Thursday May 2nd Local Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — Max Kepler and José Miranda hit run-scoring singles to put Minnesota ahead in the seventh, and the Twins rallied late for their 10th straight win, 10-5 over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. Miranda added his third hit for another RBI in a four-run ninth that put it away for the Twins, whose winning streak is their longest since June 2008 and the longest in baseball this season. Willi Castro added an RBI single to cap a three-hit day. Alex Kirilloff hit a solo shot, and Ryan Jeffers knocked in two runs with a double for Minnesota. Tommy Pham hit his first homer with the White Sox and added an RBI double.

 

 

 

CHICAGO (AP) — Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton left a game against the Chicago White Sox in the second inning because of right knee soreness after an unsuccessful attempt to steal second base. Buxton singled leading off the inning, didn’t slide and was thrown out by catcher Kory Lee. Buxton walked off the field slowly and was replaced in the bottom half by Willi Castro, who moved from third base. An All- Star in 2022, Buxton was limited to 85 games as a designated hitter last season because of a right knee injury.

 

 

 

CEDAR RAPIDS — The NIACC baseball team dropped a conference doubleheader at 8th-ranked Kirkwood Wednesday afternoon. Kirkwood used a six-run first inning to set the pace in a 12-2, five-inning win. Eli Anderson hit a solo home run in the fifth inning for the Trojans. Kirkwood took the nightcap 8-5, with the Trojans scoring three of their five runs on a three-run home run by Sam Kwapnioski. NIACC drops to 20-30 overall and 12-18 in the conference and will host Iowa Lakes in a single Iowa Community College Athletic Conference contest at 1 o’clock Friday afternoon.

 

 

 

IOWA CITY — Iowa’s depth will be tested as the Hawkeyes get set for the stretch run of the Big Ten baseball season. Third leading hitter Kyle Huckstorf suffered a broken hand in last Friday’s game at Nebraska and is likely done for the season while second leading hitter Sam Peterson’s lower leg injury continues to flare up. He has been placed in a boot and is expected to be out the rest of the year. Huckstorf and Peterson have combined for 89 hits and 67 RBI for an Iowa team that is currently sixth in the Big Ten race with a 10-8 record. The top eight teams qualify for the conference tournament.

That’s Iowa coach Rick Heller who says it will change the way the Hawkeyes generate offense.

Heller says injuries are a part of baseball and it is up to other players to step up.

Heller says the availability of starting pitcher Cade Obermueller is uncertain for Friday’s start of a Big Ten series against Northwestern. He missed last weekend’s start at Nebraska with a sore back.

The Hawkeyes are 25-18 overall after dropping a 21-14 decision to North Dakota State in non-conference play on Wednesday. The Hawkeyes close the Big Ten race next week with a series at co-leader Illinois.

 

 

 

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves are planning for coach Chris Finch to be with them in Denver for their Western Conference semifinal series following knee surgery. They are considering seating configurations to allow Finch to be on the bench during games. Finch had his ruptured right patellar tendon repaired after a sideline collision with Mike Conley last week. Assistant coach Micah Nori has taken over in Finch’s absence. Finch would likely join the team in the locker room for pregame and halftime meetings and watch the action in a suite if there’s not enough space for him to safely extend his leg.

 

 

 

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — Southern California and UCLA will play two road games apiece against the Big Ten’s easternmost schools while fellow conference newcomers Oregon and Washington will make one cross-country trip each during the 2024-25 men’s basketball season. The Big Ten announced each of the 18 teams will have 20 conference games, playing three schools home and away and the other 14 teams once. Game dates will be announced later. USC and UCLA both will have games at Rutgers and Maryland, and Oregon and Washington both will visit Penn State. The former Pac-12 schools will play each other twice. For the University of Iowa, they will play Nebraska, Northwestern and Wisconsin both home and away; Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue and Washington at home only; and Illinois, Maryland, MIchigan, Ohio State, Rutgers, UCLA and USC on the road only.

 

 

 

SCOTTDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Big 12 is about to play its first season without Oklahoma and Texas. The new 16-team conference lacks traditional super powers. And the expanded College Football Playoff’s new revenue structure has created a perception the Big 12 is no longer a peer of the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference on the field. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark’s job is to push back against the narrative that bigger bank accounts automatically make better football teams. He says he was not happy with the new CFP revenue model, but he’s betting on the Big 12’s performance in the 12-team playoff to overcome perception.

 

 

 

AMES — Iowa State offensive guard Jarrod Hufford likes the depth the Cyclones have heading into next season. A total of 18 starters return from last year’s team that finished 7-6 after a loss to Memphis in the Liberty Bowl.

Hufford says versatility in the offensive line is key. He spent part of spring drills working at center.

Hufford says experience showed during spring drills.

Iowa State opens next season at home on August 31st against North Dakota.