Sports
Virginia opens vs. Wright State as Ryan Odom's arc comes full circle
Mar 14, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Ryan Odom instructs his team against the Duke Blue Devils during the men’s ACC Conference Tournament Championship at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images PHILADELPHIA — Eight years ago, Ryan Odom became the first coach to guide a No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1 in the NCAA Tournament.
On the wrong side of history that night was a stunned Virginia. Now Odom’s story has come full circle as the former UMBC coach not only has gotten the Cavaliers back to the dance in Year 1, but brought them within a few points of an ACC tournament title to boot.
This time around, Odom’s team is the hunted, not the hunters, as the No. 3 seed Cavaliers open Midwest Region play against No. 14 Wright State on Friday afternoon.
Virginia (29-5) bounced back from its embarrassment against UMBC by winning the national title one year later. The program has not won an NCAA Tournament game since then, dropping first-round upsets to Ohio and Furman in 2021 and 2023 before being drubbed in the 2024 First Four by Colorado State.
That was all before Tony Bennett’s abrupt retirement prior to the 2024-25 season. In its first year under Odom, who broadened his resume by leading Utah State and VCU to the NCAA Tournament, Virginia engineered a 14-win improvement from its lone campaign under interim coach Ron Sanchez.
“It’s tremendous. You have to have that trust between coaches and players. My best teams, we’ve had that,” Odom told WDBJ this week.
The Cavaliers play a slightly faster pace than they did under Bennett, while still maintaining top-30 adjusted offensive and defensive ratings according to KenPom.com. Perhaps the biggest change from their old style is their increased willingness to shoot 3-pointers: 46.5% of their field-goal attempts are from beyond the arc as eight players have made at least 20 triples this season.
Malik Thomas had 18 points and Sam Lewis added 17 when Virginia fell 74-70 to Duke, the No. 1 team in the country, in the ACC championship game Saturday. Thomas and sixth man Jacari White share the team lead with 61 3-pointers, while Thijs De Ridder paces Virginia with 15.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Wright State (23-11) could be a tricky first-round opponent as previous Horizon League champions have been. Oakland took down third-seeded Kentucky two years ago, then 15th-seeded Robert Morris gave Alabama a challenge in the Tide’s 90-81 win last year.
“We know we’re playing a really good team,” Odom said. “You get to this time of year, you’re going to play a team that’s won a lot of games and believes in itself.”
Horizon head coaches didn’t initially believe in Wright State. They picked the Raiders seventh in the 11-team league’s preseason poll. However, they’ve won seven of their last eight games as they claimed the regular-season title and then beat Northern Kentucky and Detroit Mercy in the conference tournament.
“To all our fans,” Raiders coach Clint Sargent said at the team’s selection party, “we’re young, and we’re just crazy enough to go win a couple games in Philly.”
It’s not unthinkable. Wright State ranks 55th in the country in 3-point percentage (36.1) and 88th in offensive rebounding percentage (33.2), two qualities that help teams pull off tournament upsets.
Seven players have led Wright State in scoring at least once this season. The Raiders’ top scorer is freshman Michael Cooper (13.4 ppg), while TJ Burch (12.3 points, 3.5 assists, 2.5 steals), the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year and tournament MVP, had 19 in the title game.
“It just keeps getting better and better,” Burch told the Dayton Daily News. “I’m excited. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We’re going to go up there and get a win.”
–Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media
Sports
Phillies' 4-run eighth fuels rally past Athletics
May 6, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Adolis García (53) celebrates his home run with second baseman Edmundo Sosa (33) against the Athletics during the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Edmundo Sosa delivered a go-ahead two-run single in the eighth inning as the Philadelphia Phillies rallied to notch a 6-3 victory over the visiting Athletics on Wednesday.
Brandon Marsh had three hits and an RBI for Philadelphia, which improved to 8-1 under interim manager Don Mattingly. Adolis Garcia homered for the Phillies while J.T. Realmuto, Garcia and Sosa each had two hits.
A’s left-hander Jeffrey Springs, who exited his last outing with hip soreness, gave up two runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings with four strikeouts and no walks in a crisp 75-pitch performance. Nick Kurtz finished with two hits and an RBI as he reached base for the 30th straight game.
In his third start since returning from a blood clot in his shoulder, Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler allowed three runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings.
The Phillies trailed 3-2 in the eighth inning when Kyle Schwarber drew a leadoff walk against Jack Perkins (2-1). Bryce Harper reached on an error by second baseman Jeff McNeil that spoiled a potential double play, then Garcia singled to load the bases.
Sosa grounded his two-run single up the middle to give Philadelphia the lead. The Athletics brought in Hogan Harris for the platoon advantage against Brandon Marsh, but Marsh stroked an RBI single before Justin Crawford’s RBI groundout made it 6-3 as the Phillies’ four-run frame featured two unearned runs.
The A’s loaded the bases against Brad Keller with two outs in the ninth, but the veteran right-hander got Jacob Wilson on a grounder back to the mound to end it. Orion Kerkering (1-0) recorded the final out of the eighth.
Kurtz’s RBI single in the fifth made it 2-0, but Philadelphia got a run back in the bottom half as Marsh tripled and scored on a grounder by Felix Reyes. Tyler Soderstrom led off the sixth with a homer against Wheeler to make it 3-1.
The Phillies answered again, this time with Garcia’s solo homer in their half of the sixth.
Perkins pitched the seventh for the A’s, striking out a pair, before the right-hander ran into trouble in the eighth.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Pete Alonso helps power Orioles past Marlins
May 6, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) congratulates Pete Alonso (25) on his three-run home run in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images Pete Alonso hammered a three-run home run and Adley Rutschman smacked two run-scoring doubles as the Baltimore Orioles beat the host Miami Marlins 7-4 on Wednesday night.
It’s the second victory in a row following a five-game skid for the Orioles, who will go for a series sweep on Thursday.
Orioles starter Brandon Young (3-1) worked six innings, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks with five strikeouts. Rico Garcia pitched the ninth for his second save as four pitchers combined on a six-hitter.
Baltimore won despite being limited to seven hits, though the Orioles drew seven walks. Taylor Ward picked up three of the walks and scored three runs.
Jakob Marsee drove in two runs, but the Marlins lost their fourth game in a row and for the fifth time in six games.
Marlins starter Eury Perez (2-4) lasted five-plus innings and was charged with a season-high five earned runs on four hits and five walks with six strikeouts.
Dax Fulton entered to pitch for Miami in the sixth inning in his major league debut, striking out Dylan Beavers and Coby Mayo as the first batters he faced with two runners on base.
Both teams scored in the first inning.
Alonso’s seventh homer of the season was a three-run blast that came with one out after Ward walked and Rutschman was hit by a pitch.
The first two Marlins were retired before two runners reached base and Marsee knocked them in with a double on an 0-2 splitter. Owen Caissie’s single drove in Marsee.
The Orioles went back ahead in the fourth on Beavers’ two-out double. Rutschman doubled in Ward in the fifth with two outs.
Rutschman’s seventh-inning double stretched the lead to 6-3.
The Marlins got a run in the seventh, with pinch hitter Otto Lopez doubling and scoring on Xavier Edwards’ groundout.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Royals' Cole Ragans leave game with triceps, elbow soreness
Apr 26, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Cole Ragans (55) pitches during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Kansas City starting pitcher Cole Ragans left the Royals’ Wednesday game against the Cleveland Guardians after the third inning due to left triceps and elbow soreness, the team announced.
Ragans gave up no runs and a hit while striking out four and walking two. He threw 58 pitches. He is 1-4 with a 4.84 ERA in eight starts this season, with 45 strikeouts and 23 walks in 35 1/3 innings.
An All-Star in 2024, Ragans, 28, was drafted in the first round in 2016 by the Texas Rangers. He was traded to Kansas City in 2023 in a deal that sent closer Aroldis Champman to Texas.
Ragans is 22-24 overall in his career with a 3.76 ERA in 91 appearances (74 starts).
–Field Level Media
Phillies' 4-run eighth fuels rally past Athletics
Pete Alonso helps power Orioles past Marlins
