Archive

2025

Browsing

Ross Chastain ran down William Byron over the final 37 laps to capture the NASCAR Cup Series’ longest race, Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina.

After fending off a battle with Denny Hamlin, Byron withstood a charge from Chastain until the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet suddenly closed a three-tenth’s gap and got by with six laps to go to beat Byron by 0.673 seconds for his first win this season in the 66th running of the event.

The Alva, Florida, native started last at the 1.5-mile speedway after going to a backup car following a wreck in practice Saturday. He led just eight laps in his sixth career win, while Byron managed a race- and career-high 283.

Polesitter Chase Briscoe, AJ Allmendinger and Brad Keselowski completed the top five.

Larson passed Briscoe on Lap 9 but fought with his car and soon tagged the wall hard. The 2021 Cup champ then spun by himself off Turn 4 on Lap 42, forcing him to pit road for a long stop.

Running ninth with three circuits left in Stage 1, Alex Bowman’s No. 48 banged the wall off Turn 4 and slid through the frontstretch grass. Byron won the second segment during the second caution period, while Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell trailed him.

Byron held an 8½-second lead as Stage 2 neared its end. The two-time Daytona 500 champ then eased to the segment win over Hamlin and Reddick with Carson Hocevar continuing his strong run in fourth.

The 400-lap race’s biggest melee was on Lap 246 after a restart. Daniel Suarez, Ryan Blaney and Briscoe made contact, and Larson and Justin Haley were involved in the sixth caution on the frontstretch.

Hamlin led 34 laps in Stage 3, but Byron worked his way past the No. 11 Toyota in the closing circuits to sweep the first three stages and pocket the maximum bonus points.

Restarting second on Lap 308, Hocevar had the engine on his No. 77 Spire Motorsports ride expire, triggering the eighth caution.

Coca-Cola 600 full results

Ross Chastain
William Byron
Chase Briscoe
A.J. Allmendinger
Brad Keselowski
Chase Elliott
Michael McDowell
Christopher Bell
Ryan Preece
Noah Gragson
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Josh Berry
Erik Jones
Shane van Gisbergen
Kyle Busch
Denny Hamlin
Joey Logano
Todd Gilliland
Ty Dillon
Austin Dillon
Cole Custer
Chris Buescher
Connor Zilisch
Ty Gibbs
Cody Ware
Tyler Reddick
John Hunter Nemechek
Riley Herbst
Alex Bowman
Justin Haley
Austin Cindric
Derek Kraus
Josh Bilicki
Carson Hocevar
Bubba Wallace
Daniel Suárez
Kyle Larson
Ryan Blaney
Zane Smith
Jimmie Johnson

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The 2025 Women’s College World Series field is set.

No. 2 Oklahoma dominated No. 15 Alabama in the super regionals, advancing to Oklahoma City for the ninth consecutive time while also searching for its fifth straight national championship. No. 12 Texas Tech earned its first ever WCWS appearance, and Tennessee and Texas fought back from Game 1 losses to advance.

The eight-team field was finalized on Sunday with four ‘if necessary’ games: No. 3 national seed Florida downed Georgia 5-2 in the Gainesville Super Regional; No. 7 seed Tennessee beat Nebraska in the Knoxville Super Regional; No 9 UCLA beat No. 8 South Carolina in the Columbia Super Regional; and unseeded Ole Miss beat No. 4 seed Arkansas in the Fayetteville Super Regional.

Here’s the full bracket and schedule for the 2025 WCWS, which kicks off May 29:

WCWS bracket 2025

All times Eastern

No. 3 Florida vs. No. 6 Texas
No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 7 Tennessee
Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Texas Tech
No. 16 Oregon vs. No. 9 UCLA | 9:30 p.m. ESPN2 (Fubo)

WCWS schedule 2025

All times Eastern.

Thursday, May 29

Game 1: No. 3 Florida vs. No. 6 Texas | noon | ESPN (Fubo)
Game 2: No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 7 Tennessee | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
Game 3: Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Texas Tech | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 (Fubo)
Game 4: No. 16 Oregon vs. No. 9 UCLA | 9:30 p.m. ESPN2 (Fubo)

Friday, May 30

Game 5: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 (Fubo)
Game 6: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN2 (Fubo)

Saturday, May 31

Game 7: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner 3 p.m. | ABC (Fubo)
Game 8: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner 7 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)

Sunday, June 1

Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 8 loser 3 p.m. | ABC (Fubo)
Game 10: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 loser 7 p.m. | ESPNU (Fubo)

Monday, June 2

Game 11: Game 7 winner vs. Game 9 winner | noon | ESPN (Fubo)
Game 12 (if necessary): Game 7 winner vs. Game 9 winner | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
Game 13: Game 8 winner vs. Game 10 winner | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 (Fubo)
Game 14 (if necessary): Game 8 winner vs. Game 10 winner | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN2 (Fubo)

WCWS finals

Game 1 (June 4): Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner | 8 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
Game 2 (June 5): Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner 8 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
Game 3 (June 6) (if necessary): Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner8 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)

Who’s in the Women’s College World Series?

No. 2 Oklahoma
No. 3 Florida
No. 6 Texas
No. 7 Tennessee
No. 9 UCLA
No. 12 Texas Tech
No. 16 Oregon
Ole Miss

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The first step to Omaha and the College World Series is complete, as the NCAA selection committee released the regional host sites for the 2025 NCAA baseball tournament on Sunday.

Despite an early exit from the SEC baseball tournament, Texas undoubtedly received the right to host a regional at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Texas. After being on the bubble of hosting a regional, defending national champion Tennessee, received the invite to host the Knoxville Regional for the fourth time in the last five years after reaching the semifinals of the SEC tournament.

The full NCAA baseball tournament bracket and schedule, including the full seedings, will be revealed on May 26 at noon ET. The College World Series field has already been partially filled with automatic bids from conference championships.

The regional round of the NCAA baseball tournament gets underway on May 30. From there, the 64 teams that make the bracket will look to become one of the eight teams that secure a spot at the College World Series, which starts on June 13.

Here’s what you need to know about who is hosting a regional in the NCAA baseball tournament and more:

Watch the NCAA baseball tournament live with Fubo (free trial)

NCAA baseball tournament regional host sites

The SEC, which has been the conference to beat this entire season, landed eight of the regional host sites in Sunday’s announcement.

Here’s a full breakdown of the regional site location for the NCAA baseball tournament, which were listed in alphabetical order by the NCAA.

Athens Regional (Georgia)
Auburn Regional (Auburn)
Austin Regional (Texas)
Baton Rouge Regional (LSU)
Chapel Hill Regional (North Carolina)
Clemson Regional (Clemson)
Conway Regional (Coastal Carolina)
Corvallis Regional (Oregon State)
Eugene Regional (Oregon)
Fayetteville Regional (Arkansas)
Hattiesburg Regional (Southern Miss)
Knoxville Regional (Tennessee)
Los Angeles Regional (UCLA)
Nashville Regional (Vanderbilt)
Oxford Regional (Ole Miss)
Tallahassee Regional (Florida State)

NCAA baseball tournament schedule

Here’s a look at the important dates for the 2025 NCAA baseball tournament schedule:

Selection show: Monday, May 26 (noon ET)
Regionals: May 30-June 2
Super Regionals: June 6-9
College World Series: June 13-22/23

NCAA baseball tournament bracket reveal: Time, TV channel

Date: Monday, May 26
Time: Noon ET
TV channel: ESPN2
Streaming options: ESPN app | Fubo (free trial)

ESPN2 will carry the NCAA baseball tournament bracket reveal show on Monday, May 26 at noon ET. Streaming options include the ESPN app (with a TV login) and Fubo, which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to new subscribers.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz entered Sunday holding the record for the hardest-hit ball in the Statcast era.

He’s broken his own record.

Cruz launched a ball 122.9 miles per hour off the bat and into the Allegheny River for a solo home run in Sunday’s home contest against the Milwaukee Brewers. The ball left the stadium in quick fashion to get Pittsburgh on the scoreboard, although the Pirates lost the contest 6-5.

The Statcast era began in 2015. The previous record, held by Cruz, was a single on Aug. 24, 2022 against the Atlanta Braves that came off the bat at 122.4 mph.

‘I connected really well. It feels even better just to know that it’s the hardest-hit ball in the history of Statcast,’ Cruz said postgame through an interpreter.

Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly joked he was glad the hit went out of the stadium because ‘if that would’ve been into the stands, that thing is flying.’

Hardest-hit balls in Statcast era

Even though he didn’t make his MLB debut until 2021, Cruz now owns the two hardest-hit balls in the past 10 years. Cruz owns three of the top 10 hardest-hit balls in the Statcast era, a list that is heavily occupied by him and the New York Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton.

Although these are the hardest hits in the Statcast era, not all of them had the same result. Here are the fastest speeds off the bat since 2015:

Oneil Cruz: 122.9 mph, May 25, 2025 (home run)
Oneil Cruz: 122.4 mph, Aug. 24, 2022 (single)
Giancarlo Stanton: 122.2 mph, Aug. 9, 2021 (double play)
Giancarlo Stanton: 122.2 mph, Oct. 1, 2017 (single)
Giancarlo Stanton: 121.7 mph, Aug. 9, 2018 (home run)
Oneil Cruz: 121.5 mph, May 21, 2024 (double)
Giancarlo Stanton: 121.3 mph, July 25, 2020 (home run)
Ronald Acuña Jr.: 121.2 mph, Sept. 2, 2023 (home run)
Giancarlo Stanton: 121.1 mph, Aug. 5 2018 (single)
Aaron Judge: 121.1 mph, June 20, 2017 (home run)

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

President Donald Trump backed several House Republicans for reelection in Truth Social posts on Sunday, expressing support for Reps. Andrew Garbarino of New York, Troy Downing of Montana, Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania, and Bryan Steil of Wisconsin.

Each lawmaker received an individual post from Trump, and each post declared that the given lawmaker has Trump’s endorsement.

Republicans currently hold the majority in the House, but the 2026 midterms will determine whether the GOP maintains control of the chamber during the tail end of Trump’s second term in office.

Trump’s show of support for Garbarino comes after the congressman failed to cast a vote on the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ that passed the House last week. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson said that ‘Garbarino did not make it in time,’ but had fallen asleep.

‘I am proud to have been the leading voice on Long Island during negotiations on this key reconciliation bill. I fought to lift the cap on SALT and ensure hardworking Long Island families see the benefits of this important legislation. I was moments away from the House floor, to vote ‘yes,’ when the vote was closed,’ Garbarino said in a statement, according to reports. 

‘While I am frustrated that the vote was closed before I was able to cast my vote, I am proud of the work we accomplished to deliver huge results for Long Island. I congratulate President Trump on getting this bill passed and look forward to voting ‘yes’ when it comes back to the House floor from the Senate,’ Garbarino noted.

Fox News Digital reached out to Garbarino’s office on Monday morning but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

‘Thank you, Mr. President, it’s an honor to serve NY-02,’ Garbarino said in a Sunday night post on X in response to the president’s endorsment.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

FGCU led Stetson 6-5 in the seventh inning when a rain delay came, which lasted over six hours. The game was never resumed, as the Atlantic Sun was forced to cancel the game and declare both teams co-tournament winners, despite FGCU being named the winner of Sunday’s game.

However, Stetson was declared the ASUN’s automatic qualifier to the 2025 NCAA baseball tournament, as announced by Atlantic Sun Conference commissioner after the game was called.

‘Despite tremendous efforts, we were unable to complete the 2025 Atlantic Sun Conference Baseball Tournament due to inclement weather,’ ASUN commissioner Jeff Bacon said in a statement. ‘Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has been declared the winner of today’s first championship game and, with FGCU and Stetson University (Stetson) having a 1-1 record versus each other, both FGCU and Stetson will be recognized as 2025 ASUN co-tournament champions.

‘Per ASUN policy, Stetson University will be awarded our 2025 automatic qualifier. Congratulations to both teams for an outstanding season, and best wishes to the Hatters as they continue on.’

Stetson was the No. 1 overall seed of the ASUN tournament, and had a 24-6 conference record this season compared to FGCU’s 16-14 mark. Stetson was also in the winner’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament, entering the championship with a 3-0 record (and having beaten the Eagles in the second round of the winner’s bracket 5-4 on May 22).

That meant FGCU (3-1 in tournament play) would have needed to beat the Hatters a second time to win the automatic qualifier from the ASUN. An email sent to the Atlantic Sun asking for clarification on the policy was not immediately returned to the USA TODAY Sports Network.

Stetson now awaits its name to be called on Monday, when the full 64-team NCAA baseball tournament field will be revealed.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

NEW YORK — He was once the best pitcher on the planet, the modern-day Sandy Koufax, only for injuries to cruelly disrupt his path to Cooperstown.

Another was the hottest free-agent pitcher in baseball, helping lead the Washington Nationals to their first World Series championship, only to become a financial burden who was kept around simply because of the hefty contract commitment.

The other was a career journeyman, who had not pitched in the big leagues since 2021, and was sitting home last summer believing his career was over.

Today, Jacob deGrom is pitching like a Cy Young winner again.

Patrick Corbin, ignored all winter this time around in free agency, has become the Texas Rangers’ lifesaver, preventing them from drowning in the AL West.

And Drew Pomeranz, acquired by the Chicago Cubs simply as a flier hoping to see if he could be a serviceable lefty in a beleaguered bullpen, has become a force.

These three veteran pitchers, each who will be celebrating their 36th and 37th birthdays this year, exemplify the beauty of baseball as three of the best comeback stories of the 2025 season, with baseball hitting the Memorial Day mile post marker this weekend.

DeGrom, who turns 37 in June, was under the bright lights once again in New York this week when he dominated the Yankees for seven innings. DeGrom, who has missed most of the past two seasons recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, is 4-1 with a 2.33 ERA in his first 10 starts, and regained his title as one of the nastiest pitchers on the planet.

The right-hander who signed a five-year, $185 million contract with the Rangers in December 2022, finally is feeling like himself again, showing the baseball world that when healthy no one is better. He has pitched seven innings in back-to-back starts for the first time since joining the Rangers, and has permitted two or fewer runs in seven consecutive outings.

“It’s almost like catching a video game,” Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka says. “Just put the glove up there and that’s where the ball goes and it’s like 100 mph. He’s incredible.”

DeGrom, who has not made more than 15 starts since 2019, when he won his second consecutive Cy Young award while yielding a 2.05 ERA and striking out 11.2 batters per nine, is reminding everyone what we’ve been missing. If he stayed healthy, he’d be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. Now, with only 88 career victories and 1,425 innings, he’d need to dominate until he’s 40 just to generate a debate.

He hopes to stay healthy as he relies on his curveball and changeup rather than just throwing the fastball and slider past everyone.

“You can’t live with the what-ifs,” deGrom says. “I never really thought about it, because every time I took the ball, the goal was to win. I still take it that way. I was younger at that time and felt like I could do it. Now it’s trying to be smart and continue pitching for quite a while.

“The main thing is the mental thing. You want to be out there competing. The goal was to always pitch as much as I could, take the ball as many times as I could. And when you don’t, you feel like a real letdown. We love playing this game. And when you’re going to miss that much time, it’s tough.’

Says Rangers manager Bruce Bochy: “I’m just really happy for him. I know he was getting tired of sitting on the sidelines. And now he’s back healthy. It’s exciting to see one of the best pitchers ever back in the game.’’

Drew Pomeranz: Retirement can wait

Pomeranz, who turns 37 in November, was home mowing the yard, playing golf and bored out of his mind last summer. He decided to give it one last shot when the Seattle Mariners came calling in November, offering a minor-league contract. He was still at Class AAA Tacoma in April when he believed he deserved a promotion. So, he exercised an upward mobility clause in his contract requiring the Mariners to either promote him or try trading him to a team willing to put him on their big-league team. The Cubs and Craig Counsell – who managed Pomeranz in MIlwaukee – gave him a call.

Pomeranz, who last pitched in the majors in 2021 with the San Diego Padres, has become invaluable for the Cubs, pitching 11 ⅓ shutout innings while yielding just four hits.

“When I pitched in my first game back,’ Pomeranz tells USA TODAY Sports, “you wouldn’t believe how many text messages I got from people saying, ‘Is that you? I thought you retired.’ It’s been pretty surreal being back.

“You have such a different perspective when something is taken away from you. There are so many times I thought this day would never happen again. I basically retired last year. I would get so close to being back in the big leagues, but then I’d get knocked down again. It sucks. You start to count out yourself out, to be honest.’

Pomeranz went home, played a lot of golf, and then it hit him. He’s 36 years old. Why not keep trying?

“You start thinking about things when you’re not playing,’ Pomeranz says. “It’s like you have the rest of your life to do other things, right? Our window in sports is so small. It’s not like other jobs when you can work until you’re 60. I mean, it’s just not just the compensation but this is what we’ve done since we were nine years old. It’s hard to find something like this outside of this field. There’s nothing like just being here.’

Now, here he is, throwing in the low 90s again, dominating on the mound, and playing for a marquee franchise that’s emerged as one of the finest teams in baseball.

“I mean, it just doesn’t feel real,’ Pomeranz says. “I’ve been dreaming about this moment for years. It’s toigh to keep pushing through mentally, physically, all of it, especially when over and over again, nothing is working.

“Now, just being healthy in the big leagues, throwing as hard as I can, and having this kind of success, it’s really a dream come true.’

Patrick Corbin: Fresh start

Corbin, who turns 36 in July, was 14-7 with a 3.25 ERA over 202 innings in the first year of his six-year, $140 million contract. He pitched 10 innings in three games in the 2019 World Series. Yet, he was never again the same. He went 33-70 with a 5.62 ERA the next five seasons, yielding a .300 batting average. He led the league in losses the past three seasons, and was kept around simply because no one was interested in trading for him.

He still kept taking the ball, never complained, and pitched 180 innings while trying to help out the young Nationals pitching staff. When he hit free agency and the winter dragged on, no one would have been surprised if he called it quits.

Corbin says he never considered retirement, working out all winter in Florida. He drew early interest from Atlanta and the Yankees, and some teams wanted him to pitch in relief before the Rangers signed him on March 18 for $1.1 million after pitchers Jon Gray and Cody Brown went down.

“I don’t know if it was really to prove myself,’ Corbin says. “I still have always felt like I could be a starter in this league. I think it was just kind of going somewhere new and just getting a fresh start.’

He stepped into the rotation April 8 and is still there, going 3-3 with a 3.59 ERA in eight starts. The Rangers’ superb defense has been ideal for Corbin’s arsenal pitching to contact.

“Having [Rangers pitching coach Mike] Maddux here, and some new eyes look at me too,’ Corbin says, “you kind of get that confidence back again and the conviction behind everything and just go out there and compete. ….

“Maybe a change of scenery was for the best.’

Certainly, it comes at an ideal time for the Rangers who badly needed to plug holes in the rotation, and with the way he’s pitching, he could remain longer than anyone possibly envisioned.

“When we lose two starters like we did, we signed him to just kind of fill the gap a little bit,’ Bochy says. “He’s done more than that. He’s been pitching as well as the rest of the guys.’

Around the basepaths

– The Chicago Cubs remain the favorite to host the 2027 All-Star Game, but MLB executives insist that no decision has been made. The Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles are firmly in the mix, with all three teams expected to host the All-Star Game from 2027-2029.

– The New York Yankees are convinced that Juan Soto was ready to re-sign with them on Dec. 11. He asked for a bit more time, was going to discuss it with his family during lunch, and the next thing they knew he was signing with the Mets after being persuaded by family members.

– Teams who inquired on veteran reliever David Robertson during the winter say he was seeking a one-year, $15 million deal. He has no plans to sign with a team now unless he receives a strong offer.

– The Texas Rangers are seriously considering trying Kumar Rocker as their closer when he returns off the IL. He has been out since April 24 with a shoulder impingement, but the Rangers believe that his fastball-slider combo could be lethal in the pen.

– Team USA officials are getting flooded with requests from players and their agents to play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The biggest problem won’t be getting the star players, rather which players will be left off the roster. Kansas City Royals All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has shown a deep desire to return after playing in 2023.

– The Marlins, Pirates, Rays, Royals and Athletics received the most revenue-sharing money in 2024.

– Teams are scrambling to bolster their bullpens with the influx of injuries around baseball.

The top targets: Kyle Finnegan of the Nationals; Felix Bautista, Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto of the Orioles; David Bednar and Dennis Santana of the Pirates and Anthony Bender of the Marlins.

– The Dodgers have committed more than $740 million the past two winters on seven free-agent pitchers. Only two are healthy: starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto and closer Tanner Scott.

“Everything from my brain is about what we can do,’ Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations, told reporters. “It’s like a game of Whack-a-Mole, and things keep popping up, and we’re doing the best we can to hit them down and keep our guys in a good spot to win as many games as we can.’

– The Yankees are aggressively searching for a right-handed bat, preferably a third baseman, while also looking for another starter.

– The Chicago Cubs’ offense has been insanely good, scoring a major-league leading 306 runs. They’ve scored at least four runs in an inning 25 times this year, the most by a Cubs’ team since 1887, and in double digits 11 times, the most since 1898 through 51 games.

– Sometimes, you get lucky. When the Mets acquired All-Star shortstop Javy Baez from the Cubs on July 30, 2021, the Cubs wanted prized pitching prospect Matt Allan in return. The Mets instead settled on outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who was considered their sixth-best prospect.

Allan, battling injuries, is pitching these days at Class A Brooklyn.

Crow-Armstrong, is playing like an MVP candidate in Chicago, with 14 homers, 40 RBIs, eight stolen bases, nine doubles and three triples in his last 34 games. He’s on pace to hit 44 homers and drive in 143 runs this season while stealing 44 bases.

The Cubs tried signing Crow-Armstrong to an extension guaranteeing about $65 million and have now watched his price-tag skyrocket.

– Remember when Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson was sent to the minors last season? He now has 13 homers, 40 RBI and a .886 OPS. He’s on pace to hit 41 homers with 125 RBIs.

– The Athletics are on track for groundbreaking on their new Las Vegas stadium in June, and insist everything is set to play at their new 33,000-seat ballpark in 2028.

– If the Orioles change managers again in the offseason, the leading candidate will be Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, who played six years for the Orioles and nearly landed the Padres’ manager gig two years ago.

– All-Star shortstops Javier Baez and Trevor Story each signed six-year, $140 million contracts in the winter of 2021, and their numbers are eerily similar with the exception of Baez being much more durable.

Story has slashed .231/.290/.382 with 27 homers and 111 RBI in 211 games.

Baez has slashed .228/.269/.358 with 38 homers and 192 RBI in 401 games.

Tigers fans were calling for Baez to be released a year ago, now Red Sox fans want Story gone.

– Yes, that’s 78-year-old Gene Lamont wearing a Pirates uniform for the first time since he was fired as manager in 2000, serving as Don Kelly’s de facto bench coach. He hadn’t worn a uniform with any team since 20217.

– The Chicago White Sox are letting the world know that Pope Leo XIV is their own with a mural on a pillar in the lower concourse down the third-base line at their ballpark. The seat he had during Game 1 of the 2005 World Series – Section 140, Row 19, Seat 2 – will be commemorated this summer.

– That is former pizza deliveryman Colton Gordon now in the starting rotation for the Houston Astros. He delivered pizzas five hours a night for Clematis Pizza in downtown West Palm Beach, Florida while recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2021.

– Yankees reliever Devin Williams says it took time to adjust going from Milwaukee to New York, where he was 0-2 with a 11.25 ERA when he lost his closer’s job. He’s getting back to being the same dominant reliever he was in Milwaukee, permitting no more than one hit in his last 11 games, yielding a 0.97 ERA.

“I’m really enjoying the city now, and getting used to everything,’ said Williams, who lives in Manhattan and has loved visiting museums on his off-days.

– Remember the days slugger Kyle Schwarber struggled against left-handed pitchers and would even be benched? He had a slash line of .188/.328/.430 against lefties in 2023.

These days, he’s slashing .317/.456/.794 against lefties.

– The Arizona Diamondbacks are 234-4 in games in their franchise history when they score at least 11 runs. Three of those defeats have come in a four-week span.

– The Phillies believed they were getting a good pitcher when they acquired starter Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins in the offseason, but who could have imagined that he’d be 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA through 10 starts?

“It’s been a struggle at times in my career but I think a little change of scenery at times is great,’ Luzardo told reporters after his last start. “Just a breath of fresh air being around a good group of guys here. Nothing against the places I’ve been, it’s just a little different here.’

– A year ago, Padres GM A.J. Preller found a bargain by signing Jurickson Profar to a one-year, $1 millioon contract. He hit .280 with 24 homers and 85 RBI and made the All-Star team.

This year, Preller’s steal is Gavin Sheets, who is hitting .283 with six home runs and a .464 slugging percentage.

– The Seattle Mariners are about to get the band back together with the return of George Kirby, and Bryce Miller and Logan Gilbert expected to soon follow.

Certainly, with the fourth-best offense in the league, they have the potential to pull away from the pack in the AL West.

– Future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera, 42, retired after the 2023 season but he can’t stay away, announcing that he will play this winter for the Tigres de Aragua in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. He last played in Venezuela in 2007-08.

“He wants to play, he wants to coach,’ Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters. “He’s going to be good at either, but I think it’s really cool that he recognizes his place in baseball history and is willing to contribute so much in Venezuela, but also here with the Tigers.’’

– Fabulous seeing former Texas Rangers All-Star outfielder Nelson Cruz visiting the Rangers clubhouse at Yankee Stadium. He says his family is slowly starting to heal from the tragedy in Santo Domingo that killed 235 people, including his sister, Nelsy, when the roof at a popular nightclub collapsed.

– Rest in peace Jim Henneman, a fixture in the Baltimore Orioles press box who covered more Orioles’ home games than any sportswriter since their arrival in 1954, and a friend to so many writers.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

STOCKHOLM, May 25 (Reuters) —  Tage Thompson fired a sudden-death winner for Team USA as it claimed a thrilling 1-0 victory over Switzerland in the final of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship on Sunday, its first gold medal at the tournament since 1933.

The United States’ victory brought to an end a long wait for a gold medal for the Americans, who despite sharing the biggest professional league in the game with Canada, have struggled at the international level.

Hockey history is clouded by the awarding of world champion status to the winners of the Olympic competition for many years, but the United States’ only stand-alone victory had come in 1933.

‘It feels awesome. I mean, it’s been so long for the U.S. It feels great putting this jersey back on; it’s been a long time for me, and to be able to come out with a gold medal, it’s pretty fantastic,’ Michael McCarron told Reuters.

‘And in overtime fashion, there’s no better way to win a game,’ the forward added.

Given that the Americans have not won Olympic gold since 1980, not one of the current team was even born the last time their nation stood on the top step of the podium, and Sunday’s winning squad was overcome with joy and relief as they celebrated their win.

‘I mean, we had some jam (good play), they had some jam. There were some lulls in the game for us, and sometimes that we were able to take it over, and both goalies played really spectacular,’ McCarron explained.

‘And three-on-three, anything can happen. It’s a little worrisome – going into three-on-three, you never know what can happen. Luckily, we have some great shooters on our team, and Tage was able to get it in there for us.’

Fellow forward Drew O’Connor was on the bench with McCarron when the game was decided.

‘Honestly, I feel like sometimes it’s tougher when you’re watching and you’re not on the ice. When you get up and go out there, it’s a little easier, you’re just kind of playing. But, yeah, there’s a lot of nerves,’ he told Reuters.

Many of the American players didn’t even see the winning puck hit the net.

‘I don’t know when it did! I just heard the buzzer, and I just jumped out and I thought, hopefully it went in, so I’m glad it did,’ a beaming McCarron said with his historic gold medal hanging around his neck.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

A rain delay hit the Indianapolis 500 this year and that set the stage for a dramatic day of racing.

Multiple caution periods punctuated the 200-lap race in Speedway, Indiana. After 500 miles of racing, Alex Palou took the checkered flag and made history as the first Spanish driver to win the Indy 500.

The Spaniard won his first Indy 500 after taking the lead with 15 laps to go and holding off 2022 winner Marcus Ericsson on the final lap.

This continues what’s been a dominant season for the two-time defending champion. Palou has won five of the first six races of the season and finished no lower than second in any IndyCar event in 2025.

There was drama even before going green. Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin crashed into the wall during pace laps while trying to warm up his tires.

Once the field was good to go racing, Andretti Global’s Marco Andretti collided with Dale Coyne’s Jack Harvey. Andretti went into the wall and was out.

Robert Schwartzman started on pole and became the first rookie to do so since 1983. The Prema Racing driver didn’t see the checkered flag, though, as he lost control in the pits and hit the wall and some of his crew members on Lap 88.

He wasn’t the only driver to see drama in the pits. Ed Carpenter Racing’s Alexander Rossi led some of the race before his car caught fire during refueling on Lap 75.

Two-time defending Indy 500 champion Josef Newgarden methodically worked his way up the field from the last row on the grid and was running in the top 10 before a fuel issue ended the Team Penske driver’s day on Lap 140.

That ensured someone else besides Newgarden won the Indy 500 for the first time since 2022. This time, Palou was a new winner crowned in Indianapolis.

Indy 500 full classification

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global (+0.682 seconds)
David Malukas, AJ Foyt Racing (+1.143 seconds)
Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren (+2.133 seconds)
Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank (+2.946 seconds)
Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global (+3.982 seconds)
Santino Ferrucci, AJ Foyt Racing (+1 lap)
Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing (+1 lap)
Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren (+1 lap)
Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing (+1 lap)
Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan (+1 lap)
Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren (+1 lap)
Calum Illott, Prema Racing (+1 lap)
Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank (+1 lap)
Devlin DeFrancesco, Rahal Letterman Lanigan (+1 lap)
Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan (+1 lap)
Colton Herta, Andretti Global (+2 laps)
Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing (+2 laps)
Will Power, Team Penske (+2 laps)
Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan (+2 laps)
Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank (+3 laps)
Jack Harvey, Dreyer & Reinbold/Cusick (+3 laps)
Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing (+4 laps)
Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dreyer & Reinbold/Cusick (DNF – engine)
Josef Newgarden, Team Penske (DNF – engine)
Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Hollinger (DNF – collision)
Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren/Hendrick (DNF – collision)
Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing (DNF – collision)
Robert Shwartzman, Prema Racing (DNF – collision)
Rinus Veekay, Dale Coyne Racing (DNF – collision)
Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing (DNF – fire)
Marco Andretti, Andretti Global (DNF – collision)
Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske (did not start)

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Former Penn State wide receiver Julian Fleming was injured and another person was killed Friday evening when the ATV he was driving hit a deer in Bradford County, Pennsylvania.

State Police say Fleming, 24, was transported to Guthrie Troy Community Hospital and released on Saturday. The passenger on the ATV, 23-year-old Alyssa Boyd, was pronounced dead on the scene.

Fleming, a five-star recruit out of high school and state record holder for receiving yards in Pennsylvania, spent four seasons at Ohio State before transferring to Penn State last year.

After catching 14 passes for 176 yards and a touchdown for the Nittany Lions this past season, Fleming signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent. However, he reportedly failed his physical and did not end up joining the team.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY