The Lakeshore Lancer Football Preview is brought to you by Lazer Graphics! Give them the stuff they want from Lazer Graphics! LazerGraphics.com! 

The St. Joe Bears Football Preview is brought to you by Lazer Graphics! Give them the stuff they want, from Lazer Graphics. LazerGraphics.com! Bret Witkowski previews tonight's St. Joe Bears game against Portage Central! 

Our WSJM Sports Player of the Week is Gail Vaikutis of St. Joseph High School Cross Country.  Gail is a senior at St. Joseph and has a 4.08 GPA

Hour one of The Coaches from Full Circle Café & Espresso Bar

St. Joe was back on the road to face Battle Creek Lakeview at Spartan Memorial Stadium.  Joel Cordes and Bret Witkowski were there as heard on News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM

Al Pscholka and Denny Kniola were in Battle Creek and called the Lakeshore Lancers game at Battle Creek Central from C.W. Post Field from the Cereal City on 97.5 Y-Country

The Lakeshore Lancer Football Preview is brought to you by Lazer Graphics! Give them the stuff they want from Lazer Graphics! LazerGraphics.com The Lakeshore Lancers hit the road to take on Battle Creek Central. Al Pscholka previews tonight's matchup that you can hear on 97.5 Y Country. 

The St. Joe Bears Football Preview is brought to you by Lazer Graphics! Give them the stuff they want, from Lazer Graphics! LazerGraphics.com.  Bret Witkowski joins us to talk about the St. Joe Bears as they are set to take on Battle Creek Lakeview tonight! 

This week from Full Circle Café & Espresso Bar, we talk St. Joe, Lakeshore, & Benton Harbor Football, and Lakeshore Volleyball.

Our first WSJM Sports Player of the Week for the 2023-24 High School season is Nico Finn of Buchanan High School Football.  Nico is a senior at Buchanan High School and currently has a 4.24 GPA.   In the Bucks 35-6 win over Coloma in the Buchanan tribute to Galien Gaels Football, Nice had 2 rushing touchdowns, 1 receiving, and had a 38 yard pick six for the Bucks.

Listen back to the week 3 matchup between Kalamazoo Central (1-0) at St. joseph (1-1) from Dickinson Stadium in St. Joseph as heard on News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM with Joel Cordes and Bret Witkowski on the call

Listen back to the Week 3 matchup between Mattawan (1-1) and Lakeshore (1-1) from Al Stockman Stadium in Stevensville as hear on 97.5 Y-Country with Al Pscholka and Denny Kniola.

The St. Joe Bears Football Preview is brought to you by Lazer Graphics! Give them the stuff they want from Lazer Graphics! LazerGraphics.com The St. Joe Bears are back at Dickinson Stadium taking on Kalamazoo Central. Bret Witkowski joins Jonny & Ken to preview tonight's matchup! 

This week from Full Circle Café & Espresso Bar, we talk St. Joe, Lakeshore, Twin City, Benton Harbor, and Bridgman Football.

Listen back at Lakeshore's 2023 Home Opener at Kohn Lehman Field at Al Stockman Stadium against the Niles Vikings.  Al Pscholka and Denny Kniola had the call on 97.5 Y-Country on Thursday Night.

Lakeshore Football Preview is brought to you by Lazer Graphics! Give them the stuff they want, from Lazer Graphics! LazerGraphics.com The Lancers come off a tough loss to Zeeland West. They look to get back on track at home against the Niles Vikings who had an impressive performance last week vs. St. Joe. Al Pscholka talks with Jonny Reinhardt about what to expect with tonight's matchup.  Listen to the game on 97.5 Y Country! 

The Coaches with Phil McDonald and Bret Witkowski, from Full Circle Cafe and Espresso Bar in Stevensville from Saturday, August 26, 2023

St. Joe opened the 2023 season with a road game at Niles.  Listen back to the broadcast with Joel Cordes and Bret Witkowski from Viking Stadium in Niles

The Coaches - August 19, 2023 Live from Full Circle Cafe and Espresso Bar in Stevensville.

WSJM Sports August 11 2023 MLB Yesterday Detroit Tigers 3, Minnesota Twins 0 Today Detroit Tigers @ Boston Red Sox 7:10 pm - News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM Chicago Cubs @ Toronto Blue Jays 7:07 pm Milwaukee Brewers @ Chicago White Sox 8:10 pm Riley Greene, Reese Olson lead Tigers to series-clinching 3-0 win against Twins Riley Greene broke up a pitcher’s duel with a sixth-inning homer and the Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins 3-0. Detroit’s third straight victory Thursday gave the Tigers a 3-1 win of the work-week series. Minnesota had won five straight after taking Monday’s opener. The Twins managed two singles, the last in the fifth inning. Reese Olson pitched six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out eight. Blue Jays take on the Cubs in first of 3-game series The Toronto Blue Jays start a three-game series at home against the Chicago Cubs today. Toronto is 65-52 overall and 30-24 in home games. The Blue Jays have gone 36-13 in games when they scored five or more runs. Chicago is 59-56 overall and 27-28 on the road. The Cubs have a 28-14 record in games when they hit two or more home runs. The matchup is the first meeting this season between the two clubs. White Sox open 3-game series at home against the Brewers The Chicago White Sox host the Milwaukee Brewers to open a three-game series. Chicago has a 47-69 record overall and a 25-30 record in home games. The White Sox have a 36-12 record in games when they out-hit their opponents. Milwaukee is 29-27 on the road and 62-54 overall. The Brewers have a 29-9 record in games when they hit two or more home runs. The teams meet Friday for the first time this season. NFL Last night Houston Texans 20, New England Patriots 9 Seattle Seahawks 24, Minnesota Vikings 13 Tonight New York Giants @ Detroit Lions – 7 pm Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 7 pm Green Bay Packers @ Cincinnati Bengals – 7 pm Atlanta Falcons @ Miami Dolphins – 7 pm Washington Commanders @ Cleveland Browns – 7:30 pm Denver Broncos @ Arizona Cardinals – 10 pm Lions Host Giants Tonight In Preseason Opener The Lions kick off the preseason tonight hosting the New York Giants at Ford Field.  It's the first of back-to-back home games before Detroit closes out the preseason at Carolina.  In other news, the Lions officially signed quarterback Teddy Bridgewater yesterday, while running back/kick returner Justin Jackson has abruptly retired.   Week One Of NFL Preseason Continues The NFL preseason is in full swing.  Rookie C.J. Stroud and the Texans took down the Patriots 20-9 in Foxboro.  Stroud tossed an interception, while Davis Mills threw for 99 yards and a touchdown.  Drew Lock and the Seahawks rolled past the Vikings 24-13 in Seattle.  Six more preseason games are on tap Friday, with another six on Saturday.  Among the notables are top draft picks Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson making their NFL debuts on Saturday.  The Carolina Panthers host the New York Jets, while the Indianapolis Colts pay a visit to the Buffalo Bills.   Mississippi Supreme Court Won't Remove Favre From Lawsuit Over Misspent Welfare Money The Mississippi Supreme Court says it will not remove former NFL quarterback Brett Favre as a defendant in a civil lawsuit that seeks to recover millions of dollars of misspent welfare money. Three justices issued a brief ruling Wednesday. They affirmed a trial court judge's decision that Favre must remain as a defendant in the civil lawsuit filed by the state Department of Human Services. Prosecutors say millions of welfare dollars for low-income Mississippi residents were squandered on projects supported by wealthy or well-connected people from 2016 to 2019. The department sued more than three dozen people or businesses in 2022 to try to recover some of the money. FIFA Women’s World Cup Yesterday Spain 2, Netherlands 1 Today Japan vs. Sweden – Happening now. Check ESPN for updates.  Spain edges Netherlands 2-1 in extra time to reach Women's World Cup semifinals for the first time Salma Paralluelo has scored deep in extra time to give Spain a 2-1 win over the Netherlands and a spot in the Women's World Cup semifinals for the first time. The 19-year-old forward struck in the 111th minute of an epic quarterfinal match between European soccer heavyweights. She made her break down the left, pivoted momentarily and launched a left-foot shot into the back of the net for an historic match-winner. The Dutch lost the final to the U.S. in the 2019 Women's World Cup. Now both finalists and a string of highly-ranked teams are out of the 2023 edition being co-hosted in Australia and New Zealand. NASCAR Chris Buescher Eyes Third Straight Victory At Indy Chris Buescher is hoping to become the first NASCAR Cup Series driver to win three straight races when the field battles in Indianapolis for the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard.  The driver of the number-17 car won his second race in a row earlier this week in the FireKeepers Casino 400 in Brooklyn, Michigan.  Buescher is locked-in to a playoff spot and is eighth in the standings.  Martin Truex Jr., William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson make up the top five.  There are only three more races in the regular season before the playoffs start in September.  The green flag waves from Indy Sunday afternoon. Golf Phil Mickelson has wagered more than $1 billion, according to book by renowned gambler Billy Walters Renowned gambler Billy Walters writes in his book that Phil Mickelson wagered more than $1 billion in the last 30 years. Walters' book is due out on Aug. 22. The Fire Pit Collective obtained the excerpt and its stunning allegations. They include Walters telling of a conversation in which Mickelson wanted him to bet $400,000 for him on the Americans winning the 2012 Ryder Cup. Mickelson played on that team. Walters says he talked him out of it. Mickelson said in a statement Thursday that he never bet on the Ryder Cup. Walters was sentenced to five years in prison for an insider trading case that involved Mickelson as a relief defendant. Midwest League Yesterday South Bend Cubs 9, Lake County Captains 1 West Michigan Whitecaps 6, Great Lakes Loons 2 Lansing Lugnuts 7, Fort Wayne TinCaps 4  Today South Bend Cubs @ Lake County Captains – 7 pm West Michigan Whitecaps @ Great Lakes Loons - 7 pm Fort Wayne TinCaps @ Lansing Lugnuts – 7 pm

WSJM Sports August 10 2023 MLB Yesterday Detroit Tigers 9, Minnesota Twins 5 Chicago White Sox 9, New York Yankees 2 New York Mets 4, Chicago Cubs 3 Today Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers - 1:10 pm - News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM Cubs, White Sox off Tigers Beat Twins The Detroit Tigers had 17 hits during a 9-5 win over the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park.  The Tigers had just a one-run lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, but they scored two runs in both the seventh and eighth to pull away.  Spencer Torkelson hit a pair of home runs in the victory.  Tyler Holton was credited with the win in relief, and Jose Cisnero earned his second save.  Detroit has won three of five.  Carlos Correa and Joey Gallo both homered in the losing effort.  Bailey Ober was charged with his sixth loss after surrendering four earned runs and one unearned in five innings.  The Twins still have a four-and-a-half game lead in the AL Central. White Sox Blow Out Yankees To Win Series The White Sox earned a series victory after claiming their rubber match against the Yankees.  Chicago blew out New York 9-2 at Guaranteed Rate Field.  Mike Clevinger was credited with the win after striking out six batters and allowing one run over six innings pitched.  Elvis Andrus went two for four at the dish with three RBI and Oscar Colas slugged his third homer of the season with a two-run shot.  The White Sox are now fourth in the AL Central at 47-and-69.  Luis Severino was charged with the loss after allowing four runs on five hits over two innings of relief.  Giancarlo Stanton provided all of the Yanks' offense after going one for four with a solo homer and two runs batted in.  The Bronx Bombers are now last in the AL East at 59-and-56.   Mets Edge Cubs To Win Series The Mets won their series against the Cubs following a 4-3 victory in the finale from Flushing.  Grant Hartwig earned the win in relief after giving up just one hit over two-and-one-third innings.  Phil Bickford notched his first save of the season after striking out a pair of batters in the ninth.  Jeff McNeil blasted a solo homer in the sixth inning to break a 2-2 deadlock while Jonathan Arauz singled home an insurance run later in the inning.  New York improved to 52-and-62 and is fourth in the NL East.  Christopher Morel blasted a solo shot on the first pitch of the game for Chicago, which fell to 59-and-56.  The Cubs are second in the NL Central. Phillies' Michael Lorenzen Throws No Hitter Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Michael Lorenzen has thrown a no-hitter against the Nationals in a 7-0 win in Philadelphia.  It's the 14th no-hitter in Phillies history. Lorenzen was traded to Philadelphia by the Detroit Tigers around the trade deadline. NFL Tonight Houston Texans @ New England Patriots – 7 pm Minnesota Vikings @ Seattle Seahawks – 10 pm Tomorrow New York Giants @ Detroit Lions – 7 pm Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 7 pm Green Bay Packers @ Cincinnati Bengals – 7 pm Atlanta Falcons @ Miami Dolphins – 7 pm Washington Commanders @ Cleveland Browns – 7:30 pm Denver Broncos @ Arizona Cardinals – 10 pm Two NFL Preseason Games Tonight NFL preseason action heats up this week starting with a pair of games tonight. The Houston Texans visit the Patriots in Foxboro, followed by the Vikings and Seahawks squaring off in Seattle.  Six more preseason games are on tap Friday, with another six on Saturday. First-overall draft pick Bryce Young will make his NFL debut Saturday when the Carolina Panthers host the New York Jets. The first week of the preseason will wrap up Sunday with the Chiefs at Saints, and the 49ers visiting the Raiders in Las Vegas. Former NFL Star Henry Ruggs Sentenced To 3 To 10 Years In Prison For Deadly DUI Crash Former NFL receiver Henry Ruggs is being sentenced to three to ten years in prison for a deadly DUI crash in Las Vegas. The accident happened in 2021 and ended in the death of Tina Tintor and her dog. Ruggs slammed his Corvette into the back of Tintor's car, causing it to go up in flames. The former Las Vegas Raider reached a plea deal in May, agreeing to plead guilty to one felony count of DUI resulting in death.   Golf 2023 St. Jude Championship Preview TPC Southwind is the site of this week's St. Jude Championship in Memphis. Defending champion Will Zalatoris will not be participating in this year's tournament. After winning the Wyndham Championship last week Lucas Glover will be looking for his second consecutive victory. Glover will be alongside Nick Hardy and Alex Smalley in the opening round. Davis Riley, Taylor Montgomery and Thomas Detry will be among the first group of players teeing off the first round of the tournament.   FIFA Women’s World Cup Today Spain vs. Netherlands, 9 pm Eastern Tomorrow Japan vs. Sweden, 3:30 am Eastern Midwest League Yesterday Lake County Captains 10, South Bend Cubs 4 Great Lakes Loons 5, West Michigan Whitecaps 1  Fort Wayne TinCaps 9, Lansing Lugnuts 5 Today South Bend Cubs @ Lake County Captains – 7 pm West Michigan Whitecaps @ Great Lakes Loons - 7 pm Fort Wayne TinCaps @ Lansing Lugnuts – 7 pm

WSJM Sports August 9 2023 MLB Yesterday Detroit Tigers 6, Minnesota Twins 0 New York Yankees 7, Chicago White Sox 1 Chicago Cubs 3, New York Mets 2 Today Minnesota Twins @ Detroit Tigers 6:40 pm – News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM Chicago Cubs @ New York Mets 7:10 pm New York Yankees @ Chicago White Sox 8:10 pm Eduardo Rodriguez pitches 7 innings as Detroit Tigers beat Minnesota Twins 6-0 Eduardo Rodriguez pitched seven solid innings, and the Detroit Tigers stopped Minnesota’s five-game winning streak with a 6-0 victory over the Twins. Rodriguez (8-5) allowed four hits, struck out five and walked three. The veteran left-hander, who was nearly traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the deadline, improved to 4-1 with a 3.63 ERA in his last seven starts. Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera went 2 for 4 and scored a run. He has 3,142 hits, passing Tony Gwynn and moving into a tie with Robin Yount for 19th place on the career list. Judge, Higashioka homer as Yankees pound White Sox 7-1 Aaron Judge and Kyle Higashioka homered, and the New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox 7-1. Clarke Schmidt pitched neatly into the sixth inning and combined with two relievers for 13 strikeouts, helping the playoff-contending Yankees came away with the win after losing three of four. Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a two-run double and scored during New York’s four-run fourth against Touki Toussaint, and the Yankees scored three more in the eighth. Chicago’s Luis Robert Jr. led off the fourth with his 31st home run. But the White Sox came up short after winning three in a row. Tauchman and Taillon lead the surging Cubs past the Mets 3-2 at Citi Field Mike Tauchman hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning and Jameson Taillon retired his final 16 batters to win his fourth straight start as the Chicago Cubs beat the New York Mets 3-2. Cody Bellinger also went deep and Yan Gomes had an RBI double for the surging Cubs, who won for the 16th time in 21 games. They began the day 2 1/2 games behind first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central and one game out of a playoff spot. Pete Alonso hit an early two-run homer for the sinking Mets that culminated in an amusing back-and-forth trot around the bases because of a replay review. New York has lost seven of eight since trading Justin Verlander and other veterans at last week’s deadline. Detroit Tigers Broadcaster, Former Catcher Jim Price Dies At 81 Detroit Tigers radio analyst and former catcher Jim Price has died at the age of 81. Price died Monday and was the backup to Bill Freehan from 1967 to 1971. He had been a Tigers broadcaster since 1993, working on Pro-Am Sports System until moving to radio in 1998. Price had stopped doing road games due to his health and called his last Tigers game on July 9 of this season. FIFA Women’s World Cup Yesterday France 4, Morocco 0 Colombia 1, Jamaica 0 ESPN strikes $1.5B deal to jump into sports betting with Penn Entertainment Disney-owned ESPN has licensed its brand for use in a sports betting app, striking a deal in which it will receive $1.5 billion and other considerations from Penn Entertainment. In return, Penn will rebrand its existing sports betting app as ESPN Bet, which ESPN has agreed to promote across its online and broadcast platforms in order to generate “maximum fan awareness” of the app. The companies said ESPN Bet will also have unspecified “access” to ESPN talent. The hands-off arrangement appears designed to insulate Disney's family-friendly image from any potential risk that might arise from ESPN's involvement in sports betting. NCAA Northwestern Faces At Least 13 Lawsuits A decade after Northwestern found itself at the center of the push for college athletes to form a union for the first time, the spotlight is once again shining on the prestigious private school. The university is facing at least 13 lawsuits across multiple sports with allegations including sexual abuse by teammates as well as racist comments by coaches. Some attorneys say the situation might have played out differently if college athletes had a union. Others aren't as sure. But they all agree: There's strength in numbers, and a union wouldn't hurt. Midwest League Yesterday Lake County Captains 7, South Bend Cubs 5 West Michigan Whitecaps 6, Great Lakes Loons 4 Fort Wayne TinCaps 3, Lansing Lugnuts 2 Today South Bend Cubs @ Lake County Captains – 12:05 pm West Michigan Whitecaps @ Great Lakes Loons - 7 pm Fort Wayne TinCaps @ Lansing Lugnuts – 1:05 pm

WSJM Sports August 8 2023 MLB Yesterday Minnesota Twins 9, Detroit Tigers 3 Chicago White Sox 5, New York Yankees 1 New York Mets 11, Chicago Cubs 2 Today Minnesota Twins @ Detroit Tigers 6:40 pm – News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM Chicago Cubs @ New York Mets 7:10 pm New York Yankees @ Chicago White Sox 8:10 pm Twins Steam-Roll Tigers The Minnesota Twins are on a five-game winning streak following a 9-3 rout of the Tigers at Comerica Park. The Twins brought across four runs in the top of the first and scored another three runs in the second to put the game away early. Carlos Correa had a home run and four RBI, while Ryan Jeffers also went deep. Pablo Lopez earned his seventh win after striking out eight batter over seven shut-out innings. Minnesota now has a five-and-a-half game lead over Cleveland for first place in the AL Central. Nick Maton hit a three-run home run with two outs in the ninth for the Tigers, and Joey Wentz was charged with his tenth loss after surrendering eight runs on ten hits in three innings. Detroit has lost three of four. White Sox Top Yankees To Open Series The White Sox extended their winning streak to three games after opening their series against the Yankees with a 5-1 victory in Chicago. Dylan Cease earned the victory after striking out six batters over five and a third scoreless innings pitched. Bryan Shaw secured his first save of the season after striking out four over two scoreless innings of relief. Andrew Vaughn slugged his 15th homer of the year with a two-run shot for the White Sox, who are now fourth in the AL Central at 46-and-68. Gerrit Cole was charged with the loss after allowing four runs on five hits over seven innings. Billy McKinney drove in the only run of the game for New York, which is last in the AL East at 58-and-55.   Alonso Leads Mets Over Cubs Pete Alonso homered in consecutive at-bats and tied a career high with six RBIs as the New York Mets withstood a long rain delay and snapped a six-game losing streak with an 11-2 rout of the Chicago Cubs on Monday night. In their first home game since trading Justin Verlander, Mark Canha and Tommy Pham at last week's deadline, the Mets avoided matching their longest skid this season. New York dropped seven straight June 2-9 when it fell under .500. Alonso connected in the first and third innings against Drew Smyly (8-8). It was his fourth multi-homer game this year and third since the All-Star break. White Sox refute claims of "no rules" by former reliever Middleton Chicago White Sox management on Monday refuted claims by former reliever Keynan Middleton that the downtrodden team had a culture with “no rules,” allowing a rookie reliever to regularly fall asleep during games and other players to miss meetings and practices. Middleton, dealt to the New York Yankees for minor league pitching prospect Juan Carela just before the Aug. 1 trade deadline, made the statements in an ESPN report published on Sunday. Before Monday’s game against the Yankees in Chicago, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn and first-year field manager Pedro Grifol said Middleton’s claims were inaccurate. FIFA Women’s World Cup Yesterday England 4, Nigeria 2 (Penalty kicks after 0-0 draw) Australia 2, Denmark 0 Today Colombia vs. Jamaica – 4 am ET France vs. Morocco – 7 am ET NASCAR Chris Buescher Wins FireKeepers For Second Straight Victory Chris Buescher is celebrating back-to-back NASCAR Cup Series victories following a win at Michigan International Speedway.  The driver of the number-17 warded off Martin Truex Jr. on the final lap to take home the checkered flag in the FireKeepers Casino 400.  The race was restarted on lap 75 Monday afternoon after rain postponed the originally scheduled contest.  Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson rounded out the top five finishers.  The racers head to Indianapolis for the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard Sunday. NFL Lions To Sign Backup QB Teddy Bridgewater The Detroit Lions have reached an agreement with free agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to share the details. Bridgewater visited the Lions last month, and the team made it clear they were interested in adding him as Jared Goff’s backup. The 30-year-old Bridgewater fills a need for a team looking to win a division title for the first time in three decades. Midwest League Today South Bend Cubs @ Lake County Captains - 7 pm West Michigan Whitecaps @ Great Lakes Loons - 7 pm Fort Wayne TinCaps @ Lansing Lugnuts - 7 pm