AP Sports Summary for January 22nd, 2025:

Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

NEW YORK (AP) — Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese player chosen for baseball's Hall of Fame, falling one vote shy of unanimous when he was elected along with CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner. Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Sabathia was on 342 ballots and Wagner on 325, which was 29 more than the 296 needed for the required 75%. Sabathia and Suzuki were elected in their first appearance on the ballot. Wagner made it on his 10th and final try. The trio will be inducted into the Hall at Cooperstown on July 27 along with Dave Parker and Dick Allen, voted in last month by the classic era committee. Mariano Rivera remains the only player to get 100% of the vote from the BBWAA.

Liverpool beats Lille to reach Champions League round of 16. Barcelona wins 9-goal thriller

Liverpool became the first team to guarantee a place in the last 16 of the new Champions League format by beating Lille 2-1 on Tuesday, while Barcelona fought back from two goals down to stun Benfica 5-4 in a thriller. Harvey Elliott's bouncing, deflected shot gave Liverpool its seventh win from seven games, just after 10-man Lille had equalized following Mohamed Salah's opening goal. Raphinha scored in added time to complete a rousing comeback as Barcelona beat Benfica despite having been 4-2 down with less than a quarter of an hour remaining.

Ohio State celebrates and gets ready for all the changes coming to college football in 2025

ATLANTA (AP) — The early betting favorite to win next year's national championship is Ohio State. The question nobody can really answer at this time is what sort of game will the Buckeyes or anyone else return to when they kick it off again seven months from now. A college football program that won the title by spending lavishly and used the transfer portal judiciously joins everyone else in not knowing exactly what the rules will be in this rapidly changing game when next fall rolls around. Still, the Buckeyes are the early 9-2 favorite to win it all in 2025, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

Vikings and coach Kevin O'Connell agree to a multiyear contract extension after a 14-win season

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings and coach Kevin O'Connell have agreed to terms on a multiyear contract extension. The deal reached Tuesday follows a 14-3 regular season that defied external widespread preseason projections of at least a losing record if not a last-place finish in the NFC North. In three seasons with the Vikings, the 39-year-old O'Connell is 34-17 in the regular season and 0-2 in the playoffs. The Vikings didn't disclose terms of the deal. It was reached with one year remaining on O'Connell's existing contract.

Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers goes on trial over allegations of domestic violence

QUINCY, Mass. (AP) — Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers is scheduled to go on trial Wednesday for allegedly shoving his girlfriend's head into a wall and choking her after she received a phone call while they were in bed together. Court documents show the 29-year-old Peppers faces charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a Class B substance believed to be cocaine. Braintree police say they were called to a home for an altercation between two people in October. Court documents say Peppers allegedly pushed the woman to the ground, shoved her head into a wall and allegedly choked her six times.

AI experiment in halfpipe judging at X Games will give snowboarders a glimpse into the future

The X Games will experiment judging halfpipe runs this week in Aspen using artificial intelligence, the cutting-edge technology that could someday play a role in the way subjectively judged sports are scored. Long a trendsetter in action sports, the X Games and its new CEO, freestyle skiing great Jeremy Bloom, teamed with Google founder Sergey Brin to build the technology. Using Google Cloud tools including Vertex AI, Bloom thinks this experiment has potential to change the game on halfpipes, then maybe on slopestyle courses, skating rinks and anywhere a judge is used to score a contest.

Brittney Griner to test the market for the first time in career as WNBA free agency opens

MIAMI (AP) — Brittney Griner is testing the free agent market for the first time in her career. Her agent says the All-Star center is taking meetings starting Tuesday with multiple teams. WNBA executives were in Miami for the opening of Unrivaled to talk with Griner and other free agents. Griner has been a free agent before, but always re-signed with the Phoenix Mercury since she was first drafted by the franchise in 2013 as the No. 1 pick. Unrivaled has some of the top unrestricted free agents, like Griner and Courtney Vandersloot, as well as a few players who most likely will play on other teams next season.

In his hometown, Spurs' Victor Wembanyama dedicates a pair of new outdoor courts for kids to enjoy

LE CHESNAY, France (AP) — Victor Wembanyama stood on the center stripe of a new outdoor court in his hometown, his arms outstretched to their full 8-foot wingspan as he posed for a slew of photographers. He could not have seemed happier. Wembanyama unveiled a gift of sorts to his hometown and the next generation on Tuesday, a pair of outdoor courts — one for 5-on-5 play, the other for 3-on-3 play — that were built to the specifications that he wanted and sketched out himself.

Young collector nabs rare Paul Skenes card that could offer him a hefty haul in trade with Pirates

An 11-year-old collector in Los Angeles has scooped up a one-of-a-kind baseball card featuring National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes. Now comes the fun part, seeing what the collector could get for it in a trade. The Pittsburgh Pirates have said they'll offer a package that includes season tickets at PNC Park for 30 years in exchange for the card, which includes Skenes' autograph and a patch from a game-worn uniform. Skenes' girlfriend, LSU gymnast and influence Livvy Dunne, has also offered the winner a chance to join her in a luxury suite during one of Skenes' starts.

Phoenix Suns acquire three first-round picks from Utah Jazz in exchange for 2031 first-round pick

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have acquired three future first-round picks from the Utah Jazz in exchange for another first-round pick. The teams announced the deal on Tuesday. The Suns now own first-round picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029 that are the least favorable selections between Cleveland and Minnesota in 2025 and between Cleveland, Utah and Minnesota in both 2027 and 2029. The Jazz acquired the Suns' 2031 unprotected first-round pick.

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

Final	(6)Tennessee	68	(14)Mississippi St.	56	

Final	Arizona St.	65	(23)West Virginia	57	

		(13)Texas A&amp;M	at	(16)Mississippi	9 p.m.	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday, January 22nd, 2025" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday, January 22nd, 2025</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for January 22nd, 2025:Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner elected to Baseball Hall of FameNEW YORK (AP) — Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese player chosen for baseball's Hall of Fame, falling one vote shy of unanimous when he was elected along with CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner. Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Sabathia was on 342 ballots and Wagner on 325, which was 29 more than the 296 needed for the required 75%. Sabathia and Suzuki were elected in their first appearance on the ballot. Wagner made it on his 10th and final try. The trio will be inducted into the Hall at Cooperstown on July 27 along with Dave Parker and Dick Allen, voted in last month by the classic era committee. Mariano Rivera remains the only player to get 100% of the vote from the BBWAA.Liverpool beats Lille to reach Champions League round of 16. Barcelona wins 9-goal thrillerLiverpool became the first team to guarantee a place in the last 16 of the new Champions League format by beating Lille 2-1 on Tuesday, while Barcelona fought back from two goals down to stun Benfica 5-4 in a thriller. Harvey Elliott's bouncing, deflected shot gave Liverpool its seventh win from seven games, just after 10-man Lille had equalized following Mohamed Salah's opening goal. Raphinha scored in added time to complete a rousing comeback as Barcelona beat Benfica despite having been 4-2 down with less than a quarter of an hour remaining.Ohio State celebrates and gets ready for all the changes coming to college football in 2025ATLANTA (AP) — The early betting favorite to win next year's national championship is Ohio State. The question nobody can really answer at this time is what sort of game will the Buckeyes or anyone else return to when they kick it off again seven months from now. A college football program that won the title by spending lavishly and used the transfer portal judiciously joins everyone else in not knowing exactly what the rules will be in this rapidly changing game when next fall rolls around. Still, the Buckeyes are the early 9-2 favorite to win it all in 2025, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.Vikings and coach Kevin O'Connell agree to a multiyear contract extension after a 14-win seasonMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings and coach Kevin O'Connell have agreed to terms on a multiyear contract extension. The deal reached Tuesday follows a 14-3 regular season that defied external widespread preseason projections of at least a losing record if not a last-place finish in the NFC North. In three seasons with the Vikings, the 39-year-old O'Connell is 34-17 in the regular season and 0-2 in the playoffs. The Vikings didn't disclose terms of the deal. It was reached with one year remaining on O'Connell's existing contract.Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers goes on trial over allegations of domestic violenceQUINCY, Mass. (AP) — Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers is scheduled to go on trial Wednesday for allegedly shoving his girlfriend's head into a wall and choking her after she received a phone call while they were in bed together. Court documents show the 29-year-old Peppers faces charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a Class B substance believed to be cocaine. Braintree police say they were called to a home for an altercation between two people in October. Court documents say Peppers allegedly pushed the woman to the ground, shoved her head into a wall and allegedly choked her six times.AI experiment in halfpipe judging at X Games will give snowboarders a glimpse into the futureThe X Games will experiment judging halfpipe runs this week in Aspen using artificial intelligence, the cutting-edge technology that could someday play a role in the way subjectively judged sports are scored. Long a trendsetter in action sports, the X Games and its new CEO, freestyle skiing great Jeremy Bloom, teamed with Google founder Sergey Brin to build the technology. Using Google Cloud tools including Vertex AI, Bloom thinks this experiment has potential to change the game on halfpipes, then maybe on slopestyle courses, skating rinks and anywhere a judge is used to score a contest.Brittney Griner to test the market for the first time in career as WNBA free agency opensMIAMI (AP) — Brittney Griner is testing the free agent market for the first time in her career. Her agent says the All-Star center is taking meetings starting Tuesday with multiple teams. WNBA executives were in Miami for the opening of Unrivaled to talk with Griner and other free agents. Griner has been a free agent before, but always re-signed with the Phoenix Mercury since she was first drafted by the franchise in 2013 as the No. 1 pick. Unrivaled has some of the top unrestricted free agents, like Griner and Courtney Vandersloot, as well as a few players who most likely will play on other teams next season.In his hometown, Spurs' Victor Wembanyama dedicates a pair of new outdoor courts for kids to enjoyLE CHESNAY, France (AP) — Victor Wembanyama stood on the center stripe of a new outdoor court in his hometown, his arms outstretched to their full 8-foot wingspan as he posed for a slew of photographers. He could not have seemed happier. Wembanyama unveiled a gift of sorts to his hometown and the next generation on Tuesday, a pair of outdoor courts — one for 5-on-5 play, the other for 3-on-3 play — that were built to the specifications that he wanted and sketched out himself.Young collector nabs rare Paul Skenes card that could offer him a hefty haul in trade with PiratesAn 11-year-old collector in Los Angeles has scooped up a one-of-a-kind baseball card featuring National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes. Now comes the fun part, seeing what the collector could get for it in a trade. The Pittsburgh Pirates have said they'll offer a package that includes season tickets at PNC Park for 30 years in exchange for the card, which includes Skenes' autograph and a patch from a game-worn uniform. Skenes' girlfriend, LSU gymnast and influence Livvy Dunne, has also offered the winner a chance to join her in a luxury suite during one of Skenes' starts.Phoenix Suns acquire three first-round picks from Utah Jazz in exchange for 2031 first-round pickPHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have acquired three future first-round picks from the Utah Jazz in exchange for another first-round pick. The teams announced the deal on Tuesday. The Suns now own first-round picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029 that are the least favorable selections between Cleveland and Minnesota in 2025 and between Cleveland, Utah and Minnesota in both 2027 and 2029. The Jazz acquired the Suns' 2031 unprotected first-round pick.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Portland	116	Miami	107	Final	Toronto	109	Orlando	93	Final	New York	99	Brooklyn	95	Final	Denver	144	Philadelphia	109	Final	L.A. Lakers	111	Washington	88	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal OT	Philadelphia	2	Detroit	1	Final	Montreal	3	Tampa Bay	2	Final	N-Y Rangers	5	Ottawa	0	Final	Carolina	2	Dallas	1	Final	Nashville	7	San Jose	5	Final	Washington	3	Edmonton	2	Final	Buffalo	3	Vancouver	2	Final	Florida	5	Anaheim	2	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(3)Iowa St.	108	UCF	83	Final	(4)Alabama	103	Vanderbilt	87	Final	(6)Tennessee	68	(14)Mississippi St.	56	Final	(10)Marquette	76	Seton Hall	59	Final	Ohio St.	73	(11)Purdue	70	Final	(15)Oregon	82	Washington	71	Final	UCLA	85	(18)Wisconsin	83	Final	(19)UConn	80	Butler	78	Final	Texas	61	(22)Missouri	53	Final	Arizona St.	65	(23)West Virginia	57	Final	(25)Louisville	98	SMU	73	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Detroit	at	Atlanta	7:30 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Dallas	7:30 p.m.			Phoenix	at	Brooklyn	7:30 p.m.			Charlotte	at	Memphis	8 p.m.			Cleveland	at	Houston	8 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	New Orleans	8 p.m.			Utah	at	Oklahoma City	8 p.m.			Golden State	at	Sacramento	10 p.m.			Boston	at	L.A. Clippers	10:30 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Boston	at	New Jersey	7 p.m.			Columbus	at	Toronto	7:30 p.m.			Winnipeg	at	Colorado	9:30 p.m.			Florida	at	Los Angeles	10 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		(5)Florida	at	South Carolina	7 p.m.			Utah	at	(7)Houston	6 p.m.			(12)Kansas	at	TCU	7 p.m.			(13)Texas A&amp;M	at	(16)Mississippi	9 p.m.			Xavier	at	(20)St. John's	7 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Wednesday

HUTCHINSON, Kan. - The Derby Panther girls came to the Salthawk Activity Center Tuesday night and came away with a win in convincing fashion 51-34.

Hutch High jumped out to a quick 6-4 lead midway through the first quarter but then Derby really turned up the defensive pressure forcing Hutchinson turnovers and getting banked in three pointers offensively to pull away and cruise to the win.

Derby held the Salthawks allowing only Kaia Smith and Grace Posh to register baskets in the first half. Smith had 12 points and Posh 2 at the intermission break.

"That is the best defense we will see all year" 2nd year Hutch&nbsp; High head coach Kalen Hilst stated on his post-game coaches show. "We've just got to get better and not turn the ball over as much" he added.

Derby, with a very young team just kept coming in waves. Macayla Askew led the Panthers in scoring with 12. The Panthers had very even scoring up and down the roster. Freshman Alex Dinsmore scored 9 and Aysia Fox added 7.

Hutchinson was led in scoring by Smith with 20 and Posh with 7.

The Salthawks are off until next Monday night when they travel to Maize South for a make-up game with the Mavericks that was postponed from January 7th. Later next week they will participate in the McPherson Invitational Tournament. The bracket for that tournament should be released soon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677532844501.jpg" alt="Derby 51, Hutch high girls 34" />
 <figcaption>Derby 51, Hutch high girls 34</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. - The Derby Panther girls came to the Salthawk Activity Center Tuesday night and came away with a win in convincing fashion 51-34.Hutch High jumped out to a quick 6-4 lead midway through the first quarter but then Derby really turned up the defensive pressure forcing Hutchinson turnovers and getting banked in three pointers offensively to pull away and cruise to the win.Derby held the Salthawks allowing only Kaia Smith and Grace Posh to register baskets in the first half. Smith had 12 points and Posh 2 at the intermission break."That is the best defense we will see all year" 2nd year Hutch&nbsp; High head coach Kalen Hilst stated on his post-game coaches show. "We've just got to get better and not turn the ball over as much" he added.Derby, with a very young team just kept coming in waves. Macayla Askew led the Panthers in scoring with 12. The Panthers had very even scoring up and down the roster. Freshman Alex Dinsmore scored 9 and Aysia Fox added 7.Hutchinson was led in scoring by Smith with 20 and Posh with 7.The Salthawks are off until next Monday night when they travel to Maize South for a make-up game with the Mavericks that was postponed from January 7th. Later next week they will participate in the McPherson Invitational Tournament. The bracket for that tournament should be released soon.

🏀 Derby girls defense too much for Salthawks

Maur Hill - Mount Academy 50, Maranatha 18

Northeast Christian Homeschool 40, McLouth 20

Blue Springs South, Mo. 57, St. Thomas Aquinas 54

Wichita Sunrise 70, Flint Hills Christian 14

Gardner-Edgerton 64, Goddard-Eisenhower 52

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701785757574.png" alt="Eagle Media HS Basketball Scoreboard from Tuesday, January 21st, 2025" />
 <figcaption>Eagle Media HS Basketball Scoreboard from Tuesday, January 21st, 2025</figcaption>
 </figure>Monday's ScoresThe Associated Press<h2>GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL=</h2>Flinthills Shootout=First Round=Chase County 54, Council Grove 33Derby 51, Hutchinson 34Lyndon 42, West Franklin 18Mission Valley 32, Wabaunsee 28Osage City 64, Topeka Cair Paravel 15Hoisington Winter Jam=First Round=Minneapolis 56, Victoria 37Pratt 55, La Crosse 33McLouth Invitational=First Round=Horton 50, KC Bishop Ward 21Maur Hill - Mount Academy 50, Maranatha 18Northeast Christian Homeschool 40, McLouth 20Riverside 35, Pleasant Ridge 22Tony Dubray Classic=First Round=Galena 33, Arma-Northeast 18Twin Valley League Tournament=First Round=Centralia 61, Axtell 34Doniphan West 55, Linn 31Hanover 59, Blue Valley Randolph 27Valley Heights 63, Clifton-Clyde 57Tuesday's ScoresThe Associated Press<h2>BOYS PREP BASKETBALL=</h2>Blue Springs South, Mo. 57, St. Thomas Aquinas 54Reno County 62, Fairfield 32Weskan 64, Bethune, Colo. 28Wichita Sunrise 70, Flint Hills Christian 14Adolph Rupp Classic=First Round=Haven 66, Liberal 31Winfield 70, Halstead 63Baldwin Invitational=Baldwin 50, Bishop Seabury 37Wellsville 65, Augusta 51Burlington Invitational=First Round=Burlington 33, Girard 30Ottawa 71, Independence 45Silver Lake 88, Labette County 65Centre Classic=First Round=Douglass 63, Goessel 59Marion 61, Herington 29Eli J. Walter Invitational=First Round=Ell-Saline 59, Republic County 42Flinthills Shootout=First Round=Council Grove 45, Lyndon 20Osage City 49, Chase County 41Wabaunsee 53, West Franklin 50Hillsboro Classic=First Round=Hesston 64, Eureka 21Hillsboro 61, Remington 28Holcomb 59, Clay Center 53Moundridge 56, Riley County 26Hoisington Winter Jam=First Round=Ellinwood 39, Ellsworth 38Hoisington 52, La Crosse 19Iola War on 54=First Round=Humboldt 70, St Paul 21Ken Holt Memorial Classic=First Round=Erie 50, Jayhawk Linn 37Nemaha Central Classic=First Round=Rock Creek 61, Marysville 40St Marys 63, Holton 37Northern Plains League Tournament=Consolation=Stockton 53, Osborne 24Northwest League Tournament=First Round=Quinter 61, Ness City 56Spring Hill Invitational=First Round=Gardner-Edgerton 64, Goddard-Eisenhower 52Mill Valley 91, KC Harmon 33Olathe South 76, KC Sumner 32Spring Hill 78, BV Southwest 66St. John Classic=First Round=Little River 45, Larned 43Sterling Invitational=First Round=Hugoton 60, Southeast of Saline 52Lyons 66, Kingman 28Scott City 79, Hutchinson Trinity 27Tony Dubray Classic=First Round=Galena 82, Sheldon, Mo. 26Valley Falls Invitational=First Round=Perry-Lecompton 58, Valley Falls 45

🏀 EAGLE Media Scoreboard from Tuesday, Jan. 21

NEW YORK (AP) — Used to leading off, Ichiro Suzuki got antsy when he had to wait.

Considered a no-doubt pick for baseball’s Hall of Fame and possibly the second unanimous selection, he waited by the phone for the expected call Tuesday. Fifteen minutes passed without a ring.

“I actually started getting kind of nervous,” he said through a translator. “I was actually relieved when I first got the call.”

Suzuki became&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ichiro-hall-of-fame-1af67d9c45077b0e79faa6865c0e4c87">the first Japanese player</a>&nbsp;chosen for the Hall, falling one vote shy of unanimous when he was elected along with CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner.

Quite the journey for a 27-year-old who left the Pacific League’s Orix BlueWave in November 2000 to sign with Seattle as the first Japanese position player in Major League Baseball.

“I don’t think anybody in this whole world thought that I would be a Hall of Famer,” he said. “As a baseball player, this is definitely the top of the top.”

Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes (99.7%) from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Sabathia was on 342 ballots (86.8%) and Wagner on 325 (82.5%), which was 29 votes more than the 296 needed for the required 75%.

Sabathia and Suzuki were elected in their first appearance on the ballot, while Wagner made it on his 10th and final try. The trio will be inducted into the Hall at Cooperstown on July 27 along with Dave Parker and Dick Allen, voted in last month by the classic era committee.

Mariano Rivera remained the only player to get 100% of the vote from the BBWAA, appearing on all 425 ballots in 2019. Derek Jeter was chosen on 395 of 396 in 2020.

Seattle’s Space Needle was lit blue in honor of Suzuki, who joined Fred Lynn in 1975 as the only players to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. The Mariners announced plans to retire Suzuki’s No. 51 on Aug. 9.

Suzuki was a two-time AL batting champion and 10-time All-Star and Gold Glove outfielder, hitting .311 with 117 homers, 780 RBIs and 509 stolen bases with Seattle (2001-12, 2018-19), the New York Yankees (2012-14) and Miami (2015-17).

He is perhaps the best contact hitter ever, with 1,278 hits in Nippon Professional Baseball and 3,089 in MLB, including a season-record 262 in 2004. His combined total of 4,367 exceeds Pete Rose’s MLB record of 4,256.

In his role as a Mariners special assistant, he still gets dressed in baseball clothes for home workouts as an example for today’s players.

“I want to be able to show the players how I did it,” he said. “Also in the offseason I go to a few high schools in Japan and I want to be able to show them what a professional baseball player looks like.”

Sabathia, second to Suzuki in 2001 AL Rookie of the Year voting, was a six-time All-Star who won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award and a World Series title in 2009. He went 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts, third among left-handers behind Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton, during 19 seasons with Cleveland (2001-08), Milwaukee (2008) and the New York Yankees (2009-19).

Sabathia prefers to have a Yankees cap on his Cooperstown plaque — the decision is made by the Hall.

“The Yankees is the place that wanted me,” he said. “I found a home in the Bronx and I don’t think I’ll ever leave this city.”

Sabathia almost retired after the Game 7 loss to Houston in the 2017 AL Championship Series but was persuaded to keep playing when MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds explained how close his statistics were to Hall level.

After adopting a cutter to compensate for diminished velocity, Sabathia won 37 games in his final four seasons.

“I turned myself into my version of Jamie Moyer, is what I felt like: backdoor sliders, changeups, cutters on your hands, two-seamers off the plate,” he said. “I fought it for a long time. When you’re a guy that is throwing 94, 95 (mph) your whole life, it’s hard to buy in.”

Wagner was five votes shy last year. He got only 10.5% support in his first appearance in 2016, and 10.2% the following year.

“It’s not been an easy 10 years to sit here and swallow a lot of things that you have to swallow,” Wagner said. “I didn’t blow a save for 10 years, so I felt that might have had an input on being able to get in.”

A natural right-hander, Wagner switched to throwing left-handed after breaking his right arm playing football as a 7-year-old, then breaking it again. His son Will, a 26-year-old infielder, made his big league debut with Toronto last August.

Wagner became the ninth pitcher in the Hall who was primarily a reliever after Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley, Bruce Sutter, Goose Gossage, Trevor Hoffman, Lee Smith and Rivera. Wagner is the only left-hander among them.

A seven-time All-Star, Wagner was 47-40 with a 2.31 ERA and 422 saves for Houston (1995-2003), Philadelphia (2004-05), the New York Mets (2006-09), Boston (2009) and Atlanta (2010). His 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings are the most among pitchers with at least 900 innings, though his 903 career innings are the fewest among Hall of Famers.

Carlos Beltrán fell 19 votes short at 70.3%, up from 57.1% last year and 46.5% in 2023 in his first ballot appearance. He was followed by Andruw Jones with 261 for 66.2%, an increase from 61.6% last year and 7.3% when he first appeared in 2018.

Jones has two more chances on the BBWAA ballot.

Chase Utley was sixth with 157 votes for 39.8%, an increase from 28.8% in his first appearance.

Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramírez have lagged in voting, hurt by suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs. Rodriguez received 37.1% in his fourth appearance, up from 34.8%, and Ramírez got 34.3% in his ninth, an increase from 32.5%.

Andy Pettitte got 110 votes and 27.9% in his seventh appearance, doubling from 13.5% last year. Félix Hernández received 81 votes and 20.6% in his first ballot.

Players comprise 278 of 351 elected Hall of Famers, including 142 on the BBWAA ballot, of which 62 were elected in their first year of eligibility.

Carlos González, Curtis Granderson, Adam Jones, Ian Kinsler, Russell Martin, Brian McCann, Hanley Ramírez, Fernando Rodney, Troy Tulowitzki and Ben Zobrist will be dropped from future ballots after receiving less than 5%.

Cole Hamels, Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp join the ballot next year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706105851695.png" alt="Photo Courtesy National Baseball Hall of Fame" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy National Baseball Hall of Fame</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Used to leading off, Ichiro Suzuki got antsy when he had to wait.Considered a no-doubt pick for baseball’s Hall of Fame and possibly the second unanimous selection, he waited by the phone for the expected call Tuesday. Fifteen minutes passed without a ring.“I actually started getting kind of nervous,” he said through a translator. “I was actually relieved when I first got the call.”Suzuki became&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ichiro-hall-of-fame-1af67d9c45077b0e79faa6865c0e4c87">the first Japanese player</a>&nbsp;chosen for the Hall, falling one vote shy of unanimous when he was elected along with CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner.Quite the journey for a 27-year-old who left the Pacific League’s Orix BlueWave in November 2000 to sign with Seattle as the first Japanese position player in Major League Baseball.“I don’t think anybody in this whole world thought that I would be a Hall of Famer,” he said. “As a baseball player, this is definitely the top of the top.”Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes (99.7%) from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Sabathia was on 342 ballots (86.8%) and Wagner on 325 (82.5%), which was 29 votes more than the 296 needed for the required 75%.Sabathia and Suzuki were elected in their first appearance on the ballot, while Wagner made it on his 10th and final try. The trio will be inducted into the Hall at Cooperstown on July 27 along with Dave Parker and Dick Allen, voted in last month by the classic era committee.Mariano Rivera remained the only player to get 100% of the vote from the BBWAA, appearing on all 425 ballots in 2019. Derek Jeter was chosen on 395 of 396 in 2020.Seattle’s Space Needle was lit blue in honor of Suzuki, who joined Fred Lynn in 1975 as the only players to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. The Mariners announced plans to retire Suzuki’s No. 51 on Aug. 9.Suzuki was a two-time AL batting champion and 10-time All-Star and Gold Glove outfielder, hitting .311 with 117 homers, 780 RBIs and 509 stolen bases with Seattle (2001-12, 2018-19), the New York Yankees (2012-14) and Miami (2015-17).He is perhaps the best contact hitter ever, with 1,278 hits in Nippon Professional Baseball and 3,089 in MLB, including a season-record 262 in 2004. His combined total of 4,367 exceeds Pete Rose’s MLB record of 4,256.In his role as a Mariners special assistant, he still gets dressed in baseball clothes for home workouts as an example for today’s players.“I want to be able to show the players how I did it,” he said. “Also in the offseason I go to a few high schools in Japan and I want to be able to show them what a professional baseball player looks like.”Sabathia, second to Suzuki in 2001 AL Rookie of the Year voting, was a six-time All-Star who won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award and a World Series title in 2009. He went 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts, third among left-handers behind Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton, during 19 seasons with Cleveland (2001-08), Milwaukee (2008) and the New York Yankees (2009-19).Sabathia prefers to have a Yankees cap on his Cooperstown plaque — the decision is made by the Hall.“The Yankees is the place that wanted me,” he said. “I found a home in the Bronx and I don’t think I’ll ever leave this city.”Sabathia almost retired after the Game 7 loss to Houston in the 2017 AL Championship Series but was persuaded to keep playing when MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds explained how close his statistics were to Hall level.After adopting a cutter to compensate for diminished velocity, Sabathia won 37 games in his final four seasons.“I turned myself into my version of Jamie Moyer, is what I felt like: backdoor sliders, changeups, cutters on your hands, two-seamers off the plate,” he said. “I fought it for a long time. When you’re a guy that is throwing 94, 95 (mph) your whole life, it’s hard to buy in.”Wagner was five votes shy last year. He got only 10.5% support in his first appearance in 2016, and 10.2% the following year.“It’s not been an easy 10 years to sit here and swallow a lot of things that you have to swallow,” Wagner said. “I didn’t blow a save for 10 years, so I felt that might have had an input on being able to get in.”A natural right-hander, Wagner switched to throwing left-handed after breaking his right arm playing football as a 7-year-old, then breaking it again. His son Will, a 26-year-old infielder, made his big league debut with Toronto last August.Wagner became the ninth pitcher in the Hall who was primarily a reliever after Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley, Bruce Sutter, Goose Gossage, Trevor Hoffman, Lee Smith and Rivera. Wagner is the only left-hander among them.“It means a lot,” he said.A seven-time All-Star, Wagner was 47-40 with a 2.31 ERA and 422 saves for Houston (1995-2003), Philadelphia (2004-05), the New York Mets (2006-09), Boston (2009) and Atlanta (2010). His 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings are the most among pitchers with at least 900 innings, though his 903 career innings are the fewest among Hall of Famers.Carlos Beltrán fell 19 votes short at 70.3%, up from 57.1% last year and 46.5% in 2023 in his first ballot appearance. He was followed by Andruw Jones with 261 for 66.2%, an increase from 61.6% last year and 7.3% when he first appeared in 2018.Jones has two more chances on the BBWAA ballot.Chase Utley was sixth with 157 votes for 39.8%, an increase from 28.8% in his first appearance.Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramírez have lagged in voting, hurt by suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs. Rodriguez received 37.1% in his fourth appearance, up from 34.8%, and Ramírez got 34.3% in his ninth, an increase from 32.5%.Andy Pettitte got 110 votes and 27.9% in his seventh appearance, doubling from 13.5% last year. Félix Hernández received 81 votes and 20.6% in his first ballot.Players comprise 278 of 351 elected Hall of Famers, including 142 on the BBWAA ballot, of which 62 were elected in their first year of eligibility.Carlos González, Curtis Granderson, Adam Jones, Ian Kinsler, Russell Martin, Brian McCann, Hanley Ramírez, Fernando Rodney, Troy Tulowitzki and Ben Zobrist will be dropped from future ballots after receiving less than 5%.Cole Hamels, Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp join the ballot next year.

⚾ Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/sports/sball/rankings/DI/index" target="_blank">CLICK FOR FULL NJCAA DIVISION I SOFTBALL PRESEASON RANKINGS</a>

The defending Region 6 Tournament champion Hutchinson Community College softball team opens the new season ranked No. 22 in the NJCAA Division I Softball preseason rankings, which were released on Tuesday.

This is the third-straight season the Blue Dragons start a season ranked in the preseason Top 25. Before the 2023 season, Hutchinson softball went through a 35-year drought of being named in a preseason poll.

The Blue Dragons posted a school-record 47 wins last season, going 47-12. The Dragons finished second in the KJCCC behind Butler by two games. Hutchinson then defeated Butler twice in the Region 6 championship game to win its first regional title since 1987 and qualify for the NJCAA National Tournament for the first time in program history.

Beginning her 21st season at Hutchinson, head coach Jaime Rose has one returning starting pitcher and three returning position players from last season.

Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2024-25/bios/tomlinson_morgan_0v0v">Morgan Tomlinson</a>&nbsp;is the top returning pitcher. She went 16-3 with a 3.08 ERA. She led a Blue Dragon team that posted a 2.77 ERA. Tomlinson was a first-team all-KJCCC performer last season.

All-Conference shortstop&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2024-25/bios/backhaus_bailey_44zk">Bailey Backhaus</a>&nbsp;is of three returning starters back from last season. Bailey Backhaus had a Blue Dragon single-season record 104 hits last season and hit .479 with 25 stolen bases.

Sister&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2024-25/bios/backhaus_brooke_ngsp">Brooke Backhaus</a>, Hutchinson's starting first baseman last season hit .374 with 54 RBIs. Outfielder&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2024-25/bios/brawner_brie_hldl">Brie Brawner</a>&nbsp;hit .371 with 37 RBIs.

Hutchinson opens the 2025 season on the road on Friday, January 31 with a doubleheader at Western Oklahoma State in Altus, Oklahoma. The Dragons open at Fun Valley on February 7 and 8 with a two-day triangular with Iowa Western and Neosho County. The Dragons play at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day. Hutchinson opens KJCCC play on February 26 against Pratt at Fun Valley.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737518068924.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.njcaa.org/sports/sball/rankings/DI/index" target="_blank">CLICK FOR FULL NJCAA DIVISION I SOFTBALL PRESEASON RANKINGS</a>Hutchinson CC Sports InformationThe defending Region 6 Tournament champion Hutchinson Community College softball team opens the new season ranked No. 22 in the NJCAA Division I Softball preseason rankings, which were released on Tuesday.This is the third-straight season the Blue Dragons start a season ranked in the preseason Top 25. Before the 2023 season, Hutchinson softball went through a 35-year drought of being named in a preseason poll.The Blue Dragons posted a school-record 47 wins last season, going 47-12. The Dragons finished second in the KJCCC behind Butler by two games. Hutchinson then defeated Butler twice in the Region 6 championship game to win its first regional title since 1987 and qualify for the NJCAA National Tournament for the first time in program history.Beginning her 21st season at Hutchinson, head coach Jaime Rose has one returning starting pitcher and three returning position players from last season.Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2024-25/bios/tomlinson_morgan_0v0v">Morgan Tomlinson</a>&nbsp;is the top returning pitcher. She went 16-3 with a 3.08 ERA. She led a Blue Dragon team that posted a 2.77 ERA. Tomlinson was a first-team all-KJCCC performer last season.All-Conference shortstop&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2024-25/bios/backhaus_bailey_44zk">Bailey Backhaus</a>&nbsp;is of three returning starters back from last season. Bailey Backhaus had a Blue Dragon single-season record 104 hits last season and hit .479 with 25 stolen bases.Sister&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2024-25/bios/backhaus_brooke_ngsp">Brooke Backhaus</a>, Hutchinson's starting first baseman last season hit .374 with 54 RBIs. Outfielder&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2024-25/bios/brawner_brie_hldl">Brie Brawner</a>&nbsp;hit .371 with 37 RBIs.Hutchinson opens the 2025 season on the road on Friday, January 31 with a doubleheader at Western Oklahoma State in Altus, Oklahoma. The Dragons open at Fun Valley on February 7 and 8 with a two-day triangular with Iowa Western and Neosho County. The Dragons play at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day. Hutchinson opens KJCCC play on February 26 against Pratt at Fun Valley.

🥎 HutchCC begins season ranked No. 22

<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/sports/bsb/rankings/DI/index" target="_blank">CLICK FOR FULL NJCAA DIVISION I BASEBALL PRESEASON RANKINGS</a>

The defending Jayhawk West champion and Region 6 runner-up Hutchinson Community College baseball team earned a No. 23 NJCAA preseason ranking on Tuesday.

Hutchinson earned its first preseason ranking since 2019 when the Blue Dragons were picked No. 20.

Last week the Blue Dragons were picked to finish third in the 2025 Jayhawk West title chase.

Hutchinson is the defending Jayhawk West champions after a record-setting 51-13 record. The Blue Dragons won the league with a 27-5 record. The Dragons advanced all the way to the Region 6 Tournament championship game, forcing a second championship game after dropping the first game of the tournament.

Second-year head coach Brock Nehls returns a pair of position starters and one returning starting pitcher with nine returning players overall from 2024.

Starting pitcher&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/roehler_trenton_pudh">Trenton Roehler</a>&nbsp;went 9-1 with a 1.52 ERA last season. Roehler had 66 strikeouts in 58 innings pitched.

<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/maher_quinn_nqj4">Quinn Maher</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/mustow_adam_sf8t">A.J. Mustow</a>&nbsp;are returning starting position players.Maher, a first baseman and designated hitter, hit .329 with five home runs and 51 RBIs. Mustow missed last season, but hit six homers with 44 RBIs.

The Blue Dragons open the 2025 season on February 6 with a doubleheader against Hesston College at Hobart-Detter Field. Hutchinson opens the Jayhawk West season on March 6 and 8 against Dodge City.The Blue Dragons and Conquistadors play at Hobart-Detter Field on March 8.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737518013355.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.njcaa.org/sports/bsb/rankings/DI/index" target="_blank">CLICK FOR FULL NJCAA DIVISION I BASEBALL PRESEASON RANKINGS</a>Hutchinson CC Sports InformationThe defending Jayhawk West champion and Region 6 runner-up Hutchinson Community College baseball team earned a No. 23 NJCAA preseason ranking on Tuesday.Hutchinson earned its first preseason ranking since 2019 when the Blue Dragons were picked No. 20.Last week the Blue Dragons were picked to finish third in the 2025 Jayhawk West title chase.Hutchinson is the defending Jayhawk West champions after a record-setting 51-13 record. The Blue Dragons won the league with a 27-5 record. The Dragons advanced all the way to the Region 6 Tournament championship game, forcing a second championship game after dropping the first game of the tournament.Second-year head coach Brock Nehls returns a pair of position starters and one returning starting pitcher with nine returning players overall from 2024.Starting pitcher&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/roehler_trenton_pudh">Trenton Roehler</a>&nbsp;went 9-1 with a 1.52 ERA last season. Roehler had 66 strikeouts in 58 innings pitched.<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/maher_quinn_nqj4">Quinn Maher</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/mustow_adam_sf8t">A.J. Mustow</a>&nbsp;are returning starting position players.Maher, a first baseman and designated hitter, hit .329 with five home runs and 51 RBIs. Mustow missed last season, but hit six homers with 44 RBIs.The Blue Dragons open the 2025 season on February 6 with a doubleheader against Hesston College at Hobart-Detter Field. Hutchinson opens the Jayhawk West season on March 6 and 8 against Dodge City.The Blue Dragons and Conquistadors play at Hobart-Detter Field on March 8.

⚾ Blue Dragons will open 2025 in Top 25

<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/rankings/DI/index" target="_blank">CLICK FOR FULL NJCAA DIVISION I MEN'S BASKETBALL NATIONAL RANKINGS</a>

After a six-week absence from the national rankings, a seven-game win streak as propelled the Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team back into the NJCAA Top 25.

The Blue Dragons (13-5) jumped back into the rankings at No. 23 on Tuesday – one day later than the poll's normal release because of the MLK holiday on Monday – after wins over Seward County and Dodge City extended a season-long seven-game win streak.

The last time the Dragons were in the national rankings was a No. 15 ranking on November 12. But a 6-5 start to the season sent Hutchinson out of the national poll.

This week, the Blue Dragons play host to Barton on Wednesday and Fort Hays Tech Northwest on Saturday.

The Cougars (14-4) fell out of the rankings this week after going 1-1 with a tough loss to Independence, but a win over then-No. Coffeyville last week.

Cowley is the highest-ranked KJCCC team in the rankings at No. 5. Coffeyville is No. 13 and Butler is No. 14.

Snow College received 15 of 16 first-place votes and remains No. 1. Trinity Valley is No. 2, followed by Indian Hills, Daytona State and Cowley rounds out the Top 5. NEO fell three spots to No. 6 this week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737517933622.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/rankings/DI/index" target="_blank">CLICK FOR FULL NJCAA DIVISION I MEN'S BASKETBALL NATIONAL RANKINGS</a>Hutchinson CC Sports InformationAfter a six-week absence from the national rankings, a seven-game win streak as propelled the Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team back into the NJCAA Top 25.The Blue Dragons (13-5) jumped back into the rankings at No. 23 on Tuesday – one day later than the poll's normal release because of the MLK holiday on Monday – after wins over Seward County and Dodge City extended a season-long seven-game win streak.The last time the Dragons were in the national rankings was a No. 15 ranking on November 12. But a 6-5 start to the season sent Hutchinson out of the national poll.This week, the Blue Dragons play host to Barton on Wednesday and Fort Hays Tech Northwest on Saturday.The Cougars (14-4) fell out of the rankings this week after going 1-1 with a tough loss to Independence, but a win over then-No. Coffeyville last week.Cowley is the highest-ranked KJCCC team in the rankings at No. 5. Coffeyville is No. 13 and Butler is No. 14.Snow College received 15 of 16 first-place votes and remains No. 1. Trinity Valley is No. 2, followed by Indian Hills, Daytona State and Cowley rounds out the Top 5. NEO fell three spots to No. 6 this week.

🏀 Surging Blue Dragons return to Top 25

<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/sports/wbkb/rankings/DI/index" target="_blank">CLICK FOR FULL NJCAA DIVISION I WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RANKINGS</a>

Hutchinson Community College's program-record stay atop the NJCAA Division I National Rankings lasted 12 polling periods over two seasons and 343 consecutive calendar days.

Saturday's 67-41 loss at then-No. 3 Dodge City, knocked the Blue Dragons out of the top spot to No. 5 when the latest NJCAA rankings were released – one day later than normal because of the MLK holiday.

The Blue Dragons are now 17-1 overall and are tied with Dodge City atop the KJCCC at 11-1. The Blue Dragons have a pair of home games this week with Barton on Wednesday and Fort Hays Tech Northwest on Saturday.

With Hutchinson remaining in the Top 5, the Dragons have been ranked in the nation's Top 15 for 14 consecutive weeks and have been a ranked team for 23 consecutive polls, which started on November 13, 2023.

Northwest Florida State was the unanimous choice to take over the top spot in the rankings, putting together an 18-0 record. New Mexico Junior College (19-1), Three Rivers (15-2), Dodge City (16-2) and Hutchinson round out the Top 5.

Coffeyville joins Hutchinson and Dodge City as ranked teams from the KJCCC. The Ravens (14-3) are now No. 23 after receiving votes last week.

Murray State, a Blue Dragon opponent this season, is ranked No. 20 at 14-2.

The Blue Dragons have been ranked five times in program history.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737517851412.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.njcaa.org/sports/wbkb/rankings/DI/index" target="_blank">CLICK FOR FULL NJCAA DIVISION I WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RANKINGS</a>Hutchinson CC Sports InformationHutchinson Community College's program-record stay atop the NJCAA Division I National Rankings lasted 12 polling periods over two seasons and 343 consecutive calendar days.Saturday's 67-41 loss at then-No. 3 Dodge City, knocked the Blue Dragons out of the top spot to No. 5 when the latest NJCAA rankings were released – one day later than normal because of the MLK holiday.The Blue Dragons are now 17-1 overall and are tied with Dodge City atop the KJCCC at 11-1. The Blue Dragons have a pair of home games this week with Barton on Wednesday and Fort Hays Tech Northwest on Saturday.With Hutchinson remaining in the Top 5, the Dragons have been ranked in the nation's Top 15 for 14 consecutive weeks and have been a ranked team for 23 consecutive polls, which started on November 13, 2023.Northwest Florida State was the unanimous choice to take over the top spot in the rankings, putting together an 18-0 record. New Mexico Junior College (19-1), Three Rivers (15-2), Dodge City (16-2) and Hutchinson round out the Top 5.Coffeyville joins Hutchinson and Dodge City as ranked teams from the KJCCC. The Ravens (14-3) are now No. 23 after receiving votes last week.Murray State, a Blue Dragon opponent this season, is ranked No. 20 at 14-2.The Blue Dragons have been ranked five times in program history.

🏀 HutchCC drops to No. 5 in latest NJCAA poll

WICHITA, Kansas – The Wichita Wind Surge, alongside owner/ operator Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), are excited to announce that they have entered into a long-term naming rights partnership with Wichita-based Equity Bank and as a result, Riverfront Stadium will now be called Equity Bank Park, following today’s approval of the Wichita City Council. The partnership celebrates Equity Bank’s commitment to being a long-standing partner of the Wind Surge and the City of Wichita for years to come, with naming rights to the ballpark running through 2039.

In addition to the ballpark's naming rights, Equity Bank becomes the Official Bank of the Wichita Wind Surge with additional sponsorship and marketing elements. This partnership brings a wave of fresh sponsorship and marketing initiatives that will elevate the fan experience to new heights. Equity Bank will have signage throughout the ballpark and Equity Bank will have several promotions and giveaways for the fans.

The City of Wichita broke ground on the new ballpark in 2019 and it opened in 2021. It’s a state-of-the-art venue along the banks of the Arkansas River

in historic Delano neighborhood just south of downtown Wichita. The $75 million stadium was built on the site where Lawrence-Dumont Stadium stood from 1934 to 2018. The stadium sits on 22 acres and accommodates more than 10,000 fans for a minor league baseball game, including more than 6,000 fixed seats and additional seating in berm, group party decks, and specialty areas for up to 4,000 spectators. Family-friendly amenities include picnic areas, berm seating, a variety of terraced viewing spaces, and children-focused areas.

“This move underscores Equity Bank’s commitment to Wichita,” said Equity Bancshares, Inc. Chairman &amp; CEO, Brad Elliott. “Wichita is our home, and we are proud to bring these two local institutions together for years to come for the enjoyment of our shared community.”

“Just as baseball unites this city, our mission is to support the dreams and aspirations of everyone who calls Wichita their home,” said Equity Bank CEO, Rick Sems.

“This is a historic day for baseball in Wichita and the Wind Surge. I can’t thank Brad Elliott and Rick Sems enough for their support and shared vision for baseball in downtown Wichita,” said Wind Surge General Manager, Matt Hamilton. “This is a momentous step in the continued evolution of what is now known as Equity Bank Park. We are beyond excited to continue growing in our work as a community gathering place for all fans and their experience surrounding the game.”

"We are thrilled to join forces with a partner like Equity Bank, whose long-standing local presence and dedication to the Wichita community underscores our joint vision for Equity Bank Park as a beacon of affordable, family-friendly entertainment for years to come,” said Andrew Judelson, Chief Commercial Officer at Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), owner and operator of the Wichita Wind Surge. “DBH is proud to reinforce its continued commitment to Wichita with a partner who believes in the vibrant future of the Wind Surge as much as we do.”

In addition to Wind Surge home games, Equity Bank Park is a year-round facility designed to accommodate concerts, football, and soccer on the field and weddings and receptions, corporate trade shows, graduations, concerts, and various functions within the facility. The club level will be renamed for Equity Bank. The stadium also is home to the Wichita Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Wind Surge open the 2025 season in Springfield on April 4th&nbsp;and the home opener is April 8th at Equity Bank Park against the Midland RockHounds. Season tickets and mini-plans are on sale now along with the home opener individual game tickets go on sale on January 28th.

ABOUT EQUITY BANK:&nbsp;Equity Bank is a $5.4-billion community bank with bank locations throughout Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Equity Bank offers a full range of financial solutions, including commercial loans, consumer banking, mortgage loans, and treasury management services. Equity Bank’s parent company, Equity Bancshares, Inc., is based in Wichita and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ‘EQBK.’ Learn more at&nbsp;<a href="https://shared.outlook.inky.com/link?domain=www.equitybank.com&amp;t=h.eJxljcsOgjAQRX-FdC0t9BEGVv5KWwptENQ6pDHGf5dxZ1zd5NzXi-35woaKRcTbIEQphYf7nvDp7LZwf13ZqWILJZLHuiQfE9pDt7F-7HkOwkWbcbXbmdgXUUtMRganpJWj6cPUe-iMDUZPvQZwXmrRdqrT0DQNcKUUSND0FOgJ0zr_zpE1kvVH00Hb9wdRiD4Q.MEUCIQDvaNVdFFHCpQfRNMQW9Uzyn9CjImQcwWt5iEUN5w1qpAIgaFYTyl3sm7e87henvXy6SU6tMsqHUL-Tr3gvncdNWOI">www.equitybank.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687518771070.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita Wind Surge" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita Wind Surge</figcaption>
 </figure>Wichita Wind SurgeWICHITA, Kansas – The Wichita Wind Surge, alongside owner/ operator Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), are excited to announce that they have entered into a long-term naming rights partnership with Wichita-based Equity Bank and as a result, Riverfront Stadium will now be called Equity Bank Park, following today’s approval of the Wichita City Council. The partnership celebrates Equity Bank’s commitment to being a long-standing partner of the Wind Surge and the City of Wichita for years to come, with naming rights to the ballpark running through 2039.In addition to the ballpark's naming rights, Equity Bank becomes the Official Bank of the Wichita Wind Surge with additional sponsorship and marketing elements. This partnership brings a wave of fresh sponsorship and marketing initiatives that will elevate the fan experience to new heights. Equity Bank will have signage throughout the ballpark and Equity Bank will have several promotions and giveaways for the fans.The City of Wichita broke ground on the new ballpark in 2019 and it opened in 2021. It’s a state-of-the-art venue along the banks of the Arkansas Riverin historic Delano neighborhood just south of downtown Wichita. The $75 million stadium was built on the site where Lawrence-Dumont Stadium stood from 1934 to 2018. The stadium sits on 22 acres and accommodates more than 10,000 fans for a minor league baseball game, including more than 6,000 fixed seats and additional seating in berm, group party decks, and specialty areas for up to 4,000 spectators. Family-friendly amenities include picnic areas, berm seating, a variety of terraced viewing spaces, and children-focused areas.“This move underscores Equity Bank’s commitment to Wichita,” said Equity Bancshares, Inc. Chairman &amp; CEO, Brad Elliott. “Wichita is our home, and we are proud to bring these two local institutions together for years to come for the enjoyment of our shared community.”“Just as baseball unites this city, our mission is to support the dreams and aspirations of everyone who calls Wichita their home,” said Equity Bank CEO, Rick Sems.“This is a historic day for baseball in Wichita and the Wind Surge. I can’t thank Brad Elliott and Rick Sems enough for their support and shared vision for baseball in downtown Wichita,” said Wind Surge General Manager, Matt Hamilton. “This is a momentous step in the continued evolution of what is now known as Equity Bank Park. We are beyond excited to continue growing in our work as a community gathering place for all fans and their experience surrounding the game.”"We are thrilled to join forces with a partner like Equity Bank, whose long-standing local presence and dedication to the Wichita community underscores our joint vision for Equity Bank Park as a beacon of affordable, family-friendly entertainment for years to come,” said Andrew Judelson, Chief Commercial Officer at Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), owner and operator of the Wichita Wind Surge. “DBH is proud to reinforce its continued commitment to Wichita with a partner who believes in the vibrant future of the Wind Surge as much as we do.”In addition to Wind Surge home games, Equity Bank Park is a year-round facility designed to accommodate concerts, football, and soccer on the field and weddings and receptions, corporate trade shows, graduations, concerts, and various functions within the facility. The club level will be renamed for Equity Bank. The stadium also is home to the Wichita Baseball Hall of Fame.The Wind Surge open the 2025 season in Springfield on April 4th&nbsp;and the home opener is April 8th at Equity Bank Park against the Midland RockHounds. Season tickets and mini-plans are on sale now along with the home opener individual game tickets go on sale on January 28th.ABOUT EQUITY BANK:&nbsp;Equity Bank is a $5.4-billion community bank with bank locations throughout Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Equity Bank offers a full range of financial solutions, including commercial loans, consumer banking, mortgage loans, and treasury management services. Equity Bank’s parent company, Equity Bancshares, Inc., is based in Wichita and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ‘EQBK.’ Learn more at&nbsp;<a href="https://shared.outlook.inky.com/link?domain=www.equitybank.com&amp;t=h.eJxljcsOgjAQRX-FdC0t9BEGVv5KWwptENQ6pDHGf5dxZ1zd5NzXi-35woaKRcTbIEQphYf7nvDp7LZwf13ZqWILJZLHuiQfE9pDt7F-7HkOwkWbcbXbmdgXUUtMRganpJWj6cPUe-iMDUZPvQZwXmrRdqrT0DQNcKUUSND0FOgJ0zr_zpE1kvVH00Hb9wdRiD4Q.MEUCIQDvaNVdFFHCpQfRNMQW9Uzyn9CjImQcwWt5iEUN5w1qpAIgaFYTyl3sm7e87henvXy6SU6tMsqHUL-Tr3gvncdNWOI">www.equitybank.com</a>.

⚾ Riverfront Stadium to be renamed Equity Bank Park

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutch High Salthawk Girls Basketball team is at home tonight at the Salthawk Activity Center tonight vs the Derby.&nbsp;

The girls will take center stage as the Hutch High Boys prepare for the McPherson Invitational Tournament which starts on Thursday.

Catch all the action on <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KWBW">KWBW Radio 1450am/98.5fm</a> with the award winning EAGLE Media sportscast crew, consisting of Glen Grunwald with the play-by-play call and Dan "Coach Nac" Naccarato with in-depth analysis. Pregame starts at 7:05 p.m. followed by the opening tip at 7:30 p.m.&nbsp; Be sure and download the KWBW app from your favorite app store.

You have a choice. The video broadcast of both games will also available on the <a href="https://fan.hudl.com/usa/ks/hutchinson/organization/8/hutchinson-high-school/team/26735/girls-varsity-basketball/schedule?date=2024-12-01T06%3A00%3A00.000Z&amp;range=Month&amp;s=U2NoZWR1bGVFbnRyeVB1YmxpY1N1bW1hcnk2NmRmNTg0ZDM5NThmZmZhY2ViMzYxZmI%3D&amp;ss=2024">Hutch High hudl.tv fan page</a>&nbsp;and on the <a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/schools/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks">NFHS&nbsp; Network Hutchinson Channel.</a>&nbsp;You can subscribe to either network. The Freshman and JV games will only be streamed on the NFHS Network without audio.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737456205149.jpeg" alt="Game Day Hutch High Girls host Derby" />
 <figcaption>Game Day Hutch High Girls host Derby</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutch High Salthawk Girls Basketball team is at home tonight at the Salthawk Activity Center tonight vs the Derby.&nbsp;The girls will take center stage as the Hutch High Boys prepare for the McPherson Invitational Tournament which starts on Thursday.Audio Steam and local radio information:Catch all the action on <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KWBW">KWBW Radio 1450am/98.5fm</a> with the award winning EAGLE Media sportscast crew, consisting of Glen Grunwald with the play-by-play call and Dan "Coach Nac" Naccarato with in-depth analysis. Pregame starts at 7:05 p.m. followed by the opening tip at 7:30 p.m.&nbsp; Be sure and download the KWBW app from your favorite app store.Video Stream:You have a choice. The video broadcast of both games will also available on the <a href="https://fan.hudl.com/usa/ks/hutchinson/organization/8/hutchinson-high-school/team/26735/girls-varsity-basketball/schedule?date=2024-12-01T06%3A00%3A00.000Z&amp;range=Month&amp;s=U2NoZWR1bGVFbnRyeVB1YmxpY1N1bW1hcnk2NmRmNTg0ZDM5NThmZmZhY2ViMzYxZmI%3D&amp;ss=2024">Hutch High hudl.tv fan page</a>&nbsp;and on the <a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/schools/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks">NFHS&nbsp; Network Hutchinson Channel.</a>&nbsp;You can subscribe to either network. The Freshman and JV games will only be streamed on the NFHS Network without audio.Girls Game vs Derby on hudl.tv:<div><iframe src="https://vcloud.hudl.com/broadcast/embed/2030229?autoplay=1" width="640" height="360" allow="fullscreen;" style="border:0;overflow:hidden;"></iframe></div>

🎧🎥🏀 Hutch High Girls host Derby

AP Sports Summary for January 21st, 2025:

Ohio State wins 1st national title since 2014, outlasting Notre Dame 34-23 in CFP championship game

ATLANTA (AP) — Ohio State can celebrate another title after holding off a Notre Dame comeback bid to walk away with a nailbiter of a 34-23 victory over the Fighting Irish. Will Howard hit big-play receiver Jeremiah Smith for 56 yards on a late third-and-11 to lock down a game that had been a laugher, then turned into something else. Trailing 31-7, Notre Dame scored two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions to make it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter. But Howard's big throw to Smith set up a field goal that started the celebration in earnest. Ohio State won its sixth title and first since the 2014 season.

Ohio State QB Will Howard played his best in run to national title, and set a record along the way

ATLANTA (AP) — Will Howard transferred to Ohio State to win a national championship, and he reached that goal by playing the best football of his career throughout the Buckeyes' four games in the College Football Playoff. He was never better than in the first half and at the end of Ohio State's 34-23 victory over Notre Dame. Howard connected on his first 13 passes to set the record for consecutive completions in a CFP title game, and late in the fourth quarter he lofted a pass to Jeremiah Smith for a 56-yard gain that all but sealed the win.

Notre Dame's Leonard can't keep do-it-all pace set in monstrous opening drive of loss to Ohio State

ATLANTA (AP) — Riley Leonard opened the national championship game with a do-it-all drive that made it appear the Notre Dame quarterback could win the title by himself. As it turned out, Leonard needed more help. Leonard's two second-half touchdown passes to Jaden Greathouse proved the Fighting Irish were resilient, but the comeback attempt was too late. Greathouse's first scoring catch came late in the third quarter of Ohio State's 34-23 win. Leonard was the workhorse on a monstrous 18-play touchdown drive to open the game. Riley had nine carries in the drive which lasted almost 10 minutes.

Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman falls short of breakthrough for Black coaches on historic day in America

ATLANTA (AP) — It was hard to ignore the connections between Marcus Freeman's fate as he tried to make history on Monday night and all that was happening in America on the day of the big game. Freeman's quest to become the first Black head football coach to capture a college title at the highest level came to an end with a 34-23 loss to Notre Dame. Monday was also the day the United States celebrated Martin Luther King Jr., and inaugurated Donald Trump to his second term as president. Freeman arrived at this moment on a day when America celebrated the man whose life was devoted to inclusion and equality, while diversity initiatives are increasingly under scrutiny on college campuses.

Bills will face Chiefs in AFC title game; Eagles will host the Commanders in NFC championship game

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills will take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game in their fourth playoff matchup in five years. Allen ran for two touchdowns and the Bills beat Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens 27-25 in a divisional game Sunday. Mark Andrews dropped a pass from Jackson on a 2-point conversion that would've tied it with 1:33 remaining and Buffalo held on for the victory. The Chiefs have defeated the Bills three straight times in the playoffs, including the conference title game four years ago in Kansas City. It'll be Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles hosting Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in the NFC championship game.

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson agrees to become Bears head coach, AP source says

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has agreed to become the Chicago Bears head coach, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the contract was being finalized. Johnson spent three years as Detroit's offensive coordinator under Dan Campbell and was considered the top head coaching candidate on the market. The Lions earned the top seed in the NFC at 15-2 before getting stunned by Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in a divisional playoff game on Saturday. The Bears fired Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29. Chicago finished last in the NFC North at 5-12.

Coco Gauff says she has more work to do after loss to Badosa at the Australian Open. Sabalenka wins

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Coco Gauff has lost in the Australian Open quarterfinals to Paula Badosa 7-5, 6-4. Tuesday's result ended a 13-match unbeaten run that dated to last season for Gauff, the 2023 U.S. Open champion. Gauff was seeded No. 3 and trying to get back to the semifinals at Melbourne Park for the second year in a row. Badosa is a 27-year-old from Spain who is seeded No. 11. She will now head to her first Grand Slam semifinal, and her opponent will be two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. The No. 1-ranked Sabalenka got past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in three sets Tuesday night, before Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz met in the men's quarterfinals. Alexander Zverev beat Tommy Paul.

Late Ohio State field goal is a win for Buckeyes bettors in CFP title game victory over Notre Dame

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jayden Fielding's 33-yard field goal with 26 seconds remaining did more than secure Ohio State's 34-23 victory over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff title game on Monday night. It also handed Ohio State bettors the victory. Ohio State was favored by 8 1/2 points at BetMGM Sportsbook. It's a line the Buckeyes appeared to cover with ease when taking a 31-7 lead midway through the third quarter. But the Fighting Irish rallied with two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions to make it an eight-point game in the closing minutes.

Aryna Sabalenka reaches the Australian Open semifinals as she seeks a third title in a row

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka's bid for a third consecutive Australian Open championship will continue after she got past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 in a surprisingly difficult quarterfinal. Sabalenka has now won 19 matches in a row at Melbourne Park after Tuesday night's struggle. She had run her set streak to 25 at the place — dating all the way to the 2023 final — when she grabbed the opener against 2021 French Open runner-up Pavlyuchenkova. But Sabalenka had a hard time harnessing her intimidating strokes on a windy evening in Rod Laver Arena. She will face her good friend, No. 11 seed Paula Badosa, in the semifinals.

CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray fuel the resurgent Pelicans' franchise-record comeback win

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans are gratified by a franchise-record comeback victory that shows they're not giving in to the misfortune that defined the first two months of their season. CJ McCollum highlighted a 45-point performance with 3-pointers and reverse layups in the clutch. Dejounte Murray was one rebound short of a triple-double. And the New Orleans Pelicans erased a 25-point deficit en route to a 121-117 overtime victory against the Utah Jazz on Monday night. Pelicans coach Willie Green says he credits players for pulling together and being resilient. The Pelicans have won four straight and seven of 10 after a 5-29 start.

		(14)Mississippi St.	at	(6)Tennessee	7 p.m.	

		Arizona St.	at	(23)West Virginia	9 p.m.	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, January 21st, 2025" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, January 21st, 2025</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for January 21st, 2025:<div><iframe title="AP Early Morning Sports Wrap for January 21st, 2025" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=ewmpr-17bf5cc-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>Ohio State wins 1st national title since 2014, outlasting Notre Dame 34-23 in CFP championship game<div><iframe title="AP Sports Wrap for January 21st, 2025" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=42cxr-17bf5d9-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>ATLANTA (AP) — Ohio State can celebrate another title after holding off a Notre Dame comeback bid to walk away with a nailbiter of a 34-23 victory over the Fighting Irish. Will Howard hit big-play receiver Jeremiah Smith for 56 yards on a late third-and-11 to lock down a game that had been a laugher, then turned into something else. Trailing 31-7, Notre Dame scored two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions to make it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter. But Howard's big throw to Smith set up a field goal that started the celebration in earnest. Ohio State won its sixth title and first since the 2014 season.Ohio State QB Will Howard played his best in run to national title, and set a record along the wayATLANTA (AP) — Will Howard transferred to Ohio State to win a national championship, and he reached that goal by playing the best football of his career throughout the Buckeyes' four games in the College Football Playoff. He was never better than in the first half and at the end of Ohio State's 34-23 victory over Notre Dame. Howard connected on his first 13 passes to set the record for consecutive completions in a CFP title game, and late in the fourth quarter he lofted a pass to Jeremiah Smith for a 56-yard gain that all but sealed the win.Notre Dame's Leonard can't keep do-it-all pace set in monstrous opening drive of loss to Ohio StateATLANTA (AP) — Riley Leonard opened the national championship game with a do-it-all drive that made it appear the Notre Dame quarterback could win the title by himself. As it turned out, Leonard needed more help. Leonard's two second-half touchdown passes to Jaden Greathouse proved the Fighting Irish were resilient, but the comeback attempt was too late. Greathouse's first scoring catch came late in the third quarter of Ohio State's 34-23 win. Leonard was the workhorse on a monstrous 18-play touchdown drive to open the game. Riley had nine carries in the drive which lasted almost 10 minutes.Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman falls short of breakthrough for Black coaches on historic day in AmericaATLANTA (AP) — It was hard to ignore the connections between Marcus Freeman's fate as he tried to make history on Monday night and all that was happening in America on the day of the big game. Freeman's quest to become the first Black head football coach to capture a college title at the highest level came to an end with a 34-23 loss to Notre Dame. Monday was also the day the United States celebrated Martin Luther King Jr., and inaugurated Donald Trump to his second term as president. Freeman arrived at this moment on a day when America celebrated the man whose life was devoted to inclusion and equality, while diversity initiatives are increasingly under scrutiny on college campuses.Bills will face Chiefs in AFC title game; Eagles will host the Commanders in NFC championship gameJosh Allen and the Buffalo Bills will take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game in their fourth playoff matchup in five years. Allen ran for two touchdowns and the Bills beat Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens 27-25 in a divisional game Sunday. Mark Andrews dropped a pass from Jackson on a 2-point conversion that would've tied it with 1:33 remaining and Buffalo held on for the victory. The Chiefs have defeated the Bills three straight times in the playoffs, including the conference title game four years ago in Kansas City. It'll be Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles hosting Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in the NFC championship game.Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson agrees to become Bears head coach, AP source saysDetroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has agreed to become the Chicago Bears head coach, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the contract was being finalized. Johnson spent three years as Detroit's offensive coordinator under Dan Campbell and was considered the top head coaching candidate on the market. The Lions earned the top seed in the NFC at 15-2 before getting stunned by Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in a divisional playoff game on Saturday. The Bears fired Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29. Chicago finished last in the NFC North at 5-12.Coco Gauff says she has more work to do after loss to Badosa at the Australian Open. Sabalenka winsMELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Coco Gauff has lost in the Australian Open quarterfinals to Paula Badosa 7-5, 6-4. Tuesday's result ended a 13-match unbeaten run that dated to last season for Gauff, the 2023 U.S. Open champion. Gauff was seeded No. 3 and trying to get back to the semifinals at Melbourne Park for the second year in a row. Badosa is a 27-year-old from Spain who is seeded No. 11. She will now head to her first Grand Slam semifinal, and her opponent will be two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. The No. 1-ranked Sabalenka got past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in three sets Tuesday night, before Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz met in the men's quarterfinals. Alexander Zverev beat Tommy Paul.Late Ohio State field goal is a win for Buckeyes bettors in CFP title game victory over Notre DameLAS VEGAS (AP) — Jayden Fielding's 33-yard field goal with 26 seconds remaining did more than secure Ohio State's 34-23 victory over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff title game on Monday night. It also handed Ohio State bettors the victory. Ohio State was favored by 8 1/2 points at BetMGM Sportsbook. It's a line the Buckeyes appeared to cover with ease when taking a 31-7 lead midway through the third quarter. But the Fighting Irish rallied with two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions to make it an eight-point game in the closing minutes.Aryna Sabalenka reaches the Australian Open semifinals as she seeks a third title in a rowMELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka's bid for a third consecutive Australian Open championship will continue after she got past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 in a surprisingly difficult quarterfinal. Sabalenka has now won 19 matches in a row at Melbourne Park after Tuesday night's struggle. She had run her set streak to 25 at the place — dating all the way to the 2023 final — when she grabbed the opener against 2021 French Open runner-up Pavlyuchenkova. But Sabalenka had a hard time harnessing her intimidating strokes on a windy evening in Rod Laver Arena. She will face her good friend, No. 11 seed Paula Badosa, in the semifinals.CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray fuel the resurgent Pelicans' franchise-record comeback winNEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans are gratified by a franchise-record comeback victory that shows they're not giving in to the misfortune that defined the first two months of their season. CJ McCollum highlighted a 45-point performance with 3-pointers and reverse layups in the clutch. Dejounte Murray was one rebound short of a triple-double. And the New Orleans Pelicans erased a 25-point deficit en route to a 121-117 overtime victory against the Utah Jazz on Monday night. Pelicans coach Willie Green says he credits players for pulling together and being resilient. The Pelicans have won four straight and seven of 10 after a 5-29 start.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Charlotte	110	Dallas	105	Final	Detroit	107	Houston	96	Final	Memphis	108	Minnesota	106	Final	New York	119	Atlanta	110	Final	Cleveland	118	Phoenix	92	Final	Boston	125	Golden State	85	Final OT	New Orleans	123	Utah	119	Final	Chicago	112	L.A. Clippers	99	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Boston	6	San Jose	3	Final	Minnesota	3	Colorado	1	Final	Seattle	6	Buffalo	4	Final SO	St. Louis	5	Vegas	4	Final	N-Y Islanders	3	Columbus	1	Final	Toronto	5	Tampa Bay	3	Final OT	Carolina	4	Chicago	3	Final	Utah	5	Winnipeg	2	Final	Pittsburgh	5	Los Angeles	1	___TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALLFinal	(6)Ohio St.	34	(3)Notre Dame	23	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		New York	at	Brooklyn	7:30 p.m.			Orlando	at	Toronto	7:30 p.m.			Portland	at	Miami	7:30 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Denver	10 p.m.			Washington	at	L.A. Lakers	10:30 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Detroit	at	Philadelphia	7 p.m.			Ottawa	at	N-Y Rangers	7 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	Montreal	7 p.m.			Carolina	at	Dallas	8 p.m.			San Jose	at	Nashville	8 p.m.			Washington	at	Edmonton	9 p.m.			Buffalo	at	Vancouver	10 p.m.			Florida	at	Anaheim	10 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		UCF	at	(3)Iowa St.	8 p.m.			Vanderbilt	at	(4)Alabama	7 p.m.			(14)Mississippi St.	at	(6)Tennessee	7 p.m.			(10)Marquette	at	Seton Hall	8 p.m.			Ohio St.	at	(11)Purdue	7:30 p.m.			Washington	at	(15)Oregon	11 p.m.			(18)Wisconsin	at	UCLA	9:30 p.m.			Butler	at	(19)UConn	7 p.m.			(22)Missouri	at	Texas	9 p.m.			Arizona St.	at	(23)West Virginia	9 p.m.			(25)Louisville	at	SMU	9 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Tuesday

ATLANTA (AP) — The pass seemed to hang up there forever. Did it feel like seven weeks? Did it feel like 10 years?

What a great debate for Ohio State fans to have forever.

When that&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/OhioStateFB/status/1881552148040958413">teardrop of a throw</a>&nbsp;from Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard on third-and-11 finally landed, light as a feather, in the hands of receiver Jeremiah Smith late in the fourth quarter Monday, Ohio State had locked up what would be a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame for its sixth national title and first in a decade.

It was that 56-yard gain that snuffed out a feverish Notre Dame comeback and made the Buckeyes the champion of the sport's first 12-team playoff, just as they were champions of its first four-team tournament a decade ago.

“They were running man coverage and I said, ‘Hey, I’m gonna let this loose and let him make a play on it,’” Howard said of a play that felt about 100 years removed from Ohio State's once program-defining “Three yards and a cloud of dust.”

This was a win that hardly anyone thought possible a mere seven weeks ago — Nov. 30 — when a 13-10 loss to Michigan led to a near-riot on the field and questions over whether coach Ryan Day would keep his job when the calendar flipped.

“It’s a great story about a bunch of guys who have just overcome some really tough situations, and at the point where there’s a lot of people that counted us out (they) just kept swinging and kept fighting,” Day said.

Buckeyes were on cruise control, then suddenly, ND came to life

It might be that much sweeter because of how it went down in a jam-packed stadium in the middle of SEC country that looked like a Christmas tree — Ohio State fans on one half in red, Notre Dame's on the other in green.

Trailing 31-7, Notre Dame scored two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions to make it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter. The in-stadium camera found legendary Irish coach Lou Holtz in his luxury box, and he ignored all those booing Buckeye fans and flashed a thumbs-up.

But Notre Dame's time was running out. After stopping the Buckeyes on their first two plays and using their timeouts, the Irish put Christian Gray — whose interception&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/penn-state-notre-dame-orange-bowl-score-34fe8fc6414366145cfaa10f0147964c">wrapped up Notre Dame's semifinal win</a>&nbsp;over Penn State — in single coverage on Smith.

Smith got behind Gray on the right sideline and Howard dropped his best pass of the season into the hands of the second-team All-American.

It set up a field goal that started the celebration in earnest, and also helped Ohio State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-state-notre-dame-cfp-national-championship-betting-line-4e59407b67c901d23a06f511099c45bc">cover the 8 1/2-point spread</a>&nbsp;at BetMGM Sportsbook.

“It was do or die, it was that type of down,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “He’s a heck of a player. He’s difficult to cover.”

Howard and Judkins make transfer portal pay off for Ohio State

Howard, a transfer-portal success story from Kansas State, threw for 231 yards and two scores, but nothing will beat the pass to Smith with everything on the line.

The receiver, who had been bottled up by Texas in the semifinals then fairly quiet for most of this game, finally got loose for the kind of play he’s been making all year. He finished with five catches for 88 yards.

“We felt at the end we wanted to give Jeremiah that shot,” Day said. “We really hadn't thrown it all night, but I thought, ‘Know what, let’s be aggressive, let's do this and lay it on the line.'”

Ohio State didn't really look like a team that needed to take risks after scoring touchdowns on its first four possessions, then adding a field goal on its fifth.

When Quinshon Judkins (100 yards, 11 carries, three TDs), a transfer from Mississippi who highlighted Ohio State’s judicious use of the ever-growing portal, busted a 70-yard run to set up the score that made it 28-7, this game looked over.

It wasn’t, and now Freeman will have to answer a few tough questions — one about the failed fake punt in the third quarter that turned into a field goal for a 31-7 lead; the other about sending Mitch Jeter in for a short field goal attempt while down 16 and facing fourth-and-goal from the 9. It might have looked like a better call had Jeter’s kick not clanged off the left upright.

“I know it’s still a two-score game, but you have a better probability of getting 14 points than you do 16 points,” Freeman said.

Ohio State dominated most of the night, and all through the playoffs

Really, though, Ohio State was the better team. The Buckeyes outgained Notre Dame 445 yards to 308. Howard completed his first 13 passes and never really got stopped. Ohio State punted a grand total of once.

The Buckeyes rolled through four games in the new, expanded playoff — what great timing for Ohio State that the tournament swelled to a dozen teams in a year it didn't even play for the Big Ten title — by an average score of 36-21.

Ohio State was seeded eighth, but the seedings were pretty much meaningless. The worse seed won every game in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, and the Buckeyes dominated in this title-game showdown of No. 7 vs. No. 8.

A fine ending to a season that almost got away

It puts to rest, for now, any angst about that 13-10 Michigan loss in November — Ohio State’s fourth straight in the series — that ended with a brawl after Wolverine players tried to plant a flag at midfield.

The whole scene left a lot of folks, both in and out of Buckeye circles, thinking Day, in his sixth season, had outlived his usefulness on a campus that hadn’t tasted a title in a decade.

Instead, the Ohio State marching band can dot the “I” next time with the national-title trophy. And Day can join a list of title-winning coaches with Urban Meyer (2014) Jim Tressel (2002), Woody Hayes ("Three yards and a cloud of dust") and Paul Brown (who went on to become the namesake of the NFL's Cleveland Browns).

Also, Day’s .873 winning percentage coming into the game was third among coaches with 50-plus games — one spot behind none other than the Notre Dame legend Knute Rockne, himself.

The Notre Dame loss means college football still has never had a Black coach win the national title.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cfp-notre-dame-king-trump-football-faf2fc685b25a887dd6eec083223a591">Freeman was trying</a>&nbsp;to become the first.

Instead, another kind of history. This marked the first time the Big Ten has taken back-to-back titles since 1942. Last year’s champion was Michigan, which was sitting home watching this one, but still played a special role in a Buckeyes redemption story hardly anyone saw coming.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737436647075.jpeg" alt="Ohio State celebrates after their win against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)" />
 <figcaption>Ohio State celebrates after their win against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — The pass seemed to hang up there forever. Did it feel like seven weeks? Did it feel like 10 years?What a great debate for Ohio State fans to have forever.When that&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/OhioStateFB/status/1881552148040958413">teardrop of a throw</a>&nbsp;from Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard on third-and-11 finally landed, light as a feather, in the hands of receiver Jeremiah Smith late in the fourth quarter Monday, Ohio State had locked up what would be a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame for its sixth national title and first in a decade.It was that 56-yard gain that snuffed out a feverish Notre Dame comeback and made the Buckeyes the champion of the sport's first 12-team playoff, just as they were champions of its first four-team tournament a decade ago.“They were running man coverage and I said, ‘Hey, I’m gonna let this loose and let him make a play on it,’” Howard said of a play that felt about 100 years removed from Ohio State's once program-defining “Three yards and a cloud of dust.”This was a win that hardly anyone thought possible a mere seven weeks ago — Nov. 30 — when a 13-10 loss to Michigan led to a near-riot on the field and questions over whether coach Ryan Day would keep his job when the calendar flipped.“It’s a great story about a bunch of guys who have just overcome some really tough situations, and at the point where there’s a lot of people that counted us out (they) just kept swinging and kept fighting,” Day said.<h2>Buckeyes were on cruise control, then suddenly, ND came to life</h2>It might be that much sweeter because of how it went down in a jam-packed stadium in the middle of SEC country that looked like a Christmas tree — Ohio State fans on one half in red, Notre Dame's on the other in green.Trailing 31-7, Notre Dame scored two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions to make it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter. The in-stadium camera found legendary Irish coach Lou Holtz in his luxury box, and he ignored all those booing Buckeye fans and flashed a thumbs-up.But Notre Dame's time was running out. After stopping the Buckeyes on their first two plays and using their timeouts, the Irish put Christian Gray — whose interception&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/penn-state-notre-dame-orange-bowl-score-34fe8fc6414366145cfaa10f0147964c">wrapped up Notre Dame's semifinal win</a>&nbsp;over Penn State — in single coverage on Smith.Smith got behind Gray on the right sideline and Howard dropped his best pass of the season into the hands of the second-team All-American.It set up a field goal that started the celebration in earnest, and also helped Ohio State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-state-notre-dame-cfp-national-championship-betting-line-4e59407b67c901d23a06f511099c45bc">cover the 8 1/2-point spread</a>&nbsp;at BetMGM Sportsbook.“It was do or die, it was that type of down,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “He’s a heck of a player. He’s difficult to cover.”<h2>Howard and Judkins make transfer portal pay off for Ohio State</h2>Howard, a transfer-portal success story from Kansas State, threw for 231 yards and two scores, but nothing will beat the pass to Smith with everything on the line.The receiver, who had been bottled up by Texas in the semifinals then fairly quiet for most of this game, finally got loose for the kind of play he’s been making all year. He finished with five catches for 88 yards.“We felt at the end we wanted to give Jeremiah that shot,” Day said. “We really hadn't thrown it all night, but I thought, ‘Know what, let’s be aggressive, let's do this and lay it on the line.'”Ohio State didn't really look like a team that needed to take risks after scoring touchdowns on its first four possessions, then adding a field goal on its fifth.When Quinshon Judkins (100 yards, 11 carries, three TDs), a transfer from Mississippi who highlighted Ohio State’s judicious use of the ever-growing portal, busted a 70-yard run to set up the score that made it 28-7, this game looked over.It wasn’t, and now Freeman will have to answer a few tough questions — one about the failed fake punt in the third quarter that turned into a field goal for a 31-7 lead; the other about sending Mitch Jeter in for a short field goal attempt while down 16 and facing fourth-and-goal from the 9. It might have looked like a better call had Jeter’s kick not clanged off the left upright.“I know it’s still a two-score game, but you have a better probability of getting 14 points than you do 16 points,” Freeman said.<h2>Ohio State dominated most of the night, and all through the playoffs</h2>Really, though, Ohio State was the better team. The Buckeyes outgained Notre Dame 445 yards to 308. Howard completed his first 13 passes and never really got stopped. Ohio State punted a grand total of once.The Buckeyes rolled through four games in the new, expanded playoff — what great timing for Ohio State that the tournament swelled to a dozen teams in a year it didn't even play for the Big Ten title — by an average score of 36-21.Ohio State was seeded eighth, but the seedings were pretty much meaningless. The worse seed won every game in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, and the Buckeyes dominated in this title-game showdown of No. 7 vs. No. 8.<h2>A fine ending to a season that almost got away</h2>It puts to rest, for now, any angst about that 13-10 Michigan loss in November — Ohio State’s fourth straight in the series — that ended with a brawl after Wolverine players tried to plant a flag at midfield.The whole scene left a lot of folks, both in and out of Buckeye circles, thinking Day, in his sixth season, had outlived his usefulness on a campus that hadn’t tasted a title in a decade.Instead, the Ohio State marching band can dot the “I” next time with the national-title trophy. And Day can join a list of title-winning coaches with Urban Meyer (2014) Jim Tressel (2002), Woody Hayes ("Three yards and a cloud of dust") and Paul Brown (who went on to become the namesake of the NFL's Cleveland Browns).Also, Day’s .873 winning percentage coming into the game was third among coaches with 50-plus games — one spot behind none other than the Notre Dame legend Knute Rockne, himself.The Notre Dame loss means college football still has never had a Black coach win the national title.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cfp-notre-dame-king-trump-football-faf2fc685b25a887dd6eec083223a591">Freeman was trying</a>&nbsp;to become the first.Instead, another kind of history. This marked the first time the Big Ten has taken back-to-back titles since 1942. Last year’s champion was Michigan, which was sitting home watching this one, but still played a special role in a Buckeyes redemption story hardly anyone saw coming.___

🏈 Ohio State wins 1st national title since 2014, outlasting Notre Dame in CFP championship game

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVE%20SKRETTA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737409095320.png" alt="Photo KSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo KSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVE%20SKRETTA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer</a>Kansas State forward Ayoka Lee will be sidelined indefinitely after an X-ray and MRI exam revealed the All-American fractured a bone in her foot in the second quarter of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll">No. 10</a>&nbsp;Wildcats'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-state-kansas-state-score-9dd812c75d1e801072ee17f55468bd8b">win over Arizona State</a>.The school called it “probable” that Lee will return before the end of the season, but more will be known in the coming weeks.“It's not good,” Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie said after the 81-69 win Sunday over Arizona State. “It’s not going to be a week or two.”Lee only played 13 minutes in the game, leaving for good with 4:21 left in the first half.The Wildcats, who do not play again until visiting Colorado on Saturday, entered the week 19-1 and 7-0 in the Big 12, and they are riding a 14-game win streak, the fourth-longest in Division I women's basketball. The Wildcats' only loss came against No. 13 Duke in the Ball Dawgs Classic in late November.Lee is a big reason for their success. The 6-foot-6 forward from Byron, Minnesota, is averaging 16 points on 65.4% shooting, even though she's played limited minutes because of a number of blowouts. She also is averaging 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.Lee set the women's Division I scoring record when she had 61 points against Oklahoma in January 2022. She is already Kansas State's career scoring leader with 2,482 points, and she holds school records for rebounds, blocks and field goals.Lee also has had a history of injuries, though. She redshirted as a freshman while recovering from a knee injury, and she missed the entire 2022-23 season&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-manhattan-college-basketball-womens-kansas-d3a64345f3647364b65ddce0bb3b7c02">because of surgery</a>&nbsp;on the other knee. She also sat out several conference games a year ago after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ayoka-lee-ankle-injury-kansas-state-87bbcaff2e509fea0da1043076736901">she hurt her ankle</a>, and Mittie has limited her minutes at times this season in an effort to keep her healthy.The Wildcats will lean more heavily on Missouri State transfer Kennedy Taylor, Imani Lester and Eliza Maupin while Lee is out."I think it’s just the next-man-up mentality, and I think Eliza came in and played really well for us,” Kansas State guard Taryn Sides said after the win over the Sun Devils. “We don’t really know a whole lot about Yokie. Hopefully she’s OK.”___