No plan survives first contact with the opposition. Argentina's pulsating 1-1 draw with Paraguay on Wednesday was a battle between two sides who had run headlong into this problem in their opening matches.

Argentina's caretaker coach Lionel Scaloni was full of bold talk when he was appointed last August.

"I've always liked more direct, vertical football," Scaloni said then. "Winning the ball to arrive at the opposing goal as quickly as possible."

And so he went about building his side with two wingers and quick transitions to the flanks, the ball played rapidly into space. Then Lionel Messi returned from his international hiatus and, of course, wanted the ball played to his feet. Argentina's debut match, a 2-0 defeat to Colombia, was marked by enormous confusion. The half-time substitution of left winger Angel Di Maria by the entirely right-footed Rodrigo De Paul was the moment that Scaloni's initial idea bit the dust. And so, searching in the dark for something new, something coherent, he changed the formation against Paraguay to something like a 4-4-2.

- When is the Copa America?
- Full Copa America fixtures schedule
- Watch the Copa America on ESPN+

Paraguay coach Eduardo Berizzo, meanwhile, also announced his own revolution on his appointment in February.

"I'm always thinking of how to dominate the game," said the ex-assistant of the king of the high press Marcelo Bielsa. "I don't want to be dominated, sit back and try to scrape results."

But the historic identity of Paraguay is exactly that -- a team who over the years have revelled in deep defence. Berizzo's first attempt to play higher up the pitch in a competitive match was not a conspicuous success. On Sunday, they were flattered by the 2-0 lead they opened up against Qatar, and may even have been flattered by the final scoreline of 2-2. If Qatar stretched them out and played through them, what would Argentina and Messi do?

Berizzo chose not to run the risk. It was back to basics in Belo Horizonte for Paraguay. The order of the evening was deep defence and counter-attack.

This had pros and cons. The big pro for Paraguay is that, in a low-scoring game like football, defending is the easier part. Two teams were trying to improvise a solution, and it was more comfortable for Paraguay to destroy than it was for Argentina to construct. The other pro, specific for this game, is the lack of pace in the Argentina back line -- a problem that has dogged La Albiceleste for years.

In the break he made to set up the Paraguay goal, Miguel Almiron was faster running with the ball than the rival defenders were running without it. Paraguay should have won the game when they exposed this flaw a second time. Caught on the wrong side, Nicolas Otamendi committed a desperate foul in the area, only for Derlis Gonzalez to waste the penalty with a weak shot, pushed around the post by Franco Armani.

By this time, Argentina had drawn level from the spot -- a moment that illustrated the risks of the Paraguayan approach. Argentina lacked organisation, but defending deep can always run into the problem of conceding set pieces close to goal -- a risk much heightened by the appearance in the game of the video assistant referee.

The decision to penalise Ivan Piris for a hand ball in the box is controversial. It did not look clear even after studying the video evidence. Without VAR, the supposed offence would have gone unnoticed and Argentina would have been happy to go ahead with the corner that Messi was about to take when the referee held his arm aloft and began the long conversation with his colleagues.

Perhaps Argentina got lucky. But they had to change once more to earn their luck. Scaloni's experiment with Roberto Pereyra as a central midfielder was a clear and predictable failure, abandoned at half-time. On came Sergio Aguero, giving more options closer to goal, and Aguero was key to the move where Argentina won their penalty.

With Aguero up front, De Paul on the right of the midfield trio and Giovani Lo Celso on the left, the balance was a little better. Space started to open up for Messi to run at the Paraguay defence, and Argentina are still alive in the competition.

In a World Cup, one point from two games would be a disaster. The Copa America is more lenient. Two of the third-placed teams go through to the quarterfinals. In the history of the 12-team Copa, four points has always been enough to make it through, so a win against Qatar on Sunday should be enough for Argentina.

Scaloni, then, has a few days to sit down with his players and come up with the game plan that will not crumble on first contact with the Asian champions.

Nicole Bolton will depart for the Ashes in good spirits after over-coming a first-ball duck with a half-century in Australia's final warm-up match before leaving for England.

Bolton took a break from the game midway through last season's WBBL but returned to the fold when the squad for the Ashes tour was announced.

The Australian squad prepared for the trip with a training camp in Brisbane which included two games against Australia A who will tour England concurrently with the main side. Bolton, who was opening the batting, bagged a first-ball duck in the first of the matches but responded with 72 off 64 balls in the second.

"I felt a lot better than the other day," Bolton said. "I got a first-baller so I was pretty keen to take the first ball of our innings and get through the first one today. It was really nice to get out there and spend a bit of time in the middle.

"I think I was having an internal battle after the first game; we had optional training on the Tuesday and I'd already opted myself out of it, so when I made a first-baller I was like, 'maybe I do need a hit'.

"But I backed myself in today and I'm just really pleased with that different approach, being a bit more positive and relaxed. It was nice to get some runs and spent some time out there."

The multi-format Ashes begins with the one-day series, followed by the one-off Test before concluding with three T20Is. Bolton, a player predominately used in the longer formats, only has two T20Is under her belt but has experience of two Ashes Tests in 2015 and 2017 alongside 47 ODIs where she averages an impressive 43.93 and has scored four hundreds.

However, she knows there is no certainty that she will slot back into the side with a logjam for the top-order batting positions between her Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney and Elyse Villani.

"The thing with our line-up is we have batters who are in tremendous form and they can adjust to every format so it's a really hard line-up to crack," she said. "I know I've got to bide my time, all I can do his train really hard, put runs on the board and make sure my fielding is up to scratch. It's a tough line-up to get into at the moment, but you want competition."

Catch detailed analysis from Trent Bridge, chatter from around the ground and more with ESPNcricinfo's Live Report of Australia v Bangladesh. If the blog doesn't load straightaway, please refresh the page

Baker Mayfield might be a rising star for the Cleveland Browns in the NFL, but he will never leave the Red River Rivalry behind him.

Mayfield, who won the 2017 Heisman Trophy while at Oklahoma, was ready to trash-talk Texas and Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger in an appearance Wednesday on Sportstalk 1400 in Norman, Oklahoma.

Mayfield was asked about the perception in preseason publications that Texas is back and could contend for a national championship.

"They said the same thing when they beat Notre Dame a couple of years ago, and they won like three games after that," Mayfield said. "I'm sick of that crap."

Mayfield came down especially hard on Ehlinger, who was, like Mayfield, a high school star around Austin, Texas -- Mayfield at Lake Travis, Ehlinger at Westlake.

"He couldn't beat Lake Travis, so I don't really care [about] his opinion on winning," Mayfield said. "Westlake is a great program, but the two best quarterbacks to come out of there are Drew Brees and Nick Foles. Sam can stay down there in Texas."

"That will stir the pot," Mayfield added. "He doesn't like me, and I hope he knows I don't like him either."

Mayfield and Ehlinger have a history. When Oklahoma left tackle Orlando Brown struggled to one of the worst performances ever at the NFL combine in 2018, Ehlinger took to social media to make fun of him.

Mayfield's response then: "He's never beat Lake Travis, and he also hasn't beat OU, so leave it at that."

The Longhorns and the Sooners will meet for the Red River Showdown at Texas on Oct. 12.

The Milwaukee Bucks are trading guard Tony Snell and the 30th pick in Thursday's NBA draft to the Detroit Pistons for forward Jon Leuer, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Pistons now have the 15th and 30th picks in the draft. Milwaukee saves $4 million in salary this year, and remove Snell's $12 million salary hit in 2020-21.

Snell has spent the past three seasons with Milwaukee, playing in 74 games (12 starts) last year. He averaged 6.0 points and 2.1 rebounds for the Bucks in 2018-19.

Leuer played in 41 games for the Pistons last year (one start), averaging 3.8 points and 2.4 rebounds. He's entering his ninth season in the NBA.

NEW YORK -- With a lack of consensus after the first three picks, Thursday's NBA draft (7 p.m. ET on ESPN) comes with major questions surrounding potential trades throughout the first round.

Last weekend's Anthony Davis trade agreement between the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers only added to those questions, with the Pelicans acquiring No. 4 overall and having significant interest in trade talks with teams about the pick, according to a report by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Then on Wednesday, the Memphis Grizzlies acquired the No. 23 overall pick in this year's draft in a deal that sent point guard Mike Conley to the Utah Jazz, and initial reports suggested that pick could be on the move again.

Here's a rundown of some of the biggest things that could shake up the festivities inside Brooklyn's Barclays Center, starting with that fourth pick up for auction.

1. Who wants Darius Garland (or another prospect) at No. 4?

Zion Williamson to the Pelicans at No. 1, Ja Morant to the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 2 and RJ Barrett to the New York Knicks at No. 3 is beginning to look locked in. The Knicks brought in Vanderbilt point guard Darius Garland for a workout on Wednesday, though could just be an act of due diligence. Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday that the Knicks remain locked in on Barrett.

The draft really begins in earnest when the Pelicans are back on the clock at No. 4. New Orleans VP David Griffin has been fielding calls from teams looking to move up, with Garland looking like the prime target for teams hoping to get there.

One of the teams with the most assets in this year's draft, the Atlanta Hawks, is interested in swapping two of their picks -- Nos. 8 and 10 overall -- for the fourth selection, per a report by ESPN's Jonathan Givony, which also noted the Knicks shot down the same package for the No. 3 pick.

In addition to Atlanta, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls have also expressed interest in New Orleans' No. 4 pick.

As the draft has approached, it has widely been considered to drop off in talent after Barrett goes off the board. But Garland has intriguing upside, having played just five games last season at Vanderbilt before being shut down for the remainder of the season with an MCL injury -- and earning favorable comparisons to scoring point guards with shooting range like Damian Lillard and Trae Young by ESPN draft analyst Mike Schmitz.

If a team such as Minnesota, Boston or Chicago -- all three need point guard help -- gets the No. 4 pick, Garland would seemingly be the choice. But that doesn't mean Garland is an automatic selection there -- especially if the Hawks move up, since they already have a point guard of the future in Young. Virginia's De'Andre Hunter, Texas Tech's Jarrett Culver and UNC's Coby White also have garnered interest this high.

On the latest Woj Pod, Wojnarowski said the Pelicans are looking for an established player in exchange for the No. 4 pick, and hanging onto veteran guard Jrue Holiday indicates they want to remain competitive. If someone like Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal becomes truly available, using the No. 4 pick as the base of a deal to acquire him makes all the sense in the world for New Orleans.

Beal is both a game-changing talent and under contract for the next two seasons. Outside of a blockbuster Beal trade, it's tough to find a young player with star potential who is under contract and available. Remember, nearly half the league is about to enter free agency on June 30.

2. What if the teams with point guard needs strike out?

The Phoenix Suns (No. 6), Bulls (No. 7) and Wolves (No. 11) all have point guard needs which they could look to fill in the draft. One problem: There might not be enough reliable PG prospects in the lottery.

Both Morant and Garland are likely to be off the board before Phoenix's pick. If so, that makes Coby White (No. 8 in ESPN's top 100 draft rankings) the best available primary ball-handler. Virginia's Ty Jerome is the next PG in ESPN's rankings, but he's rated down at No. 25 -- a serious gap.

Drafting for need, rather than taking the best player available, is always risky business -- especially when it comes to teams that are rebuilding (they're in the lottery for a reason). But that doesn't stop teams from doing it, or from moving up to try to secure a position of need with a player they prefer.

So will one of these teams make a deal to go grab Garland or White? If both are off the board, do they consider moving back? This is something to keep an eye on -- and not just on draft night. If, say, Phoenix bypasses a point guard to grab a wing player, is that a sign they'll target a floor general in free agency?

3. What will the Hawks do with all of their picks?

Atlanta might be the most interesting team to watch on draft night. The Hawks hold picks Nos. 8, 10, 17, 35 and 41 (Atlanta's No. 44 pick was traded to the Miami Heat on Wednesday).

They certainly don't need to add five rookies to their roster. After general manager Travis Schlenk's successful draft a year ago, when the Hawks traded back for Young (No. 5) and hit on Kevin Huerter (No. 19), Atlanta feels confident it can find more contributors this time around.

Maybe they strike the right deal to move up for Garland or one of the wing players. They could trade back into future drafts, delaying all these young additions to the roster. There's also the possibility that Atlanta could package its picks for an established talent to augment its young core of Young, Huerter and big man John Collins -- though, like with New Orleans, finding the right fit there is challenging.

Last year's trade that saw Atlanta pass up on Luka Doncic to select Young and add a future first-round pick (now this year's No. 10 pick) was proof Schlenk has no problem making an against-the-grain transaction. It also serves as a reminder that the Hawks will be aggressive in making their best moves on draft night, regardless of outside perception.

4. What will the Celtics do with all of their picks?

A year ago, the Celtics looked to be better positioned than any team in the NBA to contend long term. Then Boston flamed out in five games against the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the playoffs, Anthony Davis ended up with the Lakers, Kyrie Irving looks likely to leave in free agency and Al Horford is possibly joining him.

In short: Boston's future is now incredibly murky. The Celtics hold picks Nos. 14, 20, 22 and 51. Entering this week, the Celtics weren't expected to have an interest in carrying four rookies on their roster next season. But with Irving, Horford and Marcus Morris potentially out of the picture, Boston has six returning players age 25 or younger. They could look to pivot into a full youth movement.

If Boston chooses to do so, there certainly are players in the middle of the first round -- including Gonzaga forward Brandon Clarke, Oregon center Bol Bol and Kentucky guard Tyler Herro -- who could help augment the team's current young core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart.

But given the history of Boston president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, who has never been afraid to make a deal, don't be surprised if the Celtics wind up shaking things up before draft night is through.

5. Will the contenders with roster constraints move up or down?

Making successful picks in the 20s or later in the draft is usually considered a bonus, not a necessity. It's hard enough to reliably find lottery talent that can help a team win. But there's added pressure on three teams -- the Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets -- to pull off this difficult task on Thursday night.

Philly needs a better bench, and hitting on relatively cheap draft picks would be a great way to build that depth. The Sixers got immediate contributions from 2018's No. 26 Landry Shamet before shipping him out in the Tobias Harris trade at the February deadline. Now, as they contemplate spending well into the luxury tax to keep free agents Harris, Jimmy Butler and JJ Redick, they need to come away from draft night with at one or two potential rotation players for 2019-20.

They hold picks Nos. No. 24, 33, 34 and 42, which gives the Sixers a couple of paths to tread. In one, they could package some of those selections together to move up and get a specific guy they like. In another, they could use all four and get several bites at the apple to find another player or two like Shamet.

One thing that helps Philadelphia's decision-making: The roster is so thin behind the star-studded starting five that there's no need to worry about positional value. The Sixers just need to find guys who can step in and play.

Meanwhile, Golden State simply needs bodies. If Klay Thompson and/or Kevin Durant return, the Warriors will be over the cap with a team that was already thin this past season when both were healthy. Following injuries in the NBA Finals, they're likely to miss most or all of next season. With Shaun Livingston potentially retiring on top of that, the Warriors need to find low-cost options to fill out the rotation. Their selection at No. 28 takes on added importance now, whether they pick there or make a move.

Then there are the Nets, hoping to strike it rich in free agency with a pair of max contract stars after sending two first-round picks to the Hawks to dump Allen Crabbe's contracts earlier this month. Big spending like that necessitates finding cheap contributors on long-term deals to play around them -- something the Nets have had success with in recent years by selecting Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert and Rodions Kurucs in the 20s and beyond.

The Nets will be hoping to strike gold again this year if they use their picks at Nos. 27 and 31, or package them for more desirable pieces.

CHICAGO -- Add Cubs manager Joe Maddon to the list of people wondering what's going on with the baseball this season. On an unusually chilly June night at Wrigley Field on Wednesday, the Cubs and White Sox combined to hit five home runs in the first four innings of the game.

Several of them had Maddon thinking about aliens.

"I don't know what I'm witnessing, but the way the ball is coming off the bat right now is extraterrestrial," Maddon said after the Cubs' 7-3 win. "It's an E.T. thing going on out there. It's crazy. This is my fifth year [with the Cubs], and I know what I've seen. Whenever the wind is blowing in like that, you don't see that. You don't see that."

A light rain combined with that wind and cooler temperatures should have added to a pitchers' night, but it was not meant to be. White Sox center fielder Leury Garcia led off the game with a first-pitch home run off Cubs starter Jon Lester, beginning the mini home run derby in the early innings.

"We can sit here and talk until we are blue in the face about the ball," Lester said. "It is what it is. Every pitcher in the big leagues has to pitch with it. You can comment on it all you want, but it just sounds like an excuse. I don't make excuses. Have to make better pitches."

It didn't take long for the Cubs to join in the long ball fun. Catcher Willson Contreras smacked a grand slam in the bottom of the first inning, then hit a solo shot two innings later. David Bote also went deep for the Cubs, as did White Sox backstop James McCann.

"It took off," Maddon said of the McCann home run. "You could see it from the field. It gets there [to the outfield] like a UFO. It just took off. It stood still, then took off."

Following a power drought in 2018, the Cubs are on pace to shatter records, like many other teams in baseball. After Contreras belted his second of the night, the Cubs became the only team in baseball to employ five players with at least 15 home runs. No other team has more than three. They've blasted 114 home runs already this season, after hitting just 167 last year.

As Maddon said, while shaking his head and though with a smile, "Wind blowing in, at a gale, balls flying out -- easily."

WASHINGTON -- With a broken nose, pronounced black eye and seven shutout innings, Max Scherzer provided a striking capper to the Washington Nationals' day-night doubleheader sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Scherzer himself? He shrugged off his work in the Nationals' 2-0 victory Wednesday night as business as usual.

"Trust me, this thing looks a lot worse than it actually is," Scherzer said. "I felt zero pain. There's been plenty of other injuries where I felt a lot of pain and I've had to pitch through. I'll hang my hat on those starts, but tonight I felt zero pain. This is part of what you have to do. You take the ball every fifth time.

"That's my responsibility to the team, to make sure I always post, and I knew I could post tonight."

Brian Dozier and Victor Robles hit solo homers to support Scherzer (6-5) as Washington won for the 16th time in 23 games. Philadelphia has dropped seven of its past nine and 12 of 18.

In the first game, Patrick Corbin struck out eight while allowing one run over seven innings as the Nationals earned a 6-2 victory in the delayed series opener after the teams were rained out Monday and Tuesday.

Scherzer bunted a ball off his face during Tuesday's batting practice, but it didn't stop him from making his scheduled start. His injury might have provided an extra layer of intimidation in the form of a black eye more worthy of a boxing ring than a baseball diamond.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner sported a pronounced bruise arcing beneath his right eye, adding another hue to a glare that already featured one blue eye and one brown eye.

"Going out there and throwing, the only thing I had to deal with was the swelling underneath the eye," Scherzer said. "It was kind of jiggling around, and so in warm-ups I just had to get used to knowing what it was feeling like to throw the ball and just have that swelling."

While he wasn't at his most efficient on a humid night, piling up 117 pitches, Scherzer was rarely threatened. He struck out 10, yielded only four hits and permitted just two runners to reach scoring position. And he finished strong, striking out three in a row after Cesar Hernandez led off the seventh with a double.

"It really is one of the most impressive things I've seen in a while," Dozier said. "He's probably the best pitcher in our generation, and you don't get that status unless you take the ball every fifth day -- no matter if you're doing good, doing bad, you got a broken nose. You always want the ball."

Bryce Harper, Scherzer's former Nationals teammate, was 0-for-4 with four walks in the doubleheader and was loudly booed before each plate appearance -- especially in the better-attended nightcap. This series is his second trip back to Washington, where he played from 2012 to 2018, since signing a 13-year, $330 million contract with Philadelphia in March.

Dozier belted a two-out solo shot in the second off Jake Arrieta (6-6), who allowed two hits and struck out three over six innings and had the misfortune of matching up with Scherzer on the wrong day.

"Max is just one of the best to ever toe the rubber, honestly," Arietta said. "We have ran into him a couple of times. That's just what he does. He is tough to square up, and he is throwing three or four pitches for strikes with electric stuff. Just a tough one."

Robles homered off reliever Pat Neshek in the eighth. Neshek departed two batters later with a left hamstring strain, and manager Gabe Kapler said he was likely to land on the injured list less than a week after returning from an absence of more than three weeks caused by a shoulder strain.

Wander Suero pitched a perfect eighth for Washington, and Sean Doolittle worked the ninth for his 15th save in 18 tries.

Philadelphia was 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position between the two games.

Corbin (6-5), whose start was pushed back twice this week, allowed a solo homer to Scott Kingery in the first inning of the opener. But he let just one other runner to reach third while ending a personal three-game skid.

"It's not ideal, but you have to deal with it to make sure you are ready," said Corbin, who is one strikeout shy of 1,000 for his career. "I was glad we got that one in today."

Dozier and Gerardo Parra had RBI doubles against Phillies starter Zach Eflin (6-7). They later hit back-to-back homers in the eighth inning off Cole Irvin to seal the victory.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Phillies: C J.T. Realmuto (groin) started the opening game and went 0-for-4, then struck out as a pinch hitter in the second contest in his first action since Saturday. ... OF Jay Bruce (left hamstring), who had not played since Saturday, started the second game in left and was 1-for-4. ... LHP Adam Morgan (forearm strain) pitched a scoreless inning in a rehabilitation appearance Wednesday for Double-A Reading.

Nationals: C Kurt Suzuki, who left Sunday's game with a neck injury, started the second game and went 0-for-3.

PARRA'S SHARK ATTACK

Parra debuted an eyebrow-raising walk-up music selection: "Baby Shark," a popular children's song. Parra was in an 0 for 22 slump entering the day, but he was 2-for-4 in the opener.

"I wanted to put in something different," Parra said. "My [2-year-old] daughter knows that song. ... I said, 'You know what, I am going to put in 'Baby Shark.'"

26TH MEN

Philadelphia recalled LHP Ranger Suarez from Triple-A Lehigh Valley as its 26th man for the doubleheader. Suarez allowed four earned runs in four innings on June 10 in his only other appearance for the Phillies this season. ... Washington summoned RHP Austin Voth from Triple-A Fresno. Voth, who is 3-5 with a 4.99 ERA this season, pitched in four games for the Nationals last season.

UP NEXT

Phillies: RHP Aaron Nola (6-1, 4.89) is scheduled to start against the Nationals on Thursday. Nola is 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in three starts this month.

Nationals: Washington changed its pitching plans for the series finale. RHP Erick Fedde (1-1, 3.68) will now start Thursday, bumping RHP Stephen Strasburg to Friday against the Atlanta Braves.

In mid-May, just after most students had left campus, the Michigan baseball team had work to do.

The Wolverines had lost five of their past six and were by no means shoo-ins to make the NCAA tournament. They needed a strong performance at the Big Ten tournament in Omaha, Nebraska, and maybe a little luck.

Who would've thought that a month later Michigan would be one game away from the College World Series finals?

Probably not many college baseball fans. Now that we're nine games in, we decided to reseed the remaining field based off the first half of the CWS.

1. Vanderbilt Commodores (Original seed: No. 2; Reseed: No. 1)

Marlins draft pick JJ Bleday, the No. 4 overall pick in the MLB draft, is as good as advertised. Wednesday, he went 3-for-4 in a huge win over Mississippi State, and he wasn't even the biggest star of the game. If Stephen Scott keeps hitting homers -- he had two of them Wednesday -- and Kumar Rocker and Drake Fellows keep making bats miss, Vandy is going to be in Omaha for a long time.

The Vandy whistler, who has seen his share of games, even went out on a limb Wednesday and said this team is better than the 2014 national championship squad.

Odds to win CWS (from Caesars Sportsbook): -180

2. Michigan Wolverines (Original seed: Unranked; Reseed: 2)

This might be the most obvious assessment of the past five days, but Michigan's pitching staff is good.

In the Wolverines' opening win over Texas Tech, Karl Kauffmann, a second-round draft pick by the Colorado Rockies earlier this month, turned in a solid seven innings.

Then in their next game, Tommy Henry's three-hitter against Florida State was so impressive that coach Erik Bakich couldn't even muster up the right adjectives to describe it. Henry struck out 10 and walked none.

Odds to win CWS (from Caesars Sportsbook): +275

3. Mississippi State Bulldogs (Original seed: 6; Reseed: 3)

They sure are persistent. Down 4-1 in the bottom of the ninth on Sunday, the Bulldogs clawed back to stomp on Auburn's hearts. So what if a throwing error helped decide it?

On Wednesday against a tough Vanderbilt team, MSU's rally from a six-run deficit ultimately fell short. But we've learned one thing -- never count Mississippi State out.

Odds to win CWS (from Caesars Sportsbook): 7-1

4. Louisville Cardinals (Original seed: 7; Reseed: 4)

Nos. 3 and 4 are a toss-up. But take away a late two-run homer in their CWS opener against Vandy, and maybe the Cardinals are in the winners bracket and the driver's seat.

They looked strong Wednesday in their 5-3 win over Auburn, and will need to keep their bats hot to avoid elimination Thursday vs. Mississippi State.

Odds to win CWS (from Caesars Sportsbook): 20-1

5. Texas Tech Red Raiders (Original seed: 8; Reseed: 5)

Thirty-four of the past 38 national champions have won their CWS opener. The Red Raiders will have to beat Michigan twice to get to the finals.

They've now won two straight -- sending Arkansas and Florida State home -- and have played well with their backs against the wall following their CWS opening-game loss.

Odds to win CWS (from Caesars Sportsbook): 12-1

ESPN editor Rachel Marcus contributed to this story.

Aussies aim for clean sweep in Gold Coast
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad International Correspondent

Host nation Australia will head into the knockout stage of the WSF World Doubles Squash Championships at the Carrara Squash Centre as gold medal favourites after the top seeds charged into all semi-finals.

In the mixed doubles competition, reigning Commonwealth Games gold medallists Donna Lobban and Cameron Pilley cruised through the pool phase to finish undefeated.

The cousins from Yamba in New South Wales (pictured in action above) defeated fellow Australian’s Christine Nunn and Ethan Eyles 11-4 11-5 to top pool A. Nunn and Eyles, who are teaming for the first time, will also progress to the semi-finals where they’ll face a tough matchup against Colombian pairing Catalina Pelaez and Matias Knudsen.

The second-seeded Colombians have impressed throughout the tournament, finishing undefeated at the top of Pool B. 17-year-old South Australian Alex Haydon will also feature in the semi-finals alongside partner Zac Alexander, with the duo finishing second in the pool (only losing to Colombia).

Pilley is also chasing gold in the men’s draw, where he is again yet to be beaten, this time with partner Ryan Cuskelly. The pair from New South Wales, who are defending champions in the event, defeated Australian siblings Nick and Tom Calvert to lock up top spot in Pool A.

“It was a pretty good match, it was tight early but as experienced campaigners we managed to get our way through and we’re happy to be through to the semis,” Cuskelly said.

The Calvert brothers faced a morning matchup against South Africa’s Jean-Pierre Brits and Christo Potgieter which effectively decided the other semi-finalist from the pool.

The gritty South Africans prevailed 11-1 11-4 to finish second behind Pilley and Cuskelly. The South African pair have self-funded their trip and have provided some of the most entertaining matches of the tournament so far.

Brits and Potgieter will have to overcome the second seed Australian pairing of Zac Alexander (pictured right) and Rex Hedrick, who also cruised through their pool undefeated. Colombian pair Andrés Herrera and Juan Camilo Vargas will also progress to the semi-finals.

“We are excited to have made the semis and it was great to play against Zac and Rex and I think we played ok,” said Vargas.

“Tomorrow will be a good match against Pilley and Cuskelly and we’ll give it everything.”

In the women’s round robin competition, Australia are on track to claim both gold and silver with Donna Lobban/Christine Nunn (top) and Sarah Cardwell/Jessica Turnbull (second) topping the pool. Colombian sisters Maria and Laura Tovar continue to sit in the bronze medal position and will face the second placed Australians on day four.

WSF World Doubles Squash Championships, Gold Coast, Australia.

Third Pool round:
Men’s Pool A:
[5] Jean-Pierre Brits & Christo Potgieter (RSA) bt [4] Nicholas Calvert & Thomas Calvert (AUS) 11-1, 11-4 (23m)
[9] Robert Garcia & David Pelino (PHI) bt [8] Madison Eggert & Thomas King (CAN) 11-7, 11-10 (29m)
[1] Ryan Cuskelly & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [4] Nicholas Calvert & Thomas Calvert (AUS) 11-5, 11-4 (15m)
[5] Jean-Pierre Brits & Christo Potgieter (RSA) bt [8] Madison Eggert & Thomas King (CAN) 11-5, 11-8 (16m)
Pool B:
[3] Andrés Herrera & Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) bt [6] Darren Chan & Bryan Lim Tze Kang (MAS) 9-11, 11-9, 11-6 (38m)
[7] Bradley Hindle & Kijan Sultana (MLT) bt [10] Ravindu Laksiri & Shamil Wakeel (SRI) 11-8, 11-8 (19m)
[2] Zac Alexander & Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [3] Andrés Herrera & Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) 11-8, 11-6 (36m)
[6] Darren Chan & Bryan Lim Tze Kang (MAS) bt [7] Bradley Hindle & Kijan Sultana (MLT) 11-7, 11-10 (13m)

Women’s Pool:
[2] Sarah Cardwell & Jessica Turnbull (AUS) bt [4] Taylor Flavell & Selena Shaikh (AUS) 11-7, 11-9 (20m)
[1] Donna Lobban & Christine Nunn (AUS) bt [5] Jemyca Aribado & Aysah Dalida (PHI) 11-7, 11-3 (19m)

Mixed Pool A:
[1] Donna Lobban & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [4] Christine Nunn & Ethan Eyles (AUS) 11-4, 11-5 (11m)
Pool B:
[2] Catalina Pelaez & Matias Knudsen (COL) bt [7] Aysah Dalida & Reymark Begornia (PHI) 11-3, 11-9 (19m)
[3] Alex Haydon & Zac Alexander (AUS) bt [6] Colette Sultana & Kijan Sultana (MLT) 11-5, 11-7 (12m)

Pictures courtesy of CRAIG STEWART, Brisbane Sports Photography