The Alliance Peltz Company Spartan Junior and Senior baseball teams will host the Annual Clair Conley Memorial Tournament, June 21-25,&nbsp; at Bower/Shankland Field in Alliance.&nbsp; The Tourmanent is named in honor of the late Clair Conley, who was the long time manager and organizer of Spartans Baseball.&nbsp;

The field this year will feature 8 teams from 4 states in a round robin format.&nbsp; The teams will be split into two,&nbsp; 4-team pools.&nbsp; Pool A will consist of the Alliance Spartan Seniors, Scottsbluff Westco, Sidney and Douglas WY.&nbsp; &nbsp; Pool B will be made up of&nbsp; the Alliance Spartan Juniors, Laurel MT,&nbsp; Post 22 Expos SD and Buckley Ne.&nbsp; All games will be played at Bower/Shankland Field.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Tournament schedule is listed below.

 Douglas vs Buckley...2:45 pm&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Sidney vs Alliances Jrs....5 pm&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 

KCOW...1400 AM and 92.5 FM will broadcast the Spartan Senior games vs Sidney, 7:15 pm Wednesday...vs Douglas WY, 7:15 pm Friday and vs Laurel MT, 7:15 pm&nbsp; Saturday.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585334447209.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By: Mike Glesinger&nbsp; Panhandle PostThe Alliance Peltz Company Spartan Junior and Senior baseball teams will host the Annual Clair Conley Memorial Tournament, June 21-25,&nbsp; at Bower/Shankland Field in Alliance.&nbsp; The Tourmanent is named in honor of the late Clair Conley, who was the long time manager and organizer of Spartans Baseball.&nbsp;The field this year will feature 8 teams from 4 states in a round robin format.&nbsp; The teams will be split into two,&nbsp; 4-team pools.&nbsp; Pool A will consist of the Alliance Spartan Seniors, Scottsbluff Westco, Sidney and Douglas WY.&nbsp; &nbsp; Pool B will be made up of&nbsp; the Alliance Spartan Juniors, Laurel MT,&nbsp; Post 22 Expos SD and Buckley Ne.&nbsp; All games will be played at Bower/Shankland Field.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Tournament schedule is listed below.Wednesday June 21 Douglas vs Buckley...2:45 pm&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Sidney vs Alliances Jrs....5 pm&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sidney vs Alliance Srs ...7:15 pmThursday June 22Sidney vs Douglas...12:30 pmBuckley vs Alliance Jrs...2:45 pmAlliance Jrs vs Laurel MT...5 pmAlliance Srs vs Westco...7:15 pmFriday June 23Westco vs Douglas...12:30 pmPost 22 Expos vs Westco...2:45 pmLaurel MT vs Post 22 EXpos...5 pmAlliance Srs vs Douglas...7:15 pmSaturday June 24Laurel MT vs Buckely...10:15 amBuckley vs Post 22 Expos...12:30 pmWestco vs Sidney...2:45 pmPost 22 Expos vs Alliance Jrs...5 pmAlliance Srs vs Laurel MT...7:15 pmSunday June 25Pool A 4 vs Pool B 4...10:15 amPool A 3 vs Pool B 3...12:30 pmPool A 2 vs Pool B 2...2:45 pmPool A 1 vs Pool B 1...5 pmKCOW...1400 AM and 92.5 FM will broadcast the Spartan Senior games vs Sidney, 7:15 pm Wednesday...vs Douglas WY, 7:15 pm Friday and vs Laurel MT, 7:15 pm&nbsp; Saturday.&nbsp;

Alliance Peltz Co Spartans to host Clair Conley Memorial Tournament

What a season it has been for the NBA's Denver Nuggets!&nbsp; The Nuggets wrapped up their first ever NBA title Monday night with a 94-89 victory over the Miami Heat.&nbsp; Denver wins the NBA Championship Series 4 games to one.&nbsp;

Alliance native Jason Kosmicki has been the Radio Play by Play voice of the Nuggets for the last 14 years....and was behind the mic for their Championship run this season.&nbsp; Jason has been involved in Denver Sports for the past 29 years.&nbsp; He is a 1986 graduate of Alliance St. Agnes Academy and a former,&nbsp; part time, "weekend warrior" at KCOW.&nbsp;

Jason visited with Mike Glesinger about his radio career and his time with the Nuggets.&nbsp; Click on the arrow above to hear the interview.

<div><iframe title="Post Podcast: Denver Nuggets Radio Voice Jason Kosmicki" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=mwh78-14335f6-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=2&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=5"></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686773043586.jpeg" alt="Jason Kosmicki" />
 <figcaption>Jason Kosmicki</figcaption>
 </figure>What a season it has been for the NBA's Denver Nuggets!&nbsp; The Nuggets wrapped up their first ever NBA title Monday night with a 94-89 victory over the Miami Heat.&nbsp; Denver wins the NBA Championship Series 4 games to one.&nbsp;Alliance native Jason Kosmicki has been the Radio Play by Play voice of the Nuggets for the last 14 years....and was behind the mic for their Championship run this season.&nbsp; Jason has been involved in Denver Sports for the past 29 years.&nbsp; He is a 1986 graduate of Alliance St. Agnes Academy and a former,&nbsp; part time, "weekend warrior" at KCOW.&nbsp;Jason visited with Mike Glesinger about his radio career and his time with the Nuggets.&nbsp; Click on the arrow above to hear the interview.

Post Podcast: Catching Up with Denver Nuggets Radio Voice, Alliance Native Jason Kosmicki

A look at the eight teams competing in the College World Series, which starts Friday at Charles Schwab Field. (Capsules in order of CWS opening games. Coaches’ records through super regionals):

Coach: Ryan Folmar (370-222 in 11 years at ORU).

Road to Omaha: Won Stillwater Regional: beat Oklahoma State 6-4, beat Washington 15-12, beat Dallas Baptist 6-5. Won Eugene Super Regional: lost 9-8 to Oregon, beat Oregon 8-7,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-baseball-super-regionals-6d2ddeeb25ca1f5c9c4d6bbb00b24050">beat Oregon 11-6.</a>

All-time record in CWS: 1-2 in one appearance.

Meet the Golden Eagles: C Jacob Godman (.296, 5 HRs, 29 RBIs), 1B Jake McMurray (.327, 6, 47), 2B Blaze Brothers (.302, 11, 38), SS Mac McCroskey (.310, 13, 62), 3B Holden Breeze (.317, 6, 42), LF Justin Quinn (.351, 7, 39), CF Jonah Cox (.420, 11, 67), RF Matt Hogan (.332, 18, 70), DH Drew Stahl (.281, 11, 55). Starting rotation: Jakob Hall (8-3, 3.56 ERA), LHP Harley Gollert (10-1, 4.30), RHP Brooks Fowler (9-1, 3.27). Relievers: RHP Cade Denton (2-1, 1.85, 15 saves), LHP Jacob Widener (2-2, 3.06, 1 save), LHP Caleb Isaacs (8-0, 5.04), RHP Evan Kowalski (2-1, 6.25), RHP Dalton Patten (4-2, 4.43).

MLB alumni: Todd Burns, Craig Colbert, Jeremy Hefner, Chi Chi Gonzalez, Jeff Heathcock, Mike Moore, Tom Nieto, Jordan Romano, Tyler Saladino, Jose Trevino.

Short hops: Joins 2012 Stony Brook and 2008 Fresno State as only No. 4 regional seeds to reach the CWS. ... Cox’s 47-game hitting streak is tied for third longest in Division I history. He has a hit in 62 of 63 games. ... Eagles have won 23 of 24, including 16 of past 17 on road. ... McMurray has started 145 consecutive games. ... First Summit League team to make CWS.

Quotable: "We knew we had a good club coming into the year. We continued to get better and better and better, and we’re playing well at the right time of year. We get an opportunity to keep playing, and that’s pretty fun.” — Folmar.

Coach: Kirk Saarloos (80-44 in two years at TCU).

Road to Omaha: Won Fayetteville Regional: beat Arizona 12-4, beat Arkansas 20-5, beat Arkansas 12-4. Won Fort Worth Super Regional: beat Indiana State 4-1,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tcu-indiana-state-college-baseball-ncaa-super-regionals-a56451671898906cd264b3d07eec80c7">beat Indiana State 6-4.</a>

All-time record in CWS: 11-10 in five appearances.

Meet the Horned Frogs: C Karson Bowen .355, 6 HRs, 46 RBIs), 1B Cole Fontenelle (.347, 13, 52), 2B Tre Richardson (.315, 6, 59), SS Anthony Silva (.340, 7, 47), 3B Brayden Taylor (.314, 23, 69), LF Luke Boyers (.231, 7, 27), CF&nbsp;<a href="https://gofrogs.com/sports/baseball/roster/elijah--nunez/14857">Elijah Nunez</a>&nbsp;(.290, 3, 35), RF Austin Davis (.280, 9, 55), DH Kurtis Byrne (.291, 10, 46). Starting rotation: RHP Kole Klecker (10-4, 3.84 ERA), RHP Sam Stoutenborough (5-0, 4.52), RHP Cam Brown (3-2, 5.50). Relievers: RHP Hunter Hodges (1-0, 3.09), RHP Mason Speaker (0-0, 6.46), LHP Ben Abeldt (3-3, 3.72), RHP Luke Savage (5-3, 2.50, 2 saves), RHP Cohen Feser (1-0, 2.73, 1 save), RHP Garrett Wright (2-2, 3.24, 5 saves).

MLB alumni: Jake Arrieta, Scott Atchison, Jim Busby, Matt Carpenter, Andrew Cashner, Brandon Finnegan, Bryan Holaday, Nick Lodolo, Tim Mauser, Carl Warwick.

Short hops: Frogs’ 11-game win streak is longest in nation, and they’ve won 19 of 21. ... Abeldt has allowed only one run in 21 2/3 innings over 12 appearances. ... Taylor has reached base in 30 straight games. ... Frogs have 139 steals, most in the CWS field, and have at least 100 three seasons in a row.

Quotable: “It doesn’t feel any different than when I was the assistant coach. It just feels awesome. But it does feel good as the head coach. At least I got there as the head coach, I can say that no matter what happens.” — Saarloos, who went to four CWS as a TCU assistant under Jim Schlossnagle.

Coach: Kevin O’Sullivan (677-317 in 16 years at Florida).

Road to Omaha: Won Gainesville Regional: beat Florida A&amp;M 3-0, lost to Texas Tech 5-4, beat UConn 8-2, beat Texas Tech 7-1, beat Texas Tech 6-0. Won Gainesville Super Regional: beat South Carolina 5-4,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-south-carolina-ncaa-baseball-super-regionals-b361ab000bfc92cbe4c96f69918a3a0c">beat South Carolina 4-0.</a>

2023 record vs. CWS teams: 2-1 (vs. Tennessee).

All-time record in CWS: 21-24 in 12 appearances (won national title in 2017).

Meet the Gators: C BT Riopelle (.250, 16 HRs, 65 RBIs),&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-jac-caglianone-jactani-ncaa-baseball-2db7f2574299df3ef20649fb169f99d8">1B Jac Caglianone</a>&nbsp;(.336, 31, 84) or Luke Heyman (.327, 11, 36), 2B Cade Curland (.300, 16, 46), SS Josh Rivera (.362, 17, 68), 3B Colby Halter (.248, 3, 28) or Dale Thomas (.244, 1, 4), LF Wyatt Langford (.373, 18, 48), CF Michael Robertson (.232, 1, 19), RF Tyler Shelnut (.285, 7, 27), DH Caglianone or Heyman. Starting rotation: RHP Brandon Sproat (8-3, 4.69 ERA), RHP Hurston Waldrep (9-3, 4.15), LHP Caglianone (7-3, 3.78). Relievers: RHP Brandon Neely (0-2, 3.66, 13 saves), LHP Cade Fisher (6-0, 3.02), RHP Ryan Slater (10-1, 3.51), LHP Philip Abner (3-0, 3.16), RHP Nick Ficarrotta (0-0, 5.45), RHP Tyler Nesbitt (1-0, 2.95).

MLB alumni: Pete Alonso, Harrison Bader, David Eckstein, Mark Ellis, Dalton Guthrie, Jonathan India, A.J. Puk, David Ross, Brady Singer, Mike Stanley, Brad Wilkerson, Mike Zunino.

Short hops: The Gators have their seventh 50-win season, with five coming under O’Sullivan. ... Waldrep has 25 strikeouts in 15 innings in two NCAA Tournament starts. He struck out nine of the final 14 batters he faced in the super regional-clinching win over South Carolina. ... Langford has one error in 120 games he’s played in the field. ... Gators have 129 homers, three off the school record set in 1998.

Quotable: "Getting to Omaha is goal No. 1, but we feel like we have a team that can potentially do some special things in Omaha.” — O’Sullivan.

Coach: Brian O’Connor (839-351-2 in 20 years at Virginia).

Road to Omaha: Won Charlottesville Regional: beat Army 15-1, beat East Carolina 2-1, beat East Carolina 8-3. Won Charlottesville Super Regional: lost to Duke 5-4, beat Duke 14-4,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/duke-virginia-charlottesville-super-regional-ccf0f49ffaa121e4daf0c1a109830b7e">beat Duke 12-2.</a>

All-time record in CWS: 13-10 in five appearances (won national title in 2015).

Meet the Cavaliers: C Kyle Teel (.418, 13 HRs, 69 RBIs), 1B Ethan Anderson (.377, 14, 65), 2B Henry Godbout (.291, 3, 38), SS Griff O'Ferrall (.398, 1, 40), 3B Jake Gelof (.331, 23, 89), LF Harrison Didawick (.247, 4, 33) or Colin Tuft (.234, 1, 17), CF Ethan O’Donnell (.356, 13, 55), RF Casey Saucke (.298, 4, 48), DH Anthony Stephan (.338, 5, 34). Starting rotation: RHP Nick Parker (8-0, 3.81 ERA), LHP Connelly Early (12-2, 3.06), RHP Brian Edgington (9-3, 3.47). Relievers: RHP Jack O’Connor (6-3, 3.88), RHP Jay Woolfolk (2-1, 3.00, 9 saves), LHP Evan Blanco (1-0, 2.70), RHP Cullen McKay (0-0, 3.78), RHP Chase Hungate (3-0, 5.76), LHP Jake Berry (0-4, 3.33), LHP Angelo Tonas (4-0, 2.25), RHP Kevin Jaxel (2-0, 3.75).

MLB alumni: Ryan Zimmerman, Ricky Horton, Javier Lopez, Mark Reynolds, Phil Gosselin, Sean Doolittle, David Adams, Pavin Smith.

Short hops: Cavaliers have won 15 of past 16 games. ... Gelof’s 23 homers are a program single-season record. ... Edgington’s complete game in the super-regional clincher was Virginia’s first in the NCAA Tournament since 2014. ... Gelof and Teel were freshman starters on the 2021 CWS team. ... Brian O’Connor grew up across the Missouri River from Omaha in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and he has participated in the CWS as a pitcher (1991 Creighton), assistant (2002 Notre Dame) and head coach.

Quotable: “Getting to Omaha is very, very difficult to do. It takes a lot of things. It takes a lot more than just talent, and that’s why I’m so proud of these players that wear our uniform.” — Brian O’Connor.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wake-forest-tom-walter-ncaa-baseball-0de1353804560023b76e037f7107a8c7">Coach Tom Walter</a>&nbsp;(418-339-1 in 14 years at Wake Forest; 846-671-1 overall in 27 years).

Road to Omaha: Won Winston-Salem Regional: beat George Mason 12-0, beat Maryland 21-6, beat George Mason 15-1. Won Winston-Salem Super Regional: beat Alabama 5-4,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-wake-forest-winstonsalem-super-regional-fdae792ab31187ef9e40088c11b096e6">beat Alabama 22-5</a>.

All-time record in CWS: 7-3 in two appearances (won national title in 1955).

Meet the Demon Deacons: C Bennett Lee (.308, 7 HRs, 33), 1B Nick Kurtz (.370, 24, 69), 2B Justin Johnson (.341, 16, 76), SS Marek Houston (.224, 4, 29), 3B Brock Wilken (.357, 30, 80), LF Lucas Costello (.303, 4, 24), CF Tommy Hawke (.354, 7, 33), RF Pierce Bennett (.357, 13, 43), DH Danny Corona (.301, 13, 43). Starting rotation: RHP Rhett Lowder (15-0, 2.05 ERA), LHP Josh Hartle (10-2, 2.80 ERA), RHP Seth Keener (7-1, 2.23). Relievers: LHP Sean Sullivan (5-3, 2.64, 3 saves), RHP Cole Roland (2-1, 2.12), RHP Michael Massey (3-0, 2.58), RHP Camden Minacci (0-1, 2.73, 12 saves), RHP Reed Mascolo (7-1, 3.96), LHP Joe Ariola (0-0, 6.75), RHP William Ray (1-1, 5.40), LHP Derek Crum (1-0, 3.38).

MLB alumni: Mike Buddie, Stuart Fairchild, Chris Getz, Tommy Gregg, Eric Hanson, Kevin Jarvis, Mike MacDougal, Craig Robinson, Gavin Sheets, Jared Shuster, Cory Sullivan.

Short hops: Deacons are first No. 1 national seed to reach CWS since 2018. ... Their 10 losses are fewest in nation. They haven't lost consecutive games. ... First Wake Forest team to win at least 50 games. ... Wilken's 70 homers are ACC career record. ... Corona leads tournament with six homers and 17 RBIs. ... Lowder's 15 wins lead nation.

Quotable: “We’ve had high expectations all year — No. 2 ranked, No. 1 ranked. The higher the expectations got, the more these guys showed up.” — Walter.

Coach: David Esquer (225-90 in 6 years at Stanford, 750-557-2 in 24 years overall).

Road to Omaha: Won Stanford Regional: beat San Jose State 13-2, lost to Texas A&amp;M 8-5, beat Cal State Fullerton 6-5, beat Texas A&amp;M 13-5, beat Texas A&amp;M 7-1. Won Stanford Super Regional: lost to Texas 7-5, beat Texas 8-3,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanford-texas-baseball-ncaa-65b46287cf6f22b55e2756d19a0e61b0">beat Texas 7-6.</a>

All-time record in CWS: 41-33 in 18 appearances (won national titles in 1987, 1988).

Meet the Cardinal: C Malcolm Moore (.316, 15 HRs, 62 RBIs), 1B Carter Graham (.312, 15, 76), 2B Drew Bowser (.275, 14, 48), SS Temo Becerra (.327, 2, 7), 3B Tommy Troy (.397, 17, 58), LF Alberto Rios (.387, 18, 71), CF Eddie Park (.340, 6, 47), RF Saborn Campbell (.226, 0, 3), DH Braden Montgomery (.336, 17, 60). Starting rotation: RHP Joey Dixon (9-3, 4.76 ERA), LHP Quinn Mathews (10-4, 3.60), RHP Matt Scott (5-4, 4.86). Relievers: LHP Drew Dowd (9-3, 4.76), RHP Brandt Pancer (3-1, 4.43), LHP Ryan Bruno (2-1, 5.18, 9 saves), LHP Nicolas Lopez (2-1, 7.04), RHP Nick Dugan (1-0, 7.27), RHP Ty Uber (1-0, 9.86), RHP Braden Montgomery (1-2, 12.21), RHP Toran O'Harran (1-1, 11.65), RHP Max Meier (2-0, 11.57).

MLB alumni: Bob Boone, Steve Buechele, Jack McDowell, Mike Mussina, Jeffrey Hammonds, A.J. Hinch, Kyle Peterson, Paul Carey, Ed Sprague, Ryan Garko, Drew Storen, Michael Taylor, Stephen Piscotty, Tommy Edman.

Short hops: Team's .319 batting average is highest since the 2004 squad batted .328. ... Pac-12 pitcher of year Mathews threw 156 pitches in second game of super regional. He has thrown more than 100 pitches in 15 starts, and his 120 innings are most in the nation. ... Esquer is Pac-12 coach of year for third time since 2018. ... Rios is Pac-12 player of year.

Quotable: “Have you ever seen an ending like that, because I haven’t. That was unbelievable.” — Esquer, on the winning run in Game 3 of the super regional scoring when Texas' outfielders lost a fly ball in the twilight sky.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-sports-louisiana-state-tigers-southeastern-conference-20c261371d4979c44118261243be2091">Coach: Jay Johnson</a>&nbsp;(88-37 in two years at LSU; 405-209 in 11 years overall).

Road to Omaha: Won Baton Rouge Regional: beat Tulane 72, beat Oregon State 6-5, beat Oregon State 13-7. Won Baton Rouge Super Regional: beat Kentucky 14-0,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-lsu-college-baseball-ncaa-super-regionals-86fb04175c627beb94f7d59cee087f87">beat Kentucky 8-3.</a>

2023 record vs. CWS teams: 2-1 (vs. Tennessee)

All-time record in CWS: 40-27 in 18 appearances (won national titles in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2009).

Meet the Tigers: C Hayden Travinski (.404, 10 HRs, 29 RBIs), 1B Tre' Morgan (.312, 22, 97), 2B Gavin Dugas (.288, 15, 42), SS Jordan Thompson (.273, 11, 49), 3B Tommy White (.377, 22, 97), LF Josh Pearson (.252, 3, 25), CF Dylan Crews (.434, 17, 67), RF Brayden Jobert (.302, 11, 42), DH Cade Beloso (.316, 14, 41). Starting rotation: RHP Paul Skenes (12-2, 1.77 ERA), RHP Ty Floyd (7-0, 4.50). Relievers: LHP Riley Cooper (4-3, 5.02), RHP Gavin Guidry (3-0, 3.42, 3 saves), RHP Blake Money (1-0, 5.73), LHP Nate Ackenhausen (2-0, 3.63), LHP Griffin Herring (4-2, 4.55), RHP Thatcher Hurd (6-2, 6.49, 3 saves), RHP Sam Dutton (0-0, 6.05), LHP Javen Coleman (1-2, 6.39).

MLB alumni: Albert Belle, Alex Bregman, Paul Byrd, Jake Fraley, Kevin Gausman, Will Harris, Brad Hawpe, Aaron Hill, Alex Lange, DJ LeMahieu, Ben McDonald, Aaron Nola, Austin Nola, Todd Walker, Brian Wilson.

Short hops: Tigers’ six national titles are second to Southern California’s 12. ...&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lsu-mlb-draft-crews-skenes-7ee1d23e0c418f2a5b87782c0a25a831">Crews and Skenes are projected 1-2 overall picks</a>&nbsp;in the amateur draft. ... Crews' .434 batting average is highest among players in the CWS and is third nationally. His on-base percentage is .667 in the tournament. ... Skenes' 15.81 strikeouts per nine innings this season lead the nation. ... Tigers' 133 homers are most among CWS teams.

Quotable: "They've earned the right to play for a national championship, and that's what we intend on doing and going for it. And I will not promise we'll win it, but everything will be invested by everybody to go do that.” — Johnson.

Coach: Tony Vitello (234-97 in six years at Tennessee).

Road to Omaha: Won Clemson Regional: beat Charlotte 8-1, beat Clemson 6-5, beat Charlotte 9-2. Won Hattiesburg Super Regional: lost to Southern Mississippi 5-3, beat Southern Mississippi 8-4,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southern-miss-tennessee-86014fcf3d44d31a8025b97d3939bac1">beat Southern Mississippi 5-0.</a>

2023 record vs. CWS teams: 2-4 (1-2 vs. LSU, 1-2 vs. Florida).

All-time record in CWS: 8-10 in five appearances.

Meet the Volunteers: C Cal Stark (.181, 5 HRs, 17 RBIs), 1B Blake Burke (.279, 16, 43), 2B Christian Moore (.313, 17, 48), SS Maui Ahuna (.302, 8, 41), 3B Zane Denton (.274, 16, 58), LF Jared Dickey (.325, 12, 51), CF Hunter Ensley (.279, 28, 76), RF Christian Scott (.282, 7, 34), DH Griffin Merritt (.315, 18, 48). Starting rotation: RHP Andrew Lindsey (3-3, 2.79 ERA), RHP Chase Dollander (7-6, 4.50), RHP Drew Beam (9-4, 3.78). Relievers: RHP Chase Burns (4-3, 4.64), RHP Aaron Combs (4-0, 2.61), RHP Camden Sewell (4-0, 3.91), RHP Seth Halvorsen (3-3, 3.60), RHP AJ Russell (2-0, 0.94), LHP Zander Sechrist (0-1, 2.05), LHP Kirby Connell (1-0, 3.77), RHP Hollis Fanning (0-0, 0.66).

MLB alumni: Todd Helton, Phil Garner, Rick Honeycutt, Luke Hochevar, R.A. Dickey, Joe Randa, Mike Difelice, Bubba Trammell, Chris Burke, Mike Lincoln, Steve Searcy, Nick Senzel.

Short hops: Volunteers are one of three programs in at least two of the past three CWS, joining Stanford and Virginia. ... Burns has allowed one earned run in 10 innings over three appearances. ... Over past three seasons, Vols have hit NCAA-leading 381 home runs. In the previous decade (2010-20), they hit 376 combined. ... Denton and Moore each have homered four times in six games, and Moore also has four doubles.

Quotable: “We kind of carve our own way out by being a team that consistently makes progress and figures things out. About halfway through the year they took ownership of the team — the players, that is — and they've continued to push forward and they have room to continue to do that.” — Vitello.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686750336699.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>A look at the eight teams competing in the College World Series, which starts Friday at Charles Schwab Field. (Capsules in order of CWS opening games. Coaches’ records through super regionals):ORAL ROBERTS (51-12)Coach: Ryan Folmar (370-222 in 11 years at ORU).Road to Omaha: Won Stillwater Regional: beat Oklahoma State 6-4, beat Washington 15-12, beat Dallas Baptist 6-5. Won Eugene Super Regional: lost 9-8 to Oregon, beat Oregon 8-7,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-baseball-super-regionals-6d2ddeeb25ca1f5c9c4d6bbb00b24050">beat Oregon 11-6.</a>2023 record vs. CWS teams: 0-0.Last CWS appearance: 1978.All-time record in CWS: 1-2 in one appearance.Meet the Golden Eagles: C Jacob Godman (.296, 5 HRs, 29 RBIs), 1B Jake McMurray (.327, 6, 47), 2B Blaze Brothers (.302, 11, 38), SS Mac McCroskey (.310, 13, 62), 3B Holden Breeze (.317, 6, 42), LF Justin Quinn (.351, 7, 39), CF Jonah Cox (.420, 11, 67), RF Matt Hogan (.332, 18, 70), DH Drew Stahl (.281, 11, 55). Starting rotation: Jakob Hall (8-3, 3.56 ERA), LHP Harley Gollert (10-1, 4.30), RHP Brooks Fowler (9-1, 3.27). Relievers: RHP Cade Denton (2-1, 1.85, 15 saves), LHP Jacob Widener (2-2, 3.06, 1 save), LHP Caleb Isaacs (8-0, 5.04), RHP Evan Kowalski (2-1, 6.25), RHP Dalton Patten (4-2, 4.43).MLB alumni: Todd Burns, Craig Colbert, Jeremy Hefner, Chi Chi Gonzalez, Jeff Heathcock, Mike Moore, Tom Nieto, Jordan Romano, Tyler Saladino, Jose Trevino.Short hops: Joins 2012 Stony Brook and 2008 Fresno State as only No. 4 regional seeds to reach the CWS. ... Cox’s 47-game hitting streak is tied for third longest in Division I history. He has a hit in 62 of 63 games. ... Eagles have won 23 of 24, including 16 of past 17 on road. ... McMurray has started 145 consecutive games. ... First Summit League team to make CWS.Quotable: "We knew we had a good club coming into the year. We continued to get better and better and better, and we’re playing well at the right time of year. We get an opportunity to keep playing, and that’s pretty fun.” — Folmar.___TCU (42-22)Coach: Kirk Saarloos (80-44 in two years at TCU).Road to Omaha: Won Fayetteville Regional: beat Arizona 12-4, beat Arkansas 20-5, beat Arkansas 12-4. Won Fort Worth Super Regional: beat Indiana State 4-1,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tcu-indiana-state-college-baseball-ncaa-super-regionals-a56451671898906cd264b3d07eec80c7">beat Indiana State 6-4.</a>2023 record vs. CWS teams: 0-0.Last CWS appearance: 2017.All-time record in CWS: 11-10 in five appearances.Meet the Horned Frogs: C Karson Bowen .355, 6 HRs, 46 RBIs), 1B Cole Fontenelle (.347, 13, 52), 2B Tre Richardson (.315, 6, 59), SS Anthony Silva (.340, 7, 47), 3B Brayden Taylor (.314, 23, 69), LF Luke Boyers (.231, 7, 27), CF&nbsp;<a href="https://gofrogs.com/sports/baseball/roster/elijah--nunez/14857">Elijah Nunez</a>&nbsp;(.290, 3, 35), RF Austin Davis (.280, 9, 55), DH Kurtis Byrne (.291, 10, 46). Starting rotation: RHP Kole Klecker (10-4, 3.84 ERA), RHP Sam Stoutenborough (5-0, 4.52), RHP Cam Brown (3-2, 5.50). Relievers: RHP Hunter Hodges (1-0, 3.09), RHP Mason Speaker (0-0, 6.46), LHP Ben Abeldt (3-3, 3.72), RHP Luke Savage (5-3, 2.50, 2 saves), RHP Cohen Feser (1-0, 2.73, 1 save), RHP Garrett Wright (2-2, 3.24, 5 saves).MLB alumni: Jake Arrieta, Scott Atchison, Jim Busby, Matt Carpenter, Andrew Cashner, Brandon Finnegan, Bryan Holaday, Nick Lodolo, Tim Mauser, Carl Warwick.Short hops: Frogs’ 11-game win streak is longest in nation, and they’ve won 19 of 21. ... Abeldt has allowed only one run in 21 2/3 innings over 12 appearances. ... Taylor has reached base in 30 straight games. ... Frogs have 139 steals, most in the CWS field, and have at least 100 three seasons in a row.Quotable: “It doesn’t feel any different than when I was the assistant coach. It just feels awesome. But it does feel good as the head coach. At least I got there as the head coach, I can say that no matter what happens.” — Saarloos, who went to four CWS as a TCU assistant under Jim Schlossnagle.___FLORIDA (50-15)Coach: Kevin O’Sullivan (677-317 in 16 years at Florida).Road to Omaha: Won Gainesville Regional: beat Florida A&amp;M 3-0, lost to Texas Tech 5-4, beat UConn 8-2, beat Texas Tech 7-1, beat Texas Tech 6-0. Won Gainesville Super Regional: beat South Carolina 5-4,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-south-carolina-ncaa-baseball-super-regionals-b361ab000bfc92cbe4c96f69918a3a0c">beat South Carolina 4-0.</a>2023 record vs. CWS teams: 2-1 (vs. Tennessee).Last CWS appearance: 2018.All-time record in CWS: 21-24 in 12 appearances (won national title in 2017).Meet the Gators: C BT Riopelle (.250, 16 HRs, 65 RBIs),&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-jac-caglianone-jactani-ncaa-baseball-2db7f2574299df3ef20649fb169f99d8">1B Jac Caglianone</a>&nbsp;(.336, 31, 84) or Luke Heyman (.327, 11, 36), 2B Cade Curland (.300, 16, 46), SS Josh Rivera (.362, 17, 68), 3B Colby Halter (.248, 3, 28) or Dale Thomas (.244, 1, 4), LF Wyatt Langford (.373, 18, 48), CF Michael Robertson (.232, 1, 19), RF Tyler Shelnut (.285, 7, 27), DH Caglianone or Heyman. Starting rotation: RHP Brandon Sproat (8-3, 4.69 ERA), RHP Hurston Waldrep (9-3, 4.15), LHP Caglianone (7-3, 3.78). Relievers: RHP Brandon Neely (0-2, 3.66, 13 saves), LHP Cade Fisher (6-0, 3.02), RHP Ryan Slater (10-1, 3.51), LHP Philip Abner (3-0, 3.16), RHP Nick Ficarrotta (0-0, 5.45), RHP Tyler Nesbitt (1-0, 2.95).MLB alumni: Pete Alonso, Harrison Bader, David Eckstein, Mark Ellis, Dalton Guthrie, Jonathan India, A.J. Puk, David Ross, Brady Singer, Mike Stanley, Brad Wilkerson, Mike Zunino.Short hops: The Gators have their seventh 50-win season, with five coming under O’Sullivan. ... Waldrep has 25 strikeouts in 15 innings in two NCAA Tournament starts. He struck out nine of the final 14 batters he faced in the super regional-clinching win over South Carolina. ... Langford has one error in 120 games he’s played in the field. ... Gators have 129 homers, three off the school record set in 1998.Quotable: "Getting to Omaha is goal No. 1, but we feel like we have a team that can potentially do some special things in Omaha.” — O’Sullivan.___VIRGINIA (50-13)Coach: Brian O’Connor (839-351-2 in 20 years at Virginia).Road to Omaha: Won Charlottesville Regional: beat Army 15-1, beat East Carolina 2-1, beat East Carolina 8-3. Won Charlottesville Super Regional: lost to Duke 5-4, beat Duke 14-4,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/duke-virginia-charlottesville-super-regional-ccf0f49ffaa121e4daf0c1a109830b7e">beat Duke 12-2.</a>2023 record vs. CWS teams: 0-0.Last CWS appearance: 2021.All-time record in CWS: 13-10 in five appearances (won national title in 2015).Meet the Cavaliers: C Kyle Teel (.418, 13 HRs, 69 RBIs), 1B Ethan Anderson (.377, 14, 65), 2B Henry Godbout (.291, 3, 38), SS Griff O'Ferrall (.398, 1, 40), 3B Jake Gelof (.331, 23, 89), LF Harrison Didawick (.247, 4, 33) or Colin Tuft (.234, 1, 17), CF Ethan O’Donnell (.356, 13, 55), RF Casey Saucke (.298, 4, 48), DH Anthony Stephan (.338, 5, 34). Starting rotation: RHP Nick Parker (8-0, 3.81 ERA), LHP Connelly Early (12-2, 3.06), RHP Brian Edgington (9-3, 3.47). Relievers: RHP Jack O’Connor (6-3, 3.88), RHP Jay Woolfolk (2-1, 3.00, 9 saves), LHP Evan Blanco (1-0, 2.70), RHP Cullen McKay (0-0, 3.78), RHP Chase Hungate (3-0, 5.76), LHP Jake Berry (0-4, 3.33), LHP Angelo Tonas (4-0, 2.25), RHP Kevin Jaxel (2-0, 3.75).MLB alumni: Ryan Zimmerman, Ricky Horton, Javier Lopez, Mark Reynolds, Phil Gosselin, Sean Doolittle, David Adams, Pavin Smith.Short hops: Cavaliers have won 15 of past 16 games. ... Gelof’s 23 homers are a program single-season record. ... Edgington’s complete game in the super-regional clincher was Virginia’s first in the NCAA Tournament since 2014. ... Gelof and Teel were freshman starters on the 2021 CWS team. ... Brian O’Connor grew up across the Missouri River from Omaha in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and he has participated in the CWS as a pitcher (1991 Creighton), assistant (2002 Notre Dame) and head coach.Quotable: “Getting to Omaha is very, very difficult to do. It takes a lot of things. It takes a lot more than just talent, and that’s why I’m so proud of these players that wear our uniform.” — Brian O’Connor.___WAKE FOREST (52-10)<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wake-forest-tom-walter-ncaa-baseball-0de1353804560023b76e037f7107a8c7">Coach Tom Walter</a>&nbsp;(418-339-1 in 14 years at Wake Forest; 846-671-1 overall in 27 years).Road to Omaha: Won Winston-Salem Regional: beat George Mason 12-0, beat Maryland 21-6, beat George Mason 15-1. Won Winston-Salem Super Regional: beat Alabama 5-4,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-wake-forest-winstonsalem-super-regional-fdae792ab31187ef9e40088c11b096e6">beat Alabama 22-5</a>.2023 record vs. CWS teams: 0-0.Last CWS appearance: 1955.All-time record in CWS: 7-3 in two appearances (won national title in 1955).Meet the Demon Deacons: C Bennett Lee (.308, 7 HRs, 33), 1B Nick Kurtz (.370, 24, 69), 2B Justin Johnson (.341, 16, 76), SS Marek Houston (.224, 4, 29), 3B Brock Wilken (.357, 30, 80), LF Lucas Costello (.303, 4, 24), CF Tommy Hawke (.354, 7, 33), RF Pierce Bennett (.357, 13, 43), DH Danny Corona (.301, 13, 43). Starting rotation: RHP Rhett Lowder (15-0, 2.05 ERA), LHP Josh Hartle (10-2, 2.80 ERA), RHP Seth Keener (7-1, 2.23). Relievers: LHP Sean Sullivan (5-3, 2.64, 3 saves), RHP Cole Roland (2-1, 2.12), RHP Michael Massey (3-0, 2.58), RHP Camden Minacci (0-1, 2.73, 12 saves), RHP Reed Mascolo (7-1, 3.96), LHP Joe Ariola (0-0, 6.75), RHP William Ray (1-1, 5.40), LHP Derek Crum (1-0, 3.38).MLB alumni: Mike Buddie, Stuart Fairchild, Chris Getz, Tommy Gregg, Eric Hanson, Kevin Jarvis, Mike MacDougal, Craig Robinson, Gavin Sheets, Jared Shuster, Cory Sullivan.Short hops: Deacons are first No. 1 national seed to reach CWS since 2018. ... Their 10 losses are fewest in nation. They haven't lost consecutive games. ... First Wake Forest team to win at least 50 games. ... Wilken's 70 homers are ACC career record. ... Corona leads tournament with six homers and 17 RBIs. ... Lowder's 15 wins lead nation.Quotable: “We’ve had high expectations all year — No. 2 ranked, No. 1 ranked. The higher the expectations got, the more these guys showed up.” — Walter.___STANFORD (44-18)Coach: David Esquer (225-90 in 6 years at Stanford, 750-557-2 in 24 years overall).Road to Omaha: Won Stanford Regional: beat San Jose State 13-2, lost to Texas A&amp;M 8-5, beat Cal State Fullerton 6-5, beat Texas A&amp;M 13-5, beat Texas A&amp;M 7-1. Won Stanford Super Regional: lost to Texas 7-5, beat Texas 8-3,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanford-texas-baseball-ncaa-65b46287cf6f22b55e2756d19a0e61b0">beat Texas 7-6.</a>2023 record vs. CWS teams: 0-0.Last CWS appearance: 2022.All-time record in CWS: 41-33 in 18 appearances (won national titles in 1987, 1988).Meet the Cardinal: C Malcolm Moore (.316, 15 HRs, 62 RBIs), 1B Carter Graham (.312, 15, 76), 2B Drew Bowser (.275, 14, 48), SS Temo Becerra (.327, 2, 7), 3B Tommy Troy (.397, 17, 58), LF Alberto Rios (.387, 18, 71), CF Eddie Park (.340, 6, 47), RF Saborn Campbell (.226, 0, 3), DH Braden Montgomery (.336, 17, 60). Starting rotation: RHP Joey Dixon (9-3, 4.76 ERA), LHP Quinn Mathews (10-4, 3.60), RHP Matt Scott (5-4, 4.86). Relievers: LHP Drew Dowd (9-3, 4.76), RHP Brandt Pancer (3-1, 4.43), LHP Ryan Bruno (2-1, 5.18, 9 saves), LHP Nicolas Lopez (2-1, 7.04), RHP Nick Dugan (1-0, 7.27), RHP Ty Uber (1-0, 9.86), RHP Braden Montgomery (1-2, 12.21), RHP Toran O'Harran (1-1, 11.65), RHP Max Meier (2-0, 11.57).MLB alumni: Bob Boone, Steve Buechele, Jack McDowell, Mike Mussina, Jeffrey Hammonds, A.J. Hinch, Kyle Peterson, Paul Carey, Ed Sprague, Ryan Garko, Drew Storen, Michael Taylor, Stephen Piscotty, Tommy Edman.Short hops: Team's .319 batting average is highest since the 2004 squad batted .328. ... Pac-12 pitcher of year Mathews threw 156 pitches in second game of super regional. He has thrown more than 100 pitches in 15 starts, and his 120 innings are most in the nation. ... Esquer is Pac-12 coach of year for third time since 2018. ... Rios is Pac-12 player of year.Quotable: “Have you ever seen an ending like that, because I haven’t. That was unbelievable.” — Esquer, on the winning run in Game 3 of the super regional scoring when Texas' outfielders lost a fly ball in the twilight sky.___LSU (48-15)<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-sports-louisiana-state-tigers-southeastern-conference-20c261371d4979c44118261243be2091">Coach: Jay Johnson</a>&nbsp;(88-37 in two years at LSU; 405-209 in 11 years overall).Road to Omaha: Won Baton Rouge Regional: beat Tulane 72, beat Oregon State 6-5, beat Oregon State 13-7. Won Baton Rouge Super Regional: beat Kentucky 14-0,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-lsu-college-baseball-ncaa-super-regionals-86fb04175c627beb94f7d59cee087f87">beat Kentucky 8-3.</a>2023 record vs. CWS teams: 2-1 (vs. Tennessee)Last CWS appearance: 2017.All-time record in CWS: 40-27 in 18 appearances (won national titles in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2009).Meet the Tigers: C Hayden Travinski (.404, 10 HRs, 29 RBIs), 1B Tre' Morgan (.312, 22, 97), 2B Gavin Dugas (.288, 15, 42), SS Jordan Thompson (.273, 11, 49), 3B Tommy White (.377, 22, 97), LF Josh Pearson (.252, 3, 25), CF Dylan Crews (.434, 17, 67), RF Brayden Jobert (.302, 11, 42), DH Cade Beloso (.316, 14, 41). Starting rotation: RHP Paul Skenes (12-2, 1.77 ERA), RHP Ty Floyd (7-0, 4.50). Relievers: LHP Riley Cooper (4-3, 5.02), RHP Gavin Guidry (3-0, 3.42, 3 saves), RHP Blake Money (1-0, 5.73), LHP Nate Ackenhausen (2-0, 3.63), LHP Griffin Herring (4-2, 4.55), RHP Thatcher Hurd (6-2, 6.49, 3 saves), RHP Sam Dutton (0-0, 6.05), LHP Javen Coleman (1-2, 6.39).MLB alumni: Albert Belle, Alex Bregman, Paul Byrd, Jake Fraley, Kevin Gausman, Will Harris, Brad Hawpe, Aaron Hill, Alex Lange, DJ LeMahieu, Ben McDonald, Aaron Nola, Austin Nola, Todd Walker, Brian Wilson.Short hops: Tigers’ six national titles are second to Southern California’s 12. ...&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lsu-mlb-draft-crews-skenes-7ee1d23e0c418f2a5b87782c0a25a831">Crews and Skenes are projected 1-2 overall picks</a>&nbsp;in the amateur draft. ... Crews' .434 batting average is highest among players in the CWS and is third nationally. His on-base percentage is .667 in the tournament. ... Skenes' 15.81 strikeouts per nine innings this season lead the nation. ... Tigers' 133 homers are most among CWS teams.Quotable: "They've earned the right to play for a national championship, and that's what we intend on doing and going for it. And I will not promise we'll win it, but everything will be invested by everybody to go do that.” — Johnson.___TENNESSEE (43-20)Coach: Tony Vitello (234-97 in six years at Tennessee).Road to Omaha: Won Clemson Regional: beat Charlotte 8-1, beat Clemson 6-5, beat Charlotte 9-2. Won Hattiesburg Super Regional: lost to Southern Mississippi 5-3, beat Southern Mississippi 8-4,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southern-miss-tennessee-86014fcf3d44d31a8025b97d3939bac1">beat Southern Mississippi 5-0.</a>2023 record vs. CWS teams: 2-4 (1-2 vs. LSU, 1-2 vs. Florida).Last CWS appearance: 2021.All-time record in CWS: 8-10 in five appearances.Meet the Volunteers: C Cal Stark (.181, 5 HRs, 17 RBIs), 1B Blake Burke (.279, 16, 43), 2B Christian Moore (.313, 17, 48), SS Maui Ahuna (.302, 8, 41), 3B Zane Denton (.274, 16, 58), LF Jared Dickey (.325, 12, 51), CF Hunter Ensley (.279, 28, 76), RF Christian Scott (.282, 7, 34), DH Griffin Merritt (.315, 18, 48). Starting rotation: RHP Andrew Lindsey (3-3, 2.79 ERA), RHP Chase Dollander (7-6, 4.50), RHP Drew Beam (9-4, 3.78). Relievers: RHP Chase Burns (4-3, 4.64), RHP Aaron Combs (4-0, 2.61), RHP Camden Sewell (4-0, 3.91), RHP Seth Halvorsen (3-3, 3.60), RHP AJ Russell (2-0, 0.94), LHP Zander Sechrist (0-1, 2.05), LHP Kirby Connell (1-0, 3.77), RHP Hollis Fanning (0-0, 0.66).MLB alumni: Todd Helton, Phil Garner, Rick Honeycutt, Luke Hochevar, R.A. Dickey, Joe Randa, Mike Difelice, Bubba Trammell, Chris Burke, Mike Lincoln, Steve Searcy, Nick Senzel.Short hops: Volunteers are one of three programs in at least two of the past three CWS, joining Stanford and Virginia. ... Burns has allowed one earned run in 10 innings over three appearances. ... Over past three seasons, Vols have hit NCAA-leading 381 home runs. In the previous decade (2010-20), they hit 376 combined. ... Denton and Moore each have homered four times in six games, and Moore also has four doubles.Quotable: “We kind of carve our own way out by being a team that consistently makes progress and figures things out. About halfway through the year they took ownership of the team — the players, that is — and they've continued to push forward and they have room to continue to do that.” — Vitello.

Get to know your College World Series field

BY: JOHN MURPHY CSC Sports Information Director

&nbsp; CHADRON, Neb. --&nbsp;Chadron State junior defensive lineman&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/football/roster/hunter-o-connor/4610">Hunter O'Connor</a>&nbsp;has been named to the&nbsp;Lindy's Sports 2023 National College Football Magazine&nbsp;Division II Preseason All-America First Team. O'Connor, a Broomfield, Colorado, native was tabbed First Team Defensive Line after recording 16 sacks during the 2022 season, ranking him as the national statistical runner-up in NCAA Division II. That figure broke the CSC single-season sack record held by Casey Beran and Scott Dolfi. O'Connor also recorded 24 tackles for loss, ranking him fourth in the nation. He led the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) in both categories. O'Connor was also selected to the D2Football.com Elite 100 List, AFCA 2nd&nbsp;Team All American, Don Hansen 2nd&nbsp;Team All-American, and named a finalist of the Cliff Harris award at the conclusion of the 2022 season. The RMAC had two other selections on the first-team. Returning Harlon Hill Trophy winner John Matocha of Colorado School of Mines was the first-team quarterback, while Daniel Bone of CSU-Pueblo earned first-team nods at defensive back.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686751182374.png" alt="Hunter OConner CSC" />
 <figcaption>Hunter OConner CSC</figcaption>
 </figure>BY: JOHN MURPHY CSC Sports Information Director&nbsp; CHADRON, Neb. --&nbsp;Chadron State junior defensive lineman&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/football/roster/hunter-o-connor/4610">Hunter O'Connor</a>&nbsp;has been named to the&nbsp;Lindy's Sports 2023 National College Football Magazine&nbsp;Division II Preseason All-America First Team. O'Connor, a Broomfield, Colorado, native was tabbed First Team Defensive Line after recording 16 sacks during the 2022 season, ranking him as the national statistical runner-up in NCAA Division II. That figure broke the CSC single-season sack record held by Casey Beran and Scott Dolfi. O'Connor also recorded 24 tackles for loss, ranking him fourth in the nation. He led the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) in both categories. O'Connor was also selected to the D2Football.com Elite 100 List, AFCA 2nd&nbsp;Team All American, Don Hansen 2nd&nbsp;Team All-American, and named a finalist of the Cliff Harris award at the conclusion of the 2022 season. The RMAC had two other selections on the first-team. Returning Harlon Hill Trophy winner John Matocha of Colorado School of Mines was the first-team quarterback, while Daniel Bone of CSU-Pueblo earned first-team nods at defensive back.

CSC defensive star O'Conner named Preseason 1st Team All-American

BOSTON (AP) — Randal Grichuk lined a two-run double in a three-run 10th inning and Colorado held on to beat the Boston Red Sox 7-6 on Tuesday night, giving the Rockies their second straight win at Fenway Park.

Jurickson Profar added a sacrifice fly in the 10th and as the Rockies improved to 13-21 on the road. They had lost eight of 10 away games before arriving in Boston.

“It was a good team win. A lot of guys in a lot of different spots helped out,” Colorado manager Bud Black said.

With an automatic runner on second, Justin Garza (0-1) walked Nolan Jones starting the 10th and Grichuk lined the first pitch he saw down the left-field line and Profar boosted the lead to 7-4.

“It was good to see Randal get the big hit there,” Black said. “I know he’s been frustrated a couple different times over the last couple of weeks with some opportunities. He’s too good of a player not to contribute and get some big hits for us. And I still think there’s more to come.”

Rafael Devers led off the bottom half against Matt Carasiti with his second two-run homer of the game, his 17th home run this season. After a one-out walk, Pierce Johnson retired Christian Arroyo on a flyout and struck out Reese McGuire for his 12th save in 14 chances.

Elias Díaz hit a three-run double in the third and Brenton Doyle added an RBI double in the fourth as Colorado built a 4-0 lead against Kutter Crawford.

Boston, extended to extra innings in three straight games for the first time since June 25-28, 2000, went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base. The Red Sox dropped to 33-35, last in the AL East.

"We've just got to play well. That's it," Boston manager Alex Cora said. “Two extra-inning games — it's kind of like a flip of a coin, right? A man at second with no outs and you go throw from there. Obviously, yesterday we didn't play well. Today, we played OK. We played better. We didn't pitch the way we've been pitching lately.”

Colorado's Chase Anderson allowed three runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Colorado reliever Daniel Bard (3-0), a 2006 first-round draft pick by the Red Sox who pitched for Boston from 2009-13, got the win for the second straight night in his return to Fenway, sitting the Red Sox down in order in the ninth.

“I couldn’t script it any better. It’s still kind of surreal. I don’t know if I’ll throw tomorrow. That’d be wild,” Bard said.

Bard started the ninth by striking out Verdugo, then retired Masataka Yoshida on a groundout and Justin Turner on a flyout.

“I liked how he was sort of prowling around the mound,” Black said. “There was a confidence there. There was a body language that showed with Daniel and that’s a really good sign.”

Black was also pleased with Doyle, who caught Verdugo at the plate in the fifth on a throw clocked at 99.2 mph,.

“That was a great throw,” Black said.

Red Sox: Cora said he is taking INF Kiké Hernández out of the rotation at shortstop one day after Hernández committed his major league-leading 14th error. “I told him this is where we’re at right now and he understands,” Cora said. The Red Sox are still without SS Trevor Story, who is recovering from offseason elbow surgery and said this week he hopes to be able to return as DH in July, possibly taking the field in August.

Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (4-5, 7.57 ERA) goes up against Red Sox RHP Garrett Whitlock (3-2, 4.78 ERA) on Wednesday night in the finale of the three-game series.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686750549398.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BOSTON (AP) — Randal Grichuk lined a two-run double in a three-run 10th inning and Colorado held on to beat the Boston Red Sox 7-6 on Tuesday night, giving the Rockies their second straight win at Fenway Park.Jurickson Profar added a sacrifice fly in the 10th and as the Rockies improved to 13-21 on the road. They had lost eight of 10 away games before arriving in Boston.“It was a good team win. A lot of guys in a lot of different spots helped out,” Colorado manager Bud Black said.With an automatic runner on second, Justin Garza (0-1) walked Nolan Jones starting the 10th and Grichuk lined the first pitch he saw down the left-field line and Profar boosted the lead to 7-4.“It was good to see Randal get the big hit there,” Black said. “I know he’s been frustrated a couple different times over the last couple of weeks with some opportunities. He’s too good of a player not to contribute and get some big hits for us. And I still think there’s more to come.”Rafael Devers led off the bottom half against Matt Carasiti with his second two-run homer of the game, his 17th home run this season. After a one-out walk, Pierce Johnson retired Christian Arroyo on a flyout and struck out Reese McGuire for his 12th save in 14 chances.Elias Díaz hit a three-run double in the third and Brenton Doyle added an RBI double in the fourth as Colorado built a 4-0 lead against Kutter Crawford.Boston, extended to extra innings in three straight games for the first time since June 25-28, 2000, went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base. The Red Sox dropped to 33-35, last in the AL East."We've just got to play well. That's it," Boston manager Alex Cora said. “Two extra-inning games — it's kind of like a flip of a coin, right? A man at second with no outs and you go throw from there. Obviously, yesterday we didn't play well. Today, we played OK. We played better. We didn't pitch the way we've been pitching lately.”Colorado's Chase Anderson allowed three runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings.THE BARDColorado reliever Daniel Bard (3-0), a 2006 first-round draft pick by the Red Sox who pitched for Boston from 2009-13, got the win for the second straight night in his return to Fenway, sitting the Red Sox down in order in the ninth.“I couldn’t script it any better. It’s still kind of surreal. I don’t know if I’ll throw tomorrow. That’d be wild,” Bard said.Bard started the ninth by striking out Verdugo, then retired Masataka Yoshida on a groundout and Justin Turner on a flyout.“I liked how he was sort of prowling around the mound,” Black said. “There was a confidence there. There was a body language that showed with Daniel and that’s a really good sign.”Black was also pleased with Doyle, who caught Verdugo at the plate in the fifth on a throw clocked at 99.2 mph,.“That was a great throw,” Black said.FIELDING FOIBLESRed Sox: Cora said he is taking INF Kiké Hernández out of the rotation at shortstop one day after Hernández committed his major league-leading 14th error. “I told him this is where we’re at right now and he understands,” Cora said. The Red Sox are still without SS Trevor Story, who is recovering from offseason elbow surgery and said this week he hopes to be able to return as DH in July, possibly taking the field in August.UP NEXTRockies LHP Austin Gomber (4-5, 7.57 ERA) goes up against Red Sox RHP Garrett Whitlock (3-2, 4.78 ERA) on Wednesday night in the finale of the three-game series.

Mid-summer magic: Rockies win third straight game in final inning

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Three-time Olympian Jordan Larson will return to Nebraska to be a full-time assistant, coach John Cook announced Tuesday.

Larson starred with the Cornhuskers from 2005-08 before excelling on the international level. She was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-volleyball-usa-brazil-final-1194cd92c9ca1391530f1644517ca608">team captain and named most valuable player for the U.S. team that won its first Olympic gold medal in Tokyo</a>&nbsp;in 2021.

The 36-year-old Larson plans to play in September qualifiers for the 2024 Olympics and then will join the Huskers' staff.

She grew up an hour north of Lincoln, in Hooper, and led Nebraska teams that were the NCAA runner-up in 2005 and national champion in 2006. She was on the Olympic teams that took the silver medal in 2012 and the bronze in 2016, and she helped lead the United States to the 2014 world championship.

“I am very excited to be returning to Nebraska,” Larson said. “I can’t wait to learn and help the next generation of volleyball players. It has felt so good to be home even for a short time, and I can’t wait to join the team in the fall. I really appreciate John giving me this opportunity."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686750434984.jpeg" alt="Jordan Larson" />
 <figcaption>Jordan Larson</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Three-time Olympian Jordan Larson will return to Nebraska to be a full-time assistant, coach John Cook announced Tuesday.Larson starred with the Cornhuskers from 2005-08 before excelling on the international level. She was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-volleyball-usa-brazil-final-1194cd92c9ca1391530f1644517ca608">team captain and named most valuable player for the U.S. team that won its first Olympic gold medal in Tokyo</a>&nbsp;in 2021.The 36-year-old Larson plans to play in September qualifiers for the 2024 Olympics and then will join the Huskers' staff.She grew up an hour north of Lincoln, in Hooper, and led Nebraska teams that were the NCAA runner-up in 2005 and national champion in 2006. She was on the Olympic teams that took the silver medal in 2012 and the bronze in 2016, and she helped lead the United States to the 2014 world championship.“I am very excited to be returning to Nebraska,” Larson said. “I can’t wait to learn and help the next generation of volleyball players. It has felt so good to be home even for a short time, and I can’t wait to join the team in the fall. I really appreciate John giving me this opportunity."

Jordan Larson returning to Husker volleyball as assistant coach

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic guided Denver to its first NBA title in team history Monday night, as the Nuggets overcame dreadful shooting and a late flurry from Miami's Jimmy Butler to squeeze past the Heat for a frantic 94-89 victory in Game 5.

Jokic had 28 points and 16 rebounds for the Nuggets, and earned NBA Finals MVP honors — a trophy certainly more meaningful to him than the two overall MVPs he won in 2021 and '22.

He bailed out the Nuggets, going 12 for 16 from the floor on a night when none of his teammates could find the basket. Denver missed 20 of its first 22 3-point attempts and seven of its first 13 free throws, yet somehow figured out how to close out the series on its home floor.

Butler scored eight straight points to help the Heat take an 87-86 lead with 2:45 left after trailing by seven. He made two more free throws with 1:58 remaining to help Miami regain a one-point lead. Then, Bruce Brown got an offensive rebound and tip-in to give the Nuggets the lead for good.

Trailing by three with 15 seconds left, Butler jacked up a 3, but missed it. Brown made two free throws to put the game out of reach and clinch the title for Denver.

This was an ugly, frenetic affair, but the aftermath was something the Nuggets and their fans could all agree was beautiful. Denver is the home of the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the first time in the franchise’s 47 years in the league.

“It was ugly and we couldn’t make shots, but at the end we figured it out,” Jokic said. "I am just happy we won the game.”

The Heat were, as coach Erik Spoelstra promised, a gritty, tenacious bunch. But their shooting wasn’t great, either. Bam Adebayo had 20 for the Heat, but Miami shot 34% from the floor and 25% from 3. Until Butler went off, he was 2 for 13 for eight points.

The Heat, who survived a loss in the play-in tournament and became only the second No. 8 seed to make it to the finals, insisted they weren’t into consolation prizes.

They played like they expected to win, and for a while during this game, which was settled more on the ground than in the air, it looked like they would.

The Nuggets, who came in shooting 37.6% from 3 for the series, shot 18% in this one. They committed 14 turnovers. They only went 13 for 23 from the line, though Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were 4 for 4 at the end while Denver was salting away the win.

With 2:51 left in the first quarter, Jokic got his second foul and joined Aaron Gordon on the bench.

The Nuggets were tentative on both sides of the court for the rest of the half. Somehow, after shooting 6.7% from 3 — the worst first half in the history of the finals (10-shot minimum) they only trailed by seven.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686628033093.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic guided Denver to its first NBA title in team history Monday night, as the Nuggets overcame dreadful shooting and a late flurry from Miami's Jimmy Butler to squeeze past the Heat for a frantic 94-89 victory in Game 5.Jokic had 28 points and 16 rebounds for the Nuggets, and earned NBA Finals MVP honors — a trophy certainly more meaningful to him than the two overall MVPs he won in 2021 and '22.He bailed out the Nuggets, going 12 for 16 from the floor on a night when none of his teammates could find the basket. Denver missed 20 of its first 22 3-point attempts and seven of its first 13 free throws, yet somehow figured out how to close out the series on its home floor.Butler scored eight straight points to help the Heat take an 87-86 lead with 2:45 left after trailing by seven. He made two more free throws with 1:58 remaining to help Miami regain a one-point lead. Then, Bruce Brown got an offensive rebound and tip-in to give the Nuggets the lead for good.Trailing by three with 15 seconds left, Butler jacked up a 3, but missed it. Brown made two free throws to put the game out of reach and clinch the title for Denver.Butler finished with 21 points.This was an ugly, frenetic affair, but the aftermath was something the Nuggets and their fans could all agree was beautiful. Denver is the home of the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the first time in the franchise’s 47 years in the league.“It was ugly and we couldn’t make shots, but at the end we figured it out,” Jokic said. "I am just happy we won the game.”The Heat were, as coach Erik Spoelstra promised, a gritty, tenacious bunch. But their shooting wasn’t great, either. Bam Adebayo had 20 for the Heat, but Miami shot 34% from the floor and 25% from 3. Until Butler went off, he was 2 for 13 for eight points.The Heat, who survived a loss in the play-in tournament and became only the second No. 8 seed to make it to the finals, insisted they weren’t into consolation prizes.They played like they expected to win, and for a while during this game, which was settled more on the ground than in the air, it looked like they would.The Nuggets, who came in shooting 37.6% from 3 for the series, shot 18% in this one. They committed 14 turnovers. They only went 13 for 23 from the line, though Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were 4 for 4 at the end while Denver was salting away the win.With 2:51 left in the first quarter, Jokic got his second foul and joined Aaron Gordon on the bench.The Nuggets were tentative on both sides of the court for the rest of the half. Somehow, after shooting 6.7% from 3 — the worst first half in the history of the finals (10-shot minimum) they only trailed by seven.

Denver Does It! Nuggets win First NBA Championship!

DENVER (AP) — Ryan McMahon hit a tying homer in heavy rain just before a 1-hour, 25-minute delay in the ninth inning and Nolan Jones hit a game-ending 472-foot drive just after the resumption that gave the Colorado Rockies a 5-4 win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday.

“It’s the best feeling in the world, to get an opportunity to help the team win and put it away in the ninth,” said Jones, one of three rookies who homered for the Rockies.

Colorado’s Coco Montes homered in his major league debut to spoil a strong start by Blake Snell, who struck out a season-high 12 in seven innings. Ezequiel Tovar also went deep for the Rockies.

“I couldn’t have drew it up any better,” Montes said. “We got the win at the end, Nolan Jones walk-off. It was a great day all around.”

Jake Cronenworth homered and Fernando Tatís Jr. had two hits for the Padres, who were trying to sweep a series in Denver for the first time since Sept. 19-21, 2011.

Montes’ two-run homer, his second hit of the game, tied the score 3-3 in the eighth. San Diego went ahead when Ha-Seong Kim scored on Justin Lawrence’s (3-3) ninth-inning wild pitch.

The rain became heavier and it was getting tougher for the players in the field.

“The last inning was the worst when the rain started coming down pretty hard,” Juan Soto said. “Before that, it seemed like a lot but it wasn’t that bad.”

The tarp went on the field just after McMahon’s home run against Tom Cosgrove.

“It was crazy,” McMahon said. “I’m not going to lie, I didn’t see the ball very well the first couple of pitches, saw it good the third time. It was coming down pretty good.”

Brent Honeywell (2-4) retired the first two batters after play resumed before Jones drove a 1-0 changeup into the second deck in right-center.

Snell, who allowed one run, took a Randal Grichuk line drive off of his left foot with one out in the seventh but finished the inning with a 3-1 lead.

“I wanted to be out there and continue to compete, but at that point I don’t think it’s worth it,” Snell said. “I got hit and I only went seven. It was pretty swollen, but it’s getting better. I’ll be good for my next start.”

Tovar put Colorado ahead with a solo homer in the first. Tatís had a sacrifice fly in the third inning and Cronenworth hit a two-run homer in the fourth off Dinelson Lamet.

Padres: OF Nelson Cruz (right hamstring strain) is expected to be activated from the injured list on Tuesday when the team opens a three-game home series against Cleveland, manager Bob Melvin said. ... RHP Seth Lugo (left calf strain) was scheduled to throw a bullpen session Sunday or Monday.

Rockies: C Elías Díaz was not in the lineup after taking a foul ball off the mask on Saturday. It was the second straight game he was hit on the mask and was removed from Saturday’s game for precautionary reasons. C Brian Serven was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque for Sunday’s game. ... OF Charlie Blackmon (right hand fracture) was placed on the 10-day injured list.

Montes’ debut was almost cut short in the second inning. Montes tracked Xander Bogaerts’ popup into the outfield but didn’t hear centerfielder Brenton Doyle calling him off. Montes made the catch as the two collided, with Doyle appearing to take the brunt of it. He was checked by a trainer and remained in the game.

Padres: Joe Musgrove (3-2, 4.35) will start the opener against Cleveland on Tuesday night.

Rockies: Connor Seabold (1-2, 5.10) will face the Red Sox to open a three-game series in Boston on Monday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686582956038.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — Ryan McMahon hit a tying homer in heavy rain just before a 1-hour, 25-minute delay in the ninth inning and Nolan Jones hit a game-ending 472-foot drive just after the resumption that gave the Colorado Rockies a 5-4 win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday.“It’s the best feeling in the world, to get an opportunity to help the team win and put it away in the ninth,” said Jones, one of three rookies who homered for the Rockies.Colorado’s Coco Montes homered in his major league debut to spoil a strong start by Blake Snell, who struck out a season-high 12 in seven innings. Ezequiel Tovar also went deep for the Rockies.“I couldn’t have drew it up any better,” Montes said. “We got the win at the end, Nolan Jones walk-off. It was a great day all around.”Jake Cronenworth homered and Fernando Tatís Jr. had two hits for the Padres, who were trying to sweep a series in Denver for the first time since Sept. 19-21, 2011.Montes’ two-run homer, his second hit of the game, tied the score 3-3 in the eighth. San Diego went ahead when Ha-Seong Kim scored on Justin Lawrence’s (3-3) ninth-inning wild pitch.The rain became heavier and it was getting tougher for the players in the field.“The last inning was the worst when the rain started coming down pretty hard,” Juan Soto said. “Before that, it seemed like a lot but it wasn’t that bad.”The tarp went on the field just after McMahon’s home run against Tom Cosgrove.“It was crazy,” McMahon said. “I’m not going to lie, I didn’t see the ball very well the first couple of pitches, saw it good the third time. It was coming down pretty good.”Brent Honeywell (2-4) retired the first two batters after play resumed before Jones drove a 1-0 changeup into the second deck in right-center.Snell, who allowed one run, took a Randal Grichuk line drive off of his left foot with one out in the seventh but finished the inning with a 3-1 lead.“I wanted to be out there and continue to compete, but at that point I don’t think it’s worth it,” Snell said. “I got hit and I only went seven. It was pretty swollen, but it’s getting better. I’ll be good for my next start.”Tovar put Colorado ahead with a solo homer in the first. Tatís had a sacrifice fly in the third inning and Cronenworth hit a two-run homer in the fourth off Dinelson Lamet.TRAINER’S ROOMPadres: OF Nelson Cruz (right hamstring strain) is expected to be activated from the injured list on Tuesday when the team opens a three-game home series against Cleveland, manager Bob Melvin said. ... RHP Seth Lugo (left calf strain) was scheduled to throw a bullpen session Sunday or Monday.Rockies: C Elías Díaz was not in the lineup after taking a foul ball off the mask on Saturday. It was the second straight game he was hit on the mask and was removed from Saturday’s game for precautionary reasons. C Brian Serven was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque for Sunday’s game. ... OF Charlie Blackmon (right hand fracture) was placed on the 10-day injured list.NICE TO MEET YOUMontes’ debut was almost cut short in the second inning. Montes tracked Xander Bogaerts’ popup into the outfield but didn’t hear centerfielder Brenton Doyle calling him off. Montes made the catch as the two collided, with Doyle appearing to take the brunt of it. He was checked by a trainer and remained in the game.UP NEXTPadres: Joe Musgrove (3-2, 4.35) will start the opener against Cleveland on Tuesday night.Rockies: Connor Seabold (1-2, 5.10) will face the Red Sox to open a three-game series in Boston on Monday night.

McMahon & Jones lead Rockies to win with 9th inning HRs

MIAMI (AP) — The mission for the Denver Nuggets was clear: Come to Miami, get two wins and head back home with a chance to finally become NBA champions.

The 47-year wait for Denver might be over as soon as Monday, with Nikola Jokic and his Nuggets now just one win away from getting the title that he's wanted for so long. Aaron Gordon scored 27 points, Jokic added 23 and the Nuggets beat the Miami Heat 108-95 on Friday night to take a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals.

“We haven’t done a damn thing yet,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “We have to win another game to be world champions.”

Bruce Brown scored 21 off the bench for the Nuggets, who won their fifth straight road game to grab complete command. They’ll have three chances to win one game for a title, two of those in Denver, the first in what’s sure to be a raucous atmosphere for Game 5.

Jamal Murray had 15 points and 12 assists — his fourth consecutive double-digit assist game — for Denver.

“Today was a team effort.” Murray said. “I can’t even name one person. Everybody locked in. We’ve got one more to go.”

Jimmy Butler scored 25 points for Miami, which has now fallen into 3-1 holes in each of its last three finals appearances — this one joining 2014 and 2020. Bam Adebayo had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, while Kyle Lowry added 13 points.

The Heat walked off the floor in silence, fully aware of how much trouble they're in now.

“Now we're in a must-win situation, every single game — which we're capable of,” Butler said. “It's not impossible.”

The Nuggets were overwhelming favorites to start the series, for obvious reasons. Denver was the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed; Miami was the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed. The Nuggets had won nine of the last 10 regular-season meetings between the teams, and their run of success over the Heat has continued through four games of the finals.

“Our guys are locked in, man,” Malone said. “We’re focused.”

Denver led by 13 going into the fourth, and Miami came out for the final quarter with appropriate desperation. The Heat scored the first eight points, Jokic committed his fifth foul and had to go to the bench with 9:24 left — and it was down to 86-81 when Butler converted a three-point play with 8:42 remaining.

But the Nuggets — who fell apart in the fourth quarter of Game 2 for their lone loss of the series — didn’t fold, even with their two-time MVP still out. Murray made a 3-pointer to stop Miami’s 8-0 spurt, and Jeff Green made a huge corner 3 from near the Heat bench for a 94-85 edge with 6:21 left.

“We have guys that can step up, night in and night out,” Gordon said.

Jokic checked out with Denver up 10. He came back with the Nuggets up nine. Miami didn’t take advantage of that chance, and now finds itself on the wrong end of history. A team that had to scramble just to make the playoffs now needs to pull off the ultimate scramble to win a championship.

“This is what this year’s been all about for this group, so definitely not going to hang our heads or quit,” Heat guard Duncan Robinson said. “That’s not an option. It’s not going to happen. So we’ll band together and get on this flight tomorrow and find a way to figure it out.”

Teams that take a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals have won 35 out of 36 previous times, and the Heat will have to buck that trend to keep Denver from winning its title.

“We have an incredibly competitive group,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We've done everything the hard way and that's the way it's going to have to be done right now — again. And all we're going to focus on is getting this thing back to the 305. Get this thing back to Miami. And things can shift very quickly."

Nuggets: Jokic tweaked his right ankle when he landed on the back of Max Strus’ foot midway through the opening quarter. He briefly retreated to the Denver locker room before the start of the second quarter and played the rest of the way with no evident issues. ... Murray played with tape protecting the bottom of his left hand, thanks to a nasty floor burn he got in Game 3. … It was Denver’s 25th win on the road this season, tying a franchise record set last season. ... Michael Porter Jr. scored 11.

Heat: It was retiring 20-year veteran Udonis Haslem’s 43rd birthday and rookie Nikola Jovic’s 20th birthday. Jovic was 58 days old when Haslem signed his first Heat contract. … If it was Miami’s home finale this season, then the Heat went 613-299 in its home arena during his career. … Miami started the playoffs 6-0 at home. The Heat are 0-4 on their home floor since. ... Robinson and Kevin Love each scored 12, and Caleb Martin scored 11.

Miami led 21-20 after one quarter. The 41 combined points were the fewest in the first quarter of the last 24 finals games; the first quarter of Game 4 of the Toronto-Golden State series in 2019 had 40 points.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686412373190.jpeg" alt="Aaron Gordon - Nuggets" />
 <figcaption>Aaron Gordon - Nuggets</figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI (AP) — The mission for the Denver Nuggets was clear: Come to Miami, get two wins and head back home with a chance to finally become NBA champions.It's officially there for the taking.The 47-year wait for Denver might be over as soon as Monday, with Nikola Jokic and his Nuggets now just one win away from getting the title that he's wanted for so long. Aaron Gordon scored 27 points, Jokic added 23 and the Nuggets beat the Miami Heat 108-95 on Friday night to take a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals.“We haven’t done a damn thing yet,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “We have to win another game to be world champions.”Bruce Brown scored 21 off the bench for the Nuggets, who won their fifth straight road game to grab complete command. They’ll have three chances to win one game for a title, two of those in Denver, the first in what’s sure to be a raucous atmosphere for Game 5.Jamal Murray had 15 points and 12 assists — his fourth consecutive double-digit assist game — for Denver.“Today was a team effort.” Murray said. “I can’t even name one person. Everybody locked in. We’ve got one more to go.”Jimmy Butler scored 25 points for Miami, which has now fallen into 3-1 holes in each of its last three finals appearances — this one joining 2014 and 2020. Bam Adebayo had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, while Kyle Lowry added 13 points.The Heat walked off the floor in silence, fully aware of how much trouble they're in now.“Now we're in a must-win situation, every single game — which we're capable of,” Butler said. “It's not impossible.”The Nuggets were overwhelming favorites to start the series, for obvious reasons. Denver was the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed; Miami was the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed. The Nuggets had won nine of the last 10 regular-season meetings between the teams, and their run of success over the Heat has continued through four games of the finals.“Our guys are locked in, man,” Malone said. “We’re focused.”Denver led by 13 going into the fourth, and Miami came out for the final quarter with appropriate desperation. The Heat scored the first eight points, Jokic committed his fifth foul and had to go to the bench with 9:24 left — and it was down to 86-81 when Butler converted a three-point play with 8:42 remaining.But the Nuggets — who fell apart in the fourth quarter of Game 2 for their lone loss of the series — didn’t fold, even with their two-time MVP still out. Murray made a 3-pointer to stop Miami’s 8-0 spurt, and Jeff Green made a huge corner 3 from near the Heat bench for a 94-85 edge with 6:21 left.“We have guys that can step up, night in and night out,” Gordon said.Jokic checked out with Denver up 10. He came back with the Nuggets up nine. Miami didn’t take advantage of that chance, and now finds itself on the wrong end of history. A team that had to scramble just to make the playoffs now needs to pull off the ultimate scramble to win a championship.“This is what this year’s been all about for this group, so definitely not going to hang our heads or quit,” Heat guard Duncan Robinson said. “That’s not an option. It’s not going to happen. So we’ll band together and get on this flight tomorrow and find a way to figure it out.”Teams that take a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals have won 35 out of 36 previous times, and the Heat will have to buck that trend to keep Denver from winning its title.“We have an incredibly competitive group,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We've done everything the hard way and that's the way it's going to have to be done right now — again. And all we're going to focus on is getting this thing back to the 305. Get this thing back to Miami. And things can shift very quickly."TIP-INSNuggets: Jokic tweaked his right ankle when he landed on the back of Max Strus’ foot midway through the opening quarter. He briefly retreated to the Denver locker room before the start of the second quarter and played the rest of the way with no evident issues. ... Murray played with tape protecting the bottom of his left hand, thanks to a nasty floor burn he got in Game 3. … It was Denver’s 25th win on the road this season, tying a franchise record set last season. ... Michael Porter Jr. scored 11.Heat: It was retiring 20-year veteran Udonis Haslem’s 43rd birthday and rookie Nikola Jovic’s 20th birthday. Jovic was 58 days old when Haslem signed his first Heat contract. … If it was Miami’s home finale this season, then the Heat went 613-299 in its home arena during his career. … Miami started the playoffs 6-0 at home. The Heat are 0-4 on their home floor since. ... Robinson and Kevin Love each scored 12, and Caleb Martin scored 11.SLOW STARTMiami led 21-20 after one quarter. The 41 combined points were the fewest in the first quarter of the last 24 finals games; the first quarter of Game 4 of the Toronto-Golden State series in 2019 had 40 points.

Nuggets mash Miami in Game Four, can claim NBA title Monday night

DENVER (AP) — Yu Darvish pitched into the sixth inning to earn his 100th career win and was backed by five home runs as the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 9-6 Friday night.

Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Gary Sánchez, Trent Grisham and Brandon Dixon all went deep to help the Padres win consecutive games for the first time since May 25-26.

“It definitely feels good," Grisham said. "Everybody in here has been waiting – not if, but when, when it’s going to come around. It’s nice to stack two days like that on top of each other.”

Darvish (5-4) earned the benchmark victory after allowing four earned runs and five hits while striking out six and walking four in 5 1/3 innings.

“It means a lot," Darvish said. "It just tells you that I’ve been able to play this long and go into battle with my teammates.”

Jake Cronenworth had his second-consecutive three-hit game for San Diego after batting just .198 in his first 60 games of the season. After missing the past four games while tending to soreness in his left wrist, Xander Bogaerts had two runs and two hits, including his first double since May 14.

Machado’s two-run homer, which spearheaded a three-run first inning for the Padres, was his first since May 9 and a 425-foot solo shot from Tatis was his team-leading 12th of the season. Sánchez’s two-run homer in the second inning was his fifth since joining San Diego on May 30 while Dixon’s was just his second of the season.

“A lot of times, you get a little confidence again and you do some things you’ve done in the past," Padres manager Bob Melvin said of Sánchez. "He’s still a young man for what he does. Each and every game he has like this, you’ll see some of the potential he’s always had.”

Josh Hader picked up his 14th save of the season after forcing Elias Díaz to ground into a force out with runners on first and third.

The loss was Colorado’s fifth in a row – its second-longest drought of the season – and its ninth in 11 games. The Rockies have now lost 14 of their past 15 games against NL West teams, including each eight straight.

Starter Austin Gomber (4-5) took the loss for the Rockies, giving up seven earned runs and 11 hits — including three homers — over four innings. He struggled with his fastball, as each of the three home runs he surrendered came on four-seam pitches. Over his past five starts, he has given up 23 earned runs in 20 2/3 innings.

“Two pitches to Fernando, first-pitch single by (Juan) Soto, first-pitch homer by Machado. Four pitches to three hitters, that’s pretty quick," Gomber said. "But that can work in your favor, too -- I’ve had nights where you have five-pitch innings, right? You’ve just got to make better pitches. If guys are going to swing, that’s great, but you’ve got to execute when they have that approach.”

Mike Moustakas had two hits for Colorado, including a 441-foot, two-run home run in the eighth inning.

Padres: After being designated for assignment earlier in the week, OF David Dahl cleared waivers Friday and opted for free agency.

San Diego LHP Ryan Weathers (1-4, 5.09 ERA) will face off against Colorado LHP Kyle Freeland (4-7, 4.06) Saturday in the second game of the series.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686412297760.jpeg" alt="Fernando Tatis Jr" />
 <figcaption>Fernando Tatis Jr</figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — Yu Darvish pitched into the sixth inning to earn his 100th career win and was backed by five home runs as the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 9-6 Friday night.Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Gary Sánchez, Trent Grisham and Brandon Dixon all went deep to help the Padres win consecutive games for the first time since May 25-26.“It definitely feels good," Grisham said. "Everybody in here has been waiting – not if, but when, when it’s going to come around. It’s nice to stack two days like that on top of each other.”Darvish (5-4) earned the benchmark victory after allowing four earned runs and five hits while striking out six and walking four in 5 1/3 innings.“It means a lot," Darvish said. "It just tells you that I’ve been able to play this long and go into battle with my teammates.”Jake Cronenworth had his second-consecutive three-hit game for San Diego after batting just .198 in his first 60 games of the season. After missing the past four games while tending to soreness in his left wrist, Xander Bogaerts had two runs and two hits, including his first double since May 14.Machado’s two-run homer, which spearheaded a three-run first inning for the Padres, was his first since May 9 and a 425-foot solo shot from Tatis was his team-leading 12th of the season. Sánchez’s two-run homer in the second inning was his fifth since joining San Diego on May 30 while Dixon’s was just his second of the season.“A lot of times, you get a little confidence again and you do some things you’ve done in the past," Padres manager Bob Melvin said of Sánchez. "He’s still a young man for what he does. Each and every game he has like this, you’ll see some of the potential he’s always had.”Josh Hader picked up his 14th save of the season after forcing Elias Díaz to ground into a force out with runners on first and third.The loss was Colorado’s fifth in a row – its second-longest drought of the season – and its ninth in 11 games. The Rockies have now lost 14 of their past 15 games against NL West teams, including each eight straight.Starter Austin Gomber (4-5) took the loss for the Rockies, giving up seven earned runs and 11 hits — including three homers — over four innings. He struggled with his fastball, as each of the three home runs he surrendered came on four-seam pitches. Over his past five starts, he has given up 23 earned runs in 20 2/3 innings.“Two pitches to Fernando, first-pitch single by (Juan) Soto, first-pitch homer by Machado. Four pitches to three hitters, that’s pretty quick," Gomber said. "But that can work in your favor, too -- I’ve had nights where you have five-pitch innings, right? You’ve just got to make better pitches. If guys are going to swing, that’s great, but you’ve got to execute when they have that approach.”Mike Moustakas had two hits for Colorado, including a 441-foot, two-run home run in the eighth inning.TRAINER’S ROOMPadres: After being designated for assignment earlier in the week, OF David Dahl cleared waivers Friday and opted for free agency.UP NEXTSan Diego LHP Ryan Weathers (1-4, 5.09 ERA) will face off against Colorado LHP Kyle Freeland (4-7, 4.06) Saturday in the second game of the series.

Padres punish Rockies with home runs to open series Friday

Courtesy: NU Athletic Communications

The Big Ten announced conference opponents for the 2024 and 2025 football seasons on Thursday, the first two seasons which include new conference members UCLA and USC. The 2024 season will be the first season with 16 teams and no divisional format. Nebraska will play four Big Ten home games and five road contests during the 2024 season. Big Ten opponents visiting Memorial Stadium in 2024 will include Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Nebraska will travel to Iowa, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue and Big Ten newcomer UCLA. The 2025 conference schedule will feature five home games for Nebraska, with Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Rutgers, and UCLA coming to Lincoln. Nebraska will travel to Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio State and USC during the 2025 Big Ten schedule. Game dates for the 2024 football schedule will be announced later this year. The Big Ten Conference schedules were developed based on a Flex Protect Plus model, which features a combination of protected opponents and rotating opponents for universities. Each school will continue to play nine conference games per season, and teams will play every other conference opponent at least twice—once home and once away—in a four-year period. Nebraska's one guaranteed annual protected matchup will be against Iowa. The Huskers and Hawkeyes have concluded the regular season against each other on Black Friday since Nebraska joined the conference in 2011. The 2024 Big Ten Football Championship Game will be the first to feature the top two teams in the overall conference standings at the end of the regular season. Tiebreaking procedures will be announced later.&nbsp; Nebraska 2024 and 2025 Big Ten Opponents 2024 Home: Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, Wisconsin Away: Iowa, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue, UCLA 2025 Home: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Rutgers, UCLA Away: Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio State, USC

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668085833716.jpeg" alt="ap photo" />
 <figcaption>ap photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy: NU Athletic CommunicationsThe Big Ten announced conference opponents for the 2024 and 2025 football seasons on Thursday, the first two seasons which include new conference members UCLA and USC. The 2024 season will be the first season with 16 teams and no divisional format. Nebraska will play four Big Ten home games and five road contests during the 2024 season. Big Ten opponents visiting Memorial Stadium in 2024 will include Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Nebraska will travel to Iowa, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue and Big Ten newcomer UCLA. The 2025 conference schedule will feature five home games for Nebraska, with Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Rutgers, and UCLA coming to Lincoln. Nebraska will travel to Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio State and USC during the 2025 Big Ten schedule. Game dates for the 2024 football schedule will be announced later this year. The Big Ten Conference schedules were developed based on a Flex Protect Plus model, which features a combination of protected opponents and rotating opponents for universities. Each school will continue to play nine conference games per season, and teams will play every other conference opponent at least twice—once home and once away—in a four-year period. Nebraska's one guaranteed annual protected matchup will be against Iowa. The Huskers and Hawkeyes have concluded the regular season against each other on Black Friday since Nebraska joined the conference in 2011. The 2024 Big Ten Football Championship Game will be the first to feature the top two teams in the overall conference standings at the end of the regular season. Tiebreaking procedures will be announced later.&nbsp; Nebraska 2024 and 2025 Big Ten Opponents 2024 Home: Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, Wisconsin Away: Iowa, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue, UCLA 2025 Home: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Rutgers, UCLA Away: Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio State, USC

2024-25 Husker Big 10 Opponents announced 

DENVER (AP) — Brandon Crawford had a pinch-hit RBI double to spark a three-run ninth and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies for the 11th straight time, 6-4 on Thursday.

Michael Conforto and Thairo Estrada homered to help San Francisco sweep its seventh straight series from Colorado. Scott Alexander (5-0) got the win with an inning of relief and Camilo Doval finished for his 16th save.

“It’s very challenging to come to Coors Field to win a series, period,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “So to win all three and get out of here relatively healthy is a testament to the work the guys did.”

Nolan Jones had three hits for the Rockies. They have lost four straight.

San Francisco is 16-3 at Coors Field dating to Sept. 6, 2021, and has won eight straight in Denver. That streak was in jeopardy until a late rally against Colorado closer Pierce Johnson (0-3).

Johnson walked the first two batters and Crawford doubled on an 0-2 pitch to right-center field to tie it. LaMonte Wade Jr.’s sacrifice fly put the Giants ahead and Joc Pederson’s run-scoring single capped the rally.

“I’ve faced Pierce a handful of times now so I know what what he has,” Crawford said. “Not trying to do too much in that situation and just get the barrel on the ball. Fortunately, LaMonte had a good at-bat after me.”

The Rockies got all of their run in the first inning off Alex Cobb. After Estrada hit his seventh home run in the top of the first inning, Colorado had three singles and a hit batter to tie it and load the bases. Jones brought two home with a single and rookie shortstop Ezequiel Tovar doubled to give Colorado a 4-1 lead.

Conforto got the Giants within a run in the sixth when he homered following a triple by J.D. Davis to end starter Chase Anderson’s day.

Anderson was claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay on May 12 and made his Rockies debut against Cincinnati four days later, tossing five innings against his former team. He allowed three runs and struck out a season-high seven in 5 1/3 innings Thursday.

“Overall, it was good but I’d like to have a couple of pitches back,” Anderson said. “I know those probably aren’t homers in most parks but they still count here.”

Anderson still hasn’t had a decision in five starts with the Rockies.

“It is frustrating but if I go out and do my job and put the team in a good position that’s all I can do,” Anderson said.

Giants: C Patrick Bailey (neck tightness) was out of the starting lineup for the second straight game. Kapler said Bailey’s tightness resulted from sleeping on his neck wrong the first night in Denver.

Cobb appeared to tweak something in the fifth inning. After throwing a pitch to Randal Grichuk he grabbed at his left hip. Kapler and a trainer came out to check on him but Cobb finished the inning before leaving the game.

“I have no idea what happened,” Cobb said. “Maybe muscle fatigue but zero concerned going forward with it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686276052933.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — Brandon Crawford had a pinch-hit RBI double to spark a three-run ninth and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies for the 11th straight time, 6-4 on Thursday.Michael Conforto and Thairo Estrada homered to help San Francisco sweep its seventh straight series from Colorado. Scott Alexander (5-0) got the win with an inning of relief and Camilo Doval finished for his 16th save.“It’s very challenging to come to Coors Field to win a series, period,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “So to win all three and get out of here relatively healthy is a testament to the work the guys did.”Nolan Jones had three hits for the Rockies. They have lost four straight.San Francisco is 16-3 at Coors Field dating to Sept. 6, 2021, and has won eight straight in Denver. That streak was in jeopardy until a late rally against Colorado closer Pierce Johnson (0-3).Johnson walked the first two batters and Crawford doubled on an 0-2 pitch to right-center field to tie it. LaMonte Wade Jr.’s sacrifice fly put the Giants ahead and Joc Pederson’s run-scoring single capped the rally.“I’ve faced Pierce a handful of times now so I know what what he has,” Crawford said. “Not trying to do too much in that situation and just get the barrel on the ball. Fortunately, LaMonte had a good at-bat after me.”The Rockies got all of their run in the first inning off Alex Cobb. After Estrada hit his seventh home run in the top of the first inning, Colorado had three singles and a hit batter to tie it and load the bases. Jones brought two home with a single and rookie shortstop Ezequiel Tovar doubled to give Colorado a 4-1 lead.Conforto got the Giants within a run in the sixth when he homered following a triple by J.D. Davis to end starter Chase Anderson’s day.Anderson was claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay on May 12 and made his Rockies debut against Cincinnati four days later, tossing five innings against his former team. He allowed three runs and struck out a season-high seven in 5 1/3 innings Thursday.“Overall, it was good but I’d like to have a couple of pitches back,” Anderson said. “I know those probably aren’t homers in most parks but they still count here.”Anderson still hasn’t had a decision in five starts with the Rockies.“It is frustrating but if I go out and do my job and put the team in a good position that’s all I can do,” Anderson said.TRAINER’S ROOMGiants: C Patrick Bailey (neck tightness) was out of the starting lineup for the second straight game. Kapler said Bailey’s tightness resulted from sleeping on his neck wrong the first night in Denver.COBB GRINDS THROUGHCobb appeared to tweak something in the fifth inning. After throwing a pitch to Randal Grichuk he grabbed at his left hip. Kapler and a trainer came out to check on him but Cobb finished the inning before leaving the game.“I have no idea what happened,” Cobb said. “Maybe muscle fatigue but zero concerned going forward with it.”UP NEXTGiants: Head home for a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs before going back on the road. They have not announced a starter for the opener Friday night.Rockies: LHP Austin Gomber (4-4, 6.99) opens a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres on Friday night.