INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Cearah Parchment scored 15 points, and Destiny Jackson added 14 for No. 10-seeded Illinois in a 71-69 win over No. 10-seeded Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday night.
Maddie Webber added 13 for the Illini (21-10), Jasmine Brown-Hagger scored 12 and Berry Wallace finished with 11. Illinois will move on to the quarterfinals to play No. 2 seed Iowa.
The Spartans (22-8), who are ranked No. 18 in the country, were led by Kennedy Blair, who scored a career-high 30 points. Grace VanSlooten scored 13, and Jalyn Brown added 12.
Illinois turned over the ball on its first four possessions of the game, forcing a timeout to reset. An 8-0 run gave the Fighting Illini their first lead of the game at the end of the first quarter, and they led 36-29 heading into the break.
Michigan State had a 9-0 run after the break to regain the lead, 42-41, but a layup and a 3-pointer from Brown-Hagger gave the advantage back to Illinois.
On the Spartans’ final possession of the game, VanSlooten collected two rebounds from under the basket before kicking it back out to Blair in the midrange. Without a clear shot, she passed it out wide to Brown, who couldn't save the ball from going out of bounds with a second to go in the game.
Up next
Illinois: Will face No. 2 seed Iowa on March 6. The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 9 in the country.
Michigan: Will wait for an invitation to a postseason tournament.
KANSAS CITY (AP) — Gabby Elliott had 22 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and No. 10 seed Arizona State beat No. 7 seed Iowa State 77-68 on Thursday in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament.
Arizona State (24-9) advances to face No. 2 seed West Virginia in the quarterfinals on Friday and strengthened its case for an NCAA Tournament berth. The Sun Devils improved their win total dramatically under first-year coach Molly Miller after finishing with 11 victories last season.
Arizona State set the tone early, jumping to a 17-2 lead behind Heloisa Carrera, who scored 12 of her 17 points in the opening stretch. The Sun Devils led 33-25 at halftime before Elliott ignited a decisive third-quarter run.
She opened the second half with eight straight points, including back-to-back 3-pointers, as Arizona State stretched the lead to double digits. The Sun Devils outscored Iowa State 27-21 in the third quarter and carried a 60-46 advantage into the fourth.
Iowa State pushed back late and trimmed the deficit to 68-62 on an Addy Brown 3-pointer with 1:41 remaining. Arizona State, however, did not allow the Cyclones to get closer than six points the rest of the way despite going nearly eight minutes without a field goal in the fourth quarter.
McKinna Brackens finished with 16 for the Sun Devils.
Audi Crooks led Iowa State (22-9) with 21 points, while Brown added 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Up Next
Arizona State plays No. 2 seed West Virginia on Friday in the quarterfinals.
Iowa State awaits an invitation to play in a postseason tournament.
GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Christeen Iwuala scored 18 points for No. 7 seed Mississippi in a 73-57 win over No. 15 seed Auburn in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday.
Ole Miss (22-10) led the entire game, jumping out with a 12-1 run to open the game and had a double-digit lead heading into halftime, 48-20.
Iwuala shot a perfect 5 of 5 from the field in the first half for 10 points, and finished the day 8 of 8. She added nine rebounds, including the 250th of her career. Latasha Lattimore and Cotie McMahon both scored 13 for the Lady Rebels.
Auburn (15-17) was led by Khady Leye, with 17 points. Kaitlyn Duhon scored 14 for the Tigers. Auburn had a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter that lasted over three minutes, but it wasn't enough to swing the momentum in its favor.
Ole Miss will move on to face No. 2-seeded Vanderbilt.
Up next
Ole Miss: plays No. 2 seed Vanderbilt on March 6.
Auburn: awaits an invitation to play in a postseason tournament.
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Venus Williams lost again in her return to the BNP Paribas Open, falling in the first round Thursday, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-1 to Diane Parry of France.
The 45-year-old Williams, who has dropped her last eight WTA singles matches, received a wild card into the singles and doubles draws for the tournament in the Southern California desert. It came 30 years after she made her Indian Wells debut in 1996 when she was 15.
After Williams rallied in the second set to tie it, the 23-year-old Parry, ranked 111th in the world, took control and cruised in the third.
It was Williams' 10th career appearance in the tournament and first since 2024, when she also lost in the first round as a wild card. The seven-time major winner was given a wild card last year, but didn’t accept it.
“I’m so excited to be heading back to Indian Wells and can’t wait to return home to play in California,” Williams said last month.
Parry will face 15th-ranked American Madison Keys in the second round Saturday.
Williams entered the BNP Paribas Open having lost her last seven matches, with the only win in her comeback to the tour coming in her return at Washington last year.
Williams most recently participated in the ATX Open in Austin, Texas, last month as a wild-card entry and lost in the first round of singles to Ajla Tomljanovic.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant will miss at least two more weeks as he continues to recover from a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow.
The Grizzlies announced Thursday that Morant was progressing in his rehabilitation but was still experiencing discomfort. The two-time All-Star had follow-up imaging Wednesday that showed what the team described as “incomplete healing of the injury.”
The Grizzlies said Morant will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Morant has appeared in 20 games this season, averaging 19.5 points and 8.1 assists. He hasn’t played since injuring his elbow on Jan. 21.
RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico (AP) — John Daly II had an easier time, and a far easier golf course, than his father in his PGA Tour debut. The 22-year-old son of John Daly opened with a 2-under 70 in the Puerto Rico Open on Thursday, where the kids were all the rage and Chandler Blanchet wound up with the lead.
Blanchet bogeyed his first hole and that was his only mistake. He followed with nine birdies for an 8-under 64, his lowest round on the PGA Tour for a one-shot lead over Gordon Sargent, the former top college golfer who has struggled the last few years.
“It was good,” Daly said. “Feel like I left a few out there, but I made it up with just a couple good saves and nice chip-in on 16.”
John Daly, the former PGA and British Open champion, made his first PGA Tour-sanctioned start nearly 40 years ago. But that was Shinnecock Hills — not Grand Reserve — and it was the 1986 U.S. Open, not an opposite-field event in Puerto Rico. Daly shot 88 that first round.
His son was not the only player getting attention. Blades Brown, the 18-year-old who played in the final group with Scottie Scheffler when the world's No. 1 player won The American Express, opened with a 69. It was his 16th score in the 60s in his 34 career rounds on the PGA Tour.
Miles Russell, the 17-year-old from Florida and among the top amateurs in the world had a 71. The other young prospect, Zhou Yanhan of China, shot 72. The 17-year-old Zhou had seven wins on the China Tour last year.
Blanchet earned his PGA Tour card through the Korn Ferry Tour last year, winning twice, including the circuit's Tour Championship. But it has been a slow start to his first season in the big leagues, missing the cut in all five tournaments he has played.
He hopes there's plenty of learning that comes with those weekends off, and Blanchet said he looked forward to facing more challenges, such as dealing with short putts he misses. He wants to get mentally stronger to deal with that.
“I missed a 5-footer right on the first hole and I looked at my caddie and he said, ‘This is our test.’ Handled it well,” Blanchet said. “Then made some good birdies over the next few holes. Yeah, really solid day.”
Eugenio Chacarra, who began his pro career on Saudi-backed LIV Golf in 2022 and became the first player from the rival league to a get sponsor exemption on the PGA Tour, opened with a 73.
The winner of the Puerto Rico gets into The Players Championship and the PGA Championship, along with a two-year exemption on tour. But it does not qualify for the Masters.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: Ryan Ritter #8 of the Colorado Rockies in the outfield during the spring training game against the Chicago White Sox at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 23, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies lost to the Milwaukee Brewers today, 10-8. For more details, click here.
And now to the postgame comments.
First, here’s manager Warren Schaeffer:
Starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen weighed in before heading out to play for Team Italy in the WBC:
And, finally, Tyler Freeman discussed his return to action:
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 21, 2026: George Valera #7 of the Cleveland Guardians runs to third base during the fourth inning of a spring training game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Fields of Phoenix on February 21, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Feel free to also discuss Australia vs. Czechia starting at 10am ET below, but here is your Guardians’ lineup vs the White Sox starting at 8pm ET:
Pool C play continues in the World Baseball Classic with Colombia visiting Puerto Rico at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Friday, March 6.
My Colombia vs. Puerto Rico predictions and World Baseball Classic best bets expect the Colombians to hang around in a low-scoring game.
Puerto Rico vs Colombia prediction
Puerto Rico vs Colombia best bet: Colombia +3.5 (-115 at DraftKings)
The Puerto Rico lineup took a major hit with insurance issues, and MLB staples Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa and Javier Baez won’t be playing in the World Baseball Classic.
As a result, I’m happy to take the runs with the Colombians.
Colombia has a veteran-heavy lineup with former MLB talents Gio Urshela, Harold Ramirez, and Jorge Alfaro leading the way, and starter Jose Quintana has 14 years in the majors.
This is also the first game of the WBC for both teams, so the Colombian bullpen will be rested and have all its best arms available to follow Quintana.
In addition to the lineup hits to the Puerto Rico lineup, ace Seth Lugo stands to hold the Colombians in check.
Lugo was the 2024 American League Cy Young runner-up, and he’s spun a tidy 3.51 ERA and 1.19 ERA over 609 2/3 innings across the past five MLB seasons.
Puerto Rico vs Colombia opening odds
Moneyline: Puerto Rico -425 | Colombia +310
Run line: Puerto Rico -3.5 (-110) | Colombia +3.5 (-115)
Over/Under: Over 9.5 (-110) | Under 9.5 (-110)
How to watch Puerto Rico vs Colombia and game info
Location
Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Date
Friday, March 6, 2026
First pitch
6:00 p.m. ET
TV
FS1
Puerto Rico starting pitcher
Seth Lugo
Colombia starting pitcher
Jose Quintana
Puerto Rico vs Colombia weather
Expect a warm, sticky night in San Juan with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s°F (mid-20s°C). There’s a slight chance of passing showers and light winds, typical for evening games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
PEORIA, AZ - FEBRUARY 28: Kade Anderson #13 of the Seattle Mariners pitches during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the San Diego Padres at Peoria Sports Complex on Saturday, February 28, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Julia Jacome/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Opening Day for the 2026 Major League Baseball season is about three weeks away (beginning officially with a standalone game between the Yankees and Giants on March 25), and while there are several former Tigers already in the Big Leagues, LSU’s pipeline to The Show is alive and well.
On Thursday the MLB announced preliminary rosters for the third annual Spring Breakout Games. If you’re unfamiliar, this showcase is a chance for the best prospects across the MiLB to show why they’re the next crop of stars and LSU will be all over these games.
In total, 15 former Tigers made the preliminary rosters to compete for their respective clubs, highlighted by Seattle’s Kade Anderson, Houston’s Ethan Frey, and Boston’s Anthony Eyanson. LSU and Tennessee tied for the most preliminary selections; the final rosters, consisting of 23-27 players, will be announced on March 18.
As it stands right now, here are the 15 former Tigers that made the preliminary rosters.
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 19: Former major league baseball and game analyst Rex Hudler looks on a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Kansas City Royals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 19, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals will get ready for their close up on TV tonight, under the bright lights of Surprise Stadium. The big name players are at the World Baseball Classic, so tonight it’s…..Lane Thomas! Brandon Drury! Josh Rojas! All the remaining stars on one stage!
Hey, you can see Cole Ragans and Carter Jensen, that’s not nuthin’.
Cole takes the mound under the lights in Surprise.
The Rangers start left-hander Mackenzie Gore, who they acquired from the Nationals this offseason. They have a few starters in the lineup too – Wyatt Langford, Corey Seager. It’s probably too soon to see Andrew McCutchen in a Rangers uniform.
DULUTH, Ga. (AP) — Uche Izoje recorded 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead Syracuse to a 70-59 win over California on Thursday in the ACC Tournament.
It marked Syracuse’s first ACC Tournament win since 2021 and sent the Orange to the quarterfinals after doubling their conference win total from last season.
The Orange struck quickly, opening the game on a 9-0 run and never trailing. Syracuse extended the margin to 37-16 by halftime as California struggled offensively.
The Golden Bears shot 25% from the field in the first half and committed 10 turnovers, producing their lowest scoring half of the season.
California pushed back in the second half, trimming its deficit that had reached 21 points. A 3-pointer from Lulu Twidale pulled the Bears within 56-52 midway through the fourth quarter.
Syracuse answered behind Izoje, who scored during a decisive stretch late in the game. Laila Phelia connected with Izoje on an alley-oop that pushed the lead to 61-53 with just over three minutes remaining.
The Bears were unable to get closer, going the final two and a half minutes without a field goal as Syracuse closed the game at the free-throw line.
Phelia added 17 points for the Orange, while Sophie Burrows extended her streak to 16 straight games with a made 3-pointer. Izoje, the ACC rookie of the year, was 11 of 19 from the field.
Sakima Walker led California with 19 points. Twidale finished with 14 and Gisella Maul added 13.
Up next
Syracuse will play No. 2 seed Louisville on Friday in the quarterfinals.
California awaits an invitation to play in a postseason tournament.
Jayco AlUla rider’s spring classics campaign ruined by injury
35-year-old returning to racing after break due to pulmonary embolism
Australian cycling ace Michael Matthews has broken both wrists in a training crash and been ruled out of racing for the forseeable future.
Matthews’ season on the World Tour started with victory in the Gran Premio de Castellon in Spain in late January – the 44th win of his decorated 17-year career.
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - MARCH 4: Rece Hinds #57 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrates in the dugout after scoring on a single by Leo Balcazar during the seventh inning of the World Baseball Classic exhibition game against Team Cuba at Goodyear Ballpark on March 4, 2026 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a wild one in Goodyear Ballpark on Thursday afternoon as ESPN broadcast a ridiculous 14-13 victory by the Cincinnati Reds over the Los Angeles Dodgers that featured a combined 10 (!) homers between the two clubs.
Fortunately for the Reds, they came out victorious in this game that ultimately means nothing in the grand scheme of things, but it sure was entertaining in the process.
The Good
Cincinnati’s offense got off to a rockin’ start against LA lefty Cole Irvin. Elly De La Cruz ripped a 438 foot blast off Irvin in the Bottom of the 1st to get the Reds on the board (from the right side of the plate!), and Will Benson followed later that inning with a 2-run blast of his own (off a lefty!).
Elly’s homer came off the bat at 114.5 mph. Not bad for his less-productive side of the plate.
Cincinnati’s offense was potent throughout, with Nate Lowe (3-run tater), Matt McLain (4th tater of the spring already), and eventually Rece Hinds (a 3-run walk-off in the Bottom of the 9th) all eventually adding to the tally.
Here’s Hinds’ laser down the LF line to flip a 13-11 defecit to the final 14-13 margin.
Cincinnati also managed to walk more times (6) than they struck out on the day (5), and I’ll wager that each and every time the Reds hit as many homers as they have Ks will end up being a very, very good day for them going forward.
The Bad
The pitching today…woof!
Shoutout to Julian Aguiar, at least, who fanned 4 against nary a walk while allowing just a lone earned run (on a solo dinger) in 2.0 IP to get the late win. Hagen Danner, to his credit, also pitched a scoreless, perfect frame.
Everyone else, though got rocked through and through, and that includes projected closer Emilio Pagán. Pagán was tagged for 4 ER on 4 H in his lone frame, and that included an ugly trio of homers allowed. Meanwhile, top projected setup man Tony Santillan wasn’t much better as he allowed 3 ER on a hit and 3 walks while also yielding a homer before being pulled having recorded just a pair of outs.
The miserable spring for Connor Phillips continued too, unfortunately, as he once again had serious issues finding the zone. He was tagged for 3 ER on 2 H and 2 BB in his IP while recording nary a K, and his spring ERA now sits at 14.73.
Adding insult to injury was the way the pitching staff got knocked around. Old friends Santiago Espinal and Nick Senzel combined for 3 homers and 7 ribbies off Reds pitching on the day, though at least the arms kept Matt McLain’s brother Sean from socking one into the stands.
The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game
That goes to Sean’s big brother Matt, who went 3 for 3 with a homer, 3 runs scored, and a pair of ribbies to push his Cactus League OPS up to a ridiculous 2.112 so far.
Hat tip to Elly (2 for 3, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR) and Lowe (2 for 3, R, 3 RBI, HR) for equally excellent play.
What’s Next
Andrew Abbott will take the mound on Friday on the road in Scottsdale as the Reds take on the San Francisco Giants. First pitch is set for the usual 3:05 PM ET, though this one sadly won’t be televised. You will be able to listen in through 700 WLW’s feed, however.
Despite a bevy of trade rumors circling him, Rasmus Ristolainen will play and start for the Philadelphia Flyers against the Utah Mammoth on Thursday night.
Ristolainen, 32, is paired up with Travis Sanheim on defense and will not sit out Thursday's contest in preparation or anticipation of any kind of trade.
Previously, Scott Laughton played the day before the Flyers traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and prior to that, Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost played the same night they were dealt to the Calgary Flames.
After the Buffalo Sabres missed out on St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko, who exercised his no-trade clause to block a move, they could logically pivot to an old friend in Ristolainen as their next trade target.
Players like Connor Murphy, Tyler Myers, Nick Blankenburg, and MacKenzie Weegar have already addressed right-shot defense needs for contenders like Edmonton, Dallas, Utah, and Colorado, so the Ristolainen trade market is rapidly thinning.
Boston and Detroit are believed to be seeking right-shot defenders as well.
Ristolainen and the Flyers are aiming to win their fourth-straight contest.
