Sports
Back in loaded Big 12, Colorado begins season vs. E. Washington
Oct 23, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Tad Boyle talks to media during the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Media Day at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images In the season opener for both teams, Colorado and Eastern Washington clash on Monday night in Boulder, Colo., after an offseason of big changes.
Colorado won a program-record 26 games last year, including two in the NCAA Tournament (First Four and Round of 64). The Buffaloes are retooling after losing all five starters, their top five scorers and top six rebounders, including NBA draft picks Cody Williams, Tristan da Silva and KJ Simpson. Eddie Lampkin Jr. transferred to Syracuse, while J’Vonne Hadley is now playing at Louisville.
That poses a challenge as Colorado — predicted to finish 15th out of 16 teams in the Big 12 — moves into a loaded conference that features five teams in the preseason top 10. Kansas is No. 1 followed by Houston (No. 4), Iowa State (No. 5) and Baylor (No. 8). Arizona, an old rival from the Pac-12, is No. 10.
“I think it’s put a chip on our players’ shoulders,” Buffaloes coach Tad Boyle said of the preseason prediction. “I know it’s put a chip on my shoulder.”
Boyle enters his 15th season leading the Buffaloes. In his first season, they were in the Big 12 before departing to the Pac-12 for 13 years. The change in landscape doesn’t change his expectations.
“The depth of the Big 12 is deeper and the venues are much more difficult to play, having coached in both leagues, and that’s going to be the big difference,” Boyle said. “It’s a hell of a challenge and we’re looking forward to it as a team, as a program.”
Eastern Washington didn’t jump conferences but did make a big move with the hiring of Dan Monson as coach. Monson coached Long Beach State for 17 seasons before returning to the state of Washington, where he began his career leading Gonzaga from 1997-99.
“Throughout the search for our next men’s basketball coach, it was important, for us, to identify a head coach who represented this area,” Eagles athletic director Tim Collins said when Monson was hired. “This region matters as much to him as Eastern does to it.”
Eastern Washington was 21-11 last year and finished first in the Big Sky Conference but fell in the league tournament quarterfinals, missing a chance to play in the NCAAs. Coach David Riley was hired by Washington State after three seasons guiding the Eagles.
The Eagles are picked to finish ninth out of 10 Big Sky teams by the conference’s coaches after losing six players to the transfer portal and two starters to graduation. Mason Williams is the team’s top returning scorer (3.8 ppg off the bench last year).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cubs LHP Matthew Boyd injures knee playing with his children, put on IL
May 3, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd (16) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images Chicago Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd hurt his left meniscus while playing with his children at home on Wednesday morning and was placed on the 15-day injured list.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that Boyd had an MRI that revealed the knee injury and the pitcher will require surgery. The move was retroactive to Monday.
“It’s kind of unexplainable,” Counsell said. “Kind of an innocent, going down to the ground and getting back up.
“He woke up this morning a healthy player,” the manager added. “He’s just trying to process it and get all the information from the doctors to figure out what’s next.”
Counsell said the timetable for Boyd’s return will be determined after the surgery, but the team expects him to play again this season.
Boyd, 35, was on the IL from April 2-21 because of a left biceps strain. He is 2-1 with a 6.00 ERA, six walks and 31 strikeouts in 24 innings over five starts this season.
An All-Star for Chicago in 2025, Boyd is 62-78 with a 4.61 ERA in 218 career appearances (204) starts for the Toronto Blue Jays (2015), Detroit Tigers (2015-21, 2023), Seattle Mariners (2022), Cleveland Guardians (2024) and Cubs.
In a corresponding move, Chicago selected the contract of right-handed reliever Trent Thornton from Triple-A Iowa. They also designated lefty Charlie Barnes for assignment to clear room on the 40-man roster for Thornton. Righty Yacksel Rios was sent outright to Iowa.
Thornton, 32, is 0-0 with a 3.18 ERA in 5 2/3 innings over four games (one start) with Iowa this season. He has a career record of 14-19 with a 4.38 in seven seasons for the Toronto Blue Jays (2019-23) and Seattle Mariners (2023-25).
The Cubs already have starting pitchers Justin Steele (left elbow) and Cade Horton (right elbow) on the injured list.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rangers ace Nathan Eovaldi halts Yankees' five-game streak
May 6, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Nathan Eovaldi pitched eight stellar innings and was backed by two early homers as the visiting Texas Rangers quieted the New York Yankees in a 6-1 victory on Wednesday night.
After pitching seven innings in last Wednesday’s 3-0 home win over the Yankees, Eovaldi (4-4) struck out a season-high eight and walked none for the second time this season. The veteran right-hander allowed just three hits, including Aaron Judge’s major league-leading 15th homer in the sixth that snapped his scoreless string at 13 innings.
The Rangers scored more than five runs for the seventh time this season and ended a three-game losing streak by racing out to a six-run lead through four innings against New York’s Will Warren (4-1).
Corey Seager homered three batters into the contest and Evan Carter hit a two-run shot in the third. Seager added an RBI single after going 4-for-31 in his previous eight contests and not getting an RBI in his previous nine.
Ezequiel Duran contributed an RBI double and a bases-loaded sacrifice fly as Texas finished with more than five runs for the first time since April 23 against Pittsburgh.
Eovaldi made the lead stand up with ease. He often recorded quick outs and threw 72 of 101 pitches for strikes.
Eovaldi completed eight innings for the 16th time in his career and fourth time against the Yankees, whom he pitched for in 2015 and 2016. Jacob Latz pitched the ninth as the Rangers held the Yankees to five baserunners.
Judge hit his 12th homer in his past 23 games, but the Yankees saw a five-game winning streak stopped and lost for the third time in their past 18 games. New York scored 46 times in the previous five games, but finished with fewer than two runs for the fifth time this season.
Warren often fell behind hitters and was tagged for season highs of six runs on seven hits in four innings. Warren did get seven strikeouts, but he walked three as he threw first-pitch strikes to just 12 of 22 hitters.
Seager opened the scoring by lifting a 3-0 fastball into the right field seats and Texas added three in the third. After Duran’s double to left-center, Carter hit a 2-1 sweeper off the facing of the second deck in right for a 4-0 lead.
Following Duran’s sacrifice fly in the fourth, Seager made it 6-0 by lining a single to center.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees to honor late broadcaster John Sterling with uniform patch
May 4, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees wear “JS” stitched on their hats honoring radio play-by-play announcer John Sterling during the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images The New York Yankees will honor longtime radio announcer John Sterling, who died on Monday at the age of 87, with a patch on their uniforms for the reminder of the season.
The Yankees will continue to wear caps with the initials “JS” on the back through May 17. The team will switch to the patch as their tribute to Sterling on May 18, when the Yankees’ next homestand begins.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone approves of the tribute.
“I think it’s appropriate, certainly,” Boone told the New York Times after the Yanks’ 7-4 victory over the Texas Rangers. “(I’m) glad we’ll be able to honor his legacy throughout the rest of the season.”
The patch will feature Sterling’s name, as well as a microphone with the Yankee logo on a pinstriped background.
Sterling passed away from complications of heart failure on Monday, the Times reported. Sterling was honored prior to Monday’s game with a ceremony that featured a moment of silence and a video of some of Sterling’s most iconic radio calls.
After Monday’s game, Sterling’s signature call of “Thuuuuuuuuuuh Yankees WIN!” was played over the PA system at Yankee Stadium, followed by Frank Sinatra’s “Theme from New York, New York.”
Both manager Boone and Yankees captain Aaron Judge called for making that combo a permanent tradition. But Sterling’s call was not part of Tuesday’s post-game victory celebration, and it was unclear if the team intends to continue it, the Times reported.
Count Jazz Chisholm Jr. among those who feel the patch is a good way to honor Sterling this season.
“He was here for a long time,” said Chisholm. “He represented the Yankees well. We all, in our childhood, have that John Sterling call rising in our ears. I think it’s pretty cool that we, as a team and organization, get to recognize him for all the great things that he’s done here.”
–Field Level Media
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