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YSU men’s golf finishes 7th in HL

Howie-In-The-Hills, Fla. – The Youngstown State men’s golf team had its best round of the Horizon League Championships on Monday firing a 292 at the Mission Inn Resort’s El Campeon Golf Course.

YSU’s final round was 17 shots better than each of its first two days of the event. Capitalizing on the strong effort was Ryan Sam (Boardman) who placed ninth with a three-round total of 222 (75-76-71). Jake Ryan finished an impressive 13th with a total of 225 (76-78-71).

The strong finish to the tournament left the Penguins with a three-round score of 910. In the team standings, Youngstown State placed seventh, one shot ahead of Northern Kentucky and one back of sixth-place Green Bay.

After two rounds YSU was in ninth place ahead of just Purdue Fort Wayne, but it climbed past Detroit Mercy and NKU and nearly caught Green Bay on the final day.

Wright State won the event with an 881 while Cleveland State was second and IU Indy third.

For the second straight day the Guins opened on the back nine and came out sizzling.

After a tough start on No. 10, the five golfers combined for eight birdies and two eagles, both by Jake Ryan, on the back side to get as high as fifth on the leaderboard.

Ryan had a birdie at 13 to get back to even par before consecutive eagles at the par-4 13th and the par-5 14th got him to four under. After a double bogey on No. 16, he had a birdie on No. 17 and was three-under on the back nine. He pared six straight holes before a bogey and double bogey on consecutive holes but birdied the eighth to card a one-under par 71.

Sam also finished with a 71 recording 13 pars, three birdies and a pair of bogeys. He opened with a bogey on No. 10, but registered birdies at No. 14, No. 17 and No. 2 for his one-under par round.

Nolan Shilling had his best round of the tournament on Monday with a 74. Shilling went three under on the back nine with birdies at No. 10, No. 13 and No. 14. On the front side he managed a birdie at No. 4 to finish with a 74. Overall, he had a three-day total of 231.

Jordan Kish also had his best round of the event finishing with a 76. Kish was two-under par after his first five holes on Monday with birdies at No. 12 and No. 14. On the front side he added a birdie at No. 2. His three-round total for the tournament was 234.

Jacob Sylak (Mineral Ridge), playing in his final round for the Penguins, carded an 80. Sylak’s round was highlighted by a birdie at the par-5 first. It was his best round at the tournament by six shots.

Mercer receives OAC weekly honor

WESTERVILLE — Mount Union juniors Kendyll Cahill and Sydney Mercer (West Branch) swept the Ohio Athletic Conference Weekly Awards.

Cahill was named the Pitcher of the Week after picking up three wins last week, she gave up just a single earned run over 17.1 innings for an ERA of 0.40 and struck out 10 batters. Cahill started the week with a win over Otterbein on Wednesday and then picked up a complete game win over Wilmington in game one on Saturday and came in to pitch the final four innings of the 11-inning thriller in game two against Wilmington on Saturday.

Mercer was named the Hitter of the Week after recording 13 hits in 18 at-bats across four games last week. She started the week by going 8-for-8 in the doubleheader against Otterbein on Wednesday and then she drove in the go-ahead runs in both games against Wilmington on Saturday. Mercer finished the week with a .722 batting average, .737 on-base percentage and 1.111 slugging percentage.

This is the second time this season and the seventh time in her career that Cahill has won the award, while this marks the first time this season and second time in her career that Mercer has won the award.

Duke’s Flagg declares for NBA draft

Duke star Cooper Flagg is headed to the NBA as the favorite to be the No. 1 overall draft pick.

The program announced Flagg’s move in a social media post Monday following a lone college season that saw the 18-year-old become only the fourth freshman named as The Associated Press national player of the year while leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four.

Flagg had reclassified to get to Duke a year early, and his decision was expected all year, even as he generally declined to spell out plans about his professional future as the season pushed into March or mentioned how much fun he had playing in college.

The 6-foot-9, 205-pound forward from Newport, Maine, averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals to lead the Blue Devils in each category. He’s a versatile threat who showed the ability to thrive as a scorer, playmaker and defender.

The statistical highlight came when Flagg scored 42 points to set an Atlantic Coast Conference freshman record against Notre Dame in January, along with having 30 points, six rebounds and seven assists to help Duke hold off Arizona in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. There were plenty of impressive single plays, too, that demanded highlight-reel placement like his transition dunk through a defender against Pittsburgh in January.

Flagg closed with 27 points and seven rebounds in a loss to Houston in the national semifinals. The Blue Devils had led by 14 with about 8 1/2 minutes left but faltered late, with Houston scoring the game’s last nine points in the final 33 seconds and Flagg missing a late shot for the lead.

Flagg is the third Duke player to announce an early exit for the NBA in the past week, joining freshman wing Kon Knueppel and junior guard Tyrese Proctor.

Avs activate Landeskog off IR

DALLAS — The Colorado Avalanche activated captain Gabriel Landeskog off injured reserve, paving the way for him to return from his nearly three-year absence as soon as Game 2 of Colorado’s first-round series against the Dallas Stars on Monday night.

Landeskog, now 32, has not played in an NHL game since June 26, 2022, when he and the Avalanche beat Tampa Bay to win the Stanley Cup.

A chronic right knee injury that led to two surgeries kept him off the ice through multiple attempts to get back. He did a two-game conditioning stint with the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles earlier this month to take another step forward in the process.

Adding Landeskog is another boost for the Avalanche, who won the series opener 5-1 against the shorthanded Stars. Dallas is without top defenseman Miro Heiskanen after his knee surgery and leading goal-scorer Jason Robertson, who was injured in the final game of the regular season.

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Muntean to speak to Curbstone

Rick Muntean, a Woodrow Wilson High School graduate and former Minor League Baseball executive, will be the guest speaker at Monday’s luncheon meeting of The Curbstone Coaches at the Avion Banquet Center on Western Reserve Road in Beaver Township.

The event begins at noon and the public is welcome to attend. For those arriving early, the buffet lines will open at 11:45 a.m.

Also, plans are underway for the annual Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame Induction ceremony which is set for May 4 at Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman. The keynote speaker will be former Cleveland Browns stand out running back Greg Pruitt.

Tickets are now available by contacting Patty Schuley at 3302078157. The deadline for purchasing tickets is April 25.

This year’s event is sponsored by Briarfield Health Care Centers and Ed and Diane Reese.

YSU softball falls to Green Bay

Green Bay, Wis. — Freshman pitcher Kelsey Ogin scattered just five hits and struck out five batters, but the Youngstown State softball team (11-34, 3-13 Horizon League) dropped the series opener to Green Bay (10-25, 3-13), 3-0, on Friday at King Park.

The Phoenix used a three-run fifth inning to secure the victory. Claire Cushman led off the frame with a walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, and moved to third on a wild pitch. After a pop out third, Madyson Baker lifted a fly ball down the left-field line that landed for a single and plated Cushman with the game’s first run.

Sara Ebner followed with a two-out, two-run home run to give the Phoenix a three-run advantage.

The Penguins were limited to four total base runners and three singles by Ayla Ray (Austintown Fitch), Elyssa Imler, and Lydia Wilkerson.

Youngstown State and Green Bay close out the three-game series with a doubleheader today. First pitch of the twinbill is set for 1 p.m.

Penguins win shootout in Milwaukee

Franklin, Wis. — Youngstown State’s baseball team scored 16 unanswered runs and had all nine players record at least one hit in a 20-14 victory over Milwaukee on Friday afternoon at Franklin Field.

A lightning delay that lasted nearly two hours sparked the offense for the Penguins, who flipped a 10-5 deficit into a 20-10 lead after the prolonged break. YSU’s biggest deficit in the game was 10-4 after four innings.

Brayden Kuriger, Caleb Hadley (Warren JFK) both had three hits, and Kyle Fossum, Tommy Rover and Garrett Cutting each homered for the Penguins, who evened the series with the Panthers. Fossum’s homer was his 16th of the season, which is one shy of Youngstown State’s single-season record. Hadley and Jay Wrona both scored four runs, and Hadley had four RBIs.

Milwaukee’s three through fifth batters in its lineup each had three hits, and the Panthers had one more hit than the Penguins but did not hit any homers while their pitchers issued 13 walks.

The Panthers scored five runs in the first inning, and they added a run in the second on a double play to go up 6-0. YSU shaved four runs off the deficit in the third when Fossum plated Wrona on a sacrifice fly, and Rover homered with Hadley and Eli Brown aboard.

Milwaukee extended its lead to 9-4 with three runs on the third, two of which came on RBI groundouts, and a sacrifice fly in the fourth gave the Panthers their 10-4 advantage.

Fossum’s 16th dinger of the season came in the top of the fifth, and the lightning delay followed. YSU scored three runs in the sixth to get within 10-8, and Cutting’s two-run blast in the seventh knotted the score at 10.

Kuriger delivered the go-ahead single that plated Rover, and the Penguins proceeded to score seven times in the inning. YSU added three runs in the ninth to go up 20-10, and Milwaukee scored four runs in the ninth for the final tally.

Harun Pelja was award the victory for the Penguins after throwing four quality innings out of the bullpen. He entered in the fifth and pitched until the ninth, and seven of his 12 outs were by strikeout.

Youngstown State will try to win the series on Saturday with the finale starting at 1 p.m.

Thomas restores lead at Hilton Head

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Justin Thomas made a pair of birdies on the crusty, breezy back nine at Harbour Town to salvage a 2-under 69 for a two-shot lead Friday at the RBC Heritage, his first 36-hole lead in more than four years.

Thomas is winless since the 2022 PGA Championship and is weary of the topic. He also knows there’s a long way to go on a course that demands precision while allowing a low score.

Si Woo Kim had one of those low scores, a blistering start that had him at 8 under through 12 holes until he settled for a 64. He was two shots behind, along with Russell Henley (68).

Six players were within four shots of the lead, a group that includes defending champion Scottie Scheffler, who didn’t have much go right in his round of 70. On the scoring pins, he was out of position. He was in the fairway for the tucked pins. There wasn’t as many birdie opportunities, but he’s still right in the mix.

Andrew Novak (65) and Tommy Fleetwood (66) were three behind.

It was shaping up to be a wide-open weekend at a tournament where no one seems to stress too much coming a week after the Masters. Not everyone, of course. The mystery Friday were the four golf grips — the shaft snapped in half — outside the scoring trailer.

Thomas was in a far better mood, especially the end of the round. One of those tough pins was on the 13th, just to the right of steep bunker framed by railroad ties. He played wedge beautifully to the wide front of the green and holed a 15-foot putt.

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YSU baseball falls to Mercyhurst

The Youngstown State baseball team came up short in 5-1 non-conference loss at Mercyhurst on Tuesday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Baseball Field in Erie, Pa.

On a chilly and blustery day in Erie, the Lakers broke a scoreless tie with a single run in the bottom of the fifth inning before adding four runs of insurance in the home half of the eighth. The Penguins posted a single tally in the top of the ninth for the final margin.

Nathan Beckley went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored while Jay Wrona recorded an RBI double for YSU offensively.

YSU starter Tyler Heflin scattered three hits over three scoreless innings before handing the ball to Harun Pelja, who surrendered one run on three hits over two innings. Gavin Wilms (Salem) tossed two innings of scoreless relief while Lane Rhodes (Salem) and Phil Brennaman were each responsible for runs during Mercyhurst’s four-run rally in the eighth.

The Lakers broke through for the game’s first run in the bottom of the fifth as Casey Smith hit a leadoff single and scored on a two-out RBI single by Eric Chorba.

Mercyhurst pushed across four runs with two outs in the eighth inning to build a 5-0 advantage. A pair of walks and a hit batter loaded the bases before Chirs Juchno greeted Brennaman out of the bullpen with a two-run single to right field. Joe Trivisonno and Chorba followed with back-to-back RBI singles.

Youngstown State plated its only run in the top of the ninth as Beckley hit a leadoff double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Wrona’s two-out RBI double.

YSU will continue its nine-game road stretch on Thursday when it opens a three-game Horizon League series at Milwaukee. First pitch at Franklin Field is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Wisconsin loses LT to ACL injury

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin offensive tackle Kevin Heywood is expected to miss all of the upcoming season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in spring practice.

Heywood, the Badgers’ projected starter at left tackle, hurt his knee in practice Thursday. Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell revealed the severity of the injury on Tuesday.

The Badgers had the same starting offensive line for each of its 12 games last year, with Jack Nelson at left tackle, Joe Brunner at left guard, Jake Renfro at center, Joe Huber at right guard and Riley Mahlman at right tackle. Brunner, Renfro and Mahlman are back this year.

Wisconsin also had the same starting offensive line for all 12 of its regular-season games in 2023, with Nelson at left tackle, Huber at left guard, Tanor Bortolini at center, Michael Furtney at right guard and Mahlman at right tackle. The only change that season came in the ReliaQuest Bowl loss to LSU, with Renfro getting to start after missing the entire regular season with an injury to his lower left leg.

Heywood was expected to take over this season for Nelson, who had started at left tackle each of the last three years. Heywood had participated in all 12 games for Wisconsin last year while playing special teams and making occasional appearances on offense.

Don Hasselbeck dies of heart attack

Former NFL tight end Don Hasselbeck, who won a Super Bowl in his nine-year career and was the father of two NFL quarterbacks, died Monday. He was 70.

Hasselbeck’s son, Matt, said his father died after going into cardiac arrest at his home.

The elder Hasselbeck was drafted in the second round by New England in 1977 after a standout collegiate career at Colorado. He spent six full seasons with the Patriots and led the team in catches in 1981 with 46, to go along with 808 yards receiving and six TDs.

He was traded to the Los Angeles Raiders early in the 1983 season and helped the team win the Super Bowl. He had two TD catches in the regular season for the Raiders and the 6-foot-7 Hasselbeck blocked an extra point in a 38-9 win in the Super Bowl against Washington.

Hasselbeck then spent the following season with the New York Giants and had a TD catch in a playoff win over San Francisco and finished his career with Minnesota in 1985.

Hasselbeck had 107 catches for 1,542 yards and 18 touchdowns in 123 career regular season games.

Two of Hasselbeck’s sons went on to play quarterback in the NFL, with Matt making three Pro Bowls and starting in a Super Bowl for Seattle following the 2005 season and Tim playing mostly as a backup..

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DeRosa to speak at Curbstone

Former NCAA and NBA basketball referee Joe DeRosa will be the guest speaker at Monday’s luncheon meeting of The Curbstone Coaches at the Avion Banquet Center on Western Reserve Road in Beaver Township.

The event begins at noon and the public is welcome to attend.

For those arriving early, the buffet lines will open at 11:45 a.m.

Also, plans are underway for the annual Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame Induction ceremony which is set for May 4 at Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman. The keynote speaker will be former Cleveland Browns stand out running back Greg Pruitt.

Tickets are available by contacting Patty Schuley at 3302078157. The deadline for purchasing tickets is April 25.

Titans looking for hoops coach

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. — Westminster College announced Friday that it is making a leadership change in its men’s basketball program. Head coach Kevin Siroki will not return after 13 seasons in the position.

“I would like to thank Coach Siroki for his hard work, commitment and dedication as the head coach of the men’s basketball program, one he cares deeply about, for the last 13 years,” athletic director Jason Lener said in a press release. “We are grateful for his long service to Westminster and his mentorship to the many outstanding young men he’s coached.”

Siroki, a 1993 Westminster graduate, was hired in May 2012. He compiled a record of 153-179, including a mark of 104-117 in Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) regular season games. Westminster won its second PAC title in program history during the COVID-19-shortened 2020-21 season. The program also advanced to the league’s championship game in 2018-19.

Earnhardt changes marketing plan

NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. is shifting gears with his No. 8 merchandising.

Earnhardt announced on social media Friday that he has secured the right to use a stylized version of No. 8 and will forgo the original No. 8 logo used by his NASCAR team, JR Motorsports. His decision came two days after Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson filed an opposition claim with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to stop Earnhardt from putting that JRM version of No. 8 on merchandise.

“We are looking forward to the remainder of an already successful season,” Earnhardt wrote on social media.

Jackson, who has worn No. 8 since his college days at Louisville, previously registered the trademark “ERA 8 by Lamar Jackson.” His latest claim argued that Earnhardt’s attempt to trademark that particular version of No. 8 would create confusion among consumers.

Earnhardt avoided a trademark review with the rebranding. Had the U.S. Patent and Trademark appeal board denied Earnhardt, Jackson could have sued had Earnhardt used that No. 8 on any merchandise.

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Scrappers tickets go on sale Friday

Mahoning Valley Scrappers single game tickets will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available online or by calling 3305050000 or at the Chevy All-Stars Box Office at Eastwood Field. Single game ticket prices start at $7.

The Scrappers will play 40 home games during the 2025 season from June to the end of August, starting with Opening Night at Eastwood Field on June 4 at 7:05 p.m. against the State College Spikes. A full promotional schedule for the 2025 season will soon be announced. Ticket packages are on sale now at mvscrappers.com.

YSU WBB adds Santoro from portal

Youngstown — Youngstown State head women’s basketball coach Melissa Jackson announced on Monday that Casey Santoro is the program’s first addition from the transfer portal for the 2025-26 season.

Santoro spent her first three seasons at Kent State and her last two at Florida Gulf Coast. The native of Bellevue has one year of eligibility remaining.

Over her first five seasons, Santoro scored 905 points, dished out 236 assists with 137 turnovers, made 133 3-pointers while shooting 34.1% from 3-point range, and adding 80 steals in 120 games.

In 2024-25, Santoro played in 34 games and averaged 17.8 minutes for an Eagles squad that won 30 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. She made 36 3-pointers while recording 33 assists with just six turnovers. She started two of the first three games for FGCU in 2023-24 before suffering a season-ending lower-body injury.

Before her time in Florida, Santoro helped Kent State post a 51-32 record over three seasons. She started 31 games while averaging 9.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 2022-23 as KSU won 21 contests. She averaged career highs of 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds 3.0 assists in 2021-22 while becoming the first Golden Flash in program history to post a triple-double, and she averaged 6.7 points, 2.1 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 2020-21.

Texas tops TCU, reaches Final Four

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Madison Booker scored 18 points and No. 1 seed Texas used its stifling defense to reach the Final Four of the women’s NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003, beating well-traveled point guard Hailey Van Lith and second-seeded TCU 58-47 on Monday night.

The Longhorns (35-3) will face defending champion South Carolina on Friday night for a spot in the national title.

Texas won a regional final for the first time in four tries under coach Vic Schaefer, who previously made two Final Four trips with Mississippi State. The Longhorns’ 35 wins are one more than its only national title-winning squad had in 1986 under Jody Conradt, who was in the stands Monday night.

Van Lith scored 17 points in her collegiate finale for TCU (34-4), but Texas neutralized the Horned Frogs’ star center, Sedona Prince, who had four points and nine rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

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