MLB  – Major League Baseball
Tonight

  Chicago  White Sox (Kopech 3-7) at Atlanta (Morton 9-6), 7:20 p.m.

  Boston  (Bello 6-5) at Chicago Cubs (Hendricks 3-3), 8:05 p.m.

Detroit  (Rodriguez 4-5) at Seattle (Castillo 6-6), 10:10 p.m.     News/Talk/Sports  94.9 WSJM 9:45

MLB – Cubs-Rangers highlight opening day matchups as  MLB announces 2024 schedule

  The Chicago Cubs will be at Texas in the only  interleague matchup on Major League Baseball’s traditional opening day on March  28 in the second season of the balanced schedule. MLB released its 2024  schedule, seven weeks earlier than the 2023 announcement. All 30 teams are  slated to play on March 28, a week after the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego  Padres meet in a two-game series at Seoul on March 20-21, MLB’s first  regular-season games in South Korea. The Athletics host Cleveland in what could  be their last opener in Oakland before an expected move to Las Vegas.  The Detroit Tigers open up at the Chicago  White Sox.  Detroit then hosts Oakland  the following week.

WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association
Saturday
2023  WNBA All-Star Game, Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas

  Team  Stewart vs. Team Wilson, 8:30 p.m.

NCAAFB – David Braun elevated to interim coach at  Northwestern, AP source says

  David Braun has been elevated from defensive  coordinator to interim coach at Northwestern for the upcoming season, replacing  Pat Fitzgerald, who was fired this week due to a hazing scandal. That’s  according to a person familiar with the decision. The person spoke to The  Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Braun’s promotion to interim  coach had not been announced. Braun was hired as the Wildcats’ defensive  coordinator six months ago. He spent the previous four seasons in the same  position at North Dakota State. Fitzgerald was fired Monday after a university  investigation found allegations of hazing by 11 current or former players. He  has maintained he was unaware of the hazing.

NCAABSB – Northwestern fires baseball coach Jim Foster  amid misconduct allegations

  Northwestern baseball coach Jim Foster has been fired  amid allegations of misconduct, three days after football coach Pat Fitzgerald  was dismissed because of a hazing scandal. Foster spent just one season as the  Wildcats’ coach. The move was announced in a brief statement from athletic  director Derrick Gragg. The Chicago Tribune and WSCR-AM reported this week that  Foster led a toxic culture that prompted several assistant coaches to quit, and  that his bullying and verbally abusive behavior prompted a human resources  investigation by the university. Northwestern went 10-40 under Foster.  Assistant Brian Anderson will take over as interim coach.

NCAA – Legal headaches could just be starting at  Northwestern, WVU with Fitzgerald

  The legal headaches could only be starting for  ex-Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald and West Virginia’s Bob Huggins. Fitzgerald  was fired this week following hazing allegations in the program. He originally  was suspended for two weeks before the school changed course. West Virginia  considers Huggins to have resigned after a drunken-driving arrest last month.  Huggins says he never formally stepped down and wants to keep coaching  basketball. Industry experts are puzzled by what happened. Marty Greenberg is  an attorney specializing in coaching contracts. He says if Fitzgerald and  Huggins fight back, it would be in everyone’s best interests for a quick  resolution.

NCAAMBB – March Madness expansion discussed by NCAA  committee but no deal imminent

  The NCAA Division I men’s basketball committee  discussed possible expansion of March Madness at its meetings this week but  said no moves were imminent to increase the field beyond the current 68 teams.  Earlier this year, the NCAA Division I board of directors approved  recommendations by the DI transformation committee that included allowing one  quarter of teams in bigger sports to compete in championship events. That could  mean expanding the fields in both men’s and women’s basketball up to 90 teams.  There are many in the sport who believe the 68-team field and three weekends of  play are ideal. In 2016, the NCAA signed an eight-year extension of its TV deal  worth $8.8 billion and running through 2032.

NBASL – NBA Summer League – Las Vegas
Last Night

  Cleveland  Cavaliers 87, Chicago Bulls 83

Cavaliers 87, Bulls 83

  Craig Porter scored 22 points, Isaiah Mobley had a double-double  and Cleveland remained unbeaten in NBA Summer League play with a victory over  Chicago.  Porter added eight rebounds,  six assists and three steals for the Cavaliers (4-0). Mobley finished with 18  points, 12 rebounds and four assists. Second-round pick Emoni Bates pitched in  with 15 points and six boards. The Cavaliers trailed 80-73 with 5:50 left to  play. Mobley hit a 3-pointer and added two free throws with 1:21 remaining to  put Cleveland up 84-83. Porter added a three-point play with just under a  minute to play to complete the scoring. Javon Freeman-Liberty had 18 points for  the Bulls (2-2). Dalen Terry and second-round pick Julian Phillips scored 12  points apiece.

Tonight

  Indiana  Pacers vs. New York Knicks, 7:00 p.m.                (at  Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas) 

  Detroit  Pistons vs. San Antonio Spurs, 9:00 p.m.            (at  Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas) 

NHL – Coyotes cutting ties with Galchenyuk following  arrest on multiple charges

  The Arizona Coyotes have placed newly signed free  agent forward Alex Galchenyuk on unconditional waivers and plan to terminate  his contract following his arrest on multiple charges over the weekend. A  Scottsdale Police Department spokesperson said Thursday that Galchenyuk was  arrested Sunday on charges of private property hit and run, disorderly conduct,  failure to obey, resisting arrest and threatening or intimidating. The  spokesperson said the hit and run was only property damage and no injuries  occurred. Galchenyuk was booked into the Scottsdale city jail on misdemeanor  charges and released the next day on his own recognizance.

Tennis – Ons Jabeur is in a second consecutive  Wimbledon final

  Ons Jabeur has defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-4,  6-3 to reach the Wimbledon final for the second consecutive year. This will be  the third title match for Jabeur in the past five Grand Slam tournaments. She  is 0-2 so far after losing to Elena Rybakina at the All England Club last July  and to Iga Swiatek at the U.S. Open last September. Sabalenka came into the  match with a 17-1 record at majors in 2023. Jabeur’s opponent for the  championship will be Marketa Vondrousova. Vondrousova became the first unseeded  women’s finalist at Wimbledon since Billie Jean King in 1963 by eliminating  Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-3.

Golf – PGA Tour and Saudi wealth fund drop poaching  clause from agreement

  The PGA Tour deal with Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund is  dropping a clause in their agreement over poaching. That’s after the Justice  Department raised antitrust concerns. The agreement is for the PGA Tour,  European tour and Public Investment Fund to become partners. A clause in the  framework agreement was that neither side would try to poach players from other  tours. The tour said Thursday that it believes the clause is lawful. But it  says it has removed it because the clause isn’t needed as they work together in  negotiating the final deal. No more players are likely to join LIV this season.

Golf – McIlroy says he’d retire if LIV Golf was the  only place to play

  Rory McIlroy is laughing off a Saudi-backed idea that  he and Tiger Woods own LIV Golf teams. McIlroy says he would retire if LIV Golf  was the only place left on earth to play though he’d still compete at the  majors. Those are part of his first comments since the Senate hearing on the PGA  Tour’s agreement to partner with Saudi Arabia’s national wealth fund. One of  the documents Congress obtained contained a series of dreamy proposals for  compromise. McIlroy has not hidden his disdain for the rival circuit funded by  Saudi Arabia.

MWL – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night

No games last night 

Tonight

  Lansing Lugnuts at  West Michigan Whitecaps, 6:35 p.m.

  Fort Wayne Tin Caps at  Great Lakes Loons, 7:05 p.m.

  South Bend Cubs at  Quad Cities River Bandits, 7:30 p.m.

MLB – Major League Baseball 
 Tonight 
 Chicago White Sox (Kopech 3-7) at Atlanta (Morton 9-6), 7:20 p.m. 
 Boston (Bello 6-5) at Chicago Cubs (Hendricks 3-3), 8:05 p.m. 
Detroit (Rodriguez 4-5) at Seattle (Castillo 6-6), 10:10 p.m.     News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 9:45
MLB – Cubs-Rangers highlight opening day matchups as MLB announces 2024 schedule 
 The Chicago Cubs will be at Texas in the only interleague matchup on Major League Baseball&rsquo;s traditional opening day on March 28 in the second season of the balanced schedule. MLB released its 2024 schedule, seven weeks earlier than the 2023 announcement. All 30 teams are slated to play on March 28, a week after the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres meet in a two-game series at Seoul on March 20-21, MLB&rsquo;s first regular-season games in South Korea. The Athletics host Cleveland in what could be their last opener in Oakland before an expected move to Las Vegas.  The Detroit Tigers open up at the Chicago White Sox.  Detroit then hosts Oakland the following week.
WNBA – Women&rsquo;s National Basketball Association 
 Saturday 
 2023 WNBA All-Star Game, Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas 
 Team Stewart vs. Team Wilson, 8:30 p.m.
NCAAFB – David Braun elevated to interim coach at Northwestern, AP source says 
 David Braun has been elevated from defensive coordinator to interim coach at Northwestern for the upcoming season, replacing Pat Fitzgerald, who was fired this week due to a hazing scandal. That&#8217;s according to a person familiar with the decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Braun&#8217;s promotion to interim coach had not been announced. Braun was hired as the Wildcats&rsquo; defensive coordinator six months ago. He spent the previous four seasons in the same position at North Dakota State. Fitzgerald was fired Monday after a university investigation found allegations of hazing by 11 current or former players. He has maintained he was unaware of the hazing.
NCAABSB – Northwestern fires baseball coach Jim Foster amid misconduct allegations 
 Northwestern baseball coach Jim Foster has been fired amid allegations of misconduct, three days after football coach Pat Fitzgerald was dismissed because of a hazing scandal. Foster spent just one season as the Wildcats&rsquo; coach. The move was announced in a brief statement from athletic director Derrick Gragg. The Chicago Tribune and WSCR-AM reported this week that Foster led a toxic culture that prompted several assistant coaches to quit, and that his bullying and verbally abusive behavior prompted a human resources investigation by the university. Northwestern went 10-40 under Foster. Assistant Brian Anderson will take over as interim coach.
NCAA – Legal headaches could just be starting at Northwestern, WVU with Fitzgerald 
 The legal headaches could only be starting for ex-Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald and West Virginia&#8217;s Bob Huggins. Fitzgerald was fired this week following hazing allegations in the program. He originally was suspended for two weeks before the school changed course. West Virginia considers Huggins to have resigned after a drunken-driving arrest last month. Huggins says he never formally stepped down and wants to keep coaching basketball. Industry experts are puzzled by what happened. Marty Greenberg is an attorney specializing in coaching contracts. He says if Fitzgerald and Huggins fight back, it would be in everyone&#8217;s best interests for a quick resolution.
NCAAMBB – March Madness expansion discussed by NCAA committee but no deal imminent 
 The NCAA Division I men&rsquo;s basketball committee discussed possible expansion of March Madness at its meetings this week but said no moves were imminent to increase the field beyond the current 68 teams. Earlier this year, the NCAA Division I board of directors approved recommendations by the DI transformation committee that included allowing one quarter of teams in bigger sports to compete in championship events. That could mean expanding the fields in both men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s basketball up to 90 teams. There are many in the sport who believe the 68-team field and three weekends of play are ideal. In 2016, the NCAA signed an eight-year extension of its TV deal worth $8.8 billion and running through 2032.
NBASL – NBA Summer League – Las Vegas 
 Last Night 
 Cleveland Cavaliers 87, Chicago Bulls 83
Cavaliers 87, Bulls 83 
 Craig Porter scored 22 points, Isaiah Mobley had a double-double and Cleveland remained unbeaten in NBA Summer League play with a victory over Chicago.  Porter added eight rebounds, six assists and three steals for the Cavaliers (4-0). Mobley finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. Second-round pick Emoni Bates pitched in with 15 points and six boards. The Cavaliers trailed 80-73 with 5:50 left to play. Mobley hit a 3-pointer and added two free throws with 1:21 remaining to put Cleveland up 84-83. Porter added a three-point play with just under a minute to play to complete the scoring. Javon Freeman-Liberty had 18 points for the Bulls (2-2). Dalen Terry and second-round pick Julian Phillips scored 12 points apiece.
Tonight 
 Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks, 7:00 p.m.                (at Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas) 
 Detroit Pistons vs. San Antonio Spurs, 9:00 p.m.            (at Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas) 
NHL – Coyotes cutting ties with Galchenyuk following arrest on multiple charges 
 The Arizona Coyotes have placed newly signed free agent forward Alex Galchenyuk on unconditional waivers and plan to terminate his contract following his arrest on multiple charges over the weekend. A Scottsdale Police Department spokesperson said Thursday that Galchenyuk was arrested Sunday on charges of private property hit and run, disorderly conduct, failure to obey, resisting arrest and threatening or intimidating. The spokesperson said the hit and run was only property damage and no injuries occurred. Galchenyuk was booked into the Scottsdale city jail on misdemeanor charges and released the next day on his own recognizance.
Tennis – Ons Jabeur is in a second consecutive Wimbledon final 
 Ons Jabeur has defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3 to reach the Wimbledon final for the second consecutive year. This will be the third title match for Jabeur in the past five Grand Slam tournaments. She is 0-2 so far after losing to Elena Rybakina at the All England Club last July and to Iga Swiatek at the U.S. Open last September. Sabalenka came into the match with a 17-1 record at majors in 2023. Jabeur&#8217;s opponent for the championship will be Marketa Vondrousova. Vondrousova became the first unseeded women&rsquo;s finalist at Wimbledon since Billie Jean King in 1963 by eliminating Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-3.
Golf – PGA Tour and Saudi wealth fund drop poaching clause from agreement 
 The PGA Tour deal with Saudi Arabia&#8217;s wealth fund is dropping a clause in their agreement over poaching. That&#8217;s after the Justice Department raised antitrust concerns. The agreement is for the PGA Tour, European tour and Public Investment Fund to become partners. A clause in the framework agreement was that neither side would try to poach players from other tours. The tour said Thursday that it believes the clause is lawful. But it says it has removed it because the clause isn&#8217;t needed as they work together in negotiating the final deal. No more players are likely to join LIV this season. 
           
 Golf – McIlroy says he&#8217;d retire if LIV Golf was the only place to play 
 Rory McIlroy is laughing off a Saudi-backed idea that he and Tiger Woods own LIV Golf teams. McIlroy says he would retire if LIV Golf was the only place left on earth to play though he&#8217;d still compete at the majors. Those are part of his first comments since the Senate hearing on the PGA Tour&#8217;s agreement to partner with Saudi Arabia&#8217;s national wealth fund. One of the documents Congress obtained contained a series of dreamy proposals for compromise. McIlroy has not hidden his disdain for the rival circuit funded by Saudi Arabia.
MWL – Midwest League Baseball 
 Last Night 
No games last night 
Tonight 
 Lansing Lugnuts at West Michigan Whitecaps, 6:35 p.m. 
 Fort Wayne Tin Caps at Great Lakes Loons, 7:05 p.m. 
 South Bend Cubs at Quad Cities River Bandits, 7:30 p.m.

Southwest Michigan's Sports Leader

WSJM Sports

MLB – Major League Baseball Tonight Chicago White Sox (Kopech 3-7) at Atlanta (Morton 9-6), 7:20 p.m. Boston (Bello 6-5) at Chicago Cubs (Hendricks 3-3), 8:05 p.m. Detroit (Rodriguez 4-5) at Seattle (Castillo 6-6), 10:10 p.m.     News/Talk/Sports