ROYAL OAK –  The Allen Park Cabrini Monarchs claimed their second consecutive Catholic High School League St. Anne Division championship with a 4-1 win over the Wixom St. Catherine of Siena Academy Stars on Saturday afternoon.

After what had been a pretty even first half that ended with Cabrini leading 1-0, the Monarchs would go on to dominate the second half. Senior Carly Roth would double Cabrini’s lead just over 11 minutes into the second half when she fired a free kick that beat the wall and rocketed into the left side of the net to make it 2-0. Roth would score again with 21:17 remaining in the game. Paityn Hawes drove a corner kick towards the back side, and Roth headed it back the way it came and just inside the right post to make it 3-0.

The Stars would fight back almost immediately with Joanna Namel notching her program record 33rd goal of the season with a volley from inside the penalty area, to get Wixom St. Catherine back within two goals barely a minute after Roth’s second goal.

But Carbini was able to reassert themselves, get control of the game, and put the finishing touches on the win. Madi Smith’s 30-yard rocket with 9:13 to play provided the final margin and took any lingering drama out of the match, restoring Cabrini’s three-goal advantage, 4-1.

“The first half, we were going against the wind. The second half, we had the wind helping us,” Monarchs head coach Tony Pizzo said. “The girls came to play. They were hungry, so I’m happy about that. That’s for sure,’ he added.

The first half had been just as offensive, but without the goals. The teams actually combined for more shots on goal in the first half than they did in the second half, but the only first half goal came from Hawes who juggled a ball in tight, got her first shot saved, but quickly got her own rebound and scored past the goalkeeper who was still off balance from the first save.

Wixom St. Catherine probably should have had a goal in the first half. Between hitting the crossbar with a freekick just 90 seconds into the game and then coming up short on a breakaway late, thanks to a terrific save by Monarchs goalie Bella Perez, the Stars had plenty of chances to score in the first half. But they could not find a goal in the opening half and went into the break down 1-0 despite having a slight edge in shots on goal and a couple of glorious chances.

“When we get those chances and we don’t capitalize, it definitely helps the other team gain confidence too. They were already playing well, and then for us to miss those chances, it kind of gave the other team a boost and knocked our confidence down just a little bit,” Stars head coach Aaron Roy said.

With the win, Allen Park Cabrini goes back-to-back in the CHSL St. Anne Division for the first time in school history. In fact, these are the first two CHSL titles for the Monarchs.

“It feels good. I’m excited. I’m proud of us. I’m proud of our team. We really pushed ourselves in the second half especially because it was getting close there. But overall, I felt that our team did really good,” Roth said.  “It’s my last year here as a senior, so it’s kind of good to leave a legacy for the next couple of years,” she added.

Photos of Allen Park Cabrini vs. Wixom St. Catherine in a CHSL St. Anne Tournament final

Cabrini (10-2-1) opens the state tournament on Wednesday when they host Marine City Cardinal Mooney to open district play. The Monarchs are the district hosts.

Wixom St. Catherine (8-3-2) earned a first round bye and will face the winner of Dearborn Henry Ford Academy and Dearborn Advanced Tech Academy on May 28 in a district semifinal.

"The players came in here and did everything that we worked on to prepare for this game. I’m proud of my players. I’m not leaving here feeling like we played a bad game. There are a couple of bad bounces here and there that just went the other team’s way, and we prepare for districts now,” Roy said.

Allen Park Cabrini defeated Wixom St. Catherine 4-1 in the CHSL St. Anne Division Tournament final played on Saturday, May 17, 2025.

ROYAL OAK – The host Royal Oak Shrine Knights won their first Catholic High School League championship since 2019, claiming the Cardinal Division title with a 3-2 win over the Ann Arbor Greenhills Gryphons in Saturday afternoon’s final.

All the scoring came in the first half. Shrine got things started just 1:12 into the game when Isobel Malcolm’s corner kick deflected through to the far side where Jo Mitroff pounced on it and banged it in, giving the Knights an early lead. With just under 21 minutes to play in the first half, the Knights converted another Malcolm corner. This time it was Molly Salerno finding the net with a quick shot amid the scramble in front of goal.

“The last couple of weeks, we’ve worked on corners and set plays, and trying to finish our opportunities, so it pays off when you score goals,” Shrine head coach Mark Soma said.

At that point, the long shots would start going in for both teams. Cate Alumkal  scored a pair of rockets from about 30 yards out sandwiched around a 40-yard spinning chip shot for Malcolm that handcuffed the Gryphons’ goalie and bounced its way into the net. By the end of the half, the teams had combined for five goals and nearly 20 total shots.

However, after all the offense in the first half, it would be the defenses that dominated the second 40 minutes. The defenses tightened up considerably, and neither team came close to scoring again as the teams combined for just two shots on goal – both by the Knights – in the second half.

“It was a grind. I think the other team played well, and we played well. It could have gone either way, and I think we just took more opportunities than they did,” Soma said.

The win both clinched the Cardinal Division Championship and avenged a loss to the Gryphons earlier this month.

Photos of Royal Oak Shrine vs. Ann Arbor Greenhills in a CHSL Cardinal Tournament final

“It feels really good. We lost to them a couple of games ago, 3-1. So this definitely showed what we’re capable of,” Malcolm said. “We haven’t won Catholic League in a while, so it feels really good to finally bring home a Catholic League Championship for our school,” she added.

“It’s important for these girls to have their own identity that they’re Catholic League (Champs) and we can go into states with a positive momentum,” Soma said.

Royal Oak Shrine is now 12-3-2 on the year. The Knights will host a district this year. Having earned a first round bye, Royal Oak Shrine will await the winner of Clawson and Southfield Christian. That game is scheduled for May 28

Royal Oak Shrine defeated Ann Arbor Greenhills 3-2 to win the CHSL Cardinal Division Tournament final match played on Saturday, May 17, 2025 at Shrine.

ROYAL OAK – The Bloomfield Hills Marian Mustangs claimed their sixth CHSL Bishop Division Championship in the last decade with a 3-0 win over the Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood Cranes Saturday morning.

The Mustangs nearly opened the scoring barely a minute into the game, only to have the goal called back for offsides. Led by the efforts of Sophia Baldwin, Kendall Pankoff and Carola Gorlier, Cranbrook fought their way into the game. The two best chances for the Cranes came back-to-back near the midway point of the period. But the Cranes could not get either one on frame despite some glorious looks, and Marian finally got on the board moments later when Bella Musachio got a clean look at the other end and buried it into the back of the net for a 1-0 Mustangs lead.

The wind was blowing hard all game, and in the second half, Marian got the wind at their back and took full advantage.

“We’ve faced that wind probably two or three times this season already, and the wind is not a factor if you are a team that likes to play the ball on the floor (the ground) as we do,” Marian head coach Danny Price said. “We like to move the ball on the floor, so really it didn’t bother us. We just had to get through the first half without conceding, and with the wind at our back in the second half I always felt confident that we could flourish, and we did that in the second half.”

Indeed, after a first half that saw the Cranes dangerous offensively at times, Cranbrook struggled to create any sustained offensive threat in the second half. Marian took advantage to dominate possession even more than they had in the first half, and the Mustangs made sure to convert a pair of chances to put the game out of reach. Nia Bordogna scored both second half goals for the Mustangs – a 35-yard strike followed barely three minutes later by a 20-yard blast from just outside the penalty area that went in off the right post. That made it 3-0 and gave the Mustangs all the margin they would need.

The win was also a little bit of payback for the Mustangs who were knocked out of last year’s playoffs by Cranbrook in the semifinals.

“It feels amazing. We worked so hard up to this point just practicing and putting in the work, lots of running, lots of discipline. So it feels really good that it paid off, especially against a team that we have a small rivalry between,” junior co-captain Clair Dauer said.

“I’m really happy. I’m happy for my staff. I wouldn’t be able to do this without them,” Price said. “I’m happy for the players. They were absolutely tremendous today. But we talked about that last year, getting beat in the semifinal to Cranbrook and how that motivation and discipline would play in today. So now, we sort of righted that wrong from last year, and now we want to go all the way to states and go back to the Division 2 final.” He added that, “It was a complete team performance.”

Photo gallery of Cranbrook-Kingswood vs. Marian in a CHSL Bishop Tournament championship

For Cranbrook, it is their second straight loss in the Bishop Division Final in their first two years in the division.

“In these games, you always have a chance. You always will have one just kind of bouncing around and hope to finish it. But hats off to Mairan, they’ve got some great players over there, good coaches, and they make us better,” Cranes head coach David Brown said. “But it just didn’t go our way. We didn’t get the bounces we wanted, didn’t get the finishes we wanted, but just to play in this game and represent the Catholic League was good,” he added.

Both teams will now turn their attention to the playoffs. Marian (14-2-1) earned a first round by and will have to wait to see who they play in the district semifinals.  It could be Cranbrook (3-8-2) who will play Walled Lake Western this Wednesday with the winner advancing to play Marian the following week.

“Nothing is easy this time of year. Everything is hard, so we’ve just got to play our best and hope for the best,” Brown said.

Bloomfield Hills Marian defeated Cranbrook-Kingswood 3-0 to win the CHSL Bishop Division league tournament played on Saturday, May 17, 2025 at Royal Oak Shrine.

By STEPHEN WHYNO
The Associated Press

BALTIMORE — Journalism jostled with horses down the stretch, shrugged off the contact, burst through the lane and came from behind to win the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday.

The odds-on favorite was bumped by Goal Oriented near the quarter pole, and it looked like another second-place finish was coming two weeks after being the runner-up to Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby. Journalism instead ran right by Gosger to give trainer Michael McCarthy his second win in a Triple Crown race.

“A lot of bouncing around there,” McCarthy said. “When I saw that, I kind of resigned myself to the fact it was another fantastic effort and maybe come up a little bit short. But it just goes to show the testament that this horse has. Couldn’t be prouder of him.”

Gosger was second by a half-length. Sandman was third and Bob Baffert-trained Goal Oriented fourth. Journalism went 1 3/16 miles in 1:55.37.

Umberto Rispoli became the first jockey from Italy to win any of the Triple Crown races.

“When I crossed the wire, the first things that comes up to my mind, it’s all of the 20 years of my career that pass in front of me,” Rispoli said. “I had to wait so long to be on a champion like that.”

Journalism handled the adversity and thrived on a warm day that dried out the track after torrential rain fell at Pimlico Race Course for much of the past week. Those conditions suited him better than the slop at Churchill Downs in the Derby

“This victory symbolizes so much about life,” co-owner Aaron Wellman said. “It took guts for Umberto Rispoli to power his way through a seemingly impossible hole getting side-swiped and threading the needle and powering on through. And it took guts from an incredible horse to somehow will his way to victory.”

Journalism paid $4 to win, $2.80 to place and $2.40 to show.

“He’s a remarkable horse,” Baffert said of Journalism. “I wanted to be on the lead and was behind horses. I knew (Goal Oriented) was intimidated. He’s never run that way. He ran well, but he’s still too green for that.”

Sovereignty did not take part after his owners and trainer Bill Mott decided to skip the Preakness, citing the two-week turnaround, and aimed for the Belmont on June 7. That made this a fifth time in seven years that the Preakness, for various reasons, was contested without a Triple Crown bid at stake.

But Journalism staked his claim for 3-year-old horse of the year by winning the $2 million American classic race run at the old Pimlico Race Course for the last time before it’s torn down and rebuilt. While work went on around him before the postrace news conference, Wellman asked, “Are they already tearing this place down?”

Not yet, and not before Journalism could add a memorable chapter by squeezing through the space he had to win.

“I still can’t realize what this horse did,” Rispoli said. “It’s all about him. It’s a pleasure and privilege to ride a horse like him.”

The Preakness is set to be held at nearby Laurel Park, between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., next year before a planned return to the new Pimlico in 2027. McCarthy raved about the history at the place known as “Old Hilltop” and still remembers where he was when Sunday Silence beat Easy Goer at the wire in 1989 in a fashion similar to how Journalism won this time.

“Things kind of come full circle,” McCarthy said. “I’m sad to see this place go, but we’ll try to get back here next year, whichever locale it’s at.”

Journalism is the first horse to win the Preakness after running in the Kentucky Derby since Mark Casse-trained War of Will in 2019. He is the first Derby runner-up to follow that up by winning the Preakness since Exaggerator in 2016.

Only two others from the 19 in the Derby participated in the Preakness: Casse’s Sandman and fellow Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas’ American Promise, who did not have the same positive response as Journalism.

“The best horse won,” Lukas said. “He finished beautifully.”

Lukas, the 89-year-old who has saddled the most horses in Preakness history, referred to McCarthy once this week as “the new guy.” This was just McCarthy’s second, and he’s 2 for 2 after Rombauer sprung the upset as an 11-1 long shot in 2021.

This one was more emotional, with McCarthy and his wife still displaced from their home by the Southern California wildfires.

“We’ll get back there,” McCarthy said. “Everybody will get back there. We’ll rebuild. This is for Altadena.”

The Michigan Panthers stayed hot and secured a spot in the UFL playoffs.

Behind a three-touchdown performance from backup quarterback Danny Etling, the Panthers rolled past the Houston Roughnecks, 30-18, on Saturday at TDECU Stadium in Houston.

The Panthers led 14-12 at halftime before they pulled away in the third quarter. On a third-and-16, Etling found receiver Devin Ross down the right sideline for a 35-yard touchdown to make it a nine-point game.

On Houston’s ensuing possession, cornerback Keni-H Lovely (Western Michigan) jumped the route on a quick screen pass and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown to extend the lead to 27-12 with 4:15 left in the third.

The Panthers thwarted any thought of a comeback by forcing a pair of turnovers in the fourth quarter — one on a fourth-down stop in the red zone and another on a fumble recovery.

Kicker B.T. Potter tacked on a 52-yard field goal to make it 30-12 with 5:21 remaining before the Roughnecks (3-5) scored in the closing seconds.

Etling finished 14-for-22 passing with 167 yards. He threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to receiver Malik Turner in the first quarter and a 1-yarder to receiver Samson Nacua in the second quarter. Nacua’s score was set up by an 88-yard punt return by Xavier Malone.

Roughnecks quarterback Jalan McClendon completed 30 of 50 passes for 316 yards, two touchdowns and the pick-six. Houston outgained Michigan by a considerable margin, 441-254, but went 1-for-3 in the red zone and lost the turnover battle (2-0).

The Panthers will travel to Alabama to face the Birmingham Stallions on May 24 before hosting the Roughnecks in the regular-season finale at Ford Field on May 31. Kickoff for both games is slated for 3 p.m.

After that, it’s on to the playoffs, where the winners of the two conference championship games will advance to the UFL Championship on June 14.

TORONTO – In the dugout before the game Friday, manager AJ Hinch was asked about reliever Beau Brieske. Specifically, he was asked how close he thought Brieske might be to the reliever he relied on so often in leverage at the end of last season.

“I think he’s that guy now,” Hinch said. “I have not treated him any differently. We’re not trying to be something we used to be. Our pitch mix in the back end of the bullpen has been pretty good. It’s a tough back of the bullpen to crack.

Once again, Hinch can envision the ninth before the first pitch of the game is thrown.

Brieske, who hadn’t pitched in a save situation since March 28 in Los Angeles, was indeed summoned in the ninth inning to close out the Tigers’ 5-4 win over the Blue Jays.

Before the game, Hinch had told Will Vest that he was down for the night. He’d thrown three high-leverage innings, 50 pitches, in back-to-back wins against the Red Sox Tuesday and Wednesday.

“We took it out of Will’s hands,” Hinch said. “I’m sure he wanted to pitch. He was doing his normal routine to throw. But we have to see the long road, here. We ask a lot out of the pen. We have to make decisions going into games as much as we have to make decisions in games.”

It also served as a much-needed boost for Brieske, who has battled through an ankle injury since early in spring training and recently, like several Tigers, has been stricken with a flu bug.

“It’s been tough,” Brieske said before the game. “From trying to feel good and trying to pitch good, just a culmination of not feeling good about either. I’ve seen some glimpses, for sure.”

Before Friday, Brieske had pitched 5.1 innings in five outings since coming back off the injured list and allowed four runs, three earned and two home runs.

His outing Tuesday in the 11th inning against the Red Sox was a good illustration of what he’s been dealing with. Inheriting the free runner in a 7-7 game, he struck out Rafael Devers, freezing him with a changeup. He got Alex Bregman to fly out to left.

Then he threw a first-pitch sinker to Kristian Campbell, 97.1 mph dotted down and in.

“It was the exact pitch I wanted to throw,” Brieske said. “Most often, you make a good pitch, you know, you get your result. If he’d just got a base hit, a single, I would’ve been like, ‘That’s a good swing.’

“But that it went out of the park, it was like, ‘Wow, fantastic swing.’ But hey, it gave us the opportunity for our best win of the year (smiles).”

Brieske’s stuff was electric Friday night. His sinker hit 98 mph and sat 97 with an elite average spin rate of 2,587 rpm. His four-seam was zipping, too, 96-97 mph, 2,581 rpm.

His changeup, coming in at 91 mph, had 14 inches of horizonal movement.

But even with that, things got tense. He got the first two outs quickly, then Myles Straw dropped a sinking liner in front of a diving Javier Baez in center and Michael Stefanic lined a two-strike single to left.

He had to bat down a comebacker from pinch-hitter Ernie Clement to end the game.

“I need to zoom out and look at the bigger picture,” Brieske said before the game. “And not dwell on how things are right now. It’s been a little bit of a battle, just kind of fighting myself.

“Sometimes it’s bad execution. Sometimes I feel like I executed well and gotten beat.”

The full Beau Brieske, which was in full force during the Tigers’ run into the playoffs last season when he was escaping one tight mess after another, hasn’t been there yet in 2025.

But it’s coming.

“I don’t feel I’ve been at my best yet,” Brieske said. “It’s hard for me to say that. I just haven’t done the things that I know I can do, the things I have done in the past. I don’t feel I’ve been there yet.”

The ankle injury has been a straight-up nuisance for him. It was his right ankle on his drive leg off the mound. It happened early in spring and then he tweaked it again in Minnesota, which put him on the IL.

Then, when he came back from that, his energy got sapped with the flu.

“It’s part of a long baseball season, part of the ups and downs of a season,” he said. “It’s been frustrating. It’s been kind of an uphill battle for me physically.”

The ankle is healthy now; his mechanics, not so much.

“It’s getting to the point where I’m trying to get the bad habits out of my mechanics that I learned throwing and trying to compensate (for the ankle pain),” he said. “Now it’s about trying to get my feel back. I know what feels right, but it’s how consistent can I do it.

“That’s why I know it will come back. When I feel like myself and I’m executing at the level I can, with the stuff I have, eventually it’s going to even itself out.”

All in all, Brieske said, it’s been a pretty good perspective-builder for him.

“I was coming in from the offseason and man I was feeling so good,” he said. “I was moving exactly how I wanted, building on how I was throwing at the end of last year. And I came in and, there goes the ankle.”

That’s all in the rearview now, though. He’s pushed through the darkest parts.

“I don’t feel bad for myself, it’s just the hand I was dealt,” he said. “Like, what am I going to do? It’s not a pity party. No one feels bad for you. Can you get it done or not? Sometimes it’s not a perfectly clean transition. Sometimes it’s not a perfect process.

“What helps me is to zoom out and look at the bigger picture. What can I do to not worry so much about how things are going right now. It’s a long season.”

Getting the call in the ninth inning of a one-run game and getting the job done was a good kickstart.

DETROIT — Spencer Torkelson looked up in disbelief.

This was Wednesday and the Tigers had just scored double-digit runs against the Red Sox in the first two games of the series. It was mentioned to him that it was the sixth time this month they’d scored 10 or more runs and the month was only half over.

“Dang!” Torkelson said. “Wow.”

Indeed.

The Tigers hadn’t scored six double-digit runs in a month since 2016.

“We are definitely seeing it well up and down the lineup,” Torkelson said.

Entering the game Friday night in Toronto, only the Yankees (250) had scored more runs than the Tigers (244) in the American League. No Tigers team had scored 244 runs in the first 44 games in 31 years, since 1994.

“I think it comes down to the team approach that we talked about,” said Torkelson, who leads the team with 11 homers and 34 RBIs. “Get it to the next guy, grind out the at-bats. I feel like you can look at the Tanner Houck inning (nine runs), all the innings, you can look at the productive outs that were like seven- or eight-pitch at-bats.

“Yeah, it’s an 0-fer, but he just worked eight pitches for an out, now he gets to face Riley Greene.”

Or, case in point, Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock gets to face Javier Báez after an eight-pitch battle with Jace Jung that ended up with him hitting Jung in the foot.

“The first thing Javy said when he crossed the plate (after a three-run home run) was, ‘Good at-bat Jace,’” Torkelson said. “Javy gets that mistake because of Jace’s battle.

“We’re not going up as individuals, like, first pitch I see I’m trying to take it yard. We’re working counts.”

The Tigers aren’t conceding innings, either. The lead baseball scoring 104 runs with two outs. They have hit 17 two-out homers and have a .357 on-base percentage and an .808 OPS with runners in scoring position.

With two outs and runners in scoring position, they are slugging .505 with an .896 OPS.

“First of all, I think it goes back to our game-planning as a group and as individuals,” said Greene, who has 10 homers and an .823 OPS. “Our hitting coaches have us locked in.”

Greene singled out Michael Brdar, Keith Beauregard and Lance Zawadzki, the Tigers’ hitting department.

“There are times when I’ll be like, ‘Michael, tell me what to do, just tell me what to do and I’ll do it,’” Greene said. “There’s times when I will go to him and say, like, I don’t know what to do off this guy. And he will tell me and I will do it and I will get a hit.

“They have us prepared and I feel like they don’t get enough appreciation and I want them to. They are a big part of us.”

Greene also wishes someone would video their reactions in the dugout after the Tigers score some runs.

“They are more happy than we are when we score runs,” Greene said. “They’re hugging, jumping up and down. It’s like they’re at a club every time we score a run.”

Manager AJ Hinch has praised the work of his hitting coaches all season and Greene’s testimonial has to warm his heart.

“They have a tough job,” he said. “They never get to have a good day because no matter how many runs we score, somebody inevitably went hitless. Somebody needs their attention.”

Greene has been known to text one of the hitting coaches in the wee hours to run an adjustment idea past them. At least one of them responds every time.

“It’s not just them doing their jobs as hitting coaches, they’re great people, too,” he said. “They are here for us when we need them and they are here for a lot of the mental stuff, too.

“Props to everyone for trusting them and props to everyone, top to bottom, for buying into what we’re trying to do. Everyone just wants to win.”

Final hurdle?

Center fielder Parker Meadows was scheduled to throw to bases from the outfield before the game Saturday. That could be the last hurdle before he starts a rehab assignment.

“He doesn’t have to be fully back to 100% throwing to go on rehab assignment,” Hinch said before the game Friday. “But for his mind and for his readiness to go compete on a rehab level, tomorrow is very important.”

Meadows has been out since early in spring with a nerve issue in his upper right arm. Utility man Matt Vierling (shoulder) is close to wrapping up his rehab assignment at Triple-A Toledo.

It’s not official, but the way things are trending, Meadows could replace Vierling at Toledo after this weekend and Vierling could join the Tigers in St. Louis.

DETROIT (AP) — Corey Seager had two solo home runs and an RBI double, Jacob deGrom struck out a season-high 10 in five-plus innings and the Texas Rangers beat Detroit 10-3 on Saturday night to end the Tigers’ winning streak at five.

DeGrom (3-1) had six straight strikeouts in the first and second innings. He gave up two runs and five hits.

Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene homered for the Tigers.

Detroit starter Jack Flaherty (1-5) allowed five runs on four hits — all homers — in three innings. The home run total was the most he’s allowed in 161 career starts. Flaherty has been the losing pitcher in his last five starts.

Key moment

Smith and Seager set the tone for Texas’ offensive outburst with solo homers in the first inning. Smith hit Flaherty’s 2-2 slider over the right field wall. Seager powered a 3-1 fastball over the right-center field wall. The Rangers had only scored one run in their previous two games.

Key stat

The last time deGrom reached double digits in strikeouts was April 23, 2023, when he had 11 against Oakland.

Up next

Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi (3-2, 2.03 ERA) was set to face RHP Reese Olson (4-2, 3.03 ERA) in the series finale Sunday.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Jenissa Conway drove in the first run with a double in the top of the sixth inning and Lauren Derkowski and Erin Hoehn combined on a three-hitter as the eighth-seeded Michigan Wolverines completed an improbable run to the Big Ten Tournament championship with a 2-0 victory over the second-seeded UCLA Bruins on Saturday.

Indiana Langford started the rally for Michigan when she singled off UCLA starter Addisen Fisher (16-2) and took second on an error by left fielder Rylee Slimp. Conway plated Langford when she doubled to center and Ella Stephenson added an insurance run with a two-out infield single after Conway took third on a groundout.

Derkowski (17-12) allowed three hits and two walks in five innings. Hoehn entered after Derkowski issued a walk to Jordan Woolery leading off the sixth. Hoehn retired all six batters she faced.

The Bruins advanced to the final after a 4-2 victory over third-seeded Nebraska in the semifinals.

Michigan won its only softball title in 2005. They were runners-up in 2015. The Wolverines have appeared in 12 Women’s College World Series in 30 previous NCAA Tournament appearances.

UCLA (49-10) was playing in its third straight conference tournament final in its first season in the Big Ten with the previous two coming while the Bruins were members of the Pac-12.

UCLA has won 13 NCAA softball championships — most recently in 2019 — as well as being runners-up seven times. The Bruins have advanced to the WCWS in 33 of 40 tournament appearances.

DETROIT — Casey Mize, off to the best start of his career, will have to hit pause.

Manager AJ Hinch announced before the game Saturday that Mize was placed on the 15-day injured list dating to Friday with a mild left hamstring strain.

“That puts us in a tough spot with how long to carry the unknown.”

The Tigers called up reliever Chase Lee from Triple-A Toledo in the short-term. The club will list its starter for Tuesday as TBD for now, but Keider Montero, who went eight innings in Colorado in Game 2 Thursday, would be on track to pitch.

“It’s May,” Hinch said. “We’re certainly going to be careful with that. But we expect Casey to be fine in a short period of time.”

The worry is, Mize strained the same hamstring late last June and he ended up missing two months. It’s the same hamstring, but Hinch indicated it wasn’t the same type of strain.

Mize in his first seven starts has posted an MLB-best six wins with a 2.53 ERA, 1.008 WHIP, 21% strikeout rate and 5% walk rate.

DETROIT – Gleyber Torres’ baseball intelligence has been on display in various forms all season, none more than in the sixth inning Friday night.

It was a play that was not recorded because it technically happened after the third out of the inning was made. But Torres wasn’t completely sure of that and, especially in a one-run game, he wasn’t taking any chances. He stayed with the play.

Here’s the set up. The Rangers had spoiled Tarik Skubal’s bid for perfection with a run on a couple of two-strike singles and a hit-batsman.

With two outs, Skubal got Jonah Heim to hit a grounder to short. Trey Sweeney got the ball on a couple of hops and had to hurry his throw to Torres covering second base.

The umpire signaled the runner, Sam Haggerty, out, but it was a bang-bang play and Torres didn’t want to leave it up to a challenge. He alertly fired to third base and the Tigers trapped runner Ezequiel Duran in a run down.

“We talk about those plays that end innings; just keep playing the play,” Hinch said. “Whether you are a base runner or a fielder like Gleyber was. He had the best view for feeling the bag and he threw the ball to third base.

“Just a really smart play.”

That play effectively negated any reason for the Rangers to challenge the play at second.

“He would have been out at home,” Hinch said, “or we would have seen my first ejection.”

Torres is only 28 but he is in his eighth season. He and Javier Baez are easily the most-seasoned players in the clubhouse.

“Just being a pro, and I think that’s what he’s come into our clubhouse and done,” Skubal said. “You can feel the veteran that he is, who he is in the box and defensively, too.”

The Tigers preach strike zone control on both sides of the ball and Torres is a model for that. He has a higher walk rate (8.6%) than strikeout rate (7.8%) and his 131 OPS-plus is third best on the team.

On top of that, his calm, steady presence both on the infield and in the clubhouse has been stabilizing.

“He’s in tune with every aspect of the game and continues to impress me,” Hinch said.

Torres made another veteran play in the seventh, another one that won’t go into the books but was big at the time.

In the seventh inning, Skubal was up over 90 pitches. He was laboring after he struck out Marcus Semien for the second out so Torres strolled up to Skubal on the mound.

“That was the most important mound visit I ever had,” Skubal said. “He came up and said, ‘Just giving you a breather.’ I said, ‘Put your hand on my chest, feel my heart.’ It was beating pretty fast.

“I don’t really like calling guys out to the mound, but I was going to have to call out Ding or Fett (pitching coach Chris Fetter). But Gleyber did it and I Iove that. He’s a pro’s pro.”

ALLEN PARK — Rookie minicamp can be overwhelming.

The on-field work isn’t terribly taxing compared to what’ll come in training camp, but first-year players are often drinking from a firehose — learning the playbook and getting mental reps is the biggest test — when they initially arrive in the building of the NFL team that drafted them less than a month prior. Doing this amongst a crowd of new coaches and teammates makes it all the more challenging.

“I’ve seen (cornerback) Ennis (Rakestraw Jr.) around the building. I almost cried. He’s done gotten so big. He’s grown up,” Lovett, clearly a jokester, said Friday after the first practice of rookie minicamp. “That was a great full-circle moment because Ennis really helped me when I got to Mizzou. He was that big-brother figure for me. Just to come back, see him — him basically being another big brother for me, just at a higher level, the highest level, I can’t ask for more than that.”

Lovett and Rakestraw spent two seasons together at Missouri (2021-22) before the former transferred to Georgia ahead of the 2023 season. Rakestraw, Detroit’s second-round pick in last year’s draft, arrived to college one year ahead of Lovett, and he imparted his knowledge on the receiver early on in their overlapping tenures.

“I would say that Ennis helped me from Day 1 when I was at Missouri, all the way up until now,” Lovett told reporters through a Zoom call April 26, shortly after the Lions drafted him. “We had great battles, one-on-ones. There were days he got the best of me and there were days that I got the best of him. But every day after practice, he would stay with me and help me with something on how I can beat a defender and what a defender doesn’t like. And vice versa, I would also give him tips, as well. … Even when I was at Georgia, I could still call him and get tips.

“And now that we’re teammates, man, it really just come full circle.”

It’s no guarantee Lovett makes Detroit’s initial 53-man crew as a rookie — standing out as a seventh-round pick is difficult on one of the NFL’s best teams — but his path to the active roster is clear: Make the most of his moments on offense, and (more importantly) shine when given a chance on special teams.

Lovett didn’t play much on special teams at Missouri, but he served an important role on punt coverage while at Georgia. The Bulldogs allowed 57 yards on punt returns last season, but they didn’t allow a single yard in 2023. That’s a credit to punter Brett Thorson and Georgia’s gunners — Lovett and Arian Smith, who the New York Jets selected in the fourth round last month.

“Honestly, it was really just hard work,” Lovett said of the incredible defense on punt return. “Really, the big thing is probably communication, just being on the same page as the other 10 guys with you, knowing what everybody’s assignment was, where they had to be. Shout out to the greatest punter in the world. You know who you are.”

Lovett added: “I didn’t play special teams until I got to Georgia. That’s where I found my value — actually, my love in it. I feel like special teams is just another way to be on the field and also another way to compete. I feel like it’s a one-on-one battle from the man across from you. It’s just you versus him. I told them I’m willing to do whatever to get on the field. So, you need me on special teams? I’ll do it to the best of my ability and have fun.”

Lovett (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) spent most of his time at Georgia in the slot, but he’s confident in his ability to play on the outside. Lovett did receive 223 snaps out wide when he was a freshman at Missouri, though that number shrank in 2022 (54), 2023 (82) and 2024 (79), as he took on more of a slot-centric role.

But just because he didn’t see much opportunity there doesn’t mean he thinks he can’t get the job done, if needed.

“It don’t really bother me,” Lovett said of those who claim he can’t play on the outside. “It’s an adjustment. Everybody has to get adjusted. That’s a challenge that I’m ready to take on. When the time comes, I’m just going to do what I do.”

DETROIT — Cade Cunningham had a handful of moments that solidified his breakout season. One of his most memorable plays came during the Pistons’ Game 2 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Midway through the third quarter, Cunningham got the ball following a Knicks turnover and threw down a one-handed dunk in transition. On his way to the basket, he completed a behind-the-back crossover to break free of Mikal Bridges. After the dunk, Cunningham celebrated by pointing at soon-to-be Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony, who was seated baseline.

Cunningham went on to average 25 points, 8.7 assists, 8.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks in his first playoff series. Although the Knicks eliminated the Pistons in six games, his playoff debut was a testament to what has him on the verge of his first All-NBA selection.

“He had an incredible year,” president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said. “Stats-wise, he was fantastic. He got better. I think people who knew basketball already knew he was a helluva talent, that he was capable of doing that, but he had not driven winning. He was the main driver of winning for us this year. That was his biggest step and the hardest step to take.”

Similar to the Pistons’ overall success, Langdon suspects that Cunningham’s standout year could have significant ramifications for next season.

“He was looking at other players and had a target on their backs, and now, he is going to have a target on his,” Langdon said. “Players are going to be like, ‘Man, I am going against Cade Cunningham tonight. I’m going to get my rest because people are going to be watching.’”

During Cunningham’s exit interview, which Langdon and coach J.B. Bickerstaff conducted, the primary focus was on the increased defensive attention that he will face from opponents next season. Cunningham started encountering various coverages and physical defensive strategies against the Knicks, which hindered his production at times.

His field goal percentage decreased from 46.9% shooting from the field in the regular season to 42.6% during the six-game series. The Knicks’ defensive scheme made Cunningham’s 3-point shooting a nonfactor, as he shot 17.9% from behind the arc. In the regular season, the former No. 1 pick shot a career-best 35.6% from deep.

Part of his drop in field goal efficiency included two missed potential winning shots in Games 4 and 6. During the postseason, he also led all playoff teams in turnovers, averaging 5.3 giveaways per game.

“The big thing for him, and we talked to him about it, get into elite shape,” Langdon said. “He is incredibly skilled and talented. He understands the leadership of it. He now has a little bit of late-season and playoff experience, he knows how it feels.

“So, now, he has an understanding of what he is training for in the summer. If you have never experienced playoff basketball, you don’t understand the level you have to go to. He should be training for the first and second rounds of the playoffs. Not just Game 45 (of the regular season) anymore.”

Cunningham’s career-best season ended with him catapulting himself into the echelon of the league’s elites. Langdon watched as Cunningham entered the year motivated to prove himself as a top-tier player while helping the Pistons reestablish themselves as a respectable and winning franchise.

His determination led Detroit to a 44-38 record in the regular season, its best campaign in nine years. Cunningham’s highlight play during Game 2 was among the best that demonstrated his career year. The All-Star guard is determined to prove that his breakout, and the Pistons’ success, was no fluke.

“We proved that when you come to play Detroit, it’s going to be a dogfight and you have to play the full 48 minutes,” Cunningham said. “That’s something the whole league has taken notice of; the belief in the room and in the locker room has grown a ton.”

By Chris McCosky, The Detroit News

DETROIT — Josh Jung was asked before the game Friday in what ways he and his brother were similar and dissimilar and he took a few seconds to think about it.

“We’re pretty similar in a lot of ways,” he said. “I think our personalities is where we differ. I don’t know. Like, I’m in it. I know him and he knows me. We know how to get under each other’s skin — but I can’t share that info.”

Josh Jung is the Texas Rangers’ third baseman. His younger brother Jace Jung is a third baseman for the Tigers. There will likely be a point in this three-game weekend series where the brothers will be on the same big-league field for the first time. Though it was not Friday, because Jace wasn’t in the starting lineup against lefty Patrick Corbin.

“We played like an intersquad against each other one time,” Josh said. “I’d just got drafted and he was still at Texas Tech and we had a fall scrimmage against each other. That doesn’t really count.”

Josh is 27, three years older than Jace, and he was drafted in the first round (eighth overall) out of Texas Tech by the Rangers in 2019. Jace, 24, followed his big brother to Texas Tech and was drafted in the first round (12th overall) by the Tigers in 2022.

Josh debuted with the Rangers in 2022, Jace last season.

“The last time my brother and I were on the same field, we were playing together and my dad was actually one of the coaches,” Josh said. “That was my senior year in high school (MacArthur High in San Antonio). Jace was a freshman.

“Here we are, eight years later and we’re on a big-league field together. That’s pretty special.”

The two brothers had a quiet moment to themselves on the field before the game.

“It’s super cool for us and super cool for the family,” Josh said. “Especially with it falling on Mother’s Day. It’s truly remarkable. We’ve been looking forward to it. We haven’t seen each other since February so it was nice to go out early and actually see each other — not on FaceTime or Fortnite.”

Jace, who was at the field early Friday despite the Tigers’ plane from Denver not arriving until 2 a.m., did not make himself available to the media before the game.

So it was up to his big brother to answer all the family questions. Like, was Jace as competitive when he was younger as he is now?

“When we’d play video games or whatever, we were both so competitive,” Josh said. “If the other was losing, they’d rage-quit sometimes, turn the Xbox off or go running inside complaining to mom the other was cheating.

“That’s truly how our relationship was growing up. Looking back, it’s super funny. But in the moment, it was pretty intense.”

But, then as now, they have each other’s back completely. When Jace was scuffling last year and even earlier this year, Josh’s was the first ear he bent, the first shoulder he leaned on.

“He’s got a lot of ability,” Josh said. “Everyone finds their way at some point in the big leagues. You just have to go through it. There’s not really a ton of advice you can give him except keep going, keep grinding.

“Defensively, he’s playing a lot better and that’s awesome to see. The offense will come. Just have to keep going.”

Asked again about the ways in which Jace and him differ, Josh said, “I can’t give away all of his secrets.”

But then he perfectly described the Jace Jung that we’ve gotten to see and know around here.

“The dude that I love, he’s passionate,” Josh said. “He’s going to go out there and give you everything he’s got no matter what. He’s just fun to be around.”

Side note: The eye black is a brotherly trademark. Both Jace and Josh will be painted.

“He’s the one who did it first,” Josh said. “I started wearing it again a couple of weeks ago. We both say it feels like it gives us that little edge when we step on the field.”

Cobb throws live

Right-hander Alex Cobb, who is working his way back from a right hip injury, threw live to Matt Vierling and Jung before the game Friday. He threw two simulated innings, roughly 30 pitches total.

“It was a step forward,” manager AJ Hinch said. “His stuff was really good and trending up. When you get to face Vierling and Jace, the uptick on the stuff was real. He’s still working through his recovery to get back.”

It was clear he still wasn’t moving well. He wasn’t moving fluidly after bunts or while covering first base.

“We just need him to take small steps forward so we can make an assessment on what’s next for him,” Hinch said.

The next progression forward would be to start a rehab assignment. But that doesn’t seem imminent.

Vierling (shoulder), who is currently on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo, hit the ball hard a couple of times. He also increased the intensity of his throwing from the outfield.

Additionally, Jake Rogers (oblique) caught both of Cobb’s innings. There is no timetable yet for his rehab assignment.

Congrats, condolences

For Hinch, the Pirates naming former Tiger Don Kelly their manager was a double-edged sword. He was thrilled for Kelly, who was on his coaching staff in Houston, and hurting for Derek Shelton, whom the Pirates fired.

“I’m very close to both of them,” Hinch said. “And I’ve been in both those shoes, when it comes to being the guy let go and the guy coming in midseason.”

He reached out to Kelly immediately when the news broke.

“With Donny, I just want to encourage him and wish him well as he gets underway,” Hinch said. “As much as he was one step away from that job (as bench coach), when you actually go sit in that chair, it’s a whirlwind in that first 24 hours when you named one of just 30 managers.

“I’m sure he was excited. But also there’s a part of him that’s disappointed that a close friend and mentor was let go.”

Around the horn

There was new news on center fielder Parker Meadows (nerve issue in his right arm). He’s not eligible to come off the 60-day IL until May 23 and he’s continuing to work his way gradually toward a rehab stint. He’s still playing catch, conditioning, doing defensive drills and working through his daily hitting progression.

There’s always a benefit to familiarity with a coach, even if that familiarity is based on shared geography.

Hailing from the same place as his new coach, Treyvon Lewis — one of the stars of Ferndale High School’s most recent surge to state prominence in basketball — has committed to play for the Western Michigan Broncos men’s basketball squad coached by Dwayne Stephens, one of the stars of Ferndale’s last run.

“We are excited to add Trey to our program,” Stephens said in a news release. “He is a true two-way player who can defend and make shots at a high level. He’s from the state of Michigan, and we are ready for the immediate impact he will have on our program in all areas, both on and off the court.”

A Mr. Basketball finalist his senior year at Ferndale, the 6-foot-6 Lewis spent the first three seasons of his college career outside his home state, redshirting at Loyola Chicago in 2022-23, then playing in 10 games in his redshirt freshman season, before transferring to Purdue Fort Wayne last season.

He played in all 32 games for the Mastodons last year, averaging 4.7 point and 1.2 rebounds per connect, scoring in double figures in league road wins over Green Bay and Milwaukee.

A four-year varsity player for Ferndale in high school, Lewis led the Eagles to four straight district championships, and two straight final four appearances in Division 2 his final two years as a prep player. He was rated by 247Sports as the top recruit in Michigan as a senior, and a three-star recruit overall.

He was first-team Division 2 All-State as e senior, when he averaged 23 points per game, and finished fifth in the Mr. Basketball voting, behind eventual winner Chansey Willis Jr., a junior on last year’s Broncos squad, which went 12-20, 9-9 in the Mid-American Conference, losing in the first round of the conference tourney.

The Broncos have also signed transfers Jalen Griffith (Navarro College) and Hudson Ward (Penn State), adding to a recruiting class that included Sharod Barnes (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s), Brady Swartz (Grand Rapids Northview), Camden Thompson (Whitehall) and Carson Vis (Grand Rapids South Christian).

ROCHESTER HILLS – Bloomfield Hills has held pole position in the OAA Red race the past several weeks.

The Black Hawks remain in control of the finish line and whether any other teams can cross it as well after Tuesday’s 2-0 win at defending Division 1 state champion Rochester Adams that secured them at least a share of the league crown.

While the Black Hawks played for a regional championship last season against eventual D1 finalist Hartland, they lost four games in the league and tied for bottom of the table, a stark contrast to this year’s 10-0-2 overall mark and 4-0-1 record in the Red.

“It’s a big deal, especially coming from (where we did) last year,” Bloomfield Hills center back Lauren Cuson said. “It’s my senior year, so it’s a big deal to me and for the program. I think we’ve worked really hard to get where we are, so just seeing it pay off is pretty great.”

Cuson has been part of a defensive trio that has limited teams to just a handful of goals throughout this season, a trend of dominance that continued Tuesday despite not being tested all too often.

That was especially the case in the first half, even though it ended without either team striking for an advantage. Adams had a chance late in the first 40 minutes with a clean look from Sadie Rogers, but possession heavily favored the visitors and their relentless intention to spread the ball to the flanks entering the final third. It nearly resulted in the opening goal when Emma Henry’s low driven service for Sofia Spano led to a shot that was clipped wide of the near post with 10 minutes left in the half.

The strategy began to pay dividends when a ball in from the left side was headed in by junior Addison Herr to put the Black Hawks up seven minutes into the second act.

Herr traded her goalscoring hat for an assisting cap with 17:36 remaining as her cross to Molly Hulstrom was chested over the line by the junior midfielder in a sequence that heavily resembled the one earlier involving Henry and Spano.

“There were good quality opportunities and chances, and we took our chances, and that was the difference,” Bloomfield Hills head coach Alan Zakaria said.

Some of Adams’ best work came in response of the second goal. Layla Tomezak gave it a go and nearly cut the lead in half with an attempt from some distance outside the 18-yard box, though her ambitious effort hit the crossbar but did not cross the line. The Highlanders also had a set piece from a promising spot that resulted in a six-player wall by the Black Hawks, but a shot angled away from the opposing row and toward the opposite corner struck a separate player and fell harmlessly before being cleared by the industrious Bloomfield Hills defense.

“They’re good at what they do,” Adams head coach Josh Hickey said. “We didn’t capitalize on our chances. We had a few. The second half was a little more open I think for both teams, but they did what they had to do, then they held out, so they deserved to win, that’s for sure.”

Photos of Bloomfield Hills vs. Rochester Adams in OAA Red girls soccer action

Despite also officially falling out of the league race, Adams showed last year that failing to win the OAA Red should be no reflection on postseason prospects, but now the focus turns solely to defending the title with three matches remaining, including a trip to Okemos on Thursday.

Hickey noted that team chemistry could still stand to be improved. "We've had some people missing in multiple games," he said. "We have a good team, we play hard, and the losses we've had, even though they've been like 2-0 differentials for most of them, I feel like we've been closer in those games. I didn't feel like this was a 2-0 loss, but the scoreboard reads that, so it is what it is. They played great."

By virtue of Athens' 2-0 win at rival Troy on Tuesday, only the Red Hawks have the potential to win a share of the OAA Red spoils from Bloomfield Hills -- Rochester, like the Black Hawks, are unbeaten in the league, but with three ties, the Falcons don't have the requisite points.

Regardless, Bloomfield Hills can win the division outright with a win or draw at home against Oxford (4-7-3, 0-3-2) on May 13.

"I think just the growth in mindset (explains the improvement)," Zakaria said. "In the offseason, and during the season, we're just continuing to try to get better and trying to grow. And I think we got better today. We're going to continue to grow tomorrow, practice, and it's another big game on Thursday (against Lake Orion) to try and get better, and I think that's been helpful for us this year."