Jockeys compete during the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes horse race on May 17, 2025, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, file)

Gladstone

victorious

ESCANABA — One run was all that was needed for the Gladstone Braves as they were crowned champions of the 3rd Annual Candy Swetkis SISU Strikefest.

The Braves defeated Escanaba in the championship game 1-0 on a walk-off single by Emma Trombley that brought in a run.

“Emma came through with a big hit for us,” Braves coach Scott Herioux said. “Everytime these two schools play, both sides give their best effort, so the next four games against Escanaba should be fun.”

The Eskymos got to the championship game by defeating Three Rivers 11-6 and Escanaba’s JV team 17-7.

Gladstone advanced to the championship game by defeating Millington 9-5 and Houghton 3-2.

Iron Honor

is favorite

LAUREL, Md. (AP) — Iron Honor is the morning line favorite at 9-2 in a wide open Preakness this weekend that does not include Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo. There’s no telling who will be the bettors’ choice by the time the race actually starts Saturday at Laurel Park.

Taj Mahal at 5-1, Chip Honcho at 5-1, Incredibolt at 5-1 and Ocelli at 6-1 were also among the favorites following Monday’s draw, but none have particularly short odds in what could be the largest Preakness field in 15 years. The last time 14 horses made it to the starting gate was in 2011.

Arrowhead

plays host

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have transformed Arrowhead Stadium to host World Cup games, fulfilling a long-held dream of the Hunt family.

The stadium will host six pool-play games starting next month, including a round of 32 match and a quarterfinal. The first match, featuring Argentina and Algeria, is June 16. The stadium was built in 1972, and that meant it had to undergo significant changes to meet FIFA’s requirements, including seat removal and field upgrades.

The Chiefs have collaborated for nearly a decade to make this happen. Fans will be bussed in from satellite parking areas because of limited parking while signage is being stripped to avoid any conflicts in sponsorships.

Big slopes,

big greens

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. (AP) — The first day of practice for the PGA Championship at Aronimink made it clear what’s important. The greens are big.

And so are the slopes on the putting surfaces. Keegan Bradley won the BMW Championship at Aronimink in 2018. He says driving isn’t the biggest issue, but the greens can be crazy with all the slopes. Matt Fitzpatrick says it will be hard for the PGA to find enough pin positions on some of them.

Jordan Spieth played nine holes to get ready for his 10th try at completing the career Grand Slam. He’s missing only the PGA.

Missouri RB

wounded

LAUREL, Miss. (AP) — Missouri officials say All-America running back Ahmad Hardy is in stable condition after being shot at a concert in Mississippi. Missouri announced in a statement that Hardy was shot early Sunday morning and underwent surgery for the gunshot wound later that day.

Hardy earned first-team Associated Press All-America honors last season and was one of three finalists for the Doak Walker Award. The Laurel (Mississippi) Leader-Call reported that the shooting happened at an outdoor concert at a bike club and three people of interest were in custody.

Laurel police Sgt. Macon Davis described the scene to the Leader-Call as a “melee.”

Sankey stands

firm on 16

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey stands firm on expanding the College Football Playoff to 16 teams. The Big Ten supports a 24-team bracket, so for now the CFP will go ahead at 12 teams.

Sankey noted various scheduling challenges, including conference championship games, non-conference matchups and even the Army-Navy game.

US midfielder

rule out

MADRID (AP) — United States midfielder Johnny Cardoso is set to miss the World Cup because of a right ankle injury that requires surgery. His Spanish club Atletico Madrid has announced the surgery. The procedure usually requires months of recovery and the World Cup begins in one month.

Atletico didn’t give a timetable for his return. It also hasn’t immediately said when or where the surgery will take place. The 24-year-old Cardoso sprained his right ankle in training with Atletico last week. He has 23 appearances for the U.S. since his debut in 2020.