Due to predicted inclement weather, the North Platte High School track meet has been moved from Friday to Thursday, March 30, at 12:30 p.m.

Due to predicted inclement weather, the North Platte High School track meet has been moved from Friday to Thursday, March 30, at 12:30 p.m.

Weather forces change to high school track meet schedule

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">North Platte High school is excited to announce Leah Greeno-O&#39;donnell will be the new High Softball coach. Coach Greeno-O&#39;donnell is home grown and brings years of coaching experience and we&#39;re excited to have her. <a href="https://t.co/XxIHlwdyvW">pic.twitter.com/XxIHlwdyvW</a>&mdash; nphs_bulldogs (@nphs_bulldogs) <a href="https://twitter.com/nphs_bulldogs/status/1640690467191832577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

North Platte High School announces new softball coach

By ERIC OLSON Associated Press

Making TikTok videos for fun evolved into a serious moneymaking venture for Nebraska track athlete Jess Gardner, who is among the many social media stars in college sports.

A comical video of her teaching a football player how to pole vault has been viewed nearly 4 million times, though the majority of her self-described “girly girl” content features her lip-syncing or performing skits while dressed in her track uniform, sweat clothes or stylish outfits. Pretty common stuff for social media influencers.

The number of Gardner's TikTok followers has climbed to nearly 210,000 over the past four months — in addition to her 115,000 on Instagram — and with that has come something else: Gardner has become mindful of staying safe because of the possibility of an overzealous fan becoming menacing; she said eight of every 10 of her followers are male.

As has been the case with other female athletes who are monetizing their social media followings, it's typical for her looks to be the subject of comments on her videos, comments that can range from genuinely complimentary to inappropriate — or worse.

“As a woman, thinking in the future, if I had a son and they were commenting those kinds of things on a young girl’s video, I would be ashamed of my son,” Gardner said. "Not all the comments are like that. Don’t get me wrong. There are a lot of very nice people who follow me, a lot of very nice comments.

“But some of the ones that are more alarming, like I just think, what is going on in your life? I can’t take it personal," she said. "I have to understand their perception of me is a reflection of their experiences and their life and that type of stuff. What happened or what’s going on that you see a video of me in a winter coat and that’s where your mind is going?”

LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne, who has 11 million TikTok and Instagram followers, was in the headlines earlier this year when a swarm of boys and young men showed up at a meet in Utah. They&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/samanthapeszek/status/1611929895839453184?s=20">at one point formed a gauntlet</a>&nbsp;outside the arena. Dunne later asked her fans to show respect for her and her teammates, and the incident prompted LSU to assign security personnel to travel with the team.

John Muffler of Florida-based Aequitas Global Security said athletes who have experienced sudden popularity as influencers must understand they are at risk of attracting followers with nefarious intentions. Muffler, a retired U.S. Marshals Service chief inspector, specializes in risk mitigation and threat assessment and has written about problems influencers can encounter.

As with all influencers, Muffler said, college athletes with rising public profiles need to be aware of their surroundings and never post anything that would offer a clue about their location.

Muffler discourages sending direct messages to followers the influencer does not know and urges caution in general replies to comments. Something as innocent as a smiley face emoji could trigger what's known as a parasocial relationship, meaning the follower imagines he or she knows or is friends with the influencer.

“Most people are going to be fine and normal about following you,” Muffler said, “but it can be perceived as an invitation to others — and those are the ones you need to worry about. They’re the ones that show up in your lab class or outside your dorm.”

Hanna Cavinder, who along with sister and fellow Miami basketball player Haley are among&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-cavinder-twins-miami-0752da493e58c2ebca3eae494915e8b3">the top college athlete influencers by any measure,</a>&nbsp;said she lives a more private life than most would assume given the twins' prolific and lucrative use of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/thecavindertwins/?hl=en">social media.</a>

“People will always question, ‘Well, why don’t you post your teammates more on TikTok? Or why aren’t you posting your sisters more or your family and stuff?’” she added. “And this is why — I don’t want them to deal with stuff that we’ve had to learn and grow and adapt to, like hate comments and stuff like that. That took a while to get used to, people just talking down on you for no reason.”

Gardner said she started making TikToks last year with her roommate and they were surprised at how many views they generated. With college athletes now able to cash in on their celebrity, Gardner began looking for ways to monetize them and now partners with about 15 brands, most of them catering to women.

Her potential annual earnings from the effort are projected to be $111,000, which ranks No. 3 among Division I female track athletes, according to On3.com.

Gardner said she has received handwritten letters signed by men — one contained jokers from a deck of cards — and thrown them away. She had heard about the Dunne situation in Utah but didn't give it much thought until a teammate told her a group of males was looking for her during an indoor meet in Lincoln.

“That kind of stuff ... is definitely scary,” she said during an interview in Nebraska's indoor track facility. “As you can see in this building, we’re a little less separated than the basketball or football or volleyball team would be at a game. The stands are right there. That was definitely unsettling.”

Gardner said she spoke with her coaches and people in the athletic department who said they were aware of her large social media following and assured her security measures were in place to keep her safe.

University spokeswoman Leslie Reed said campus police have not seen an increase in athlete security concerns directly attributable to social media prominence.

“We have always had high-profile athletes on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus and we address issues as they arise,” Reed said in a statement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679930416308.jpeg" alt="Nebraska NCAA college pole vaulter Jessica Gardner" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska NCAA college pole vaulter Jessica Gardner</figcaption>
 </figure>By ERIC OLSON Associated PressMaking TikTok videos for fun evolved into a serious moneymaking venture for Nebraska track athlete Jess Gardner, who is among the many social media stars in college sports.A comical video of her teaching a football player how to pole vault has been viewed nearly 4 million times, though the majority of her self-described “girly girl” content features her lip-syncing or performing skits while dressed in her track uniform, sweat clothes or stylish outfits. Pretty common stuff for social media influencers.The number of Gardner's TikTok followers has climbed to nearly 210,000 over the past four months — in addition to her 115,000 on Instagram — and with that has come something else: Gardner has become mindful of staying safe because of the possibility of an overzealous fan becoming menacing; she said eight of every 10 of her followers are male.As has been the case with other female athletes who are monetizing their social media followings, it's typical for her looks to be the subject of comments on her videos, comments that can range from genuinely complimentary to inappropriate — or worse.“As a woman, thinking in the future, if I had a son and they were commenting those kinds of things on a young girl’s video, I would be ashamed of my son,” Gardner said. "Not all the comments are like that. Don’t get me wrong. There are a lot of very nice people who follow me, a lot of very nice comments.“But some of the ones that are more alarming, like I just think, what is going on in your life? I can’t take it personal," she said. "I have to understand their perception of me is a reflection of their experiences and their life and that type of stuff. What happened or what’s going on that you see a video of me in a winter coat and that’s where your mind is going?”LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne, who has 11 million TikTok and Instagram followers, was in the headlines earlier this year when a swarm of boys and young men showed up at a meet in Utah. They&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/samanthapeszek/status/1611929895839453184?s=20">at one point formed a gauntlet</a>&nbsp;outside the arena. Dunne later asked her fans to show respect for her and her teammates, and the incident prompted LSU to assign security personnel to travel with the team.John Muffler of Florida-based Aequitas Global Security said athletes who have experienced sudden popularity as influencers must understand they are at risk of attracting followers with nefarious intentions. Muffler, a retired U.S. Marshals Service chief inspector, specializes in risk mitigation and threat assessment and has written about problems influencers can encounter.As with all influencers, Muffler said, college athletes with rising public profiles need to be aware of their surroundings and never post anything that would offer a clue about their location.Muffler discourages sending direct messages to followers the influencer does not know and urges caution in general replies to comments. Something as innocent as a smiley face emoji could trigger what's known as a parasocial relationship, meaning the follower imagines he or she knows or is friends with the influencer.“Most people are going to be fine and normal about following you,” Muffler said, “but it can be perceived as an invitation to others — and those are the ones you need to worry about. They’re the ones that show up in your lab class or outside your dorm.”Hanna Cavinder, who along with sister and fellow Miami basketball player Haley are among&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-cavinder-twins-miami-0752da493e58c2ebca3eae494915e8b3">the top college athlete influencers by any measure,</a>&nbsp;said she lives a more private life than most would assume given the twins' prolific and lucrative use of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/thecavindertwins/?hl=en">social media.</a>“People will always question, ‘Well, why don’t you post your teammates more on TikTok? Or why aren’t you posting your sisters more or your family and stuff?’” she added. “And this is why — I don’t want them to deal with stuff that we’ve had to learn and grow and adapt to, like hate comments and stuff like that. That took a while to get used to, people just talking down on you for no reason.”Gardner said she started making TikToks last year with her roommate and they were surprised at how many views they generated. With college athletes now able to cash in on their celebrity, Gardner began looking for ways to monetize them and now partners with about 15 brands, most of them catering to women.Her potential annual earnings from the effort are projected to be $111,000, which ranks No. 3 among Division I female track athletes, according to On3.com.Gardner said she has received handwritten letters signed by men — one contained jokers from a deck of cards — and thrown them away. She had heard about the Dunne situation in Utah but didn't give it much thought until a teammate told her a group of males was looking for her during an indoor meet in Lincoln.“That kind of stuff ... is definitely scary,” she said during an interview in Nebraska's indoor track facility. “As you can see in this building, we’re a little less separated than the basketball or football or volleyball team would be at a game. The stands are right there. That was definitely unsettling.”Gardner said she spoke with her coaches and people in the athletic department who said they were aware of her large social media following and assured her security measures were in place to keep her safe.University spokeswoman Leslie Reed said campus police have not seen an increase in athlete security concerns directly attributable to social media prominence.“We have always had high-profile athletes on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus and we address issues as they arise,” Reed said in a statement.

The scary side of being a college athlete & influencer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The NFL's veteran wide receiver market is a 
little thinner after Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton declared neither 
Jerry Jeudy nor Courtland Sutton are on the trade block.

Payton 
made the comments while speaking to the NFL Network on Sunday, the first
 day of the league's spring owners meetings in Arizona.

“We're not
 trading those two players,” Payton said, acknowledging the Broncos have
 received inquiries about the availability of the wide receivers who 
combined for 1,801 yards receiving and eight TD receptions in 2022.

“We've
 received calls, you bet. Those are two good football players,” Payton 
said. “But we're in the business of gathering talent right now. Why do 
people call? Because they know we're void of draft picks and that we 
might, because there was some discussions a year ago, I think, regarding
 Courtland. But we like the current group that we're working with.”

The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/broncos-nfl-free-agency-953cf94ee06b3e83562601317214a77b">Broncos have just five picks</a>
 in the NFL draft next month and they own no selections until the third 
round after parting with premium picks to acquire quarterback Russell 
Wilson from Seattle last year and Payton from the Saints this winter.

Wilson
 cost them first- and second-round picks last year and this year and 
they had to send a first-rounder they acquired from Miami in the Bradley
 Chubb trade to New Orleans in order to hire Payton.

Jeudy has 
never lived up to his status as a 2020 first-round pick, mostly because 
of injuries, although he came on strong at the end of last season, 
posting big numbers after he was moved to the flanker position.

Sutton,
 a second-round selection in 2019, hasn't been the same since tearing an
 ACL in 2020. He has caught just two touchdown passes in each of the 
last two seasons.

Also, the Broncos' depth at the position took a 
hit last week when speedster K.J. Hamler, another receiver whose career 
has been marked by injuries, tore a chest muscle while working out. He's
 expected to be out up to six months.

Tim Patrick, the Broncos' most productive receiver, is returning from a torn ACL that cost him all of the 2022 season.

Following
 Hamler's latest injury, the Broncos signed free agent wide receiver 
Marquez Callaway, a fourth-year pro who played for Payton in New 
Orleans.

It was also revealed last week that Wilson underwent 
arthroscopic knee surgery after the season, but is on track to 
participate in the team's offseason program next month.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The NFL's veteran wide receiver market is a 
little thinner after Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton declared neither 
Jerry Jeudy nor Courtland Sutton are on the trade block.Payton 
made the comments while speaking to the NFL Network on Sunday, the first
 day of the league's spring owners meetings in Arizona.“We're not
 trading those two players,” Payton said, acknowledging the Broncos have
 received inquiries about the availability of the wide receivers who 
combined for 1,801 yards receiving and eight TD receptions in 2022.“We've
 received calls, you bet. Those are two good football players,” Payton 
said. “But we're in the business of gathering talent right now. Why do 
people call? Because they know we're void of draft picks and that we 
might, because there was some discussions a year ago, I think, regarding
 Courtland. But we like the current group that we're working with.”The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/broncos-nfl-free-agency-953cf94ee06b3e83562601317214a77b">Broncos have just five picks</a>
 in the NFL draft next month and they own no selections until the third 
round after parting with premium picks to acquire quarterback Russell 
Wilson from Seattle last year and Payton from the Saints this winter.Wilson
 cost them first- and second-round picks last year and this year and 
they had to send a first-rounder they acquired from Miami in the Bradley
 Chubb trade to New Orleans in order to hire Payton.Jeudy has 
never lived up to his status as a 2020 first-round pick, mostly because 
of injuries, although he came on strong at the end of last season, 
posting big numbers after he was moved to the flanker position.Sutton,
 a second-round selection in 2019, hasn't been the same since tearing an
 ACL in 2020. He has caught just two touchdown passes in each of the 
last two seasons.Also, the Broncos' depth at the position took a 
hit last week when speedster K.J. Hamler, another receiver whose career 
has been marked by injuries, tore a chest muscle while working out. He's
 expected to be out up to six months.Tim Patrick, the Broncos' most productive receiver, is returning from a torn ACL that cost him all of the 2022 season.Following
 Hamler's latest injury, the Broncos signed free agent wide receiver 
Marquez Callaway, a fourth-year pro who played for Payton in New 
Orleans.It was also revealed last week that Wilson underwent 
arthroscopic knee surgery after the season, but is on track to 
participate in the team's offseason program next month.

Broncos' Payton says Jeudy, Sutton aren't on the trade block

The North Platte Community College softball team will play Northeast Community College Tuesday in North Platte.

The doubleheader, which was rescheduled from February, will begin at 1 p.m. at the Dowhower Softball Complex.

The most up-to-date information about NPCC athletics, including schedules, rosters and statistics, can be found on the Knights Facebook and Twitter accounts and online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npccknights.com/">npccknights.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679417870364.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MPCCThe North Platte Community College softball team will play Northeast Community College Tuesday in North Platte.The doubleheader, which was rescheduled from February, will begin at 1 p.m. at the Dowhower Softball Complex.The most up-to-date information about NPCC athletics, including schedules, rosters and statistics, can be found on the Knights Facebook and Twitter accounts and online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npccknights.com/">npccknights.com</a>.

Knights reschedule game against Northeast for Tuesday at home

The Tri-City Storm completed a three-game weekend sweep over the Fargo Force Sunday evening at the Viaero Center in a 3-2 victory. Dane Dowiak netted the game-tying goal, and the game-winning goal in the matchup. Shaun McEwen also scored in the win for Tri-City. Patriks Bērziņš backstopped the Storm to victory by making 24 saves in the game. The Storm won this year’s season series against the Force with a final head-to-head record of 4-3-1-0. Tri-City improved to 29-17-3-3 overall with the victory.

Shaun McEwen netted his second goal of the season at 14:39 of Sunday’s opening period to give the Storm a 1-0 lead in the battle. Daimon Gardner and Trevor Connelly each recorded an assist on the scoring play. Tri-City carried a one-goal lead into Sunday’s 2nd&nbsp;period, despite being outshot 11-6 in the 1st&nbsp;period.

Zam Plante scored his eleventh goal of the year at 4:20 of the 2nd&nbsp;period to bring the game to a 1-1 tie. Plante’s goal for the Force netted on the powerplay, and was assisted by Mac Swanson, and Owen Mehlenbacher. Kevin Scott gave Fargo a one-goal lead in the matchup minutes later with his fourth scoring play of the season. The goal was netted at 10:05 of the middle period, and was assisted by Anthony Menghini. Dane Dowiak tied the game for Tri-City at 16:55 of the 2nd&nbsp;period with his thirteenth scoring play of the season. The goal was assisted by Cam O’Neill, and Shaun McEwen. Fargo outshot Tri-City 10-5 in the 2nd&nbsp;period, and the final period began with the two teams tied 2-2.

The only goal of Sunday’s 3rd&nbsp;period was scored with less than five minutes to play by Dane Dowiak. The scoring play was his second of the game, and fourteenth of the season. Evan Werner and Daimon Gardner each recorded an assist on the game-winning goal. The scoring play was the final of Sunday’s game, and the Storm skated away with a 3-2 victory, and a three-game weekend sweep over the league-leading Force. Tri-City outshot Fargo 12-5 in the 3rd&nbsp;period, but was outshot by an overall margin of 26-23 for the game.

Patriks Bērziņš turned away 24 of Fargo’s 26 shots on goal to record the win, and improve to 9-2-1-0 on the season in goal for Tri-City. The Force’s Anton Castro recorded the loss after making 20 saves on 23 shots.

Tri-City hits the ice again on Wednesday, March 29th, in a road game against the Lincoln Stars. Puck drop is scheduled for 11:00am CT. Skate to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>&nbsp;for individual game tickets and more information regarding the Tri-City Storm organization.&nbsp;#StormAhead

Story by Tri-City StormThe Tri-City Storm completed a three-game weekend sweep over the Fargo Force Sunday evening at the Viaero Center in a 3-2 victory. Dane Dowiak netted the game-tying goal, and the game-winning goal in the matchup. Shaun McEwen also scored in the win for Tri-City. Patriks Bērziņš backstopped the Storm to victory by making 24 saves in the game. The Storm won this year’s season series against the Force with a final head-to-head record of 4-3-1-0. Tri-City improved to 29-17-3-3 overall with the victory.Shaun McEwen netted his second goal of the season at 14:39 of Sunday’s opening period to give the Storm a 1-0 lead in the battle. Daimon Gardner and Trevor Connelly each recorded an assist on the scoring play. Tri-City carried a one-goal lead into Sunday’s 2nd&nbsp;period, despite being outshot 11-6 in the 1st&nbsp;period.Zam Plante scored his eleventh goal of the year at 4:20 of the 2nd&nbsp;period to bring the game to a 1-1 tie. Plante’s goal for the Force netted on the powerplay, and was assisted by Mac Swanson, and Owen Mehlenbacher. Kevin Scott gave Fargo a one-goal lead in the matchup minutes later with his fourth scoring play of the season. The goal was netted at 10:05 of the middle period, and was assisted by Anthony Menghini. Dane Dowiak tied the game for Tri-City at 16:55 of the 2nd&nbsp;period with his thirteenth scoring play of the season. The goal was assisted by Cam O’Neill, and Shaun McEwen. Fargo outshot Tri-City 10-5 in the 2nd&nbsp;period, and the final period began with the two teams tied 2-2.The only goal of Sunday’s 3rd&nbsp;period was scored with less than five minutes to play by Dane Dowiak. The scoring play was his second of the game, and fourteenth of the season. Evan Werner and Daimon Gardner each recorded an assist on the game-winning goal. The scoring play was the final of Sunday’s game, and the Storm skated away with a 3-2 victory, and a three-game weekend sweep over the league-leading Force. Tri-City outshot Fargo 12-5 in the 3rd&nbsp;period, but was outshot by an overall margin of 26-23 for the game.Patriks Bērziņš turned away 24 of Fargo’s 26 shots on goal to record the win, and improve to 9-2-1-0 on the season in goal for Tri-City. The Force’s Anton Castro recorded the loss after making 20 saves on 23 shots.Tri-City hits the ice again on Wednesday, March 29th, in a road game against the Lincoln Stars. Puck drop is scheduled for 11:00am CT. Skate to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>&nbsp;for individual game tickets and more information regarding the Tri-City Storm organization.&nbsp;#StormAhead

Storm completes weekend sweep of Force

By JOHN MARSHALL AP Basketball Writer

LAS VEGAS — March has gone from madness to unprecedented.

With Miami's win over Houston and San Diego State's takedown of Alabama on Friday night, the men's NCAA Tournament will not have a No. 1 seed in the Elite Eight for the first time since seeding began in 1979.

"There's not a lot of difference between the best team in the country and the worst team in the country," San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said. "You're seeing that on this stage."

Purdue, Kansas, Houston and Alabama are all gone, ensuring the Final Four will not have a No. 1 team for the first time since 2011 and the third overall. The four teams deemed by the NCAA to be the best in the country combined to win five tournament games this year, the fewest by three among No. 1 seeds since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

Texas is the lone No. 2 seed remaining after bouncing Xavier out of the bracket 83-71 Friday night under interim coach Rodney Terry. The fewest combined No. 1-2 seeds in the Elite Eight before this year was two (three times).

How crazy has it been? The national title game is guaranteed to have at least one of these teams: San Diego State, Creighton, Florida Atlantic or Kansas State. The Aztecs, Bluejays and Owls have never been to the Elite Eight. The Wildcats were picked to finish last in the Big 12.

It's also a lock the winning coach will be a first-time champion.

"It's a lot of really good programs in the country that have lost — I mean, we could go down the list of them," Alabama coach Nate Oats said. "That's what makes the NCAA Tournament the NCAA Tournament. They're all good teams."

The madness started in the opening round of the East Region, when fairytale Fairleigh Dickinson wrecked brackets around the world by becoming the second No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1.

Arkansas was the next giant killer, taking down reigning national champion and West Region No. 1 seed Kansas in the second round.

The Sweet 16 turned sour on Friday for Alabama, the bracket's No. 1 overall seed. The Crimson Tide were no match for Dutcher's ball-and-body-hawking San Diego State Aztecs in a 71-64 South Region loss in Louisville, Kentucky. San Diego State is the first Mountain West Conference school to reach the Elite Eight.

Miami capped the No. 1 carnage in the Midwest Region by taking apart one of the nation's stingiest defenses in a 89-75 win over Houston in Kansas City, Missouri that had Hurricanes coach Jim Larranaga dancing in the locker room.

"Unfortunately, one off-night and you go home in this tournament," Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson said.

AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report.

By JOHN MARSHALL AP Basketball WriterLAS VEGAS — March has gone from madness to unprecedented.With Miami's win over Houston and San Diego State's takedown of Alabama on Friday night, the men's NCAA Tournament will not have a No. 1 seed in the Elite Eight for the first time since seeding began in 1979."There's not a lot of difference between the best team in the country and the worst team in the country," San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said. "You're seeing that on this stage."Purdue, Kansas, Houston and Alabama are all gone, ensuring the Final Four will not have a No. 1 team for the first time since 2011 and the third overall. The four teams deemed by the NCAA to be the best in the country combined to win five tournament games this year, the fewest by three among No. 1 seeds since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.Texas is the lone No. 2 seed remaining after bouncing Xavier out of the bracket 83-71 Friday night under interim coach Rodney Terry. The fewest combined No. 1-2 seeds in the Elite Eight before this year was two (three times).How crazy has it been? The national title game is guaranteed to have at least one of these teams: San Diego State, Creighton, Florida Atlantic or Kansas State. The Aztecs, Bluejays and Owls have never been to the Elite Eight. The Wildcats were picked to finish last in the Big 12.It's also a lock the winning coach will be a first-time champion."It's a lot of really good programs in the country that have lost — I mean, we could go down the list of them," Alabama coach Nate Oats said. "That's what makes the NCAA Tournament the NCAA Tournament. They're all good teams."The madness started in the opening round of the East Region, when fairytale Fairleigh Dickinson wrecked brackets around the world by becoming the second No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1.Goodbye, Purdue.Arkansas was the next giant killer, taking down reigning national champion and West Region No. 1 seed Kansas in the second round.The Sweet 16 turned sour on Friday for Alabama, the bracket's No. 1 overall seed. The Crimson Tide were no match for Dutcher's ball-and-body-hawking San Diego State Aztecs in a 71-64 South Region loss in Louisville, Kentucky. San Diego State is the first Mountain West Conference school to reach the Elite Eight.Miami capped the No. 1 carnage in the Midwest Region by taking apart one of the nation's stingiest defenses in a 89-75 win over Houston in Kansas City, Missouri that had Hurricanes coach Jim Larranaga dancing in the locker room."Unfortunately, one off-night and you go home in this tournament," Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson said.On to an Elite Eight unlike any other.AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report.

Crazy Eight: No top seeds among last 8 in March Madness

Story by NPCC Athletic Communications

The North Platte Community College softball team fought hard on the second day of competition against Highland Community College but fell just short in an 11-9 loss at home Wednesday afternoon.

“We had them on their toes,” said Janelle Higgins, NPCC head softball coach, of the Scotties. “They had to go through five pitchers in today’s game, and that shows we are right there. We adjusted well, played okay defense, and if a ball is fair, it’s a different outcome.”

The Scotties took the lead early on – scoring two runs in the first inning then five more in the second. By the third inning, the Knights were down by eight.

North Platte rallied – scoring seven runs in the attempted comeback. The offensive firepower was led by Gwen Anderson, Nancy Martinez, Juliana Ortiz and April Grace, all of whom drove in runs in the frame.

Taelyn Dakamas scored on a sacrifice bunt by Angelina Lockhart in the fifth inning then followed that up with a home run in the sixth.

Dakamas also pitched for an inning, allowing three hits and six runs while striking out two.&nbsp; Lockhart threw six innings in relief out of the bullpen.

Highland currently has a season record of 14-5.

“The girls fought hard today - had a few hiccups, but to come back as fired up and ready today in the cold after two losses yesterday shows this team has grit and wants it,” said Higgins. “Highland is a very good program. They were nationally ranked last year, and we had them. We’ve played some very tough and ranked teams so far this season, and it is only going to make the rest of the year a fun ride.”

Next up, the Knights will travel to Sterling, Colo. They will take on Northeastern Junior College in doubleheaders beginning at 3 p.m. (CDT) Thursday and 1 p.m. (CDT) Friday.

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsThe North Platte Community College softball team fought hard on the second day of competition against Highland Community College but fell just short in an 11-9 loss at home Wednesday afternoon.“We had them on their toes,” said Janelle Higgins, NPCC head softball coach, of the Scotties. “They had to go through five pitchers in today’s game, and that shows we are right there. We adjusted well, played okay defense, and if a ball is fair, it’s a different outcome.”The Scotties took the lead early on – scoring two runs in the first inning then five more in the second. By the third inning, the Knights were down by eight.North Platte rallied – scoring seven runs in the attempted comeback. The offensive firepower was led by Gwen Anderson, Nancy Martinez, Juliana Ortiz and April Grace, all of whom drove in runs in the frame.Taelyn Dakamas scored on a sacrifice bunt by Angelina Lockhart in the fifth inning then followed that up with a home run in the sixth.Dakamas also pitched for an inning, allowing three hits and six runs while striking out two.&nbsp; Lockhart threw six innings in relief out of the bullpen.North Platte is now 2-13 on the season.Highland currently has a season record of 14-5.“The girls fought hard today - had a few hiccups, but to come back as fired up and ready today in the cold after two losses yesterday shows this team has grit and wants it,” said Higgins. “Highland is a very good program. They were nationally ranked last year, and we had them. We’ve played some very tough and ranked teams so far this season, and it is only going to make the rest of the year a fun ride.”Next up, the Knights will travel to Sterling, Colo. They will take on Northeastern Junior College in doubleheaders beginning at 3 p.m. (CDT) Thursday and 1 p.m. (CDT) Friday.

Knights edged out by Scotties

Laramie County (Wyo.) Community College

GILLETTE, Wyo. — The Laramie County Community College rodeo team hit 
the ground running on the men's side in their first competition of the 
spring, erupting for 680 team points on their way to their first team 
title of the 2022-23 season. The win is also the first win for the 
Golden Eagle men since Head Rodeo Coach Seth Glause has been involved 
with the program.

"Everything fell our way and we really capitalized on Sunday which is
 always good and helps on the team points some," Glause praised. "I was 
proud of our students. They all competed well and competed with a 
purpose and did a really great job."

The effort was led by senior <a href="https://golccc.com/sports/rodeo/2022-23/bios/girard_bernard_oh5d">Bernard Girard</a>&nbsp;— of Alliance — who took home the All-Around title along with a championship in Tie-Down roping.

Girard was also able to garner a third-place finish in Steer 
Wrestling on the way to tallying 255 points for the Golden Eagles team 
effort. He said the team has been using a variety of ways to get ready 
for the opening rodeo and it kept them all on their toes.

"The last three weeks, everyone has been getting ready to go," he 
said. "We had a steer wrestling jackpot Thursday night before we left to
 go to Gillette and got everybody in the zone to go. I went to a jackpot
 the weekend before and just having that good of a start was awesome and
 made me want to keep the ball rolling."

Girard was joined by a pair of other Golden Eagles who took home titles in their first goes of the spring.

Freshman <a href="https://golccc.com/sports/rodeo/2022-23/bios/tattrie_dixon_ij70">Dixon Tattrie</a>
 brought home the top spot in bull riding for his third rodeo win of the
 year going back to the fall and he continues to lead the Central Rocky 
Mountain Region (CRMR) standings with 360 points.

"I've started to ride really good this spring at practice and I feel 
more confident in what I was doing and how I was riding," Tattrie said 
about getting a good lead. "You try not to watch the standings as much 
as you can. The more you watch it the more pressure you put on yourself.
 If you take an eye off it and just go and ride bulls every weekend, 
it's a lot easier to do that than say 'I have to ride this bull so I 
stay here in the standings.'"

Tattrie also added a runner up in the first go of Saddle Bronc riding
 and finished fifth in the average to bring 80 more points for the team 
total there.

Fellow freshman <a href="https://golccc.com/sports/rodeo/2022-23/bios/pokorny_dane_zmt2">Dane Pokorny</a>&nbsp;of Thedford was another standout for LCCC, bringing home a tie for the title in 
Steer Wrestling after winning the first go with a time of 4.4 and adding
 a 4.7 in the short go to bring 140 more points to the team tally.

"We've got nine guys that can win any weekend (in steer wrestling) 
and they back into the box and they know they have an opportunity. We 
just missed having seven guys (in the short go)," Glause said. "I think 
they were 11th, 12th, and 14th so they bulldogged very well."

The win also moved Pokorny into a tie for second in the CRMR with 
Girard and putting both into position to qualify for the College 
National Finals Rodeo in June.

Other quality performances for the Golden Eagles included <a href="https://golccc.com/sports/rodeo/2022-23/bios/derner_chance_x0qt">Chance Derner</a> taking the top spot in the first go in Tie-Down, although the South Dakota junior failed to record a time on his second head.

Freshman Bull Rider Griffin Koester picked up a round win on his 
second ride with a score of 67 to add to his CRMR total and move into 
second place behind Tattrie.

"Dixon is in a good spot, he kind of separated himself from the field
 this weekend," Glause said. "They both just need to continue to ride 
with confidence and continue to give themselves opportunities to win and
 they both have the opportunity to go to Casper."

The Golden Eagles packed in a few more individuals in Steer Wrestling with freshman <a href="https://golccc.com/sports/rodeo/2022-23/bios/ravenscroft_tucker_26c5">Tucker Ravenscroft</a>&nbsp;oif Nenzel and senior <a href="https://golccc.com/sports/rodeo/2022-23/bios/pokorny_cauy_zssw">Cauy Pokorny</a>&nbsp;of Thedford both making the short go, and both put down times to finish fifth and sixth respectively in the average.

On the women's side, it wasn't a flashy rodeo for Laramie County. The
 team only had one make it to the short go in Wheatland freshman <a href="https://golccc.com/sports/rodeo/2022-23/bios/grant_rayne_fgpk">Rayne Grant</a>
 who picked up a sixth-place tie in the first go in breakaway and was 
able to make the top ten in barrels. Unfortunately, her rides in the 
short go were not enough to bring any points in to the team.&nbsp;

The Golden Eagle men remained in third place in the team standings, 
but picked up almost 300 points on region leading University of Wyoming 
and 465 points on second place Casper College. The team now sits just 
275 points out of second place with four rodeos' remaining.

"We need to keep the pressure on and continue to perform at a high 
level so that we have a opportunity come Laramie to go and compete in 
Casper as a team," Glause said.

The LCCC women remain in third place also, trailing the University of
 Wyoming by 580 points for the second spot in the team standings while 
Gillette College continues to dominate the region with wins in four of 
the six rodeos' so far.&nbsp;

Next week, the teams will be closer to home for action when they 
travel to Torrington, Wyoming for the EWC Lancer Rodeo at the Goshen 
County Fairgrounds March 24th through the 26th.

Details on the next rodeo can be found at <a href="http://www.golccc.com">www.golccc.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679433004600.jpeg" alt="Girard" />
 <figcaption>Girard</figcaption>
 </figure>Laramie County (Wyo.) Community CollegeGILLETTE, Wyo. — The Laramie County Community College rodeo team hit 
the ground running on the men's side in their first competition of the 
spring, erupting for 680 team points on their way to their first team 
title of the 2022-23 season. The win is also the first win for the 
Golden Eagle men since Head Rodeo Coach Seth Glause has been involved 
with the program."Everything fell our way and we really capitalized on Sunday which is
 always good and helps on the team points some," Glause praised. "I was 
proud of our students. They all competed well and competed with a 
purpose and did a really great job."The effort was led by senior <a href="https://golccc.com/sports/rodeo/2022-23/bios/girard_bernard_oh5d">Bernard Girard</a>&nbsp;— of Alliance — who took home the All-Around title along with a championship in Tie-Down roping.Girard was also able to garner a third-place finish in Steer 
Wrestling on the way to tallying 255 points for the Golden Eagles team 
effort. He said the team has been using a variety of ways to get ready 
for the opening rodeo and it kept them all on their toes."The last three weeks, everyone has been getting ready to go," he 
said. "We had a steer wrestling jackpot Thursday night before we left to
 go to Gillette and got everybody in the zone to go. I went to a jackpot
 the weekend before and just having that good of a start was awesome and
 made me want to keep the ball rolling."Girard was joined by a pair of other Golden Eagles who took home titles in their first goes of the spring.Freshman <a href="https://golccc.com/sports/rodeo/2022-23/bios/tattrie_dixon_ij70">Dixon Tattrie</a>
 brought home the top spot in bull riding for his third rodeo win of the
 year going back to the fall and he continues to lead the Central Rocky 
Mountain Region (CRMR) standings with 360 points."I've started to ride really good this spring at practice and I feel 
more confident in what I was doing and how I was riding," Tattrie said 
about getting a good lead. "You try not to watch the standings as much 
as you can. The more you watch it the more pressure you put on yourself.
 If you take an eye off it and just go and ride bulls every weekend, 
it's a lot easier to do that than say 'I have to ride this bull so I 
stay here in the standings.'"Tattrie also added a runner up in the first go of Saddle Bronc riding
 and finished fifth in the average to bring 80 more points for the team 
total there.Fellow freshman <a href="https://golccc.com/sports/rodeo/2022-23/bios/pokorny_dane_zmt2">Dane Pokorny</a>&nbsp;of Thedford was another standout for LCCC, bringing home a tie for the title in 
Steer Wrestling after winning the first go with a time of 4.4 and adding
 a 4.7 in the short go to bring 140 more points to the team tally."We've got nine guys that can win any weekend (in steer wrestling) 
and they back into the box and they know they have an opportunity. We 
just missed having seven guys (in the short go)," Glause said. "I think 
they were 11th, 12th, and 14th so they bulldogged very well."The win also moved Pokorny into a tie for second in the CRMR with 
Girard and putting both into position to qualify for the College 
National Finals Rodeo in June.Other quality performances for the Golden Eagles included <a href="https://golccc.com/sports/rodeo/2022-23/bios/derner_chance_x0qt">Chance Derner</a> taking the top spot in the first go in Tie-Down, although the South Dakota junior failed to record a time on his second head.Freshman Bull Rider Griffin Koester picked up a round win on his 
second ride with a score of 67 to add to his CRMR total and move into 
second place behind Tattrie."Dixon is in a good spot, he kind of separated himself from the field
 this weekend," Glause said. "They both just need to continue to ride 
with confidence and continue to give themselves opportunities to win and
 they both have the opportunity to go to Casper."The Golden Eagles packed in a few more individuals in Steer Wrestling with freshman <a href="https://golccc.com/sports/rodeo/2022-23/bios/ravenscroft_tucker_26c5">Tucker Ravenscroft</a>&nbsp;oif Nenzel and senior <a href="https://golccc.com/sports/rodeo/2022-23/bios/pokorny_cauy_zssw">Cauy Pokorny</a>&nbsp;of Thedford both making the short go, and both put down times to finish fifth and sixth respectively in the average.On the women's side, it wasn't a flashy rodeo for Laramie County. The
 team only had one make it to the short go in Wheatland freshman <a href="https://golccc.com/sports/rodeo/2022-23/bios/grant_rayne_fgpk">Rayne Grant</a>
 who picked up a sixth-place tie in the first go in breakaway and was 
able to make the top ten in barrels. Unfortunately, her rides in the 
short go were not enough to bring any points in to the team.&nbsp;The Golden Eagle men remained in third place in the team standings, 
but picked up almost 300 points on region leading University of Wyoming 
and 465 points on second place Casper College. The team now sits just 
275 points out of second place with four rodeos' remaining."We need to keep the pressure on and continue to perform at a high 
level so that we have a opportunity come Laramie to go and compete in 
Casper as a team," Glause said.The LCCC women remain in third place also, trailing the University of
 Wyoming by 580 points for the second spot in the team standings while 
Gillette College continues to dominate the region with wins in four of 
the six rodeos' so far.&nbsp;Next week, the teams will be closer to home for action when they 
travel to Torrington, Wyoming for the EWC Lancer Rodeo at the Goshen 
County Fairgrounds March 24th through the 26th.Details on the next rodeo can be found at <a href="http://www.golccc.com">www.golccc.com</a>.

Western Nebraskans get Wyo. CC rodeo team off to a clean start

Story by NPCC Athletic Communications&nbsp;

North Platte Community College has announced the dates for its 2023 youth volleyball and basketball summer camps.&nbsp;

The Knights volleyball team will host high school team camps June 19-20 and July 10-11. Three divisions will be available to pick from: varsity, junior varsity and reserve/freshman. The cost is $45 per player. High school coaches can contact NPCC Head Volleyball Coach Alexa McCall at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mccalla@mpcc.edu" target="_blank">mccalla@mpcc.edu</a>for more information or to register their teams.

The Knights volleyball team will also join forces with the women’s basketball team to offer junior sports camps June 21-23 for girls entering third through fifth grades and July 12-14 for girls entering sixth through eighth grades. The camps will consist of a combination of volleyball and basketball instruction. The volleyball portion will be from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day, and basketball will be from 1:30-4 p.m. each day. The fee is $70 per sport or $90 for both. The cost includes a t-shirt. Questions about the camps can be directed to McCall. Registration forms are available under the “summer camp registration” tab in the women’s volleyball section of the NPCC athletics website:<a href="https://form.jotform.com/230675192259159" target="_blank">https://form.jotform.com/230675192259159</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Story by NPCC Athletic Communications&nbsp;North Platte Community College has announced the dates for its 2023 youth volleyball and basketball summer camps.&nbsp;Team CampsThe Knights volleyball team will host high school team camps June 19-20 and July 10-11. Three divisions will be available to pick from: varsity, junior varsity and reserve/freshman. The cost is $45 per player. High school coaches can contact NPCC Head Volleyball Coach Alexa McCall at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mccalla@mpcc.edu" target="_blank">mccalla@mpcc.edu</a>for more information or to register their teams.Junior Sports CampsThe Knights volleyball team will also join forces with the women’s basketball team to offer junior sports camps June 21-23 for girls entering third through fifth grades and July 12-14 for girls entering sixth through eighth grades. The camps will consist of a combination of volleyball and basketball instruction. The volleyball portion will be from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day, and basketball will be from 1:30-4 p.m. each day. The fee is $70 per sport or $90 for both. The cost includes a t-shirt. Questions about the camps can be directed to McCall. Registration forms are available under the “summer camp registration” tab in the women’s volleyball section of the NPCC athletics website:<a href="https://form.jotform.com/230675192259159" target="_blank">https://form.jotform.com/230675192259159</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Dates released for 2023 volleyball/basketball summer camps

By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer

LAS VEGAS — <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-2023-e8fe1bfd7964f938781458952670f51a">March Madness</a>
 has long been a huge draw for gamblers who came to Las Vegas to place 
their bets on the tournament while partying at the city's famed casinos.
 But they were limited to watching the games on TV; catching one in 
person here was impossible not that long ago.

That changes this week when UCLA faces Gonzaga and UConn takes on Arkansas at T-Mobile Arena on the Vegas Strip.

The NCAA Tournament avoided the city until very recently because <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-betting-favorite-odds-149e49842f90412a306dcbd1f0279a6c">sports gambling</a>
 is legal here. The governing body for collegiate athletics even had a 
policy prohibiting its championship events from being played in Nevada.

With
 legal sports betting spreading across the country, the NCAA now has no 
qualms about crowning its champions in Las Vegas. The Sweet 16 games 
scheduled here Thursday are among several championship events the NCAA 
has awarded to the city.

Others include hockey’s Frozen Four in 2026 and the Final Four in 2028.

This
 no longer is Jerry Tarkanian’s Las Vegas, at least in the eyes of the 
NCAA, which for many years had fought with the late Hall of Fame coach 
who sued the governing body and settled in 1998 for $2.5 million.

Between
 the outlaw image of UNLV's Tarkanian and an overall feeling that sports
 betting — legal or not — was inherently bad for athletics, Las Vegas 
was an outsider in the sports world for a decades.

It also was a 
much smaller city when Tarkanian ruled. Less than 800,000 people lived 
in the metropolitan area when the Rebels won the 1990 national 
championship, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors 
Authority. That figure last year was 2.3 million.

Professional 
sports leagues have taken note of the additional potential paying 
customers and now the NFL and NHL have teams here. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-sports-nevada-baseball-oakland-athletics-0e6d5ee22f85ed260b0012dedfb3a328">The Oakland Athletics are also considering moving here</a>, and an NBA expansion team could be on the way in future years.

Even
 before the influx of professional teams, Las Vegas began making 
headway, particularly in basketball. All 30 teams compete in the NBA 
Summer League in Las Vegas, which also is home to USA Basketball. Five 
college conferences play their men's and women's basketball tournaments 
in the area.

Views about legalized sports betting also have 
evolved dramatically, getting a big assist in 2018 when the U.S. Supreme
 Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act.

The
 federal ban blocked states from regulating sports betting, making 
exceptions for Nevada, Delaware, Montana and Oregon, which already had 
legal sports wagering in some form. Only Nevada permitted single-game 
betting.

“Thirty years ago in the Tarkanian era, I'm sure they 
were pretty skeptical of Las Vegas,” said Steve Hill, CEO and president 
of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “I think as time 
passed, they probably mellowed. We've had conference tournaments here 
and we've had a real partnership, it feels like now, that didn’t exist 
before the change in the law.”

The Supreme Court's decision 
created a path for any state that wanted to legalize sports betting, and
 soon many would begin the process. That left the NCAA — already showing
 signs of drifting toward easing its stance on Nevada — with no choice 
but to allow its championship events even where sports wagering was 
legal.

“That was the impetus," said Dan Gavitt, NCAA vice 
president of men’s basketball. “Once that changed, we were excited from a
 basketball championships perspective to bring March Madness to such a 
great city that has embraced college basketball with conference 
championships for some time.”

Jim Livengood, when he was UNLV’s 
athletic director in 2009-13, worked behind the scenes with his 
colleagues before the federal ban was overturned to change the NCAA’s 
position on Las Vegas.

Even after retiring in 2013, Livengood remained an advocate for Las Vegas as he moved into consulting.

“I
 thought the tide was starting to turn in probably ‘16, ’17, '18,” 
Livengood said. “We were making some really serious headway.”

In 2019, the NCAA formally changed its policy regarding championships in Las Vegas — and it couldn't wait to plant a flag.

NCAA
 officials told Las Vegas representatives to skip the usual process of 
first bidding on the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament and go 
straight for a regional.

“I think that was very unusual, but a 
reflection of the fact that there was pent-up demand for Las Vegas,” 
Pac-12 Conference Commissioner George Kliavkoff said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679406579554.jpeg" alt="T-Mobile Arena on Feb. 1, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker, File)" />
 <figcaption>T-Mobile Arena on Feb. 1, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports WriterLAS VEGAS — <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-2023-e8fe1bfd7964f938781458952670f51a">March Madness</a>
 has long been a huge draw for gamblers who came to Las Vegas to place 
their bets on the tournament while partying at the city's famed casinos.
 But they were limited to watching the games on TV; catching one in 
person here was impossible not that long ago.That changes this week when UCLA faces Gonzaga and UConn takes on Arkansas at T-Mobile Arena on the Vegas Strip.The NCAA Tournament avoided the city until very recently because <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-betting-favorite-odds-149e49842f90412a306dcbd1f0279a6c">sports gambling</a>
 is legal here. The governing body for collegiate athletics even had a 
policy prohibiting its championship events from being played in Nevada.With
 legal sports betting spreading across the country, the NCAA now has no 
qualms about crowning its champions in Las Vegas. The Sweet 16 games 
scheduled here Thursday are among several championship events the NCAA 
has awarded to the city.Others include hockey’s Frozen Four in 2026 and the Final Four in 2028.This
 no longer is Jerry Tarkanian’s Las Vegas, at least in the eyes of the 
NCAA, which for many years had fought with the late Hall of Fame coach 
who sued the governing body and settled in 1998 for $2.5 million.Between
 the outlaw image of UNLV's Tarkanian and an overall feeling that sports
 betting — legal or not — was inherently bad for athletics, Las Vegas 
was an outsider in the sports world for a decades.It also was a 
much smaller city when Tarkanian ruled. Less than 800,000 people lived 
in the metropolitan area when the Rebels won the 1990 national 
championship, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors 
Authority. That figure last year was 2.3 million.Professional 
sports leagues have taken note of the additional potential paying 
customers and now the NFL and NHL have teams here. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-sports-nevada-baseball-oakland-athletics-0e6d5ee22f85ed260b0012dedfb3a328">The Oakland Athletics are also considering moving here</a>, and an NBA expansion team could be on the way in future years.Even
 before the influx of professional teams, Las Vegas began making 
headway, particularly in basketball. All 30 teams compete in the NBA 
Summer League in Las Vegas, which also is home to USA Basketball. Five 
college conferences play their men's and women's basketball tournaments 
in the area.Views about legalized sports betting also have 
evolved dramatically, getting a big assist in 2018 when the U.S. Supreme
 Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act.The
 federal ban blocked states from regulating sports betting, making 
exceptions for Nevada, Delaware, Montana and Oregon, which already had 
legal sports wagering in some form. Only Nevada permitted single-game 
betting.“Thirty years ago in the Tarkanian era, I'm sure they 
were pretty skeptical of Las Vegas,” said Steve Hill, CEO and president 
of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “I think as time 
passed, they probably mellowed. We've had conference tournaments here 
and we've had a real partnership, it feels like now, that didn’t exist 
before the change in the law.”The Supreme Court's decision 
created a path for any state that wanted to legalize sports betting, and
 soon many would begin the process. That left the NCAA — already showing
 signs of drifting toward easing its stance on Nevada — with no choice 
but to allow its championship events even where sports wagering was 
legal.“That was the impetus," said Dan Gavitt, NCAA vice 
president of men’s basketball. “Once that changed, we were excited from a
 basketball championships perspective to bring March Madness to such a 
great city that has embraced college basketball with conference 
championships for some time.”Jim Livengood, when he was UNLV’s 
athletic director in 2009-13, worked behind the scenes with his 
colleagues before the federal ban was overturned to change the NCAA’s 
position on Las Vegas.Even after retiring in 2013, Livengood remained an advocate for Las Vegas as he moved into consulting.“I
 thought the tide was starting to turn in probably ‘16, ’17, '18,” 
Livengood said. “We were making some really serious headway.”In 2019, the NCAA formally changed its policy regarding championships in Las Vegas — and it couldn't wait to plant a flag.NCAA
 officials told Las Vegas representatives to skip the usual process of 
first bidding on the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament and go 
straight for a regional.“I think that was very unusual, but a 
reflection of the fact that there was pent-up demand for Las Vegas,” 
Pac-12 Conference Commissioner George Kliavkoff said.

March Madness arrives in Vegas after years of avoiding it

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">The Sweet 16</a> features a new format and a bit of history when it begins later this week.

The NCAA changed its setup for the women's tournament this season, trimming the traditional <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-basketball-march-madness-college-greenville-c4d5e1ced974a7cf010052587793409f">four regional sites to two.</a>
 Seattle and Greenville — a city of 71,000 in South Carolina about 
halfway between Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina — will each host 
eight teams before sending the winners on to Dallas for the Final Four.

It is also just the second time since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1994 that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-2023-womens-tournament-264616d053a2dc26ccf1f59999c0ea5b">two of the No. 1 seeds</a> didn't reach the regional semifinals after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-stanford-ole-miss-upset-343e0c5133f71952c84a80c08ffd7694">Mississippi</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-hoosiers-hurricanes-mackenzie-ca0198edd35a9f604ccc0ab4e20bef07">Miami</a> knocked out Stanford and Indiana, respectively. It also happened in 1998.

The
 other top seeds — South Carolina and Virginia Tech — advanced. The 
Gamecocks, led by star Aliyah Boston, are four wins from completing 
their own historic journey and back-to-back national championships. They
 are seeking just the 10th undefeated season ever in women's basketball,
 and the next steps for coach Dawn Staley's team are just a 90-minute 
trip from campus.

There are a lot of teams that have ended long 
Sweet 16 droughts, like the Hokies, Hurricanes, Colorado and Villanova. 
UConn, on the other hand, will be playing in its <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-baylor-uconn-2d5b109eec9490bd39773915df65f323">29th consecutive regional semifinal</a>.

Despite <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-parity-upsets-womens-basketball-44eb2276e1d2099871a4448d4ff57a3e">the parity that took place during the regular season</a>
 and the exit of those two No. 1 seeds, it is the second time in the 
past six years that no double-digit seed reached the round of 16. It's 
also the first time since the Big 12 was formed in 1996 that no teams 
from the conference reached the second weekend.

There’s plenty of 
star power across the field with Angel Reese, Maddy Siegrist, Caitlin 
Clark and Elizabeth Kitley joining Boston in the regional semifinals.

The
 Gamecocks are the heavy favorite to come out of this region and, for 
that matter, to win another title. The regional semifinal opponent is 
No. 4 seed UCLA. The Bruins gave the Gamecocks a competitive game back 
in November, leading at halftime by four <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-college-basketball-south-carolina-womens-926c4131e48eac34071956ff94e596f3">before losing by nine</a>.

No.
 2 seed Maryland will play No. 3 seed Notre Dame in the other semifinal.
 The Terrapins, led by Diamond Miller, used a strong second half to get 
by Arizona in the second round. The Fighting Irish overcame 
season-ending injuries to Olivia Miles and Dara Mabrey to get to the 
Sweet 16. Notre Dame got a strong effort from post Lauren Ebo, who set a
 school NCAA tourney record with 18 rebounds in a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-notre-dame-mississippi-state-68095fd81823fdb481a4470e85a007a9">win over Mississippi State</a>.

With
 Indiana losing, the bracket is more open, with Villanova and Siegrist 
playing the Hurricanes in one of the semifinals. Siegrist, who leads the
 nation in scoring, has the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-villanova-ncaa-sweet-16-e67488585ca8bff51610b1ea17fab51a">Wildcats back in the Sweet 16</a> for the first time since 2003. Miami's drought was even longer, not making it this far since 1992.

The
 other semifinal in the region pits two of the most talented forwards in
 the country against each other: LSU's Angel Reese and Utah's Alissa 
Pili. Reese helped the Tigers reach the Sweet 16 for the first time 
since 2014. The “Bayou Barbie” had 25 points, an eye-popping 24 rebounds
 and six blocks in the third-seeded Tigers' rout of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-lsu-michigan-efb1b4c81548972bac61775dc1d9f6f9">Michigan</a>. Second-seeded Utah is back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2006 after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-princeton-utah-6d40cf57bc9eecad3db5ba64f6995699">edging Princeton</a> in the second round.

Second-seeded UConn, which has dealt with injuries all season, will face third-seeded Ohio State in one semifinal. The Buckeyes <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-march-madness-north-carolina-ohio-state-9b56d6cfc126b0fd0e76fe50fe1bba3d">needed a shot in the final few seconds</a> by Jacy Sheldon to advance this far for the fourth straight season.

Top
 seed Virginia Tech is the newcomer here, making its first appearance in
 the Sweet 16 since 1999 after two impressive home wins in the first two
 rounds. Kitley and Co. head across the country for a rematch against 
Tennessee. The two teams played Dec. 4 and the Hokies came away with a 
three-point win. The Lady Vols were missing Rickea Jackson for that game
 and it was the final one that Tamari Key played in before being 
sidelined for the season with blood clots.

Tennessee <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-lady-vols-toledo-sweet-16-virginia-tech-325c1b4df25cb95f54f9bc5e1ff45c19">has run through the first two rounds</a>,
 becoming just the fourth team to win each of its first two games by 45 
points or more. UConn did it the other three times, according to ESPN.

Ole
 Miss crashed the party with its upset of Stanford and is back in the 
Sweet 16 for the first time since 2007. Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin's 
defensive-minded squad will face a Louisville team that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-louisville-texas-d8801cb5422b78cc04eabc4884a03b64">routed Texas</a> on the Longhorns' home court. Cardinals star Hailey Van Lith grew up in Central Washington, a few hours from Seattle.

The other matchup will feature Clark and her logo-range shooting for Iowa against Colorado. Iowa <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-iowa-georgia-caitlin-clark-f824fcee27ec7934dc68a473e11e5e4b">edged Georgia</a>
 in the second round, erasing the memory of last season's round of 32 
defeat to Creighton. The Hawkeyes will face a Colorado team in the Sweet
 16 for the first time since 2003.

Associated Press<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">The Sweet 16</a> features a new format and a bit of history when it begins later this week.The NCAA changed its setup for the women's tournament this season, trimming the traditional <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-basketball-march-madness-college-greenville-c4d5e1ced974a7cf010052587793409f">four regional sites to two.</a>
 Seattle and Greenville — a city of 71,000 in South Carolina about 
halfway between Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina — will each host 
eight teams before sending the winners on to Dallas for the Final Four.It is also just the second time since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1994 that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-2023-womens-tournament-264616d053a2dc26ccf1f59999c0ea5b">two of the No. 1 seeds</a> didn't reach the regional semifinals after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-stanford-ole-miss-upset-343e0c5133f71952c84a80c08ffd7694">Mississippi</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-hoosiers-hurricanes-mackenzie-ca0198edd35a9f604ccc0ab4e20bef07">Miami</a> knocked out Stanford and Indiana, respectively. It also happened in 1998.The
 other top seeds — South Carolina and Virginia Tech — advanced. The 
Gamecocks, led by star Aliyah Boston, are four wins from completing 
their own historic journey and back-to-back national championships. They
 are seeking just the 10th undefeated season ever in women's basketball,
 and the next steps for coach Dawn Staley's team are just a 90-minute 
trip from campus.There are a lot of teams that have ended long 
Sweet 16 droughts, like the Hokies, Hurricanes, Colorado and Villanova. 
UConn, on the other hand, will be playing in its <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-baylor-uconn-2d5b109eec9490bd39773915df65f323">29th consecutive regional semifinal</a>.Despite <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-parity-upsets-womens-basketball-44eb2276e1d2099871a4448d4ff57a3e">the parity that took place during the regular season</a>
 and the exit of those two No. 1 seeds, it is the second time in the 
past six years that no double-digit seed reached the round of 16. It's 
also the first time since the Big 12 was formed in 1996 that no teams 
from the conference reached the second weekend.There’s plenty of 
star power across the field with Angel Reese, Maddy Siegrist, Caitlin 
Clark and Elizabeth Kitley joining Boston in the regional semifinals.GREENVILLE 1The
 Gamecocks are the heavy favorite to come out of this region and, for 
that matter, to win another title. The regional semifinal opponent is 
No. 4 seed UCLA. The Bruins gave the Gamecocks a competitive game back 
in November, leading at halftime by four <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-college-basketball-south-carolina-womens-926c4131e48eac34071956ff94e596f3">before losing by nine</a>.No.
 2 seed Maryland will play No. 3 seed Notre Dame in the other semifinal.
 The Terrapins, led by Diamond Miller, used a strong second half to get 
by Arizona in the second round. The Fighting Irish overcame 
season-ending injuries to Olivia Miles and Dara Mabrey to get to the 
Sweet 16. Notre Dame got a strong effort from post Lauren Ebo, who set a
 school NCAA tourney record with 18 rebounds in a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-notre-dame-mississippi-state-68095fd81823fdb481a4470e85a007a9">win over Mississippi State</a>.GREENVILLE 2With
 Indiana losing, the bracket is more open, with Villanova and Siegrist 
playing the Hurricanes in one of the semifinals. Siegrist, who leads the
 nation in scoring, has the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-villanova-ncaa-sweet-16-e67488585ca8bff51610b1ea17fab51a">Wildcats back in the Sweet 16</a> for the first time since 2003. Miami's drought was even longer, not making it this far since 1992.The
 other semifinal in the region pits two of the most talented forwards in
 the country against each other: LSU's Angel Reese and Utah's Alissa 
Pili. Reese helped the Tigers reach the Sweet 16 for the first time 
since 2014. The “Bayou Barbie” had 25 points, an eye-popping 24 rebounds
 and six blocks in the third-seeded Tigers' rout of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-lsu-michigan-efb1b4c81548972bac61775dc1d9f6f9">Michigan</a>. Second-seeded Utah is back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2006 after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-princeton-utah-6d40cf57bc9eecad3db5ba64f6995699">edging Princeton</a> in the second round.SEATTLE 3Second-seeded UConn, which has dealt with injuries all season, will face third-seeded Ohio State in one semifinal. The Buckeyes <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-march-madness-north-carolina-ohio-state-9b56d6cfc126b0fd0e76fe50fe1bba3d">needed a shot in the final few seconds</a> by Jacy Sheldon to advance this far for the fourth straight season.Top
 seed Virginia Tech is the newcomer here, making its first appearance in
 the Sweet 16 since 1999 after two impressive home wins in the first two
 rounds. Kitley and Co. head across the country for a rematch against 
Tennessee. The two teams played Dec. 4 and the Hokies came away with a 
three-point win. The Lady Vols were missing Rickea Jackson for that game
 and it was the final one that Tamari Key played in before being 
sidelined for the season with blood clots.Tennessee <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-lady-vols-toledo-sweet-16-virginia-tech-325c1b4df25cb95f54f9bc5e1ff45c19">has run through the first two rounds</a>,
 becoming just the fourth team to win each of its first two games by 45 
points or more. UConn did it the other three times, according to ESPN.SEATTLE 4Ole
 Miss crashed the party with its upset of Stanford and is back in the 
Sweet 16 for the first time since 2007. Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin's 
defensive-minded squad will face a Louisville team that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-louisville-texas-d8801cb5422b78cc04eabc4884a03b64">routed Texas</a> on the Longhorns' home court. Cardinals star Hailey Van Lith grew up in Central Washington, a few hours from Seattle.The other matchup will feature Clark and her logo-range shooting for Iowa against Colorado. Iowa <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-iowa-georgia-caitlin-clark-f824fcee27ec7934dc68a473e11e5e4b">edged Georgia</a>
 in the second round, erasing the memory of last season's round of 32 
defeat to Creighton. The Hawkeyes will face a Colorado team in the Sweet
 16 for the first time since 2003.

Women's Sweet 16 features new format and historic field

MIAMI — Trea Turner, Paul Goldschmidt and an unrelenting U.S. 
lineup kept putting crooked numbers on the scoreboard, a dynamic display
 of the huge gap between an American team of major leaguers and Cubans 
struggling on the world stage as top players have left the island 
nation.

<a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/trea-turner-clubs-two-hr-vs-cuba?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">Turner homered twice</a>
 to give him a tournament-leading four, driving in four runs to lead the
 U.S. to a 14-2 rout Sunday night and advance the defending champion 
Americans to the World Baseball Classic final.

Goldschmidt also homered and had four RBIs and <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/cedric-mullins-homers-1-on-a-fly-ball-to-right-center-field-moshpi?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">Cedric Mullins went deep</a> in a game interrupted three times by fans running on the field to display protest signs.

“The team kind of represents the government over there, and people aren’t too happy about it,” U.S. manager Mark DeRosa said.

The
 U.S. plays Japan or Mexico in Tuesday night’s championship, trying to 
join the Samurai Warriors as the only nations to win the title twice.

“I think it took us a little bit of time, but now we kind of found our stride a little bit,” Turner said.

Turner has a tournament-leading 10 RBIs. He followed his <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/trea-turner-hits-a-grand-slam-2-to-left-field-tim-anderson-scores-bobby-w?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">go-ahead, eighth-inning grand slam</a> a night earlier against Venezuela with a <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/trea-turner-homers-3-on-a-fly-ball-to-left-field-fpilfh?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">solo homer in the second inning off Roenis Elias (0-1)</a> and a <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/trea-turner-homers-4-on-a-fly-ball-to-left-center-field-will-smith-scores?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">three-run drive in the sixth against Elian Leyva</a>.

“I kept saying every time he went deep, who is the idiot that’s hitting him ninth?” DeRosa said.

Cuba
 went ahead when its first four batters reached off Adam Wainwright 
(2-0) without getting a ball out of the infield. After forcing in a run 
with a walk to Alfredo Despaigne, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/adam-wainwright-s-solid-start-x3521?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">the 41-year-old right-hander recovered to strand the bases loaded</a>.

“I
 put myself in that situation in the first place by making horrible PFP 
plays — or not making PFP plays,” Wainwright said in a reference to 
pitchers' fielding practice and two grounders he failed to come up with.

American
 batters had 14 hits, including eight for extra bases, and seven walks 
as they scored in seven of eight innings — five with multiple runs. <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/paul-goldschmidt-s-two-run-homer-x4344?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">Goldschmidt hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the first on a 112 mph rocket</a> high over the left-field wall. <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/paul-goldschmidt-singles-on-a-line-drive-to-right-fielder-yoelkis-guibert?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">He added a two-run single in the fifth</a>.

“For me that was one of my favorite home runs I’ve ever hit in my entire life,” Goldschmidt said.

St. Louis third baseman <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/nolan-arenado-exits-after-hpb?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">Nolan Arenado left after he was hit on his right hand by a pitch in the fifth inning</a>, briefly raising another injury concern before X-rays came back as negative. <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/edwin-diaz-injured-in-celebration-031523?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">Mets closer Edwin Díaz sustained a season-ending knee injury</a> during the celebration that followed Puerto Rico’s win on Wednesday and <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/jose-altuve-is-hit-exits-game?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">Houston second baseman Jose Altuve broke a thumb when hit by a pitch</a> while playing for Venezuela on Saturday.

Fans
 in the sellout crowd of 35,779 at loanDepot Park sounded evenly split 
between the U.S. and Cuba. Several hundred people gathered before the 
game outside the ballpark in Miami’s Little Havana section to protest 
the presence of the Cuban team, whose country has been under communist 
rule since 1959.

Play was briefly interrupted in the sixth, 
seventh and eighth innings when fans ran onto the field. The first held a
 banner that read “Libertad Para Los Presos Cubanos del 11 de Julio 
(Freedom for the Cuban Prisoners of July 11)” referring to the date of 
2021 demonstrations.

“There were provocations, but we never paid attention to it,” Cuba manager Armando Johnson said.

Cuban
 fans roared in the early going when their team’s first four batters 
strung together three infield hits and a bases-loaded walk. Wainwright 
allowed one run and five hits in four innings. Cardinals teammate Miles 
Mikolas followed with four innings and Aaron Loup finished.

An 
Olympic gold medalist in 1992, 1996 and 2004, Cuba’s national team has 
faltered as many top players left for MLB. Cuba failed to qualify for 
the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Cuba this year is for the first using some 
players under contract to MLB clubs, including Chicago White Sox Gold 
Glove centerfielder Luis Robert and third baseman Yoán Moncada — who 
were booed. But many Cuban big leaguers were absent.

“We would like for the other players to join,” Johnson said. “They should think about it and return to Cuba.”

DeRosa on what he did after Saturday night’s come-from-behind quarterfinal win over Venezuela.

"I was reading how horrible a manager I was on social media first,” he said.

In
 the other semifinal, Japan starts 21-year-old sensation Roki Sasaki 
against Mexico and the Los Angeles Angels’ Patrick Sandoval on Monday 
night.

Moncada left after the third baseman 
collided in the sixth inning with left fielder Roel Santos, who caught 
Kyle Schwarber's fly. Moncada was hit on the ribs but is OK, Johnson 
said.

Arizona RHP Merrill Kelly is likely to start the final.

Associated PressMIAMI — Trea Turner, Paul Goldschmidt and an unrelenting U.S. 
lineup kept putting crooked numbers on the scoreboard, a dynamic display
 of the huge gap between an American team of major leaguers and Cubans 
struggling on the world stage as top players have left the island 
nation.<a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/trea-turner-clubs-two-hr-vs-cuba?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">Turner homered twice</a>
 to give him a tournament-leading four, driving in four runs to lead the
 U.S. to a 14-2 rout Sunday night and advance the defending champion 
Americans to the World Baseball Classic final.Goldschmidt also homered and had four RBIs and <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/cedric-mullins-homers-1-on-a-fly-ball-to-right-center-field-moshpi?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">Cedric Mullins went deep</a> in a game interrupted three times by fans running on the field to display protest signs.“The team kind of represents the government over there, and people aren’t too happy about it,” U.S. manager Mark DeRosa said.The
 U.S. plays Japan or Mexico in Tuesday night’s championship, trying to 
join the Samurai Warriors as the only nations to win the title twice.“I think it took us a little bit of time, but now we kind of found our stride a little bit,” Turner said.Turner has a tournament-leading 10 RBIs. He followed his <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/trea-turner-hits-a-grand-slam-2-to-left-field-tim-anderson-scores-bobby-w?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">go-ahead, eighth-inning grand slam</a> a night earlier against Venezuela with a <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/trea-turner-homers-3-on-a-fly-ball-to-left-field-fpilfh?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">solo homer in the second inning off Roenis Elias (0-1)</a> and a <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/trea-turner-homers-4-on-a-fly-ball-to-left-center-field-will-smith-scores?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">three-run drive in the sixth against Elian Leyva</a>.“I kept saying every time he went deep, who is the idiot that’s hitting him ninth?” DeRosa said.Cuba
 went ahead when its first four batters reached off Adam Wainwright 
(2-0) without getting a ball out of the infield. After forcing in a run 
with a walk to Alfredo Despaigne, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/adam-wainwright-s-solid-start-x3521?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">the 41-year-old right-hander recovered to strand the bases loaded</a>.“I
 put myself in that situation in the first place by making horrible PFP 
plays — or not making PFP plays,” Wainwright said in a reference to 
pitchers' fielding practice and two grounders he failed to come up with.American
 batters had 14 hits, including eight for extra bases, and seven walks 
as they scored in seven of eight innings — five with multiple runs. <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/paul-goldschmidt-s-two-run-homer-x4344?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">Goldschmidt hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the first on a 112 mph rocket</a> high over the left-field wall. <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/paul-goldschmidt-singles-on-a-line-drive-to-right-fielder-yoelkis-guibert?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">He added a two-run single in the fifth</a>.“For me that was one of my favorite home runs I’ve ever hit in my entire life,” Goldschmidt said.St. Louis third baseman <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/nolan-arenado-exits-after-hpb?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">Nolan Arenado left after he was hit on his right hand by a pitch in the fifth inning</a>, briefly raising another injury concern before X-rays came back as negative. <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/edwin-diaz-injured-in-celebration-031523?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">Mets closer Edwin Díaz sustained a season-ending knee injury</a> during the celebration that followed Puerto Rico’s win on Wednesday and <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/jose-altuve-is-hit-exits-game?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share">Houston second baseman Jose Altuve broke a thumb when hit by a pitch</a> while playing for Venezuela on Saturday.Fans
 in the sellout crowd of 35,779 at loanDepot Park sounded evenly split 
between the U.S. and Cuba. Several hundred people gathered before the 
game outside the ballpark in Miami’s Little Havana section to protest 
the presence of the Cuban team, whose country has been under communist 
rule since 1959.Play was briefly interrupted in the sixth, 
seventh and eighth innings when fans ran onto the field. The first held a
 banner that read “Libertad Para Los Presos Cubanos del 11 de Julio 
(Freedom for the Cuban Prisoners of July 11)” referring to the date of 
2021 demonstrations.“There were provocations, but we never paid attention to it,” Cuba manager Armando Johnson said.Cuban
 fans roared in the early going when their team’s first four batters 
strung together three infield hits and a bases-loaded walk. Wainwright 
allowed one run and five hits in four innings. Cardinals teammate Miles 
Mikolas followed with four innings and Aaron Loup finished.An 
Olympic gold medalist in 1992, 1996 and 2004, Cuba’s national team has 
faltered as many top players left for MLB. Cuba failed to qualify for 
the 2020 Tokyo Games.Cuba this year is for the first using some 
players under contract to MLB clubs, including Chicago White Sox Gold 
Glove centerfielder Luis Robert and third baseman Yoán Moncada — who 
were booed. But many Cuban big leaguers were absent.“We would like for the other players to join,” Johnson said. “They should think about it and return to Cuba.”SECOND GUESSEDDeRosa on what he did after Saturday night’s come-from-behind quarterfinal win over Venezuela."I was reading how horrible a manager I was on social media first,” he said.OTHER SIDE OF THE BRACKETIn
 the other semifinal, Japan starts 21-year-old sensation Roki Sasaki 
against Mexico and the Los Angeles Angels’ Patrick Sandoval on Monday 
night.TRAINER'S ROOMMoncada left after the third baseman 
collided in the sixth inning with left fielder Roel Santos, who caught 
Kyle Schwarber's fly. Moncada was hit on the ribs but is OK, Johnson 
said.UP NEXTArizona RHP Merrill Kelly is likely to start the final.

US routs Cuba 14-2 to reach World Baseball Classic final

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">March Madness</a> is 
heading to the Sweet 16 without a handful of top teams. Two No. 1 seeds,
 Kansas and Purdue, No. 2 seed Arizona and No. 4 seed Virginia are all 
gone — and gone with them are <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-ncaa-ucla-unc-asheville-4c5ead60091b98be87a72ffa91a14e97">millions of busted brackets.</a>

It's
 been tough sledding for the bluebloods, too: Besides Kansas, Kentucky, 
Duke and Indiana are all heading home. UCLA's drive for a 12th national 
title remains alive.

Here is what to know with the regional semifinals up next at the NCAA Tournament:

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-bracket-kansas-alabama-12476411b0da681b21df9281a8332196">The top four seeds in the tournament</a> were given to Alabama, Houston, Kansas and Purdue. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-alabama-kansas-fc3932edb7323b0cd5f9db3e1cbb82fe">Each had its share of headaches</a>
 to set up what is proving to be a chaotic tournament. The Boilermakers 
were the first to fall, ousted in a first-round stunner, and the 
Jayhawks followed the very next day.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-east-region-purdue-marquette-8a7c268ac0e763368c602be51359928e">EAST REGION:</a> The Boilermakers got a top seed for the fourth time, but Purdue was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-fairleigh-dickinson-purdue-16-seed-715e3e361344928ea10880dd9a9d8a58">dumped by Fairleigh Dickinson in a near-historic upset.</a>
 and the 2-seed, Marquette, is also gone. Up next: No. 9 seed FAU vs. 
No. 4 seed Tennessee and No. 3 seed Kansas State vs. No. 7 seed Michigan
 State, whose coach <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-michigan-state-marquette-izzo-690d24a67256a2bf187353c0bfed577a">Tom Izzo is heading to his 15th regional.</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-south-bracket-alabama-005db4413ccdad1b00bcd38f879ac5df">SOUTH REGION:</a> Alabama, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-nate-oats-alabama-2738775dfbf0006eee54eb3bca39fdf9">led by coach Nate Oats in a challenging season,</a> got a top seed for the first time behind SEC player of the year Brandon Miller, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brandon-miller-alabama-ncaa-tournament-security-guard-7104ab515dfaf81ae09abf94f0bd3165">who has armed security on hand</a>
 after being the subject of threats. Up next: No. 1 seed Alabama vs. No.
 5 seed San Diego State and No. 6 seed Creighton vs. No. 15 seed <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-princeton-missouri-upset-c53ede0847d5669af9fc19e18dab67eb">Princeton, which is in rare territory</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-bracket-midwest-ba5f567eee97af8eb848e229694b8b9b">MIDWEST REGION:</a> Houston got a top seed and won its opener before a rugged victory over Auburn even with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcus-sasser-injury-march-madness-houston-3ed55bfd2e3180e29b015f66a4d92614"></a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-houston-sasser-a327324228d43a8792f496890a5e7bc9">All-American Marcus Sasser hobbled</a> by a groin injury. Up next: No. 1 seed Houston vs. No. 5 seed Miami and No. 2 seed Texas vs. No. 3 seed Xavier.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-bracket-kansas-jayhawks-ucla-de98b2f3866d40f3b00d40e59c373b5c">WEST REGION</a>: Kansas, the top-seeded defending national champion that was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-bill-self-norm-roberts-fbb2c52dc34fa02235d1dbc3177ced01">without coach Bill Self</a> in the tournament following a heart procedure, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-arkansas-upset-dfbf9716af7de6e346e47c6edeb87277">blew an 8-point halftime lead and lost to Arkansas.</a> Up next: <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-ncaa-ucla-unc-asheville-4c5ead60091b98be87a72ffa91a14e97">No. 2 seed UCLA</a> vs. No. 3 Gonzaga and No. 4 seed UConn vs. No. 8 seed Arkansas.

Princeton used a late run to earn its <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-ncaa-arizona-princeton-4b28e0acabe2b75ccdbac81d40a6fd66">first NCAA Tournament win in 25 years</a> by ousting No. 2 seed Arizona and then answered any skeptics by <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-princeton-missouri-upset-c53ede0847d5669af9fc19e18dab67eb">rolling Missouri</a> to lock in its first Sweet 16 spot in 56 years.

Furman celebrated its first tourney appearance since 1980 with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/furman-virginia-march-madness-upset-1b4e3c5c8b1ce5896eea85ba9fd42761">a win over No. 4 seed Virginia</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessMBB/status/1636439857127129088?s=20">a deep 3-pointer by JP Pegues with 2.4 seconds</a>
 left. Then came 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson's win over Purdue as the 22
 1/2-point underdog stifled 7-4 center Zach Edey to advance and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-tournament-umbc-no-1-seeds-march-madness-df6c353dc4ff76ec99278efd69a8b454">join UMBC in the record books.</a>

All that happened before the Razorbacks and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-arkansas-upset-dfbf9716af7de6e346e47c6edeb87277">shirtless coach Eric Musselman</a> celebrated their win over the Jayhawks.

No. 4 seed Connecticut (27-8) vs. No. 8 seed Arkansas (22-13), Thursday, 7:15 p.m. ET (CBS)

The
 Huskies are returning to the Sweet 16 for the first time in nine years,
 and hoping to avoid being the next victim of Arkansas, which ousted 
defending champion Kansas. UConn <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-uconn-saint-marys-5e8ceb98118e29b1f78ef443b790be45">outclassed Saint Mary’s 70-55</a> behind 24 points by Adama Sanogo and timely 3-point shooting.

No. 2 Kansas State (25-9) vs. No. 7 Michigan State (21-12), Thursday, 6:30 p.m. ET (TBS)

Tom Izzo is taking Michigan State to the Sweet 16 for the 15th time and first in four years after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-michigan-state-marquette-izzo-690d24a67256a2bf187353c0bfed577a">a 69-60 victory against No. 2 seed Marquette</a>.
 The victory was the 16th for Izzo in the tournament against a higher 
seed, breaking the record he shared with recently retired Syracuse coach
 Jim Boeheim. At Madison Square Garden, the Spartans will face a Kansas 
State team that was picked to finish last in the Big 12 with a remade 
roster and first-year coach in Jerome Tang. The Wildcats <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kentucky-kansas-state-e0f322d3422ce45e56ec92d210ea55d8">outlasted Kentucky 75-69</a> behind 27 points by Markquis Nowell.

No. 5 seed San Diego State (29-6) vs. No. 1 seed Alabama (31-5), Friday, 6:30 p.m. ET (TBS)

The
 Aztecs are heading to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2004 and 
have won 11 of their last 13. Balanced scoring carried them to a 
second-round <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-furman-san-diego-state-7fe292dc79cd3e7d2fa2fbd146e1698b">victory against Furman</a>
 and they’ll need more of the same against the Crimson Tide, who handily
 dispatched Maryland in the second round. All-America freshman Brandon 
Miller, who is nursing an injury, had 19 after going scoreless in the 
first round.

Associated Press<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">March Madness</a> is 
heading to the Sweet 16 without a handful of top teams. Two No. 1 seeds,
 Kansas and Purdue, No. 2 seed Arizona and No. 4 seed Virginia are all 
gone — and gone with them are <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-ncaa-ucla-unc-asheville-4c5ead60091b98be87a72ffa91a14e97">millions of busted brackets.</a>It's
 been tough sledding for the bluebloods, too: Besides Kansas, Kentucky, 
Duke and Indiana are all heading home. UCLA's drive for a 12th national 
title remains alive.Here is what to know with the regional semifinals up next at the NCAA Tournament:TOP SEEDS<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-bracket-kansas-alabama-12476411b0da681b21df9281a8332196">The top four seeds in the tournament</a> were given to Alabama, Houston, Kansas and Purdue. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-alabama-kansas-fc3932edb7323b0cd5f9db3e1cbb82fe">Each had its share of headaches</a>
 to set up what is proving to be a chaotic tournament. The Boilermakers 
were the first to fall, ousted in a first-round stunner, and the 
Jayhawks followed the very next day.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-east-region-purdue-marquette-8a7c268ac0e763368c602be51359928e">EAST REGION:</a> The Boilermakers got a top seed for the fourth time, but Purdue was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-fairleigh-dickinson-purdue-16-seed-715e3e361344928ea10880dd9a9d8a58">dumped by Fairleigh Dickinson in a near-historic upset.</a>
 and the 2-seed, Marquette, is also gone. Up next: No. 9 seed FAU vs. 
No. 4 seed Tennessee and No. 3 seed Kansas State vs. No. 7 seed Michigan
 State, whose coach <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-michigan-state-marquette-izzo-690d24a67256a2bf187353c0bfed577a">Tom Izzo is heading to his 15th regional.</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-south-bracket-alabama-005db4413ccdad1b00bcd38f879ac5df">SOUTH REGION:</a> Alabama, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-nate-oats-alabama-2738775dfbf0006eee54eb3bca39fdf9">led by coach Nate Oats in a challenging season,</a> got a top seed for the first time behind SEC player of the year Brandon Miller, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brandon-miller-alabama-ncaa-tournament-security-guard-7104ab515dfaf81ae09abf94f0bd3165">who has armed security on hand</a>
 after being the subject of threats. Up next: No. 1 seed Alabama vs. No.
 5 seed San Diego State and No. 6 seed Creighton vs. No. 15 seed <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-princeton-missouri-upset-c53ede0847d5669af9fc19e18dab67eb">Princeton, which is in rare territory</a>.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-bracket-midwest-ba5f567eee97af8eb848e229694b8b9b">MIDWEST REGION:</a> Houston got a top seed and won its opener before a rugged victory over Auburn even with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcus-sasser-injury-march-madness-houston-3ed55bfd2e3180e29b015f66a4d92614"></a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-houston-sasser-a327324228d43a8792f496890a5e7bc9">All-American Marcus Sasser hobbled</a> by a groin injury. Up next: No. 1 seed Houston vs. No. 5 seed Miami and No. 2 seed Texas vs. No. 3 seed Xavier.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-bracket-kansas-jayhawks-ucla-de98b2f3866d40f3b00d40e59c373b5c">WEST REGION</a>: Kansas, the top-seeded defending national champion that was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-bill-self-norm-roberts-fbb2c52dc34fa02235d1dbc3177ced01">without coach Bill Self</a> in the tournament following a heart procedure, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-arkansas-upset-dfbf9716af7de6e346e47c6edeb87277">blew an 8-point halftime lead and lost to Arkansas.</a> Up next: <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-ncaa-ucla-unc-asheville-4c5ead60091b98be87a72ffa91a14e97">No. 2 seed UCLA</a> vs. No. 3 Gonzaga and No. 4 seed UConn vs. No. 8 seed Arkansas.SHINING MOMENTSThe unforgettable plays are piling up.Princeton used a late run to earn its <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-ncaa-arizona-princeton-4b28e0acabe2b75ccdbac81d40a6fd66">first NCAA Tournament win in 25 years</a> by ousting No. 2 seed Arizona and then answered any skeptics by <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-princeton-missouri-upset-c53ede0847d5669af9fc19e18dab67eb">rolling Missouri</a> to lock in its first Sweet 16 spot in 56 years.Furman celebrated its first tourney appearance since 1980 with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/furman-virginia-march-madness-upset-1b4e3c5c8b1ce5896eea85ba9fd42761">a win over No. 4 seed Virginia</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessMBB/status/1636439857127129088?s=20">a deep 3-pointer by JP Pegues with 2.4 seconds</a>
 left. Then came 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson's win over Purdue as the 22
 1/2-point underdog stifled 7-4 center Zach Edey to advance and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-tournament-umbc-no-1-seeds-march-madness-df6c353dc4ff76ec99278efd69a8b454">join UMBC in the record books.</a>All that happened before the Razorbacks and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-arkansas-upset-dfbf9716af7de6e346e47c6edeb87277">shirtless coach Eric Musselman</a> celebrated their win over the Jayhawks.GAMES TO WATCHNo. 4 seed Connecticut (27-8) vs. No. 8 seed Arkansas (22-13), Thursday, 7:15 p.m. ET (CBS)The
 Huskies are returning to the Sweet 16 for the first time in nine years,
 and hoping to avoid being the next victim of Arkansas, which ousted 
defending champion Kansas. UConn <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-uconn-saint-marys-5e8ceb98118e29b1f78ef443b790be45">outclassed Saint Mary’s 70-55</a> behind 24 points by Adama Sanogo and timely 3-point shooting.No. 2 Kansas State (25-9) vs. No. 7 Michigan State (21-12), Thursday, 6:30 p.m. ET (TBS)Tom Izzo is taking Michigan State to the Sweet 16 for the 15th time and first in four years after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-michigan-state-marquette-izzo-690d24a67256a2bf187353c0bfed577a">a 69-60 victory against No. 2 seed Marquette</a>.
 The victory was the 16th for Izzo in the tournament against a higher 
seed, breaking the record he shared with recently retired Syracuse coach
 Jim Boeheim. At Madison Square Garden, the Spartans will face a Kansas 
State team that was picked to finish last in the Big 12 with a remade 
roster and first-year coach in Jerome Tang. The Wildcats <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kentucky-kansas-state-e0f322d3422ce45e56ec92d210ea55d8">outlasted Kentucky 75-69</a> behind 27 points by Markquis Nowell.No. 5 seed San Diego State (29-6) vs. No. 1 seed Alabama (31-5), Friday, 6:30 p.m. ET (TBS)The
 Aztecs are heading to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2004 and 
have won 11 of their last 13. Balanced scoring carried them to a 
second-round <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-furman-san-diego-state-7fe292dc79cd3e7d2fa2fbd146e1698b">victory against Furman</a>
 and they’ll need more of the same against the Crimson Tide, who handily
 dispatched Maryland in the second round. All-America freshman Brandon 
Miller, who is nursing an injury, had 19 after going scoreless in the 
first round.No. 3 seed Xavier (27-9) vs. No. 2 seed Texas (28-8), Friday, 9:45 p.m. ET (CBS)The
 Musketeers are heading to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017 
and will face a Longhorns team that hasn’t been there in 15 years. 
Xavier put on a clinic on unselfishness in the first half of its <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-pitt-xavier-65b0f41f9dbe4543d4c2bf7859777232">84-73 victory against Pittsburgh</a>, totaling 17 assists on 19 made field goals. The Longhorns made just one 3-pointer in 13 tries in their <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-texas-penn-state-f620fd4217ab3d3c2cd48c73bcbfb3e3">71-66 victory against Penn State,</a> but Dylan Disu had season-high 28-point performance.BRAGGING RIGHTSThe
 SEC and Big Ten led the way by placing eight teams each in the 68-team 
field. Conference USA (Florida Atlantic) and the Ivy League (Princeton) 
each got one team into the tournament and both are still alive. <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2023-03-19/tracking-2023-march-madness-mens-records-conference">The rest of the leagues can't say that.</a> The records through two rounds:ACC
 (5 teams made tourney): 5-4. One team left (Miami). American Athletic 
(2): 2-1. One team left (Houston). Big 12 (7): 7-5. Two teams left 
(Kansas State, Texas). Big East (5): 7-2. Three teams left (Creighton, 
UConn, Xavier). Big Ten (8): 6-7. One team left (Michigan State). 
Mountain West (4): 2-3. One team left (San Diego State). Pac-12 (4): 
3-3. One team left (UCLA). SEC (8): 9-5. Three teams left (Alabama, 
Arkansas, Tennessee). West Coast (2): 3-1. One team left (Gonzaga).GO DEEPERGun violence <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-guns-campus-violence-05a4962cd59264a997b9cdfb5256763f">has cost lives and disrupted college sports all season</a>,
 touching some of the top programs in college basketball, including 
Alabama. Coaches have been thrust into uncertain and unwelcome roles in 
trying to navigate the topic — as well as the fallout from the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-coaches-womens-sports-athletes-46c0f942b76f07427a6effd75a4a54d7">Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade.</a>On a lighter note, if you feel you know March Madness pretty well, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-trivia-ncaa-basketball-262d129aea8867ff0643b439ca9af349">try this 25-question trivia quiz</a> put together by AP.PLAYERS TO WATCHThe NCAA Tournament is filled with great players and the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/all-america-mens-basketball-team-aa5e6381567b1d4732a0f0e17e60036b">AP All-America team</a> is a good place to get familiar with the names. It's also an event where <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-drake-oral-roberts-colgate-asheville-bc17594044376c9e2b2ebbc69c64d44a">guys you've never heard of</a> can take a star turn. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-players-to-watch-dcb64a292147a92e425ca8d162792b5a">Guard play is always going to be important</a> (see: Baylor, 2021 title winner) and there are <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-nba-draft-picks-9fe43406a0d09256c7070c39c503805f">some NBA prospects</a> in the mix.Bet on this, too: Some player — maybe more than one — will have a chance to join <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-social-media-edert-ef5fe8ef3e482d0f36a4d6cc3bdf2b89">the mustachioed Doug Edert</a> (remember Saint Peters' inspiring run last year?) and find a way to cash in on their celebrity.HOW TO WATCHEvery game of the men’s tournament will be aired — <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/mens-final-four/broadcast-info">here is a schedule</a> — either on CBS, TBS, TNT or TruTV and their digital platforms. CBS, <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2023-march-madness-tv-schedule-announcers-how-to-watch-ncaa-tournament-tipoff-times-tv-channels-stream/">which also has a handy schedule that includes announcing teams,</a> will handle the Final Four and national title game this year.The NCAA is streaming games via its <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/march-madness-live/watch">March Madness Live</a> option and CBS games are being streamed on <a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/">Paramount+</a>. Fans of longtime play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz should soak up every moment: It’s <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-cbs-jim-nantz-c09aa9f68af918fdc613dfd2e01191a1">his final NCAA Tournament.</a>BETTING GUIDE<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-betting-favorite-odds-149e49842f90412a306dcbd1f0279a6c">Who's going to win the national championship?</a>
 The betting favorites to reach the Final Four are (in order, as of 
March 19): Alabama, Houston, UConn, UCLA, Gonzaga and Texas, according 
to <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/ncaab?tab=national-champion">FanDuel Sportsbook.</a>MARCH MADNESS CALENDAR<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket">Sweet 16 weekend</a>
 will see games in New York City (East Region), Las Vegas (West), Kansas
 City, Missouri (Midwest), and Louisville, Kentucky (South).Where
 is the Final Four? In Houston, on April 1, with the championship game 
on April 3. Basketball aficionados, take note: The women’s NCAA 
Tournament will hold its Final Four in Dallas, a four-hour drive up the 
road from Houston.Can't get enough March Madness? Well, there is talk about <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-bracket-expansion-57e1cde42df782eaf0883300a45901e1">expanding the tournament</a> despite a host of challenges. Enjoy the 68-team version for now!