MIAMI — Kevin Harvick may be the lone wolf against a Joe Gibbs Racing armada when it comes to the battle for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship, but he’s not afraid of that role.

In fact, he’s relishing the opportunity to go out and beat the JGR trio on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Harvick will take part in his fifth Championship 4 in the six-year history of the winner-take-all format during the Ford EcoBoost 400, despite a year which saw Stewart-Haas Racing struggle to wrap its arms around the new Cup Series aerodynamic package for much of the season.

However, Harvick peaked when it counts and won two weeks ago at Texas Motor Speedway to secure his spot in the final battle.

He’s the only SHR and only Ford representative in the Cup Series title tilt, while JGR has three of its Toyota drivers — Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. — in the mix.

Harvick is hoping to achieve the ultimate mission with a second Cup Series title, and he made it clear during Championship 4 Media Day Thursday at the Miami Beach Edition Hotel that there’s only one goal throughout the Stewart-Haas Racing camp — to bring another Cup Series championship home.

“Championships are what we race for. You put a lot of effort into the season and week after week of trying to be competitive and I think the more championships you win, the more it solidifies everything that you do on a week-to-week basis,” Harvick said. “They’re hard to win. It’s hard to get here. I know that we have been able to do that five times now, but the playoffs are difficult now. It’s difficult to go through all those eliminations and different race tracks and have everything work out like we have.

“As far as us being one team against them (JGR), I think for us it’s very simple. There’s no worries in making the sponsor mad or making another team member mad or anything, because there is no scenario other than how do we get Stewart‑Haas Racing another championship,” he continued. “All four teams have bought into that and want to do the exact same thing because of the fact that it’s good for Stewart‑Haas Racing. Our guys have worked their butts off over the last four weeks, in trying to do everything that they can to continue to learn about the cars.

“I think we‘re still learning. As you saw at Texas, it was definitely a situation where we put a lot of pieces together and it wound up being a good day,” Harvick noted. “But it’s still a little bit of a guess as to where you’re at. It’s a science as to how you get to that point of where you think things are going to be, but it’s definitely been nice to not have to deal with any politics internally. It’s just, what do you need, let’s do it and everybody’s worked really hard.

“There’s nothing to navigate for us and we’ll just see how it all shakes out.”

Despite the optics of the numbers being simple, Harvick noted he’s not sure yet whether there will be strength in numbers on Sunday, or whether that might actually be a hindrance for JGR.

“That’s yet to be determined,” Harvick said when asked if being SHR’s lone bullet in the gun would be an advantage for him. “At Texas, it was definitely a situation where we put a lot of pieces together and it wound up being a good day. … We do know this, though, and that is that we have a lot less things to talk about internally because we’ve had a whole organization pushing for one car over the last few weeks to come here.

“It’s a different scenario for us, in my mind.”

Truex, one of Harvick’s main title rivals and the 2017 Cup Series champion, disagrees with Harvick’s assessment and said he feels having teammates in the fight will help this weekend.

“Strength in numbers,” Truex said. “(It’s a) seventy-five percent chance the Cup comes back to JGR, something all the employees there deserve — which is huge. Selfishly, I want it to be my team and really I think that’s where all three of us are.”

But despite the team dynamic, all four vowed Thursday to race one another with respect, the respect that each one feels the other three have earned.

Truex did that in 2017 and it paid off with the ultimate prize.

“I know in ’17, Kyle was behind me and was a little bit faster,” Truex said. “Probably could have run into me if he wanted to at some point. He didn’t. He was just trying to put the pressure on for me to mess up, but he didn’t run into me. He probably could have.

“If Kyle Busch is leading and I’m second, I’m going to do everything I can do to pass him, but I’m not going to run into him,” he continued. “I think you race guys the way you want them to race you. We’ve got lot of experience racing with each other and we understand each other and where each guy would go, I think. We’ll just have to see how that plays out.”

Harvick will certainly have his say on Sunday, despite being one warrior against a Gibbs army.

And he’s not worried about it at all.

“We’ll focus on our race,” he said. “If that’s enough, we’ll win a championship. If it’s not, then it is what it is.”

Calgary Flames defenseman T.J. Brodie is recovering at home after he collapsed at practice Thursday, with the team saying there is no timetable for his return to play.

Brodie was released from a hospital Thursday. According to multiple reports, he was standing by himself when he fell to the ice and had an apparent seizure.

"T.J. experienced an event on the ice early yesterday afternoon, about 15 minutes into practice. Our medical team immediately sprung into action," general manager Brad Treliving said Friday.

After Brodie collapsed, the Flames released a statement, describing the incident as "an episode." The team said Brodie was alert and responsive when was taken to the hospital.

"He's feeling good. He's sore," Treliving said. "All of the tests that have been done to date have come back negative. He's doing well. ... We're not going to leave any stone unturned in terms of the tests that we go through."

Treliving said early indications are that Brodie's collapse was likely related to a fainting episode.

Brodie, 29, has spent his entire 10-year career with the Flames. He has eight assists in 21 games this season.

South Carolina coach Will Muschamp isn't going anywhere, athletic director Ray Tanner said Friday in a show of support after the Gamecocks' chances to make a bowl game took a serious hit after a loss to FCS program Appalachian State last week.

"Today, I want to make it clear that Will Muschamp is our football coach and will be our coach going forward," Tanner said in a statement. "President [Robert] Caslen and I are fully supportive of his leadership and his development of student-athletes on and off the field."

The Gamecocks (4-6) must win at Texas A&M and No. 4 Clemson in their final two games to make their fourth postseason trip under Muschamp, who this summer had touted this group as his deepest, most talented team at the university.

"Coach Muschamp and our staff are dedicated to the success of Gamecock football," Tanner's statement said. "They have built a program where our team plays for each other and for our University, and they deserve our support. While we wish the outcome of some of our games would have been different, we are excited about the future of our program."

The Gamecocks continue to confound this season as they again struggled to make plays on both sides of the ball.

For the third time in four games, South Carolina was outplayed in the second half of losses. Appalachian State, which beat North Carolina earlier this season, held off the Gamecocks' late rally. South Carolina also had been outscored by a combined 45-7 margin in the fourth quarter in losses to Florida and Tennessee.

Caslen had also backed Muschamp earlier this week, though his vote of confidence was specified for this season.

"Coach Muschamp is my coach," the university president said Wednesday. "That's the message. He will be my coach through the end of the season. And then, just like any other coach that's out there, whether it's a soccer coach, whether it's the equestrian coach, whatever, they're going to do an end-of-year assessment, the athletic director does. Then, we'll see what's up."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have hired Ben Cherington as the team's new general manager, according to multiple reports.

Cherington served as GM of the Boston Red Sox for four years, winning the World Series in 2013.

He stepped down as the Red Sox's general manager during the 2015 season after Dave Dombrowski was named Boston's new president of baseball operations.

In September 2016, Cherington was hired by the Toronto Blue Jays to be their vice president of baseball operations.

He takes over in Pittsburgh for executive vice president and general manager Neal Huntington, who was fired after a 12-year stint.

Since late September, the Pirates have fired Huntington, manager Clint Hurdle and team president Frank Coonelly.

Travis Williams has been hired to replace Coonelly while the managerial position remains open.

With free agency underway, the offseason is going to pick up steam. What are the big questions facing all 30 teams?

Here's a look at the AL Central, where the teams at the top could be in a state of flux and the ones at the bottom aren't going anywhere.

Team-by-team offseason previews: NL East | NL Central | NL West | AL East

Minnesota Twins: Are the free-agent starters a problem or an opportunity?

2019 record: 101-61
2020 World Series odds: 30-1

The Twins kind of came from nowhere to record the franchise's first 100-win season since 1965, and only its second ever. Then came four straight losses to the Yankees in the division series that suggested execs Derek Falvey, Thad Levine & Co. have plenty of work to do. That's not to suggest Minnesota isn't well positioned. Twelve of last season's top 15 performers by bWAR are either under contract for next season or are otherwise under team control. There isn't a money-suck among the bunch. Rookies and soon-to-be rookies Luis Arraez, Nick Gordon, Stephen Gonsalves and Brusdar Graterol are positioned to help in the near term, with top prospects Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff not far behind them.

The Twins have two areas of concern. First, there is statistical regression. Yes, that's boring, but it has to be accounted for -- a number of Minnesota's key performers last season outstripped their projections by a good amount. So as a group, regression has to be built into expectations. And along more pure baseball lines, there is the starting rotation. As in: The Twins enter the offseason without one.

Jose Berrios is a fine building block for next year's group. But the other four members of last season's stable rotation -- Michael Pineda, Jake Odorizzi, Martin Perez and Kyle Gibson -- are free agents. (This assumes that Odorizzi turns down Minnesota's qualifying offer.) The Twins have the funds to throw a fair bit of money at this issue, so expect them to do so. Two bedrock starters and some depth to augment internal options seem like the top items on the winter to-do list. Well, that and figuring out how to repeat last season's record-breaking power display by the offense. -- Bradford Doolittle

Cleveland Indians: Will they trade Francisco Lindor?

2019 record: 93-69
2020 World Series odds: 14-1

The Indians' run of three straight division titles ended even as they improved from 91 to 93 wins -- despite Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco combining for just 19 starts and Trevor Bauer getting traded at the deadline. Still, a big cloud hangs over the organization: What to do with their superstar shortstop? Lindor has two seasons of team control remaining until free agency but is eventually looking at a $300 million-plus contract the Indians won't be willing to shell out. They could keep him and try to win the Central, a realistic option if Kluber comes back healthy and Carrasco is at full recovery after his leukemia scare. Or they could trade him now to extract maximum value in return.

The Indians could essentially follow both paths in one megadeal: trade Lindor yet still contend by getting a major-league-ready shortstop in return plus other help. One possibility is a deal involving Corey Seager of the Dodgers. The Indians will also be seeking outfield help after their outfielders hit just .253/.318/.417 in 2019, ranking 23rd in the majors in OPS. Also, Jason Kipnis is a free agent, although Christian Arroyo, the former Giants top prospect acquired from the Rays, might be given a chance at second base. -- David Schoenfield

Chicago White Sox: Will the White Sox get serious in the free-agent market?

2019 record: 72-89
2020 World Series odds: 75-1

The White Sox are getting close to being pretty good. With the right moves, they might be headed toward becoming more than good. After an anticlimactic offseason last winter, it's time for GM Rick Hahn and his staff to sound the bell that the South Side rebuild has transitioned to the next phase.

With not a single veteran on the books for as much as $10 million, the timing will never be better for the White Sox to lock down the top couple of spots of their roster with in-their-prime stars. Chicago can and should match any offers for the Gerrit Coles, Anthony Rendons and Stephen Strasburgs of the world, and if it takes an opt-out here or an extra year there to close the deal, so be it. White Sox fans have been very patient.

Of course, you don't spend just to spend, and if the White Sox have to accept defeat and hope for a big swing or two next winter, that happens. There would still be plenty of fairly easy upgrades that could be made this offseason to a maturing roster that lacked depth in 2019. First, a big-hitting corner outfielder is a must. Their production in right field last season (.565 OPS, six homers) was almost impossibly bad. Legit options for DH are near the top of the list. And while the Sox will have a promising rotation with or without Cole or Strasburg, they need to max out on bullpen depth, which already has a pretty solid back end.

Things are about to get good on the South Side, but with a modicum of aggressiveness, things could get better than good. -- Doolittle

Kansas City Royals: Will the Royals do anything at all this winter?

2019 record: 59-103
2020 World Series odds: 1,000-1

Let's assume that the Royals simply don't want to part with Whit Merrifield, no matter how much you think they should. Whether or not that's the case, Kansas City has a pretty clean payroll situation. Closer Ian Kennedy ($14 million in 2020) would probably have more trade value at next summer's deadline, even though he's entering a walk year, simply because his 2019 season probably isn't enough proof of concept to entice a taker for the entirety of his salary. Dealing Danny Duffy now, after a poor 2019 season, would be selling very low. So there aren't really any flip-type deals to be made -- if they're holding on to Merrifield.

Well, clearly the Royals aren't positioned to get splashy in the free-agent market. They have a roster full of maybe/could-be types whom they need to get more concrete information on in 2020. They have a few prospects who could start to bubble up to the majors next season as well. You don't want to block anyone's opportunity at this point.

So, should GM Dayton Moore and his staff stock up on Bermuda shorts and head for the Caribbean after next month's winter meetings? Well, not quite. There is one area in which the Royals should be stocking up on buy-low types through the free-agent market: the bullpen. Last season's relief staff was mostly disastrous, Kennedy's emergence and a solid turn from Scott Barlow notwithstanding. Veteran relievers have value to rebuilding teams by providing stability and by becoming deadline trade fodder. The Royals should sign about five of 'em. -- Doolittle

Detroit Tigers: Will playing the long game -- the verrrrry long game -- pay off?

2019 record: 47-114
2020 World Series odds: 1,000-1

The most generous thing you can say about the Tigers is that they weren't relegated -- but only because that's impossible. Piling a 114-loss season on top of back-to-back 98-loss campaigns might seem ugly, but worse yet, they also saw little progress made by players in their first or second seasons. Now that they're in full tank mode, there's no reason for the Tigers to do much more than avoid free-agent investments while waiting to see whatever improvements come organically with the talent on hand -- and get what they can by trading what few MLB-useful players they have left.

And the Tigers do have something to work with, if GM Al Avila is looking to add more prospects to the Kitties' larder. His best commodities to shop around are in the rotation -- the three years of club control they have with lefty Matthew Boyd in particular, but also fellow southpaw Daniel Norris. Detroit's rotation can already anticipate a remix at some point during 2020; top prospect Casey Mize should earn a call-up at some point, and Michael Fulmer should rejoin the rotation in the second half once he's recovered from Tommy John surgery. With those reinforcements on the horizon, Avila can entertain offers for Boyd and Norris at all points between now and next summer's trade deadline, waiting for the best offer. It isn't as if the Tigers are in a hurry; they aren't going anywhere anytime soon. -- Christina Kahrl

Watch the best shots as Rafael Nadal beats Stefanos Tsitsipas to keep his ATP Finals hopes alive.

Nadal, who would have been eliminated with a defeat, won 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-5 in their final group match in London.

READ MORE: Rafael Nadal beats Stefanos Tsitsipas to keep his ATP Finals hopes alive

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Ex-Wales captain Sam Warburton and former fly-half Byron Hayward have been added to the Wales coaching staff.

Warburton, 31, will serve as technical advisor defence/breakdown under new head coach Wayne Pivac, while Hayward, 50, becomes defence coach.

The pair join Stephen Jones, Jonathan Humphreys and Neil Jenkins in the backroom team.

"It is a genuine privilege to be considered for such a role," former flanker Warburton said.

"I can't wait to do my utmost to contribute to help improve the team and players. With such a great group of players and management it is an amazing opportunity which I am very proud to be given."

Warburton won 74 Wales caps and five for the British and Irish Lions, who he also captained, before retiring in July 2018 at the age of 29 following a string of injuries.

Hayward, capped twice by Wales, returns to the Welsh Rugby Union where he had a successful spell as Wales Under-20s head coach and National Academy skills coach before joining the Scarlets as defence coach in 2014.

"I'm delighted to bring both Byron and Sam into the set-up and add to what is already a vastly experienced coaching team," said Pivac.

"Both individuals are highly respected, knowledgeable and experienced in their disciplines and will add a great deal to the environment.

"Byron has a great coaching CV with experience in England, the club game in Wales, the age-grade system and his five successful years with the Scarlets.

"Sam is one of the most experienced leaders in rugby with excellent knowledge and communication skills and having only recently retired he has a full grasp on the international game.

"We looked at the coaching structure and the roles of each coach and believed by adding a second defensive role into the team adds value, adds a point of difference and allows a specialist to work in the contact area and I believe Byron and Sam will complement each other in the roles."