NOTRE DAME, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame senior Eszter Muhari won her third career individual national title in epee and the Fighting Irish fencing team won the inaugural women's three-weapon national championship on Friday after edging Columbia 102-99.
It was the 15th national championship for the Irish after winning 14 co-ed titles, including six of the last eight. Notre Dame won the national championship last year in the final year of the combined women’s and men’s team championship.
Muhari also won epee in 2023 and 2025 to finish her Notre Dame career as the sixth woman in NCAA history to win three or more individual titles.
Harvard junior Jessica Guo won the foil for her second NCAA championship, adding to the title she earned in 2024. Guo rallied to go ahead 7-5 after the second period and secured the title with a 15-6 victory over Columbia’s Carolina Stutchbury, who earned first-team honors for the second consecutive year.
Natalia Botello became the first Ohio State Buckeye to win the NCAA women’s saber crown and the fourth individual national champion in program history, joining Katarzyna Dabrowa (epee, 2012), Eleanor Harvey (foil, 2016) and Yelena Kalkina (epee, 1997).
The men’s championships begin on Saturday with three rounds in each weapon.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA filed a complaint in federal court Friday seeking an emergency restraining order to stop online sportsbook DraftKings from using registered trademarks associated with the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments.
The complaint for trademark infringement was filed in the Southern District of Indiana and requests that DraftKings stop using terms including “March Madness,” “Final Four,” “Elite Eight” and “Sweet Sixteen" or variations of them in sports betting products, promotional campaigns or marketing.
A message seeking comment was sent after business hours to DraftKings' general media relations address.
The NCAA said in the complaint its trademarks are used to identify, brand, advertise and distinguish the tournaments across broadcast media, digital platforms, merchandise, sponsorships and licensed commercial activities.
“On the eve of the Tournaments, DraftKings deliberately adopted and prominently began using the NCAA’s iconic NCAA Basketball Marks, including confusingly similar variations thereof, to trade on — and usurp — the immense goodwill, recognition, and consumer trust embodied in those Marks at the precise moment of peak public attention,” the complaint said.
Screenshots of DraftKings wagering platforms were included in exhibits attached to the complaint.
“DraftKings’s unlawful use quickly proliferated across its consumer-facing websites and mobile applications, embedding the marks and logos into betting menus, promotional graphics, and marketing publications, to deliberately exacerbate consumer confusion and reinforce a false association with or sponsorship by the NCAA in order to continuously capitalize on the goodwill of the NCAA,” the complaint said.
The NCAA said it avoids any appearance of affiliation with gambling companies and has declined sportsbook sponsorships, banned sports betting by athletes and staff and publicly opposed prop bets and micro-bets. The NCAA noted it has launched initiatives to prevent harassment and improper influence in college sports and preserve the integrity of its competitions.
"Every day that DraftKings continues to use these marks, millions of sports fans — and, critically, college students and young adults who are particularly susceptible to gambling harm — are exposed to the false suggestion that the Association has authorized or endorsed DraftKings’ gambling platform,” the NCAA said in a statement.
Feb 26, 2026; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Seattle Mariners right fielder Connor Joe (9) hits a single against the Cleveland Guardians in the second inning at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
This afternoon’s Spring Breakout game probably had the majority of Mariners fans’ eyeballs on it, but the big club is winding down Cactus League play, with just three games remaining after tonight. The M’s will face off against the Guardians before opening the season against them on Thursday, although the pitching matchup this evening is quite a ways from Logan Gilbert vs. Tanner Bibee.
Cleveland is rolling out what will likely be their Opening Day lineup, while Seattle is a bit more mix-and-match. Notably, Cole Young is getting the start at shortstop with J.P. Crawford still on the shelf. The M’s also made another round of roster cuts, re-assigning Brennen Davis, Dane Dunning, and World Baseball Classic champion Jhonathan Díaz to minor-league camp. Just four non-roster invitees remain in camp, and Connor Joe, manning first base tonight, is one of them. Bet you didn’t have that on your bingo card.
The Mariners prospects lost their Spring Breakout game today to the top-ranked farm, the Brewers prospects, 7-3. Offensively, the Mariners prospects did rack up some hits, but squandered run-scoring opportunities and failed to come through with clutch RBIs, outside of Lazaro Montes, who went 3-for-3 and drove in two of the Mariners’ three runs. Montes also stole a base and handled right field well, continuing to show that he’s more than just a power hitter.
It won't make highlight reels, but Lazaro Montes quietly had a very good Spring Breakout game, going 3-for-3 with three singles, driving in two of the Mariners' three runs, and stealing a base. Nice controlled swing on a curveball here to gap a single. pic.twitter.com/qdoOYZNm8C
The bigger issue was on the pitching side; Mariners pitching prospects struck out 10, but also walked seven, with four of those walks belonging to the normally stingy Kade Anderson, who had a tough outing. Anderson was slated to pitch three innings but couldn’t clear the third after struggling through his first two. He seemed to not have his fastball command, falling behind in counts and leaving pitches on the plate that got damaged: in his first inning of work, he allowed the tying run on back-to-back hard hits, one on a hanging slider and one on the changeup. Anderson navigated out of trouble in that inning, striking out Jeferson Quero on a wicked curveball. He also avoided damage in the fifth despite issuing two walks, one a four-pitch walk to Brock Wilken where Anderson just could not land his fastball, missing in three times.
The trouble persisted in the sixth, which Anderson opened with a five-pitch walk to Jett Williams, again failing to locate his fastball – this time missing up – and then lost a seven-pitch battle with Jesus Madé. Anderson tried to sneak a first-pitch slider past the next hitter, Luis Peña, but Peña pounced on it for a three-run home run that cracked the game open.
Things continued to devolve, with new shortstop Nick Becker committing a throwing error on what should have been the first out of the inning with a throw that would significantly raise Perry Hill’s blood pressure, and Charlie Beilenson, put in for Anderson after he failed to record an out in the sixth, didn’t fare much better, giving up a pair of singles and a bases-loaded walk to make it 5-2 Milwaukee. Casey Hintz, a 2025 draft pick out of Arizona and an under-the-radar name to know in this system, eventually came in to clean up the mess.
Mason Peters, a favorite of LL prospect guru Max, gave up the other two runs in this game, also issuing two walks, but also recorded two strikeouts in 1.1 innings of work. At this point it’s probably worth mentioning that with triple-digit heat on the field, it’s very possible we weren’t seeing the best representation of these pitchers’ arsenals or command, although it didn’t seem to affect Milwaukee’s pitchers, who issued just three walks, beating the Mariners at their own dominate-the-zone game.
The pitching story of this game for the Mariners, though, is Ryan Sloan’s performance to open the game: nine up, nine down, three strikeouts, and nothing squared up on him. Sloan got the starting nod and utterly stifled the powerful Brewers prospects the first time through the lineup, showcasing his riding fastball at 97-98 up in the zone, his heavy sinker, his swing-and-miss slider, and the cutter he can use for weak contact outs. He didn’t even throw his changeup, leaving that pitch for hitters to sweat in their nightmares. If we want to be a little picky about Sloan, we could say at times he overthrew his pitches, but he was intentional even in that, riding it up out of the zone to try to tempt hitters (it did not). Otherwise, though, it was about as close to a star-making performance as you’ll see in these games; expect the Ryan Sloan hype train to gather speed after this outing.
9 ⬆️ 9 ⬇️
MLB's No. 33 overall prospect Ryan Sloan (@Mariners) twirls 3 perfect frames with a trio of strikeouts in Spring Breakout action! pic.twitter.com/Y1sdTwxsK2
Outside of Montes, the other most impressive offensive performance belongs to Yorger Bautista, “La Bestia.” Bautista is a stockily-built player but showed off some speed on a triple, legging it out against a strong defensive centerfielder in Luis Lara; he was cut down at home trying to score on a fielder’s choice out. In the ninth, La Bestia decided to take matters into his own hands, launching this homer that had the whole broadcast crew oohing and aahing:
Yorger Bautista just one-hopped a homer off what appears to be a concession stand, and out of the ballpark alotgether at Spring Breakout.
Also of note: Felnin Celesten put on a clinic at shortstop, cutting down the speedy Brewers prospects who dared to put the ball on the ground on the left side of the infield. His footwork was sure and speedy, his mechanics clean, and his throws strong and on-target. Celesten’s line in the box score doesn’t look impressive, but his at-bats were impressive, as he battled in the box—just missing a long home run at once point—and worked a walk.
Behind Ryan Sloan's perfect three innings: a couple of really nice surehanded plays at shortstop by Felnin Celesten. pic.twitter.com/6oRjLM4ire
ATLANTA (AP) — Virginia junior Claire Curzan repeated as champion in the 100-yard backstroke on Friday and the Cavaliers remained in first place heading into the final day of the women’s swimming and diving championships.
Curzan won the race with the second-fastest time ever at 48.24, trailing only Gretchen Walsh (48.10). She was 1.38 seconds faster than Bella Sims and Maggie Wanezek, who tied for second.
Curzan also joined freshman Sara Curtis, Aimee Canny and Anna Moesch to dominate the 400 medley relay, winning by 3.13 seconds over Tennessee.
The Cavaliers also secured two second-place finishes to lead the team standings with 437.5 points, followed by Texas with 272 and Stanford 242.5.
Stanford's Lucy Bell also defended her title in the 200 breaststroke with a program-record 2:02.38. Then Bell's teammate Torri Huske earned a second individual title at the NCAAs with a time of 20.66 in the 50 freestyle.
California freshman Claire Weinstein led wire-to-wire in the 500 freestyle.
South Carolina diver Sophie Verzyl won the three-meter competition.
The meet wraps up on Saturday with the 200 IM, 100 free, 200 fly, 200 back and 400 free relay.
No. 9 seed Utah State pulled off an upset against No. 8 Villanova in a 86-76 win during the first round of the Men's NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena in San Diego, California, on March 20.
It was a back-and-forth battle throughout, everything that you love about March Madness.
Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun must have said something during the pregame pep talk inside the Aggies' locker room that resonated with his players as they jumped out to a 22-13 lead.
What needs to be studied is Calhoun's playbook, let alone coaching.
"This guy is an offensive genius," CBS commentator and former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy said of Calhoun.
Once Villanova settled into the game, they went on a run of their own, eventually taking their first lead of the game, 33-31, with 5:10 to go in the first half. They kept a two-point lead going into the halftime break, largely thanks to 7-of-14 shooting from deep, while the Aggies only connected on one attempt in eight tries. They ended the game with 14 threes on 47% shooting, while Utah State shot 13% for the game.
Villanova built a 10-point lead early in the second half but Utah State didn't fade or shy away from the task.
The fight of the Aggies' throughout the game is what really turned heads. They remained calm, leaned on each other and went on a 14-4 run to climb their way back to tie the game at 54 with 14:05 remaining.
Both teams continued to trade blows until Utah State pulled away in the end starting on the defensive end which turned into easy fastbreak points, and offensively, they were polished. The Aggies ended the game on a 15-3 run.
"Defense. Coach came in at halftime [and said] we're in a good spot, down two," said senior guard MJ Collins Jr. who had 20 points. "We weren't making threes, so we knew we had to rely on our defense. And it kind of carried us over in the second half. That's what we're known for, getting our offense based off our defense. You know, we switched up a couple coverages late in the game, and it kind of messed them up. They were kind of stagnant, and we executed off of it."
Calhoun showcases coaching 'masterclass'
CBS Sports analyst Jamal Mashburn, who played 11 NBA seasons out of University of Kentucky, had high praise for Calhoun and what he's done with the Utah State program.
"Just a masterful job of what he's been able to do," Mashburn said. "Teach these kids how to play that way, and also put them in a position to be aggressive and not be afraid to make mistakes."
Even TNT Sports host Adam Lefkoe had to admire Calhoun's coaching prowess.
"Many of you have not seen Utah State. But we sat here and went, 'Coaches around the country need to steal their plays.' Hopefully they don't steal their players," Lefkoe said. "Utah State's offense was phenomenal. ... Let's look at the highlights because almost every play you see is a masterclass from coach Calhoun."
Held in high regard is Calhoun, who's in his second season as the head men's basketball coach at Utah State. He's the 22nd head coach in the Aggies' men's basketball program history.
"I really want to tip our cap to Villanova," Calhoun told reporters after the game. "I thought that was just a tremendous basketball game. They're very, very well coached. I thought Kevin [Willard] did a great job of, you know, really changing up the defenses, man, zone. They made an incredible amount of threes, and they put a ton of pressure on the paint."
He added: "Kevin is a tremendous coach, but our guys in the last seven, eight minutes, I thought we really buckled down. Our execution offensively was tremendous, our screening, getting to the next action. And I thought what won the game was our 'will to' and our 'want to' this team has been very connected throughout the year, and in March, you have to be connected."
Utah State was led by junior guard Mason Falslev with 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Fellow senior guard Drake Allen filled the stat sheet with 11 points, six assists, three rebounds and three steals. Freshman forward Adlan Elamin, who climbed the rafters a few times for soaring dunks, added 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Villanova was led by sophomore guard Bryce Lindsay with 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting, including 6-of-11 from beyond the three-point stripe. Senior forward Duke Brennan and junior guard Tyler Perkins each had 15. Sophomore guard Malachi Palmer added 11 for the Wildcats.
Utah State finding their 'swagger'
Calhoun has his team playing with a chip on their shoulder and so far it's served them well.
"We did not like our seed. We were not too fond of being a 9-seed," Calhoun said. "We won 28 games. We won the [Mountain West] regular season title, we won the tournament title. So when this team has an edge, and they play, you know, with a little bit of swagger and a little bit of toughness and resilience, we can cause a lot of problems."
"You know, this defense was originated from from Ralph Willard, Kevin's father, and it's hard to play against," Calhoun said. "So I think, as MJ said, we didn't want to overreact to the threes, but we felt like the game would loosen up eventually. And you saw MJ made some big steals, Mason, Adlan, Drake, their activity, KT's [Karson Templin] activity, defensively, I thought was the difference."
Up next for the Aggies are another pack of Wildcats, No. 1-seeded Arizona in the NCAA men's basketball tournament Round of 32.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 05: CJ Kayfus #2 of the Cleveland Guardians rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch on March 05, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 08: Rowdy Tellez #44 of the Mexico in action during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game between Brazil and Mexico at Daikin Park on March 08, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After the conclusion of tonight’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Jon Heyman reported that the Atlanta Braves have added veteran first baseman/designated hitter Rowdy Tellez on a minor league deal.
The left-handed hitting Tellez is an eight-year big league veteran who has posted double-digit home runs in every season since 2019, outside of the COVID-shortened 2020 season. He hit a career-high 35 homers with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2022.
Although is isn’t the right-handed hitting option the Braves could use as part of a DH-platoon, he could be an upgrade over Dominic Smith, who the Braves added during Spring Training as another left-handed hitting first baseman/designated hitter option.
Tellez, 31, was a teammate of Braves’ infield prospect Nacho Alvarez, Jr. on team Mexico during this year’s World Baseball Classic. He had not signed with a team this off-season after splitting 2025 between Seattle and Texas.
Feb 17, 2026; Surprise, AZ, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi during media day at Surprise Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images
Today, on the Spring Equinox, the Texas Rangers welcome a sliver of San Francisco Giants to Surprise for a Cactus League night game.
RHP Nathan Eovaldi makes what is surely his final appearance of the spring ahead of his Opening Day start next Thursday. San Francisco will counter with RHP Spencer Bivens for the split squad Giants.
Today’s Lineups
GIANTS
RANGERS
Drew Gilbert – CF
Brandon Nimmo – RF
Daniel Susac – DH
Wyatt Langford – CF
Will Brennan – LF
Corey Seager – SS
Victor Bericoto – RF
Jake Burger – 1B
Christian Koss – 2B
Joc Pederson – DH
Gavin Kilen – SS
Josh Jung – 3B
Buddy Kennedy – 3B
Josh Smith – 2B
Jesus Rodriguez – C
Evan Carter – LF
Charlie Szykowny – 1B
Kyle Higashioka – C
Spencer Bivens – RHP
Nathan Eovaldi – RHP
There will be a telecast of this one on the Rangers Sports Network, a radio broadcast via 105.3 The Fan, or you can follow along on Gameday. First pitch from Surprise Stadium is scheduled for 8:05 pm CT.
TALKING STICK, AZ - NOVEMBER 01: A general view of Salt River Fields ballpark prior to a game between the Scottsdale Scorpions and the Salt River Rafters pitches during the game between the Scottsdale Scorpions and the Salt River Rafters at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Friday, November 1, 2024 in Talking Stick, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
As the heat island of Phoenix continues to fester, I wonder if this is going to become the way of things. By that, I mean Cactus League – and possibly, Fall League – games being moved from the afternoon to the evening, to avoid the worst heat. I’m a little surprised they moved today’s game, but left tomorrow and Sunday with the usual 1 pm starts. Saturday’s forecast high temperatures is 105 F, which would be almost indistinguishable from today, and destroying the all-time record for March 21, currently eight degrees below that. Maybe weekend attendees at the Cactus League are made of asbestos or something.
After Zac Gallen, we may expect to see LHP Philip Abner, RHP Kevin Ginkel, RHP Ryan Thompson, and RHP Andrew Hoffmann. All of those definitely have a shot at a bullpen spot. Abner has likely overtaken Brandyn Garcia after the latter’s recent struggles, but as noted earlier, Ginkel has had his problems too. As expected when spring started, the Arizona bullpen was always likely to be the area most subject to change on the team. We’re now down to less than a week before Opening Day, and perhaps half the bullpen spots are still up for grabs. We’ll talk about that more tomorrow though.
LAAX, Switzerland (AP) — Eileen Gu added another halfpipe title to her resume Friday, taking the first Snow League season championship by capturing gold in the circuit's last contest.
The victory came nearly four weeks after the 22-year-old capped off the Milan Cortina Olympics with a gold medal on the halfpipe, adding to a pair of silver medals she had won earlier in slopestyle and big air. Over two Games, Gu has captured a medal in all six events she's entered — the only freeskier to do that in the sport's history.
“I take a lot of meaning in being the first to do things,” Gu said after becoming the first champion crowned in Shaun White's new league that features halfpipe riding in skiing and snowboarding. “To be a part of this league means so much to me. ... I believe so much in the vision and the direction that it’s pushing the sport.”
Gu, who was born in the United States but competes under the flag of her mother's homeland, China, earned $75,000 for the victory — $50,000 for winning the contest and another $25,000 for capturing the season crown. Fifteen of Gu's 20 World Cup titles have come on the halfpipe.
Luke Harrold of New Zealand took home $75,000 for winning both the event and the season title on the men's side.
The snowboarders will close the league's first season Saturday, with Olympic gold medalist Yuto Totsuka trying to wrap up the title; he holds a slim lead in the standings over Olympic bronze medalist Ryusei Yamada.
Luis Gil looked dominant in five strong innings as he looks to grab a spot in the Yankees' rotation, as New York took down the Baltimore Orioles, 3-1, on Friday night in Tampa.
Gil was pumping in heaters early and often and surrendered just one hit and one walk while tallying seven strikeouts on 69 pitches (46 strikes).
It was a rough night for Aaron Judge in his first game back from the WBC as he went hitless in three at-bats with three strikeouts. O’s starter Zach Eflin got him twice, as the right-hander was just as good as Gil, retiring the first 14 Yanks he faced and getting 15 of 16 batters.
The two teams combined for two hits (both doubles) entering the home half of the eighth inning when the Yanks took advantage of a Baltimore youngster with four doubles in a five-hit frame to win the game.
Here are the takeaways...
- Gil got two quick outs to start the first before blowing a 99 mph fastball off the inside corner past the bat of Pete Alonso. The righty picked up where he left off: beating Coby Mayo on a 93 mph changeup in on the hands and blowing a 99 mph fastball past Leody Taveras in a perfect second. More of the same in a 12-pitch third as Gil blew a 98 mph fastball past Luis Vazquez and a 99 mph fastball past Jose Barrero.
After retiring the first 11 straight, including a sixth strikeout, blowing a 97 mph fastball above the zone past Taylor Ward, Gil surrendered a ground-rule double deep to left off Alonso's bat. (The ex-Met smoked a 97 mph heater at the top of the zone, 110.3 mph off the bat.) Gil recovered by getting Mayo swinging at a wicked 91 mph slider off the outside corner.
Gil closed his book in the fifth, getting around a one-out walk with a 6-4-3 double play. Gil pitched like he had something to prove and seemed amped up, averaging 96.8 mph on his fastball (up 1.5 mph), 93.2 mph on his changeup (up 2.4 mph), and 88.6 mph on the slider (up 1.9 mph)
- Judge, in his return for the WBC, went down swinging on a curveball in and at the knees and was caught looking at a 3-2 two-seamer that ran back right over the plate in the fourth against Eflin.
The slugger had a big chance with one out in the sixth with runners on first and second against reliever Dietrich Enns. In the eight-pitch at-bat, which included an error by O's catcher Samuel Bassallo that put both runners in scoring position, Judge waved at a 3-2 change-up below the zone to finish 0-for-3 with three strikeouts.
- Ryan McMahon, getting the start at short, popped out in foul territory to third after a nine-pitch battle to start the third and went down looking at a sinker to strand a runner at second to end the fifth. McMahon lined a changeup from O's minor leaguer Cohen Achen the other way for a double that one-hopped the wall (106.3 mph, 334 feet), to finish 1-for-3.
- Oswaldo Cabrera, playing third, went down looking at a cutter on the corner his first time up, but knocked in the game's lone run, muscling a 3-1 fastball up the middle for an RBI single scoring McMahon from second, to go 1-for-3.
- Jazz Chisholm Jr. notched the first Yanks’ hit in the fifth with a two-out bloop into left-center and took advantage of some lackadaisical defense, hustling into second for a double. He went 1-for-3.
- Out of the bullpen, David Bednar got two strikeouts swinging on the splitter below the zone in a 13-pitch, 1-2-3 sixth inning.
Left-hander Tim Hill issued a walk to start the seventh, and after getting Alonso to fly out to center, induced a 5-4-3 double-play. After Hill's 14-pitch effort, PaulBlackburn outdid him with a 1-2-3 eighth on just seven pitches. Blackburn made things interesting in the ninth, allowing a one-out triple down the third base line, aided by the left fielder falling over on the warning track, and a two-out Bassallo RBI double off the base of the wall in right. But after walking Maverick Handley, the righty got Anderson De Los Santos looking to end it.
- Trent Grisham was called out looking at a two-seamer on the inside corner and was robbed of a hit to start the fourth when Taveras ranged to his left in center to flag down a sharply hit (103.8 mph) sinking-liner. He finished 0-for-2 with a walk.
- Cody Bellinger, playing left field, grounded out to the right side of the infield three times, all of which ended innings and the last of which stranded two in scoring position in the sixth, to go 0-for-3.
- Ben Rice went down swinging at a 2-2 curveball below the zone in his first at-bat. He finished 0-for-3.
- Giancarlo Stanton, getting the start in right field where he didn't see any action, swung through a sweeper off the outside corner in his second at-bat. He finished 0-for-2.
- J.C. Escarra grounded out to first and walked. He went 1-for-2 on ABS challenges behind the plate.
- Oddity that may not interest anybody: The Yanks closed the first, second, and third innings by grounding out to first with Alonso tossing it to Eflin covering the bag.
Feb 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez against the Cleveland Guardians during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Dodgers’ final night game in Arizona has them hosting the San Diego Padres.
This time, he is just a few days away from Opening Day.
Judge returned to Yankees camp on Thursday and was in the lineup on Friday night for the first time since he captained Team USA to the World Baseball Classic final on Tuesday, when it fell to Venezuela in dramatic fashion.
“You’re still thinking about the last couple games, the whole tournament, stuff like that — you’re mad about that,” Judge said before Friday’s game against the Orioles at Steinbrenner Field. “But once I came back here, get a chance to be around the boys and throw on the pinstripes, now it’s time to get back to what we’re doing with the Yankees and build towards a championship again.
Aaron Judge reacts during Team USA’s game against Venezuela on March 17. Getty Images
“First couple hours weren’t great, but now that I’m back here around the guys, we’re ready to roll.”
Judge posted a .845 OPS with two home runs across seven games in the WBC, though he finished with a sour taste, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the final against Venezuela.
Still, he already wants in for the next time Team USA plays — potentially in the 2028 Olympics, if not the next WBC — and said he had a “blast” sharing a clubhouse with the game’s best and playing in front of raucous crowds.
“I wish the crowds and the energy were like that every single night, but it’s tough to do in 162 games, I know that,” he said. “It was just a fun environment. Elimination games from the very beginning, even in pool play, which was great. Just seeing the passion of players that usually I play against that don’t show a lot of emotion, all of a sudden they’re showing emotion, so it was cool.”
Speaking of those emotions, Team USA caught some flack for appearing to take a more businesslike and buttoned-up approach than most teams during the tournament that was full of flair and fun.
Judge said he heard about that from friends and family, but took issue with the narrative.
“Everybody’s different, every culture’s different,” Judge said. “I love everything what Mexico was doing, what Great Britain was doing, what the [Dominican Republic], how they celebrated the game, how their fans celebrated the game, that was amazing.
“If they’re gonna say we don’t have the passion, my passion’s grinding in this cage when nobody’s watching, grinding as a 6-year-old in the backyard with my dad. That’s where our passion came from as kids. So if I don’t show it outwardly like that, it doesn’t mean I don’t love the game.
Aaron Judge connects on a home run during the Yankees’ Feb. 21 spring training game. Getty Images
“Everybody in that clubhouse, you can ask every single one of those guys, that was probably the most fun they’ve ever had playing the game, the past few weeks, myself included.”
Judge, who indicated he would be in favor of the WBC moving to midseason so there would be fewer restrictions on pitchers building up, also caught some heat during the tournament when he said the atmosphere for the WBC was “bigger and better” than playing in the World Series.
Aaron Judge is pictured during Team USA’s game against Venezuela on March 17. Imagn Images
On Friday, he mentioned the bands playing in either corner of the outfield during the WBC and different chants echoing through the domes where USA played.
“World Series games, a lot of the passionate fans, they can’t afford those tickets sometimes,” Judge said.
Alas, Judge will have to wait seven months for a chance to get back in front of crowds like that, now turning his attention to helping the Yankees get back to that stage.
After Judge built up quickly early this spring to be ready for the WBC, Aaron Boone now plans to back off him a bit in the final days of camp.
After DHing on Friday night, Judge is scheduled to play in right field on Sunday and then start Monday’s exhibition against the Cubs in Arizona ahead of Wednesday’s opener.
“He’s built up, ready to go,” Boone said, “so a couple days backing off hopefully serves him well.”
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (AP) — Ohio State scored four goals in the final 10 minutes of the first period, and the No. 1 overall seed Buckeyes beat fifth-seeded Northeastern 5-0 on Friday in the first of two semifinals Friday night at Pegula Ice Arena.
Ohio State (36-4-0), which set the program's single-season wins record with 36, advanced to its fifth straight national title game to improve to 14-4 in the NCAA Tournament and 7-4 in the Frozen Four.
Northeastern (29-9-1) was making its fourth Frozen Four appearance in program history and first since 2023 when Ohio State defeated the Huskies 3-0. The Huskies dropped to 5-7-0 in the NCAA Tournament.
Five different players scored for the Buckeyes and 10 players recorded a point.
Joy Dunne, a Patty Kazmaier top-10 finalist, scored on a rebound 10 minutes into the game for her 27th goal of the season. Then Kaia Malachino and Sanni Vanhanen scored a minute apart for a 3-0 lead.
Emma Peschel beat the first-period buzzer with a slap shot to make it 4-0 and Sara Swiderski sent a shot from the blue line that deflected into the goal in the third.
Hailey MacLeod recorded her fifth shutout this season with 15 saves — five coming in the first 10 minutes. She ended a breakaway chance five minutes in and finished the frame with eight saves.
Northeastern goaltender Lisa Jönsson made 37 saves.
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The Buckeyes will face the winner of the second semifinal between No. 2 Wisconsin and No. 3 Penn State.
