SOFTBALL
HAMLINE 7, BATES 6: Megan Rubbelke, Kira Krueger and Raelyn Costley each had an RBI single, and Theresa Klinnert struck out five over four innings as the Pipers (8-4) scored five unanswered runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to come from behind and edge the Bobcats (0-3) at Clermont, Florida.
Hamline took advantage of three consecutive bunts from Gabby Tuhy, Lydia Lecher and Raelyn Costley for a three-run seventh inning.
Lindsey Kim had three hits and an RBI for Bates. Maggie Hillwig added two hits and an RBI. Amanda Taylor hit a single, a triple and scored a run.
CARLETON 13, BATES 6: Bryanna Schaffer had two hits and three RBI, and Cassie Cunniff added two solo home runs as the Knights (9-1) jumped to a 7-0 lead and cruised past the Bobcats (0-4) at Clermont, Florida.
Cameron Jones-McNally and Janell Sato each hit a two-run single for Bates.
COLBY 7, WELLESLEY 3: Logan Luebbe hit a grand slam in the top of the sixth inning to break a 3-3 tie and lift the Mules (3-2) over the Blue (0-4) at Clermont, Florida.
Chloe Wilcox hit an RBI double. Abby Orso gave up one hit and struck out five over four innings for the win.
THE COLLEGE OF WOOSTER 5, COLBY 3: Clara Herbert, Stephanie Griffin-Sanchez and Destany Blake each had an RBI single as the Fighting Scots (7-5) rolled past the Mules (3-3) at Clermont, Florida.
Logan Luebbe and Grace Goulin each had an RBI single for Colby. Payton Crowley hit a double and scored a run.
BOWDOIN 6, CENTRE 2: Kiera Dent gave up four hits and struck out two over six innings, and the Polar Bears (2-5) scored runs on three throwing errors to roll past the Colonels (4-18) at Leesburg, Florida.
Kyla Gary had two hits and an RBI. Zoe Stilphen helped with one hit, an RBI and scored a run.
BASEBALL
COLBY 12, JOHNS HOPKINS 27: Ethan Hillenberg had three hits and two RBI as Colby beat Johns Hopkins in Winter Haven, Florida.
Cabot Maher chipped in with a two-run single for the Mules (6-0). Jack Pletter gave up no hits and struck out six over three innings for the win.
Clint Flippo added three hits, one RBI and scored twice against the Blue Jays (8-7).
MEN’S LACROSSE
WILLIAMS 19, COLBY 10: Jake Haase, Calvin Caputo and Pearse Glavin scored four goals apiece as the Ephs (2-2, 2-1 NESCAC) jumped to a 10-3 halftime lead over the Mules (2-2, 1-2) at Williamstown, Massachusetts.
Jack Rickards had a hat trick for Colby. Noah Froio had two goals and an assist. Matt Suffredini made 16 saves.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
KANSAS STATE: Kansas State hired Jerome Tang to be its next basketball coach, entrusting a program that’s had plenty of recent success but fallen on hard times to one of the architects of Baylor’s rise to national prominence.
The Wildcats hired Tang to replace Bruce Weber two days after the top-seeded Bears were eliminated from the NCAA tournament by North Carolina in overtime. Kansas State Athletic Director Gene Taylor flew to Texas to meet with Tang on Sunday and the two sides finalized a six-year contract that will pay more than $14 million the next morning.
Tang was part of Scott Drew’s initial staff at Baylor in 2003, when the program was reeling from crippling NCAA penalties that included an inability to play a nonconference schedule. Together the two built a juggernaut in Waco, an unprecedented rise that culminated last season with Baylor beating Gonzaga 86-70 in the national title game.
The Bears also won their first Big 12 title last season – their first championship in any conference in 71 years – and shared the award with Kansas this season before an early exit in the league tournament.
LSU: LSU is filling its men’s basketball coaching vacancy with Murray State’s Matt McMahon, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
The hiring comes two days after Murray State’s season ended with a loss to Saint Peter’s in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
McMahon, 43, has coached Murray State for seven seasons, during which the Ohio Valley Conference school located in Murray, Kentucky, has had two first-round victories in the NCAA tournament.
This season, Murray State went 31-3 and the won its fourth regular-season conference title in five years. It was a No. 7 seed in the East Region in this year’s NCAA tournament and defeated 10th-seeded San Francisco in overtime in the first round.
LA SALLE: La Salle fired Coach Ashley Howard after four seasons without a winning record.
Howard, once a top assistant under Jay Wright at Villanova, went 45-71 in four seasons and finished 11-19 this season. The Explorers have been to just one NCAA tournament since 1992 and have found little success in the Atlantic 10.
Associate head coach Kyle Griffin will serve as interim head coach.
NEBRASKA: Freshman Bryce McGowens announced he is declaring for the NBA draft and will sign with an agent.
The Associated Press Big Ten newcomer of the year averaged a team-high 16.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game as the highest-ranked recruit in program history.
MARYLAND: Kevin Willard is taking over as Maryland’s basketball coach after a dozen seasons at Seton Hall.
The Terrapins announced the hire three days after Seton Hall’s season ended with a loss to TCU in the NCAA tournament. Willard took the Pirates to five of the last six NCAA tournaments.
Maryland has been in the market for a new coach since Mark Turgeon’s departure in early December. Assistant Danny Manning took over as interim coach, and the Terrapins went 15-17 for their first losing season since 1993, early in Gary Williams’ tenure as coach.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
ILLINOIS: Illinois hired Shauna Green as its women’s basketball coach, hoping she can lift a struggling program following a winning tenure at Dayton.
Green was chosen Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year three times while leading Dayton to five conference regular-season championships and a 127-50 record over six years. The Flyers went 26-6 this season, finishing first in the league in the regular season and beating DePaul in the NCAA tournament before losing to Georgia.
VIRGINIA: Virginia named Amaka “Mox” Agugua-Hamilton, the women’s coach at Missouri State the past three seasons, as its basketball coach.
Agugua-Hamilton replaces Tina Thompson, who was fired on March 3 after her fourth season.
Agugua-Hamilton compiled a 74-15 record with the Lady Bears, who won Missouri Valley Conference regular-season titles in 2020 and 2021 and competed in the past two NCAA tournaments. Missouri State had a 26-4 record in Agugua-Hamilton’s first year as coach, when the NCAA tournament was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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