WASHINGTON (AP) — Freshman Preston Edmead scored a season-high 26 points and Hofstra is returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 25 years after defeating Monmouth 75-69 for the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament championship on Tuesday night.
Third-seeded Hofstra earned its fifth NCAA Tournament bid and first in the tenure of Hofstra alum Speedy Claxton, who has been head coach since the 2021-22 season. Hofstra last played in the tournament in 2001.
Hofstra’s German Plotnikov hit a jumper for a 69-65 lead and two free throws by Edmead made it 71-65 with 14 seconds left. Kavion McClains' four-point play made it interesting at 71-69, but he missed his next 3-point attempt and Hofstra locked up the automatic bid with four free throws down the stretch.
Cruz Davis scored 12 points and Plotnikov 10 for Hofstra (24-10). Silas Sunday grabbed 12 rebounds.
Edmead's previous high was 24 points against Monmouth in January.
McClain scored 19 points, Jason Rivera-Torres and Stefanos Spartalis 16 each and Ray 11 for Monmouth (19-15). Spartalis had 11 rebounds.
Monmouth, the No. 4 seed, led throughout the early going and it was 18-13 with 10 1/2 minutes left in the half. Hofstra took its first lead at 24-23 when Davis drained a 3-pointer and the Pride went on to lead 35-32 at halftime.
Before the loss, the Hawks were 8-2 in February and March and had won five in a row.
Up next
NCAA Tournament pairings will be announced on Sunday.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — TJ Burch scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half to help top-seeded Wright State rally from a 12-point deficit and beat No. 3 seed Detroit Mercy 66-63 in the Horizon League Championship title game on Tuesday night.
Wright State used a 25-7 run, capped by consecutive 3-pointers from Logan Woods, for a 62-56 lead with 1:21 remaining. With nine seconds left, TJ Nadeau's 3-pointer pulled Detroit Mercy to 65-63. Michael Cooper then missed two free throws for the Raiders, but on the Titans' final possession Kellen Pickett blocked Orlando Lovejoy's layup attempt. Michael Imariagbe ended it with a free throw.
Pickett added 17 points and Imariagbe finished with 12 for Wright State (23-11). They each had seven rebounds.
Lovejoy scored 26 points on 8-of-19 shooting from the field and 10 of 11 from the free-throw line to lead Detroit Mercy (17-15). Nadeau made four 3-pointers and scored 21 points. Legend Geeter added 11 points and nine rebounds.
Detroit Mercy closed the first half on a 13-1 run for a 29-26 lead at the break. Lovejoy scored nine points during the surge and finished with 13 in the first half.
The Titans led 49-37 with about 10 minutes to play.
It was Wright State’s seventh championship game in the last 14 seasons and the first meeting between the teams in the tournament since 2016. The Raiders have won 22 of the last 26 games against the Titans.
Wright State is the third straight team to complete the regular-season and tournament-title sweep, joining Oakland (2024) and Robert Morris (2025).
Up next
NCAA Tournament pairings will be announced on Sunday.
Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown was ejected from a Tuesday night game against the San Antonio Spurs with 3:38 remaining in the second quarter after earning a pair of technical fouls from the officials. Brown was driving near the sideline and appeared to be pushed out of bounds by San Antonio’s Stephon Castle, but the refs called it a turnover on Boston and gave San Antonio the ball. Brown berated the refs after the call and earned a technical foul. He kept going, and earned a second one, which triggered the ejection.
It’s only the second ejection of Brown’s career. There’s some context to his frustration: he was fined $35K earlier this year for criticizing the refs in the last meeting with the Spurs. Did Brown really deserve this ejection? Judge for yourself with the video below:
This Celtics vs. Spurs game feels like a possible 2026 NBA Finals matchup. It’s a spotlight national game on Peacock that should be a great advertisement for the playoffs ahead. Ejecting Boston’s best player this year in such a big game takes away from a matchup that should be getting fans excited for the stretch run.
It sure looks like Brown was shoved out of bounds by Castle on the drive in question. He’s right to be upset about that call. Do the refs really think he’d just run out of bounds?
Brown immediately tweeted about his ejection from the locker room:
Here’s what Brown said about the refs after Boston’s loss to the Spurs in Jan. that earned him such a big fine:
“I’m driving to the basket. I’m physical. I don’t flop. I don’t shy away from contact. I go up strong. I’m athletic — and nothing,” he said. “The inconsistency is f—ing crazy. Give me the fine.”
“Curtis, all them dudes was terrible tonight. I don’t care. They can fine me whatever they want,” he said. “But it’s crazy. Every time we play a good team, it’s the same bulls—. Somebody please pull up the clips. I’m irate how they officiated the game today.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown was ejected after receiving two technical fouls during the first half of Tuesday's game against the San Antonio Spurs, a battle between the No. 2 teams in each conference.
Brown was upset after no foul was called when he lost the ball out of bounds with 3:42 remaining in the first half.
Official Tyler Ford assessed the first technical four seconds later after Brown continued to voice his displeasure at the no-call.
The technical incensed Brown, who had to be restrained by teammates from approaching Ford. Official Suyash Mehta assessed a second technical seconds later, resulting in an automatic ejection.
Brown did not exit the court immediately after the ejection as he continued yelling at Ford. Players and staff, including Boston coach Joe Mazzulla, had to restrain Brown from approaching Ford. Brown threw his hands up in disgust before walking off the court.
Brown had eight points and seven assists in 15 minutes when he was ejected.
Boston has won two straight and San Antonio has won four in a row in a battle between the No. 2 teams in each conference.
Each of the 31 conference tournament champions earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament, with the other 37 spots awarded to at-large teams by the tournament’s selection committee.
Four more bids are up for grabs Tuesday night: Hofstra won the CAA and Wright State won the Horizon. The WCC (Gonzaga vs. Santa Clara) and MAAC (Siena vs. Merrimack) will be decided, too.
The Trojans defeated No. 10 seed Georgia Southern 77-61 at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida on Monday behind a game-high 23 points from Thomas Dowd.
It's back-to-back Sun Belt Conference titles for Scott Cross' program, marking the sixth time in conference history a team has repeated as champions.
High Point is headed back to March Madness after repeating as Big South Tournament champions.
High Point earned the No. 1 seed in the nine-team field under first-year coach Flynn Clayman with a program-best 15-1 regular season record in conference play.
High Point defeated No. 2 seed Winthrop 91-76 in Sunday's championship game.
For the first time in Missouri Valley Conference history, a team won four games in four days to win the conference tournament and the NCAA Tournament automatic bid that goes with it.
The Tigers are in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1994 after defeating Morehead State 93-67 in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship on March 7 at Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.
The top-seeded Tigers, under former Duke standout Nolan Smith (in his first season as head coach), dominated No. 2 seed Morehead State (20-13) from the tip-off. It was the most points scored by a team in an OVC Tournament final.
Because Mercyhurst reached the NEC Tournament final and isn't eligible for NCAA tournament play because of its transition from Division II, Long Island gets the automatic bid regardless of the result in Tuesday's championship game.
Former NBA standout Rod Strickland is LIU's head coach and has engineered an impressive turnaround from one of the country's worst teams two seasons ago.
What day does March Madness start?
The NCAA tournament First Four on the men’s side begins on Tuesday, March 17 and continues on Wednesday, March 18.
The four men’s games, which are held in Dayton, Ohio, feature the final four at-large selections to the field, as well as the four lowest-rated No. 16 seeds. The winner of each matchup advances to the first round. First-round games will take place on March 19 and March 20.
When is Selection Sunday?
Date: Sunday, March 15
Selection Sunday for the 2025-26 college basketball season will take place on Sunday, March 15, with both the men's and women's NCAA Tournament brackets being revealed.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — AJ Dybantsa had 40 points, nine rebounds and six assists, and No. 10 seed BYU use a big second-half run to break open a close game with No. 15 seed Kansas State and roll to a 105-91 victory in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday night.
Robert Wright III added 14 points and six assists, and Kennard Davis Jr. had 15 points for the Cougars (22-10), who set a single-game tournament scoring record while advancing to play seventh-seeded West Virginia on Wednesday night.
P.J. Haggerty matched Dybantsa into the second half and finished with 27 points for the Wildcats (12-20), who played their final game for interim coach Matthew Driscoll, who had taken control of the program after the firing of Jerome Tang last month.
Nate Johnson had 19 points for Kansas State. Khamari McGriff finished with 13.
The fact that BYU was playing at all Tuesday night was somewhat surprising.
Dybantsa could be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft this year. Wright has been a star in his own right. At one point early in the season, the Cougars were ranked seventh in the AP Top 25 and living up to the lofty expectations of their expensive lineup.
But things went sideways beginning with a four-game skid in January and February, and floor leader Richie Saunders was lost for the rest of the season to a torn ACL. The Cougars lost three of their last four games, and tiebreakers put them at the No. 10 seed.
They jumped out to a quick lead Tuesday night, though, as Haggerty and Dybantsa began to duel. And while they led just 50-49 at the break, the Cougars went on a 17-2 run beginning with about 9 1/2 minutes to play that allowed them to pull away.
Up next
The Cougars march on to face West Virginia, which beat them 79-71 a couple of weeks ago.
Kansas State turns its focus toward hiring its next permanent coach.
Adebayo torched the Washington defense for a team-record 31 points in the opening quarter, the most in Heat history for points scored in the first quarter.
Adebayo played the entire first quarter. He shot 10-for-16 from the field, including 5-of-8 from long distance. He's also been to the line, shooting 6-of-8 on free throws.
Adebayo scored a franchise-record 43 first-half points on 13-of-24 shooting, 5-of-11 from 3 and 12-of-14 free throws. He's added five rebounds, two steals and a block.
Miami led the Wizards, 76-62, at the halfway point of the game.
Etching name amongst Miami greats
The three-time All-Star eclipsed the record previously held by LeBron James, who scored 25 points in a quarter against the then-Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets). James then scored a career-high 61 points.
Bam Adebayo outscored the entire Wizards team, 31-29, in the first quarter 😳
He passes LeBron James for the most points scored in a single quarter in Heat history 🔥 pic.twitter.com/M55Xh1MNhK
Doncic had been engaged to Anamaria Goltes, a fashion and fitness model, since 2023. The two had known each other since childhood and started dating in 2016. Their first daughter, Gabriela, was born in 2023 in the United States while Doncic was a member of the Dallas Mavericks and their second child, Olivia, was born this past December.
"I love my daughters more than anything and I've been doing everything I can for them to be with me in the U.S. during the season, but that hasn't been possible, so I recently made the tough decision to end my engagement," Doncic told McMenamin in a statement provided to ESPN on Tuesday. "Everything I do is for my daughters' happiness and I will always fight to be with them and give them the best life I can."
Doncic traveled to Slovenia for the birth of Olivia, missing two games before returning to play against the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 7. According to the ESPN report, it was here where things took a sour turn.
Doncic reportedly expressed a desire to bring Gabriela back to Los Angeles with him, and a disagreement between he and Goltes escalated to the point where police were called. Doncic "left peacefully" according to ESPN, and flew back to the United States later that day. Doncic has reportedly not seen Goltes or his daughters since.
Earlier Tuesday, TMZ reported that Goltes had filed a petition for child support. The petition, filed in California according to ESPN, seeks only child support and attorney fees but not custody orders. Doncic reportedly "had no idea" about the petition.
Some teams have been on the bubble, while others have been eliminated from contention after losing during their respective conference tournament.
With the NCAA tournament beginning on March 17, Cal and Stanford were among of the schools on the bubble watch for a spot in the big dance.
Here's how things look for both teams:
Stanford's fate decided on last-second basket
Goals of a NCAA tournament appearance could be in jeopardy for the No. 10-seed Stanford Cardinal (20-12, 9-9 ACC) after being eliminated in the first round of the ACC tournament in an upset against No. 15 Pittsburgh (13-19, 5-13 ACC), 64-63, in the final seconds of the game.
The Cardinal tied the game after their freshman standout Ebuka Okorie drove past two Pitt defenders as he made a layup after a bump from Panthers forward Cameron Corhen with 26 seconds left.
Okorie knocked down the ensuing extra free throw to give Stanford a one-point lead. He ended the game with 14 points.
After a timeout, Pitt guard Damarco Minor launched a 3-pointer that ironed short as both teams scrambled to grab an offensive rebound. Pitt was able to secure the ball once again under 10 seconds left.
Minor drove through the lane attempted and missed a floater but was able to find his own rebound for a tip-in with 0.4 left in the game at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Stanford head coach Kyle Smith called it a "classic postseason grind" following the game.
"Hats off. Pittsburgh just really competed really hard, especially on the glass," Smith told reporters. "We give up 20 offensive rebounds, which resulted in a lot of second chance points for them. I'm proud of our way guys, down eight at halftime, took a big punch. We came back."
He added: "Really proud Ebuka [we] challenged him to play the right way and he did. As a point guard really got us back in there, made a big shot, made his free throw. We needed one stop. We just couldn't come up with it. And hopefully we'll we'll learn on that. But we defended well enough to win. We took care of the ball, shot it well enough, but we just couldn't keep them off the glass."
The loss could sway the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee on whether or not Stanford will make an appearance in the anticipated NCAA tournament that begins March 17.
Smith said he be "shocked" if the Cardinal weren't selected to compete, especially being in the ACC, one of the best and respected basketball conferences.
"We have one of the best players in the country," he told reporters on whether Stanford should still be considered for the tournament. "We've got a lot of Quad-1 wins in a really competitive conference, and it'd be a shame if Oklahoma gets to go last year being 6-12 in the SEC and the ACC doesn't get rewarded the right way. ... I thought it was a farce last year when SEC got this narrative or whatever."
The selection committee announces which teams are in and which are out on Sunday, March 15.
"I think we led all the Power Four conferences and Quad-1 wins, and had the most wins and winning percentage versus other Power Four. So arguably, we're really the best conference," Smith said. "We made it a big point to earn the respect. This is the basketball conference. Stanford is an elevated the program because of the ACC, Cal too."
ACC tournament: No. 9 California vs. No. 8 Florida State
The No. 9-seed California Golden Bears (21-10, 9-9 ACC) earned a first round-bye and will open the ACC tournament play in the second round against the No. 8 Florida State Seminoles (17-14, 10-8 ACC) on March 11 at 7 p.m. ET. Winner takes on Duke in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
A loss for Cal would severely damage their chances for an appearance in the NCAA tournament.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 07: The ball hits Brent Rooker #25 of the Athletics in the back after he fouled a pitch off of home plate in the first inning of a spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels at Las Vegas Ballpark on March 07, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Angels defeated the Athletics 3-0. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you spent the $20-$30 needed to attend today’s game as a spectator, you would’ve walked away having gotten your money’s worth.
It was a back and forth battle at Hohokam Stadium! The White Sox got to A’s starter Jeffrey Springs early, in the first inning Edgar Quero and Lenyn Sosa would do some damage. A run scoring single and a double between the two would give the South Siders a 3-0 lead before the A’s even picked up a bat.
That 3-0 lead would be short lived though. In the bottom half of the first, the A’s answered right back with a an RBI double and single of their own – – thanks to Brent Rooker and Jeff McNeil.
After a quiet second inning for both clubs, the White Sox would strike – – three times – – all off of one swing by Korey Lee. Miguel Vargas and Jarred Kelenic both scored on the dinger. Springs would not return for the fourth inning. His day ends with the troubling line of 2.2 IP, 4H, 6ER, 3 BB, and 3K :/
Tough day for the A’s southpaw but us fans have grown custom to poor pitching performances by our starting pitchers this spring.
Thankfully the offense has been cartoonishly hot. Three solo home runs by Brent Rooker, Nick Kurtz, and Shea Langeliers had the game all tied up by the end of the fourth inning. That lead, however, would be short lived thanks to a Derek Hill RBI single off of Mark Leiter Jr. in the top of the fifth.
That would be the last of the offensive damage for the White Sox. They’d carry that 7-6 lead up until the bottom of the seventh, where the Non-roster trio of Tommy White, Michael Stefanic, and Cade Marlowe tied it all up, leading to a Jared Dickey single that brought Stefanic and Marlowe home, making it 9-7 A’s.
For good measure, the A’s tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Tommy White’s single scored Leo De Vries, who just missed a home run. White would then be brought in on a Cade Marlowe fielder’s choice.
A’S TODAY (3/10) RF Rooker: 2-3, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R 1B Kurtz: 1-2, HR, BB, 2 R DH Langeliers: 1-3, HR SS Wilson: 1-1, 2 BB 1B White: 2-2, RBI, 2 R 2B Stefanic: 2-2, R SS De Vries: 1-2, 2B, R LHP Springs: 2.2 IP/4 H/6 ER/3 BB/3 K RHP Estes: 2.2 IP/2 H/0 ER/1 BB/0 K/W A’s win 11-7
— Bill Moriarity – A's Farm (@AthleticsFarm) March 10, 2026
Final score sits 11-7, A’s over the White Sox. They’ll be back at it against the Arizona Diamondbacks tomorrow. Right now, the pitching matchup is scheduled to be Luis Morales vs. Ryne Nelson. This’ll be Morales’ fourth outing so far this spring. Let’s hope he can build off of the small flashes of success he experienced last week against the Angels.
For those of you tuning in to tonight’s USA vs. Team Italy WBC game, feel free to keep the conversation going below!
On Friday, the St. Louis Blues traded captain Brayden Schenn to the New York Islanders. On Tuesday night, the 34-year-old veteran and member of the Blues' 2019 Stanley Cup team was back inside Enterprise Arena with his new team, the Islanders, concluding a four-game road trip in the Gateway To The West.
As expected, Schenn received a standing ovation when his name was announced and yet again when they welcomed him back with a tribute video:
Schenn was acquired by St. Louis from the Los Angeles Kings for forward Jori Lehtera, the 27th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft (used for Morgan Frost), and a conditional 2018 first-round pick.
He suited up for 650 regular-season games in St. Louis over his nine seasons there, recording 181 goals and 284 assists for 284 points.
In those nine seasons, the Blues qualified for the postseason five times. He recorded 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) in 58 playoff games, including 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 26 games during their Cup-winning season.
Schenn is in year six of an eight-year deal worth $6.5 million annually.
Roki Sasaki, above during a workout at Camelback Ranch last month, pitched four innings against White Sox minor leaguers on Tuesday and struck out nine. (Mike Christy / Getty Images)
It hasn't been the smoothest spring training for right-hander Roki Sasaki as he prepares for his second season with the Dodgers.
Sasaki's first two starts in Cactus League play featured some issues with command and plenty of hard contact. But with left-hander Blake Snell and right-hander Gavin Stone sidelined with shoulder issues, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts left no doubt where Sasaki stood as he got ready to pitch in a B-game against White Sox minor leaguers on Tuesday.
“Having Blake [Snell] late to the season, which we know, [and] Gavin Stone, late to the season, as we know, we’re going to need Roki,” Roberts said. “With the buildup, I just don’t see a world in which he doesn’t break with us as a starter, and so, we’re going to need those innings.”
Sasaki took a promising step forward on a minor-league field at Camelback Ranch.
The hard-throwing right-hander threw 59 pitches, 40 for strikes, across four innings while striking out nine of the 13 batters he faced and allowing two to reach base.
Although Roberts did not see Sasaki’s outing, he heard rave reviews from members of the organization who attended.
“They said it was electric,” Roberts said after the Dodgers' 4-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Camelback Ranch. “They said [he was touching] 98 to 100 [mph]. The fastball was spraying a little early, but then he locked it in. And then the split was on-play, short, lot of swing-and-miss. Couldn’t have asked for a better day.”
Sasaki surrendered a single through the right side of the infield to the first batter he faced, then proceeded to strike out the next seven batters. His only other hiccup came in the third inning, when he hit Jason Matthews with a stray breaking ball on a full count.
“I actually felt pretty bad the last couple days, but today I was able to make an adjustment, so that’s what I really need for right now,” Sasaki said via an interpreter after his outing. “I think I can keep moving forward.”
Sasaki was shelled in his second Cactus League start last week, allowing four runs, three walks, a single and a grand slam to the Cleveland Guardians at Goodyear Ballpark. He was lifted from the game without recording an out, only to get re-inserted in the second inning to complete two scoreless innings.
Sasaki noted mechanical issues as the reason for his struggles after the game. Tuesday, he said he felt much better, focusing on his core and obliques.
“I was actually focusing on core, oblique stuff,” Sasaki said. “I think it’s all about mechanics. If my mechanics are really good, my command is good, too.”
Roberts took away plenty of value from the outing, even one against a lineup of minor leaguers.
"There's still value in getting hitters out and seeing guys swing and miss," Roberts said. "I think we accomplished what we wanted to today, we built him up. Obviously, built up some confidence. So, just go from there."
Tyler Glasnow cruises in third spring training outing
Tyler Glasnow pitched into the fifth inning of Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks, giving up a leadoff home run before settling in and giving up one other hit and one walk while striking out five in 4.1 innings of work.
“He looks as good as I’ve seen him over a period of time,” Roberts said. “And I just think that things are slowing down for him now. I really do. And I don’t know if it was going to the pen [and] pitching in the postseason the way he did, whatever it was, I just think there’s been real growth in him as a person and it is translating to on-the-field.”
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: Ryan Ritter #8 of the Colorado Rockies runs 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
This afternoon, the Colorado Rockies lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 8-1.
Tyrese Maxey missed Monday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers with what was called a right pinky finger strain, but further imaging and reviews with specialists has now revealed a tendon injury. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Maxey will be re-evaluated in three weeks.
The Sixers All-Star collided with teammate Adem Bona while diving for a loose ball in the final seconds of a 125-116 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, March 7. Maxey stayed down for a few moments longer as he grabbed at his right hand before getting up and heading to the locker room while wrapping his hand in the bottom of his jersey.
It's a tough blow for Maxey, who is averaging career-highs across the board with 29.0 points, 6.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game on 46% shooting. During a season in which the Sixers (34-30) have at times looked like real contenders at their best, Maxey has been their most consistent presence. He entered Tuesday leading the league in minutes per game (38.3).
But the 76ers have been in freefall as of late, losing six of their last 10 games since the All-Star break. Part of that has been due to injuries, but they've been plagued by other issues as well.
Joel Embiid has missed the team's last five games with a right oblique strain and won't be re-evaluated until March 14, so he'll be out at least two more games. Paul George hasn't lived up to the max contract he signed with the 76ers in 2024 and is currently serving a 25-game suspension for violating the league's anti-drug policy. Even Rookie of the Year candidateVJ Edgecombe missed the last four games with a lumbar contusion; he's back in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies and won't be on a minutes restriction, head coach Nick Nurse told reporters.
With the Sixers down so many key players, Edgecombe is expected to be the primary ballhandler for the next few weeks.
The injury bug comes at a crucial point in the season for Philadelphia as it's currently locked in a heated race for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference. Entering Tuesday, the Sixers are the eighth seed and trail the Orlando Magic by a game and a half for the No. 6 spot; but they're also just one game ahead of the ninth-seeded Hawks, who now own the tiebreaker after the March 7 contest.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 24, 2026: Lazaro Montes #99 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates with teammates after scoring on a two-run single hit by Colt Emerson during the fifth inning of a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox at Peoria Stadium on February 24, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
What exactly is the cost of a Mariners win. Certainly, it can’t be too expensive, right? Professional athletes work themselves out so hard everyday to grind out wins one-at-a-time, so you have to factor that in as an expense. Then there’s all the staff and coaches around keeping guys pointed in the right direction, their collective man hours is a heavy price. Oh, and you make sure that you spend the entire morning dealing with two of your All-Stars starting beef over a handshake on an international stage. That must be one of those hidden fees I’m always hearing about. Let’s get into the game.
Cooper Criswell took the start today opposite Royals ace Cole Ragans, and spent his 3.1 innings throwing as many strikes as possible, thirty-nine in fifty-seven pitches, and getting ten swings-and-misses. A couple hits, one to Isaac Collins in the first and a double to Carson Roccaforte in the third, were the only blemishes on his card for the day. Criswell battled against Isaac Collins in the bottom of third, getting an overturned call on an ABS challenge to stay in the count early, and ultimately get a fly ball out to right that ended an inning before it could get out of hand. He came out in the fourth and dismissed Carter Jensen on five pitches for his fifth strikeout and his day was done.
Dan Wilson had nothing but good things to say about Criswell after the game. “Really good outing for Cris. Throwing the ball well, staying ahead in counts, was pretty efficient.” Wilson went on talking about Criswell; “It’s been hard for hitters to get comfortable in there, and really try to figure him out.” On Criswell’s stuff, Wilson said, “he’s got the good movement, he’s got the good breaking balls, he’s got the good options, there’s nothing that they can get comfortable on.” When asked about Criswell’s resilience, Wilson said, “That’s the veteran experience that he’s gotten. He’s been around, he understands the game. It really does help him get back … take the next hitter and thwart whatever is going on. He’s got a slow heartbeat.”
After his outing, Criswell talked about his cutter and how it helps complete his arsenal of pitches, saying he likes to use it to, “reset the eyes of the hitter” away from the bottom of the zone that the sinker, change, and sweeper tend to end up, and making sure the hitter has to, “respect the top and bottom of the zone.”
Cole Wilcox was second out of the bullpen following Jimmy Kingsbury and pitched a clean top of the fifth but got into trouble quickly in the sixth, allowing a walk and a couple line drives, one to left for an out, and another that touched down in right. Dan brought in lefty Reid Easterly, to keep the lead, and his second pitch was taken deep to right by Kameron Misner. Those three runs ended up being all Kansas City would score.
The Mariners got the days offense started in the second by stringing together a couple of base-hits. Leo Rivas spanked a single to left before Spencer Packard doubled into the left-center gap to drive him home. The offense continued in the bottom of the fourth when Lazaro Montes slugged a double 109 mph out to center to score Patrick Wisdom, and then scored later in the inning when Bill Knight singled up the middle.
— Mariners Player Development (@MsPlayerDev) March 10, 2026
Montes and Knight teamed up again in the bottom of the sixth to generate a run. After Montes singled on a 100.8 out to right, he was standing at third with two outs when Knight managed to put a bloop into shallow right to bring him home, and get a hustle double for himself.
After the sixth it was zeroes across the board, and Michael Rucker got his first Cactus League save to close out a cool-hand-across-your-fevered-brow win.
Mariners are back at it tomorrow in Peoria hosting the Colorado Rockies at 1:10pm PST.
Other notes:
Casey Legumina worked a perfect top of the seventh against 3 straight lefties getting a fly out, groundout, and a strikeout.
Cole Young, Brennen Davis, Leo Rivas, Lazaro Montes, and Bill Knight all played the full nine innings of today’s game, each getting four at-bats and going a combined 6-17 with 3 RBIs and two walks.
