WEDNESDAY SPORTS, MAY 20, 2026
MITCHELL KERNELS
— Mitchell senior pitcher Jacob Ebert has been named to the Class A all-state second team by the South Dakota High School Baseball Association. Ebert went 4-1 in five starts, pitching 27 2/3 innings with a 1.51 earned-run average and 22 strikeouts for Mitchell this spring.
— Mitchell girls golf will compete at the Brookings Invitational on Thursday at 10 am at the Brookings Country Club.
— Mitchell track and field competes on Thursday at the Wendelgass Relays in Huron ahead of the Class AA state meet next week in Sioux Falls.
— Mitchell boys tennis will compete at the Class AA state tournament, set for Thursday and Friday in Rapid City.
— Mitchell Kernels softball ended the regular season with a 3-13 overall and is currently the 15th seed in Class AA. Mitchell would match up with No. 2 seed Harrisburg. The SoDAK 16 is set for Tuesday, May 26.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
— South Dakota State placed five players on this year’s All-Summit League Baseball Team, led by first-team selections Luke Luskey and Nolan Grawe. Luskey, a junior designated hitter, hit .315 with 12 home runs and 53 RBIs overall, tying for the league lead with 31 RBIs in conference play. Grawe, a sophomore third baseman, batted .327 in league games with 12 doubles, six home runs and 27 RBIs.
— South Dakota State will face No. 1 seed Oral Roberts in the opening game of the Summit League Baseball Tournament on Wednesday at Noon in Minneapolis. No. 2 Omaha takes on No. 3 Northern Colorado at 6 pm in the other opening round matchup. The double elimination tournament continues through Saturday with the winner advancing to the NCAA Baseball Tournament. Oral Roberts had won 22 Summit League Baseball Tournaments since 1998.
SOUTH DAKOTA
— The University of South Dakota announced Tuesday it is making a change in leadership for its softball program following the resignation of head coach Robert Wagner. Wagner stepped away after 10 seasons, leading the Coyotes to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance last week. In a statement, Wagner thanked players, staff and the Vermillion community, saying the program achieved historic milestones during his tenure. A national search for the next head coach will begin immediately.
HIGH SCHOOL GOLF
— Chamberlain won the Region 3A girls golf title Tuesday at Lakeview Golf Course, led by individual champion Trey Speer, who shot an 83. Chamberlain posted a team score of 374 to edge Winner, which finished second at 390. Mount Vernon/Plankinton placed third at 474 as all three teams qualified for the Class A state tournament June 1-2 in North Sioux City.
MINNESOTA TWINS
— Isaac Paredes hit a two-run homer in the first inning, while Jason Alexander scattered four hits over six scoreless innings as the Houston Astros beat the Minnesota Twins 2-1. Zebby Matthews worked six innings for the Twins, allowing six hits with six strikeouts. The final game of the three-game series is Wednesday at 12:40 pm.
— The Minnesota Twins made multiple roster moves on Tuesday, sending struggling third baseman Royce Lewis to Triple-A, while catcher Ryan Jeffers will miss six to eight weeks with a broken wrist. Jeffers was placed on the injured list, after he was hurt during a swing late in the game on Monday and tests revealed a fracture in the hamate bone in his left hand. The 28-year-old is batting .295 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs in 37 games this season. The Twins also designated reliever Justin Topa for assignment and called three players from Triple-A: reliever Travis Adams, infielder Orlando Arcia and catcher Alex Jackson.
NBA
— The New York Knicks rallied for 22 points down in the fourth quarter to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks trailed 93-71 with 7:52 to play before going on an 18-1 run. Jalen Brunson led the way with 38 points, while Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 29 points. Game 2 is in New York on Thursday at 7 pm.
— The Dallas Mavericks have parted ways with head coach Jason Kidd after five seasons, the team announced Tuesday, describing the move as a mutual decision. Kidd’s departure comes two weeks after the Mavericks hired Masai Ujiri as team president. Ujiri said the organization is seeking “a new direction.” Kidd went 205-205 as head coach of the Mavericks. He guided the team to the Western Conference finals in 2022 and the NBA Finals in 2024 but missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons.
— The New Orleans Pelicans have hired former Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley as their next coach. Mosley heads to New Orleans after spending the past five seasons with Orlando, which fired him this month after the Magic’s seven-game, first-round playoff loss to the Detroit Pistons. The Magic had a 3-1 lead in that series, as well as 24-point lead in Game 7. Mosley went 189-221 with Orlando. His teams qualified for the NBA playoffs in each of the past three seasons and won the Southeast Division twice, but were eliminated in the first round each time.
NBA PLAYOFFS – WEDNESDAY
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs, 7:30 pm on NBC – San Antonio leads the Western Conference Finals 1-0
NFL
— Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has been ordered to serve 30 days in jail after testing positive for marijuana in violation of the terms of his probation. Rice’s probation stems from his guilty plea last year to felony charges related to a 2024 high-speed crash in Dallas that injured multiple people. The 30-day jail term was part of his original sentence, which included five years of deferred probation and allowed flexibility on when the jail time would be served.
— The NFL has awarded the 2030 Super Bowl to Nashville and the Tennessee Titans’ new enclosed stadium, marking the first time the championship game will be held in the Music City. NFL team owners approved the selection Tuesday, setting the Super Bowl for the Titans’ $2.1 billion stadium, which is scheduled to open in 2027. The 2030 game joins a lineup of future Super Bowl hosts that includes Los Angeles in 2027, Atlanta in 2028 and Las Vegas in 2029.
— Minnesota will host the 2028 NFL Draft, the league announced Tuesday, bringing one of football’s largest fan events to the Twin Cities for the first time. The three-day event will be centered around U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis and include the draft stage, fan festival activities and entertainment throughout the region. Hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to attend.
— NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league is cooperating with the Florida attorney general’s office after receiving a subpoena as part of an investigation into the NFL’s diversity-related hiring practices. Florida’s Attorney General issued the subpoena on May 13, seeking documents tied to the league’s Rooney Rule and other employment programs. The request includes demographic data and diversity reports dating back to 2017. Goodell said the NFL believes its programs comply with the law and will continue working with investigators. The league has defended the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview minority candidates for senior coaching and front office positions.
— Women’s flag football is moving closer to becoming an NCAA championship sport, with a recommendation approved Tuesday that could lead to a national title as soon as the spring of 2028. The NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact voted to advance plans for Divisions I, II and III to sponsor a national collegiate championship in women’s flag football, pending further approval from each division in 2027. More than 100 schools are expected to field teams next academic year. If approved, the sport could crown an NCAA champion just ahead of its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
— College Football Playoff expansion discussions intensified Tuesday as the Big Ten continued to push for a 24-team format, while SEC leadership signaled the league may be open to the idea. Big Ten officials and several coaches and athletic directors have voiced support for expanding the playoff from its current 12-team field to 24 teams, citing increased access and competitive balance. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said some within his conference also favor 24 teams, though he added the league still wants more analysis before committing to a change. Sankey said the SEC is also considering a smaller expansion to 16 teams. The current 12-team playoff format is set for the upcoming season, with a decision on any future changes expected by Dec. 1 for the 2027 season.
— The Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences have reached an agreement in principle to resolve pending lawsuits over “poaching” and exit fees. The conferences issued a joint statement along with five schools on Monday saying the parties agreed to stay lawsuits in California and Colorado while they “work to negotiate and finalize the settlement.” Boise State, Utah State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Fresno State joined the conferences in the statement. The Pac-12 and some of the schools joining the conference filed a lawsuit in California in 2024, claiming the poaching clause the league agreed to when it signed a scheduling agreement for its football teams was invalid. The clause called for payments to the Mountain West of $10 million for the first team that left, with the amount increasing by $500,000 for every additional team, to a total of $55 million.
NASCAR
— Kevin Harvick, the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion and 60-time winner at the sport’s top level, has been selected for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2027. Harvick will be joined by longtime driver Jeff Burton, with the induction ceremony scheduled for Jan. 22, 2027. Harvick, who was thrust into the spotlight following Dale Earnhardt’s death in 2001, went on to win Rookie of the Year that season and later captured the 2007 Daytona 500 and the 2014 championship.
COLLEGE
— The NAACP and Congressional Black Caucus have launched a campaign urging Black athletes, families and fans to boycott athletic programs at public universities in several Southern states over what they describe as voting-rights restrictions. The “Out of Bounds” campaign, announced Tuesday, calls for withholding athletic and financial support from schools in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and South Carolina. The NAACP argues those states have taken actions that weaken Black voting representation and says college athletics in those states rely heavily on Black athletes.
STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS – WEDNESDAY
Colorado Avalanche vs. Vegas Golden Knights – 7 pm on ESPN
STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS – THURSDAY
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Montreal Canadiens – 7 pm on TNT
MLB
— Yandy Díaz went 2 for 3 with a home run and an RBI double, while Griffin Jax allowed one run and had six strikeouts in five innings as Tampa Bay beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-1. Tampa Bay has won 20 of 24, has the best record in MLB at 32-15 and is a season-high 17 games above .500.
— James Wood hit the majors’ first inside-the-park grand slam since 2022 as the Washington Nationals rallied from an early five-run deficit to defeat the New York Mets 9-6.
— Alex Call slid home with the tiebreaking run on Andy Pages’ sacrifice fly off in the ninth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers hung on for a 5-4 victory over the San Diego Padres. Freddie Freeman hit two homers for the Dodgers.
— Jacob Misiorowski pitched six scoreless innings, while Brice Turang was 3 for 4 with a two-run homer as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Chicago Cubs 5-2 to move into first place in the NL Central. Misiorowski allowed three singles and extended his scoreless streak to 24 1/3 innings, while striking out eight.
— Ben Rice hit a two-run homer that broke a fifth-inning tie as the New York Yankees held off the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4. Rice now has 16 HR’s on the season, third in the majors alongside his teammate Aaron Judge.
— Cleveland rookie Travis Bazzana hit a two-run homer as the Guardians held off the Detroit Tigers 4-3 for their fourth straight victory.
— Cincinnati’s Chase Burns struck out nine over six innings and lowered his ERA to 1.83 as the Reds defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1.
— Iván Herrera hit a three-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning as the Cardinals rallied to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates.
— Ketel Marte hit a game-winning three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks over the San Francisco Giants 5-3.
— Ronald Acuña Jr. doubled, walked twice and scored three times as the Atlanta Braves beat the Miami Marlins 8-4. It was Acuña’s first game since being sidelined May 2 because of a left hamstring strain.
— Jarren Duran hit a home run, doubled and drove in three runs, while Willson Contreras added three RBIs as the Boston Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 7-1.
— Andrew Benintendi drove in the go-ahead run with an infield single in the ninth inning, while four Chicago pitchers held Seattle to one hit as the White Sox beat the Mariners 2-1.
— Nick Kurtz had three hits and five RBIs, while Brent Rooker and Zack Gelof homered and drove in three runs apiece as the Athletics beat the Los Angeles Angels 14-6. The Athletics scored 12 of their runs with two outs.
— Kumar Rocker tossed a career-high 7 2/3 innings as the Texas Rangers beat the Colorado Rockies 10-0.
CLASS B HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL REGIONAL PLAYOFFS
WEST (Wednesday in Platte)
No. 1 Platte-Geddes/Dakota Christian/White Lake vs. No. 8 Chamberlain/Kimball/Lyman, 2 p.m.
SOUTH (Tuesday in Vermillion)
No. 1 Vermillion 10, No. 8 Scotland/Menno 5
No. 4 Bon Homme 2, No. 5 Parkston/Ethan 1
No. 1 Vermillion 11, No. 4 Bon Homme 1
(Tuesday in Freeman)
No. 2 Freeman/Canistota/Marion 3, No. 7 Canton 0
No. 3 Dakota Valley vs. No. 6 Beresford Area, 5 p.m.
No. 3 Dakota Valley 8, No. 2 Freeman/Canistota/Marion 1
METRO (Tuesday in Humboldt)
No. 1 West Central 10, No. 8 Hanson/Bridgewater-Emery 2
No. 1 West Central 5, Sioux Falls Christian 2
(Tuesday in Dell Rapids)
No. 2 Dell Rapids 7, No. 7 McCook 4
No. 3 Lennox 7, No. 2 Dell Rapids 4
WINNERS ADVANCE TO THE CLASS B STATE TOURNAMENT MAY 25 IN BROOKINGS
West Central, Lennox, Vermillion, Dakota Valley
CLASS A BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT – FRIDAY AT RONKEN FIELD, SIOUX FALLS
No. 1 Harrisburg (12-4) vs. No. 8 Watertown (12-7) – 5 pm
No. 2 Brandon Valley (17-3) vs. No. 7 O’Gorman (16-9) – 7:30 pm
No. 3 Sioux Falls Jefferson (18-5) vs. No. 6 Pierre (18-8) – Noon
No. 4 Yankton (20-4) vs. No. 5 Rapid City Stevens (17-4) – 2:30 pm
Winners advance to Saturday’s semifinals with the championship game at 7:30 pm