Photo via MSU Athletics
MSU BASKETBALL SEASON TICKET RENEWALS BEGIN
MSU Athletics announced yesterday that basketball season ticket renewals are now open through August 27. Because of the pandemic, limited fans were allowed in person due to the mandated restricted capacity of the CFSB Center. New for the 2021-22 season, is a premium baseline seat on the west end of the arena floor, and requests are being taken for this limited seat location. New season ticket holders automatically become Racer Club members, with access to exclusive parking, annual gifts and Junior Racer Club membership. Additionally, becoming a football & basketball season ticket holder, and subsequent Racer Club membership, elevates individual account point totals and rankings within the Racer Club Priority Point System which is utilized to reward support of Racer Athletics and establish priority access to postseason tickets. Fans inquire about basketball season tickets by contacting the CFSB Center ticket office at 270-809-3000. In-person purchases are available Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm.
RACERS AT AUBURN ON DECEMBER 22
Earlier this week, it was learned that the Murray State men’s team will play a return game at Auburn on December 22. The game was postponed last season due to COVID-19 concerns. This is the last of a 2 for 1 series between the schools. The second game was played on December 22 of 2018 at Auburn Arena. That contest featured a Top 10 Auburn team versus the eventual 2nd pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Ja Morant. Auburn has narrowly won the previous 2 games of this series. The Racers this season will be led by junior guard Tevin Brown, a Fairhope, Alabama native.
STATE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT BEGINS TODAY
The KHSAA State Softball Tournament will begin today with four first round games and another four first round games tomorrow at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington. First Region champion McCracken County will play Louisville Butler at 1 pm Central time tomorrow while Region 1 champion Henderson County faces Warren East at 4 pm central time tomorrow. Winners will meet back in Lexington a week from today with the semifinals a week from tomorrow and the championship game a week from Sunday.
STATE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT BEGINS TOMORROW
The KHSAA State Baseball Tournament will begin tomorrow with eight first round games at various sites around the state. First Region champion McCracken County will square off against Bowling Green at 4:30 pm at WKU, with Region 2 champion Lyon County playing the earlier 1 pm game against Owensboro Catholic. The winners travel to Legends Field in Lexington to begin quartifinal play next Wednesday and Thursday with the Semifinals set for Friday and the title game a week from tomorrow.
JONES TRANSFERS FROM OLE MISS TO UK
Former Mississippi veteran linebacker Jacquez Jones has transferred to Kentucky and will be immediately eligible to play for the Wildcats. The 6-foot, 235-pound Jones made 182 tackles while starting 19 of 33 games in three seasons with the Rebels. Jones joins a Kentucky defense that ranked fifth in the league last season and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
UTM TO PLAY IN WNIT
The OVC regular season champion UT Martin women’s basketball team will participate in the 2021 Preseason WNIT Classic. Officials also announced a modified field of eight teams that will compete in the event in November, with the typical format altered as the collegiate sports world moves past the complications of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Preseason WNIT Classic features two four-team pods and a three-game guarantee, with North Carolina State and Kansas State as hosts. Each site plays a round-robin format, and the final game of the event will have Kansas State playing at North Carolina State on November 19. No champions will be crowned and each pod will have its own all-tournament team. UT Martin will play in the Kansas State pod for three games beginning on November 12 with a matchup against the host Wildcats. The Skyhawks will also square off against North Carolina A&T and Western Kentucky to round out the field.
VOLS AND DORES BEGIN SUPER REGIONAL PLAY
Tennessee and Vanderbilt both host best-of-three Super Regional series this weekend. The three-seed Vols play LSU tomorrow night in Knoxville to start the series. The four-seed Commodores host East Carolina tonight in the start of that series.
CARDS VS CUBS TODAY
The Cubs and Cardinals open a three-game weekend set today at Wrigley Field. The Cardinals were off yesterday. Johan Oviedo takes the mound for St. Louis. Chicago has yet to name a starter. Airtime for today’s game is set for 12:25 on WNBS AM and FM. Wrigley Field will be at 100-percent capacity today which is part of the state’s move to fully reopen as Illinois enters Phase 5 of its COVID-19 response.
AREA MINOR LEAGUE ROUNDUP
The Louisville Bats lost 3-2 to the Mud Hens in ten innings in Toledo. The Memphis Redbirds fell to the Gwinnett Stripers 11-0 at home, and the Toledo Mud Hens edged Louisville 3-2.
ALL STAR GAME TODAY IN OWENSBORO
The Kentucky-Indiana All-Star Game series is returning to Owensboro. This year’s game in Kentucky will be played today at the Owensboro Sportscenter. The game in Indiana will be played tomorrow at Southport Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Kentucky Indiana All-Star Game is the oldest continuing high school all-star games in the country.
NATIONAL SPORTS BRIEFS
The College Football Playoff is confirming it may expand to a 12-team format. The committee is recommending the playoff include the six highest-ranked conference champions and the six remaining highest-ranked teams determined by the CFP selection committee. The four highest-ranked conference champions would get a first-round bye and be seeded one through four. The other teams would play each other in a format that mirrors March Madness. That includes the five-seed playing the 12-seed and number six playing number eleven. The recommendation on expanding the playoff will be reviewed next week.
The Bucks and Jazz both picked up pivotal home wins in NBA Playoff action. The Bucks held off the Nets with an 86-83 win in Game Three in Milwaukee. The Bucks still trail the series two games to one. In Utah, Donovan Mitchell scored 37 points as the Jazz beat the Clippers 117-111 for 2-0 series lead. Tonight, the 76ers visit the Hawks for the third game of their series and the Nuggets host the Suns for Game Three.
Marc-Andre Fleury made 30 saves as the Golden Knights beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-3 in Las Vegas, eliminating them from the playoffs. The NHL’s Stanley Cup Semifinals are set. Competing for the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl will be the Vegas Golden Knights and Montreal Canadiens. The New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning will compete for the Prince of Wales Trophy. The winners will then meet in the Stanley Cup Final.
For the third time in six years, the Oklahoma softball team is the national champions. The Sooners took out Florida State 5-1 to win their fifth title in program history. Outfielder Jayda Coleman drove in three on two hits in the Sooners’ title-clinching effort. The Sooners, the top-ranked team in the nation coming into the Women’s College World Series, finishes the season with a 56-4 record.
The NCAA Baseball Super Regionals kick off today across the country. Four of the eight super regionals start today, while the other four start tomorrow. Competing are NC State at top-seeded Arkansas, East Carolina visits Vanderbilt, Stanford visits Texas Tech, and Ole Miss visits Arizona. On Saturday, South Florida visits Texas, Dallas Baptist visits Virginia, L-S-U visits Tennessee, and Notre Dame visits Mississippi State. The series are best two-out-of-three. The College World Series kicks off June 19th in Omaha, Nebraska.
Wes Roach jumped out early Thursday to the front of the pack at the Palmetto Championship at Congaree. Roach tallied four birdies and an eagle on the front nine on his way to a seven-under 64 to hold sole possession of the lead after the first round. Dustin Johnson leads a pack of four in second place after shooting a bogey free six-under 65 in the opening round. Brooks Koepka shot a one-over 72.
THURSDAY’S SCOREBOARD
MLB National League
——-
Los Angeles Dodgers 6, Pittsburgh Pirates 3 (8)
Milwaukee Brewers 7, Cincinnati Reds 2
Philadelphia Phillies 4, Atlanta Braves 3 (10)
San Francisco Giants at Washington Nationals (PPD)
Miami Marlins 11, Colorado Rockies 4
MLB American League
——-
Detroit Tigers 8, Seattle Mariners 3
Boston Red Sox 12, Houston Astros 8
Chicago White Sox 5, Toronto Blue Jays 2
Minnesota Twins 7, New York Yankees 5
Kansas City Royals 6, Oakland Athletics 1
MLB Interleague
——-
No Games Scheduled
NBA Playoffs
——-
Milwaukee Bucks 86, Brooklyn Nets 83
(Nets lead best-of-seven East semifinals, 2-1)
Utah Jazz 117, Los Angeles Clippers 111
(Jazz lead best-of-seven West semifinals, 2-0)
NHL Playoffs
——-
Vegas Golden Knights 6, Colorado Avalanche 3
(Golden Knights win best-of-seven West second round series, 4-2)
WNBA
——-
Washington Mystics 89, Los Angeles Sparks 71
PGA
——-
Palmetto Championship at Congaree (at Ridgeland, SC)
1. Wes Roach (-7)
T2. Four others (-6)
FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE (All Times Are Eastern)
MLB National League
——-
2:20 p.m. – St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs
7:05 p.m. – San Francisco Giants at Washington Nationals
7:10 p.m. – Atlanta Braves at Miami Marlins
7:10 p.m. – Colorado Rockies at Cincinnati Reds
7:10 p.m. – San Diego Padres at New York Mets
8:10 p.m. – Pittsburgh Pirates at Milwaukee Brewers
MLB American League
——-
7:10 p.m. – Baltimore Orioles at Tampa Bay Rays
7:10 p.m. – Chicago White Sox at Detroit Tigers
7:10 p.m. – Seattle Mariners at Cleveland Indians
7:10 p.m. – Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox
8:10 p.m. – Houston Astros at Minnesota Twins
9:40 p.m. – Kansas City Royals at Oakland Athletics
MLB Interleague
——-
9:40 p.m. – Los Angeles Angels at Arizona Diamondbacks
10:10 p.m. – Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Dodgers
NBA Playoffs
——-
7:30 p.m. – Philadelphia 76ers at Atlanta Hawks
(Best-of-seven East semifinals tied, 1-1)
10:00 p.m. – Phoenix Suns at Denver Nuggets
(Suns lead best-of-seven West semifinals, 2-0)
NHL Playoffs
——-
No Games Scheduled
WNBA
——-
8:00 p.m. – Seattle Storm at Atlanta Dream
10:00 p.m. – Dallas Wings at Phoenix Mercury
PGA
——-
Palmetto Championship at Congaree (at Ridgeland, SC)
