Sports
Clemson tackles Charleston Southern in opener with tournament return on its mind
Mar 30, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Clemson Tigers forward Ian Schieffelin (4) shoots against Alabama Crimson Tide forward Nick Pringle (23) in the second half in the finals of the West Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images After a memorable run to the Elite Eight in March, how the Clemson men’s basketball team performs early this season ranks among interesting storylines in the new-look Atlantic Coast Conference.
The Tigers tip off the 2024-25 season on Monday against visiting Charleston Southern. Clemson has never lost to the Buccaneers, posting 20 consecutive victories dating to their first meeting in 1975.
Clemson’s reshaped roster no longer features big man PJ Hall, who signed a two-way contract with the NBA’s Denver Nuggets in July. The Tigers were left out of the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll despite winning 24 games and reaching the West Region final of the NCAA Tournament against Alabama a season ago, but they figured prominently when it came to forecasting the ACC, which now includes SMU, California and Stanford.
Head coach Brad Brownell’s team placed fourth out of 18 schools in the ACC preseason poll behind top vote-getter Duke, North Carolina and Wake Forest. Senior forward Ian Schieffelin and sixth-year guard Chase Hunter — both named preseason Second Team All-ACC — are major reasons why Clemson received its highest preseason prediction since 2010 when the Tigers were picked to finish third.
“I think we know what it takes, and we can just express that with the new guys and show them the ropes, and I think we’ll have a good chance to get back to where we were,” Schieffelin said during the ACC Tipoff event.
Coming off a 10-20 (6-10 Big South) season, Charleston Southern placed fifth in the Big South Conference preseason poll. The Buccaneers bring back their top three scorers from last season in senior forward Taje’ Kelly (preseason First Team All-Big South) as well as the guard tandem of RJ Johnson and A’lahn Sumler, both named preseason Second Team All-Conference.
“We are very excited for this year and the conference season,” Buccaneers head coach Saah Nimley said. “We are going to test ourselves early in the nonconference and that will prepare us for league play.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Bengals Have No More Excuses Entering the 2026 NFL Season
For the Cincinnati Bengals, it’s time for results to meet expectations.
They had a more productive offseason of re-tooling its defense and tweaking a roster that underperformed in 2025, which was a disappointment with a 6-11 record and third straight season out of the playoffs in the Joe Burrow era.
The Bengals entered the offseason at a critical crossroads.
Their star quarterback missed more than half of last season — nine games following turf toe surgery — and the Bengals’ defense ranked in the bottom five of several significant categories, The organization faced intense media scrutiny and fan pessimism … Are the Bengals ever going to build a winner around Joe Burrow?
Bengals ownership, led by Mike Brown and his daughter, Katie, have traditionally chosen conservative, baseline adjustments to tweak the roster. That was definitely not the case starting with free agency in March and continuing through the draft.
Veteran impact free agents like Cincinnati native and Super Bowl champion safety Bryan Cook, defensive edge Boye Mafe, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and safety Kyle Dugger were added. They then stunned the NFL by trading away their first-round draft pick (No. 10 overall) for defensive tackle and front four anchor Dexter Lawrence II, and extending him another year at $28 million for 2028. Then they did something they almost never do – they restructured Burrow’s contract to free up approximately $10 million in critical cap space.
All of the moves are a signal that those inside the organization understand that the championship window is wide open. An influx of high-tier talent has fundamentally altered the external narrative and internal expectations in Cincinnati as training camp approaches.
“A lot of urgency this year,” Burrow said. “We have everything we need. We’re deep at just about every position on the team.”
Following the departure of longtime star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson to division rival Baltimore for four years and $112 million in free agency, the Bengals adjusted from relying on a singular dominant edge rusher to utilizing a committee of quick-pressure and flexible edge defenders.
Mafe brings immediate speed off the edge from the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahwaks. Defensive coordinator Al Golden is counting on him being and every down edge. The Bengals added to their pass rush options by taking Texas A&M edge and SEC Defensive Player of the Year Cashius Howell in the second round (No. 41 overall). Howell adds a highly athletic edge threat to the rotational mix. Mafe and Howell join a group that also features 2023 first-round edge Myles Murphy and 2025 first-rounder Shemar Stewart.
For Burrow, the overhauled roster brings back familiar pressure and expectations to win, and win big.
“Put pressure on guys. I love it. I thrive in it,” Burrow said. “We’ll find out who else does. I know we have the kind of people who want to be in that spot. I want everybody talking about the Bengals. You go back and watch what I said before the 2019 (national championship) season at LSU. I feel very similarly about this team. I’m so excited to get started and get moving.”
Burrow’s confidence is fueled by a completely revitalized supporting cast on both sides of the ball. Burrow acknowledges that the increased financial commitment from ownership eliminates excuses, placing the responsibility on leadership to execute.
With a bolstered roster, expectations have risen to a championship standard, the standard by both Burrow and head coach Zac Taylor repeated often following their Super Bowl run in 2021 and their run to a second straight AFC title game appearance in 2022. Taylor has echoed this optimism, successfully accomplished its objectives regarding scheme implementation and personnel preparation during the offseason workout and practice program.
“We accomplished everything we set out to accomplish,” Taylor said at the end of mandatory minicamp in June.
The 2026 season is viewed as a critical juncture for the Bengals to capitalize on its heavy roster investments and win the first Super Bowl title in the franchise’s 59th season.
Sports
'Frustrated' Blue Jays eager to reverse course vs. Rays
Jul 12, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider (14) argues with home plate umpire Jen Pawol (95) during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images The Toronto Blue Jays will be out to salvage what they can from a guaranteed losing homestand Wednesday night when they continue their series with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Blue Jays dropped to 1-4 on their seven-game homestand with a 12-2 setback to the Rays on Tuesday.
Tampa Bay is 7-1 against Toronto this season to clinch the season series.
While the Rays sit atop the American League East, the Blue Jays are last in the division, with their hopes of a wild-card spot fading.
“I think everyone is frustrated,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “There’s no secret, this is not going to be easy. It’s going to be hard. You just want to find some small wins for one, and two, you just make sure everyone understands that this is going to be hard and you’ve got to dig your way out of this.”
The Blue Jays have only eight runs over their first five games since returning from the All-Star break.
After the Rays scored three runs in the first inning Tuesday against Kevin Gausman, the Blue Jays failed to score against Drew Rasmussen in the bottom of the inning despite loading the bases with one out. That is a microcosm of Toronto’s season.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was 0-for-4 on Tuesday and is in an 0-for-13 funk in a disappointing season. The Rays’ pitchers have been tough on Guerrero this season, holding him at 2-for-27.
The Blue Jays’ defense also has been a problem against the Rays. Toronto has committed five errors over the two games of the four-game series.
That number could have been higher. One error call on Tuesday — third baseman Kazuma Okamoto on Nick Fortes’ grounder in the seventh — was changed to a hit.
Schneider said the fielding mistakes are more a result of the Rays’ style than his team pressing.
“This team really plays the game fast,” Schneider said of Tampa Bay. “I don’t think that it’s us playing tight. I think it’s them forcing the issue.”
The Rays also have been hitting for power in the series. They had three homers on Monday. Fortes, who went deep in his second consecutive contest, joined Yandy Diaz — who was playing in his 1,000th MLB game — by belting a three-run homer on Tuesday.
“That’s pretty special to play 1,000 games at this level, and he’s done it at an incredibly high level,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said of Diaz. “I appreciate Yandy, certainly the hitter he is, the way he’s evolved as a teammate, as a leader on this team, the energy that he provides on a daily basis, and the way he carries himself is really special.”
Chandler Simpson and Ben Williamson each had four hits for Tampa Bay, and Junior Caminero had two hits and three walks. The Rays had a season-best 21 hits.
“It just attests to everything that we can do in the lineup,” Simpson said. “We can win it with speed, put the bat on the ball. We can also use the power game as well to win games.”
The Blue Jays will go with an opener on Wednesday, with right-handed reliever Braydon Fisher (3-3, 3.65 ERA) getting the call. In 10 career relief appearances against the Rays, he is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA.
Right-hander Griffin Jax (5-7, 4.08) is Tampa Bay’s scheduled starter on Wednesday. He is 1-2 with a 3.80 ERA in 17 career games (two starts) against Toronto.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Martin Perez returns for Braves, to pitch against Padres
Jun 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Martin Perez (33) throws against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Veteran Martin Perez will come off the injured list to take his spot in the starting rotation when the Atlanta Braves host the San Diego Padres on Wednesday.
The Padres beat the Braves 8-3 on Tuesday to even the four-game series at a game apiece. San Diego has won four of five games against the Braves on the season.
Perez went on the injured list after being hit in the arm by a line drive by Juan Soto of the New York Mets on July 5. He threw a bullpen session on Sunday and was deemed ready to return.
“He rebounded well,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “To be honest, it’s not a terrible thing that he got a little break. Threw 50 innings last year, so I think probably good timing there if there is such a thing for something like that. Chances are he was going to need a break at some point this year anyway.”
Left-hander Perez (6-6, 3.54) will face off against San Diego right-hander Michael King (6-7, 3.34). Perez has thrown 81 1/3 innings this season.
Perez made his last start against the Mets on July 5 and allowed five runs (four earned) in 4 1/3 innings. He had to leave the game after absorbing the line drive off his left forearm. X-rays showed no broken bones, but it was severe enough to require a trip to the injured list.
Perez has never beaten San Diego. In four career appearances (three starts), he is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA. He lost to the Padres on June 24 when he pitched four innings and allowed three runs on four hits and four walks.
King received no decision in his most recent start on Friday against the Kansas City Royals, a 7-6 loss in 10 innings. He pitched five innings and allowed one run on four hits and two walks, striking out four. He has allowed two or fewer runs in 12 of his 20 starts.
King has made three career appearances against the Braves, going 1-0 with a 2.03 ERA. He beat Atlanta 1-0 on June 22 in San Diego when he threw seven scoreless innings.
The Padres continue to tinker with the lineup. On Tuesday they batted struggling veteran Xander Bogaerts No. 8 in the lineup, something he has done just 48 times in 1,761 career games. He went 1-for-4 and was robbed of a home run by Atlanta center fielder Michael Harris II.
“We’re taking a little bit of the pressure off Bogey,” manager Craig Stammen said. “That’s probably the biggest thing. We’ve got to get him going somehow. Thought moving him up in the lineup might get him going. He’s still taking good at-bats.”
Bogaerts said, “What can I say? Play better.”
Manny Machado doesn’t have that problem. He has homered three times in the series and has hit safely in 12 straight games. During the streak he has five homers, 11 RBIs and eight runs scored, and he has raised his average from .187 to .204.
The Atlanta offense, which entered the series having scored five-plus runs in nine consecutive home games, was limited to four hits for the second straight game. Two of those came from rookie shortstop Jim Jarvis.
The Braves released veteran designated hitter Kyle Farmer, an Atlanta native, on Tuesday when they activated outfielder Mike Yastrzemski. Farmer appeared in only 12 games and went on the injured list in May with a right forearm strain. He made two brief appearances after his return earlier this month.
Yastrzemski was on the 10-day injured list due to an elbow ailment.
–Field Level Media
Bengals Have No More Excuses Entering the 2026 NFL Season
'Frustrated' Blue Jays eager to reverse course vs. Rays
