Sports category, Page 982
Kansas out to defend Big 12 Tournament title in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The bull’s-eye on the back of third-ranked Kansas these days is about as big as it’s been in coach Bill Self’s tenure. The Jayhawks already have defended their Big 12 regular-season championship, winning the toughest league in the country by almost any measure in outright fashion....
Pennsylvania sports betting 101: How to bet, terms to know, odds explained
BY HOME FIELD SPORTS STAFF Sports betting is now legal in Pennsylvania, and that means a whole new form of entertainment for millions of residents. But how can you maximize the fun — and possibly win a little money along the way — if you’re new to the sports-betting scene?...
Edey, Purdue on top of wild Big Ten heading into tourney
CHICAGO — While Zach Edey and Purdue won the Big Ten title this season, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Indiana had their share of big moments. Same for Boo Buie and Northwestern, and Tyson Walker and Michigan State. The Big Ten Conference Tournament is back in Chicago this year, and — judging...
2021 No. 1 draft pick Henry Davis among Pirates’ 1st spring training cuts
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ first day of cuts in spring training included catcher Henry Davis, the 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick. The Pirates reassigned Davis and outfielders Matt Gorski and Lolo Sanchez to their minor league camp Tuesday afternoon, following their 7-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at LECOM...
2023 fantasy baseball catcher/DH rankings: The future is now for Adley Rutschman
BY SPENCER URQUHART | Home Field Sports The Home Field Sports fantasy baseball rankings series continues with catchers and designated hitters, which involve the fewest fantasy-relevant players compared to the other positions. Catcher is thin and still limited as far as productive bats, but the universal DH allows more players...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Pitt-Greensburg’s Sidney McCully earns pair of AMCC honors
Senior Sidney McCully is one of those players who makes an impact on both ends of the basketball court. The coaches in her team’s conference second that assertion. McCully, a point guard at Pitt-Greensburg, picked up a pair of awards for her standout play as she was named the Allegheny...
NFL combine catching up to evolving state of receivers
INDIANAPOLIS — NFL teams might have considered Zay Flowers a one-dimensional wide receiver a decade or two ago. Today, the 5-foot-9, 182-pound former Boston College star understands he cannot rely solely on his 4.42-second speed to make plays. He must be a more complete player. So Flowers spent last season...
World Baseball Classic has more stars after 6-year absence
Nolan Arenado wants the World Baseball Classic to grow into a global event with stature approaching soccer’s World Cup. “I feel like the hype is a little bit higher this time around than it was in 2017. There’s more guys that want to do it,” the St. Louis third baseman...
NASCAR’s Denny Hamlin says he hit it big in Powerball
NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin recently revisited one that slipped right past most of us late last year. Hamlin hit it big in the $2 billion dollar Powerball draw back in November. He even tweeted about it back then. That said, no, he didn’t hit the jackpot, but he said he...
ACC tournament betting preview: Duke, Miami favored, Pitt in the mix
By Shane Jackson | Home Field Sports The ACC regular-season title came down to the final day of the season, with the Virginia Cavaliers and Miami Hurricanes sharing a piece of the conference crown. They both went 15-5 in league play. Pittsburgh, which was picked to finish last in the...
Tim Benz: Regardless of Penguins’ additions at trade deadline, it’s high time they play their best hockey
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall is insisting that he helped the team get better with the trades he executed before the deadline. With the club clinging to the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, such evidence needs to be seen starting immediately — as in Tuesday night at...
Despite strong turnaround seasons, Pitt and Duquesne given little chance to win conference tournaments
Even though Pitt (21-10, 14-6) and Duquesne (20-11, 10-8) have had strong bounce-back seasons, they are both relatively long shots to win their conference tournaments. Kenpom.com, a widely used college basketball analytics website, has published its projections for the upcoming conference tournament week. As the No. 5 seed, Pitt has...
First Call: Ex-Steeler about to be released; another big name ILB becomes available; more Tom Brady speculation
Tuesday’s “First Call” tells us about a former Pittsburgh Steeler who is about to be released. Another high-profile inside linebacker is available on the free agent market. The Tom Brady speculation still won’t stop. But he’s not the only big-name NFL player being mentioned in the rumor mill. And in...
‘Go for a lot’: After showing he could hit as a Pirates rookie, Cal Mitchell sets new goal
Now that he’s no longer a rookie, Cal Mitchell came to spring training without the nerves the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder had felt in the past but with a newfound sense of purpose. With 69 major league games under his belt — including coming through in a big moment to break...
Penguins expected to start goaltender Tristan Jarry against Blue Jackets
The Penguins are scheduled to start goaltender Tristan Jarry for Tuesday’s home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at PPG Paints Arena. Coach Mike Sullivan announced Jarry’s status following an optional morning skate. In 32 games this season, Jarry has a 19-7-3 record, a 2.77 goals against average, a .916...
No. 14 Miami carries top seed into wide-open ACC TournamentVideo
Miami coach Jim Larranaga congratulated his 14th-ranked Hurricanes for battling through a “marathon” and claiming a share of the ACC regular-season title. The Hurricanes face a different challenge now as the top seed for this week’s ACC Tournament. “He told us what we have next is just a bunch of...
Jamarius Burton called players-only meeting to prime Pitt players for ACC Tournament
Befitting a team that was one victory from winning a conference championship, Pitt enjoyed the appropriate representation when ACC awards were passed out Monday. • There’s Coach of the Year Jeff Capel, only the third Pitt coach so honored — joining Ben Howland (2002) and Jamie Dixon (2004) — and...
Furman wins, headed to first NCAA tourney since 1980
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Jalen Slawson scored 20 points, and Furman beat Chattanooga, 88-79, on Monday night to win the Southern Conference Tournament and advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1980. The NCAA field contained 48 teams the last time the top-seeded Paladins made the Big Dance....
Louisiana clinches Sun Belt’s automatic NCAA Tournament bid
PENSACOLA, Fla. — Themus Fulks scored a career-high 23 points, Jordan Brown had 13 points and 16 rebounds and second-seeded Louisiana beat No. 8 seed South Alabama, 71-66, on Monday night to claim the Sun Belt Tournament championship. The fifth NCAA Tournament berth for Louisiana (26-7) will be its first...
Tom Brady, Orlando Brown prove combine flops can become NFL starsVideo
Long before the NFL’s annual scouting combine became a prime-time football fix for fans ahead of free agency and the draft, Mike Mamula absolutely killed it as a combine trailblazer in 1995. He was among the first players to train specifically for the staple of tests he’d face at the...
Yankees hit Luis Ortiz hard in pounding Pirates behind Aaron Judge’s 3-run homer
The first time Luis Ortiz faced the New York Yankees, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander held them to two runs on three hits while striking out five over five innings in only his second major-league start. His Grapefruit League game didn’t go as well. The Yankees tagged Ortiz for five runs...
World Baseball Classic features more stars after 6-year absenceVideo
Nolan Arenado wants the World Baseball Classic to grow into a global event with stature approaching soccer’s World Cup. “I feel like the hype is a little bit higher this time around than it was in 2017. There’s more guys that want to do it,” the St. Louis third baseman...
Seahawks, QB Geno Smith agree on 3-year deal
RENTON, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks have agreed to terms with quarterback Geno Smith on a three-year contract that keeps the AP comeback player of the year in the Pacific Northwest. Two people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press the sides reached an agreement on Monday. It...
Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov expected to make Penguins debut Tuesday
The bulk of Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall’s focus at the recent trade deadline was on how to retool his bottom-six forwards. He jettisoned forwards Teddy Blueger, Kasperi Kapanen as well as Brock McGinn while annexing Nick Bonino and Mikael Granlund. But he didn’t ignore his blue line. On...
Boston’s Justin Turner hit in face by pitch, leaves gameVideo
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Boston Red Sox infielder Justin Turner was taken to a hospital after leaving Monday’s game against the Detroit Tigers when he was hit on the face with a pitch. The 38-year-old fell to the ground after getting hit by right-hander Matt Manning. Medical personnel rushed to...
