THURSDAY SPORTS, JULY 2, 2026
PALACE CITY LEGION BASEBALL
— Palace City Post 18 lost a pair of games to Sioux Falls West on Wednesday night 8-6 in eight innings and 9-3. In game one, Palace City took a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI double from Canon Moeller. Sioux Falls West responded with one run in the seventh inning to force extras, followed by a two-run home run from Boston Bryant. In game two, Sioux Falls would take control with a six-run third inning. Palace City falls to 9-10 vs. Class A teams this season. Post 18 will have their third straight day with a doubleheader on Thursday as they travel to Aberdeen today at 1 pm.
— Palace City Junior Legion baseball hosts Aberdeen for a doubleheader on Tuesday, July 7.
— Palace City 13-and-under baseball will be at Huron on Thursday for a doubleheader.
DAKOTA WESLEYAN
— Dakota Wesleyan Athletics and Tiger Track & Field and Cross Country has announced Jared Seckel as the new head coach of both programs. Seckel most recently served as the head coach of MidAmerica Nazarene University Cross Country from 2022 through the previous school year. In his four seasons leading the Pioneers, along with his assistant duties on the track and field team, Seckel had a hand in developing over 30 All-Conference Athletes and multiple national qualifiers, along with helping the women’s track and field team win an outdoor conference championship in 2024.
LEGION BASEBALL
Parkston 12, Alexandria 2 (5 innings) – Wyatt Anderson allowed two unearned runs and five hits over four innings with seven strikeouts. Gage Jodozi had three hits, while Trey Boettcher had two RBI’s.
AMATEUR BASEBALL
Alexandria vs. Renner – 7:30 pm on Thursday
Canova vs. Parkston Rays – 7:30 pm on Thursday
Corsica vs. Platte- 7:30 pm on Thursday
Parkston Mudcats vs. Dimock-Emery – 7 pm on Friday
WORLD CUP – WEDNESDAY
England 2, Congo 1
Belgium 3, Senegal 2
United States 2, Bosnia-Herzegovina 0
— The United States is headed to the World Cup round of 16 after defeating Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 Wednesday night in Santa Clara, California. Folarin Balogun scored his third goal of the tournament just before halftime, but was later sent off with a red card in the 64th minute, forcing the Americans to finish the match with 10 players. Malik Tillman sealed the victory with a free kick goal in the 82nd minute. The win marks the United States’ first World Cup victory over a European opponent since 2002 and snaps a 10-match winless streak against European teams in the World Cup. The Americans advance to face Belgium on Monday in Seattle.
— Belgium rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat Senegal 3-2 in extra time on Wednesday and advance to the World Cup round of 16. Senegal led 2-0 with five minutes left in regulation before Belgium scored in the 86th minute and then forced extra time. Belgium completed the comeback by converting a penalty kick in the 125th minute after a video review awarded Belgium the spot kick. It was the latest goal in World Cup history. Belgium became just the second team in the past 11 World Cups to overcome a two-goal deficit in a knockout match.
— Harry Kane scored twice in the second half to rally England past Congo 2-1 and advance to the World Cup round of 16. Kane headed home the equalizer in the 75th minute and struck again in the 86th minute to complete the comeback and give England the victory. England advances to face Mexico in the round of 16 at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
WORLD CUP – THURSDAY
Spain vs. Austria – 2 pm on FOX
Portugal vs. Croatia – 6 pm on FOX
Switzerland vs. Algeria – 10 pm on FS1
MINNESOTA TWINS
— Taj Bradley struck out 11 to tie his career high, while Josh Bell, Kody Clemens and Luke Keaschall homered as the Minnesota Twins beat the Houston Astros 8-3. Bradley allowed one run and four hits and walked four in five innings. Josh Bell has a career-high 16-game road hitting streak, the longest active streak of its kind in the majors. Trevor Larnach went 3 for 5 with a double and a two-run single. The Twins have today off after taking two out of three games in Houston. Minnesota starts a three-game series at New York against the Yankees on Friday night at 6:05 pm.
NBA
— Jaylen Brown’s time in Boston has come to an end with the Boston Celtics deciding to trade him to one of their most storied rivals. Brown, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, a five-time All-Star and the league’s fourth-leading scorer this past season, is getting traded by the Celtics to the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston is getting Paul George, along with a slew of draft capital that could become two first-round picks and two second-round picks. Brown had career-best averages of 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game this past season.
— Walker Kessler is being traded by the Utah Jazz to the Los Angeles Lakers, who will have the center under contract for the next four seasons and for a total of about $130 million. The Jazz are getting two first-round draft picks and two first-round pick swaps out of the deal. Kessler, who turns 25 later this month, was limited to five games this past season after having surgery to repair a labrum tear in his left shoulder in November. Kessler was averaging 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks on 70% shooting this past season before getting hurt.
— The Boston Celtics have agreed to a $47 million, three-year deal with veteran center Mitchell Robinson, who is fresh off winning an NBA title with the New York Knicks. The 7-foot Robinson has spent his entire eight-year career with the Knicks since being selected in the second round of the 2018 draft.
— Malik Beasley’s lawyer said the indicted former NBA player “wants to move on with his life” after pleading not guilty Wednesday to charges that he altered his play in certain games in 2024 to enrich sports bettors and ease his own debts. Beasley, the latest big name caught up in a sweeping federal gambling investigation, said little at his arraignment in Brooklyn federal court. He is the newest defendant in a gambling sweep that has netted more than three dozen arrests, including former Miami Heat star Terry Rozier and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, who was accused of conspiring to fix high-stakes poker games.
COLLEGE
— An Ohio judge will make a ruling next week on a preliminary injunction request from 24 men’s and women’s college basketball players suing the NCAA, claiming the new age-based model unfairly shuts them out of further competition. Judge Christopher Wagner, who previously denied a temporary restraining order hours after the lawsuit was filed, said Wednesday during a hearing that his written order will be made on July 9. The lawsuit was filed shortly after the NCAA Division I Cabinet approved a monumental change in eligibility rules last month. The plaintiffs are seeking to be eligible to play a fifth year during the upcoming season, representing athletes who graduated from high school in 2022 and began their college sports careers that fall and never redshirted.
— The Pac-12 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments are returning to Las Vegas. The Pac-12 announced the return to MGM Grand Garden Arena on Wednesday, the official relaunch of the conference with seven new members. The Pac-12 previously played in Las Vegas from 2013-24 before an exodus of teams threatened the future of the conference. The conference played at MGM Grand from 2013-16. Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Texas State and Utah State officially joined the conference on Wednesday. Oregon State and Washington State are the only remaining teams from the previous incarnation of the conference, which now has nine full-time members with 12 new affiliate members.
MLB
— Baseball players proposed optional assignments to the minors be cut from a maximum of five per season to three and asked for more pay and major league service time for those sent down, a plan aimed at reducing roster churn that teams use to reinforce bullpens in an era when relief pitchers throw an increased portion of games. During a bargaining session Wednesday with Major League Baseball, the players union proposed that a pitcher optioned after an outing of at least nine outs or 50 pitches during the seven days before the All-Star break be given major league pay and service time up until his team’s fourth game after the break. In addition, a pitcher who is optioned at any time after a game or the next day after an outing of nine outs or 50 pitches would get major league pay and service time for the four days following the appearance.
— Dansby Swanson hit three home runs, including a grand slam, while Michael Conforto homered twice as the Chicago Cubs pounded the San Diego Padres 23-3. Swanson had a career-high eight RBIs, the second-most in major league history from a player batting ninth. Seiya Suzuki, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch also homered for the Cubs, who scored their most runs in a home game since 1977. Swanson has nine home runs and 29 RBIs over the past 13 games.
— The New York Yankees’ losing streak stretched to seven, their longest in three years, as Detroit would score four-runs in the 11th inning that gave the Tigers a 6-2 victory.
— Junior Caminero homered in his sixth straight game to match the Tampa Bay record, hitting a two-run shot in the first inning to help the Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 4-0 for their seventh victory in a row. Caminero hit his 24th homer of the season. He is two away from tying the major league record of eight straight games with a HR.
— Trea Turner hit a three-run home run during a five-run second inning as the Philadelphia Phillies beat struggling Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes and the Pirates 10-6. Skenes lasted four innings, allowing six hits and a season-high seven earned runs. He has not won in his last nine starts, losing six decisions in that stretch.
— Garrett Mitchell tripled in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning to cap a four-hit night to help the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-2. The Brewers moved a season-high 22 games over .500 with their sixth straight victory over the Reds this season. Aaron Ashby won his major league-leading 12th game with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.
— Shea Langeliers hit his 20th home run of the season as the Athletics defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-1 to stop a four-game losing streak, their longest this season.
— James Woods belted a three-run homer for his 22nd of the season as the Washington Nationals beat the Boston Red Sox 10-2.
— Ozzie Albies homered and drove in two runs as the Atlanta Braves held the St. Louis Cardinals to two hits in a 5-1 victory.
— Sean Keys hit his first career home run, while Myles Straw added a pinch-hit HR as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Mets 9-3 in a Canada Day matinee.
— David Fry and Austin Hedges hit home runs as the Cleveland Guardians defeated Texas 9-4 to snap the Rangers’ six-game winning streak. Cleveland remains a game back of the White Sox for first place in the AL Central.
— Mickey Moniak finished a single shy of the cycle, while Hunter Goodman hit a two-run homer to cap a four-run fifth inning as the Colorado Rockies beat Miami 6-3 to snap an eight-game losing streak against the Marlins.
— Baltimore’s Dean Kremer pitched six innings in his return from a quad injury as the Orioles avoided a sweep with a 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Kremer allowed one run and four hits, while Tyler O’Neill homered in Baltimore’s four-run fifth.
— Trevor McDonald pitched six scoreless innings as the San Francisco Giants beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4.