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Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese rise in latest WNBA rookie rankings caitlin,clark,angel,reese,rise,in,latest,wnba,rookie,rankings,sbnation,com,front-page,wnba,womens-sports,all-womens-sports,wnba-content,dot-com-grid-coverage

On: June 25, 2024 By: admin

It’s been well-chronicled that the 2023 NCAA women’s championship game was a turning point for the popularity of women’s basketball — millions tuned in nationwide as LSU defeated Iowa to win the championship, and a media-driven rivalry between LSU’s Angel Reese and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark was born.

Two years later, both Reese and Clark players are pros, and are tearing up the WNBA. Their games could not be more different; Clark is a playmaking sharpshooter, while Reese is known for her tenacious rebounding and defense, but both players have managed to effectively transition to the professional level with relative ease.

Meanwhile, Cameron Brink — who was ranked No. 1 in the previous edition of the Rookie Power Rankings after a dominant defensive start to the season — is out for the year with a torn ACL. It’s a big loss for the Sparks, who relied on her defensive presence, and for Brink herself, who was due to compete on the 3v3 Olympic basketball team in Paris next month.

But those aren’t the only rookies who have made their impact felt, so let’s get to the June edition of SB Nation’s WNBA rookie power rankings.

8. Kate Martin, Las Vegas Aces

Stats: 4 points (34.7% FG), 2.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Previous ranking: #8
Team Record: 8-6

Kate Martin has been a reliable bench piece for the two-time defending champions, averaging 17.2 minutes per night when most expected her to go undrafted or be cut from the team’s final roster. Martin has been in and out of the rotation, but has been an effective connective piece when given the minutes.

“I couldn’t ask for a better experience,” Martin said. “I’ve been welcomed with open arms. I have great vets surrounding me. I have great coaches surrounding me. I love Las Vegas, we have great fan support. It’s been tremendous so far.”

Martin maintains her 8th spot on the list despite limited minutes, as she’s been a strong defender and serves as a reliable option on what is likely the most star-studded roster in the WNBA.

7. Sevgi Uzun, Dallas Wings

Stats: 7.3 points (36.2% FG), 4.6 assists, 2.6 rebounds
Previous ranking: #7
Team Record: 3-13

Sevgi Uzun helped lead the Turkish Fenerbahçe to back-to-back Euroleague championships, and has adjusted well in her first season in the WNBA.

At age 26, Uzun has far more basketball experience than most rookies, and it’s shown in her decision-making. She’s struggled with her shot, however, shooting just 23.6% from three. Uzun’s ranking spot hasn’t taken a hit since last month, but her three-point percentage has dipped — she shot 41.7% from three this time last month, and that number has fallen by 18%.

6. Julie Vanloo, Washington Mystics

Stats: 7.9 points (36.1% FG, 33% from three), 5.4 assists, 3 turnovers
Previous ranking: #5
Team Record: 4-13

Julie Vanloo, who is 31 years old but in her first year in the WNBA, has been one of the premier playmakers in the league. Her 5.4 assists per game are good for 8th overall, and second among rookies.

It’s all led to an effective transition into the league for the 5’8 Belgian guard, whose energy has helped the Mystics.

“Vanloo’s just got a different kind of motor,” Sun head coach Stephanie White said after the two teams faced off. “She gets after it and you can’t relax.”

Vanloo’s efficiency has decreased in recent weeks, however; her field goal percentage has waned, and she hasn’t shot 50% or better on any given night since May 21st. Still, she’s been an effective playmaker, and the Mystics — after a brutal start to the year — have won four of their last five games.

5. Rickea Jackson, Los Angeles Sparks

Stats: 9.8 points (46.3% FG, 29% from three), 3.3 rebounds,
Previous ranking: #4
Team Record: 4-13

Rickea Jackson, picked fourth overall, has been another solid rookie for the Sparks. Already one of the most efficient rookies in this class, Jackson could see increased minutes with Brink out for the season.

She’s averaged 23.4 minutes per game this season, but that’s trended downwards in the last few. But when given increased minutes, Jackson has had several big offensive outings this year, including three games in which she’s scored at least 16 points.

But, the Sparks have lost six straight and Jackson’s production — and offensive touches — have fallen a bit. She’s scored 6 and 7 points, respectively, in her last two games, while grabbing a total of only two rebounds.

4. Aaliyah Edwards, Washington Mystics

Stats: 8.8 points (50% FG), 6.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists
Previous ranking: #6
Team Record: 4-13

The Mystics had a very slow start to the season — losers of their first 12 games — but Aaliyah Edwards has been one of the big bright spots for a franchise in a difficult spot. Her two best games of the season have been against the Sky; on June 6, she put up 23 points (10-12 FG) and 14 rebounds, and on June 14 she had 16 points (6-7 FG) and 9 rebounds in a win.

“Aaliyah is one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever been around,” teammate Ariel Atkins said earlier this month. “Just her ability to learn so quickly, which is so important at this level.

The Mystics have won two of their last three games, and all of their June losses except for one were in the single digits, so they’re trending in the right direction.

3. Kamilla Cardoso, Chicago Sky

Stats: 9.3 points (51.5% FG), 7.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Previous ranking: n/a
Team Record: 6-9

Kamilla Cardoso missed the first couple weeks of the season with a shoulder injury. But, the third overall pick has looked increasingly comfortable in her minutes with the Sky, grabbing double-digit rebounds in each of her last three games. She put together her best game of the season on Sunday – 16 points on 7-9 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds and 3 assists – and is averaging an efficient 9.3 points in nine games played so far this year.

Cardoso and Angel Reese have formed a formidable frontcourt, particularly on the glass, and Cardoso is the only rookie shooting better than 50% from the field. Her well-rounded performance, combined with Brink’s season-ending injury, has catapulted her to third in the rookie rankings.

2. Angel Reese, Chicago Sky

Stats: 13.2 points (40.6% FG), 11.1 rebonds (4.7 offensive), 2.1 assists, 1.7 steals
Previous ranking: #3
Team Record: 6-9

Angel Reese, drafted seventh by the Sky, was one of the WNBA-ready players in the class from the jump, and has already established herself as one of the most tenacious rebounders in the league. Most recently, she set a WNBA rookie record for most consecutive double-doubles after a 16-point, 18-rebound performance in a Thursday win against the Wings.

“I just want to win. I came to Chicago to win,” Reese said. “Luckily, I was drafted No. 7 and came to Chicago and was able to come here and thrive. Being able to have great teammates, great coaches, and just a great atmosphere and culture here that really, really loves me, that’s what’s important to me.”

She followed that up with her best game as a pro — a 25-point, 16-rebound outing in a win over the Fever.

“I’m a dog,” she told ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the game. “You can’t teach that.”

Reese is already the second-leading rebounder in the league — averaging 11.1 a night — and is the leading offensive rebounder (4.7). Her field goal percentage has room to improve (she’s shooting just 40.6% from the field) but she’s otherwise impacting the game at a very high level, especially for a first-year player.

1. Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever

Stats: 16.3 points (39.9% FG, 35.2% from three), 6.6 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 5.6 turnovers
Previous ranking: #2
Team Record: 7-11

After a tough start to the WNBA season, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever have managed to turn things around. Clark had a big week last week — she followed a 23-point, 8-rebound, 9-assist outing in a win over the Sky with another near triple-double of 18 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals. Then, on Sunday, she broke a Fever franchise record of most assists in a singular game (13) in a loss to the Sky, while also putting up 17 points.

The turnover numbers are still not ideal — she’s leading the league with 5.6 a night — but Clark has become increasingly efficient and connected to her teammates. That’s evidenced in the Fever winning 4 of their last 5 games. As teammates get comfortable with her passing, that number will go down as well. Her turnovers are indicative of a desire to playmake; Alyssa Thomas, who leads the league in assists, has the second-most turnovers per game with 3.9 a night.

“I’m trying to get to know my teammates and the coaching staff, but I feel like I have gotten more comfortable over the course of these games,” Clark said last week. “There’s still more than half a season left, and I really feel like we’ve grown so much.”

If she — and the Fever — keep growing at this speed, she may hang on atop these rankings for quite a while.

LIV Golf: Tyrrell Hatton’s win could propel him to Open glory liv,golf,tyrrell,hatton,s,win,could,propel,him,to,open,glory,sbnation,com,golf,golf-pga-tour,golf-opinions,liv-golf

On: June 24, 2024 By: admin

Tyrrell Hatton’s six-shot victory at LIV Golf Nashville symbolized a breakthrough in more ways than one.

Not only did he win his maiden title on the Saudi-backed circuit, but he also won a professional golf tournament for the first time in more than three years. Hatton’s last victory came on the DP World Tour in January 2021, when he won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship by four strokes.

But it’s not as if the Englishman has sailed into the abyss since then. He has made the cut in 11 straight majors and posted seven top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour in 2023. He even tied for ninth at Augusta National a couple of months after joining LIV Golf.

Hatton has played solid golf over the past few years, which explains why he still ranks among the top 25 in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). But now he eyes another breakthrough: a major championship victory.

And with the Open Championship set to be held at Royal Troon next month, Hatton’s game suits that course on the Scottish coast perfectly. In fact, at the 2016 Open, when Royal Troon saw Henrik Stenson fend off Phil Mickelson in one of the greatest final rounds ever, a 24-year-old Hatton tied for fifth. Golf fans did not know much about Hatton then, but he did shoot four rounds of even par or better that week.

“I’ve done well on links courses in the past,” Hatton said after his final round 3-under 68 at Royal Troon in July 2016.

“I think my best performances are on links courses. So I’ve played a lot of links as an amateur, and I’ve just taken that sort of into the province.”

Interestingly, Hatton has not posted a better finish at The Open since then, although he did tie for sixth in 2019 at Royal Portrush. He tied for 20th a year ago at Royal Liverpool and finished in a tie for 11th at St. Andrews the year before.

But now the Englishman will return to Royal Troon as a player to keep an eye on, a much different circumstance than where he stood in 2016, when he arrived as the 68th ranked player in the OWGR. Golf fans know all about Hatton in 2024, not only for his fiery and passionate demeanor but also for his terrific ball-striking and nifty short game—attributes required for Open Championship success.

It seems as if Hatton is due for a major championship breakthrough. Even though we are still three weeks away from having serious discussions about who could win at Royal Troon, Hatton will have to be in that conversation, especially now that he has learned how to win again.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

Travelers: Scottie Scheffler matches Arnold Palmer, grabs 6th win travelers,scottie,scheffler,matches,arnold,palmer,grabs,th,win,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

On: June 24, 2024 By: admin

Scottie Scheffler won his sixth PGA Tour event of the season as he beat Tom Kim at the Travelers Championship. He becomes the first player since Arnold Palmer in 1962 to win six times on Tour before July 1st.

Scheffler also became the fourth player to record six or more wins in a season since 1983 and the first since Tiger Woods did it in 2009, per the PGA Tour communications team.

“It’s pretty special. It’s been a great season,” Scheffler said. “I’ve been fortunate to come away with some wins, and it’s been a lot of fun. Tom played his heart out today. He’s a great player, a great champion. It was fun battling him today.”

A bogey-free final round 5-under 64 got Scheffler to 22-under while Kim posted a 4-under 65. Scheffler came in looking to rebound off his uneventful performance at the U.S. Open.

Kim made a bogey on the par-3 8th, and it proved costly. The 22-year-old made a clutch putt on the 18th to birdie and tie Scheffler, sending the tournament into extra holes.

It only took one extra hole for Scheffler to seal the deal as he hit a perfect approach shot. Kim hit his second shot into the bunker and could not get it close enough to put the pressure on Scheffler.

The World No. 1 two-putted to defeat his friend.

Both players dealt with a weird incident as they wrapped up the 72nd hole.

A wild protest invasion on the 18th hole delayed things for the final group. Five “Extinction Rebellion” protestors disturbed the play as the final group approached the green. Police quickly arrested the individuals, but they still got white and red substances on the green.

Blowers and towels cleared off the powder for the players to finish the 72nd hole. However, after assessing the green, the agronomy team and officials ultimately decided to move the hole for the playoff.

Thankfully, the disrupters did not target the athletes but still found a way to damage the track.

“It was definitely a bit weird,” Scheffler said. “When something like that happens, you don’t know what’s happening, so it can rattle you.

“There’s people and police officers running around the green and you don’t know if they’re peaceful. You have no idea what’s going on, so it can be stressful. I felt like Tom and I tried to calm each other down so we could give it our best shot there on 18.”

This win also marked Scheffler’s fourth Signature Event win of the season. He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, RBC Heritage, The Memorial, and the Travelers Championship. Not to mention, Scheffler also took home the 2024 Masters and The Players titles.

The former Texas Longhorn earned $3.6 million for this victory, putting him at $27,696,858 in official money. There is still a lot of golf left to play this season as Scheffler continues to set the record for most money won in a single season.

Scheffler expressed that his next two events will be the Open Championship and the Olympics.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

F1 Spanish Grand Prix: Daniel Ricciardo and VCARB licking their wounds after ‘poor weekend’ f,spanish,grand,prix,daniel,ricciardo,and,vcarb,licking,their,wounds,after,poor,weekend,sbnation,com,front-page,formula-one,2024-formula-one

On: June 23, 2024 By: admin

As far as weekends go, this was one to forget for Daniel Ricciardo and the entire Visa Cash App RB F1 Team.

While VCARB arrived at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hopeful that a series of upgrades to the RB01 would unlock additional performance, from the opening laps of FP1 it was clear that they would be on the back foot. That continued into qualifying — which saw Ricciardo and teammate Yuki Tsunoda eliminated in Q1 — and extended into the race itself. Both Ricciardo and Tsunoda finished outside the points, leaving VCARB to lick their wounds after their first points-less weekend since the Chinese Grand Prix back in April.

Team Principal Laurent Mekies was blunt in his assessment.

“We came here with high hopes for the upgrades that everyone back in the factory has worked so hard to design and produce as part of our aggressive development strategy, began Mekies in the team’s post-race report. “Unfortunately, right from the start of Free Practice we were lacking pace in every session.

“There is no point denying this was a poor weekend for us and although the gaps were very small, we’re not going to make excuses for the fact we just weren’t competitive,” continued the VCARB boss. “Given our starting positions, it would have required some unusual circumstances – rain, a safety car – but the race was pretty linear and while both drivers did their best, we leave Spain with nothing to show for our efforts.”

Tsunoda kept his assessment short and to the point.

“It was a tough race, in which I struggled. The handling of the car was definitely not easy, and I did not feel as comfortable as I normally do,” described Tsunoda. “Something wasn’t quite right, and we’ll analyse everything that happened to understand what did not work well and come back stronger in Austria.”

Ricciardo, often the optimistic one in the team’s garage, did his best to put a positive spin on things. The Australian driver managed to highlight some bright spots on a dismal day in Barcelona.

“It’s obviously disappointing finishing in P15, but I’m happy with my race and how we managed it as a team with the two stops. I think yesterday I just missed a touch in qualifying, but honestly, today I feel like I [maximized] it with a good race,” described Ricciardo. “We managed the [tires] and pushed when we needed to, so unfortunately, I think we just didn’t have more to show this weekend. There’s certainly lots to learn from weekends like this.

“We take a few little positives and a few more things to work on because we seem to be missing something with the new package. It’s a quick turnaround, so we’ll work on it tonight, trying to understand more in preparation for Austria next week.”

The VCARB boss concluded with a bit of a challenge to the team.

“Now, our whole group faces a stern test to try and make some progress in the very few days available until we are back on track at the Red Bull Ring,” said Mekies. “It’s a very long season, so there are bound to be some tough weekends. We just have to put this one behind us, we must not get downhearted but instead, look ahead and focus on fighting back immediately in a few days’ time in Austria.”

Thankfully for the team, they will not have too much time to lick those wounds, as Red Bull Ring awaits.

Jessica Korda’s informative KPMG PGA Championship advice to Nelly Korda jessica,korda,s,informative,kpmg,pga,championship,advice,to,nelly,korda,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,lpga-golf,golf-news,all-womens-sports

On: June 20, 2024 By: admin

This week, the LPGA hosts its third major championship, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington.

It has been eight years since the LPGA played Sahalee for the Women’s PGA Championship.

The last time the venue hosted the major was in 2016 when Brooke Henderson defeated Lydia Ko in a playoff.

Jessica Korda played in that event before ultimately missing the cut. She returns to Sahalee in 2024, but this time to cheer on her younger sister and current World No. 1, Nelly Korda.

She explained the best way to attack this tree-lined track.

“Sahalee is one of the purest tracks I think we’ve ever played. It’s such a great test of golf and an amazing major championship host,” she said to the LPGA social media team.

“All you see are these big trees, the roughs up — you got branches in the way. So paying attention to where the pins are — coming in at the right angles from the fairway, those are all going to be really important things. You would say it’s a second-shot golf course, but it’s not. It’s an every-shot golf course.”

Pine trees line the fairways at Sahalee, making it a challenge to take home the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship trophy on Sunday.

Korda has been on quite the run in 2024, already racking up six victories on the LPGA Tour She won five straight, finished T7 at the Cognizant Founders Cup and won the Mizuho Americas Open the following week.

However, since that sixth victory, her game has gone cold.

Korda missed the cut at the U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club earlier this year and the Meijer LPGA Classic last week. She looks to bounce back and play the weekend at this major championship.

The 14-time LPGA winner posted a 3-under 69 to sit atop the leaderboard after her round on Thursday. The afternoon group still has to play, but she leads by one shot.

Korda set the tone with six birdies, a bogey, and one double bogey.

“As long as she can keep it in the fairway, she’s going to be fine,” Jessica Korda said. “But she does scramble really well. So, as long as she can score, I think that’s going to be the most important thing.”

Nelly’s double bogey was rough, but she bounced back with a birdie on her 18th hole to reclaim the lead.

Rickie Fowler overcomes recent struggles, snags early Travelers lead rickie,fowler,overcomes,recent,struggles,snags,early,travelers,lead,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

On: June 20, 2024 By: admin

CROMWELL, Conn. — Rickie Fowler has not had a solid season, failing to contend in every event he has played, coming short of even recording a top-10 finish.

Yet, he discovered something on the greens on Thursday, which explains why he posted a 6-under 64 to open the Travelers Championship. He did not make a single bogey, either, as he shares the early lead with Akshay Bhatia and Kurt Kitayama.

“I made a nice putt just to save par and get the round going. Good up-and-down, that kind of got me going,” Fowler explained.

“Sometimes, I would almost rather that than birdie the first hole because then it’s kind of downhill from there. So, yeah, got off to a nice start. Birdied the 2nd. Started to see some balls go in, and making putts helps free up the rest of the game to where you don’t feel like you have to be perfect.”

Fowler missed his opening tee shot to the right, which nestled down in the rough. He then hacked it out, finding more thick stuff 44 yards short of the hole. An early dropped shot loomed, but Fowler went on to save his par from eight feet away. He also called that his best shot of the day.

But a big-time par save like that early in a round serves as a big boost of momentum, and Fowler fed off that. He only needed an incredible 23 putts to get around on Thursday, ranking 1st among the 71 players in this field in strokes gained putting. He even made a 38-footer for birdie on the par-4 17th, capping his best day of the season on the greens.

Yet, his putting prowess on Thursday is a far cry from what he has done this season.

Fowler ranks 131st on the PGA Tour in strokes gained putting and 163rd in strokes gained overall. No wonder why he has yet to record a top 10 this season, with his best finish being a T-18 at Harbour Town. He also arrived in Connecticut fresh off missed cuts at the Memorial and the U.S. Open, the former of which he carded an 82 during his second round.

“I feel like a lot of it can go back to not putting well—putting well helps free up other things,” Fowler explained.

“You’re not seeing putts go in, and it adds some extra stress to having to hit greens or hit it closer, chip it close; that circle gets quite a bit bigger once you see some go in. That’s a big part. But when you’re not able to take advantage of it when you hit it well, putting is probably the easiest thing to point to. It does help a lot, but that’s not always the only thing.”

Fowler made 123 feet of putts on Thursday, which certainly freed him up. But now the question is, can he continue to rely on his hot putter? And, what if he did not get up and down at the 1st? How would this round have played out? At any rate, we will have to wait to find out. But for now, Fowler finds himself atop the leaderboard for the first time all season, a welcome sight for many.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

Bryson DeChambeau effect in full force after incredible U.S. Open win bryson,dechambeau,effect,in,full,force,after,incredible,u,s,open,win,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,golf-opinions,liv-golf

On: June 20, 2024 By: admin

Bryson DeChambeau’s U.S. Open win is still the most talked-about golf news story despite LIV Golf Nashville and the PGA Tour’s final Signature Event this week.

In the 24 hours after DeChambeau’s win, Google searches about him went up by 250 percent, and he gained over 150,000 new followers across all his social media platforms.

The Bryson DeChambeau effect is in full force, but the professional golfer is taking it in stride.

“I’ve got to say I’m humbled by all of it,” DeChambeau said ahead of the LIV Nashville event. “I never would have thought that from a year and a half ago, things would be where they’re at right now. Gosh, I’m trying to hold it in right now. The support has been overwhelming. It’s with complete thanks and gratitude.”

His YouTube channel now has 750k subscribers. Two days ago, DeChambeau posted highlights from his historic win, which have already amassed 614,000 views, 26,000 likes, and 3,515 comments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbSXn5q425U

On Twitter, he has 410,240 followers. In the last few days, he posted photos with Grant Horvat and San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle with the trophy. Kittle even got to drink out of the trophy with DeChambeau.

His Instagram has also grown since his victory. It is the social channel that has the most followers at 1.4 million.

He also posted a reel of his favorite shots on there less than 24 hours after it went live, and it already has 1.5 million views, 117,434 likes, and 1,100 comments.

The video of him hitting that incredible bunker shot to three feet, which he dubbed “the best moment of my life,” has four million views, 285,330 likes, and almost 3,000 comments.

He is taking over golf through a different lens, and the fans appear to like it.

“It was a risk a year and a half ago, but I knew it was a way for me to get my voice out there and inspire a younger generation,” he said.

DeChambeau saw what enormous YouTube star Mr. Beast did with his channel and added his own spin. Mr. Beast now has over 200 million followers as an entertainer who does all kinds of things on YouTube.

“I said, why can’t an athlete do something like that? Why is that not possible? He’s inspiring millions of people,” DeChambeau said.

“It was in 2021 that we produced our first video. It was a week-on-tour video, and it got a million views. We went out there filming and then pumping it on YouTube. No paid ads, no media spins or anything like that. It just happened. Everybody loved it.”

After that first video, DeChambeau saw the potential and how much it could change golf. His goal is to grow the game, and he found his way.

“How do I do it all the time and create great content that people want to see so people can not only be entertained but see who I truly am,” DeChambeau said.

“What’s nice is when I’m playing these challenges, it keeps me in that creative mindset. It keeps me focused on playing golf. Even though I’m filming, I’m still practicing and working. It’s a symbiotic relationship I have with YouTube that allows me to be the best and give my best to the fans.”

Growth like that on social media is not unheard of, but what DeChambeau has accomplished is huge for golf content creators. They see what he does, and it shows them how possible it is.

Men’s College World Series: Florida overwhelms Kentucky men,s,college,world,series,florida,overwhelms,kentucky,sbnation,com,front-page,college-baseball,college-world-series,ncaa-baseball-tournament

On: June 19, 2024 By: admin

The Kentucky Wildcats booked a spot in Omaha for the first time in program history thanks to “chaos.” Kentucky found a way to manufacture runs all season long, relying on little things like bunts, stolen bases, aggressive base running, and more to beat teams. As for the Florida Gators, who Kentucky faced in an elimination game Wednesday, they were built to mash.

On Wednesday in Omaha, mashing won out.

The Gators overwhelmed Kentucky 15-4 to eliminate the Wildcats and keep their title hopes alive for at least one more game.

Kentucky scratched out a run in the top of the first inning, thanks to a walk and then a stolen base from leadoff hitter Ryan Waldschmidt, and then an RBI single from DH Nick Lopez.

Their 1-0 lead did not last long.

Florida, with a revised lineup at the top that saw Jac Caglianone leading off for the first time in Omaha, put up a crooked number in the bottom of the inning, and a big one at that. The Gators put seven runs on the board, with the big blow a grand slam off the bat of designated hitter Brody Donay:

The Florida DH was just getting started.

A Donay single in the third gave the Gators two runners on base with just one out. Kentucky recorded the second out of the inning and then walked Caglianone to get to their No. 2 hitter, 2B Cade Kurland.

The 2B responded with a single to shallow center, advancing to second using a nifty slide to avoid the tag. Two runs scored on the single, giving Florida a 9-1 lead.

Kentucky started to chip away at the Gators’ lead, scoring a run in the fourth and then two more in the fifth on a two-run blast from Emilien Pitre. But the Gators’ potent lineup had another crooked number up their sleeve, as Florida hung five more runs on the board in the fifth inning.

Some of those runs came via the long ball, as Donay went yard again down the left-field line for a solo shot to start the fifth. The blast came off the bat at over 117 miles per hour, the highest exit velocity recorded at Omaha this postseason:

But the runs kept coming, starting with Florida executing some small ball of their own. After Donay blasted his second home run of the game, Caglianone walked, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. He then swiped third, getting a huge jump off pitcher Jackson Nove Nove as the lefty failed to even look in his direction.

While Kurland struck out looking on the pitch, Caglianone was then 90 feet away from an insurance run for the Gators.

So they went with a little safety squeeze, with shortstop — and cleanup hitter — Colby Shelton getting the bunt down perfectly to bring Caglianone home:

The Gators plated three more runs in the inning, one coming on a double from Luke Heyman and two more from a single off the bat of Ashton Wilson. By the time the inning came to a merciful end for the Wildcats, the Gators had a ten-run lead and could start thinking about taking on Texas A&M in the nightcap.

But they were not done, because Caglianone had some history to make:

The likely top-five selection in the upcoming MLB Draft launched a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth, for his 75th career home run at Florida. That put him atop the school’s all-time leader list, topping the mark set by Matt LaPorta during his time in Gainesville, who was in attendance to tip his hat to the new school leader.

By the time the final out was recorded, the Gators had hung 15 runs on the board, for the final score of 15-4.

They’ll look to keep their title dreams alive later tonight, as they take on Texas A&M. The Aggies have yet to lose in Omaha, and defeated Florida 3-2 in the opening game for both teams on Saturday.

We’ll see if the Gators needed to save some runs for tonight’s game in just a few hours.

Scottie Scheffler’s caddie will help him bounce back at Travelers scottie,scheffler,s,caddie,will,help,him,bounce,back,at,travelers,sbnation,com,golf,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

On: June 19, 2024 By: admin

CROMWELL, Conn. — Scottie Scheffler will lean heavily on his caddie Ted Scott this week at TPC River Highlands, the host of the Travelers Championship.

It’s not as if Scheffler needs much help, as he has won five times already this season. But after a “frustrating” U.S. Open, in which he tied for 41st, Scheffler arrives in New England looking to rebound in the final Signature Event of the season.

“This is a golf course that [Scott] had a lot of success on, so if there’s a difference of opinion, I’m probably going to lean towards him a little bit more than myself, just because I haven’t had the success on this golf course specifically,” Scheffler said Wednesday.

“In a different tournament, I may lean more toward what I feel and think, whereas out here, he really does a good job of managing around this golf course.”

Before helping Scheffler win a pair of Green Jackets at Augusta National, Scott looped for Bubba Watson, who, like the current World No. 1, won The Masters twice in a three-year span. On top of that, Scott helped Watson win three times at TPC River Highlands, the site of this week’s Travelers Championship. Watson’s first victory at this course came in 2010, when the left-hander prevailed in a playoff over Scott Verplank and Corey Pavin.

Five years later, Watson won again, defeating Paul Casey in a two-hole playoff. He then won in 2018, winning by three, a much more comfortable victory unlike the previous two.

Meanwhile, Scheffler’s best finish at TPC River Highlands came a year ago, when he tied for fourth. He shot 7-under 63s on Thursday and Saturday, but an even-par 70 during Friday’s round prevented him from threatening Keegan Bradley, who won at 23-under.

Before that, Scheffler tied for 13th in 2022 and 47th in 2021 after missing the cut in his debut in 2020. He obviously has had success on this golf course and knows how to play it, but after being “mentally fatigued” over the past few weeks, he can rely on his looper to get around and pinpoint certain targets and shots.

“Whatever he says seems to go for me in my head, just because he’s had the success, he has the pedigree, he knows where to put the ball and where not to put the ball,” Scheffler further explained.

“Especially when it comes to a lot of course management stuff: clubs to choose off the tees, what areas to play into, just because he has seen Bubba win here numerous times and he knows exactly how to get me there.”

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

The ‘Gay Grimace’ Mets are the hottest team in baseball the,gay,grimace,mets,are,the,hottest,team,in,baseball,sbnation,com,front-page,mlb

On: June 19, 2024 By: admin

On June 12, the New York Mets’ entire season took a shift.

Entering the day eight games under .500 despite having the payroll of a world superpower, the Mets were struggling and on the brink of digging themselves into a hole that they couldn’t get themselves out of.

Then a hero came along. A purple blob of a hero.

After Grimace threw out the first pitch, the Mets have simply been one of the best teams in baseball. New York has been on a seven game win streak, including a come-from-behind victory over the defending champion Texas Rangers. Baseball players can be superstitious sometimes, but the Grimace-led vibes are something even Mets players can get behind.

This also comes in conjunction with the Mets celebrating Pride Month, and since posting the Pride flag and hosting Grimace, the Mets have been the hottest team in baseball.

It’s gotten to the point now where even McDonalds is in on the Grimace Mets.

Mets fans are loving it:

Just tried to explain the gay Grimace Mets winning streak to my wife who said “I didn’t ask for any of this information” and “none of these were words I understood.”

— This American Adam (@adamconner) June 18, 2024

The Mets need to keep Grimace around for them to keep winning. If New York makes the playoffs, Grimace has to throw out the first pitch.