Huntington Beach is making the most of its second chance in postseason high school baseball.
Eliminated in the third round of the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs last month, the Oilers accepted an invitation to the Division I Southern California Regional and advanced to Saturday’s championship game with an 11-3 victory over Corona on Thursday.
Dane Cunningham hit a two-run home run, Maxx Hopkins homered and Jared Grindlinger had a triple, single and two RBIs. Tanner Brown struck out six in five innings.
Huntington Beach will face the winner of Friday’s game between La Mirada and Cathedral Catholic on Saturday.
In Division II, Newport Harbor will host Bakersfield Christian in the championship game on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Division III
Kaiser will play the winner of Friday’s game between Glendora and Westview for the Division III title. Kaiser defeated Helix 7-5 in the semifinals. Tino Cuellar hit a two-run home run in a 7-5 win over Helix.
Division IV
North Torrance defeated Central Valley Christian 6-0 in the semifinals behind Mason Matsumoto, who thew six scoreless innings. They will face the winner of Friday’s game between South El Monte and Francis Parker.
Division V
Coastal Academy has won the Division V title by forfeit after Verdugo Hills and Roosevelt got involved in a bench-clearing brawl in the bottom of the sixth inning with Verdugo Hills ahead 5-1. Under CIF rules, players have to sit out the next game when leaving the bench. Verdugo Hills won’t be able to advance.
Softball
La Habra knocked off St. Paul 8-7 to advance to the Division I final, where it will play at Chula Vista Mater Dei. La Habra went to the seventh inning down 7-6 and won on a walk-off, two-run single by Milee Valencia. Alyssa Hernandez had a three-run home run.
Division II
Riverside Prep defeated Redwood 4-3 and will host Saturday’s final against the winner of Great Oak and Garces.
Division V
Rivals Arroyo Valley and San Bernardino will meet on Saturday at Arroyo Valley. San Bernardino defeated South East 18-2. Arroyo Valley defeated La Jolla 12-8.
Matt Brown, who starred with his family in the Discovery reality television show “Alaskan Bush People,” was found dead in the Okanogan River in Washington state, law enforcement officials said Sunday.
Brown’s body was discovered Saturday by a group of private citizens who were conducting a search, the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Brown’s brother, Bear Brown, said in a video posted Saturday on social media that fellow brother Noah had been with the search team, helped pull the body out of the river and identified him.
The official cause and manner of death is still to be determined by the coroner, the sheriff’s office said. But the Brown family believes Matt Brown died by suicide, Bear Brown said in the video.
Witnesses said they saw Matt Brown in or near the river and that he “took his own life,” Bear Brown said on social media.
“I would have never suspected he would hurt himself, honestly,” Bear Brown said in the emotional video. “He struggled for a long time.”
Bear Brown said his brother had battled with alcohol and drugs and that Matt Brown told him in their last conversation that he had “fallen off the wagon.”
The Brown family and their life in the Alaskan wilderness were the subject of the reality TV show “Alaskan Bush People,” which ran on the Discovery Channel from 2014 to 2022.
Suicide prevention and crisis counseling resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, seek help from a professional or call 988. The nationwide three-digit mental health crisis hotline will connect callers with trained mental health counselors. Or text “HOME” to 741741 in the U.S. and Canada to reach the Crisis Text Line.
CLOVIS — Jurupa Valley senior AB Hernandez placed third in the CIF state championship long jump on Saturday, medaling in the event for the second consecutive year.
Hernandez, who is transgender, has faced harassment and ire from anti-trans protesters and conservative pundits during the past two years. She jumped 20 feet, 2 1/4 inches on Saturday, behind first-place finisher Ellie McCuskey-Hay of St. Ignatius (20-3½) and Gianna Gonzalez of Moorpark (20-3½).
Under CIF policy, transgender athletes who place at the state championships receive medals but do not displace cisgender girls in the final standings. The federation announced last year that the policy would apply specifically to the long jump, triple jump and high jump — the three events Hernandez competed in — and the rule remained in effect for her three events this weekend.
Hernandez shared her third-place podium with St. Mary’s Berkeley jumper Corrine Jones, who reached 19-9 ½.
Hernandez secured her place in Saturday’s finals on her opening long jump attempt Friday, posting a mark strong enough to hold the top qualifying position. She passed on her remaining two attempts after safely locking up advancement.
The atmosphere surrounding the state championships was notably calmer than a year ago, when demonstrations over Hernandez’s participation drew national attention. On Friday, the most visible protest activity came before the meet, when Republican California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton held a news conference outside Veterans Memorial Stadium, noting that the primary election was just four days away.
Standing before signs reading “Hey, CIF: Girls’ Sports Girls Only” on Friday, Hilton criticized the California Interscholastic Federation’s policies governing transgender athletes.
On Saturday, the Rainbow Families Action group hosted a news conference outside in support of Hernandez. Counter-protesters showed up toward the end and shouted toward the Hernandez supporters and the two sides exchanged some words before dispersing.
Inside the stadium, however, the focus largely remained on the competition. Spectators cheered as Hernandez began her long-jump approach, and some fans wore bracelets bearing the message “We Stand With AB.”
Event organizers prohibited signs inside the venue. Unlike last year, when advocacy groups on both sides staged more visible demonstrations, the off-track theatrics were largely absent.
Meanwhile, Democrat Tom Steyer released a video on X on Friday featuring a previous conversation with Hernandez, in which he expressed support for her participation in high school athletics.
The 17-year-old arrived in Clovis after sweeping all three of her events at the Southern Section championships.
Entering the state meet, Hernandez ranked among the nation’s top 10 performers in all three events. She shared California’s best high jump mark, was tied for second in the long jump and ranked second in the triple jump. She will compete in the high jump and triple jump later Saturday.
Week by week, freshman left-handed pitcher Sheriff Hall of Loyola High has gotten better and better. It sets up for an intriguing Southern Section Division 2 baseball final on Saturday when Hall goes against Ganesha at 5:30 p.m. at the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes’ diamond.
Whatever happens, Hall is ready. Coach Keith Ramsey has been preparing him for this moment. Hall is 7-3 with a 2.53 ERA while pitching mostly in the tough Mission League.
If Hall ever needs someone to put together a highlight tape, he knows whom to ask. His father, Jason, is a screenwriter and director who also played a recurring character in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
Let’s see if Hall can be his own slayer on Saturday.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
The 21-year-old man shot and killed after opening fire on U.S. Secret Service agents near the White House was a Maryland resident, according to online records.
Following Saturday’s shootout, the Associated Press identified the suspect as Nasire Best. According to virtual records, Best lived in the Prince George’s County suburb of Glenarden with his family.
The shooting occurred near a White House security checkpoint shortly after 6 p.m., according to a social media post from the Secret Service, which alleged that Best “pulled a weapon from his bag and began firing.”
Secret Service Uniformed Division officers returned fire, striking Best, who was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later, the post said. The Secret Service said no officers were injured, but a bystander was struck by gunfire and remained in serious but stable condition Sunday, according to the Associated Press.
The Secret Service said the bystander, who has not been identified, suffered a gunshot wound described as not life-threatening, the AP reported. It was not clear how the person was shot.
The Secret Service post also noted that President Trump was in the White House during the incident and was not harmed.
A person listed as having the same name as Best has three failure-to-pay rent cases for a dwelling in the Foundry by the Park Apartments in Dundalk, Md., from as recent as November. The Baltimore Sun could not confirm whether the cases are linked to the person killed Saturday.
The AP reported that Best was identified as the suspect by a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity due to not being authorized to discuss the investigation.
The AP noted that court documents indicated that Best was arrested in July 2025 after he attempted to enter a White House checkpoint without authorization. It wrote that the court records said Best did not heed officers’ commands to stop, “claimed he was Jesus Christ” and told officers he wanted to be arrested.
The court issued Best a “pretrial stay away order,” which typically requires defendants not to go near a person or area before a trail, the AP reported. In August, a bench warrant was issued against Best after a notice of “noncompliance.” He did not appear for a subsequent hearing, the AP reported.
The shooting remains under investigation, and additional information will be release as it becomes available, according to the Secret Service.
Saturday’s shooting was the third time in the last month that shots were fired near the president, including at the White House Correspondents’ Assn. dinner in late April and near the Washington Monument earlier this month.
Hubbard writes for the Baltimore Sun. This story was distributed by the Associated Press via Tribune News Service.
MILWAUKEE — Looking back, Alex Vesia can say that when was traded from the Miami Marlins to the Dodgers with fellow pitching prospect Kyle Hurt in 2021, he had “no idea” what it actually meant to trust the process.
Sure, it’s a cliche, and one most strongly associated with the Philadelphia 76ers’ rebuild in the NBA a decade ago. But it’s had staying power in the sports lexicon for a reason.
The mantra clicked for Vesia in his first season with the Dodgers.
“When I first heard of it, it was just like, OK, I know what a process is,” he said before the Dodgers’ 5-1 win against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. “But then watching it over the course of the year — where fastballs need to be placed, where sliders need to go, just trusting the information. That when a guy swings a lot at sliders and misses them, trusting that when you throw yours, he will miss it.
The Dodgers’ Andy Pages celebrates his two-run home run with teammate Kyle Tucker during a win over the Brewers Sunday in Milwaukee.
(Patrick McDermott / Getty Images)
“And then over the course of a few outings, when you see those results, it’s like, ‘OK, I can do this’ more and more and more.”
Vesia is now one of the veteran leaders in a Dodgers bullpen that set a franchise record Saturday with 36 consecutive scoreless innings, surpassing the mark of 33 set in 1998. The Dodgers extended the streak to 38 on Sunday.
“Last night was awesome,” Vesia said Sunday, a day after a dominant 11-3 win. “It was a really great game because it showed how versatile our bullpen can be, that we don’t need a set inning for the guy.”
Instead, manager Dave Roberts could play matchups — having left-handers Vesia and Tanner Scott face the more heavily left-handed heart of the order, and Hurt check in for the right-handers at the bottom and top — until the Dodgers’ offense made it a blowout.
On Sunday, the bullpen had only to cover two innings, thanks to a steady performance by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who limited the Brewers to one run through seven innings. And the Dodgers relievers had a four-run cushion to work with, thanks to a fifth-inning rally that included a two-run triple from Kyle Tucker and a two-run homer from Andy Pages.
Right-hander Will Klein retired the top of the order in a clean eighth inning, and Scott set down the next three Brewers, putting the finishing touches on a series win in a rematch of last year’s National League Championship Series.
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts turns a double play during a win Sunday in Milwaukee.
(Kayla Wolf / Ap Photo/kayla Wolf)
As Roberts reflected on the 7-2 road trip to Anaheim, San Diego and Milwaukee, he highlighted the bullpen’s impact: “There’s a lot of different guys that are the reason why they’ve been so successful recently.”
Entering the season, much of the chatter surrounding the bullpen centered on the addition of closer Edwin Díaz. But he’s been on the injured list (elbow surgery) since April 20, and the relief corps has been on a roll.
Without a closer, the Dodgers’ circle of trust in close games includes a good mix of veteran arms and budding talent, from Scott, Vesia and Blake Treinen to Hurt, Klein and Jack Dreyer (on the 15-day IL because of left shoulder discomfort).
“It’s a bunch of selfless guys who know that the job is to throw up a zero and give it to the next guy,” Klein said. “I think we’re all just trying to give our offense a chance to do what we know they can do. And I think that showed up last night, and it showed up a lot the last two weeks. They’ve been playing really well, and so I think we know if we just go out there, put up a zero, they’ll do it the next inning — and if they don’t, we try again.”
The bullpen’s scoreless streak stretches back through the eighth inning of a 6-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants on May 12. It covers a bullpen game, when the group filled in for Blake Snell after he was scratched from his start in Anaheim, and the series in San Diego, where the Dodgers relievers outperformed the Padres’ renowned bullpen.
“We’ve got to give credit to the starters and the hitters, and the guys playing great defense too,” Hurt said. “So, it’s not just us.”
Though good defense and some luck is involved in any scoreless streak this long — opponents entered Sunday with a .147 batting average on balls in play against Dodgers relievers since their shutout performance on May 13 — it’s no fluke either. The Dodgers bullpen still leads the majors in the Fielding Independent Pitching category (2.35) in that time.
So, what’s the secret stuff?
“The secret stuff is, there is no secret stuff,” Klein said. “Sometimes when you look for an answer, or you look for the magic to fix things, that’s when you overdo it and things start spiraling. But I think everyone knows that it’s one pitch at a time, and if you think about the result, you’re not as ingrained in the process.”
That was the moral in “Space Jam” too.
The ripple effects of that consistency have been clear.
“It frees up the offense a little bit,” Roberts said. “Regardless of who comes into a ballgame, I think they have the confidence now to go up and put up a zero. And it makes my life easier because you trust a lot more guys. And that’s what these guys have earned.”
Pack up the car and get ready for temperatures in the upper 80s this coming weekend in Clovis and Fresno, where CIF state championships will be held in track and field and boys’ volleyball.
Buchanan High School is the site Friday and Saturday for the track championships, where City Section record-holder Lawrence Kensinger will try to win a state title in the shotput after his astonishing mark of 65-11 at the City finals broke a record established in 1973. Running events begin at 5 p.m. Friday to qualify for Saturday’s finals.
Servite sprinters will try to put on a show in the 4×100 relay, the 100, 200 and 400 races. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame high jumper JJ Harel will try to defend his state title. At the Southern Section finals, he cleared a career-best 7-1.
Fresno City College is the site for the volleyball championships on Saturday.
Tickets are available only through gofan.co.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
In a squeaker race for Cannes’ top prize, Romanian director Cristian Mungiu prevailed on Saturday, taking the Palme d’Or for his tense community drama “Fjord.”
The movie, a widely admired conversation-starter at the festival, stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as religious parents who come into conflict with the child protection services of their tiny Norwegian town where they have relocated with their family.
Mungiu, a previous winner of the Palme for his controversial 2007 abortion drama “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” now joins an exclusive group of 10 filmmakers who have won the Palme twice — an achievement shared by Francis Ford Coppola (1974’s “The Conversation” and 1979’s “Apocalypse Now”) and Ruben Östlund (2017’s “The Square” and 2022’s “Triangle of Sadness”), among others. No one has ever won a third Palme d’Or.
Neon will release “Fjord” in the fall, with an extensive awards campaign to follow.
This year’s nine-member main competition jury, led by Korean director Park Chan-wook and studded with notables including “The Substance” star Demi Moore, Stellan Skarsgård and “Hamnet” director Chloé Zhao, seemed intent on spreading the wealth among as many winners as possible. There were three ties at Saturday’s awards ceremony.
The award for actress was shared by Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto, co-stars of Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden,” a movie pegged by many to potentially go all the way. Similarly, the prize for actor was bestowed on both Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne, co-stars of Lukas Dhont’s World War I romantic drama “Coward.”
The prize for directing went to three people — and two movies — with a joint win for Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (better known as Los Javis) for their century-spanning queer historical drama “The Black Ball,” as well as to director Paweł Pawlikowski for his exquisite post-World War II psychodrama “Fatherland.” (Pawlikowski half-joked at the podium, “This was a disastrous piece of mise-en-scène” after the awkward award presentation had him waiting in the wings.)
Claiming this year’s Grand Prize (essentially second place) was “Minotaur,” the rapturously received comeback film of Andrey Zvyagintsev, a Russian director who had been sidelined with a near-fatal bout of long COVID that put him in a coma. His new movie, about a wealthy Moscow family, is both an erotic thriller and an indictment of amoral oligarchy detached from the war with Ukraine.
The festival’s third-place Jury Prize went to the borderland German drama “The Dreamed Adventure,” directed by Valeska Grisebach.
VIENNA — Vienna’s famed coffeehouses have embraced the Eurovision Song Contest. They have also been touched by tensions over Israel’s inclusion in the sequin-drenched pop music competition.
When officials announced a list of “Eurofan Cafes” — Vienna coffee shops offering food and music from competing countries — Israel was initially left out.
MQ Kantine, a modern café in the city’s arty museums quarter, offered to step in. Now it has falafel, bagels with lox and kosher wine on the menu, a string of small Israeli flags hanging from the ceiling — and a police officer outside the door.
Security is tight across Vienna during the international music contest, whose “United by Music” slogan rings sightly hollow this year. Five countries are boycotting because Israel is taking part. Pro-Palestinian activists are planning a protest concert — one of several Eurovision alternatives across Europe — and an anti-Israel march before Saturday’s grand final.
At MQ Kantine, volunteers take turns to monitor for potential trouble. But so far the mood has been supportive, said Daniel Kapp, a PR consultant and pro-Israel campaigner.
“It’s beautiful,” he said, as people drank coffee and beer on the café terrace in the spring sunshine, though he noted that the police officer on duty showed that all is “not entirely normal.”
“My feeling is that Austria to a certain degree has learned from its history,” Kapp said, referring to the deadly antisemitism under the Nazis before and during World War II. “Which is why the support for Israel is a lot more normal than it is in other countries.”
Israel has competed in Eurovision for more than 50 years, and won four times. But its participation has been contested since it launched a war in Gaza after 1,200 people were killed in a Hamas-led cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023. More than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government and whose detailed records are viewed as generally reliable by the international community.
Israel’s government has repeatedly defended its campaign as a response to the Oct. 7 attack. But a number of experts, including those commissioned by a United Nations body, have said that Israel’s offensive in Gaza amounts to genocide. Israel, home to many Holocaust survivors and their relatives, has vigorously denied the claim.
The latest Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon and the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran have driven tensions still higher.
The 2024 Eurovision contest in Malmo, Sweden, and last year’s event in Basel, Switzerland, saw pro-Palestinian protests that called for Israel to be expelled. Five countries — Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain — pulled out of the 2026 contest after organizers allowed Israel to compete.
Partying amid tight security
The tensions have produced a Eurovision of two halves. An upbeat party atmosphere prevails inside the Wiener Stadthalle arena and in the separate Eurovision Village fan zone. But getting in means passing through a ring of steel, with searches, scanners and a ban on all bags inside the arena. Armed police are a very visible presence on the streets.
Awareness of risk from terror plots is high in the city after a 21-year-old Austrian man accused of pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group pleaded guilty to plotting to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024.
Israeli singer Noam Bettan told Israeli media that, like last year’s Israeli competitor Yuval Raphael, he practiced performing while being booed. There were scattered shouts amid the cheers when he performed in the first Eurovision semifinal on Tuesday. He secured a spot in Saturday’s final by being one of the top 10 finishers in voting by viewers and national juries.
Organizers said four people were removed from the 10,000-strong audience for disruptive behavior.
Austrian Eurovision fan Ivo Herzl, who attended the semifinal, said “the vibe was incredibly positive.” He is showing support for Israel by making and selling Mazel Lov T-shirts — a play on “mazel tov,” a Hebrew and Yiddish phrase of congratulations.
“Vienna has always been a city of tolerance,” Herzl said. “It’s the city of music and we’ll always do everything possible for everyone to enjoy a musical event.”
Some Israeli fans said they were reassured by the tight security. Oz Yona, attending his first Eurovision, said he had experienced “no hate” and felt Austria took antisemitism seriously.
He came with friends to cheer for Israel, though he was not optimistic about Bettan’s chances — for musical rather than political reasons.
“I don’t think he will win,” Yona said. “Finland is better this year. Greece is better this year. We have a good song, but not a winning song.”
Birgitta Peterson and Kristina Nilsson, who wear matching pink bomber jackets and call themselves the Swedish Ladies, love to explore new cities and meet up each year with their “Eurovision family” of fellow fans. They plan to wave Israeli flags at Saturday’s final, after Swedish contestant Felicia said earlier this year that she didn’t think Israel should be in the contest.
They say tensions over Israel have divided a fan community long known for its friendliness and embrace of diversity.
“The wounds are very deep at the moment,” Nilsson said.
“This event should really be about ‘united by music’ and happiness,” she added. “That’s what Eurovision is all about.”
Year 3 in charge of St. John Bosco High’s offense is about to begin for quarterback Koa Malau’ulu, who will be a junior this fall.
St. John Bosco is hosting an eight-team seven-on-seven passing tournament on Saturday starting at 9:30 a.m. It’s one of three big passing tournaments this weekend, with Dana Hills and Long Beach Millikan also hosting tournaments.
Malau’ulu won’t have All-American receiver Madden Williams (now at Texas A&M), but class of 2028 receiver DJ Tubbs showed last year he’s ready to take on a leading role. Corona Centennial is also competing, which will mark the debut of Cathedral transfer Jaden Jefferson at quarterback.
Dana Hills has a 16-team tournament that includes Oxnard Pacifica, Laguna Beach and Crean Lutheran. Each of those schools returns big-time quarterbacks. Pool-play games begin at 8 a.m.
Games at Long Beach Millikan begin at 9 a.m.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
He introduced Gary Lamont, Lisa McGrillis and Emily Atack from the series and asked them all about their characters and what they get up to in the Jilly Cooper adaptation.
After speaking to the Rivals cast, Saturday Kitchen’s Matt Tebbutt addressed viewers, explaining one star’s absence from the line-up.
Helen McGinn, wine expert and presenter, had not been able to take part in the show as Matt said: “Now, Helen McGinn had to stay at home today because last night she had a binge-watch party with her neighbours in the leafy gated community of Hampshire.
“And seriously, she is too much of a fangirl to sit here today; her jaw would be on the floor. She can’t believe she’s missing out on our Rivals special.”
“So guys, please say hello to Helen.” The cast then waved and blew kisses, with Lamont saying, “Wish you were here.”
“Are you hungover, Helen?” McGrillis added cheekily as Matt joked, “Probably is. Helen, drop us a text, let us know what you are up to.”
Viewers took to X noticing her absence, with one sharing: “Rivals dropped last night, and Helen is not doing the wine this morning. Coincidence? #SaturdayKitchen”
Will Murray, Jake Croft and Kate Jenkins were on hand to serve up some culinary delights inspired by 80s classics in homage to Rivals.
Ollie Smith served up some classic cocktails, which were also in tribute to the Disney+ “bonkbuster” series.
Tebbutt and Smith spoke to the Rivals cast about the new season with the show’s host bingeing the first two episodes.
“It’s absolutely brilliant,” Tebbutt said. “And I have to say, none of you looks anything like you do.” Later in the episode, Tebbutt expressed his surprise at the stars’ transformations in the series.
Saturday Kitchen airs on BBC One on Saturdays at 10am
Note: Boys finals in all divisions Friday, May 15 at Fred Kelly Stadium (times TBA); Girls finals in all divisions Saturday, May 16 (times TBA) at Fred Kelly Stadium.
Hawaii brought a taste of the rainbow on Saturday to the Pauley Pavilion.
The Hawaii men’s volleyball team defeated Long Beach State in five sets to reach the NCAA men’s volleyball national championship for the first time since winning it all in 2022.
The team will face UC Irvine, which continued its hot streak with a win over No. 4 seeded Ball State Saturday. The unseeded Anteaters upset No. 1 UCLA earlier in tournament, denying the Bruins a chance to play for a title on their home floor.
Long Beach played a semifinal close to home, but the Rainbow Warriors were determined not to stumble after falling to UCLA in a national semifinal last season.
“We all learned a lot from the loss last season,” Hawaii sophomore Justin Todd said. “We learned that we have to stay healthy, going to the end of the year and getting better at practice overall.”
After the win, Hawaii veteran head coach Charlie Wade said the Rainbow Warriors, UC Irvine and Long Beach have all represented the Big West Conference well.
“Since the inception of the Big West Conference, it’s been the strongest conference for volleyball,” Wade said. “This is the third time two Big West teams will be playing each other in the championship.”
Hawaii rallied to take an early 11-7 lead in the first set against Long Beach Saturday night. The Rainbow Warriors continued to pile on points in the first set, leading14-9 lead before the Beach called its first timeout.
The Rainbow Warriors kept up pressure, winning the first set 25-15. Long Beach held off a Hawaii rally to win the second set 25-18. The teams traded leads in the third set before Hawaii pulled away for a 25-21 win.
After trailing nearly all of the fourth set, Hawaii earned back-to-back kills that gave it a 21-20 lead. The Rainbow Warriors held on for a 25-22 win to punch their ticket to the national title match.
In the other semifinal played Saturday, UC Irvine defeated Ball State 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 27-25, 25-19). The Anteaters got a big boost from middle block Trevor Clark, who tied his career high with 14 kills and led the team with six blocks (one solo). Redshirt freshman setter Cameron Kosty had 53 set assists and nine digs.
UC Irvine (21-8) and Hawaii (29-5) play Monday at 4 p.m. at Pauley Pavillion for the NCAA championship. The match will air on ESPN2.
Dudinha had a goal and an assist to lead the San Diego Wave to a 2-1 victory over rival Angel City on Saturday at BMO Stadium.
Dudinha beat multiple Angel City defenders before firing a shot that was deflected off defender Sarah Gorden for the opening goal in the 49th minute.
Angel City’s Emily Sams scored in the 54th minute to even the score.
San Diego (6-0-3) took the lead for good when Dudinha’s cross found the head of rookie defender Mimi Van Zanten in the 81st minute. Dudinha’s fourth assist tied her for the league lead with Portland’s Olivia Moultrie.
Angel City (3-0-4) started the 2026 season with three straight wins but it has lost its last four games.
Former Angel City head coach and current Wave assistant Becki Tweed led the club with Jonas Eidevall suspended because of a red card in last week’s 1-0 home loss to Bay FC.
ATLANTA — Bobby Cox, the folksy manager of the Atlanta Braves whose teams ruled the National League during the 1990s and gave the city its first major title as well as World Series trips that fell short, died Saturday. He was 84.
Cox died in Marietta, Ga., according to the Atlanta Braves. He had a stroke in 2019 and heart issues that complicated his recovery.
“Bobby was the best manager to ever wear a Braves uniform. He led our team to 14 straight division titles, five National League pennants, and the unforgettable World Series title in 1995. His Braves managerial legacy will never be matched,” the Braves said in a statement.
Cox took over a last-place team in June 1990 and led the Braves to a worst-to-first finish in 1991, losing the World Series to the Minnesota Twins in seven games. That was the start of what was to become a record 14 consecutive division titles, a feat no professional team in any sport had accomplished.
He managed the Braves for 25 years and led Atlanta to its first World Series title in 1995, retired after the 2010 season and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.
“Bobby was a favorite among all in the baseball community, especially those who played for him. His wealth of knowledge on player development and the intricacies of managing the game were rewarded with the sport’s ultimate prize in 2014 — enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame,” the Braves said.
Braves Bobby Cox, right, and Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston look over Camden Yards during All-Star workouts in 1993.
(Carlos Osorio / Associated Press)
As of Saturday, Cox ranks fourth all-time with 2,504 wins, fifth with 4,508 games, first with 15 division titles including a record 14 in a row, first with 16 playoff appearances and fourth with 67 playoff victories.
Only Connie Mack, John McGraw and Tony La Russa had more regular-season wins than Cox. His 158 regular-season ejections also was the most among managers.
“He is the Atlanta Braves,” catcher Brian McCann said in 2019. “He’s the best.”
McCann described Cox as an “icon” and “one of the best human beings any of us have ever met.”
The Braves retired Cox’s No. 6 jersey in 2011, when he joined the team’s Hall of Fame.
Cox spent 29 seasons as a major league manager, including four with Toronto. He managed 16 postseason teams. He brought an old-school approach to the dugout. He always wore spikes and stirrups, and his fatherly demeanor inspired loyalty from his players.
The Dodgers took two steps forward and one step back in their quest for full strength Friday, putting Glasnow on the injured list because of back spasms while planning to activate Snell from the injured list on Saturday and Betts on Monday.
Snell’s start Saturday will be his first since the World Series. The two-time Cy Young winner opened the season on the injured list because of shoulder fatigue, as the Dodgers eased him into spring with the goal of putting him in the best possible position to succeed in October.
Glasnow left Wednesday’s game because of the injury. An MRI examination revealed “nothing really significant,” according to manager Dave Roberts, but the IL stint allows Glasnow to avoid rushing to be ready for his next start, with the bigger October picture in mind.
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivers against the Houston Astros on Wednesday.
(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
Glasnow never has made more than 22 starts in a season. He has been on the injured list in every full season since 2019.
With Glasnow’s status in question, the Dodgers on Thursday reconsidered their plan for Snell. They originally planned for him to make a final rehabilitation start Saturday, but Roberts said the pitcher and the team agreed he could throw the planned five innings in Los Angeles as well as he could in Ontario.
The Dodgers recalled reliever Paul Gervase to fill Glasnow’s roster spot. They could return him to triple-A Oklahoma City to make room for Snell on Saturday.
Betts strained an oblique muscle April 4. The shortstop is scheduled to play two minor league rehabilitation games Oklahoma City Friday and Saturday, then return to Los Angeles for evaluation, with the hope he’ll be cleared for activation Monday.
“We’re not going to run him out there every single day,” Roberts said.
Snell and Betts are not the only reinforcements on the way. Utilityman Kiké Hernández and reliever Brusdar Graterol began rehabilitation assignments this week.
The return of Betts would appear to allow the Dodgers to jettison infield reserve Santiago Espinal, although the team opened the season with Espinal on the roster and Hyeseong Kim at triple-A, allowing Kim to play every day and Alex Freeland and Miguel Rojas to split time at second base.
However, since rejoining the Dodgers when Betts was injured, Kim is batting .314 with an .801 OPS.
The Dodgers dropped outfielder Kyle Tucker to sixth in the lineup Friday, in a batting order Roberts said was designed to combat Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale.
In his career, Tucker is 0 for 9 with four strikeouts against Sale.
Chris Clarke had gone the traditional route, pitching for three years at USC after starring at Newbury Park High, then toiling for six more seasons in the Chicago Cubs’ minor league system after being a fourth-round draft pick in 2019.
But his big-league dream abruptly became a wake-up call last August when the Cubs released him a week before his wife gave birth to their first child. No more paychecks. No more health insurance.
“It was surreal,” Clarke said. “In fact, it was so incredible, I didn’t feel anything. My body went numb. There was a moment in the third inning when everybody was screaming. I couldn’t hear myself talk.”
It was the most people ever crammed into Kyle Field, the nation’s fourth-largest college stadium, trailing only Michigan (107,601), Oregon (106,572) and Ohio State (102,780).
Clarke pitched for the opposing team, the Texas Tailgaters, one of five squads created by Bananas founders Jesse and Emily Cole that serve as touring partners to face the yellow-clad star attraction. All six teams practice at a complex in Savannah, Ga.
The game in College Station attracted the largest crowd in the Bananas’ six-year history, and Clarke shined, striking out five in four innings. He also entertained, as all players in the Banana Ball Championship League are cheerfully required to do.
“The amount of joy it brings to fans and even people online, it’s really something,” Clarke said. “There definitely is a winner and a loser — which holds some weight — but for the most part, fans are there because it’s a really good show.”
Clarke, a 6-foot-7 right-hander, was the third overall pick in the inaugural Banana Ball draft held in November. Tailgater coaches contacted him beforehand to gauge his interest and he told them, “Pick me.”
March 2019 photo of former USC pitcher Chris Clarke during the 2019 Dodger Stadium Classic.
(John McGillen/USC Athletics)
That level of bold fits right in. Banana Ball is fast-paced, hilarious and maximizes fan engagement. It features innovative rules: Fouls caught by fans count as outs, for example, and batters who walk get to run the bases until all nine defensive players have touched the ball. Choreographed dances, acrobatic tricks, a pitcher on stilts and other antics keep the entertainment flowing.
“I like to think of every game as a stepping stone to the next show,” Clarke said. “Whether it goes well or is terrible, we will make it better for next time. Banana Ball is a relaxed culture, so when it comes to the entertainment stuff, there is no fear of failure. We are seeing what works and what doesn’t.”
Guest stars are frequent and on Saturday, the Bananas sent Texas-grown YouTube sensation Tyler Toney, a member of the sports comedy troupe Dude Perfect, to the plate as a pinch-hitter. Clarke struck him out on four pitches: a called strike, a swinging strike, a ball Clarke purposely launched high into the stands for laughs, then strike three swinging on a cut fastball.
It was a rare humbling moment for Toney, who, with fellow Dude Perfect members Cody Jones, Garrett Hilbert, and twins Cory and Coby Cotton, generates more than $20 million annually from YouTube, merchandise and tours.
Clarke had watched Dude Perfect videos religiously when he was at USC and was starstruck to meet them in person.
“Dude Perfect is the reason I failed econ twice,” he said. “I watched every single Dude Perfect video. To meet them and shake their hands was fun. It was the only moment in my life where I was a fanboy.”
He’s also a breadwinner again for his family. The burgeoning popularity of Banana Ball has made the gig more lucrative than playing in the minor leagues.
“I’m making five times as much and playing half the time,” Clarke said. “My contract is also for 12 months of the year. In affiliated baseball, it’s only six months. So, there’s that. I’ve never met anyone in baseball who has had the luxury to spend time with a newborn child. To come to Banana Ball and actually feel like there is respect, a culture and guidelines, that was something I hadn’t experienced.”
It is also giving him notoriety. Twenty-five Banana Ball games this year are being streamed on the ESPN app and Disney+, with select games airing across ESPN networks and ABC. The first Bananas broadcast on ABC will take place at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., June 27 and 28. The games have been sold out since October.
Highlights from Saturday’s game flooded social media and traditional outlets alike. Family friends and former teammates reached out to Clarke. What was it like pitching in front of 100,000 people? Are you improving your dance moves?
“The entertainment side of it takes pressure off performance,” he said. “Performing well is still very much there, but there is a level of relaxation that makes it easier.”
Clarke admits he thinks back to USC and the 2019 season, when he posted a stellar earned-run average of 1.03. He also occasionally misses the heightened competition and quest to make the major leagues of affiliated baseball.
He pitched two seasons in triple A and is only 27. Would he leave Banana Ball next year if an MLB team offered him an invite to spring training?
“I’m not in a situation to close any doors,” he said. “That’s the mindset that got me here. I wanted to investigate Banana Ball and I told them I’d give them a full year for us both to evaluate it. Either way, I think it’s a win. Just comes down to what’s best for my family.”
Meanwhile, more games in packed stadiums await. In addition to a handful in football stadiums against the Bananas, the Tailgaters will play three games a week against other Banana Ball League teams throughout the summer, mostly in minor league baseball stadiums from Tulsa, Okla., to El Paso, Texas, to Nashville, Tenn., to Charlotte, N.C.
Exponentially larger crowds than those venues are accustomed to are a given.
ST. LOUIS — Dodgers right-hander Emmet Sheehan first met MLB.com researcher extraordinaire Sarah Langs during the World Series last year. But he’d known of her before that.
Langs, who turned 33 on Saturday, made her mark on the industry early in her career. Even as a young writer, her talent for digging up interesting stats, along with her contagious positivity and love for the game, set her apart in a crowded media landscape.
Langs was aware of Sheehan too, not only for his blossoming major league career, but also the message stitched into his glove: “K ALS.”
Oh my goodness 😭😭😭😭 this is so incredibly meaningful 🥺🥺🥺🥺
Langs was diagnosed in 2021 with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a progressive neurodegenerative disease, also known as Lou Geherig’s disease after the Hall of Fame New York Yankees first baseman. Langs advocates for ALS research, partnering with Project ALS, and frequently highlights others who are raising awareness and funds for the cause.
“Just getting the chance to meet her was awesome,” Sheehan said in a conversation with The Times. “She’s a great advocate and a really smart mind in the world of baseball. So it’s awesome to have her.”
When Sheehan pitches, Langs posts pictures of the message on his glove. For his start Friday, Langs’ post included the caption: “May is ALS Awareness Month. Fitting that Emmet Sheehan is on the mound tonight. His gloves all say ‘K ALS.’ How lucky are we to have that sentiment represented on an MLB mound?!”
The next day, MLB posted a video of Sheehan wishing Langs a happy birthday and letting her know he was gifting her a glove as a token of his appreciation.
“I’m happy I get to be a part of the league where [ALS research and awareness] is kind of a main focus,” Sheehan said Saturday, also highlighting Chicago Cubs broadcaster Jon “Boog” Sciambi’s work through Project Main Street. “It’s been really cool.”
Sheehan has displayed “K ALS” on his gloves since college, when he joined a Boston College program that embraced the cause.
Pete Frates, who popularized the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in 2014, was a former B.C. baseball standout. And he returned to serve as the director of baseball operations in 2012, the year he was diagnosed with ALS.
During Sheehan’s first year at Boston College, he got to spend time with Frates and his family before Frates died in December 2019.
“We talked about it a ton,” Sheehan said. “It was a huge part of our program. So it was a good opportunity to learn about it and just how terrible the disease is and how it can affect people.”
The lesson stuck with him. And now, as a major league player, he’s passing it on.
