Sports
SMU tries to avoid slip-up against cellar-dwelling Pitt
Jan 17, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; SMU Mustangs guard Boopie Miller (2) reacts to being knocked to the floor during the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images SMU needs to avoid jeopardizing its NCAA Tournament hopes as it visits Pitt for an Atlantic Coast Conference clash on Saturday afternoon.
The Mustangs (15-7, 4-5 ACC) have dropped two in a row with a loss at Louisville and a tough 84-83 setback at home to North Carolina State on Tuesday night.
The Mustangs sit 34th in the NCAA’s NET rankings, but know they need to get back on track and avoid what could be a damaging loss to Pitt (9-14, 2-8 ACC), which has also lost two in a row and has a NET ranking of 114.
Boopie Miller, SMU’s leading scorer at 19.1 points per game, scored 14 points against the Wolfpack, but his game-winning attempt in the closing seconds was blocked, sealing the Mustangs’ defeat.
“The league is certainly better this year,” SMU coach Andy Enfield said of the depth of the ACC. “More quality teams from top to bottom, meaning on a national scale, some of these teams, including SMU, won big out-of-conference games in November and early December… So every game we play now is a pretty important game for us on the regional and league scale, but also nationally.”
The Panthers, who are led by Brandin Cummings (12.5 points per game) and Cameron Corhen (12.1), find themselves in the conference’s cellar, tied with Notre Dame and Georgia Tech heading into the weekend. Pitt is looking for more consistent play that can lead to wins instead of just valiant efforts.
Lack of depth and size have hurt Pitt as well as other factors, such as poor free-throw shooting (66.1%) and turnovers. The Panthers committed 17 turnovers in their most recent loss, 67-47 at Virginia, and surrendered 13 offensive rebounds.
Pitt athletic director Allen Greene recently spoke to the media about Pitt’s disappointing season, which could foreshadow changes ahead if there’s no noticeable improvement.
“We have high expectations for our men’s basketball program, and we haven’t lived up to those expectations this year,” Greene said. “Obviously, Coach (Capel) knows that, the staff is aware of that, the players are aware of that. They want more out of what we got going on, and I know they’re working their tails off to try to fix it.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tigers' Javier Baez won't play in 2026 WBC due to marijuana use
Tigers shortstop Javier Baez reacts after grounded out against Mariners during the 14th inning of ALDS Game 5 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez is not eligible to play for Puerto Rico in the upcoming World Baseball Classic due to his ongoing suspension for marijuana use, multiple media outlets reported on Friday.
Baez, 33, tested positive for the substance on March 12, 2023. The three-time All-Star received a two-year ban from World Baseball Softball Confederation events that began on April 26, 2024, and therefore it lasts until April 26, 2026.
The 2026 WBC runs from March 5-17.
Major League Baseball has permitted marijuana use since the 2020 season, therefore Baez will not face any discipline from the league or the Tigers.
Baez was an All-Star last season when he batted .257 with 12 homers and 57 RBIs in 126 games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Prosecutors withdraw felony assault charge against Gavin McKenna
Jan 31, 2026; State College, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions forward Gavin McKenna (72) looks to shoot the puck during the first period against the Michigan State Spartans at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images Pennsylvania prosecutors on Friday withdrew a felony aggravated assault charge against Penn State freshman forward Gavin McKenna, a consensus top prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The 18-year-old Canadian still faces charges of misdemeanor assault and summary harassment and disorderly conduct for allegedly breaking a man’s jaw with two punches last Saturday.
Prosecutors and local police determined video evidence “does not support a conclusion that Gavin McKenna acted with the intent to cause serious bodily injury or with reckless indifference to the value of human life,” the Centre County, Pa., district attorney’s office said in a statement.
Police allege McKenna punched the man outside a State College, Pa., bar during an altercation that followed Penn State’s 5-4 overtime loss to visiting Michigan State in an outdoor game at Beaver Stadium.
The complainant’s jaw was fractured in two places and he is recovering from surgery, the prosecutors’ statement said. They clarified he is not missing a tooth, contradicting the initial criminal complaint against McKenna.
McKenna has 11 goals and 32 points in 26 games for the Nittany Lions, including a goal and two assists in the outdoor defeat to Michigan State. Penn State’s next games come at Michigan on Feb. 13-14.
Last season, McKenna scored 41 goals and 129 points in 56 games for the Western Hockey League champion Medicine Hat Tigers.
He was among the first Canadian major junior players to take advantage of a 2024 ruling that allowed them to leave for college hockey. According to an ESPN report, McKenna is making an estimated $700,000 in NIL money.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dodgers designate LHP Anthony Banda, claim C Ben Rortvedt
Oct 28, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Anthony Banda (43) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays in the seventh inning during game four of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Dodgers designated left-handed reliever Anthony Banda for assignment on Friday as they moved to bring back backup catcher Ben Rortvedt on a waiver claim.
Banda, 32, played a key role in the Dodgers’ bullpen during two consecutive championship seasons, but he struggled in the last World Series with an 18.00 ERA in four appearances against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Banda was the victim of a roster crunch. The Dodgers were looking at six left-handed reliever options before he was designated.
Banda was 8-3 with a 3.14 ERA over 119 appearances (three starts) over the last two seasons in Los Angeles. In nine major league seasons, he is 15-9 with a 4.44 ERA in 209 appearances (nine starts).
Rortvedt, 28, was a late-season acquisition for the Dodgers last September when Will Smith went down with a broken hand. He was on the roster throughout the playoffs and started the first four games of the championship run.
The Dodgers signed Rortvedt to a guaranteed $1.25 million contract for the 2026 season before he was placed on waivers and claimed by the Cincinnati Reds. He was designated for assignment by the Reds earlier this week when Cincinnati signed Eugenio Suarez.
Rortvedt hit 3-for-7 with one RBI in the playoffs for Los Angeles. In 138 career games over four seasons with four different teams, he is a career .190 hitter with nine home runs and 52 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
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Tigers' Javier Baez won't play in 2026 WBC due to marijuana use
