l Page 28 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger shoots down job speculation
Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger on Wednesday disputed any speculation involving him and other coaching jobs as "not true," as rumors of him being a possible North Carolina coaching target persist.,Otzelberger addressed the situation at the team hotel in Chicago shortly after the No. 2 seed Cyclone...

Struggling Stars travel to Islanders, aware of need for improvement
The Dallas Stars begin a four-game road trip Thursday in Elmont, N.Y., against the New York Islanders, hoping new surroundings improve their results.,The Stars (43-17-11, 97 points) were swept on their two-game homestand but still secured a Western Conference playoff spot. They fell behind 4-1 after...

No. 2 Purdue next up for surprising Texas in run to West Region semifinals
The lowest-seeded team left in the NCAA Tournament will try to continue its unexpected run when No. 11 Texas faces No. 2 Purdue in the West Region semifinals on Thursday night in San Jose, Calif.,The Longhorns (21-14) are the sixth team to go from the First Four to the Sweet 16, getting there by kno...

Jiri Lehecka defeats qualifier Martin Landaluce to reach Miami Open semis
No. 21 seed Jiri Lehecka had eight aces while producing a 7-6 (1), 7-5 victory over Spanish qualifier Martin Landaluce on Wednesday to advance to the semifinals of the Miami Open.,Lehecka won 85.1% of his first-serve points and had 19 winners against 23 unforced errors in the quarterfinal match.,Leh...

Sizzling Hornets, Knicks still have work to do for playoff seeding
Ahead of their meeting on Thursday night, the Charlotte Hornets and visiting New York Knicks are playing as well as any teams in the Eastern Conference. Still, both sides have ground to make up in the congested playoff picture.,Charlotte (38-34) has continued its remarkable run as the league's bigge...

Elena Rybakina takes down Jessica Pegula to reach Miami Open semis
Third-seeded Elena Rybakina delivered 15 aces and saved 8 of 10 break points while ousting fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday to reach the semifinals of the Miami Open in Miami Gardens, Fla.,Rybakina overcame a shaky start to defeat Pegula for the fifth time in seven months, incl...

Chris Gotterup, with 2 wins already this year, one to watch at Houston Open
The PGA Tour shifts to Texas for two weeks before the Masters arrives, though Scottie Scheffler will not be joining the field that tees up for the Texas Children's Houston Open on Thursday.,Scheffler withdrew early this week citing family reasons. He and his wife Meredith are expecting their second ...

Dream to move five 2026 games into larger Hawks arena
The Atlanta Dream will move five games of the upcoming WNBA season into the Atlanta Hawks' State Farm Arena in anticipation of high ticket demand.,The Dream play most of their home games at the intimate 3,500-seat Gateway Center Arena in nearby College Park. The Hawks' home arena has a capacity of 1...

Mariners place SS J.P. Crawford (shoulder) on IL to start season
The Seattle Mariners will open the season with shortstop J.P. Crawford on the 10-day injured list because of right shoulder inflammation.,Crawford, 31, played in seven games this spring, batting .125 with a stolen base and three RBIs. The injury is not believed to be serious, with Leo Rivas expected...

Reds place LHP Nick Lodolo (blister) on IL to begin season
Cincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo will open the season in the injured list because of a blister issue, while right-hander Jose Franco was recalled Wednesday after he had been optioned to Triple-A.,Lodolo, 28, had been dealing with a blister on his left index finger after he delivered a 7.24 ER...

Lightning captain Victor Hedman taking leave of absence
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman is taking a temporary leave of absence for personal reasons, the team announced on Wednesday.,Hedman, a defenseman, logged just 4:44 of ice time before exiting Tampa Bay's 6-2 victory versus the Vancouver Canucks last Thursday due to an illness. He has sat o...

Alabama, Ohio State pro days draw decision-makers by the dozen
Decision-makers flocked to Columbus for Ohio State's annual pro day on Wednesday with more than a dozen general managers and head coaches confirmed in attendance to see the Buckeyes strut their stuff. ,A flex for the pro pipeline developed by head coach Ryan Day and his well-paid coaching staff, the...

Champion Seahawks to kick off 2026 NFL season on a Wednesday
The Seattle Seahawks will begin the first step in their defense of their Super Bowl title on a Wednesday as opposed to the traditional Thursday opener to the NFL's regular season.,The NFL has yet to announce an opponent for the Seahawks, who will host the 2026 opener on Sept. 9.,Seattle is playing o...

Injury-ridden Panthers, with playoffs unlikely, welcome Wild
The Florida Panthers, who have won the past two Stanley Cup titles, never thought they'd be in their current predicament.,But largely due to a multitude of injuries, the Panthers (35-32-3, 73 points) are on the brink of playoff elimination with a dozen games remaining in the regular season. They are...

Report: Las Vegas to host Super Bowl after 2028 season
Las Vegas is expected to be selected by NFL owners as the host city for Super Bowl LXIII after the 2028 season, ESPN reported on Wednesday.,The voting will take place during next week's annual league meeting in Phoenix.,Per ESPN, one source said the Super Bowl's return to Allegiant Stadium is a "mat...

Mariners, Guardians return from playoff seasons to meet in opener
The Seattle Mariners will set sail on their 50th season Thursday.,It is a voyage they hope will take them to the World Series for the first time and it begins with a visit from the Cleveland Guardians.,The Mariners came as close as they ever have to reaching that destination last season, losing to t...

Phillies' Cristopher Sanchez gets Opening Day nod vs. Rangers
The Philadelphia Phillies showed their faith in Cristopher Sanchez last weekend by signing the left-hander to a six-year, $107 million contract extension.,While that deal officially begins in 2027, Sanchez will likely have a bounce in his step on Thursday afternoon when he takes the mound as the Phi...

Star turn: 10 MLB players poised for '26 breakout
If you like to watch rookies and other young players on the verge of breaking out in Major League Baseball, it's a good time to be a fan. ,With Opening Day upon us, let's take a quick look at 10 players (rookies and others) who are on the verge of making a big name for themselves in MLB.,RHP Shane B...

Cards to open season with OF Lars Nootbaar on 60-day IL
The St. Louis Cardinals will be without outfielder Lars Nootbaar at least through the first two months of the season after he was placed on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.,Nootbaar underwent surgery in October for bone spurs in both heels that affected the Achilles tendon. His recovery timetable ...

Panthers' Anton Lundell (rib) likely out for rest of season
Florida Panthers forward Anton Lundell likely will sit out the remainder of the season as he nurses a rib injury.,Lundell is expected to be sidelined from two to six weeks for the Panthers (35-32,3, 73 points), who reside 12 points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 12 g...