Indiana University Softball to Open NCAA Regional Play Against Oklahoma State Indiana Softball is set to play in its third-straight NCAA Tournament this weekend in the Fayetteville Regional at Bogle Park. The Hoosiers are the No. 3 seed in the region and will open play against No 2 seed Oklahoma State today at 4 p.m. (ET)/3 p.m. (CT) on ESPN2. After that game, No. 1 seed and host Arkansas will play against No. 4 seed Saint Louis at 6:30 p.m. (ET)/5:30 p.m. (CT). The schedule for the remainder of the weekend will depend on the results of the opening games. The regional round is a four-team, double-elimination tournament. Both Indiana and Oklahoma State enter their regional opener with a 33-18 record.
Indiana leads the nation in three statistical categories: batting average (.368), doubles per game (2.10) and on base percentage (.457). Taylor Minnick was named a Top 25 finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year honor. Four Hoosiers have a .400 or better batting average. Taylor Minnick (.470), Madalyn Strader (.425), Avery Parker (.401) and Kinsey Mitchell (.400) all are hitting the mark. Minnick leads the Big Ten in batting average (.476). The next closest is Jasmyn Burns from Ohio State, who is hitting .473. Minnick and Brianna Copeland are tied for the most home runs in program history, each sporting 43. Minnick tied the record in Indiana’s win at Purdue on May 2.
Indiana had a 1-1 showing in the Big Ten Tournament at Purdue last week, winning its opening round game against Washington, 2-0, and narrowly losing to UCLA, 5-4, in the quarterfinal. In the Washington win, Brianna Copeland threw a gem. The senior pitched a complete game and only allowed two hits and threw seven strikeouts in the shutout win. In that game, Avery Parker hit her 11th home run of the season with a solo shot to provide an insurance run in the top of the 6th inning. Against UCLA, Indiana trailed 3-0 in the first inning but rallied in the third and fifth innings to tie the game at 4-4 at the end of five frames. UCLA got the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh and hit a walk-off single to win, 5-4. For Copeland’s outstanding efforts, she was named to the Big Ten’s All-Tournament Team.
Every team in the Fayetteville Regional enters the tournament with a strong resume after a great 2025 season. Oklahoma State is making its ninth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 26th all time. The Cowgirls went 33-18, dropping their first game in the Big 12 Tournament to Arizona State. Oklahoma State’s Rosie Davis, Amanda Hasler and Ruby Meylan all earned Big 12 First Team honors. Arkansas is hosting an NCAA Regional for the fifth consecutive season and sixth time ever. They are the No. 4 national seed after reaching the SEC Tournament’s semifinals before losing to No. 1 Oklahoma, 8-6. Arkansas has a 40-12 record and went 14-10 in SEC play. The Razorbacks were 15-5 at Bogle Park this year. Saint Louis won the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament to earn their first ever NCAA Softball Tournament bid. The Billikens’ Abby Mallo was the A-10’s Co-Player of the Year. Mallo has 19 home runs and 80 RBI in 2025. Indiana and Oklahoma State are playing against each other for the first time since 2009. Oklahoma State leads the all-time series, 10-3. In the only meeting between Indiana and Arkansas, Arkansas won in 2023. Indiana leads the all-time series against Saint Louis, 7-3.
Indiana University Men’s Golfer Clay Merchent Ties for 38th at the NCAA Regional in Urbana, Illinois Indiana redshirt junior Clay Merchent shot a 217 (71-71-77; +4) to finish tied for 38th at the 2025 NCAA Urbana Regional at the Atkins Golf Club that took place earlier this week. Redshirt junior Clay Merchent tied for 38th place and shot a 217 (71-71-77; +4). Round 1: 71 (E) with birdies on No. 6, 14, and 15.
Round 2: 71 (E) with birdies on No. 3, 8, and 13. Round 3: 75 (+4) with birdies on No. 5 and 10. Merchent played 33 rounds across 11 events. He compiled a team-best 21 rounds at or below par, including a season-low of 65 in the second round of the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic Invitational. The Noblesville graduate posted a stroke average of 71.58, the fourth-lowest mark in program history (minimum 20 rounds), finished inside the top 20 in six tournaments, and added three top 5 finishes. Indiana will return to tournament action for the 2025-26 season.
Indiana University Wrestling signs Purdue Transfer Orlando Cruz Indiana Wrestling head coach Angel Escobedo has announced the signing of transfer Orlando Cruz to the program. Cruz comes to Bloomington after spending two years at Purdue. He will have three years of eligibility with the Hoosiers. This last season at Purdue, Cruz went 10-13 wrestling at 174 and 184 lbs. He was 5-6 in dual competition. Cruz took third place at the Cleveland State Open, sixth place at the Tiger Style Invitational and competed at 184 lbs. in the Big Ten Championships. In his redshirt season in 2023-24, Cruz sported an 18-7 record and won in both of his dual appearances against University of Indianapolis and Northern Illinois. He also took first place at the Greyhound Open.
Cruz, a Crown Point, Ind. native, will join three of his high school teammates in Bloomington. Sam Goin, Anthony Bahl and Logan Frazier all attended Crown Point High School with Cruz and were part of the 2023 graduating class. At Crown Point, he was a 2023 IHSAA State Champion at 182 lbs. and helped Crown Point to back-to-back team titles in 2022 and 2023. He was a four-time state-qualifier and was also runner-up in 2022 at 182 lbs. He had a 136-14 record in his time at Crown Point. He was also a Fargo All-American in 2023, with a runner-up finish. Cruz was ranked as the No. 118 overall recruit by MatScouts and was the No. 5-ranked wrestler at 182 lbs. by FloWrestling, for the 2023 class. He was the third-best prospect in the state by MatScouts. He wrestled club at the Region Wrestling Academy. Cruz is the son of Orlando and Gloria Cruz and has a brother named Evan and a sister named Lauren.
Indianapolis Colts Announce the 2025 Pre and Regular Season Schedule The Indianapolis Colts full schedule for the 2025 season was released.
Preseason (August 7) – at Baltimore Ravens (7 p.m.)
Preseason (August 16) – vs. Green Bay Packers (1 p.m.)
Preseason (August 23) – at Cincinnati Bengals (1 p.m.)
Week 1 (September 7) – vs. Miami Dolphins (1 p.m.)
Week 2 (September 14) – vs. Denver Broncos (4:05 p.m.)
Week 3 (September 21) – at Tennessee Titans (1 p.m.)
Week 4 (September 28) – at Los Angeles Rams (4:05 p.m.)
Week 5 (October 5) – vs. Las Vegas Raiders (1 p.m.)
Week 6 (October 12) – vs. Arizona Cardinals (1 p.m.)
Week 7 (October 19) – at Los Angeles Chargers (4:05 p.m.)
Week 8 (October 26) – vs. Tennessee Titans (4:25 p.m.)
Week 9 (November 2) – at Pittsburgh Steelers (1 p.m.)
Week 10 (November 9) – vs. Atlanta Falcons in Berlin, Germany (9:30 a.m.)
Week 11 – BYE WEEK
Week 12 (November 23) – at Kansas City Chiefs (1 p.m.)
Week 13 (November 30) – vs. Houston Texans (1 p.m.)
Week 14 (December 7) – at Jacksonville Jaguars (1 p.m.)
Week 15 (December 14) – at Seattle Seahawks (4:25 p.m.)
Week 16 (December 22) – vs. San Francisco 49ers (Monday Night Football, 8:15 p.m.)
Week 17 (December 28) – vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (1 p.m.)
Week 18 (TBD) – at Houston Texans (TBD)
The Colts have five afternoon kickoffs this season (4:05 or 4:25) and one primetime game (at home against the 49ers in Week 16 on Monday Night Football). Their AFC South matchups will be in Weeks 3 (Titans), 8 (Titans), 13 (Texans), 14 (Jaguars), 17 (Jaguars), and 18 (Texans). The Colts have not won a Week 1 game since 2013. They’ll look to end that streak this season against the Dolphins at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Indiana Pacers Schedule announced for the Eastern Conference Finals The Indiana Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. They will play either the New York Knicks or the Boston Celtics. The Knicks lead that series 3-2. The Eastern Conference Finals will start on Wednesday, May 21.
Game 1 (May 21): Pacers at Celtics/Knicks, 8 p.m. Game 2 (May 23): Pacers at Celtics/Knicks, 8 p.m. Game 3 (May 25): Celtics/Knicks at Pacers, 8 p.m. Game 4 (May 27): Celtics/Knicks at Pacers, 8 p.m. Game 5 (May 29): Pacers at Celtics/Knicks, 8 p.m. Game 6 (May 31): Celtics/Knicks at Pacers, 8 p.m. Game 7 (June 2): Pacers at Celtics/Knicks, 8 p.m.
Taylor University Women’s Golf Ends 23rd at the NAIA Women’s Golf Championships The Taylor women’s golf team completed its 2024-2025 season with a 23rd-place finish at the NAIA National Championships. The 23rd-place showing marked TU’s seventh-straight finish inside the NAIA’s Top 25. The Trojans opened the day by concluding their opening round and posting a score of 333. TU then improved by 19 strokes in Wednesday’s second round, but it was not enough, as its 647 put Taylor 23 strokes and eight positions back of the cut line. After all, five individuals shot scores of 80-and-above over the first 18 holes, Shayne Lim, Eleanor Schuitema and Hope Haarer posted rounds in the 70’s during the second round. Lim posted TU’s best round of the day with a 76 and ended in 85th at 156 through her 36 holes of action. Schuitema and Haarer carded totals of 78 on Wednesday to end in 99th and 116th, while Ellie Beavins and Ellie Karst finished in 119th and 143rd on the leaderboard. In addition to finishing 23rd in the NAIA, Taylor secured the Crossroads League Championship and won six team titles during the 2024-2025 season.