Sports
Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper lead No. 25 Rutgers into clash vs. Wagner
Oct 3, 2024; Rosemont, IL, USA; Rutgers guard/forward Ace Bailey takes a question at the podium during the 2024 Big Ten Menís Basketball media day at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Melissa Tamez-Imagn Images Rutgers’ expectations for this season have been building to a fever pitch ever since two five-star high school recruits committed to the program.
They’re not just any two five-stars, either, but potential future NBA players who were often ranked second and third in the Class of 2024: Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper.
Rutgers believes it has constructed a formidable team around Bailey and Harper for 2024-25. The Scarlet Knights are ranked No. 25 in the AP preseason poll and will open a unique season Wednesday against Wagner in Piscataway, N.J.
Bailey is a 6-foot-10 Atlanta-area native who will be used all around the court, but primarily at forward and wing. Harper is a lead guard whose brother Ron Harper Jr. was one of the best players in recent Rutgers history. Bailey actually committed before Dylan Harper, and their long-distance friendship and occasional opportunities to play with one another during the summer helped form early chemistry.
They combined for 45 points, six made 3-pointers and nine rebounds in a 91-85 exhibition loss to St. John’s in October.
“Those two kids are talented. They’re great kids and they’re really good passers,” coach Steve Pikiell said. “They definitely have to learn some things. College defense is something they’re going to continue to get better at.”
The Scarlet Knights’ three returning players are guard Jeremiah Williams, a captain; guard Jamichael Davis, a high school teammate of Bailey; and Emmanuel Ogbole, who could be the team’s starting center after missing most of last year recovering from a knee injury.
Rutgers is usually known for its defense and had one of the worst offenses in power-conference basketball a season ago (65.4 ppg). In addition to Bailey’s and Harper’s contributions, the Scarlet Knights will lean on transfers like Tyson Acuff, Zach Martini and PJ Hayes.
Acuff (Eastern Michigan) ranked seventh in the country at 21.7 points per game last season but will start the season off the bench in a limited role. Martini (Princeton) shot 38.5 percent from 3-point land as a junior and was named co-captain with Williams. And Hayes (San Diego) shot nearly 40 percent from the arc as a freshman and didn’t miss a shot in the exhibition against St. John’s (4-for-4, including two 3-pointers).
Wagner was tied for first with Central Connecticut State atop the Northeast Conference preseason coaches’ poll. The Seahawks finished sixth last season but then ran the table in the conference tournament and defeated Howard in the NCAA Tournament First Four.
The Staten Island school rewarded coach Donald Copeland with a new five-year contract.
After injuries limited his roster to seven healthy scholarship players at tournament time, Copeland is glad to have back players like Javier Ezquerra (7.0 points, 4.4 assists per game last season), Keyontae Lewis (6.9 points, 5.4 rebounds) and Zaire Williams (9.3 ppg in nine games before a season-ending injury).
“It’s going well. We’re working hard,” Copeland told PIX 11 in the summer. “The players are jelling together, which I think is always good at this time of year … We’re able to put in some things that I think will help us come fall.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tigers hope to steal a series from Rangers
Detroit Tigers pitcher Drew Anderson (38), left, hugs catcher Dillon Dingler (13) after 5-1 win over Texas Rangers at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, May 2, 2026. Aggressiveness on the bases could become a new dynamic for the Detroit Tigers.
As the Tigers look for a series win in the finale of a three-game home set with the Texas Rangers on Sunday night, Detroit’s sudden penchant for stealing bases could be a key.
The Tigers swiped four bases in a 5-1 win on Saturday to raise their season total to 14. While they haven’t torn it up on the bases this season, the Tigers are expected to turn to a bullpen game on Sunday, and Dillon Dingler said baserunning is a way to manufacture runs.
“It’s fascinating because we aren’t usually a team that runs the bases,” said Dingler, who hit a three-run home run in the first inning on Saturday. “It is something that applies pressure, though.”
Dingler leads the Tigers in RBIs (23) and slugging percentage (.495) and is tied with Kerry Carpenter for the team lead in home runs (six).
An injury to Casey Mize (right adductor strain) sent the right-hander to the 15-day injured list on Friday and has forced Detroit to turn to its bullpen to wrap up the series.
Tyler Holton (0-1, 5.54 ERA) is set to be the first pitcher for the Tigers. In nine career appearances against the Rangers, he is 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA in 11 innings.
On Tuesday, he gave up four hits and two runs while recording one strikeout in one inning as the Tigers lost 5-2 at the Atlanta Braves.
While the Tigers will piece together their pitchers on Sunday, the Rangers are scheduled to start right-hander Jack Leiter (1-2, 5.17 ERA), who made his major league debut, and only career appearance, on the road against the Tigers in 2024. He allowed eight hits, seven runs, walked three and struck out three in 3 2/3 innings.
In his most recent start, Leiter took the loss Monday after he gave up four runs on eight hits over six innings in a 4-2 home defeat to the New York Yankees.
Texas hopes Brandon Nimmo will return to the lineup as the team vies for a series win on Sunday night. He’s pushed through a hamstring strain the last three days but exited the series opener on Friday in the fourth inning after his third at-bat.
The Rangers already are playing without Wyatt Langford, who had a setback in his recovery from a Grade 1 flexor strain in his right forearm. He’s been on the injured list since April 22 and will be re-evaluated in a week.
Because of the chilly temperatures in Detroit on Saturday night, Texas manager Skip Schumaker played it safe with Nimmo. Without the outfielder, the Rangers’ offense managed just one run on seven hits.
“The thought is, if I can give him (Nimmo) maybe 48 hours almost with pulling him (Friday) and hopefully starting him tomorrow,” Schumaker told The Dallas Morning News. “I think that might really settle it down.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mets' Bo Bichette could move to SS with injury to Ronny Mauricio
Apr 24, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets third baseman Ronny Mauricio (0) singles during the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images New York Mets shortstop Ronny Mauricio broke his left thumb Saturday, meaning starting third baseman Bo Bichette temporarily could take over at his former position.
Mauricio hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning Friday night, leading the Mets to a comeback road win against the Los Angeles Angels.
And in the seventh inning Saturday night, Mauricio broke the thumb on a headfirst slide into first base in the 4-3 loss.
The Mets are expected to put the 25-year-old Mauricio on the injured list Sunday morning before they play the finale of the three-game series in Anaheim, Calif.
Mauricio has started at shortstop for the Mets as a replacement for All-Star Francisco Lindor, who is expected to be out until at least June due to a serious left-calf strain.
Now, the Mets — the big-ticket team that has the MLB’s worst record — need a replacement for the replacement.
“I am pretty sure Bo is going to be in the conversation,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of the chance Bichette could take over at shortstop.
Bichette signed a three-year, $126 million contract in January, knowing he would move to third base with Lindor entrenched at shortstop.
With the Blue Jays (2019-25), Bichette played 716 of his 748 games at short.
“Whatever the team needs,” Bichette told reporters about a possible position switch.
Mauricio, in 10 games, is hitting .219 (7-for-32). He has one extra-base hit, a home run.
Bichette has gotten off to a slow start with his new team, hitting two home runs and driving in 14 in his first 32 games. His average of .238 is well below his career .292. Last season in Toronto, he hit .311 with 18 homers and 94 RBIs.
Mauricio joins a growing list of players on the injured list for New York — a list that includes outfielder Luis Robert Jr., infielder Jorge Polanco and right-hander Kodai Senga.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mets' Clay Holmes to start against Angels for first time
Apr 28, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes (35) pitches in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images National League ERA leader Clay Holmes will start against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday afternoon as the New York Mets try for just their second road series win of the season.
When Holmes takes the mound in Anaheim, Calif., it will be his first career start against the Angels.
The right-handed Holmes (3-2, 1.75 ERA) hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any of his six starts. He comes in off an 8-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday that saw him allow three hits and a walk over six innings while striking out six.
“He’s been doing it since last year,” teammate Juan Soto told the New York Post. “No surprise what he’s been doing. He’s a grinder. He’s been putting in the work every day, so I’m really happy to see that.”
Holmes is 0-0 with a 2.35 ERA in nine career relief appearances against the Angels.
New York’s only road series victory came April 2-5 when it took three of four games at San Francisco. The Mets defeated Arizona in their next game to improve to 7-4 on the season but since have lost 18 of their next 22 games.
The Mets won the series opener, 4-3, on Friday on Ronny Mauricio’s go-ahead home run in the seventh inning. They had several excellent scoring chances to win Saturday’s game and the series before losing 4-3 in 10 innings on Oswald Peraza’s walk-off bases-loaded single off reliever Austin Warren.
It was Peraza’s first career walk-off hit and snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Angels.
“It feels amazing,” Peraza said after lining an 0-2 curveball into the gap in left-center to drive in automatic runner Adam Frazier from third. “We needed that win, and thank God. I was looking for a good pitch to hit and see the ball, and I feel so happy for the win.”
It was just the second win in 13 games for the Angels, who — like the Mets — have won only three series this season.
“I guess there was no other way to do it than a walk off,” Los Angeles manager Kurt Suzuki said. “It hasn’t been easy. So really proud of them. They grinded, they battled.”
Right-hander Jack Kochanowicz (2-0, 3.09) gets the start for Los Angeles and will try to give the Angels their first series victory since April 10-12 at Cincinnati. That also was the last time Kochanowicz picked up a victory, allowing two hits and one run over seven innings in a 10-2 win in the series opener.
A big question going into Sunday’s finale is who will be playing shortstop for the Mets.
Mauricio, filling in for injured All-Star Francisco Lindor, broke his left thumb on a head-first slide into first base, beating out an infield single in the seventh inning of Saturday’s loss.
“He’s going on the IL,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It’s tough obviously. You lose your everyday shortstop and the guy that comes up that is getting the everyday opportunity here now is hurt. Somebody else is going to have an opportunity.”
–Field Level Media
Tigers hope to steal a series from Rangers
Mets' Bo Bichette could move to SS with injury to Ronny Mauricio
