By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer HOUSTON (AP) — Two years ago, Iowa coach Ben McCollum was at Division II Northwest Missouri State and right there with him was current Hawkeyes star Bennett Stirtz. It's been a whirlwind journey for the pair since then. And on Saturday night, they'll ...

By The Associated Press (AP) — August 1996: Woods wins third straight U.S. Amateur and turns professional the following week. October 1996: Woods wins the Las Vegas Invitational for his first PGA Tour victory in his fifth professional start. April 1997: Woods wins the Masters at age 21 with ...

By NOAH TRISTER AP Baseball Writer The Baltimore Orioles agreed Friday to a $68 million, five-year contract through 2030 with newly acquired right-hander Shane Baz. Baz came to Baltimore from Tampa Bay in a trade in December. He's scheduled to make his first start for the Orioles on ...

By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer Former All-Pro center Barret Robbins, largely known for leaving the Oakland Raiders' team hotel on the eve of their most recent Super Bowl appearance in 2003, died at 52, the team confirmed Friday. Ex-teammate Tim Brown, a Hall of Fame wide receiver, ...

By MATT CARLSON Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Pete Crow-Armstrong says settling into Chicago and becoming one of the faces of the Cubs matter more to him than the windfall from the six-year, $115 million contract the All-Star center fielder signed with the team. "The best part is ...

By RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writer MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) — Christian Pulisic understands the burden he carries as the top American player heading into a World Cup on U.S. soil. "There's pressure, I feel it. Yes, it's there but it's nothing that I can't handle," he said Friday ahead of ...

NEW YORK (AP) — The percentage of players born outside the 50 states in Major League Baseball dropped to its lowest level since 2014 while Japan's 14 were its most since 2010. There were 249 players from 16 nations and territories outside of the 50 states among 948 players on opening day ...

By KEN MAGUIRE AP Sports Writer Fearsome heavyweight Moses Itauma has drawn comparisons to a young Mike Tyson by knocking out one opponent after another. The 21-year-old Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs) doesn't waste time. None of his last nine opponents have made it through two rounds. Indeed, ...

By The Associated Press Tom Brady revealed in an interview released on Thursday that he considered coming out of retirement, but the National Football League wasn't particularly receptive to the idea. Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion and minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, was ...

By JOHN COON Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Alex Ovechkin had his 34th career hat trick, Ivan Miroshnichenko scored twice, and the Washington Capitals beat the Utah Mammoth 7-4 on Thursday night to snap a two-game losing streak. Anthony Beauvillier and Rasmus Sandin also scored ...

By ANDREW DESTIN AP Sports Writer SEATTLE (AP) — Cleveland Guardians rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter entered the first regular-season game of his major league career with plenty of high-stakes experience at the sport's highest level. The top prospect debuted in the AL Wild Card Series ...

By JOSH DUBOW AP Sports Writer SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — From the opening minutes until the end of the game, Arizona scored almost at will. The Wildcats used one of the best offensive performances in the NCAA Tournament to get over the Sweet 16 hurdle for the first time in more than a ...

By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer CINCINNATI (AP) — Terry Francona had every reason not be a fan of the Automated Ball-Strike System, after the Cincinnati Reds' 3-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Thursday. However, the longtime manager was taking the long view after game one of ...

By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer HOUSTON (AP) — David Mirkovic had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and third-seeded Illinois flexed its defensive muscles to eliminate last year's national runner-up from the NCAA Tournament, beating Houston 65-55 in the South Region semifinals on Thursday ...

By ANDREW DESTIN AP Sports Writer SEATTLE (AP) — Rookie Chase DeLauter hit his first two career home runs as the Cleveland Guardians beat the Seattle Mariners 6-4 on Thursday night. DeLauter hit a home run in the first regular-season at-bat of his major league career in the top of the ...

By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer LAS VEGAS (AP) — Evan Bouchard scored at 3:10 of overtime, shortly after Edmonton killed off a Vegas penalty, and the Oilers defeated the Golden Knights 4-3 in a game Thursday night with playoff implications. The Oilers extended their lead for second ...

By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer HOUSTON (AP) — Alvaro Folgueiras converted a critical three-point play when Nebraska only had four defenders on the floor, and ninth-seeded Iowa continued its unpredictable NCAA Tournament run under first-year coach Ben McCollum, beating Nebraska 77-71 ...

By JANIE McCAULEY AP Sports Writer SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Trey Kaufman-Renn has heard coach Matt Painter remind the Boilermakers so many times during his four years at Purdue that it's not always the first shot of a possession that matters most. "It's those tip-ins at the end of the ...

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Curt Cignetti is not about to let the Indiana Hoosiers put flash in front of fundamentals after their first national championship. Newcomer Nick Marsh apparently found that out in humbling fashion before his first practice with the team. During Cignetti's news ...

By BETH HARRIS AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andy Pages hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the fifth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied past the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-2 on Thursday, opening the season with a victory in pursuit of their third consecutive World Series ...