Indiana University Athletics Announces IU Football National Championship Trophy Tour Following IU Football’s historic 16-0 College Football Playoff National Championship season, Indiana University Athletics is proud to announce it is going on the road and bringing the football program’s championship trophies to Hoosier fans across the state beginning next week. “From Indianapolis to Pasadena to Atlanta to Miami, Hoosier fans fueled our championship run by turning out in enormous numbers at each of our postseason games,” said IU Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Dolson. “They transformed neutral site games into virtual home games, and had a big impact on making these championships possible. We’re excited to give Hoosier fans from every corner of the state a chance to see the trophies in person this spring.”
Starting March 24, the tour will crisscross the state of Indiana, making stops at IU campuses and regional hubs from the shores of Lake Michigan to the Ohio River. The initiative is free to attend and aims to share the program’s success with the entire Hoosier community, recognizing that this victory belongs to the fans across the state. The tour is designed to be an interactive experience as well. At every stop, fans will have the opportunity to get up close with some of the coveted trophies in college football, including the CFP National Championship, the Big Ten Championship, the Rose Bowl, and the Peach Bowl trophies. IU Athletics encourages fans of all ages to attend, where they can take photos and selfies with the trophies. There will also be great giveaways at each of the Trophy tour stops. For additional information and updates on the Trophy Tour, please check IUHoosiers.com and Indiana Football’s social media accounts.
Indiana University Softball Hoosiers Power Back to Beat Maryland in Series Opener After a 4-0 deficit on the road, Indiana got a combined effort from everyone to rally through it and pull ahead for an 8-5 win at Maryland on Friday in Maryland Softball Stadium. The series opening win marked their second victory in a row and improves the season record to 23-6 overall and 5-2 in the Big Ten. Maryland opened the scoring with an RBI single through the right side from Caroline Fox to make it a 1-0 game in the bottom of the second. The Terrapins would add to the lead and make it a 4-0 game in the bottom of the fourth when Bailey Murphy hit a bases-clearing double to score three Terps.
The Hoosiers used a big fifth inning to even the score. Alli Gavin started it off with a 2-run homer before Alex Cooper scored on an error to make it 4-3. Immediately after, Josie Bird doubled to right center to score Avery Parker to make it a tied game at 4-4. Indiana got its first lead in the top of the sixth. Josie White took a walk on a wild pitch which brough Hannah Haberstroh home to put the Hoosiers in front 5-4. Maryland got the score even again in the bottom of the frame after Zayda Rocke hit a solo home run out to left field. Once again, Indiana answered the bell. In the top of the seventh, Cooper hit a home run to put the Hoosiers ahead 6-5 before Madalyn Strader launched a ball over the Maryland scoreboard which scored two and put Indiana in the lead for good, 8-5. Indiana secured the win in the bottom of the seventh when Maryland’s Anna McGowan grounded into a 1-6-3 double play.
Three Hoosiers hit a home run today, including Alex Cooper, Madalyn Strader and Alli Gavin. Brooke Mannon picked up the win to improve her season record to 4-0 after pitching 3.1 innings and only allowing two hits and one run while striking out two. Indiana has won eight straight games over the Terrapins dating back to 2021. Six of Indiana’s seven hits were extra base hits. Indiana outhit Maryland, 7-6. Indiana will be back in action against Maryland for game two of the series this afternoon at 2 p.m. in Maryland Softball Stadium.
Indiana University Baseball Takes Series Opener at home Against Minnesota Toughness wins on Friday night in the Big Ten. The Indiana Baseball team (9-12, 2-5) needed big efforts across the board as it erased a four-run deficit to win the series opener, 8-6, over Minnesota (15-7, 1-3 B1G) at Bart Kaufman Field. The Hoosiers blanked Minnesota in the final seven innings to complete the comeback victory. It’s the second time this year that IU has won the first game of a Big Ten weekend. IU’s offense jumped over Minnesota starter Cole Selvig, not allowing him to get out of the third inning.
The top five guys in the order combined for 10 hits – led by four from sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley and three from sophomore shortstop Cooper Malamazian. Trailing 6-2 entering the bottom of the third, IU scored three runs in the frame to trim the lead. Hanley homered to center field in the fifth to tie the game at 6-all. Sophomore outfielder Caleb Koskie score the go-ahead run on a wild pitch before freshman outfielder Davian Carrera added insurance on an RBI groundout in the same inning. Graduate student right-handed pitcher Gavin Seebold (SV, 1) was absolutely nails out of the bullpen. Graduate student right-handed pitcher Kaden Jacobi (W, 1-1) worked a scoreless fifth inning before handing the ball to Seebold with the two-run lead.
Seebold ran the game out, picking up the 12-out save in the process. He allowed just one hit over four innings and struck out six batters. IU’s bullpen allowed just two runs over eight innings. In what turned into a duel of both team’s best bullpen arms, IU came out on the right side of an important victory. The Hoosiers will now turn the ball over to veteran southpaw Tony Neubeck this afternoon with a chance to win their first series of the year. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. in Bloomington.
Purdue’s Braden Smith Becomes the All-Time Assist Leader in NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament History Braden Smith scored 26 points and became the Division I career leader in assists, guiding No. 2 seed Purdue to a 104-71 win over Queens University on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament. The Boilermakers seized control with a pair of 10-0 runs, once in the waning moments of the first half and in the opening minutes of the second half. Trey Kaufman-Renn’s basket after an offensive rebound capped the second surge and stretched Purdue’s lead to 58-36 with 16:27 to play. Purdue (28-8) led by at least 20 the rest of the way. About eight minutes in, Smith handed out his 1,077th career assist, breaking the record previously held by Duke’s Bobby Hurley. The milestone came when Smith, wearing glittering black Nike sneakers, set up a layup by Kaufman-Renn that gave Purdue a 17-12 advantage. “I don’t think it’s really set in because to me, again, it’s it’s my job. That’s what I’m supposed to do,” Smith said. “It’s why I came here. As a point guard, that’s what you’re supposed to do. You’re supposed to get guys the ball to go score. And obviously I have a lot of great people around me that can do that.”
Smith finished with eight assists and made 10 of 15 shots as Purdue converted at a 63% clip from the field, including 58% from 3-point range. “I’ve been very thankful and blessed to be put in a position where people trust me with the ball in my hands, and my teammates trust me, the coaching staff trusts me, and obviously I trust myself enough to go make shots,” Smith said. Coach Matt Painter called Hurley “quintessential point guard” and said the fact his record stood for three decades reinforces that. “He’s a phenomenal player and you can see it on the court, how under control he is,” Queens coach Grant Leonard said of Smith.
Kaufman-Renn contributed 25 points and nine rebounds, and Oscar Cluff had nine points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks for Purdue. Jordan Watford and Nasir Mann, the younger brother of Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann, led the 15th-seeded Royals (21-14) with 10 points apiece. “It was an unbelievable season,” Leonard said. “Usually only one team ends happy, but our guys can hang their heads high.” Painter will go for his 500th Purdue victory in the second round of the West Region against No. 7 seed Miami. The Boilermakers are seeking their third straight trip to round of 16 and seventh in nine years. The other two years featured quick exits as a No. 2 seed against Saint Peter’s in 2022 and as a No. 1 seed against Fairleigh Dickinson in 2023.
There was no such magic from Queens. The 1,500-student school from Charlotte, North Carolina, which began as a women’s institute, is the smallest, by enrollment, to ever play in the NCAA Tournament. It won the Atlantic Sun tournament for a spot in the bracket in its first year of Division I eligibility. “We did a lot. We fought through a lot of adversity, and it’s been unbelievable so far,” Mann said. “I know we didn’t have the outcome we wanted today, but we still did the unbelievable. Coming from a small school, 1,500 students, and we made it.” The Boilermakers never trailed, making baskets on their first six possessions without much resistance from the nation’s 349th-ranked scoring defense. Still, the Royals stayed within striking distance for much of the first half. Purdue finally pulled away by scoring 10 straight points, including two 3s and a pair of free throws from C.J. Cox, stretching the lead to 45-30 late in the half. Chris Ashby’s 3-pointer on the final possession for Queens cut the deficit to 12 at intermission.
Ball State Hires SMU Associate Head Coach Chris Capko as Men’s Basketball Head Coach Ball State men’s basketball hired SMU associate head coach Chris Capko as its men’s basketball head coach. Capko has spent the last 10 seasons with head coach Andy Enfield at SMU and USC. “This is a truly special opportunity, and I’m incredibly honored to be the 21st coach to lead the Ball State men’s basketball program,” Capko said in a news release. “We will build this program on a foundation of character, toughness and accountability – developing young men who represent this University the right way on and off the court. I’ve been fortunate to be part of building winning programs in my previous tenures, and will bring that same level of discipline, drive and competitive edge to Muncie. Our vision is clear: build a program our community is proud of and compete for championships.”
“Chris Capko is an exceptional basketball coach,” Ball State director of athletics Jeff Mitchell said. “His breadth of experience at the NCAA Division I level, combined with his elite recruiting acumen and expertise in player development, set him apart from an incredibly strong pool of candidates and made him the best coach to lead our program.” In his two seasons at SMU, Capko helped lead the Mustangs to a 44-25 record and their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017. Capko was at USC from 2016-24 as both an assistant coach and an associate head coach. He helped lead the Trojans to the NCAA Tournament five times. Capko was also an assistant coach at Florida International (2015-16), Georgia Southern (2011-13), and Stetson (2009-11). Capko played one season at Florida (2002-03) and three seasons at South Florida (2004-07). He played in 75 total games in his college career. Capko replaces Michael Lewis as Ball State’s head coach. Lewis was Ball State for four seasons, going 12-19 in the 2025-26 season.
Taylor’s Baseball Power Display Fuels Doubleheader Sweep at MVNU No. 3 Taylor launched seven home runs and collected 26 hits across two games as the Trojans swept a Crossroads League doubleheader at Mount Vernon Nazarene on Friday, winning the opener 15-7 and taking the nightcap 7-2. The Trojans (24-3, 12-2 CL) have now won six straight and recorded their eighth doubleheader sweep of the season. It was Taylor’s first trip to Mount Vernon in three years, and the sweep gave TU nine wins in its last 10 meetings against the Cougars (14-9, 8-6 CL). Fletcher Roemmich set the tone across both games, going 4 for 8 with two home runs and four RBIs on the day. His solo blast leading off the fourth inning in the opener started a stretch of three TU homers in two innings, and his two-run shot in the fifth inning of Game 2 was his third long ball in as many games.
In Game 1, Taylor jumped ahead 3-0 in the first on a fielding error and a sacrifice fly from Brennan Frickel, but MVNU’s Ryan Willoughby answered immediately with a three-run homer to tie the score. But the tie didn’t last long. Luke Sutter broke out of a recent slump with a three-run shot to center in the second inning that put the Trojans ahead for good at 6-3. The homer was Sutter’s sixth of the year, matching his career high set last season. From there, Taylor kept swinging a hot bat. Roemmich and Jordan Malott hit solo home runs in the fourth to push the lead to 8-4, with Malott’s eighth homer of the season — the 42nd of his career — extending his RBI total to 36. Frickel, the reigning CL Player of the Week, opened the fifth with another solo shot, and Nate Simpson and Sam Gladd strung together consecutive doubles in the sixth to make it 12-4.
Every Taylor starter recorded at least one hit, and five players drove in multiple runs. Frickel finished 2 for 4 with three RBIs and two sacrifice flies while continuing to rake in conference play. Gladd went 3 for 5 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs, and Peter Ensign added a 3 for 3 day with an RBI. The 19 hits were the second-most in a single game this season for the Trojans. Brody Fine earned the win to improve to 6-2, striking out six over five innings. Hunter Doran worked a scoreless sixth before Gage Gongwer closed the final three frames with three strikeouts.
In Game 2, Wes Hunt dominated the nightcap holding the Cougars to one hit over five scoreless innings. The senior righty worked around four walks while inducing a pair of double-play groundouts, improving to 4-0 on the season. Ben Kennedy provided the early offense with a two-run homer to center in the second inning — his third of the season and the 20th of his career. Taylor broke it open in the fifth when Quinn Kunkel doubled to right as a pinch hitter, Roemmich followed with his two-run blast, and Brayden Manning went deep on the very next pitch for a solo shot that made it 5-0. Manning’s eighth homer of the season tied Malott for the team lead and was the 35th of his career. Kaid Carpenter drove in the Cougars’ only runs with a two-out, two-RBI single in the sixth off Nathan Frady, who relieved Hunt and struck out four over the final two innings. Taylor added two insurance runs in the seventh on an error and a bases-loaded walk drawn by Frickel. The Trojans continue Crossroads League play Saturday with another doubleheader at Mount Vernon Nazarene. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. in Game 1.
Kaylee Larkin’s Blasts Not Enough as Taylor University Softball Drops Home Opener Taylor dropped both games in its home opener on Friday against Huntington (15-7, 7-3 CL) in perfect softball weather. Taylor dropped a pitchers’ duel in the opener, 3-2, after Huntington scored a pair in the top of the seventh. A scoreless affair through the first three innings has both teams struggling to gain any momentum at the plate. Kaylee Larkin broke the silence with a no doubt home run to dead center. The senior’s fourth home run of the season plated a pair and gave TU a 2-0 lead. Lizzy Sinders continued to keep the Forester offense at bay until a solo home run by Khloee Gregory halved the deficit in the sixth. The freshman hurler finished the evening allowing three runs; one earned and striking out five in a complete game showing, her seventh of the season.
Leading by one entering the seventh, Taylor had a flurry of defensive miscues. An error on a fly ball to center preceded a strikeout, but a grounder to third produced a pickle which resulted in the Foresters placing the tying run on third and the winning run on first. A single knotted the game at two and a passed ball put the winning run on third, which crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly. After having the first two runners reach base, the Trojan offense could not provide a vital hit in the final frame with the next three batters retired to end the game in an agonizing 3-2 defeat.
The road team struck first in a 9-5 victory in the third inning, scoring four capped by a three-run home run by Gregory, her second of the night. Larkin responded with a two-run shot of her own in the bottom of the frame to cut the deficit in half. The senior then drove in a run in the third with a bases-loaded walk. A chance to tie the game slipped by as TU could not produce any more runs despite having the bases loaded with one out. The Foresters scored four more in the top of the fifth to push the lead to 8-3. Taylor answered with a pair in the bottom of the inning. Jayci Kitchen and Bella Browning delivered two-out RBI singles. Larkin drew another walk to load the bases, but the elusive clutch hit evaded the Trojans to end the frame down 8-5. Sinders, Browning and Kitchen each had three hits in the nightcap as TU racked up 11, which matched Huntington. Larkin hit a homerun in both contests while drawing a pair of walks and being hit by a pitch as the senior continues to dominate at the plate. Taylor (10-10, 5-3 CL) returns to Gudakunst Field on Saturday, March 21st for a doubleheader against Grace (6-16, 0-8 CL), with first pitch slotted for 1:00 pm.