of the GOP. It proved to be a key issue in the 2024 general election, with moderate Democrats spending weeks after the fact decrying their own party’s intolerance to differing views.

Ossoff is a first-term lawmaker who was the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in the Peach State in roughly two decades. Republicans now view Ossoff’s seat as one of the most viable flip opportunities in the upcoming 2026 midterm cycle, when the GOP hopes to keep and expand upon its thin majority in the upper chamber. 

Carter was the first Republican to jump into the contest after Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who was considered a heavy favorite to run against Ossoff, opted to forgo a Senate bid. Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King is also running in the race as a Republican.

Ossoff joined with all other Democratic senators to filibuster the bill from Sens. Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt, both Alabama Republicans, in March, effectively killing the legislation after it advanced out of the House earlier this year. 

Their bill, called the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, is designed to bar transgender athletes from participating in federally funded school athletics at all levels, from elementary school to college.

It would amend Title IX to make it a violation for any school athletic program that receives federal funding to allow a biological male to participate in sports or activities that are meant for women or girls, and defines a person’s sex by their reproductive biology and genetics at birth. 

The measure is similar to an executive order from President Donald Trump in February that argued that the participation of biological men in women’s and girls’ sports was ‘demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports.’

Ossoff campaign communications director Ellie Dougherty argued in a statement after this report was published that athletic associations and local school districts could ensure fair and safe competition in school athletics, and accused the GOP’s bill of threatening to usher in ‘extremely intrusive’ federal investigations of children’s bodies.

‘American parents don’t need federal bureaucrats confirming our children’s genitalia,’ Dougherty said. 

The Carter campaign’s ad is also not the first time in the early days of the looming midterm cycle that the vulnerable senator has been targeted for his vote against the measure. 

One Nation, a nonprofit advocacy group closely aligned with Senate Republican leadership, ran an ad last month that accused Ossoff of ‘running point for the radical left’ with his vote to block the men in women’s sports bill. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Ossoff’s campaign for comment on Carter’s ad but did not hear back by press time.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The FBI is taking another look at the cocaine found inside the Biden administration White House in 2023, according to Deputy Director Dan Bongino. 

‘Shortly after swearing in, the Director and I evaluated a number of cases of potential public corruption that, understandably, have garnered public interest. We made the decision to either re-open, or push additional resources and investigative attention, to these cases,’ Bongino said in a post on X. 

‘These cases are the DC pipe bombing investigation, the cocaine discovery at the prior administration’s White House, and the leak of the Supreme Court Dobbs case. I receive requested briefings on these cases weekly and we are making progress. If you have any investigative tips on these matters that may assist us, then please contact the FBI,’ he added. 

The FBI did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for further comment from Fox News Digital. 

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump said in an interview he believes former President Joe Biden or his son, Hunter Biden, left behind the infamous bag of cocaine at the White House. 

‘So … who actually left the cocaine in the White House?’ The Spectator’s Ben Domenech asked Trump. 

‘Well, either Joe or Hunter,’ Trump responded. ‘Could be Joe, too.’  

The bag of cocaine was discovered on July 2, 2023, in a storage locker near the entrance to the White House’s West Wing.  

The Secret Service discovered the cocaine and launched an investigation, which turned up inconclusive for a suspect. 

‘On July 12, the Secret Service received the FBI’s laboratory results, which did not develop latent fingerprints and insufficient DNA was present for investigative comparisons,’ it said in 2023. ‘Therefore, the Secret Service is not able to compare evidence against the known pool of individuals. The FBl’s evaluation of the substance also confirmed that it was cocaine.’

‘That was such a terrible thing because, you know, those bins are very loaded up with … they’re not clean, and they have hundreds and even thousands of fingerprints,’ Trump also said in the interview. ‘And when they went to look at it, it was absolutely stone cold, wiped dry. You know that, right?’ 

The Biden family, including the former president and Hunter, were not staying at the White House when the cocaine was discovered. Instead, the family was staying at presidential retreat Camp David in Maryland. 

Hunter Biden has a long and well-documented history with substance abuse, and he detailed his hourly need for crack cocaine in his 2021 memoir, ‘Beautiful Things.’ He has since gone through recovery efforts and has been sober since 2019, according to sworn testimony in federal court in 2023. 

Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

For the first time since she was in high school, Caitlin Clark will miss regular-season action. And she won’t return for at least a couple of weeks .

The Indiana Fever announced Monday that Clark had suffered a left quad strain and that she’ll miss at least two weeks while recovering from the injury.

‘I don’t know when it happened,’ Fever coach Stephanie White said, according to the Indianapolis Star. ‘I know (after the Liberty game) we got a message that something was going on with her leg and they were getting an MRI, and then we got the word.’

Clark previously missed Indiana’s preseason opener against the Washington Mystics earlier this month due to a left quad injury. She had made enough progress in her recovery to play in the Fever’s regular-season opener against the Chicago Sky on May 17, but just over a week later, a similar issue has popped back up and will cause her to miss more time. White said this left quad strain is a new injury, however.

The two-week timeline the Fever provided means Clark will miss a minimum of four games: at the Washington Mystics on Wednesday, May 28; a home game vs. the Connecticut Sun on Friday, May 30; a home game vs. the Mystics on June 3, and a rematch against Angel Reese and the Sky on June 7.

‘Certainly we’d rather have it early than late,’ White said. ‘It’s a great opportunity for our team to find an identity. It’s a great opportunity for our team to play in a different way. And I also think it’s a great opportunity for Caitlin to watch the game from the sideline and to grow and almost like a coaching kind of mindset, and see some different things that we might be talking about on film, addressing in practice, to see it develop in live action.’

Through four games, the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year is averaging 19 points, six rebounds and 9.3 assists per game to start her sophomore campaign.

The Fever are 2-2 and seventh in the WNBA standings as of Monday.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The full 64-team field for the NCAA baseball tournament was released on Monday, which means all eyes are on which eight programs can reach the College World Series in 2025.

Vanderbilt, playing its best baseball at the right time, earned the No. 1 overall seed of the tournament after winning the SEC tournament championship. The rest of the SEC also dominated the regional host locations, with eight of the 16 national seeds belonging to the conference, including each of the top four.

Texas, who finished No. 1 in the SEC regular season standings and was picked as the No. 2 overall seed of the NCAA tournament, is another top contender for the national title under first-year coach Jim Schlossnagle, who led Texas A&M to the national championship series last season.

However, there are likely to be some upsets in the NCAA tournament. Here are our College World Series participants predictions after the bracket was revealed Monday:

College World Series predictions

No. 1 Vanderbilt

The Commodores are red hot entering the NCAA tournament, having won the SEC championship and their last three SEC series against Kentucky, Alabama and Tennessee.

Vanderbilt has a strong group of pitchers, led by starters JD Thompson and Cody Bowker, who each have sub-4.5 ERAs on the season. Vandy’s bullpen has also been a huge strength, led by closer Sawyer Hawks, who was a second-team All-SEC selection and boasts a 1.64 ERA across 44 innings this season.

Vanderbilt bats have also started to come around, despite not being a huge home run-hitting team. Riley Nelson was one of the best bats in college baseball this season, though, as he holds a .358 batting average and a .534 slugging percentage.

Northeastern

Every College World Series prediction needs a dark horse, right? Northeastern, winners of a remarkable 27 consecutive games, boasts one of the best pitching staff in the country.

The Huskies have a 2.92 ERA as a team this season, which is 0.32 runs per average lower than Coastal Carolina, who ranks second nationally. Northeastern has used the same three pitchers in its weekend rotation all season, as Will Jones, Jordan Gottesman and Aiven Cabral each own ERAs under 2.75 with more than 69 innings pitched each.

Northeastern has the pitching depth necessary for both regional and super regional wins. It must first win the Tallahassee Regional, which also comprises No. 9 Florida State, Mississippi State and Bethune-Cookman.

No. 5 North Carolina

North Carolina has quality pitching depth and plenty of slugging potential in its lineup. Ace pitcher Jake Knapp was dominant in 2025, winning ACC Pitcher of the Year after going 12-0 with a 2.17 ERA. Catcher Luke Stevenson and first baseman Hunter Stokely were both first-team All-ACC selections after hitting 18 and 13 home runs, respectively.

North Carolina can get it done offensively and defensively. The Tar Heels open with their home regional against Oklahoma, Nebraska and Holy Cross. The Chapel Hill Regional winner matches up with Eugene Regional winner.

No. 13 Coastal Carolina

Pitching depth is as important as anything in the postseason, and it’s a strength for Coastal Carolina.

The Chanticleers are No. 8 in RPI, despite playing in the Sun Belt, a non-major conference. They went 48-11 on the season and have wins over No. 11 Clemson and No. 16 Southern Miss, who both were selected as national seeds.

Coastal Carolina has the nation’s second-best pitching staff by ERA at 3.24, which only ranks behind Northeastern. Ace Jacob Morrison was elite in 2025, with a 1.90 ERA and .87 WHIP across 85 1/3 innings. Morrison, who stands 6-foot-8, has an 11-0 record on the year.

Coastal Carolina hosts Florida, East Carolina and Fairfield in the Conway Regional, and lines up with the winner of the Auburn Regional.

No. 2 Texas

Schlossnagle has one of his most capable teams yet in his first season with Texas, and led Texas A&M to the national championship last season. While the Longhorns didn’t win the SEC tournament, they did finish with the league’s best regular season record after going an impressive 22-8 in conference play.

Like most teams on this list, Texas gets it done on the mound. Starters Max Grubbs and Luke Harrison both threw more than 50 innings this season with a sub-3.0 ERA, and the Longhorns also boast perhaps the most dynamic bullpen weapon in college baseball in Dylan Volantis, who was the SEC Freshman of the Year after picking up 12 saves in 45 1/3 innings.

Texas hosts UTSA, Kansas State and Houston Christian in the Austin Regional, which lines up with the winner of the Los Angeles Regional, hosted by No. 15 UCLA.

No. 10 Ole Miss

Ole Miss rose to a No. 10 seed thanks to its strong showing at the SEC tournament, which saw it reach the championship game after beating LSU, Arkansas and Florida. The Rebels also ended the regular season with a series win over No. 4 Auburn.

Ole Miss can really hit, with six batters who hit double-digit home runs this season. It also has a bona fide ace in Hunter Elliott, who threw 78 2/3 innings with a 3.09 ERA and 94 strikeouts.

The Rebels are playing their best baseball heading into the postseason, which almost always bodes well.

Ole Miss hosts Georgia Tech, Western Kentucky and Murray State in the Oxford Regional, and lines up with the Athens Regional winner, which includes No. 7 Georgia.

No. 6 LSU

The Tigers are well equipped for a run back to the College World Series, though, as they look to reach Omaha for the first time since 2023, when they won the national championship with a loaded roster that included Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews.

LSU has another strong lineup again, with six hitters batting over .310 this season. Jared Jones is one of the best hitters in college baseball, as he hit .333 with 19 home runs and 66 RBIs in 2025.

Tigers ace Kade Anderson, one of the top projected left-handed pitchers in the 2025 MLB Draft, threw a team-high 89 innings to a 3.54 ERA this season with a ridiculous 145 strikeouts. No. 2 pitcher Anthony Eyanson was also solid, with a 2.77 ERA in 84 1/3 innings.

LSU is one of college baseball’s top programs and will get back to Omaha in 2025. Don’t be surprised if it leads the Jello shot leaderboards again, either. The Tigers host Dallas Baptist, Rhode Island and Arkansas-Little Rock in the Baton Rouge Regional, matching up with the Clemson Regional.

No. 3 Arkansas

Arkansas was one of the best teams in college baseball in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons, but was upset in back-to-back years in its own regional. That changes in 2025.

Shortstop Wehiwa Aloy was the SEC Player of the Year after batting .353 with 18 home runs and 58 RBIs. The Razorbacks’ lineup also includes six other players who hit double-digit home runs or batted over .300.

Arkansas doesn’t have quite the pitching prowess it possessed in recent years, as starters Zach Root, Gabe Gaeckle and Landon Beidelschies each have ERAs over 4.00 this season. Its bullpen is a strength, however, with numerous arms capable of stretching out games.

Teams of Arkansas’ caliber can’t get upset in three straight years, right? The Razorbacks host Kansas, Creighton and North Dakota State, and match up with the winner of the Knoxville Regional.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Monday, his players responded as the Hurricanes downed the Florida Panthers 3-0 to avoid a sweep and stay alive in the Eastern Conference finals.

Goalie Frederik Andersen made 20 saves for the shutout after sitting out Game 3. Logan Stankoven gave the Hurricanes their first lead of the series and Sebastien Aho and Jordan Staal added empty-netters to end Carolina’s 15-game losing streak in the conference finals.

‘It’s nice not to have to talk about that,’ Brind’Amour said.

The Panthers were without Sam Reinhart, Niko Mikkola and A.J. Greer, who are day-to-day.

Brind’Amour didn’t mention players in his post-Game 3 criticism, only saying the four rookies shouldn’t be the best players on the ice. He also credited Staal and Jordan Martinook for their play.

Rookies Alexander Nikishin and Stankoven teamed up for a goal on Monday and Staal also scored.

But some of the players Brind’Amour didn’t specifically mention had big games. Dmitry Orlov, a minus-4 in a mistake-filled Game 3, was a plus 2 on Monday. The top line of Aho, Andrei Svechnkov and Seth Jarvis totaled three points and 10 shots, seven by Aho.

Jaccob Slavin played 28 minutes and blocked four shots, and Brent Burns had an assist.

Andersen is the third goalie in franchise history to record a shutout in an elimination game.

‘There were some real tough shots that looked easy tonight and that’s how you know he’s kind of on,’ Brind’Amour said.

USA TODAY Sports provided live updates and highlights for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes:

Hurricanes vs. Panthers highlights

Final score: Hurricanes 3, Panthers 0

The Hurricanes dictate their style of play to stay alive. Frederik Andersen has a 20-save shutout in his return to the net. Game 5 will be Wednesday in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Jonah Gadjovich gets misconduct

He’s called for roughing, then shoots the puck at Scott Morrow.

Hurricanes-Panthers score: Another empty-netter

Jordan Staal gets this one. Hurricanes 3, Panthers 0

Hurricanes-Panthers score: Carolina gets empty-netter

After a Panthers turnover, the Hurricanes start a three-way passing play and Sebastien Aho scores. Hurricanes 2, Panthers 0

Panthers go on power playu

Logan Stankoven is called for high-sticking. Panthers are 0-for-3 in Game 4. Now 0-for-4. Hurricanes have killed eight consecutive Panthers power plays.

Mark Jankowski scores, but the Panthers challenge for offsides and officials agree. Still 1-0 Carolina.

Panthers go on power play

Alexander Nikishin slashes Anton Lundell on a breakaway attempt. Carolina kills it off.

Hurricanes go on power play

Dmitry Kulikov is called for roughing Logan Stankoven. It’s killed off and Kulikov gets a chance after he comes out of the penalty box but is stopped by Frederik Andersen.

Third period underway

Hurricanes lead 1-0. They’re 5-0 in the postseason when leading after two period. The Panthers are 1-3 when trailing after two. They start the period with 11 seconds of a power play. It’s killed. No shot on the power play.

End of second period: Hurricanes, 1 Panthers 0

The Hurricanes, trying to stave off elimination, have another strong period, outshoot the Panthers 12-5. Carolina is getting good breakout and zone entries. They also get their first lead of the series when Alexander Nikishin finds Logan Stankoven as the Panthers were caught with five men on the same side of the ice. Sergei Bobrovsky is keeping Florida in the game with 22 saves, including back-to-back-to-back opportunities in the second period.

Panthers on power play

Brent Burns off for cross-checking. Panthers need to get something here. Carolina kills the first part, but 11 seconds will remain in the third period.

Hurricanes-Panthers score: Logan Stankoven gives Carolina lead

Nice pass from Alexander Nikishin. Nicer goal by Logan Stankoven, who rips a high shot past Sergei Bobrovsky. It’s the Hurricanes’ first lead of the series. Hurricanes 1, Panthers 0

Another 4-on-4

Jordan Staal hooks Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk, who’s called for embellishment. Carolina outshooting Florida 5-0 in the period so far.

Hurricanes go on power play

Seth Jones goes for hooking Sebastien Aho. Hurricanes get one shot, but Panthers kill it off.

Second period underway

No score in the first period for the first time this series. Frederik Andersen was solid in his return to the Hurricanes’ net, though he wasn’t really tested.

End of first period: Panthers 0, Hurricanes 0

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour had called out much of his team’s effort in Game 3. He got a better effort in Game 4. Carolina leads in shots 11-7 with Sebastien Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Jackson Blake each getting two. They also have 22 hits though 20 minutes after not having more than 50 for the entire game in the first three games.

4-on-4 play

Jackson Blake picks up his second penalty of the game for slashing Nate Schmidt. But Schmidt negates that for roughing Blake. Penalties expire.

Panthers go on power play

Jackson Blake goes off for slashing. Hurricanes kill it off, allowing one shot.

Frederik Andersen looks good early

He has stopped all three shots he faced, including an Aaron Ekblad shot that deflected off a Hurricanes defender.

Game 4 underway

Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov vs. Hurricanes’ Mark Jankowski line.

What time is Hurricanes vs. Panthers Game 4?

Game 4 of the Carolina Hurricanes-Florida Panthers series is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET on Monday in Sunrise, Florida.

How to watch Hurricanes vs. Panthers NHL playoff game: TV, stream

Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Amerant Bank Arena (Sunrise, Florida)
TV: TNT/truTV
Stream: Sling TV, Max

Stream Hurricanes vs. Panthers Game 4 on Sling

Hurricanes lineup

Injured defensemen Jalen Chatfield and Sean Walker will sit out again.

Florida Panthers lineup

Frederik Andersen to start for Hurricanes

Coach Rod Brind’Amour is going back to Andersen in net. Pyotr Kochetkov started Game 3 and the game was tied 1-1 entering the third period before the Panthers scored five consecutive goals. Andersen started the first two games of the series, which the Panthers won 5-2 and 5-0.

Florida Panthers injury updates

Sam Reinhart, Niko Mikkola and A.J. Greer are out for Game 4. Reinhart was hurt in Game 2 and the other two were injured in Game 3. Coach Paul Maurice said all three are day-to-day. Jesper Boqvist has taken Reinhart’s place on the top line. Defenseman Uvis Balinskis will enter the lineup in place of Mikkola, and Nico Sturn will replace Greer.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Former President Joe Biden’s official health reports during his White House tenure did not show signs of aggressive prostate cancer, a Fox News Digital review of the health documents shows. 

Biden, who suffered two brain aneurysms in 1988 that nearly claimed his life, received clean bills of health in 2021, 2023 and 2024, according to former White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor’s annual reports on the president’s state of health. 

Biden was scheduled to receive a physical by the end of January 2023 but delayed the evaluation due to a busy travel schedule, the White House reported at the time. The former president had a roughly 15-month period between his 2021 physical and one conducted in February 2023. 

Fox News Digital reviewed the three reports posted by the White House in 2021, 2023 and 2024 and found that there were no signs indicating aggressive prostate cancer was on the horizon for the 46th president — though concerns over skin cancer were a common theme throughout the three reports. 

2021 

Biden’s White House physician released the president’s first annual health report in November 2021, declaring Biden a ‘healthy, vigorous’ man. 

‘President Biden remains a healthy, vigorous, 78-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief,’ O’Connor wrote in the 2021 report. 

The report included routine screenings of Biden’s heart, eyes and teeth, as well as his occasional gastroesophageal reflux. 

The report noted that Biden also underwent ‘routine’ screenings for both colon cancer and skin cancer. Biden had multiple ‘localized, non-melenoma skin cancers removed’ ahead of his presidency after spending a good deal of time in the sun as a youth, the report stated, but that there were ‘no areas suspicious for skin cancer’ during the 2021 physical. 

The report did find that Biden was increasingly ‘throat clearing’ and coughing during public events. O’Connor stated that Biden had long cleared his throat or coughed during speaking engagements, but such coughing or throat clearing ‘certainly seem more frequent and more pronounced over the last few months.’ 

O’Connor said gastroesophageal reflux was likely the culprit behind Biden’s coughing after conducting multiple lung, oxygen and biological tests. 

The report also noted that Biden’s gait had become noticeably more stiff, which the doctor said required a ‘detailed investigation.’ The stiffened gait was attributed to Biden’s wear and tear on his spine and mild sensory peripheral neuropathy of the feet, which O’Connor said could be addressed with physical therapy and exercise. 

2023 

O’Connor released details on Biden’s second physical as president on Feb. 16, 2023, roughly 15 months after the release of his first presidential physical. The delay between the health assessments was attributed to the president’s busy schedule. 

Biden was notably also diagnosed with COVID-19 in July 2022 during the interim period of his first and second physicals. Biden was reported to have mild symptoms that July and was treated with the antiviral drug Paxlovid. 

The February 2023 physical report found that Biden was in good health and ‘fit’ to serve as president. 

‘President Biden remains a healthy, vigorous 80-year-old male who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency,’ O’Connor wrote in his 2023 health memo.

The report found that Biden’s gait had remained stiff since his last physical, though the issue had not worsened. The report overall found that his heart, lungs, eyes and teeth were all in good health. 

Biden underwent routine skin cancer surveillance, which found a small lesion on the president’s chest that required biopsy. The lesion was removed just a couple of weeks later without issue, a follow-up memo from O’Connor states. 

‘As expected, the biopsy confirmed that the small lesion was basal cell carcinoma,’ Biden’s doctor wrote in a memo after the lesion was removed. ‘All cancerous tissue was successfully removed. The area around the biopsy site was treated presumptively with electrodessication and curettage at the time of biopsy. No further treatment is required.’ 

The 2023 physical health report also provided updates on Biden’s COVID-19 recovery, which the White House doctor said went smoothly in part due to Biden receiving the coronavirus vaccine and two booster shots before the infection. 

2024 

The report on Biden’s final physical examination as president was released Feb. 28, 2024 and again found the president in good health and able to serve as president. 

‘President Biden is a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief,’ the most recent memo stated. 

Again, vital organs such as the heart and eyes received a clean bill of health, while Biden’s stiff gait did not worsen in the interim since 2023, though the doctor noted ‘arthritic changes’ that were moderate to severe. 

O’Connor reported that he conducted a neurological exam and determined that no cerebral or neurological issues were compounding the president’s stiff gait. The test did support previous findings of peripheral neuropathy of the feet, the report stated. 

The 2024 physical additionally noted that the lesion removed from Biden’s chest the year prior needed no additional treatment, as basal cell carcinoma typically does not metastasize. 

The report added that Biden had been using a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine when sleeping after he showed symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea. The president had previously reported similar symptoms in 2008 and 2019, O’Connor stated, but that they subsided after sinus and nasal passage surgeries before his presidency.

He also underwent a root canal that year with no complications. 

Who is Dr. O’Connor? 

Dr. O’Connor has overseen Biden’s health since 2009 and built a close relationship with the president and his family, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

‘I have never had a better commander than Joe Biden,’ O’Connor said in a profile interview with his alma mater, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, when Biden served as vice president. ‘All politics aside, he approaches his craft with such honor. He’s 100 percent ‘family first.’ He’s ‘genuinely genuine.’’

O’Connor overwhelmingly remained out of the spotlight during Biden’s tenure until the spring of 2024, when speculation mounted among both conservatives and Democrats that the president’s mental acuity was slipping, with pundits and the media subsequently demanding to hear directly from O’Connor on the state of Biden’s health. 

The White House physician is affectionately known to Biden and his family simply as ‘Doc,’ and was requested by Biden in 2009 to stay on as his physician after serving in the White House Medical Unit under the President George W. Bush administration, according to the profile. 

O’Connor was first appointed to the White House Medical Unit in 2006 for what was intended to be a three-year military assignment, according to his profile published by the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, from which he graduated in 1992. 

Instead, ‘Vice President Biden asked O’Connor to stay on,’ the profile continues. 

O’Connor complied, marking the beginning of their doctor-patient relationship that has reportedly evolved into a close relationship with the president’s large family. 

Biden’s 2017 memoir, ‘Promise Me, Dad,’ features the president reflecting on his close relationship with ‘Doc,’ including O’Connor joining the family on their annual vacation to Massachusetts’ Nantucket in his capacity as the White House physician and balking at the family’s ‘browsing extravaganza’ on the island. The White House medical unit always travels with a president to best protect his health and safety.  

The physician’s relationship with the family seemingly grew closer, according to the memoir, when the president’s son, Beau Biden, was diagnosed with brain cancer — which ultimately claimed his life in 2015. 

‘Doc was good with Beau, who was still trying to get his bearings in those first few days. Real fear was starting to creep in. Sometimes Beau would grab him when everybody else was out of earshot to get his honest assessment,’ Biden wrote in the memoir. 

‘‘Whatever it is, this is bad,’ he told Beau, ‘but we’re gonna find out what it is. And once we find out what it is, we will have a plan.’’ 

‘‘Promise?’ Beau asked.’

‘‘Promise.’’ 

In another excerpt, Beau Biden requested O’Connor ‘promise’ to take care of his father if he should die. 

‘‘Seriously, Doc. No matter what happens,” Beau Biden said to O’Connor, according to the book. ‘’Take care of Pop. For real. Promise me. For real.’’

Back in 2018, Joe Biden’s sister-in-law, Sara Biden, described O’Connor as a ‘friend’ who provided medical advice to members of the Biden family beyond the eventual commander in chief. 

‘Colonel O’Connor was actually a friend and he — we would frequently ask for his recommendations if any of us had a medical issue, so it was not uncommon to ask him if he had a recommendation,’ she said in a deposition related to a New York state medical malpractice case involving her daughter, Fox News previously reported. 

The state of Biden’s health now?

Biden’s office announced May 18 that the former president had been diagnosed with an ‘aggressive form’ of prostate cancer, which set off concern that such a cancer should have been discovered sooner. 

‘Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms,’ Biden’s team shared in a statement. ‘On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.’ 

‘While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,’ the statement said. ‘The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.’ 

Physicians have remarked that they are ‘shocked’ that the cancer had not been discovered sooner. 

‘Thank God they found it. (Biden is) a fighter. He’s been through a tremendous amount in his life… with his son, with (his) wife, with (his) daughter,’ Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel said May 19. ‘Two aneurysms, atrial fibrillation. He’s been through a lot health-wise, but I am absolutely shocked that they didn’t find this earlier.’ 

A spokesperson for Biden confirmed to Fox News on May 20 that Biden’s last known prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, which screens a patient for prostate cancer, was conducted in 2014. 

‘President Biden’s last known PSA was in 2014,’ a Biden spokesperson told Fox News. ‘Prior to Friday, President Biden had never been diagnosed with prostate cancer.’ 

Biden posted to X on May 19 in his first message since publicly revealing the diagnosis to thank supporters. 

‘Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places,’ Biden wrote on X, accompanied by a photo with former first lady Jill Biden. ‘Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.’ 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS