Dancing Bulldogs. Drake wins MVC Tourney title
The Drake Bulldogs beat the Bradley Braves by 15 in the MVC Tournament championship game, 63-48. Conference player of the year Bennett Stirtz led the Dogs with 24 points. Arch Madness is played in where else, St. Louis. Drake automatically qualifies for the NCAA Tournament for the third year in a row. Drake is an astounding 30-3 in Ben McCollum's first year as head coach. The Bulldogs also won the outright regular season championship.Drake now waits for Selection Sunday March 16th.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Arizona Wildcats head to College World Series after Super Regional comeback
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Baseball mitts and navy caps were strewn about the infield at Boshamer Stadium. Players jumped for joy and embraced one another. The Arizona Wildcats had pulled off a miracle. And now they're headed to Omaha. Advertisement With its season on the brink of expiration, Arizona rallied past No. 5 national seed North Carolina in highly improbable fashion Sunday. Down by two runs in the eighth inning, the Wildcats dug deep and defeated the Tar Heels 4-3 in the third and deciding game of their Super Regional series. Arizona's Casey Hintz shows off the championship trophy after the Wildcats defeated North Carolina in Game 3 of their NCAA Super Regional series on Sunday, June 8, 2025, at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C. Arizona will be making its 19th appearance in the College World Series, its first since 2021 and its first under UA alum Chip Hale, who won the CWS as a player in 1986. The Wildcats will be seeking their fifth national championship. They will open CWS play Friday or Saturday against Coastal Carolina, which defeated Arizona in the CWS final in 2016. Junior shortstop Mason White — a Salpointe Catholic High School graduate whose father and grandfather played for the UA — delivered the winning hit in the top of the eighth, lining a two-RBI single to center field with the bases loaded and one out. Advertisement After the game, White — a lifelong UA fan — barely could comprehend what had just transpired. 'This is just unbelievable,' White said. 'It's almost like a dream. I just can't believe it.' White was Hale's first recruit when he took over the program in July 2021. Hale has guided his alma mater to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Leading the Wildcats to the College World Series for the first time conjured a range of emotions for the 60-year-old coach — empathy for North Carolina, relief for himself and joy for Arizona's players and supporters. 'I'm just so happy for these kids,' Hale said. 'I'm happy ... for these families. They have grinded so hard, spent so much money coming here and raising these kids, putting them in travel baseball and high school baseball. Advertisement 'And now they get a payoff to go to Omaha. We're going to go there, put our best foot forward and try to win our fifth national championship.' It didn't look promising for the longest time Sunday. Arizona got a badly needed quality start from freshman right-hander Smith Bailey, but the Wildcats couldn't solve his counterpart, freshman righty Ryan Lynch. Lynch pounded the zone with a mid-90s fastball and a sharp slider, landing first-pitch strikes against 19 of the 26 batters he faced. After compiling 10 runs Saturday and 26 hits in the first two games of the series, the Wildcats managed just one run on two hits against Lynch entering the eighth inning. Sophomore Andrew Cain — another Tucson-area product, via Ironwood Ridge High — had one of those two hits. He led off the eighth with a single. Advertisement Then came one of two critical North Carolina errors. Tommy Splaine hit a grounder to second base that had all the makings of a 4-6-3 double play. But UNC's Jackson Van De Brake — whose three-run homer off Bailey in the third inning had given the Tar Heels a 3-1 lead — booted the ball. Cain and Splaine were safe. 'The way this game was going, we just needed a crack,' White said. 'Chip said it before it happened. 'They gave us a crack. That's what this team was looking for. It happened, and we took advantage of it.' Lynch's velocity was diminishing by that point, so UNC coach Scott Forbes summoned another freshman right-hander, Walker McDuffie, to face No. 9 hitter Easton Breyfogle. Advertisement Hale called for a sacrifice bunt. Breyfogle dropped the ball down the third base line. UNC's Gavin Gallaher charged it and fired to first base. The ball, Breyfogle and hulking first baseman Hunter Stokely arrived at the bag at the same time. Breyfogle collided with Stokely's left arm. The ball bounded past the first baseman. Cain scored, Splaine advanced to third and Breyfogle — who was safe — lay injured on the ground. Breyfogle had to leave the game after experiencing concussion-like symptoms. TJ Adams pinch-ran for him. Brendan Summerhill walked to load the bases. Aaron Walton then popped out, setting the stage for White. Advertisement UNC brought in senior righty Aidan Haugh. The Tar Heels shifted their infield to the right side. White swatted the third pitch he saw through the vacated shortstop hole, scoring Splaine and Adams. 'I was just trying to put the ball in play — specifically in the air just to get the guy in, tie the game,' White said. 'They'd been shifting me the whole weekend. So I knew: Just stay middle of the field, and it'll find a hole.' Suddenly ahead 4-3, Arizona turned to junior right-hander Casey Hintz for the bottom of the eighth. Hintz had allowed a go-ahead home run Saturday, and he got himself into trouble Sunday by issuing a pair of walks. But Hintz induced an inning-ending groundout to send the game to the ninth. Closer Tony Pluta had thrown a season-high 52 pitches Saturday but was willing to go again with a trip to Omaha on the line. He retired the side 1-2-3, ending the game by striking out No. 9 hitter Carter French with a changeup. Advertisement Pluta set the UA record with his 14th save of the season. Arizona improved to 38-0 when leading after the eighth inning. After the final out was recorded, Pluta looked skyward. He flung his glove to the grass. The celebration was on. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Wildcats head to College World Series, downs North Carolina
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Could we see Caitlin Clark, Drake at NBA Finals? 9 celebrity Thunder, Pacers fans to watch
With the NBA Finals kicking off on Thursday night, Oklahoma City could see a star-studded next couple of weeks at Paycom Center. Both the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers have prominent celebrities in their fan bases. While Okie fans can include Bill Hader, Kristin Chenoweth, James Marsden and courtside fashion icon James Goldstein, the list of Pacers fans also includes heavy hitters as well. Advertisement Pacers fans include actor Mike Epps, "Now You See Me" actor Jesse Eisenberg, talk show host David Letterman, rapper 50 Cent, and WNBA star Caitlin Clark. And then there are fans of the NBA at large who could be making an appearance. These guests could range from former NBA players themselves wishing to watch the action, to different dignitaries with ties to the teams, such as former Vice President and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. Live: Thunder vs Pacers live score updates More: Where will celebrities eat during NBA Finals? OKC restaurants that have drawn stars before While we don't know just yet who will make an appearance in a suite or a courtside seat, here are some celebrities with ties to the Thunder and Pacers who could make an appearance during the NBA Finals. James Marsden The Marvel Cinematic Universe actor and Oklahoma native may make a stop at some point during the NBA Finals. The actor was previously filming in England for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, so he may want to enjoy the Thunder's first Finals run since 2012. Drake World-famous rapper Drake made waves in 2021 when he was spotted sitting courtside on a Wednesday night to watch a Thunder-Rockets game. Advertisement It's unclear if Drake is a Thunder fan, but in 2021, there was talk that Drake was in town to see an old friend or if he came to support Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who, like Drake, is from Toronto. Gilgeous-Alexander hugged Drake after the game, as did Luguentz Dort, another Thunder by way of Canada. The moment went viral when Drake shared a selfie with "my new parents" Renee, 71, and Jim Stanley, 75, of Oklahoma City to his 97.2 million Instagram followers. Rumble greets Drake during Wednesday's Thunder-Rockets game. Bill Hader Comedian and actor Bill Hader attended Game 2 of the 2012 NBA Finals, the last championship run for the Thunder. Though the Thunder went on to lose against the Miami Heat, Hader was still excited to have a professional team from his home state to cheer on at the top of the league. Actor Bill Hader sits courtside as the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Miami Heat in Game Two of the 2012 NBA Finals at Chesapeake Energy Arena on June 14, 2012 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Kristin Chenoweth The "Wicked" actress shared her support for her home team immediately after the team qualified for the NBA Finals. And if there is a question about her fandom, Chenoweth has performed the national anthem before a game and attended other games throughout the years. Ben Rector The Tulsa native and talented pop singer could be a sign of good luck for the Thunder. Rector opened up Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves with the national anthem, and the Thunder went on to have a 26-point win over the team. Now the singer is on tour during Game 1 against the Pacers, but with a clear schedule, he could make an appearance at a later game. Mike Pence The former Vice President and Indiana Governor Mike Pence is a proud Pacers fan. Though he has not been documented courtside this season, Pence continues to show his support for the Pacers off the court. Caitlin Clark She plays for the Indiana Fever; it's reasonable to assume that the 2024 Rookie of the Year knows Indiana ball. The Indiana Fever are still in the midst of their season, two games removed from the NBA Finals. Due to her schedule, Clark could make an appearance at a game, but whether that's in Indy or OKC is yet to be determined. Terry Crews Terry Crews may be the host of "America's Got Talent," but he always has time for his Pacer team. The "Brooklyn 99" actor was courtside for Game 3 against the New York Knicks. Mike Epps Indiana native Mike Epps is a major part of Pacer Nation. The actor and comedian has been caught courtside for several games and constantly cheers on the Pacers. He is a frequent guest at the Pacers' home arena, so don't rule out his appearance when the Thunder head to Indiana. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: NBA Finals: 9 celebrity Thunder, Pacers fans we might see courtside


USA Today
10 hours ago
- USA Today
LSU-West Virginia baseball weather update: NCAA super regional game delayed
LSU-West Virginia baseball weather update: NCAA super regional game delayed Show Caption Hide Caption LSU baseball's Derek Curiel on LSU's defense during NCAA Tournament LSU baseball freshman leftfielder Derek Curiel details how the team has performed on defense during the NCAA Tournament so far. LSU and West Virginia baseball's super regional matchup on Sunday was delayed due to weather near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The game was originally scheduled for 6 p.m. ET, before it was delayed until 7:06 p.m. ET. The game was then delayed again and is currently set for a 9:06 p.m. ET first pitch. The No. 6 Tigers have a 1-0 lead in the three-game super regional series after defeating West Virginia 16-9 on Saturday. With a win, LSU clinches a berth in the College World Series, which it missed out on in 2024 after winning the national championship in 2023. Anthony Eyanson, who has a 2.5 ERA in 93⅔ innings pitched this season, is starting on the mound for LSU. NCAA BASEBALL: Scores, times, TV channels for Sunday super regional games Here's everything to know about the LSU-West Virginia baseball weather delay on Sunday: LSU-West Virginia baseball weather update Game 2 of LSU-West Virginia baseball in the Baton Rouge Regional has been delayed to 9:06 p.m. ET, the Tigers' social media account posted on Sunday afternoon. The game was originally scheduled for 6 p.m. ET but was pushed back to 7:06 p.m. ET. The game was then delayed again to its currently scheduled first pitch time. Officials told The Lafayette Daily Advertiser that the delay was made to "protect the integrity of the game." Baton Rouge ran into weather issues during the regional round, as play was delayed for over five hours before the first game between LSU and Arkansas-Little Rock started.