Sports
No. 7 Purdue eyes Big Ten perch, set to battle No. 16 Wisconsin
Feb 8, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Tonje (9) drives against Iowa Hawkeyes forward Riley Mulvey (44) during the first half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images While No. 7 Purdue finds itself just below the Big Ten Conference’s top spot, 16th-ranked Wisconsin is seeking an opportunity to challenge for the league title.
The two collide on Saturday when the Badgers visit the Boilermakers in West Lafayette, Ind., for a matchup that could help determine seeding for next month’s conference tournament as well as the NCAA Tournament.
The Boilermakers (19-6, 11-3 Big Ten) fell out of first place Tuesday night with a 75-73 loss at new leader Michigan, while Wisconsin (19-5, 9-4) owns sole possession of fourth after its 74-63 victory at Iowa on Feb. 8.
Badgers forward John Blackwell had a simple explanation for why the Badgers held the high-scoring Hawkeyes 22 points under their per-game average.
“We just shut their water off,” he said.
While Wisconsin turned the spigots off on one end, it poured John Tonje at the Iowa defense on the other end. Tonje scored seven straight points to start a game-ending 16-4 run and finished with a game-high 22 points, going 9 of 10 at the line.
A graduate student who played just eight games last season at Missouri before suffering a season-ending injury, Tonje is enjoying the best season of his career, averaging 18.6 points per game and converting 46.8 percent of his shots from the field.
“He picked his spots,” Badgers coach Greg Gard said of Tonje’s late outburst. “He was able to attack when the floor was a little more spread and we had a little more balance. We had gotten the defense distorted.”
Blackwell (15.3 ppg), Max Klesmit (10.1) and Nolan Winter (10.0) also average double figures for Wisconsin, which is averaging 81 ppg, the most in Gard’s 10-year tenure. It also leads Division I in foul shooting at 84.1 percent.
Given that number, the Boilermakers would be well advised to play a cleaner brand of defense than they did Tuesday night. Purdue outscored Michigan by 10 points from the field but made just eight trips to the foul line, while it committed 23 fouls and gave the Wolverines 26 attempts at the stripe, getting outscored by 12 points there.
“We needed to get to the free-throw line and we didn’t,” Boilermakers coach Matt Painter said. “It was a very physical game, and we tried to manage it to the best of our ability.”
Trey Kaufman-Renn, who leads the team in scoring at 19 ppg on 60.2 percent shooting, made 11 of 19 shots at Michigan and finished with 22 points. But Painter said that he would have liked to see Kaufman-Renn get to the foul line at some point in that game.
Guard Braden Smith pumped in 24 points, upping his average to 16.4, and is also dishing out 8.7 assists per game. Fletcher Loyer chips in 13.8 ppg and sinks 45.1 percent from the 3-point line. Those three players combined for 61 points at Michigan but the bench didn’t score a point, getting outscored 21-0.
Painter wasn’t that concerned about the lack of scoring off the bench.
“In a game like that, you want your top scorers taking most of the shots and they were efficient,” he said.
This is the only regular-season meeting of the Badgers and Boilermakers.
–Field Level Media
Sports
PGA Tour rookie Jackson Koivun rockets in rankings after maiden win
Jul 2, 2026; Silvis, Illinois, USA; Jackson Koivun walks off of the 15th green after making a putt during the first round of the John Deere Classic golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images One win has put Jackson Koivun on the map. It might also be enough to get him a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Koivun won the 3M Open on Sunday in Minnesota in his third start since turning pro. The 21-year-old, a former college star and No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, went 25 under par at TPC Twin Cities and beat World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler by three shots.
Not only did it secure Koivun a two-year exemption on tour and an invitation to the Masters, it also put him in the playoff hunt.
Koivun jumped 124 spots in the FedEx Cup points race to No. 70, the final spot that will qualify for the first leg of the playoffs, the FedEx St. Jude Championship, with two weeks to go in the regular season.
Koivun is ahead of recognizable names such as Australia’s Jason Day (No. 74), Keegan Bradley (No. 76), Brooks Koepka (No. 84) and Tony Finau (No. 87), who would miss the playoffs were the season to end Monday.
The 3M Open victory also vaulted Koivun from No. 206 to No. 73 in the Official World Golf Ranking. When Koivun entered the U.S. Open for his final start as an amateur, he was ranked No. 260; by making the cut and tying for 23rd there, he moved up to No. 217. He’d since climbed a bit higher after tying for 10th at the ISCO Championship.
Koivun was a three-time Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, a three-time All-American and a two-time national champion at Auburn. He turned pro ahead of the John Deere Classic in early July.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Padres host Rockies with wild-card race tightening
Jul 26, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) returns to the dugout against the Miami Marlins during the sixth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images While many national baseball writers craft trades involving various Padres dealt to teams they see as playoff contenders, the National League wild-card race has turned back in the Padres’ favor.
A 5-5 road trip that ended with a sweep of Miami has enabled San Diego to gain ground on multiple teams ahead of it. And a six-game homestand that starts Tuesday night against the Colorado Rockies appears to offer a chance to move further into the playoff picture.
The Padres are just two games behind Arizona, which holds the final NL wild-card spot, with seven games left against the Diamondbacks. They also have chances to overtake the likes of Pittsburgh and Washington, who they host in late-season series.
An offense that was the worst in baseball during the first half of the season seems to have found its best form. San Diego averaged 6.3 runs per game on its road trip as stars like Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill finally, well, starred.
“If we keep playing like this,” said second baseman Jake Cronenworth, “we’re going to put ourselves in a position to make A.J. help this team.”
That would be general manager A.J. Preller, who rarely hesitates to make multiple blockbuster trades when just one would suffice. His history shows it would take a lot for the Padres to become sellers, even if the logic suggests it’s the right move.
They will try to get over the .500 mark Tuesday night behind Michael King (6-7, 3.24 ERA). He last pitched Wednesday night in Atlanta, allowing one run on five hits and four walks in six innings of the team’s 7-6 loss while fanning seven. King is 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in four career outings against Colorado.
The Rockies counter with Michael Lorenzen (3-9, 6.53). He last worked on July 21 in his team’s 8-7 win over Washington, allowing seven hits and six runs over 3 2/3 innings with a walk and five strikeouts. Lorenzen is 1-3 with a 5.59 ERA in 17 career appearances (four starts) against San Diego.
While the Padres seek their third straight postseason appearance, Colorado is in seller’s mode. An 11-2 loss Sunday in Milwaukee dropped it 23 games under .500. While they will improve greatly over last year’s 119 losses, the Rockies might still reach 100 defeats.
The snapshot of this year’s team is familiar to Colorado fans. The Rockies boast a top-10 offense in average, on-base percentage, runs, and slugging percentage, but can’t get anyone out. They rank last in the majors in ERA (5.55) and opponents’ batting average (.289).
Colorado figures to flip assets into prospect capital while giving younger players like Cole Carrigg plenty of playing time the rest of the season. The center fielder has hit .287 with five homers and 26 RBI in 39 games since being called up, including a homer off a 101.9 mph fastball Sunday against Jacob Misiorowski.
“Just trying to be as short as I could, trying to get something over the plate,” Carrigg said.
“Honestly, we were scratching, clawing, trying to get to him in any way, shape or form,” said Carrigg. “Obviously, he throws real hard — great pitcher — but personally, I was just trying to be as short as I could, trying to get something over the plate.”
San Diego is 6-1 this year against Colorado, including a four-game sweep from April 9-12 at Petco Park.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mexico legend Chicharito to sign with USL's Dallas franchise
May 27, 2023; Carson, California, USA; Los Angeles Galaxy forward Javier Hernandez (14) reacts after being ejected against Charlotte FC during the second half at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez will continue his playing career in Texas after signing with USL Championship expansion club Atletico Dallas.
The 38-year-old Mexican striker agreed to a two-year contract that includes a club option for a third season. Hernandez becomes the first player signed by Atletico Dallas, which will begin play in 2027 under head coach Peter Luccin.
The agreement is subject to approval from the league and federation.
“I didn’t come here simply to finish my career,” Hernandez said. “I came here to help build the future of football in Dallas.”
Atletico Dallas will play its home matches at the Cotton Bowl while competing in the USL Championship, a second-tier professional soccer league in the United States below MLS.
Hernandez has not played competitively since appearing for Chivas in November 2025. He became a free agent after scoring three goals across all competitions during his final season with the Mexican club.
The move extends a career that has also included stops with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham United, Sevilla and the Los Angeles Galaxy.
“I’ve been fortunate to live the dreams that every young footballer hopes to experience,” Hernandez said. “I’ve worn some of the biggest shirts in the world and played in incredible stadiums in front of passionate supporters. Opportunities like this, though, are different.”
Hernandez scored 52 goals in 109 appearances for Mexico, making him the national team’s all-time leading scorer. He last played internationally in 2019 and worked as a television analyst during the 2026 World Cup.
His addition gives Atletico Dallas an established name around which to begin building their inaugural roster. Luccin, a former Atletico Madrid midfielder, was appointed as the club’s first coach in February.
Dallas will be the eighth club of Hernandez’s senior career and marks his return to American soccer after playing for the Galaxy from 2020-23.
–Field Level Media
PGA Tour rookie Jackson Koivun rockets in rankings after maiden win
Padres host Rockies with wild-card race tightening
