Friends, we are exactly one month away from the 2026 Orioles playing baseball. Spring training baseball, yes, but baseball nonetheless. There will be lineups and uniforms and everything! The O’s will kick off their Grapefruit League schedule on Feb. 20 with a home game in Sarasota against the Yankees, and most of us will even be able to watch, as it’s one of the 20 games that MASN will air this spring.
That exhibition opener, of course, won’t necessarily tell us much about what we should expect from the 2026 season. Not every projected Orioles starter will be in the lineup, and probably by the fifth or sixth inning the O’s will have nothing but backups and minor leaguers on the field. That’s spring training for you. Still, it’s a warming thought — on this 20-degree day in the greater Baltimore area — that there will be actual baseball happening not too long from now.
Before we get there, though, the O’s still have some roster business to attend to. They’re continuing their stated pursuit of a top-shelf starting pitcher, which at this point is Framber Valdez or bust on the free agent market, unless the Birds have another surprise trade in them. They also need to address the whole three-right-handed-hitting-first-basemen logjam, and maybe add another reliever or two while they’re at it.
There’s more work to do. There’s more roster maneuvering in store. But baseball is on the horizon.
Nick Markakis won’t hear his named called during today’s Hall of Fame election, but Jay Jaffe offers a fine recap of the former Orioles fan favorite’s outstanding career.
If you’re planning a visit to spring training this year, Rich Dubroff’s got you covered on everything you need to know, including oodles of restaurant recommendations. I’m feeling hungry all of a sudden.
The former Oriole has found a new team, and he might even be their primary shortstop until Ha-Seong Kim returns from injury. Best of luck to Jorge in Atlanta.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! A whopping seven former Orioles have birthdays today: catcher Luis Exposito (39), outfielder David Lough (40), right-hander Matt Albers (43), infielder Ozzie Guillén (62), lefty Bill Scherrer (68), and the late outfielder Gene Stephens (b. 1933, d. 2019) and Baltimore-born righty Dave Boswell (b. 1945, d. 2012).
On this date in 1977, the Orioles traded eight-time Gold Glove center fielder Paul Blair to the Yankees. The best defensive outfielder in franchise history, Blair had spent the first 13 years of his career in Baltimore and starred on two World Series-winning O’s clubs, but was coming off the two worst offensive seasons of his career when the Orioles made the trade. As a bench player with the Yanks, Blair added two more championships to his total in 1977 and 1978.
In 1994, the Orioles signed Hall of Fame closer Lee Smith to a one-year deal. The veteran right-hander already had 401 saves on his résumé, and added a league-leading 33 for the Orioles in the strike-shortened ‘94 season. Smith finished his career with 478, currently the third-most in MLB history.
And on this day last year, Anthony Santander officially parted ways with the Orioles after eight seasons, signing a five-year, $92.5 million deal with the division rival Blue Jays. The O’s, with their best 2024 power bat no longer around, struggled to hit homers in 2025, but Santander’s first year in Toronto didn’t go well for him, either. He posted a meager .565 OPS with six homers in 54 games, missing nearly four months with a shoulder injury, and was relegated to a spectator during the Jays’ near-championship run.
For the third time in four matchups against the Detroit Pistons this season, the Celtics have lost in very close fashion. This was an incredible game of basketball overall. It was a back and forth game all night long and Jaylen Brown just missed the game winning shot by an inch. Definitely not the desired outcome for Boston, there were a lot of mistakes and very cold shooting but it was a great fight. In the three losses this season, Boston has only lost by 6,7, and 1 point. The Pistons are first in the East for a reason and the Celtics showed that they were able to hang with them even without Jayson Tatum.
Jaylen Brown gets a great look — just doesn’t fall
Tobias Harris and Duncan Robinson have been no strangers to the Celtics over the years. Harris spent 6 seasons on the Philadelphia 76ers and Robinson spent 7 years on the Miami Heat. Boston has battled and matched up with them numerous amounts of times, but I can’t say I have seen both of them play actually productive games against the Celtics until this game. Tobias Harris finished with 25 points on 11-20 shooting from the field and Duncan Robinson finished with 15 points on 5 three points. In a game where Boston was able to slow down Cade Cunningham, it was really demoralizing to see them go off in this game.
Robinson made some really timely shots for Detroit all night long but none were bigger than his three in the fourth quarter. He got the ball on the wing, shook Derrick White out of his shoes on a pump fake, and splashed the three
Harris also made some timely threes in the fourth quarter but his biggest came at the 1:37 mark. The shot clock was running low and Cade Cunningham was looking to pass the ball. Hauser stepped up to Cunningham and left Harris wide open in the corner for three that made it a 4 point Pistons lead that basically won them the game.
One big advantage the Pistons are always going to have over the Celtics is their big man rotation. Jalen Duren finished with 18 points and 9 rebounds while Isaiah Stewart finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds. When Detroit ran their double big man lineup, it really killed Boston, especially with both Luka Garza and Neemias Queta getting into foul trouble.
Duren had a stretch in the third quarter where he showed how much of a dominant force he really was. At the 4:26 mark, the Pistons were running the fast break off of a Celtics miss. Cunningham ran to the corner, threw up an alley-oop pass to Duren who was streaking down the court and he finished a thunderous slam over Anfernee Simons. Then later in the quarter at the 3:33 mark, Duren again was a force in the paint, following a missed layup by Stewart for a put-back slam.
Stewart made a ton of great defensive plays in this game but none were bigger than the block he had on Neemias Queta in the second quarter. Queta got the ball in the middle of the floor and rose up for a two-handed jam. However, Stewart came out of no where to jump perfectly with Queta to swat the ball away.
The Celtics finished this game with 14 turnovers but with the way they were throwing the ball around, it really felt like they had more. Detroit was able to take advantage almost every time, scoring 19 points off of Boston’s turnovers and at times it was the only reason why the Pistons were able to stay in the game. A lot of them were turnovers where the Celtics would just lose the handle on the ball or make an errant pass that lead to an easy basket for the Pistons. Take this play from Jaylen Brown for example, Brown loses the handle and the Pistons go down the court the other way for easy layup. This was an all night problem for Boston and it really felt like they just shot themselves in the foot.
Jaylen Brown was voted as an All-Star Starter before tonight’s game and showed why he was deserving of his spot, finishing with a double-double of 32 points and 11 rebounds on 11-28 shooting. Brown did all he could to will the Celtics to a win in this game but just came up short in the end. The outcome shouldn’t deter the great game he had however because he made some incredible plays against a tough Pistons defense late in the game to keep Boston in striking distance.
One of my favorite plays of the night from Brown came at the 2:30 mark in the first quarter. Defended by Ron Holland, Brown pump faked the three to get him to jump, then went to the midrange, created seperation with his off arm, and sank the jumper.
His fourth quarter was probably the biggest for Boston however, scoring 10 of the Celtics 21 points. Brown started with a play where he got to his spot at the free throw line, pump faked to get Caris LeVert in the air, and finished the midrange jumper through contact. He then matched up with Duncan Robinson at the three point line and blew by him. Brown then met Duren at the rim and finished a tough basket over him. Next was a play where Tobias Harris was all over him on defense but Brown was able to get by him and finish the layup with his right hand. Finally, Brown was once again matched up with Harris but this time he blew right by him to score a floater that made it a one point game with 45 seconds left.
After hitting 10 threes against the Hawks in his last game, Sam Hauser continued his great run of play into this matchup with the Pistons, finishing with 16 points on 6-9 shooting from the field and 4-7 shooting from three. You can argue that Hauser was the second best player on the court for Boston as he had a huge stretch of scoring in the third quarter.
Hauser began the third quarter doing a great job running around the court to get to the top of the three point line for a pull-up jumper over two Pistons defenders. On his next basket, he made another cut to a similar spot at the three point line but a little farther. White found him and Hauser made another three over a great contest by Ausar Thompson. Finally, Hauser pulled out his midrange bag, taking Duncan Robinson off of the dribble. He drove, got Robinson up in the air, and hit the jumper looking a little bit like Jaylen Brown. Sadly this stretch got interrupted with him picking up his fourth foul but this was a great stretch that gave the Celtics energy coming out of halftime.
After a tough game in Miami and missing the Celtics last game in Atlanta, Payton Pritchard made his return to the lineup for this matchup and had a pretty solid game, finishing with 17 points on 5-8 shooting. Although there were times he looked hesitant to shoot, he was able to make an impact. Like Hauser, Pritchard had a great third quarter where he dropped 10 points.
Pritchard’s third quarter started off of a nice pass from Jaylen Brown. Brown was double teamed on the block and found Pritchard who was wide open on the wing for three. His next play started with a pass from Queta where he pump faked Robinson and drove to lane. He then hit a hesitation dribble and put up a midrange shot over Duren for a tough bucket. His final play of the third quarter started with him blowing by Harris on the perimeter where he was picked up by Isaiah Stewart. Pritchard did a good job of getting to the basket and was able to finish a reverse layup over the contest from Stewart. I hope this game is able to get Pritchard going again for a while because the Celtics are in desperate need of a consistent number two option next to Jaylen Brown right now.
This was arguably the worst game of the season for Derrick White, finishing with 4 points on 1-11 shooting and 0-6 from three. He did have 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks on Cade Cunningham but this was the worst game in a string of rough games. In his last 4 games, White is averaging 9.3 points, 6.8 assists, and 6.0 rebounds, on 28% shooting from the field and 15% from three. This after White had a great month of December and looked to be shaking off the rust from his slow start to the season. It feels like there is a correlation between the Celtics winning and losing games this season and at times it feels like it comes down to if White is going to have a good game or not. I’m sure he will bounce back from this rough patch just like he did before but I just hope this doesn’t become a more concerning trend.
9. Brown vs Cunningham
Brian Scalabrine did a pregame interview with Jaylen Brown on NBC where he said that he would be the primary defender on the Pistons All-Star Starter Cade Cunningham in this game. Despite the loss, Brown and the Celtics did a pretty good job of defending Cunningham as a whole. He finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds but shot 4-17 from the field and 0-4 from three.
Jaylen Brown on guarding Cade Cunningham tonight
I’m gonna guard him tonight. I’m gonna pick him up, test him a little bit, and we’ll go from there.” pic.twitter.com/9b8VV8iO3i
Out of the shot attempts where Brown looked to be the primary defender, Cunningham shot 1-5. On the first attempt, Brown rode Cunningham’s off hand all the way to the basket where Cade missed the layup. The second attempt saw Cunningham attempt a midrange jumper that Brown was able to block and even though they called it a foul, it was overturned on a Celtics challenge. The third attempt was another midrange jumper where Brown was able to get around a Duren screen for a nice contest. The fourth attempt saw Cunningham once again try to shake off Brown but Jaylen stayed glued to him and forced another contest jumper. The final attempt was the only attempt that Cunningham got the win on and was a big one. At the 2:21 mark of the fourth quarter Brown was stuck behind a screen from Thompson that allowed Cade to get into the lane for an easy floater.
If these two teams match up in a playoff series, I can see Brown being the primary defender on Cunningham again and hopefully holding him to a similar result in this game.
All four games that the Celtics and Pistons have played this season have been down to wire, good old fashioned slugfests that have felt like the Game 7 of a playoff series. This is due to the intensity that comes out of both teams when they step foot on the floor and it feels like it will be a disservice to everyone who enjoys basketball if these two teams don’t matchup in the playoffs this season. Detroit has become a juggernaut behind their aggressive defense and timely offense while Boston is going to have Jayson Tatum back in a playoff series which increases almost every attribute on both sides of the ball for the Celtics. Ideally we get a rematch of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals with the same result but either way I love this budding rivalry and I hope we get to see it for years to come.
CLEVELAND — Last January, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ win over the Oklahoma City Thunder seemed to signal the arrival of a new era. It was an official announcement to the league that their team, powered by two undersized, dynamic guards and defensive-oriented bigs, wasn’t just a gimmick. They teased that they could win on the biggest stage and just needed to wait until the spring to officially prove it.
Looking back a year later, after the Thunder humiliated the Cavs with a 32-point beatdown on Monday, it’s fair to wonder if that Jan. 2025 win wasn’t the arrival of the core-four era, but the high point before the gradual, steady decline.
The difference between the Thunder and Cavs from a talent standpoint was stark. Cleveland had one player in their starting lineup who could break down the defense off-the-dribble and very few reliable shooters around him. The Thunder dared Cleveland’s bigs — Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen — to beat them inside, which they couldn’t consistently do.
Defensively, the Thunder showed what a team that prioritizes that end of the floor should look like. They were consistently in passing lanes forcing turnovers, and made it incredibly difficult to finish anything at the rim. This stood in contrast to a Cavs team that was forced to cheat off of one of Oklahoma City’s weaker shooters to make good contests at the rim. This came back to bite them as the Thunder converted nearly 50% of their three-point attempts.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can find this comfortable Cuyahoga Valley National Park hoodie HERE. All of of Homage’s Cavs gear can be found HERE.
In many ways, the Thunder were the complete, defensive-first, well-oiled machine led by an MVP candidate guard and dynamic, modern big that the Cavs were hoping to be when they first put this core together four years ago.
Last year, it felt like that was a possibility. This season, it seems like a fantasy. Where did the Cavs go wrong?
The Thunder have a style of play they want to enforce every time they go on the court, regardless of who’s in the lineup. That’s instilled through years of targeting guys who have certain physical and mental traits. And once those players are in the organization, they’re meticulously taught how to fit into that system.
The Cavs, conversely, don’t have a certain type of player or style that they’ve targeted. Their core four players of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen were each brought in on moves that targeted the best available player. There wasn’t a shared skill or personality trait that led to them eventually becoming Cavaliers.
Acquiring talent is the number one goal of a front office. From that perspective, Cleveland’s has been successful. Figuring out how to get that talent to play a cohesive style has been a much more difficult process.
The Cavs went all in on defense, anchored by their oversized front court and hard-nosed coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Then, they found out defense wasn’t enough as their offense fell flat in their 2023 playoff series loss to the New York Knicks. They then pivoted to prioritize the offensive side of the ball with shooters that summer in Max Strus, Georges Niang, and Ty Jerome.
The Cavaliers took another step towards being an offensive team by hiring head coach Kenny Atkinson in 2024. He transformed Cleveland into a movement-based offense that prioritized the three-ball. This worked, until they fell in the playoffs to the Indiana Pacers.
Instead of continuing down that path, Cleveland pivoted again by trying to find well-rounded players who can handle the ball and switch defensively with Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr. Both have struggled mightily this season, but the issue remains the same.
There isn’t an overarching guiding principle about what a Cavalier player is or what skills they should have. Instead, it’s been a revolving door of different skillsets, each brought in as a reaction to what went wrong during the previous postseason.
This has culminated in this current team that hasn’t found an identity despite being over halfway through the season. They don’t have the personnel to be the defensive-first team they were three years ago, and they also don’t have the shooting that resulted in them being one of the best regular-season offenses of all-time last year. They’re a bad hybrid of both ideas and lack the consistent principles or fundamentals to hang their hat on anything.
The Cavs still have time to right the ship. There’s enough talent on the roster — when healthy — to climb the standings over the back-half of the season and make a postseason run. But there presumably isn’t enough time to cobble together an identity with these disparate and underperforming pieces to make the title run that seemed possible coming into the season.
The individual loss on Monday wasn’t that big of a deal. The Cavs had their worst outside shooting night of the season, while the Thunder had one of their best. That’s generally going to lead to a blowout loss, no matter the skill level of your opponent.
The issue comes from the different processes that led both teams to this point. The Thunder, without two starters, were a team that clearly knew who they were, what they wanted to be, and were disciplined enough to execute their gameplan. Their process was flawless. Conversely, the Cavs weren’t able to function without their starting point guard, had no one who could come close to replicating that missing skill, and didn’t have anything to fall back on.
It’s easier to point out problems than it is to fix them. There isn’t a magic bullet or trade that is guaranteed to get the Cavs back on track. All we know is that the gap between the reigning champs and the team that was on their level at this time last season is wider than it’s been in years. And the Cavs are running out of time to close it.
We’re less than 30 days out from the start of NC State’s 2026 baseball season, so now’s as good a time as any to get to know the team before they hit the diamond. The Wolfpack will be looking for their third trip to Omaha in the last six seasons, so let’s figure out how they’ll get there (keep your “on a plane” jokes at home where they belong). We’ll try and tackle this in a few parts:
Part I will look back at the 2025 season and the players who are no longer with the program.
Part II will look at the returnees from 2025’s Auburn Regional squad
Part III will look at the newcomers, both transfers and freshmen
Part IV will look at the non-conference opponents
Part V will tackle the ACC slate facing the Pack
Let’s get to it!
2025 Season Review
How did things go in 2025?
As is the case with most Wolfpack baseball seasons, the 2025 campaign was one of dramatic emotional swings. The team dominated an overmatched Fordham in the season opening series, then promptly went on a five-game skid to make folks wonder if this team was even NCAA Regional caliber. Of course, State then ran off wins in 14 of their next 15 games, including a sweep of an impressive Wright State group and a 4-1 start in ACC play, somewhat soothing anxiety among the fans.
The team then went 1-4 over their next five ACC games, with an embarrassing run-rule loss at home to USC Upstate. Things weren’t rosy anymore. With Pack fans again in “worry” mode, Elliott Avent’s group did what an Elliott Avent group does: they went on another win streak. This foray in the correct side of the win column witnessed State go 11-1 over a 12-game stretch with series wins over Virginia, Louisville, California, and Clemson – Louisville and Clemson were both ranked squads – and a win at East Carolina mixed in for good measure. Things were looking up once again.
NC State was in prime position to capture their first regular season ACC baseball title since 1986, but the team skidded down the stretch to let it out of their grasp. A 3-6 finish in the regular season, including a 2-5 mark in conference play, meant it would be yet another year before that trophy would reside yet again in Raleigh.
The Pack blew leads in each of their last two regular season games – a win in one of those would have secured that ACC crown – and then subsequently blew a lead in their lone ACC Tournament game, a loss to Clemson. State got blown out by Stetson in their Auburn Regional opener, but worked their way back with big offensive outputs in wins against Central Connecticut and Stetson to face off with the host Tigers. It wasn’t to be, though, and a 10-run loss put an end to the Wolfpack’s season.
Overall it was a good-not-great year, one that will be remembered for coming agonizingly close to capturing an ACC title, but coming up short. The team peaked in April and just couldn’t recapture that magic in June. Such is baseball.
Who’s gone from the 2025 squad?
Yes, this is the portion of our preseason series where we things get super depressing as we see just how much production is gone and we hit a sense of impending doom for the season to come. Worry not, subsequent parts in this series will help to lift spirits, so keep that in mind as we run through the list of players who are no longer with the program after being on the 2025 roster.
Jake Bechtel – SO – OF
Trey Bentley – FR – OF
Justin DeCriscio – SR – SS
Jacob Dienes – rJR – LHP
Dominic Fritton – JR – LHP
Jet Gilliam – SO – OF
Matt Heavner – JR – INF
Josh Hogue – JR – OF
Ryan Jaros – SO – 3B
Carson Kelly – SR – RHP
Aden Knowles – FR – RHP
Jaxon Lucas – SO – RHP
Trenton Lyons – SO – OF
Matt Ossenfort – SO – 1B/3B
Eli Pillsbury – JR – LHP
Andrew Shaffner – JR – RHP
Derrick Smith – rSO – RHP
Alex Sosa – SO – C
Shane Van Dam – JR – RHP
Matt Willadsen – rSR – RHP
Camden Wimbish – SO – RHP
Ryder Woodson – FR – INF
(Starters and key contributors in bold)
I was probably a little more generous than needed on those bolded names above, but it’s worth calling out guys like Derrick Smith, Shane Van Dam, and Matt Willadsen who combined for just 19.1 innings in 2025 but played larger roles earlier in their careers. You could also toss a coin as to whether or not to say that Ryan Jaros and Matt Ossenfort were key contributors. It likely should have been a both or neither scenario, but I hedged my bets and went with one to signify that was about the level of contribution.
Let’s hit the barely seen, transferred out group first. That consists of Jake Bechtel (now at UNCW), Trey Bentley (USC Upstate), Jacob Dienes (Memphis), Jet Gilliam (Utah), Aden Knowles (Towson), and Eli Pillsbury (Jacksonville State). Interestingly, Bechtel made Aaron Fitt’s “Picks to Click” over at D1 Baseball:
A physical specimen at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, Bechtel played sparingly over his first two years at NC State, but he made a loud impression this fall at UNCW following a stellar summer in the Northwoods League. He is one of the most intriguing breakout draft prospects in the region, possessing high-end defensive instincts in center field and elite speed for his size, clocking a 6.4-second 60-yard dash.
In two years with the Pack, Bechtel managed just 22 plate appearances, slashing .100/.182/.400 with a pair of home runs. As Fitt referenced, his physical tools are impressive, and if he can carry over his success from the Northwoods League last summer (.304/.395/.545, 14 2B, 12 HR, 12.8 BB%, 22.2 K%, 28-31 SB) then he could be a player that State fans look at as a “how did we let him go?!” type.
Of the others in that group, Gilliam was the closest to breaking out in a regular role with State in 2025 after a great freshman year at the JUCO level, but he ended up being mostly used as a late-game pinch runner and defensive sub for Josh Hogue. He should be Utah’s starting centerfielder this year. It’ll be worth keeping an eye on Bentley and Knowles as their careers progress.
Trenton Lyons (Kennesaw State) was expected to play a large role for the Pack last year, but injuries derailed almost his entire season, and he’ll be most remembered for manning the first base coach box as the season progressed. He has the tools to thrive with the Owls this year. Yes, NC State will likely have three transfers starting at center field for other programs in 2026 – and that number could hit four if Trey Bentley wins the open CF job at USC Upstate.
Matt Ossenfort (Michigan) came to Raleigh last year after spending his freshman year in a backup role with Vanderbilt. He was expected to compete with Chris McHugh for the starting first base job or at least fill in the DH role. McHugh won the first base job and ran with that, while Ossenfort struggled to hold down the DH job, hitting .240/.406/.340, 2 2B, 1 HR, 18.8 BB%, 17.2 K% over 64 plate appearances. He’s expected to be the starting first baseman for the Wolverines this spring.
Ryan Jaros (Rutgers) arrived in Raleigh after a year at Georgia Tech with the expectation of competing for the starting third base gig. Jaros hit plenty (.304/.437/.493, 4 2B, 3 HR, 17.2 BB%, 24.1 K%, 0-0 SB), but the defense (.818 FLD%) held him back from securing the everyday role, limiting his overall contribution on the season. Jaros has made the move to first base with the Scarlett Knights and that should serve him better there. The bat will play, but with McHugh back for the Pack, there wasn’t going to be playing time in the field for him in Raleigh this year.
Ryder Woodson (Mississippi State) made a couple early season starts against Wright State, then proceeded to play a backup role for the Wolfpack until the Auburn Regional. There, he busted out with five hits, including three home runs, in the first two games. That postseason showing was enough to warrant an offseason transfer to the SEC where he’s expected to be the starting shortstop for former Virginia coach Brian O’Connor’s inaugural Bulldogs squad. Woodson had just 34 PA last year with a line of .333/.412/.733, 3 2B, 3 HR, 5.9 BB%, 23.5 K%, 0-0 SB.
Camden Wimbish (Campbell) is a converted high school catcher with a big arm, but questionable control. He threw just 12.2 innings across two seasons with NC State, with 9.0 of those innings coming in 2025, posting a 1-0 record with a 16.00 ERA over 12 games, 21.6 BB% and 33.3 K%. He played in the Cape Cod League last summer where he fared better (1-1, 6.00 ERA, 12.0 IP, 7.3 BB%, 23.6 K%. The Camels program is a good fit for him and should allow him to get the consistent innings needed to continue development.
Three other players hit the portal for the Pack after last season. Matt Heavner (unknown destination for 2026) started 42 games for State last year, mostly featuring at third base. He hit .225/.307/.308, 1 2B, 3 HR, 8.6 BB%, 9.9 K%, 0-0 SB in 2025 and finishes his three-year Wolfpack career with a line of .237/.331/.339, 5 2B, 6 HR, 8.8 BB%, 13.1 K%, 0-1 SB over 102 games with 75 starts and 283 PA.
Jaxon Lucas (Liberty) tossed 40.0 IP over his two seasons with the Wolfpack, tallying a 2-0 record with a 7.43 ERA, 9.5 BB%, 22.1 K% over 26 games with 1 start. Lucas will compete for a spot in the Flames weekend rotation for 2026. Whether or not he ends up in that role or as their midweek starter or a bullpen arm, he should amass more innings for Liberty than he did for State. Consistent control and avoiding the longball (8 HR allowed with State) will be the key to his finding success.
Following a two-year run in Raleigh where he started 82 of the 87 games he appeared in, Alex Sosa (Miami) chased the money and an opportunity to head back to Florida and play for the team he rooted for growing up. Of the Wolfpack’s 14 transfers from the 2025 team, Sosa’s will likely be the most impactful. For his State career, Sosa his .268/.382/.488, 17 2B, 16 HR, 14.8 BB%, 23.0 K%, 1-1 SB. His best season came last year with a line of .291/.401/.534, 16 2B, 10 HR, 14.6 BB%, 22.1 K%, 0-0 SB. A bat-first backstop who threw out 9.1% (4-of-44) attempted base stealers with 6 PB, improvement in the defensive part of his game is what will boost Sosa’s stock the most ahead of the 2026 MLB Draft.
Justin DeCriscio transferred to NC State for the 2025 season after spending three years at San Diego. The California native his .289/.383/.500, 12 2B, 8 HR, 10.3 BB%, 9.8 K%, 2-3 SB with the Wolfpack while starting 51 games at shortstop. DeCriscio posted a .955 fielding percentage on the year, with both his glove and bat skills translating from the WCC to the ACC. His season resulted in his selection by the San Diego Padres in the 10th round of the 2025 MLB Draft where he debuted in A ball.
The ace of the 2025 Wolfpack, Dominic Fritton also ended up as the team’s highest drafted player, being selected in the 4th round by the Tampa Bay Rays. The lefty finished with a 5-6 record and 4.47 ERA over 17 starts, spanning 86.2 IP, 10.0 BB%, an 27.5 K% while earning 3rd Team All-ACC honors. The 2023 Freshman All-American recorded 107 strikeouts in 2025, the first member of the Pack9 to reach triple digit strikeouts in a season since Carlos Rodon in 2014. Fritton started 43 games among his 51 total appearances across his three seasons with the Wolfpack, posting a combined line of 11-17, 3 SV, 5.26 ERA, 222.1 IP, 10.9 BB%, 25.2 K%.
Josh Hogue played two years for the Wolfpack after transferring from Santa Fe JUCO, and the lefty hitter crushed it in the batters box for State with a career line of .322/.394/.518, 23 2B, 15 HR, 9.5 BB%, 14.8 K%, 6-9 SB, playing in 92 games with 90 starts. Those numbers would have been even more impressive if not for a leg injury that cut his 2024 season short. The Florida native was a 15th round pick of the Miami Marlins in the 2025 MLB Draft after hitting .327/.391/.562, 18 2B, 11 HR, 9.9 BB%, 14.0 K%, 4-6 SB last season for State. He debuted in A ball.
Carson Kelly spent his entire collegiate career in Raleigh, tossing 81.0 IP while compiling at 4-0 record with 2 SV, a 5.22 ERA, 14.6 BB%, and 25.5 K%. Of those career innings, 30.0 came in a fantastic freshman year of 2022. Unfortunately, control issues limited the impact Kelly was able to have over the remainder of his career, but he turned in a solid final season to the tune of 1-0, 4.03 ERA, 22.1 IP, 12.0 BB%, 27.2 K%.
A personal favorite of mine during his time with the Wolfpack, Andrew Shaffner was mini-Ohtani as the Virginia High School Class 1 Player of the Year in 2022 hitting .545 with 11 HR while going 6-0 on the mound with 3 SV and a 0.16 ERA. After yelling for two years that he needed – and deserved – more innings than he was getting on the mound, Shaffner finally received those innings in 2025 and responded with a season that garnered inclusion on the midseason NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List and eventual 15th round selection by the Cincinnati Reds. That 2025 Wolfpack campaign saw him put up a line of 4-1, 7 SV, 3.13 ERA, 37.1 IP, 4.6 BB%, 25.5 K%. For his NC State career, Shaffner posted a combined line of 4-1, 8 SV, 3.75 ERA, 69.2 IP, 7.1 BB%, 23.8 K% over 40 appearances on the mound, including 1 start. He also appeared in 17 games in the outfield for State in 2024, primarily as a late-game defensive substitute, hitting .167/.286/.167 over 7 PA.
Derrick Smith had an interesting career for the Pack, with two barely-there seasons sandwiched around a dominant 2024 campaign where he helped NC State make it to the College World Series and spent the summer with the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. His first year in Raleigh saw him make just three appearances and log only 3.0 innings, but that 2024 season he went 3-2, 8 SV, 4.55 ERA, 29.2 IP, 8.9 BB%, 33.3 K% over 24 appearances. In one of Clint Chrysler’s finest coaching jobs, Smith continued to get innings to work through his early season struggles (14.09 ERA over his first 9 appearances) and turned into one of the best shut-down arms the remainder of the campaign. Over his last 15 appearances of 2024, Smith posted a 1.23 ERA with 7 SV. Unfortunately, injuries cost Smith almost the entirety of his 2025 season (3.0 IP), but his talents still saw him invited to play in the Cape Cod League and he was drafted in the 17th round by the Colorado Rockies.
Shane Van Dam was a two-sport athlete at D3 SUNY-Cortland, playing quarterback for the school’s football team in addition to his work as a pitcher. With his prospects far brighter on the mound, including pitching in the Cape Cod League following his freshman year at Cortland, Van Dam transferred to NC State where he was showing really solid development as the 2024 season progressed until an elbow injury ended his campaign prematurely. The subsequent Tommy John Surgery also cost him almost all of 2025, but he did return to make three appearances in May, displaying the same talent that had scouts tracking him in 2024. Van Dam ended up as a 9th round pick of the Kansas City Royals in 2025, and finished his Wolfpack career with a combined line of 4-0, 1 SV, 4.57 ERA, 45.1 IP, 11.9 BB%, 20.8 K%.
A local kid from Holly Springs who saw limited action as a true freshman in the covid-shortened season of 2020, Matt Willadsen became a workhorse for the Wolfpack from 2021-2023, tossing 252.0 IP across those three seasons despite dealing with nagging injuries throughout, combining for a 15-12 record and 4.25 ERA over 43 starts and 50 appearances, with a 9.6 BB% and 23.0 K%. Like Van Dam, Willadsen ended up having Tommy John Surgery in 2024, but his came before the season ever started, wiping out his entire campaign. While he gutted it out to get back on the mound in 2025, he wasn’t what he formally was. He theoretically could have redshirted last season and come back this year for a 6th year, but already as a graduate student, he was ready to move on to the next phase of his life. Willadsen put together many memorable performances in a State uniform, but the one that stands out the most came in 2021 when he pitched the last 2.0 innings of a win over UNC from a game that had been suspended the previous day, and then came back to start the next game and toss 7.1 innings in earning the win over the Tar Heels.
Welcome to the 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame election where there will be precious little suspense when the election results are announced Tuesday at 6 p.m. on the MLB Network.
Beltrán, after being snubbed his first three years on the ballot for being part of the 2017 Houston Astros’ cheating scandal, looks to be a lock. One of the greatest switch-hitters of all time, Beltrán has received 89.2% of nearly half of the ballots already made public according to Ryan Thibodeaux’s Hall of Fame tracker.
Andruw Jones, the 10-time Gold Glove center fielder who hit 434 homers and was one of the greatest defensive outfielders in history – saving 265.9 more runs than the average defender – could also join Beltrán. Jones, whose spectacular career plummeted at the age of 30, has garnering 83% of the early public votes entering Tuesday.
The two should be joining second baseman Jeff Kent, who was elected by the contemporary era committee in December, on center stage July 26 in Cooperstown, N.Y.
The most fascinating aspect of this election is not who’s getting in, but who’s gaining momentum, thanks to advance analytics, a new round of voters, and a heavy dose of sentimentalism.
No one’s candidacy is more baffling than starter Andy Pettitte. His chances for election looked dead two years ago. Suddenly, he's flourishing. He received just 13.5% of the vote two years ago, but in his eighth year of eligibility this year, he is now receiving 57.4% of the votes, according to Thibodaux’s tracking.
Pettitte was never the best pitcher on his own team, but was one of the steadiest in the game. He was a postseason fixture, helping lead the Yankees to five World Series championships and three pennants. He pitched in an MLB-record 44 postseason games, winning 19 of them, including eight series-clinching games. He won 256 regular season games, but also had a 3.85 ERA, which would be the highest of any pitcher elected on a BBWAA ballot.
Pettitte’s candidacy gained momentum when Yankees starter CC Sabathia was elected a year ago with eerily similar numbers, with the exception of Sabathia striking out 3,093 batters compared to Pettitte’s 2,448 total.
Still, the elephant in the room is that Pettitte was an admitted PED user, and the Baseball Writers' Association of America has made it quite clear how it views steroid users.
Barry Bonds, who hit the most homers in history and was easily the greatest player of his generation with his seven MVPs, never got close to being voted into the Hall of Fame on the BBWAA ballot. Bonds also has since been snubbed twice by his peers and executives on the contemporary era committee. He must wait six years to be included on the next contemporary era ballot, and if he again receives five or fewer votes, he’ll be permanently off the ballot.
Roger Clemens, who won 354 games and was a seven-time Cy Young winner, also is in the same Hall of Fame doghouse for his links to PEDs. He’s also ineligible to be on the ballot again for six years.
So, why in the world would Pettitte, who was outed in the Mitchell report on PEDs in baseball, and confessed to using HGH once his name surfaced, suddenly receive a huge bump of voting support.
No player in baseball history has ever admitted to PED use and been elected to the Hall of Fame.
Not one.
If Pettitte were somehow elected, how hypocritical would it be to keep Clemens, Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and everyone else out who was linked to PEDs?
And if voters are forgiving Pettitte, who has apologized for using HGH, does that mean that Alex Rodriguez should be too? He has been profusely apologizing at every opportunity for using PEDs, receiving the longest drug suspension in baseball history.
Why are we forgiving Pettitte, because he says he used only HGH to recover for injuries? Or is it because he’s a genuinely good guy, model teammate, was popular with the media, and is the pitching coach for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic?
If Pettitte is elected one day, will we suddenly stop caring who cheated, who was clean, and simply elect whoever had the best numbers, no matter how long they played?
Please, make it make sense.
While Pettite’s candidacy has new life, we’re seeing a rise with other players, too, with second baseman Chase Utley picking up 20 new voters, and trending at 67.9%. Utley’s popularity has grow thanks in part to advanced metrics. His career WAR, according to Baseball Reference, is the 15th highest of all second basemen, and 10 of the top 14 have all been enshrined in Cooperstown. Utley was always respected as a tenacious winning player, and was integral part of the Phillies’ glorious postseason run, but he still ended up with just 1,855 hits.
If Utley gets in, how can his double-play partner, Jimmy Rollins, the former MVP and four-time Gold Glove winner be left out? If you vote for one, shouldn’t both be in? Besides, Rollins is the only shortstop in history with more than 2,400 hits, 200 homers, 400 steals and 800 extra-base hits, according to Jayson Stark of The Athletic.
And if Utley is in, shouldn’t former Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia follow? Pedroia looked to be on the way to Cooperstown – winning an MVP award, four Gold Gloves and two World Series rings – but he suffered a left knee injury that all but officially ended his career after 12 full seasons. He wound up with 1,805 hits, but has picked up 19 new votes since a year ago.
If Pedroia gets in with his shortened career, do we look closer at Mets third baseman David Wright, who picked up 14 new votes? He had a sensational 10-year start of his career, but his career prematurely ended after dealing with spinal stenosis, winding up with just 1,777 hits.
There could be a trickle-down effect for the pitchers, too.
If Felix Hernandez – who is receiving 56.6% of the balloting after picking up 43 voters from a year ago – gets into Cooperstown, will pitchers with nothing-burger Hall of Fame candidacies suddenly look as appealing as prime cuts?
Hernandez was dominant from 2009-2015, winning a Cy Young award with four top-four finishes, but his career cratered when he turned 30. He ended up with 169 victories and never pitched in the postseason in his career. And the only starters voted into the Hall of Fame on the BBWAA ballot with fewer than 170 victories and 2,800 innings are Sandy Koufax and Dizzy Dean.
If Hernandez (169-136, 3.42 ERA) finds his way in, how can you keep out Cole Hamels (163-122, 3.43 ERA, along with eight postseasons)? How about Mark Buehrle (214-160, 3.81, three postseasons)?
How are we going to view Jon Lester and Adam Wainwright in the future? They each had 200 victories, and unlike Hernandez, actually led their teams to World Series championships and pennants.
So, where does it end?
Look, everyone who appears on the Hall of Fame ballot had an outstanding career, but entrance into Cooperstown is supposed to be reserved for the elite of the elite.
It shouldn’t be a popularity contest.
It shouldn’t be sympathy votes because of shortened careers.
We shouldn’t lower our standards.
Come on, if former outfielder Bobby Abreu received only 5.5% of the vote in his first year on the ballot in 2020, there’s no reason to suddenly believe he’s a Hall of Famer because his .395 career on-base percentage is illuminated by analytics. He made only two All-Star teams and never once finished in the top 10 of the MVP voting in any of his 18 years.
It’s perfectly fine to maintain lofty standards and help assure that only the best of the best receive the game’s ultimate honor.
It doesn’t mean that a player must produce 3,000 hits, a slugger has to hit 500 homers, a starter has to win 300 games or a closer obtain 600 saves. The Hall of Fame will have cobwebs waiting for new inductees if we don’t recognize that the traditional benchmarks have changed.
But we don’t have to squeeze in as many players as possible through the Hall of Fame doors while waiting for Albert Pujols, Clayton Kershaw and Miguel Cabrera to arrive.
The Hall of Fame deserves to maintain a membership confined to the greatest who ever played the game.
The Six Nations is a key staging post on the road to next year’s World Cup and with injuries biting, Wales offer the only real chance to experiment
On the face of it the Champions Cup has been helpful for the majority of Six Nations head coaches before this year’s championship. Gregor Townsend, for example, would dearly love Scotland to play with the purpose and passion currently oozing from Glasgow and will doubtless wish to ensure his national side exhibit similar characteristics.
Ditto France. If Fabien Galthié overlooks the electric form of Matthieu Jalibert, particularly with Romain Ntamack out injured for the next few weeks, his trademark thick-rimmed glasses must have misted up. There can be no rational reason not to bury la hachette with the Bordeaux fly-half and invite him to combine as brilliantly with Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Damian Penaud as the trio do at club level.
The battle between the top two Eastern Conference teams came down to one final shot on MLK Day, with Jaylen Brown firing with 4.4 seconds left.
Brown got to his spot but came up short, and the Boston Celtics fell for the third time this season to the Detroit Pistons in Monday night’s 104-103 loss. There was nothing about his game-winning attempt that left head coach Joe Mazzulla second-guessing once the ball bounced off the back rim.
“It was a great move by Jaylen. It’s a shot that he makes, and it just didn’t go down,” Mazzulla told reporters, per CLNS Media. “So it was great execution. I’ll take that shot 100 times out of 100.”
Typically, that’s Brown’s bread and butter. He’s converted 45.4% of his five mid-range attempts per game from eight-plus feet, while shooting 53.6% on all 2-pointers this season. In Detroit, he released a 14-foot fadeaway over heavy contest from Tobias Harris — a difficult shot for anyone. Still, it’s one Brown has become accustomed to sinking routinely during his breakout run as Boston’s No. 1 option.
Hours after being named a first-time starter for this year’s NBA All-Star Game, Brown reflected on the final shot.
“Last play — catch, get to a spot, go up — gotta make a play for your team at the end,” he told reporters, per CLNS Media. “We had some opportunities — didn’t convert. We still got some room for growth. That’s what the regular season is for, so we need to be better.”
Brown has been among the most lethal mid-range scorers in the league, making every spot inside the perimeter his domain. So going for it all with an off-balance shot from the elbow is something the Celtics are happy to live with, make or miss. He finished with a game-high 32 points, taking 20 of his 28 shots from the mid-range. In the first quarter, he got going quickly by scoring 13 of the team’s 29 points, but as the defense intensified as the game progressed, the offensive firepower slowed for Brown, the Celtics, and the Pistons.
Mazzulla’s sentiment for Brown’s all-or-nothing look extended to the locker room.
“That’s the shot you wanna take for a game-winner, and we live with it,” Payton Pritchard told reporters in support of Brown, per CLNS Media.
Both sides were held to fewer than 25 points in the fourth quarter, making every shot a critical attempt.
The Celtics turned the ball over 14 times, allowing the Pistons to score 19 points off their own miscues.
“Honestly, I think the game came down to six 50-50 balls that we didn’t come up with in the first half,” Mazzulla told reporters.
Following their Dec. 15 meeting with Detroit over five weeks ago, Brown described his scuffle with Isaiah Stewart in the third quarter as “fun,” adding that he was “all for it,” despite the physicality. That tension flared once more just 29 seconds into Monday night’s game, with the two needing to be separated. Both received double technical fouls, and the Pistons followed Stewart’s lead until the final buzzer.
Pritchard admitted that’s something they’ll have to get used to.
“They’re a very physical team — probably the most physical in the NBA,” Pritchard told reporters. “I thought it was a hard-fought battle, and we came ready to play, and it just didn’t go our way in the end. But you just learn from it and get ready, especially if we see them in the playoffs.”
Paying homage to the “Bad Boy” Pistons of the mid-1980s has, so far, worked for J.B. Bickerstaff’s team. Unlike Boston, Detroit lacks the experience of a team that’s been there before. Over the last 10 years, they’ve secured only three playoff appearances, including two sweeps and three first-round exits. So any edge to impose on the surging Celtics would help bridge that gap.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – JANUARY 19: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics reacts against the Detroit Pistons during the third quarter at Little Caesars Arena on January 19, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
In a game that lived up to the hype of a best-of-seven series, Mazzulla doesn’t believe the Celtics mailed it in — at all. Detroit’s largest lead never reached beyond 12 points, Boston won the offensive boards battle (14-9), and perhaps most importantly, they got to the free-throw line far more than in recent weeks despite ongoing frustrations with NBA officiating.
Brown was fined $35,000 for criticizing the referees one night. On another night, Mazzulla spoke only two words — “illegal screen” — during a 44-second postgame presser, and the sense of being wronged by the whistle remained strong in the locker room.
During the most recent homestand, which ended on Jan. 10, the Celtics averaged 12.8 free-throw attempts per game. In Detroit, they more than doubled that number.
That’s where Mazzulla recognized noteworthy improvement.
“The free-throw line,” Mazzulla told reporters. “We took 30 free throws. In the first three games we played against them, they averaged 30 free throws. Our ability to be physical, get into the paint, play with contact, and shoot 30 free throws against them — I think that’s where we handled it.”
Mazzulla stressed that the team’s philosophy remains the same, no matter the outcome: “The effort, the physicality was there. If that shot went in, we’d still be watching the exact same clips that we have to get better at. That’s just how we have to approach it.”
Let’s address the elephant in the room first, Dub Nation. Jimmy Butler went down with a knee injury against Miami on Saturday night, and while the Warriors pulled out a 135-112 victory, the mood feels less celebratory and more cautiously optimistic. Butler’s status for Tuesday remains uncertain, which means the Warriors might be walking into Toronto without one of their most important two-way weapons.
Golden State Warriors at Toronto Raptors When: January 20, 2026 | 7:00 PM PT TV: NBC Sports Bay Area Radio: 95.7 The Game
Jimmy Butler's been a top 15-20 player this season at 36 years old.
Words cannot describe how big of a loss it would be for the Warriors if he misses significant time. Not just in terms of the on-court product but for their roster building.
This isn’t just any road game. This is a revenge game wrapped in psychological warfare. The last time these teams met in Toronto, Scottie Barnes put together a performance that belonged in a museum, dropping 23 points and grabbing 25 rebounds in a 141-127 overtime victory that left Warriors fans questioning the meaning of existence itself. That loss exposed Golden State’s kryptonite in the most painful way possible: getting physically dominated on the glass and watching leads evaporate like morning fog.
Toronto enters this game after getting handled 110-93 by the Lakers on Sunday, a contest where Luka Doncic and LeBron James reminded everyone what veteran excellence looks like. The Raptors shot just 39.8% from the field and got outscored 30-17 in the fourth quarter, the kind of finishing struggle that should give the Warriors hope if Butler can’t go. But here’s the thing: this Toronto team is 25-19 for a reason. Barnes remains one of the most versatile young players in basketball, and Brandon Ingram still provides silky mid-range assassination and is playing at an All-Star level.
For the Warriors, this game represents a critical test of depth and adaptability. If Butler sits, Steph Curry will need to shoulder an even heavier offensive burden, something he’s done brilliantly this season but which carries real physical costs. Draymond Green’s ability to facilitate and control pace becomes absolutely essential. Can he replicate the 21-point, 7-assist performance he delivered in that Toronto loss?
The rebounding battle will define this game. Toronto grabbed 55 boards in their last matchup with Golden State while the Warriors managed just 42. That 13-rebound deficit translated directly into second-chance points and momentum swings. Without Butler’s physicality and rebounding presence, guys like Trayce Jackson-Davis need to play with controlled aggression on the glass.
This isn’t just about winning a regular season game in January. It’s about exorcising demons, proving Butler’s absence doesn’t crater the entire operation, and showing that the December 28th collapse was an aberration rather than a blueprint. The Warriors need this win psychologically as much as they need it in the standings.
BOTTOM LINE: Miami (OH) comes into a matchup against Buffalo as winners of seven straight games.
The RedHawks have gone 7-0 at home. Miami (OH) is 1-0 in one-possession games.
The Bulls are 0-6 against MAC opponents. Buffalo has a 0-1 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
Miami (OH) averages 70.7 points per game, 0.2 more points than the 70.5 Buffalo gives up. Buffalo averages 58.2 points per game, 0.4 fewer than the 58.6 Miami (OH) gives up to opponents.
The RedHawks and Bulls square off Wednesday for the first time in MAC play this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Amber Scalia is shooting 36.3% from beyond the arc with 2.1 made 3-pointers per game for the RedHawks, while averaging 13.5 points. Amber Tretter is averaging 15.7 points and 6.2 rebounds over the last 10 games.
Aniya Rowe is averaging 11.1 points and two steals for the Bulls. Paula Lopez is averaging 1.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: RedHawks: 9-1, averaging 67.7 points, 26.6 rebounds, 16.4 assists, 11.4 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 44.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 58.7 points per game.
Bulls: 1-9, averaging 60.4 points, 34.3 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 9.9 steals and 3.2 blocks per game while shooting 37.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 74.3 points.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens host the Minnesota Wild after Juraj Slafkovsky's two-goal game against the Ottawa Senators in the Canadiens' 6-5 overtime win.
Montreal has a 27-15-7 record overall and a 13-10-1 record in home games. The Canadiens rank fourth in the league with 216 total penalties (averaging 4.4 per game).
Minnesota has a 28-13-9 record overall and a 15-7-3 record in road games. The Wild have a +18 scoring differential, with 158 total goals scored and 140 given up.
Tuesday's game is the first time these teams meet this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Oliver Kapanen has scored 16 goals with 11 assists for the Canadiens. Slafkovsky has six goals and six assists over the past 10 games.
Quinn Hughes has four goals and 39 assists for the Wild. Marcus Foligno has scored six goals and added two assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Canadiens: 6-3-1, averaging 3.8 goals, 6.2 assists, 4.3 penalties and 10.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.
Wild: 4-3-3, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.5 assists, 2.8 penalties and 6.1 penalty minutes while giving up 3.6 goals per game.
INJURIES: Canadiens: None listed.
Wild: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: The Tampa Bay Lightning will try to keep a four-game home win streak alive when they take on the San Jose Sharks.
Tampa Bay has a 30-13-4 record overall and a 12-9-0 record on its home ice. The Lightning serve 13.8 penalty minutes per game to rank second in NHL play.
San Jose has a 25-20-3 record overall and a 12-11-0 record in road games. The Sharks have given up 168 goals while scoring 150 for a -18 scoring differential.
Tuesday's game is the second time these teams square off this season. The Lightning won the last matchup 7-3. Darren Raddysh scored three goals in the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jake Guentzel has 21 goals and 28 assists for the Lightning. Nikita Kucherov has nine goals and 14 assists over the past 10 games.
Tyler Toffoli has 13 goals and 19 assists for the Sharks. Will Smith has six goals and three assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Lightning: 9-0-1, averaging 4.3 goals, 8.1 assists, 4.9 penalties and 14.8 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.
Sharks: 7-3-0, averaging 3.6 goals, 5.8 assists, four penalties and 9.4 penalty minutes while giving up 3.5 goals per game.
INJURIES: Lightning: None listed.
Sharks: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The Golden State Warriors crushed the Miami Heat on Monday night, winning 135-112, and giving them their 12th win in their last 16 games. But it came at a serious, and heartbreaking cost. In the third quarter, star forward Jimmy Butler III left the game after falling to the floor in agony following a non-contact injury to his knee. Butler was helped off the court, unable to put weight on his leg.
And as the clock struck midnight and the day flipped from Monday to Tuesday, the worst fears were confirmed: ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Butler has suffered a torn ACL.
That officially will end his season, and unofficially will end whatever slim chances the Warriors had of competing this year following their recent surge.
The Warriors have experience with torn ACL timelines, most recently with Butler’s current teammate, De’Anthony Melton, who returned in early December from ACL surgery. Melton’s return came just shy of 13 months after he initially suffered the injury. It’s not uncommon for players to return from ACL tears after 11 or 12 months, but given Butler’s age (36), and the fact that this is his third serious injury to his right knee, and it’s safe to pencil him in for the long end of the spectrum. A return shortly after the 2027 All-Star break seems like the most likely scenario for Butler.
We’ll see if he’s still on the Warriors then, as his enormous contract now becomes salary that the Warriors may look to move, either at the deadline or in the offseason (it will be an expiring contract if they wait until the latter, so it will have some value). But that’s something to think about on another day.
For now, it’s just sadness. For Butler, and for the Warriors.
Tobias Harris was one of four Detroit players to score at least 10 points [Getty Images]
Tobias Harris scored 25 points as NBA Eastern Conference leaders Detroit Pistons held on to beat the second-placed Boston Celtics 104-103 on Martin Luther King Jr Day.
Jaylen Brown, who registered 32 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, almost snatched victory when his shot in the final seconds bounced off the rim at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Jalen Duren contributed 18 points and nine rebounds and Cade Cunningham 16 points and 14 assists for the Pistons.
"We wanted this game. It's a heck of a win for us," said Harris.
"Two of the best teams in the East - our group is always up for the challenge."
The Pistons improved their record to 31-10, while the Celtics are 26-16.
Western Conference leaders and defending NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder got back to winning ways with a 136-104 victory at the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Thunder went into the game on the back of a defeat by the Miami Heat and dominated the Cavaliers as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points.
Victor Wembanyama scored 33 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs, who are second in the Western Conference, to a 123-110 home win against the Utah Jazz.
Wembanyama scored a season-high seven three-pointers in a display which also included 10 rebounds, while six other Spurs players reached double figures in points.
For all the golden moments, rewatching coverage from 40 years ago was a lesson in how much things have improved
Forty years ago this month, the Pet Shop Boys track West End Girls topped the charts. Manchester United, Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea were locked in a four-way battle for the title. And Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared on Wogan. Terry: “This new film you’ve made, Commando: it’s very violent isn’t it?” Arnie: “Actually, it’s low-key. I only kill around 100 people.”
How do I know this? Because Facebook’s algorithm serves it to me daily. Terrifyingly, it understands me better than I understand myself. A half-forgotten goal, race or innings? That is my sugar-salt-fat magic. An old Top 40 chart or TV listing? My double‑strength nicotine patch.
