Two years ago, Luis Arraez was traded away from a floundering Marlins team embarking on another rebuild under new leadership. The veteran infielder seemed to understand the business and the reality of the Marlins plight, and he harbored no obvious resentment toward his former employers as the team changed direction. In fact, weeks after getting dealt from Miami to San Diego, he was still raving about his old manager. "I respect that man a lot," Arraez said. "Hes a special man." That man, Skip Schumaker, oversaw an unexpected 15-win year-over-year improvement in Miami in 2023. The Marlins 84 wins allowed them to reach the postseason for the first time in a full season in 20 years they also made it to the playoffs in the shortened 2020 season and earned Schumaker the honor of National League Manager of the Year in his first season as a big-league skipper. He got the most out of a Marlins team that had a minus-57 run differential, finding ways to win close games and instilling belief. The euphoria, however, was fleeting. The Marlins got swept in the wild-card series. Weeks later, Kim Ng, the general manager who gave Schumaker his opportunity, parted ways with the team after ownership reportedly sought to hire someone above her. The Arraez move began a firesale early in the 2024 season amid a 9-24 start, as new president of baseball operations Peter Bendix attempted to restock what was, at the time, one of the weakest farm systems in the sport. Schumaker tried to steer the ship through choppy waters. Jake Burger, a Marlins corner infielder and DH in 2023 and 2024, still remembers the energy his manager brought every day amid the turmoil and sudden change in direction. "I think we broke the major league record for transactions that year," Burger recalled to me last week during the Rangers' West Coast road trip. "Its part of the game, part of the business. But for him, it was about showing up and doing the little things right on a daily basis." Positive vibes, however, can only do so much when the talent is inadequate. The novice group finished with 62 wins. Schumaker departed at seasons end, immediately becoming one of the hottest commodities on the coaching circuit. The problem? There werent many seats open. Instead of trying to jump back into another rebuild somewhere else, Schumaker spent the 2025 season as a senior adviser to Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young. Schumaker used some of that time out of the managers chair to seek feedback around the league from coaches and players about what they felt he did right and what he did wrong in Miami. One such opportunity presented itself at an annual winter ski trip he takes with a handful of MLB managers. "Youre asking because feedback is growth," Schumaker told me. "I just wanted to know what I was missing, what I did wrong, so you can grow from it." Now, he can put the advice to practice. When the Rangers and manager Bruce Bochy parted ways after three seasons and a World Series championship together, Schumaker emerged as the heir apparent. "You dont know if youre ever going to get this chance again to manage," Schumaker said. "To be here in this type of organization, with my son going to college at TCU next year, all of this is surreal." Players want to know where they stand Arraez was far from alone in his effusive praise of Schumaker, particularly when it came to his ability to communicate. "Hes very clear about what he expects from each guy and what role theyre going to be in," said Burger, who has the unique perspective of having played for Schumaker both in Miami and now in Texas. "As baseball players, we understand the game, we understand theres a 26-man roster and a 40-man roster and all that, but him being able to communicate that and portray we still need you no matter what role youre in I think is the most influential thing that stands out." The way multiple Rangers players described it to me, Schumaker leads like a player would, which makes sense considering he was an 11-year big-league veteran who played until 2015. In his current role, the 46-year-old manager seeks to fill in the gaps that occasionally were missing during his playing career. "Im just convinced that players want to know where they stand," Schumaker said. "Thats it. When I was a player, I was a bench player, I was an everyday player, I was back to a bench player, and there were times when I didnt know where I stood. Id have to come in and check the lineup and kind of wonder what theyre thinking." It could be awkward and intimidating for a player to walk into a managers office to ask those questions. Schumaker doesnt want that uncertainty lingering, so hes proactive. "Im going to tell them why I think they should be hitting in the lineup where they are, what leverage situation, the reasons why," Schumaker said, "and players prove me right or prove me wrong. Thats just what it is. Youre always allowed to pivot. Its OK to be wrong. Ive got no ego in this thing, and Ive been wrong plenty of times." Immediately after Brandon Nimmo was traded from the Mets to the Rangers in November, Schumaker laid out to the veteran outfielder what was expected of him and asked to know more about his routine. "He told me right away, If youre not opposed to it, were looking at you at right field and leading off," Nimmo said. "Hes open-minded with all that stuff and just wants to make sure he has a plan, hes prepared, and that hes able to keep you in the right positions to keep you prepared." Schumakers hands-on techniques differ from the usual big-league manager. Before a game, you might see him throwing batting practice, then dropping by to chat with a fielder taking live reads off the bat, then walking to the outfield to meet with a reliever shagging balls, all within the same hour. "It is different," Nimmo acknowledged, "but I think its good. He was a player. He understands it. And he still has that competitive drive in him to be the best he can be, so you see that when youre around him." Added Rangers reliever Tyler Alexander: "If you need to talk to him, you can find him. Hes with us after games, hanging out with us in the clubhouse when he gets a chance. You see him in the weight room. Hes just available." Is that a good thing? "Well, if hes a good guy, its a good thing," Alexander said with a grin. "And he is. Hes fun to talk to. You can have a conversation with him." Bibles And Bourbon Back home in Orange County, Schumaker holds a bible study group every Thursday night called Bibles and Bourbon. One night, one of the group members suggested that every person share their story. Schumaker had known most of the people in the group for more than a decade, but he obliged. "We each wrote down our story and shared it," Schumaker recalled last week, "and it was super impactful." Immediately, he knew he wanted to take that idea to his team. "If I dont know exactly who you were, who your heroes were, how you grew up," Schumaker said, "how do I know whats going to motivate you?" The work of discovering his players motivations is an ongoing, everyday process. "If we dont get them better every day or give them a little something, then were not doing our job," Schumaker said. "If our staff is scared to talk to our players, then I hired the wrong guys. And I feel like we hired the right guys." Understanding how a player was raised can help. One time, on an off day in the middle of a Marlins season, Schumaker and his bench coach, Luis Urueta, flew down to Miamis complex in the Dominican Republic just to get a better idea of how the players grew up. "We just spent a day and a half there, and flew home," Schumaker said. "It wasnt to get a report on it. It was literally to find out what these guys go through and where they live. Some guys have tough upbringings, and to get to the major leagues, its really impressive. Thats part of their story." Schumaker is intent on collaborative communication and wants the information and the messaging from the front office down to the players to be consistent. He wants to put players in the best position possible. Most importantly, though, he wants his players to know he cares. That he has their back. "This thing," Schumaker said, "is all about relationships." "He cares about you, your family, what your needs and wants are on a daily basis, what makes you tick on a daily basis," Burger said. "Thats the easiest way to explain it: He wants to get to know the person before the baseball player, that way he can get the most out of you as a baseball player." The Team Meeting One of Schumakers best traits, according to Nimmo, is his ability to keep things in perspective. "He does a really good job of wanting you to be prepared and do everything you can in order to be successful," Nimmo said, "but not base your identity off that." One example came back in spring, when Schumaker called a team meeting to introduce his players to Cade Spinello, a 20-year-old brain tumor survivor he met through his involvement with the Jessie Rees Foundation. The foundation is inspired by Jessica Joy Rees and her motto to "Never Ever Give Up." In the midst of her own fight with terminal cancer, the 12-year-old Rees wanted to help other kids receiving long-term, in-patient treatment at Childrens Hospital of Orange County, so she created and distributed JoyJars, stuffed with toys and games, to provide encouragement. Spinello, who was Rees "chemo buddy," has talked to Schumakers teams every year for the last decade. The message this spring resonated with Nimmo. "Whatever you do, and whatever youre given, its such a blessing," Nimmo said. "Do it to the best of your ability, but also realize this life is precious, and the time you get is precious, and enjoy it." The Rangers have followed their surprising 2023 World Series run by missing the playoffs each of the last two years, unable to get the most out of the talent in place. They hired Schumaker on a four-year deal, believing he was the best option to foster an environment of positivity, growth and development. If it works, it wouldnt be the first time Schumaker has extracted the most out of a group. "If you like coming to work every day," Schumaker said, "youre going to have success." Rowan Kavneris an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at@RowanKavner.

The Australian cricket team is set to tour Pakistan in late May to play a three-match ODI series in Lahore and Rawalpindi.

jordyn-tyson-nfl-draft-profile

Five-time champions Mumbai Indians slumped to their fourth successive defeat in the ongoing Indian Premier League on Thursday, continuing a worrying slide that has left them languishing at ninth in the 10-team IPL 2026 standings. Despite posting a competitive 195/6, powered by a sensational unbeaten 112 from Quinton de Kock, MI were comprehensively outplayed as Punjab Kings chased down the target in just 16.3 overs to seal a seven-wicket win.The defeat underlined the growing concerns in the Hardik Pandya-led camp, with little going right this season. After snapping a 14-year jinx by winning their opener, MI have managed just one win in five matches. Even spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has struggled, going wicketless so far his longest such streak in T20 cricket.Amid the gloom, however, a new name quietly entered the MI playing XI Mayank Rawat.A debut that barely made a rippleAt the toss, Pandya casually mentioned the inclusion: We have a debutant, Mayank Rawat. Yet, the announcement barely registered amid bigger talking points, including the absence of Rohit Sharma and de Kock opening the innings.Rawats debut turned out to be as low-key as the announcement. The 26-year-old walked in during the final over after the dismissal of Tilak Varma but did not face a single ball, ending on 0 not out. With the ball, the right-arm off-spinner wasnt called upon either, as Punjab raced to victory with 21 balls to spare.It was a debut without a moment rare in a league known for instant impact stories.The Mayank Rawat storyFor Rawat, though, the journey to this point has been anything but insignificant. A 26-year-old all-rounder from New Delhi, Rawat earned his chance after New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner missed out due to illness.A product of Delhis cricketing system, Rawat has steadily climbed the ranks, catching the attention of MI scouts through consistent performances in domestic circuits, particularly the Delhi Premier League. Picked at his base price of Rs 30 lakh in the auction, he suddenly found himself sharing a dressing room with stars like de Kock, Rohit, Suryakumar Yadav and Afghanistan spinner AM Ghazanfar. 130336567Rawats cricketing roots trace back to 2011, when he began training under coach Rajesh Nagar. A promising talent early on, he made headlines in age-group cricket with knocks of 220 and 244, but consistent opportunities eluded him. Years of fluctuating form and limited chances followed, testing his persistence.His resurgence came through strong domestic performances, where he refined his all-round game and forced selectors to take notice.Thursday may not have given Rawat a moment to remember, but it marked the culmination of years of perseverance.

The Colorado Avalanche, along with the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning, are the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, but the betting public is hoping a longshot like the Buffalo Sabres have a chance.

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It's more than likely that at some point this UFL season, you've been watching a game and found yourself wondering, "He seems familiar how do I know him?" Don't worry because I'm here to help. There are a ton of familiar faces in the UFL this season, and this seemed like the perfect time to look back at where each UFL player went to college. With that in mind, I've rounded up which school every active UFL player went to and highlighted two stars from each team that you're sure to remember the most from their college days. Let's get to it! Birmingham Stallions Matt Corral (#2, QB) Ole Miss Corral is exceptional when he sets his feet and fires. This was evident throughout his collegiate career. In 2022, Corral led Ole Miss to the Sugar Bowl in his last season with the Rebels, and he was instrumental in Ole Miss finishing with a 10-2 record that helped catapult the program into one that would make the College Football Playoff for the first time in 2025. At Ole Miss, he was a gifted playmaker with a great ability to throw to open receivers. He had a unique skill set that allowed him to control the line of scrimmage getting into and out of any play he wanted. A third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Corral was forced to miss his rookie season with the Carolina Panthers due to a Lisfranc fracture in his foot and never earned a chance to play significant professional football until his signing with the Stallions. Justyn Ross (#13, WR) Clemson Ross, a starter as a true freshman, was excellent at Clemson, accounting for 1,000-plus yards on just 46 catches in his first season with the Tigers. His elite size (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) and strong route-running ability made him an easy target for any quarterback. After a strong sophomore season, he was diagnosed with Klippel-Feil syndrome, a rare congenital condition that required surgery to correct how some of his bones in his back and neck were fused. After taking a medical redshirt year in 2020, he returned to Clemson in 2021 before going undrafted in 2022. Still, Ross earned a chance with the Kansas City Chiefs and became a member of two Super Bowl-winning teams. He's one of just a handful of players with a CFP national championship (2019) and two Super Bowl rings (2022, 2023). Columbus Aviators Jalan McClendon (#8, QB) Baylor McClendon is the reason NFL star Jakobi Meyers plays wide receiver at all. After McClendon redshirted behind NFL veteran Jacoby Brissett at NC State, a three-way quarterback battle ensued between him, Meyers and Ryan Finley in 2016. Finley eventually won the starting job, but McClendon separated himself from Meyers so definitively that Meyers switched to playing wide receiver full-time. McClendon still fought his way onto the field in 10 games for the Wolfpack that season. As a graduate transfer, he entered the portal and moved on to Baylor, where he split playing time with signal-caller Charlie Brewer. Now, McClendon and his tantalizing arm talent make him the UFL's best dual-threat QB. Antwane Wells (#6, WR) Ole Miss "Juice" Wells is an absolute hammer at wideout with a constitution and resolve honed at Fork Union Military Academy. He had days of rucking 20-pound crates of munitions for two hours in full military dress before he ever arrived at South Carolina just like Eddie George, Vinny Testaverde, Michael Thomas, Plaxico Burress and Cardale Jones. Wells left Fork Union an institution that has produced 14 first-round NFL picks with a tattoo of Psalm 23:4 inked on his arm, fearing no evil. Wells, a prototypical rocked-up possession receiver, has the ability to shirk opposing corners and make contested catches against tight coverage. Two years with James Madison left Wells ranked No. 3 all-time in school history for receiving touchdowns (21) and in the top 10 in career receiving yards (1,853) and catches (116). In 2021, he caught 83 passes for a JMU record 1,250 yards with 15 touchdowns. He was an FCS All-American before he ever got the chance to show out at the Power 4 level with South Carolina. He became a first-time All-SEC selection in 2022 and finished his collegiate career at Ole Miss. Dallas Renegades Austin Reed (#16, QB) Western Kentucky In his first year as a full-time starter, Reed led West Florida to a win in the 2019 NCAA Division II championship game on the strength of a season that consisted of 4,084 passing yards, 40 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions. At the advent of NIL (name, image and likeness), he transferred to Western Kentucky, where he commenced cooking FBS defenses like Wagyu on a charcoal grill smoking em. In his first season as a starter for the Hilltoppers, he threw for more yards (4,744) than any other FBS quarterback. At WKU, Reed threw for 8,084 yards and 71 touchdowns with 22 interceptions and also rushed for 324 yards and 12 touchdowns. He's a gun-slinging, aerial-attacking, see-it, read-it, send-it-for-six, pocket-present field general. If Reed is running your offense, you're going to score. That's why he's leading the UFL in both passing yards and scores by a landslide. Tyler Vaughns (#1, WR) USC Vaughns showed himself to be a complete receiver in college football between 2017 and 2019 when he caught at least 57 passes for at least 674 yards with at least six touchdowns across those three years. His route-running is exceptional. His ability to read coverage pre- and post-snap is as good as any quarterback he has played with. Vaughns is a route-tree perfectionist who is going to find the open space in the secondary, make himself a big target for his quarterback and reel in any ball within his radius. That's why he's leading the UFL in both receiving yards and scores after three weeks. DC Defenders Jordan Ta'amu (#10, QB) Ole Miss Taamu turned heads in 2017 after becoming Ole Miss' starter with five games left to play following an injury to Shea Patterson. When Taamu finished those five games with 1,682 passing yards, 15 total touchdowns, just four interceptions and a display of mobility that mocked up some defenders, Patterson elected to transfer to Michigan. In 2018, Taamu put up 4,260 total yards with 25 scores and just six picks for the Rebels. Simply put, Taamu is a dual-threat, read-and-react signal-caller. He finished that season ranked second in passing yards (3,918) behind Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa, who played three more games than Taamu and led the Crimson Tide to a national championship win. Gareon Conley (#0, CB) Ohio State Conley earned a starting job as a redshirt freshman at Ohio State, playing in all 15 games on the Buckeyes' 2014 national title team. After two years, he was so good that he elected to enter the NFL Draft early and was rewarded as a first-round selection by the then-Oakland Raiders in 2017. The first interception of his pro career was a 36-yard pick-six of Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. Every ball you throw near Conley a pure ball hawk with a 4.44 40-yard dash speed is a 50-50 ball, and odds are he's going to get his hands on it for the deflection or interception. Houston Gamblers Taulia Tagovailoa (#7, QB) Maryland No one has thrown for more yards in Maryland or Big Ten history than Tagovailoa, the younger brother of NFL veteran Tua Tagovailoa. He led the Terrapins to their first winning season since 2014 and first bowl berth since 2016, while breaking school records for completions (328), passing yards (3,860) and passing touchdowns (26) in a single season. In all, Taulia left Maryland with 32 school records. He is proven elite in a scheme that fits his greatest ability: precise, accurate passing. Rashard Lawrence (#90, DE) LSU Lawrence is a former All-SEC selection and was a defensive line stalwart on the 2019 LSU national title team. In the 2018 season, he muscled 54 tackles and four sacks, en route to earning Fiesta Bowl MVP honors for his two-sack performance. Do you remember the 6-foot-2, 300-plus-pound "Uncle Phil" lookalike who shucked another 300-pound man and then boa-constrictor-swallowed and sacked Lamar Jackson in Jackson's 2016 Heisman season? That's Lawrence. That's what he does. Louisville Kings Benny Snell (#26, RB) Kentucky At Kentucky, Snell finished every season he played with at least 1,091 rush yards, 13 scores and 186 rushes. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry for his entire career and he could break you off a lil sumtin-sumtin with long runs. A bell-cow back, the run-game follows Snell. If the O-line blocked it up, Snell ran through it and then made linebackers and secondary players feel too small, too light and too slow. Jason Bean (#5, QB) Kansas In 2021, Bean threw for a Big 12 postseason record six touchdowns along with 449 yards in a raucous 49-36 win for Kansas over UNLV. He flashed elite moments like that throughout his collegiate career but never played more than 10 games, never completed more than 64% of his passes and never threw for more than 2,130 yards and 18 touchdowns in a single season. When he's accurate, though, he throws one of the purest deep balls I've ever seen. His ability to tuck it and run out of sacks is one of the biggest reasons why he's a guy you want behind center. Orlando Storm Jack Plummer (#13, QB) Louisville Plummer bloomed late. After three years at Purdue, he transferred to Cal, where he put together his first great season with over 3,100 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. Those numbers were good enough for him to reunite with his former head coach, Jeff Brohm, at Louisville, where he enjoyed the best season of his career. With the Cardinals, Plummer threw for 3,204 yards, 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, leading Louisville to a 10-2 record and an appearance in the 2023 ACC championship game. A capable operator in a pass-heavy scheme, Plummer excels when allowed to play fast and dictate terms to the defense. KJ Hamler (#3, WR) Penn State As a redshirt freshman at Penn State, Hamler announced his presence in college football by coming back from a torn ACL in 2018 by returning a kickoff 52 yards to the house along with reeling in three catches for 67 yards with a receiving score against Appalachian State. He averaged 18.0 yards per catch that year. In 2019, he stepped his game up again with 56 catches for 904 yards with 18 touchdowns. That was enough for him to enter the NFL Draft that year, when the Denver Broncos took him in the second round. When you absolutely, positively need to take the top of the defense, dial "9" a go-ball, fly-route, a straight line to the end zone and ask for Hamler. St. Louis Battlehawks Hakeem Butler (#88, WR) Iowa State The year that Butler became one of the best receivers Iowa State had ever produced 60 catches for 1,318 yards (22.0 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns I realized he's an inch taller and more productive in his final year than Calvin Johnson, aka Megatron, was in his last year at Georgia Tech (2006) on fewer catches (76 receptions for 1,202 yards). How many more 6-foot-6, 240-pound men do you know about running 4.48 in the 40-yard dash with hands the size of couch cushions? I'll wait. If Megatron is Johnson personified, that makes Butler the Onslaught of spring pro football, because, like all Decepticons, he just ain't fair. Good luck, UFL! Pita Taumoepenu (#7, OLB) Utah Not everybody was paying attention to Utah a decade ago, and Taumoepenu wasn't one of those players you should've known about until Nov. 10, 2016. On that day, he sacked Arizona States quarterback three times and notched four tackles for loss. That was enough for me to believe Taumoepenu could have a future as a dominant edge rusher in the right scheme as a pro. After all, he recorded at least 5.5 sacks in each of his three seasons for the Utes. The fact that he turned out to be a terror in the UFL just means I was wrong about which pro league he'd make his presence most felt in. If you're ever asked who is the best defensive player in professional spring ball, he's the only right answer. Taumoepenu is an elite pass rusher who demands you slide protection ask the running back to help the O-line block or risk him planting your quarterback like John Henry did a railroad spike.

Sachin Tendulkar summed up Shreyas' acrobatic effort, saying that the PBKS captain got everything "spot on".

Ulberg tore his ACL moments before knocking out Jiri Prochazka to claim the light heavyweight title