
I Dig Sports

PORT ROYAL, Pa. Spring weather can always prove to be tricky in Pennsylvania when it comes to running a dirt race. A 45-minute weather delay didnt stop Anthony Macri and Rick Eckert from finding their way to victory land at Port Royal Speedway on Saturday.
In the Weikerts Livestock A-main event, Brock Zearfoss and Kelby Watt led the field to green in the 25-lap race.
Zearfoss would lead the opening two laps before Danny Dietrich would slow to a stop on the front stretch to bring out the races first caution.
On the ensuing restart, Watt attempted a sliding pass for the lead on Zearfoss, cutting right in front of the Eichelberger No. 8 machine, but Zearfoss was able to steer his ride back to the inside and regain the lead.
With 16 laps to go, Zearfoss faced a brief scare when Austin Bishop spun around in turns three and four in front of Zearfoss with the leader squeaking by in a near miss.
Following the restart Anthony Macri, after starting in the seventh spot, would pass by Watt and Steve Buckwalter to get to the runner-up spot and start to track down Zearfoss.
An accident in turn one involving Doug Hammaker, Mike Wagner and Austin Bishop would bring out the races only red flag of the night and allowed teams to make minor adjustments to their ride under open red flag conditions.
When the race returned to green with nine laps remaining, Macri would duck to the inside of Zearfoss and slide in front to take the lead away.
The races final caution flag came out with two laps remaining as Watt slowed to a stop on the backstretch ending his night and setting up for a green-white-checkered finish.
Zearfoss would pull to the inside of Macri in turn one in an attempt for the lead, but Macri stayed glued to the top side of the racetrack to get back by and would hold on for the $6,000 payday.
Zearfoss would hold on for second and Chase Dietz would round out the top three.
Super Late Model
In Penske Racing Shocks super late model competition, Rick Eckert would start on the pole and lead all 25 laps to pick up the opening day win.
He would face challenges from Gregg Satterlee in the midway portion of the race, but a caution flag would reset the field, allowing clean air to Eckert and aided him to a $4,000 victory.
Port Royal Speedway will be back in action on March 29 with Weikerts Livestock 410 sprint cars, Penske Racing Shocks super late models and Zimmerman Truck Repair limited late models.
Capps, Langdon & Coughlin Win First Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge

PHOENIX Funny Cars Ron Capps claimed the first Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win of the year on Saturday in front of a sellout crowd at Firebird Motorsports Park, defeating Matt Hagan in the final round of the bonus race as part of the 40th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals.
Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel) and Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge specialty race, while Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Bob Tasca III (Funny Car) and Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) earned No. 1 qualifiers at the second of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
In front of a capacity crowd, Capps went 3.989-seconds at 318.24 mph in his 11,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra, driving past Hagan in the bonus race in a matchup of multi-time world champions. It was a welcome victory for Capps, who went all of 2024 without winning a national event. He was the runner-up in Gainesville and built on that on Saturday, defeating Alexis DeJoria earlier in the day before getting past Hagan for a much-needed result.
Im very excited myself, but Im more excited for Guido [crew chief Dean Antonelli] and the team, Capps said. Last year was a rebuilding of sorts. We knew we had to change the setup to get ahead of the competition after back-to-back world championships, and we felt like we needed to get to where Jimmy Prock and Austin were last year and this year.
Its fun to win the Mission Challenge because its really brought out a lot of fun on Saturdays. For the fans, its great. It really creates a different Saturday, and when you get to the semis at a race youre always happy because you know youre in the Mission Challenge the next race, and whatever happens is icing on the cake. So a great, great win for us today.
Funny Car Qualifying
Tasca finished as the No. 1 qualifier for the 19th time in his career, as Fridays run of 3.863 at 333.82 in his 11,000-horsepower Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang easily held up. Hell open eliminations against Jon Capps, looking for his first victory of the season.
Its going to be a stacked group out there, but this car can go up and down a hot or cool track, Tasca said. We were aggressive (today), trying to find the limit of where we thought the track was to kind of set us up for tomorrow. I think the guys will take that data and compensate for it tomorrow and we think that 3.92 (from Q1) was really in the sweet spot for the heat.
Austin Prock qualified second after going 3.883 on Friday, while R. Capps took third with a 3.912 at 323.50.
Top Fuel
Top Fuels Shawn Langdon stayed red-hot at Firebird Motorsports Park, defeating Tony Stewart in the final round of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge thanks to a run of 3.805 at 315.19 in his 11,000-horsepower Kalitta Air Careers dragster. Its another strong performance in Phoenix for Langdon, who is the defending event winner and has been to the past two final rounds at the track. That could bode well for Sunday, as Langdon, who was the runner-up in Gainesville, appears to be rolling.
There are some tracks that just seem to work well with what you have and theres some tracks that just doesnt seem to work well, and Phoenix, obviously, fortunately, is one of those that seem to work well, Langdon said.
The team has done a great job with the car, and were making great runs and kind of continuing that success. I didnt do a good job in the final. I clicked it a little bit early so, truth be told, it probably was going 3.79, which shows how much stronger the car really is, and it definitely gives us a lot of confidence going into Sunday.
Top Fuel Qualifying
His teammate, Doug Kalitta, earned his 60th career No. 1 qualifier in his 11,000-horsepower SealMaster/Toyota dragster on the strength of Fridays standout run of 3.688 at 330.09. That came under the lights, but Kalitta made a pair of strong runs on Saturday in the heat, giving him confidence for eliminations. Hell take on Phoenix-area native Travis Shumake to open raceday.
The track is holding up good in the heat, Kalitta said. On that last run, we shot a couple of spark plugs out, so it shut off early, and we ran that 3.82. Im not really sure what it would have run, but probably a little better than that, so thatll put us right in the mix where everybody else is.
Brittany Force took the second spot with a run of 3.705 at 331.69 and Langdon is third after going 3.706 at 331.85.
Pro Stock
Pro Stocks Jeg Coughlin Jr. showcased his classic form on the starting line in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, using a pair of holeshots to win the bonus round, including the final round against Dallas Glenn. Coughlin, a five-time world champ, went 6.583 at 208.88 in his Scag Power Equipment/Outlaw Light Beer Chevrolet Camaro for Elite Motorsports, utilizing a .026 reaction time to hold off Glenn and get the victory. He beat longtime rival and reigning world champ Greg Anderson earlier in the day, dialing up a strong performance in the Challenge.
I think that was a big shot in the arm for our entire team, Coughlin said. Pro Stock is so close. I mean, a holeshot is almost a loose term because you can win or lose races by thousandths of a second.
Weve made a lot of changes to our cars across the board coming into this race and obviously our we feel like our performance is there, but were just not able to light the [score]boards up, so were working hard and fortunately, we made some strides today.
Pro Stock Qualifying
Racing in front of plenty of family and friends, as well as a sold-out crowd, local native Matt Hartford easily held onto the No. 1 spot in his Total Seal Chevrolet Camaro with Fridays strong run of 6.509 at 208.20. Hartford picked up his fifth career No. 1 qualifier, setting the tone for what he hopes is a meaningful Sunday and a win at his home track. He opens eliminations against Brandon Foster.
When we unloaded off the trailer here in Phoenix, we thought we had a pretty good setup, Hartford said. Even though the scoreboard didnt show any good numbers for us today, that doesnt mean that it wasnt beneficial.
Theres nothing more that we want to do than win this race at our home track. Weve got a runner-up here [in 2019] and our goal is to take the hardware. When I lost in the finals to Jeg a few years back, it was crushing, because it was that would have been awesome to win, but weve won from No. 1 before, and our goal is to do it again.
Anderson took second with a 6.512 at 208.91 at 208.91 and Cory Reed qualified third after a run of 6.516 at 208.91.
Eliminations for the 40th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals begin at 11 a.m. MT on Sunday at Firebird Motorsports Park.

LOS ANGELES -- Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis did not return after sustaining an apparent head injury in the third period of a 7-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
Jarvis was pulled down by Kings forward Warren Foegele on a short-handed breakaway early in the third period and went hard into the end boards. Jarvis was helped off the ice by a trainer before going back to the dressing room.
Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour expressed optimism in his postgame news conference that Jarvis had avoided serious injury.
"I think he looks actually all right, but I don't want to say that because you never know when they wake up the next day," Brind'Amour said. "But I think we avoided the worst and move on."
Jarvis leads Carolina with 27 goals and is second on the team with 52 points.
The Hurricanes were already without captain Jordan Staal (lower body) and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (illness) in the first game of a back-to-back, which concludes with a visit to Anaheim on Sunday. The loss to the Kings ended an eight-game winning streak.

England midfielder Jude Bellingham needs to be a bit more disciplined so that he can have the maximum impact when it counts most, manager Thomas Tuchel said.
The 21-year-old has bagged 11 goals for Real Madrid this season and has netted six times in 41 appearances for England.
Bellingham, who set up Myles Lewis-Skelly's opener in Friday's 2-0 win over Albania at Wembley, was also a key player in England's run to the European Championship final last year in Germany, where they lost to Spain.
Asked if Bellingham was trying to do too much at Euro 2024, Tuchel said: "Yes, he is always ready to give everything but we need to help him so that within a structure he can play more economically and still have the same impact, or maybe even more impact.
"We need to make sure that the leaders, and he is one of the leaders, and the main players, walk in the same direction and play in the same rhythm and help each other out.
"And play a little more disciplined maybe, to save some energy for the decisive moments."
Tuchel noted Bellingham always wanted to be involved.
"He loves to talk to the referee and the linesmen," he added. "He's a very emotional player once he's on the pitch and you just see that he hates to lose and does everything that it takes..."
Piastri wins Chinese GP, leads McLaren 1-2 finish

SHANGHAI -- Oscar Piastri beat teammate Lando Norris to victory at the Chinese Grand Prix as McLaren continued to look a cut above the competition at the second round of the new Formula 1 season.
In a grand prix that revolved around tyre management, Piastri held the lead from pole position at the start of the race and then cruised to victory over a one-stop strategy.
The win followed a disappointing season-opener for Piastri after he spun out of second place at his home race in Australia one week ago.
"The car was very lovely and good work on reacting to the [tyre] deg," Piastri told his team over the radio after the chequered flag. "Good team effort, that is one very satisfying weekend."
In a post-race interview he said it was a surprise: "It's been an incredible weekend, the car has been pretty mega. Today was a surprise, how differently the tyres behaved. This feels like what I deserved from last week."
Norris finished 9.7 seconds behind his McLaren teammate after struggling with a brake pedal issue in the final laps of the race.
The British driver, who still leads the championship by virtue of his race win at the season-opener, never got close to challenging Piastri for victory and instead had to repass George Russell for second place after losing a place to the Mercedes in the pit stops.
Norris said after the race: "A few fun moments. The start I was hoping for, but then George got me in the pit stops. I was a little nervous, but we were better in the second stint.
"Oscar drove well, he deserved the win. I'm happy with second, good points and great points for the team with a one-two. [The brake pedal] was my worst nightmare, I was losing two, three, four seconds the last two laps. It was scary but we made it to the end."
Russell secured the final place on the podium and with it moved up to second place in the championship, one point ahead of Piastri and nine points behind Norris.
"It's a great result, finishing P3," Russell said. "We knew McLaren were a smidge quicker than us, but more crucial points. I felt it from quite early on that a one-stop was possible, and it turned out easier than we thought possible. It turned out as one of my best weekends in F1."
The Mercedes driver lost second place to Norris at the start, briefly regained the position after the first round of pit stops, but did not have the pace to hold off Norris at Turn 1 on Lap 18.
Max Verstappen secured fourth place for Red Bull after overtaking Ferrari's Charles Leclerc for the position with three laps remaining. Verstappen started fourth but lost places to both Ferrari drivers on the opening lap before fighting back from sixth.
Max Verstappen has moved past Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to move into 4th place at the Chinese GP.
Leclerc, who finished fifth, lost part of his front wing on the opening lap in a minor collision with teammate Lewis Hamilton. Leclerc and Hamilton passed Verstappen in the first corner of the first lap, but as Leclerc dived to the inside of Turn 3, he clipped the right rear tyre of Hamilton.
Despite the damage, Leclerc looked faster than Hamilton in the opening phase of the race and Hamilton offered to swap position on Lap 21, before moving over for Leclerc on Lap 22.
Clearly struggling with tyre management, Hamilton opted for a two-stop strategy while the five cars ahead of him completed the distance with just one tyre change. The alternative approach made little difference at the end, with Hamilton finishing just 2.1 seconds behind Leclerc.
Just one week after Haas looked like the slowest team in the field in Australia, Esteban Ocon secured seventh place in China ahead of the second Mercedes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli in eighth.
Alex Albon secured two points for Williams in ninth ahead of the second Haas of Oliver Bearman, who adopted an alternative strategy and moved through the field in the second half of the race to take tenth place.
Formula 1 paid tribute to Eddie Jordan with a one minute silence on the grid ahead of the race. Former F1 team owner Jordan died aged 76 earlier this week.
Pitino defends benching Luis in loss to Arkansas

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- No. 2 seed St. John's was knocked out of the NCAA tournament by 10th-seeded Arkansas on Saturday, with the Red Storm's No. 1 player on the bench in crunch time.
When Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr. hit two free throws with 4:56 remaining to pull St. John's within two points, coach Rick Pitino subbed him out of the game. Luis, who totaled nine points on 3-for-17 shooting, never returned.
Pitino was pressed by reporters on the decision, as Arkansas outscored his team 11-4 the rest of the way to record a 75-66 victory in front of a frenzied sellout crowd of 11,487 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion.
Initially, Pitino referenced Luis having played 30 minutes, noting, "That's a long time." But when asked if he kept Luis on the bench because he was tired, Pitino said: "No. He played 30 minutes. I played other people. You're asking leading questions, so don't ask me any questions. You already know why he didn't play."
There was tension in the Bill Reynolds Media Work Room. At one point, it was mentioned to Pitino that Luis had told a reporter that as a player, he didn't believe he had been a positive leader during the game. When asked his thoughts on what Luis said, Pitino didn't address it directly, instead referencing three other St. John's players for whom he had appreciation.
Then when asked if there was one play that led him to keeping Luis on the bench, Pitino shot back by referencing his shooting percentages.
"You know he was 3-for-17. You know he was 0-for-3 [from 3]. So, you're answering our own [question]," he said. "I'm not going to knock one of my players."
Luis entered Saturday averaging 18.5 points per game, and his season low was an eight-point outing against Creighton on Dec. 31 when he was 4-of-15 from the field.
His struggles against Arkansas contributed to the Red Storm shooting 28% from the field. They were 2-for-22 from 3.
"It feels like we didn't do anything, really. It sucks to lose the way we lost," Luis said. "I let my teammates down."
Pitino offered his take on St. John's issues.
"Offensively, we did not share the basketball enough, and that was our demise," said Pitino, whose team finished 31-5 after winning the Big East regular-season and tournament titles. "We did not move the basketball enough, and that led to us shooting a very low percentage. We have to get a high number of assists to win, and we didn't tonight."
There wasn't a magic scheme or adjustment that felled the Red Storm. They had not seen a team as long and athletic as Arkansas all season, and that contributed to their considerable struggles on offense.
Villanova had upset St. John's in February by exposing the Red Storm off the dribble. Other opponents followed that blueprint, but none had the same collection of talent as Arkansas to consistently beat them off the dribble.
As the 3-point shots continued to carom out for the Red Storm, and as Arkansas penetrated the lane at will, St. John's responded poorly. The Red Storm's demeanor was reflected by their body language, as things got so bad for Luis at one point that teammate Zuby Ejiofor (23 points, 12 rebounds) grabbed him by the shoulders for a pep talk.
This was not lost on the Arkansas players.
"Ohhhhhh, most definitely," exclaimed Arkansas freshman guard Boogie Fland, when asked if he could sense accumulated frustration. "You could see it on their face. Body language ... says more than words. They actually showed that. We were wearing them down, wearing them down."
From 1 to 32: Ranking every team left in womens March Madness

The first two days of the 2025 women's NCAA tournament supplied minimal drama but plenty of eye-popping performances. Two No. 10 seeds registered wins, but upsets were otherwise scarce for the second consecutive year.
The lack of early drama should have an upside. Moving forward, stronger potential matchups await. The heavyweights are still alive -- and some made history.
Six teams -- UConn, LSU, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas -- scored over 100 points for the first time in women's NCAA tournament history. And for just the second time in women's March Madness history, four teams -- the Irish, Gamecocks, Huskies and Duke -- won by more than 50 points. USC and Duke held their opponents to just 25 points apiece, tied for the second fewest in an NCAA tournament game. Oklahoma grabbed an NCAA tournament-record 72 rebounds.
First round or not, we have to take notice. And those kinds of numbers add extra intrigue in a reevaluation of the 32 remaining teams -- even if no teams seeded 11 or lower won a game in the first round for the first time since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1994.
Ahead of the second round, which opens at noon ET Sunday (ESPN), we rank every team remaining. And there's plenty of movement, starting at the very top.
How the round of 32 was set:
Friday | Saturday
1. South Carolina Gamecocks
Original seed: No. 1 (Birmingham 2)
First round: Defeated No. 16 Tennessee Tech 108-48 (Friday)
The Gamecocks should have been the No. 1 overall seed coming into the NCAA tournament -- and now they are (at least in this exercise). No team was more overwhelming in the first round. Their 108 points and 60-point victory were the best in an NCAA tournament game in program history. So were 12 3-pointers and 43 field goals. The 66 points the Gamecocks got from their reserves were the most in tournament history. Their top three scorers -- Joyce Edwards (22), MiLaysia Fulwiley (15) and Tessa Johnson (11) -- all came off the bench. All 12 Gamecocks scored. After a dominant win over Texas in the SEC championship game, Friday's performance and a 26.8-point scoring margin over the past eight games, South Carolina must be considered the best team in the country.
Up next: vs. Indiana (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, ABC)
Tessa Johnson gathers the rock and knocks down the three from the wing to pad the Gamecocks' lead.
2. UCLA Bruins
Original seed: No. 1 (Spokane 1)
First round: Defeated No. 16 Southern 84-46 (Friday)
UCLA was the No. 1 overall team on Selection Sunday but drops slightly to No. 2 overall because South Carolina looked so good -- and because it took UCLA a half to get completely in sync against the Jaguars. Once they did, the Bruins were the same precision team they have been all season. They assisted on 23 of their 26 field goals. On the other end, they held Southern to 20 second-half points. No UCLA starter played more than 26 minutes, and nine got into the scoring column, led by Lauren Betts' 14 points.
Up next: vs. Richmond (Sunday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN)
3. UConn Huskies
Original seed: No. 2 (Spokane 4)
First round: Defeated No. 15 Arkansas State 103-34 (Saturday)
Arkansas State got the full effect of what makes UConn's offense the most efficient in the country. The first half was a clinic that resulted in 66 points and the second-largest margin (50) in NCAA tournament history. The best news for the Huskies might have been the performance of Azzi Fudd: 27 points (6-of-9 from 3-point range, 7 assists, 6 steals. Fudd hadn't played in an NCAA tournament game since the 2023 Sweet 16. An even better sign: Fudd has made 55.8% of her 3-point attempts in UConn's past nine games. Her shooting to go along with the play of Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong is why UConn has the second-best odds behind South Carolina to win the title.
Up next: vs. South Dakota State (Monday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
4. USC Trojans
Original seed: No. 1 (Spokane)
First round: Defeated No. 16 UNC Greensboro 71-25 (Saturday)
While it's notable that USC allowed only 25 points Saturday, tied for the second-lowest total in an NCAA tournament game, JuJu Watkins' health is the real news coming out of the Galen Center. The sophomore came out of this win with 22 points, eight rebounds, a banged-up left wrist and a sore left ankle. She remained in the game after short absences and played 28 minutes, but her physical status will be watched closely in Round 2. Despite the 46-point win, USC didn't play its best offensive basketball. Kiki Iriafen was the only other Trojan in double figures with 13.
Up next: vs. Mississippi State (Monday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN)
JuJu Watkins sinks a deep three despite rolling her ankle. She returned to the game after receiving treatment in the locker room.
5. Texas Longhorns
Original seed: No. 1 (Birmingham 3)
First round: Defeated No. 16 William & Mary 105-61 (Saturday)
Considering the low points totals allowed by USC, UConn, Duke and South Carolina, Texas allowing 61 points to Williams & Mary is high. That it was an 18-16 game with under a minute left in the first quarter was also surprising. The Tribe entered this game as the only team in the NCAA tournament with a losing record. The Longhorns were still dominant, just not as dominant as the rest of the top teams. A game against William & Mary doesn't say anything about Texas' national championship potential, but it shakes up the rankings. The bar had been set high on Friday and earlier Saturday. Madison Booker's shooting efficiency (8-of-11 from the field) and 20 points were a good sign after her tough, 10-point showing against South Carolina in the SEC tournament finals.
Up next: vs. Illinois (Monday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN)
6. Duke Blue Devils
Original seed: No. 2 (Birmingham 2)
First round: Defeated No. 15 Lehigh 80-57 (Friday)
During its run to the ACC tournament title and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, Duke's defense was outstanding. It's the calling card of the program under Kara Lawson. On Friday against Lehigh, it was almost unfair. The Blue Devils forced 30 turnovers and allowed the Mountain Hawks to make just nine field goals (19.6 FG%). Stifling might not be a strong enough description. Perhaps even better news for Duke's long-term tournament aspirations, the Blue Devils made 11 3-pointers and Oluchi Okananwa continued her outstanding play off the bench with a team-leading 15 points. Oregon played methodically against Vanderbilt with success. That might be playing right into Duke's hands.
Up next: vs. Oregon (Sunday, noon ET, ESPN)
7. TCU Horned Frogs
Original seed: No. 2 (Birmingham 3)
First round: Defeated No. 15 FDU 73-51 (Friday)
With Sedona Prince in foul trouble and Hailey Van Lith struggling from the field, it took the Horned Frogs a little time to get established after a 12-day layoff, and they trailed by three after the first quarter. Then they settled in and by halftime, TCU's first NCAA tournament win since 2006 was inevitable. So much of Sunday's second-round meeting with Louisville will be about Van Lith playing against her former team, but the Horned Frogs in just their second year under coach Mark Campbell will be playing for their first trip to the Sweet 16.
Up next: vs. Louisville (Sunday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN)
8. NC State Wolfpack
Original seed: No. 3 seed (Spokane 1)
First round: Defeated No. 15 Vermont 75-55 (Saturday)
NC State was outscored 47-26 in the second half of the ACC tournament final against Duke and then was only six points better than Vermont over the first 30 minutes in the Wolfpack's NCAA tournament opener. Concern might have been setting in before the Wolfpack cranked it up in the fourth quarter. NC State outscored the Catamounts 23-9 in the final 10 minutes behind six points from Aziaha James. It marked the Wolfpack's highest scoring quarter since the regular-season finale against SMU. Of course, the offense got off to a slow start in the first round last year against Chattanooga -- and then carried NC State to the Final Four.
Up next: vs. Michigan State (Monday, noon ET, ESPN)
9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Original seed: No. 3 (Birmingham)
First round: Defeated No. 14 SFA 106-54 (Friday)
A 52-point NCAA tournament win is something to celebrate, especially for an Irish team that struggled in the final weeks leading into March Madness. But much of that was muted when Olivia Miles appeared to sprain her left ankle with 8:44 left in the fourth quarter Friday. She had to be helped off the floor and didn't return. Coach Niele Ivey said after the game that her point guard "should be OK," but any momentum Notre Dame established behind 24 points each from Hannah Hidalgo and Sonia Citron and 56.3% shooting from the field is stalled until Miles' health and status are known.
Up next: vs. Michigan (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, ABC)
10. LSU Tigers
Original seed: No. 3 (Spokane 1)
First round: Defeated No. 14 San Diego State 103-48 (Saturday)
With Flau'Jae Johnson leading the way with 22 points and Aneesah Morrow posting her 28th double-double of the season, the questions around their health were answered Saturday. Johnson showed no rust after missing the SEC tournament and the last two games of the regular season. Morrow wasn't hampered by the ankle injury she sustained in the SEC semifinals. The Tigers put six players in double figures and scored 100 points for the sixth time this season. The 103 points were a school record in the NCAA tournament. The Tigers jumped to a 9-0 lead and never looked back. LSU, the sixth-highest-scoring team in the country, now faces the third-most-prolific team, Florida State.
Up next: vs. Florida State (Monday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN)
11. Oklahoma Sooners
Original seed: No. 3 (Spokane 4)
First round: Defeated No. 14 Florida Gulf Coast 81-58 (Saturday)
Getting out of the SEC seems to have been refreshing for the Sooners. Against the Eagles, Oklahoma got to be the big, physical team, and the Sooners made it count, collecting a single-game NCAA tournament-record 72 rebounds. Much like last year in the first round, FGCU played Oklahoma tough. Last year it ended up a three-point Sooners win. This time, Oklahoma pulled away in the fourth for a more comfortable finish. The addition of Raegan Beers was the difference. Oklahoma's 6-foot-4 center had 25 points and 18 rebounds, with nine points in the final quarter. The lower part of the Spokane 4 Regional was loaded with good offensive teams. The Iowa-Oklahoma second-round game has the potential to be the highest-scoring of the tournament.
Up next: vs. Iowa (Monday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN)
12. North Carolina Tar Heels
Original seed: No. 3 (Birmingham 2)
First round: Defeated No. 14 Oregon State 70-49 (Saturday)
Health was North Carolina's biggest issue late in the season, but Alyssa Ustby and Reniya Kelly both returned for the ACC tournament and are now back to their full roles. Ustby led North Carolina in minutes on Saturday against Oregon State, and Kelly's 28 minutes were more than her season average. The duo, along with the hot shooting of Lexi Donarski, led the Tar Heels to their fifth straight first-round win. Ustby is a top-20 individual defensive player in the country, one of the best defensive rebounders and is generally Courtney Banghart's most vital player. Against West Virginia's press, however, Kelly and Donarski might be even more important.
Up next: vs. West Virginia (Monday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
13. Kentucky Wildcats
Original seed: No. 4 (Spokane 4)
First round: Defeated No. 13 Liberty 79-78 (Friday)
The Wildcats created a scare of their own making, going cold in the final quarter Friday, nearly blowing a 17-point lead to the Flames. Liberty pulled within one point twice late in the fourth quarter, but Georgia Amoore made three free throws in the final 10 seconds for Kentucky's first NCAA tournament win since 2021. It was, however, the seventh NCAA tournament victory for Amoore, who helped Virginia Tech and coach Kenny Brooks reach the Final Four in 2021. Posts Clara Strack and Teonni Key each fouled out, and the Wildcats once again relied heavily on Amoore. Her 34 points and eight assists accounted for 55 of Kentucky's 79 points, and she tied the program mark for most points in an NCAA tournament game.
Up next: vs. Kansas State (Sunday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN)
14. Baylor Bears
Original seed: No. 4 (Spokane 1)
First round: Defeated No. 13 Grand Canyon 73-60 (Friday)
Senior center Aaronette Vonleh continued her outstanding end-of-season play with 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Baylor needed all of her dominance to hold off Grand Canyon. Largely because of Vonleh (22.5 PPG in her past six games), the Bears have played their best basketball in the past few weeks. And that had been without Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, the only player in the Big 12 to average a double-double (13.9 PPG, 10.2 RPG) this season. Littlepage-Buggs returned against the Lopes after missing seven games with a knee injury but is still on a minutes restriction and scored two in 18 minutes.
Up next: vs. Ole Miss (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN)
15. Tennessee Lady Vols
Original seed: No. 5 (Birmingham 3)
First round: Defeated No. 12 South Florida 101-66 (Friday)
For only the second time in NCAA tournament history, three teams scored more than 100 points in a single day. The Lady Vols joined South Carolina and Notre Dame by forcing 24 turnovers and making 16 3-pointers, categories in which Tennessee was in the top 10 in the country this season. The 16 3-pointers and 37 attempts were both NCAA tournament records for the program, a testament to the change first-year coach Kim Caldwell has brought to Rocky Top. As the Lady Vols are apt to do with their nonstop press, they turned a one-point lead after the first quarter into a 45-32 advantage five minutes later. The Bulls never got closer.
Up next: vs. Ohio State (Sunday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
16. Ohio State Buckeyes
Original seed: No. 4 (Birmingham 3)
First round: Defeated No. 13 Montana State 71-51 (Friday)
After a 29-point loss to UCLA in the Big Ten tournament semis and a slow start against the Bobcats in the first round, there was reason to be concerned. But following a Kevin McGuff technical foul, the Buckeyes responded and scored 32 of the next 35 points. Ohio State's press was the catalyst. The Buckeyes' full-court pressure caused 14 turnovers, which tied their next opponent, Tennessee, for the second most in an NCAA tournament over the past five years. The team that plays the more effective press Sunday could decide the game. On the season, the Lady Vols turn over the ball slightly more than Ohio State, but the Buckeyes had 16 miscues against Montana State, an area they will have to tighten up.
Up next: vs. Tennessee (Sunday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
17. Ole Miss Rebels
Original seed: No. 7 (Spokane 1)
First round: Defeated No. 12 Ball State 83-65 (Friday)
Three years ago, Ole Miss was making its first NCAA tournament appearance in 15 years and was set to play Baylor in the second round in Waco. Then South Dakota stunned the Rebels in the first round. Ole Miss didn't miss a second chance and will meet the Bears at Foster Pavilion on Saturday. Double-doubles from Starr Jacobs and Kennedy Todd-Williams led the way, as well as a plus-22 rebounding margin. That is where the matchup with Baylor might be won. Both teams rank in the top 25 in the country in rebound rate, and both dominated the glass on Friday.
Up next: vs. Notre Dame (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN)
18. Kansas State Wildcats
Original seed: No. 5 (Spokane 4)
First round: Defeated No. 12 Fairfield 85-41 (Friday)
Ayoka Lee might have played only 15 minutes Friday in her return from a foot injury that caused her to miss most of the past six weeks, but her impact was immeasurable. The Wildcats put together one of their best performances of the season, shooting 53.1% from the field and completely shutting down the smaller Stags. Lee had 17 points and 10 rebounds and said she could have played longer if necessary. She will likely have to against a Kentucky team with 6-foot-4 Teonni Key, 6-6 Clara Strack and 6-7 Clara Silva.
Up next: vs. Kentucky (Sunday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN)
19. Maryland Terrapins
Original seed: No. 4 (Birmingham 2)
First round: Defeated No. 13 Norfolk State 82-69 (Saturday)
The Terps were seeded in the top 16 and got to host despite getting blown out by Michigan in their regular-season finale. That might be their biggest edge against Alabama in Round 2. Maryland coach Brenda Frese rebuilt her team this season with transfers, and two of them led the Terps in a tougher-than-expected win over Norfolk State. Sarah Te-Biasu (VCU) and Kaylene Smikle (Rutgers) combined for 43 points and eight of Maryland's nine 3-pointers. The key for Maryland is getting to the free throw line and converting. The Terps are fifth in the country in made free throws and were 23-of-25 from the line against the Spartans.
Up next: vs. Alabama (Monday, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
20. Alabama Crimson Tide
Original seed: No. 5 (Birmingham 2)
First round: Defeated No. 12 Green Bay 81-67 (Saturday)
When Zaay Green decided to make Alabama the fourth stop in her college career, the Crimson Tide had their version of a big three. Sarah Ashlee Barker and Aaliyah Nye have been mainstays in Tuscaloosa since each transferred in themselves, and Kristy Curry has a trio that accounts for 62% of Alabama's scoring. Green, who played at Tennessee, Texas A&M and Arkansas Pine-Bluff before playing this final season with Alabama, has become the Tide's point guard. Against Green Bay, she was their most important player. Green had 22 points and five assists, and her drives to the basket eventually wore down the Phoenix. Then Nye (23 points) finished things off with three late 3-pointers.
Up next: vs. Maryland (Monday, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
21. Iowa Hawkeyes
Original seed: No. 6 (Spokane 4)
First round: Defeated No. 11 Murray State 92-57 (Saturday)
Murray State was a trendy upset pick, and the Racers were hanging with Iowa deep into the first half with the Hawkeyes in foul trouble. Then Iowa exploded. Over the last four minutes of the second quarter and the first five of the third, the Hawkeyes went on a 33-8 run that included a stretch in which they made nine shots in a row. Katelyn Young, Murray State's leading scorer and all-time great player, went down early in the second half with a lower leg injury and the game was effectively over. The emergence of freshman post Ava Heiden has given Iowa another dimension and makes the Hawkeyes more dangerous going forward. She didn't score in double figures all season, then did it twice in the Big Ten tournament and was Iowa's best player in the first half against Murray State. She scored 13 in the first 20 minutes and finished the game with a team-high 15 points.
Up next: vs. Oklahoma (Monday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN)
22. Michigan Wolverines
Original seed: No. 6 (Birmingham 3)
First round: Defeated No. 11 Iowa State 80-74 (Friday)
The Wolverines are back in the NCAA tournament because of a youth movement. They are in the second round because of senior Jordan Hobbs. Her career-high 28 points helped Michigan get to the round of 32 for the sixth time in the past seven tournaments by beating Iowa State in one of the most entertaining games of the first round. Michigan took control of the game on a 13-3 fourth-quarter run that included nine points from freshman Olivia Olson. Sunday will mark the fifth game this season the Wolverines will play against a No. 1 seed or a team that was ranked No. 1 this season. They lost the first four (South Carolina, UCLA, USC twice) by an average of 13.5 points.
Up next: vs. Notre Dame (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, ABC)
23. Florida State Seminoles
Original seed: No. 6 (Spokane 1)
First round: Defeated No. 11 George Mason 94-59 (Saturday)
The Seminoles limped into the NCAA tournament with consecutive losses to Duke and North Carolina, scoring just 57 and 56 points in those games. Worse, Ta'Niya Latson, the nation's top scorer, slumped badly, shooting 6-of-35 combined in those games. Florida State found its way against George Mason. Latson scored 28 points and the Seminoles scored their most points since early February, shooting 57% from the field. The win also snapped a five-game NCAA tournament losing streak. O'Mariah Gordon and Makayla Timpson each scored 18 and have been keys to Florida State's season. But any chance of reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016 rests with Latson playing like her All-American form.
Up next: vs. LSU (Monday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN)
24. West Virginia Mountaineers
Original seed: No. 6 (Birmingham 2)
First round: Defeated No. 11 Columbia 78-59 (Saturday)
Defense is supposed to travel well and there are few defenses better in the country than West Virginia's. However, the Mountaineers are only 5-5 in true road games and now must beat North Carolina in Chapel Hill to get to their first Sweet 16 since 1992. That defense, which ranks second in the country in steals, led the Mountaineers to their second consecutive appearance in the second round. JJ Quinerly, the Big 12 defensive player of the year and West Virginia's top scorer on the season, had 27 points and seven steals against Columbia. Her 15 points led the Mountaineers in last year's second-round loss to Iowa.
Up next: vs. North Carolina (Monday, 7 p.m., ESPN2)
25. Michigan State Spartans
Original seed: No. 7 (Spokane 1)
First round: Defeated No. 10 Harvard 64-50 (Saturday)
The Spartans had an effective game plan to slow down Harvard's Harmoni Turner and executed it well, holding the Ivy League player of the year to 7-of-22 shooting. She scored 24 points, but Michigan State also found a way to limit the rest of Harvard's attack. None of Turner's teammates reached double figures as the Spartans held an opponent below 60 points for the 11th time this season. That defense will be challenged at a much higher level on Monday against an NC State team with multiple scoring options. The Spartans will have to clean up the 23 turnovers they committed against Harvard and get more than the eight points fifth-year senior and second-leading scorer Julia Ayrault had in the first round.
Up next: NC State (Monday, noon ET, ESPN)
26. Louisville Cardinals
Original seed: No. 7 (Birmingham 3)
First round: Defeated No. 10 Nebraska 63-59 (Friday)
Last year the Cardinals were the only first-round upset victim. Veterans Jayda Curry and Olivia Cochran made sure it didn't happen this March. Curry scored 13 points and delivered key plays late in the fourth quarter and Cochran, playing in her 15th NCAA tournament game with Louisville, had 14 points and five rebounds. Prior to the one-and-done a year ago, the Cardinals had made five straight Elite Eight appearances, and Jeff Walz is now 41-10 all time in the NCAA tournament. Hailey Van Lith was part of three of those trips to the regional finals, but she's now on the other side of the matchup with TCU on Sunday.
Up next: vs. TCU (Sunday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN)
27. South Dakota State Jackrabbits
Original seed: No. 10 (Spokane 4)
First round: Defeated No. 7 Oklahoma State 74-68 (Saturday)
It's hard to call South Dakota State's win over Oklahoma State an upset because the Jackrabbits shouldn't have been a No. 10 seed. That correction is being made now. But getting a 10-seed on Selection Sunday means that a team with Sweet 16 potential (given the right matchup) now draws UConn in the second round. Fundamentals and high IQ drive South Dakota State, which has now won at least one NCAA tournament game for the third time since 2019. Led by Summit League player of the year Brooklyn Meyer's 19 points and eight rebounds, the Jackrabbits outrebounded the Cowgirls by 18 and outscored them in the paint 38-26.
Up next: vs. UConn (Monday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
28. Richmond Spiders
Original seed: No. 8 (Spokane 1)
First round: Defeated No. 9 Georgia Tech 74-49 (Friday)
Spiders coach Aaron Roussell said after Richmond's first NCAA tournament win that his players had taken losing in the Atlantic 10 tournament semifinals extremely hard. They played like it, especially leading scorer Maggie Doogan. The A-10 player of the year became just the second Division I player to have 30 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists in an NCAA tournament game since 2000 (Baylor's Lauren Cox did it in 2018). One of the country's best shooting offenses might challenge UCLA's defense. The Spiders lead the nation in effective field goal percentage, points per scoring attempt and 2-point field goal percentage.
Up next: vs. UCLA (Sunday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN)
29. Illinois Fighting Illini
Original seed: No. 8 (Birmingham 3)
First round: Defeated No. 9 Creighton 66-57 (Saturday)
Makira Cook was the Illini's leading scorer in 2022-23 and 2023-2024. When she went down with an injury after just eight games, the thought of breaking the program's 25-year NCAA tournament win drought seemed remote. Then Kendall Bostic became one of the best players in the Big Ten. She registered 19 double-doubles on the season and then added another one against Creighton. Her 17 rebounds, to go with 12 points, were the most in program history in an NCAA tournament game. Illinois came into March Madness on a four-game losing streak but shut down a well-shooting Bluejays team. It was the fewest points allowed by Illinois to a team with a winning record since early January.
Up next: vs. Texas (Monday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN)
30. Indiana Hoosiers
Original seed: No. 9 (Birmingham 2)
First round: Defeated No. 8 Utah 76-68 (Friday)
Of the six teams South Carolina faced in the NCAA tournament in 2024 on its way to an undefeated national championship run, Indiana gave the Gamecocks the closest game. In last year's Sweet 16, Indiana outscored the Gamecocks 43-30 in the second half and got as close as two points late in the game before falling 79-75. Sydney Parrish, Yarden Garzon and Chloe Moore-McNeil are all starters who played in that game. On Friday, they combined for 37 points, and the Hoosiers pulled away in the third quarter to beat the Utes. The Hoosiers have now won at least one game in all seven NCAA tournaments they have played in under Teri Moren.
Up next: vs. South Carolina (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, ABC)
31. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Original seed: No. 9 (Spokane 4)
First round: Defeated No. 8 California 59-46 (Saturday)
In two of his three years as the Bulldogs' coach Sam Purcell is 3-1 in the NCAA tournament. It's a long way from the glory days of Vic Schaefer's teams that reached two Finals Fours, but it's a good recovery for a program that was only two games above .500 in the two years before Purcell arrived. The win over Cal wasn't artistic success -- 20 turnovers, 2-of-11 on 3-point shooting -- but few of Mississippi State's games are. The Bulldogs' defense completely shut down Cal, forcing 23 turnovers and holding a team that ranks 10th in the country in 3-pointers made to 3-of-21. Next up is the challenge of JuJu Watkins. The Bulldogs held Madison Booker to just 12 points in their one meeting with Texas. It will take that kind of job on Watkins to pull the upset.
Up next: vs. USC (Monday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN)
32. Oregon Ducks
Original seed: No. 10 (Birmingham 2)
First round: Defeated No. 7 Vanderbilt 77-73 OT (Friday)
Kelly Graves' strategy to slow the pace and win with defense was just good enough Friday. The Ducks held Vanderbilt -- which ranks fourth in the country in field goal attempts per game -- 10 shots below its average. Even with an extra five minutes of overtime, the Commodores scored 10 points below their scoring average. But Oregon still had to survive losing a 19-point third-quarter lead and shooting 15-of-27 from the free throw line to outlast Vanderbilt. The last time the Ducks played NCAA tournament games in Durham was in 2017 -- a team that featured freshmen Sabrina Ionescu and Ruthy Hebard -- and they upset Duke in the second round. The Blue Devils await again, and Oregon has a chance at duplicating history on Sunday.
Up next: vs. Duke (Sunday, 12 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Butler shrugs off Miami return: Just 'another game'

ATLANTA -- Jimmy Butler said his highly anticipated return to Miami to face his former Heat team will be just "another game" to him Tuesday.
After the Golden State Warriors dropped a disappointing 124-115 loss to the Atlanta Hawks without an injured Stephen Curry (pelvic contusion) on Saturday night, Butler said his return to Miami will be no different than his first game against former teams such as Chicago, Philadelphia and Minnesota.
Butler was traded from Miami to Golden State before the trade deadline last month after a tumultuous breakup with the Heat.
"Yeah, I was traded from there, yada, yada, yada," Butler said after finishing with 25 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds in the loss to Atlanta. "Yeah, it didn't end the way that people wanted to, yada yada yada.
"But that's so far behind me now. I don't even think about it. I don't pay attention to nothing except for the trajectory of this squad."
Despite the setback in Atlanta, the Warriors (41-30) are 16-4 since Butler's debut Feb. 8.
The Heat, meanwhile, are on a 10-game slide for the first time since 2008. Miami is just 4-17 since the Butler trade became official on Feb. 7. During that span, Miami has been outscored by 125 points in the fourth quarter, the worst in the NBA since Feb. 6, according to research by ESPN Research.
This also will be the first time Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson, two Warriors who were sent to Miami in the five-team trade involving Butler, will face their former team.
"We got Jimmy over here, I know this is a big game for him," Warriors power forward Draymond Green said. "They got Wiggs over there. I know it's a huge game for him. We want to win for Jimmy, they're going to want to win for Wiggs. We got to come out ready to play."
Butler, who helped the Heat reach two NBA Finals during his five-and-a-half seasons, praised the Miami fans for their support but said he is not curious about the reaction he will receive.
"Not really, don't make no difference," Butler said. "I'm a member of the Golden State Warriors. I love that fan base. They showed me a lot of love while I was there. But I'm there to win now. I'm on the opposing team."
When asked how he would characterize his time in Miami, Butler said it fell short of the ultimate goal of winning a title.
"We were alright," Butler said. "We didn't win nothing like we were supposed to. So I don't know. We made some cool runs. We had some fun. I think that's all we did."
Curry, meanwhile, is expected to be reevaluated Monday. And while coach Steve Kerr said he expects Curry to rejoin the team at some point on this six-game road swing, Butler is more focused on likely having to find a way to win in Miami without him.
"Another game for me, another game that we're expected to win for sure," Butler said after expressing disappointment of losing to the Hawks. "So we got to figure it out very quickly [without Curry]."
With LeBron back, Lakers lose, eye strong finish

LOS ANGELES -- The Lakers were whole for the first time in weeks Saturday with LeBron James and Rui Hachimura returning from injury. And then their sloppy ball protection and porous defense dug a hole they couldn't find their way out of in a 146-115 blowout loss to the Chicago Bulls.
Though James' presence, after a two-week absence because of a strained left groin, was welcome, as was Hachimura's after he missed nearly a month because of tendinopathy in his left knee, the result was a reminder of the team's precarious position with 12 games remaining in the regular season.
Los Angeles (43-27) is No. 4 in the Western Conference and just 2 games behind the No. 2 Houston Rockets. However, the Lakers are also just three games up on the No. 7 LA Clippers, who are the top-seeded play-in tournament team in the West.
"We got 12 games to position ourselves in the postseason," James said after posting 17 points on 7-of-16 shooting, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 5 turnovers against the Bulls. "We pretty much can control our own destiny if we win ballgames and not have to be in the play-in."
Lakers coach JJ Redick has said that the goal for his team is securing the No. 6 seed or better so it can bank a week of rest and preparation between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs rather than face a must-win scenario in the play-in tournament, which Los Angeles has dealt with three of the past four years.
"I think that's a good way to look at it. ... ground zero," Redick said. "These next 12 games, you've got to refind your way. It's a perpetually flowing river that we've all of a sudden run into a beaver's [dam] ... and we got to get ready to get the water flowing again."
Hardly anything flowed for Los Angeles against Chicago, particularly in the second half when the Lakers were outscored 81-53.
"I think our key is going to be the defense," Hachimura said. "Our defense was awful today. We weren't locked into our game plans and everything. We didn't execute. They were getting everything -- 3s, transition, layups, pick-and-roll, whatever. So we just got to, I think, focus on defense."
All five Bulls starters scored in double digits, led by Coby White's 36 points. Rookie Matas Buzelis scored a season-best 31 points. Josh Giddey neared a quadruple-double with 15 points, 17 assists, 10 rebounds and 8 steals.
Though the Lakers' defense was picked apart, their offense didn't fare much better. Luka Doncic scored 29 points in the first half, but finished with just 34 -- and 7 turnovers. Los Angeles committed 21 turnovers, leading to 27 points for the Bulls. "I can't be losing the ball seven times," Doncic said. "That's way too many for me."
Lingering too long on the loss to the Bulls won't help, however. Los Angeles has to shift focus in a hurry. The Lakers start a four-game road trip Monday against the Orlando Magic, followed by Indiana, Chicago and Memphis. Eight of the Lakers' last 12 games are on the road; they still have three back-to-back sets remaining, and only four of their remaining games are against teams outside of the top eight in either conference.
Plus, having James and Hachimura back in the lineup doesn't mean the Lakers are fully back.
Hachimura (5 points on 2-for-6 shooting and 2 rebounds in 18 minutes against Chicago) will be restricted to 20 to 24 minutes moving forward. And his knee is still only "70-80%" in his estimation. "My knee is going to be like that for a while, I think," he said. "I can't really get back to 100% right away. I got to rest for a long time to get back to normal. But I don't think we have that, so we just got to maintain and manage it."
James wasn't ready to say he was fully recovered from his groin injury, either. "I just take it day by day," he said. "I hope it's behind [me], but I don't want to go too far in the future."
For a group that has taken on the Redick's identity by embracing competition this season, how it responds to challenges over the next three weeks will largely determine the success of its season.
"I think we're in a great spot," Doncic said. "Obviously, today wasn't a good game for us, but I think we're in a great spot. We've got to play hard every game to try not to get in the play-in and try to get the highest seed we can."

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Colorado Rockies traded outfielder Nolan Jones to the Cleveland Guardians for Tyler Freeman on Saturday.
The addition of Freeman provides increased flexibility for Colorado after it lost Thairo Estrada to a broken right wrist. Freeman, 25, has made big league starts at second base, third, shortstop and center field.
Jones, 26, returns to Cleveland after he made his big league debut with the Guardians in 2022. The second-round pick in the 2016 amateur draft was traded to the Rockies in November 2022 for infielder Juan Brito.
Jones is looking to bounce back after he was limited to 79 games last year because of a back issue. He hit .227 with three homers and 28 RBIs.
Jones had a big year in 2023, batting .297 with 20 homers, 62 RBIs and 20 steals in 106 games. He finished fourth in balloting for NL Rookie of the Year.
Freeman was Cleveland's Opening Day starter in center in 2024. He hit .209 with seven homers and 32 RBIs in 118 games for the AL Central champions.
He was selected by Cleveland in the second round of the 2017 draft.
The Rockies visit Tampa Bay for their opener Friday, and the Guardians are at Kansas City on Thursday for Opening Day.