Mar. 3—MITCHELL — For the first time this season, Dakota Wesleyan’s Dexter Payne claimed the Great Plains Athletic Conference baseball pitcher of the week award, the league announced on Monday.
Last week, the Sioux Falls native had 11 strikeouts on the mound in the Tigers’ second game of the three-game series against York on Feb. 27 in York, Nebraska. He recorded seven consecutive strikeouts to begin the contest in a complete seven-inning game shutout performance, only surrendering two hits on the day and three walks.
Payne, a Tiger senior, has appeared in three games this season with a record of 2-0, plus 21 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched.
DWU (9-2) heads to Tucson, Arizona, for the Tucson Invitational, March 5-9, starting with a three-game series against Southwest Minnesota State. Game 1 is set for 4:30 p.m. on March 5.
Mar. 3—MITCHELL — In three years of college wrestling, Jagger Tyler has learned a few things.
One of the main lessons so far? A good defense can take you a long way, including the NAIA national tournament for the first time this week.
Dakota Wesleyan’s Tyler clinched a spot in the NAIA national tournament with a bracket victory at 174 pounds on Feb. 21 at the GPAC Championship meet. In the championship match, Tyler scored a 4-1 decision over Doane’s Jake Prudek, and he said he won with a smart match strategy, scoring the match-winning takedown with 35 seconds remaining. Tyler has a record of 25-5 on the season, according to TrackWrestling.
“The championship match, it was pretty boring, I’m not going to lie,” Tyler said. “I wrestled a smart match, most importantly, and I was able to get that takedown in the third period.”
The 2025-26 season is Tyler’s first full-fledged campaign for the Tigers. Last season, he wrestled a handful of matches early in a DWU uniform because injuries kept him off the mat. He was 14-13 in his freshman season at the University of Sioux Falls before transferring to DWU.
Regardless of the conference title and getting to nationals, being able to wrestle and have some success has made the season that much more enjoyable for Tyler.
“I’m just having a lot more fun,” he said. “I’ve struggled in the past with my mentality with some of the matches, going out and being scared to lose. This year, that fear hasn’t been there because I’m trying to go out and have fun and wrestle hard.”
A two-time state high school champion for the Mitchell Kernels in 2022 and 2023, Tyler said the biggest jump from high school wrestling to college has been how much more difficult it is to finish off shots for potential takedowns. He’s flipped that question around to an advantage for him, he said.
“I think where I’ve found my most success is being that guy who is very tough to finish on. I take pride in my defense and just making sure I’m finishing the shots I’m taking,” Tyler said. “Finishing those attacks has definitely been what’s propelled me to that next level.”
Tyler will be one of three DWU participants in the national meet, including one of two Tigers in his 174-pound bracket. Miller product and DWU sophomore Teagan Foreman (21-6) also made the NAIA tournament with an at-large selection after finishing the regular season ranked No. 16 and then taking fourth place at the GPAC tournament. Teammate Kipp Cordes (16-11) also qualified for the national tournament at 133 pounds for DWU and will make his first nationals trip. It’s the second time in three seasons that DWU has qualified three wrestlers to nationals.
Even then, Tyler is the Tigers’ leader in takedowns with 50 and only nine allowed this season. Foreman is second on the team with 38, and has only three losses in the last three months of the season. Thankfully, Tyler said, he and Foreman will at least start the NAIA event on opposite sides of the bracket.
“I think we have the opportunity to do something big and surprise a lot of people,” Tyler said of the team. “I’m excited to get down there. It’s kind of different to have a guy on my team at the same weight make it, but it’s awesome to have that competition, and Teagan absolutely deserves it.”
It’s the first time DWU has had two national qualifiers at the same weight class since 2015, when Kyle Gerlach and Dusty Paulsen both qualified at 157 pounds.
Tyler earned the No. 12 seed in the 32-man bracket and will face Jeivan Ross, of Marian (Ind.), in the opening round on Thursday. Ross (16-12) was a third-place qualifier out of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. Foreman faces Cumberlands’ Weston Melvin in the first round of the tournament, who is seeded No. 7. Melvin (20-6) won the 174-pound title at the Mid-South Conference meet on Feb. 13.
Kipp Cordes will face 13th-seeded Alex Tabor, of Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), in the opening round of the bracket at 133 pounds. Tabor was the second-place finisher in the Mid-South Conference meet.
The national meet is at Heartland Credit Union Arena in Park City, Kansas, which is located outside Wichita. The tournament action begins on Thursday with the first round at 11 a.m., followed by the first consolation round. The second round will be at 6 p.m. Thursday. Wrestling continues at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday. The top-eight finishers in each bracket earn All-America status.
Alongside five of her fellow Iowa women’s basketball teammates earning recognition in the conference’s annual end-of-season honors announcement on Tuesday, March 3, sophomore guard Chit-Chat Wright was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team by the collection of coaches and listed as an Honorable Mention by the voting media members.
In her first season with Iowa after transferring from Georgia Tech in the offseason, the 5-foot-4 native of Atlanta, Georgia, has been the Hawkeyes’ starting point guard and elevated the team’s offense through her sharp-shooting accuracy from 3-point territory and her ability to facilitate the ball to her teammates.
On the season, Wright is averaging 12.4 points on 43.6% shooting from the floor, 46.2% from 3-point range, and 91.4% from the free-throw line, to go along with 4.7 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per contest in 26 games started and played. Wright’s stellar 3-point field goal percentage leads the Big Ten and ranks fifth nationally.
Wright’s season-high performance came in Iowa’s 86-76 win over Nebraska on Jan. 1 from Carver-Hawkeye Arena, where she posted 24 points on 5-for-12 shooting, 3-for-5 from deep, and 11-for-12 from the charity stripe in 39 minutes of action against the Cornhuskers.
As Iowa enters the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 2 seed with a double-bye, Wright and the Hawkeyes will have plenty of rest before their quarterfinal game on Friday, March 6, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, where they will face either Wisconsin, Illinois, or Michigan State.
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SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – MARCH 03: Roman Anthony #3 of Team United States rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning of an exhibition game at Scottsdale Stadium on March 03, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants knew their part on Tuesday and they played it well. Perhaps a little too well, if you ask me. The Giants hosted a star-studded Team USA on Tuesday at Scottsdale Stadium, serving as the tune-up appetizer before the World Baseball Classic starts later this week.
And an appetizer they were. A tasty one, it seemed, as the Americans plated enough runs to win the game before recording a single out, while cruising to a 15-1 win in a game that was exactly as competitive as the score suggests.
It was over as soon as it started. Not just because Team USA was rolling out a lineup befitting an All-Star Game, while the Giants were missing Rafael Devers, Luis Arráez, and their entire starting outfield, and not just because it was a battle of the best starting pitcher in the National League vs. San Francisco’s fifth starter.
No, it was over because, on the second pitch that Adrian Houser threw, Bobby Witt Jr. smacked a 99-mph single. Five pitches later, Bryce Harper roped a 110.3-mph double. Exactly one pitch later, Aaron Judge scored them both with a 108.5-mph two-run single. It was clear, then, what kind of day it would be.
To Houser’s credit, he settled down quite nicely. After giving up those back-to-back-to-back hits to open the game, which he promptly followed up with walk issued to Kyle Schwarber, he got Alex Bregman to ground into a double play (with huge help from Willy Adames), before striking out Cal Raleigh. He set down the side in order in the second inning, and in the third, he handled the top of the lineup much more comfortably, allowing just one baserunner (a walk to Judge) while retiring Witt, Harper, and Schwarber, the latter by way of strikes.
But suffice to say, the offense was not flowing on the other end, as the Giants got a very up close and personal look at just how dominant Paul Skenes can be. Adames opened the first inning with one of the more impressive Giants at-bats of the day, hitting a double into the corner, but Skenes would then retire the next (and final) nine batters that he faced. Still, it was enough to score a run against the ace, as Matt Chapman and Patrick Bailey followed Adames’ double with a pair of productive groundouts, resulting in San Francisco’s lone run scored on the day.
Things really started to fall apart for the Giants when Houser left the game and was replaced by fellow righty Blade Tidwell. It’s been an excellent spring for Tidwell, one of the top pitching prospects in the organization, and one outing against a group of MVPs and All-Stars doesn’t change that. But while no team outside of Los Angeles possesses the talent of the American WBC squad, this game was still a reminder that there’s a difference between facing Spring Training teams and honest-to-goodness MLB teams. And for Tidwell, that reminder was painful.
The rookie took the bump to start the fourth, and the second pitch he threw was tattooed over the fence by Alex Bregman, who cleared the wall with ease on a 437-foot dinger. He recovered to retire the next three batters, but couldn’t miss bats in the fifth inning, when he gave up four consecutive singles to open the inning, with Brice Turang, Witt, Harper, and Judge all doing damage that resulted in a two-run inning.
The sixth inning would also get away from Tidwell, who issued a leadoff walk to Raleigh, before ceding a towering home run to Roman Anthony. He would get two outs, but then be pulled from the inning.
In all, it was a rough game for a player trying to prove that they should be tasked with getting key outs in meaningful MLB games. Tidwell gave up eight baserunners and five earned runs in just 2.2 innings, while inducing just five swings-and-misses in his 45 pitches (though his final two pitches of the night were whiffs). Still and all, it’s not every day that you get to face Harper and Judge back-to-back, on national television, and it surely was both an exciting and instructional experience for Tidwell. And while the results may have been humbling, it does nothing to dampen the shine of his prospect.
After all, baseball is baseball, and anyone can get the better of anyone. And for further evidence of that, we turn to the top of the seventh inning.
Matt Gage took the bump to open the frame, and we’d reached the part of the game where both teams were starting to replace their regulars, and speckle in some Minor Leaguers. As is customary for these exhibitions, Team USA had some Giants prospects on loan from Minor League camp, since they don’t exactly carry players fit for mop-up duty on the American WBC team.
Those players came to bat in seventh, facing Gage, who will almost certainly be on San Francisco’s Opening Day roster, perhaps as their top lefty out of the bullpen given Erik Miller’s health status. And that’s when baseball got to baseballing.
It started in more normal fashion, as Gage was first tasked with facing budding superstar Pete Crow-Armstrong, who reached on an error by Bryce Eldridge, and then stole second base. And then came the friendly fire from the prospects.
First up was Charlie Szykowny, a ninth-round pick in 2023 who spent last year in High-A. He doubled off of Gage, scoring PCA. We then paused for some honest-to-goodness Team USA members — Ernie Clement drew a walk, and Raleigh flew out — and then back to the Minor Leaguers. Dakota Jordan, who is one of the team’s top prospects but who hasn’t advanced past Low-A yet, singled to score Szykowny. Gage then struck out Scott Bandura — a seventh-round pick in 2023 who made it to AA last year — before facing off with the Giants 2025 first-round pick, Gavin Kilen. It was an impressive at-bat by Kilen, who, in an 0-2 count against a fellow lefty, hit a 100.9-mph single to plate a pair of runs, and end Gage’s night.
Gavin Kilen (last year’s first-round pick) with an RBI single against the Giants: pic.twitter.com/LoZk7o5dPw
While that ended Gage’s rough outing, it didn’t end the tough inning. As happens in spring, the Giants turned to a Minor Leaguer to clean up the mess of an inning, preferring to give clean innings to the players fighting for roster spots. Greg Farone, a 2024 seventh-round pick who finished last year in High-A, entered only to find out that the string of fellow Minor Leaguers was done, and he now had to face a star. That star, Gunnar Henderson, ripped a 105.7-mph double on the second pitch that Farone threw, plating a pair of runs. Paul Goldschmidt then walked, and Crow-Armstrong brought the inning full circle with an RBI double. At long last, Farone retired Szykowny on strikes, putting an end to the 11-batter, six-running inning that broke the game wide open, and ended any dreams the Giants harbored of competitiveness.
Some other highlights and lowlights from the game:
On paper, Eldridge had a poor game, as he hit 0-3 with two strikeouts and committed the aforementioned error. In reality, though, he did a lot of impressive things. Most notably, he had a phenomenal third-inning at-bat against Skenes, in which he hit an absolute rocket to center field which, were it not for the all-world defense of Byron Buxton, would have been a double. Instead, it served as the most impressive out of the day, tattooed at 111.9 mph and traveling 397 feet. In a game featuring Judge, Harper, Raleigh, and so many other stars, Eldridge managed to have the hardest-hit ball of the entire game.
But it was’t just on offense! While Eldridge did commit an error, I was extremely impressed by his defensive outing. He ended the second inning by snagging a tough hopper down the line, and opened the third with a remarkably rangy diving play, and later in the game facilitated the never-easy 3-6-1 double play. He looked good out there.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, All-Star closer David Bednar took the mound for Team USA. When his stint ended, and the eighth began, it was his brother on the mound: Giants relief prospect and NRI Will Bednar. The Bednar Bros both pitched scoreless innings in what was an extremely cool moment.
For perhaps the last time in baseball history, this was a 15-1 game that went 10 innings. Obviously that didn’t happen due to a tie and a 14-run extra inning, but Team USA needed to get a handful of pitchers some reps, so the game extended to 10 innings. That’s doubly funny since teams normally don’t play a 10th inning in Spring Training even if there’s a tie. Nothing like early March baseball!
The final count on the Minor Leaguers that the Giants loaned to Team USA: Szykowny, who was the designated hitter, went 1-3 with a double and a strikeout; Jordan, who played left field, hit 1-3 with two strikeouts, including a good morning, good evening, and good night, three-pitches, three swings, and three misses showing against Bednar; Bandura played right field and hit 1-2 with a walk and a double; Kilen slotted in at third, where he went 1-3; catcher Zach Morgan got in the game as a defensive replacement, but didn’t have an at-bat; and right-handed pitcher R.J. Dabovich faced two batters, and gave up a double to Bailey, while retiring Victor Bericoto.
Trent Harris pitched the ninth for the Giants and had an odd outing. He gave up three hits, a walk, and two earned runs, but struck out the side.
Since it was an exhibition, the broadcast spent a lot of the game talking to various people, including Logan Webb, Buster Posey, and Tony Vitello. Webb’s segment was especially funny, because it coincided with Anthony’s home run off of Tidwell, while Webb playfully talked about being happy that his teammate hit a home run, but upset that his teammate allowed one.
It seems that the stars of the game hold Eldridge in high regard, and that’s awesome:
The Giants now get back to Cactus League play. They return to action Wednesday night, when they host the Seattle Mariners at 6:05 p.m. PT on NBC Bay Area. Team USA, meanwhile, heads to pool play, which begins on Friday against Brazil, with Webb on the mound.
The team with the fewest wins in the NBA faces a playoff hopeful as the Sacramento Kings host the Phoenix Suns tonight.
Maxime Raynaud has seen big minutes and big numbers in Sacramento’s shorthanded frontcourt, and my Suns vs. Kings predictions expect a stat-stuffing performance from the rook.
Here are my best free NBA picks for this Pacific Division showdown on Tuesday, March 3.
Suns vs Kings prediction
Suns vs Kings best bet: Maxime Raynaud double-double (+105)
The Sacramento Kings are missing Domantas Sabonis and Dylan Cardwell, which means Maxime Raynaud will see ample playing time.
Raynaud has 12 double-doubles on the season, and four of them have come across his last six outings.
In those six games, Raynaud has averaged 15.3 points and 11 rebounds across 31.2 minutes. In that span, the Phoenix Suns have surrendered the sixth-most rebounds (47.8).
Given Raynaud’s recent success as a scorer and rebounder, this line is mispriced, and I’m happy to take this profitable wager at plus-money odds.
Suns vs Kings same-game parlay
Nique Clifford has started two straight games, and he’s averaged 32.5 PRA across 40.5 minutes. The rookie has averaged 19.4 PRA across 12 starts, hitting the Over on this combo line in three of his last five in the starting lineup.
The Kings’ offense isn’t going to put up a ton of points regularly, and the Phoenix Suns are 25-35 to the Under this season.
Suns vs Kings SGP
Maxime Raynaud double-double
Nique Clifford Over 22.5 points+rebounds+assists
Under 223
Our “from downtown” SGP: Kings of the hill
The Suns hit the road after playing eight of nine at home, while Sacramento is back home after five straight on the road. Phoenix is just 3-6-1 ATS across its last 10, and the Kings will be motivated to avoid the season sweep by a division rival after dropping three straight to PHX.
Suns vs Kings SGP
Maxime Raynaud double-double
Nique Clifford Over 22.5 points+rebounds+assists
Under 223
Kings moneyline
Suns vs Kings odds
Spread: Suns -10.5 | Kings +10.5
Moneyline: Suns -500 | Kings +375
Over/Under: Over 223 | Under 223
Suns vs Kings betting trend to know
The Sacramento Kings have hit the team total Under in 31 of their last 50 games (+9.35 Units / 16% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Suns vs. Kings.
How to watch Suns vs Kings
Location
Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
Date
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Tip-off
11:00 p.m. ET
TV
Peacock
Suns vs Kings latest injuries
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CLEVELAND, OHIO – JANUARY 31: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts after being hit in the eye during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on January 31, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Pistons 128-121. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers have seen one too many seasons come off the rails due to injuries. They’re managing the 82-game schedule to the best of their ability, putting health in the postseason above everything else. That’s why Donovan Mitchell isn’t being rushed back to return from a groin injury.
“If it were a playoff game he’d play today,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said before Cleveland’s Tuesday night game against the Detroit Pistons. “We don’t want this thing nagging him… we want him healthy for the playoffs.”
Mitchell has missed the previous four games with his groin injury, including this latest one versus Detroit.
It’s understandable that the organization is feeling pressure to get Mitchell back on the floor. Not only does Mitchell want to play for himself, but there’s also a sense of urgency to make the most out of the final games of the season, considering all of the new pieces on the roster. Each game missed to injury is an opportunity lost to build chemistry with James Harden.
Nonetheless, nothing matters if Mitchell isn’t able to play or is limited in the playoffs. Soft tissue injuries are nothing to play with — and nobody wants this issue to linger longer than it has to. Missing a few games in March is preferable to losing anything in April, May, or even June.
Of course, whether or not a player gets injured is out of anyone’s control. How you manage that injury, however, is entirely your decision. The Cavs are electing to be as cautious as possible. Let’s hope that pays off in the long run.
CLEVELAND, OHIO – JANUARY 31: Max Strus #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers brings the ball down court during the first quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on January 31, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers are still waiting to see the first of Max Strus this season. He’s been sidelined all year with a Jones fracture in his left foot. Soon, hopefully, he’ll be able to finally make his season debut.
“What a struggle and arduous process,” said Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson. “But I think we’re all starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
“We’re all seeing the light at the end of the tunnel” #Cavs Kenny Atkinson provided yet another injury update for Max Strus pic.twitter.com/8rUsReA25j
The Cavs announced today that Strus is beginning on-court workouts that include team activities both with the Cavs and their G League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge.
“Recent imaging has shown progressive healing, and in consultation with Dr. David Porter and team physician Dr. James Rosneck, Strus has progressed to individual on-court workouts as part of a structured ramp-up program.”
There are fewer than 20 games to go in the 2025-26 NBA season. That means Strus will have limited time to ramp up, return to the floor, and catch his groove. It probably doesn’t help that the team has shuffled the deck in the past year since Strus played. The last time Strus was on the court for Cleveland, so were Darius Garland, De’Andre Hunter, Isaac Okoro, and Ty Jerome. Things change quickly.
Either way, getting back on the court is the primary objective. Everything else will come secondary. Strus is about as plug-and-play as they come, so I’m confident he can catch a flow with this rolling Cavs team.
“I saw a session the other day with him, and man, like, he’s coming,” said Atkinson. “No timeline or anything like that, but I can just say trending very positive.”
WHITE PLAINS, NY – NOVEMBER 14: Olivier Sarr #11 of the Raptors 905 warms up before the game against the Westchester Knicks on November 14, 2025 at Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Luther Schlaifer/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Brown has spent the last two seasons with the Cleveland Charge, G League affiliate of the Cavs. This season, he’s averaged 12.5 points, 9.6 assists, and 3.8 rebounds on .434/.398/.839 shooting splits in 33 games. He appeared in only one game with the Cavs this season.
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Sarr is the older brother of Washington Wizards’ young French star Alex Sarr.
The elder Sarr has bounced around with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, and Toronto Raptors over the last few seasons. He was originally signed by the Thunder in Oct. 2021 and had stints with OKC over the next three seasons, but was mostly with their G League team, the Oklahoma City Blue.
Sarr spent this most recent training camp with the Raptors and has been with their G League affiliate this season. The 6’10”, 27-year-old has averaged 11.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.4 assists per game on .506/.388/.708 shooting splits in 30 outings with the Raptors 905.
We’ll see whether Sarr is on the Cavs long-term radar. Right now, this seems like a move to help fill the void at center that Norchad Omier left behind when he signed a two-way deal with the Los Angeles Clippers a few weeks ago.
The Charge are in the midst of a strong regular season. They’re 17-8 and currently sit third in the Eastern Conference and are in a good position to make a playoff run.
NBA teams do promotional nights all the time — First Responders’ Night, Star Wars Night, many others — but Atlanta’s plan for one has gotten pushback from a couple of players.
Atlanta is going to celebrate the “iconic cultural institution Magic City” on March 16 when the Orlando Magic come to town.
“Iconic cultural institution” was some playful wording — Magic City is a famed strip club in the city. One that has been around for 40 years and been instrumental to the hip-hop music scene in the city, something David Aldridge and Law Murray wrote about at The Athletic: T.I., Migos, Jermaine Dupri, 2 Chainz, Killer Mike, Big Boi, Future and many others got a big break having their music played at the club.
However, it is a strip club (there will not be strippers performing at the game, just to be clear). That didn’t sit well with San Antonio’s Luke Kornett, who posted on X about it, and Al Horford backed him up.
The NBA sees itself as progressive on many fronts, so a promotional night with a strip club is… unusual. To put it kindly.
That said, the Hawks are not backing down from this and reportedly sold a couple thousand extra tickets for the night.
There are a lot of tie-ins that night. Before the game, Hawks’ Principal Owner, filmmaker, and actor Jami Gertz will take part in a special taping of the Hawks AF Podcast. Gertz helped produce a five-part STARZ docuseries, “Magic City: An American Fantasy” and the podcast taping will feature a conversation about the documentary and the impact of the club on Atlanta music, sports, and culture.
Magic City Kitchen will serve two versions of their ‘world famous’ lemon pepper wings: Louwill Lemon Pepper BBQ and traditional Lemon Pepper. Louwill wings are named after former NBA player Lou Williams, who famously got in trouble during the bubble season because he was released to go to a family member’s funeral, and while in Atlanta he swung by Magic City and picked up some wings.
“From the food to the music and the exclusive merchandise, we are excited to team up with Magic City to create an authentic, True to Atlanta-inspired game experience,” said Hawks Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Proctor.
Feb 25, 2026; Surprise, Arizona, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo against the Kansas City Royals during a spring training game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Mariners lost another tough one in the later innings in today’s spring training game against the Angels, who staged a three-run comeback in the ninth inning to snatch victory away from the Mariners, who now stand at 3-7 on the spring.
Angels starter George Klassen looked tough today in his three-inning sample, busting fastballs up to the plate at an average of 97.5 mph, paired with a changeup that was his actual whiff-getting weapon: all four of his whiffs (and therefore all four of his strikeouts) came on the changeup. You might have read about Klassen in our writeup of the Angels’ farm system; John’s analysis of Klassen is there are questions if he’ll be a starter or reliever due to his limited repertoire and occasional command outages. Three spring training innings isn’t enough to judge, but we’ll certainly see him in some form when facing Anaheim this season.
Two Mariners did get to Klassen: Patrick Wisdom ambushed a first-pitch fastball for a well-struck solo home run in the second inning, and two batters later Rhylan Thomas dropped the barrel on a slider for a turn-and-burn pull solo homer.
The Mariners couldn’t hold that lead, however. Bryan Woo was good-not-great in his second outing of the spring, with four punchouts of his own over 2.1 innings. The first two innings went smoothly, but he opened the third inning with a walk followed by a single off the bat of Bryce Teodosio and then used up the remainder of his pitch count for the day on a nine-pitch battle with Chris Taylor that ended up with Taylor striking out chasing a fastball off the plate. Michael Rucker, called in to polish off the inning, couldn’t keep his inherited runners from scoring, eventually walking off the mound to a 2-2 tie.
The Angels went ahead in the following inning. Casey Legumina got into another lengthy battle with an Angels hitter, eventually walking Kyren Paris on ten pitches. He then fell behind Jeimer Candelario, who is apparently an Angel now, 3-1 before serving up a 93 mph fastball right in the lefty loop zone for a two-run homer to make the game 4-2. No, Casey! Don’t do that, Casey! It’s an unfortunate step back for Legumina, who has looked better this spring, but as they say, growth isn’t linear.
Seattle got one of those runs back in the fourth; Brent Suter walked J.P. Crawford and Ryan Bliss doubled him over to third (the crowd was very unhappy with third base coach Carlos Cardoza’s refusal to send J.P. home; friends, this is spring training). 19-year-old Colt Emerson then came up with a sacrifice fly off the 36-year-old Suter, a fact that amuses me and also feels very appropriate for a player who, as Ryan Divish says, was “a 27 year old when he came out of the womb.”
The Mariners were able to tie things up in the fifth thanks to Brendan Donovan, doing his best Josh Naylor impression by walking, stealing second, and then taking third on a wild pitch from Ryan Zeferjahn, which I spelled right on the first try, thank you. Brian O’Keefe walked and moved to second when Zeferjahn hit Jakson Reetz with a 92 mph sinker, and Patrick Wisdom singled to bring home both the tying and go-ahead run.
The second line added another insurance run in the sixth. Rhylan Thomas singled off old friend and Tacoma teammate Tayler Saucedo and moved to second on a wild pitch before scoring on a Spencer Packard single, making it 6-4 Mariners.
It wasn’t pretty but the bullpen held the line <— a line from another, more fun recap I was writing before Michael Morales, after barely escaping the eighth inning, went back out for the ninth and gave up a double followed by a walk, forcing Dan Wilson to call on one of his “jicky” (Just In Case) players in Reid Easterly, who is someone I didn’t know was a Mariner until today. Maybe faced with a clean inning Easterly would have gotten out of the jam, but as it was, he immediately gave up a game-tying double followed by a go-ahead single. The Mariners had one last chance—Carson Taylor hit a two-out double and Cole Young worked a walk behind him—but Brock Rodden popped out to end the game.
Pitching Pile Update:
Today’s clear winner was Cole Wilcox, who pitched a sterling 1-2-3 inning and looked dominant, needing just nine pitches, eight of which he threw for strikes—a big development for a player whose bugaboo has been command. Wilcox spammed his off-speed today: six of those nine pitches were the slider/sweeper (although only one a sweeper, per Statcast); the other three were sinkers. It seems like each of Wilcox’s innings has been stronger than the last; I’m very intrigued by him and what he does next.
Robinson Ortiz technically worked a scoreless inning, but it should be noted he got bailed out by a dazzling double play from Will Wilson at third base, who handled a very sharply-hit ground ball (105.5 EV) on a tricky hop for a seamless double play. While Brennan Davis has sucked up most of the post-hype-prospect redemption-arc attention, I am intrigued by Will Wilson, who soothes the ache somewhat of losing the surehanded Ben Williamson at third (although the Rays are apparently using Williamson as a utility infielder, playing him at second, third, and short this spring).
Fringe Friends Update:
Speaking of Brennan Davis, he had another loud single today. You know how they say “it just sounds different off his bat”? I experienced that firsthand with Davis, as the contact he made on a single that came off the bat at 111 mph was so loud in the press box I literally gasped out loud like I was in a telenovela. On a team that is pretty well settled as far as position battles go, following the Brennan Davis storyline is one of the most fun things about this spring.
Cole Young Appreciation Post:
Cole Young played the back half of this game in order to give Ryan Bliss a chance to play at second, which is a little like your teenage cousin being forced to sit at the kids’ table, but Young handled it well. He worked a walk to extend the ninth inning with yet another polished plate appearance, and he also showed off what’s becoming a theme this spring of improved infield defense. Hobby horse alert: you will be seeing something on the site soon about Young’s improved (re-proved?) defense. Look at the ground he covers on this bunt!
