LeBron James is not just a basketball star; he's a big business, and where he goes, that business follows.That fact was immediately clear here in Philadelphia on Friday. Fans are quickly buying up jerseys and tickets."When are the jerseys coming, so when can we buy them as soon as possible?" said Christopher Robinson of Olney.Robinson says he immediately left work in search of a LeBron James Sixers jersey.Action News met Robinson at Rally House on Chestnut Street in Center City."It was instantaneous. The response from Philadelphia was immediate, said Rally House store manager Felipe Salcedo.As Sixers fans continue to express excitement following news that LeBron James plans to sign with the team, businesses are also looking forward to his arrival."To see LeBron James coming on, I mean, I can't imagine what that'll bring to the city and just bring in a lot more business. A lot more people just excited to watch the games," said Kristen Dedomenico, bar manager, Tir Na Nog Irish Bar.Kristen says she's already mentally planning to staff heavily for game days.Sports marketing experts say LeBron James comes with his own fan base and his popularity makes him a powerful brand.After his announcement, the NBA online store quickly sold out of Sixers jerseys featuring LeBron James' name.Off-season Athletics, a Philadelphia-based screen printing company, wasted no time printing "Trust the LE process " T-shirts.It's a big day, now cemented in the city's history forever as Governor Josh Shapiro declares July 24th LeBron James Day in Pennsylvania."You're gonna have 41 home games with LeBron in South Philly. Every game is gonna be a destination for people to come and think it's going to be great for our economy," said Gov. Shapiro to Action News.Ticket prices also are already rising.The get-in price on SeatGeek for the 76ers' Oct. 16 preseason game against the Celtics jumped from $107 to $540 in under an hour after LeBron's announcement, according to a team member of the site.In a statement from Jill Gonzalez with StubHub, she tells Action News:"In the hours since the LeBron announcement, we saw Sixers ticket demand spike by 207x what it was beforehand on StubHub. And we saw interest, so people searching for Sixers, grow by 470x. Philly fans are ready for a ring, and they're not willing to wait to catch a glimpse of this historical season."There's a strong demand for home games; his anticipated debut is already on track to be the most expensive NBA preseason game in SeatGeek's history.

Panthers training camp notebook: Defense picks off Bryce Young originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.CHARLOTTE, N.C. Chau Smith-Wade identified the play Friday and reacted. He raced across the practice field and leaped in front of wide receiver Jalen Coker, intercepting the Bryce Young delivery before running down the sideline for what would have been a pick-six.It marked the beginning of an uneven training-camp performance for Young. The defense captured all three two-minute segments to close the session on the practice fields behind Bank of America Stadium.The end of practice was highlighted by rookie Will Lee III creating the day's highlight moment with afinal-play interception."What a great competitive day," Panthers head coach Dave Canales said during a post-practice press conference. "Finished off with a little two-minute drill right there, had three groups go. Defense went 3-0, some nice drives, knocking on the door, but defense was able to hold it down."Calanes credited depth defenders such as newly-signed Cam Gill, Trevis Gipsen and Thomas Incoom for providing extra pressure on the offense Friday. It was the defense's first outing since learning that outside linebacker Nic Scourton (knee) would be out for the season after tearing his ACL on Thursday."Just a horrible .loss for us," Canales said. "We have guys who have been through this and they've all just said we got him."TE Mitchell Evans earning coaching confidenceEntering training camp, the tight end room was one of the biggest questions on thePanthers' 91-man roster.General manager Dan Morgan did not add a major piece during the offseason, remaining confident in the top three of Tommy Tremble, Ja'Tavion Sanders and Mitchell Evans. The team did add free agent Caden Prieskorn before camp.Evans could prove to be a wild card.As a rookie last season, he earned Canales' trust early in the offseason program and appeared in all 17 regular-season games. The 6-foot-5, 258-pounder recorded 19 catches on 25 targets for 171 yards and two touchdowns."We were able to count on him to do some things," Canales said.With a season of experience, Mitchell will be out to show during the preseason that he can be trusted to do more things."A lot of confidence right now with Mitch," Canales said. "He looks really smooth. He looks like he's been working on his route craft and watching him in routes on air, watching him in our 7-on-7 periods, he's really moving with a lot of confidence, and you can also see the understanding of the concepts."When a guy looks comfortable, he knows what's happening."Hobbled Panthers miss practiceStarting guard Robert Hunt and cornerback Mike Jackson were both held out of Friday's practice with back issues. While Hunt walked laps around the fields, Jackson was not seen."Just making sure there's nothing there," Canales said.MORE:Pressure intensifies for Panthers' Princely Umanmielen without Nic ScourtonWith Hunt sidelined, Chandler Zavala lined up with the starters Friday. On defense, the Panthers were without their top two cornerbacks as Jaycee Horn remains on the active/NFI list. In their place, a mix of prospects, Lee, Smith-Wade and Corey Thornton took turns running with the first unit.Injured defense tackle Turk Wharton (neck) executed conditioning drills through most of the practice.More NFL news:Pat Jones II set to continue Panthers 'journey'Panthers RT Taylor Moton diagnosed with scary medical conditionPanthers re-sign Brady Christensen, bolster OL versatilityEntering Panthers' training camp, RB Trevor Etienne, WR Jimmy Horn Jr. face challenging journeysCan healthy Derrick Brown make bigger difference to Panthers' defense?

Former Ohio State basketball star Jae'Sean Tate is returning to Houston. The Rockets announced the re-signing of the former Buckeye forward to a one-year deal on Thursday. According to Hoops Hypes Michael Scotto, the contract is worth $3.07 million with a partial guarantee of $1.04 million.Tate is entering his seventh year with the Rockets after banking the odds and finding his way to Houston after first playing in Europe. He was signed to an NBA contract in 2020 and quickly became a starter who could do a little bit of everything for the Rockets, even making the All-NBA Rookie First Team, becoming only the second non-NBA-drafted player to do so. Tate has averaged 7.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists during his six years with Houston, but those numbers are dragged down a bit by last season's 2.8 points per contest in limited action. He may be on the tail end of his career, but he has been a mainstay in Houston longer than any other player on the team. Hopefully, this coming season will see a bit of a renaissance, being paired with former Ohio State all-time leading scorer and star guard Bruce Thornton.OFFICIAL: The Rockets today announced they have re-signed forward JaeSean Tate. He originally joined the Rockets as an undrafted free agent on Nov. 25, 2020.Tate is approaching his seventh season as a Rocket. In franchise history, only 15 players have played at least seven pic.twitter.com/fU9hwLfTzQ Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) July 23, 2026Tate becomes only the 15th player in Rockets' history to play at least seven seasons with the club. We wish Tate success and the chance to get a contract beyond this next season.Contact/Follow us@BuckeyesWireon X (formerly Twitter) and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. FollowPhil Harrison on X.This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Former Ohio State basketball player re-signs contract with Houston

Jacksonville's Garrett Scantling captured the decathlon at the USA Track & Field Toyota Outdoor Championships, returning to the top of the grueling 10-event test of all-around athletic prowess for the first time in four years.Scantling, a graduate of Episcopal High School (now Episcopal School of Jacksonville), recorded 8,526 total points over two days of competition at Icahn Stadium in New York.He finished 95 clear of runner-up Kyle Garland, the world bronze medalist in 2025. Hakim McMorris came in third, 214 behind Scantling.Consistency made the difference for Scantling, who placed sixth or higher in the first nine events, including first-place finishes in the long jump, shot put, 110-meter hurdles and javelin throw. Despite losing some ground in the final laps of the deciding 1,500-meter run, traditionally his weakest event, Scantling still found enough in the tank to run a ninth-place 4:43.78 and preserve his overall position atop the standings.The July 24 triumph for Scantling, now 33, marks a milestone in his comeback to the sport.He had barely missed a spot on the United States team at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016, holding the last berth at the U.S. Olympic Trials until the final 1,500-meter run. In that event, he faded and missed the team by 185 points.Then, after the coronavirus pandemic postponed the Tokyo Olympics to 2021, Scantling won the decathlon at the U.S. Olympic Trials to enter as a contender in Japan. But a disappointing performance in the discus left him in fourth place, only 38 points off the medal podium.Scantling had climbed to No. 1 in the world by May 2022, recording 8,867 points in Fayetteville, Ark. However, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency suspended him in November of that year after three instances in which he was not available for random drug tests, instances known as whereabouts failures. That suspension forced him to miss the Paris Olympics in 2024. Upon his return, Scantling had competed in the decathlon at the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore., but finished only the first two events. His performance in New York further establishes Scantling as a potential candidate to represent the United States in Los Angeles at the 2028 Olympics, when he would be 35 years old.Scantling, who was also a football standout at Episcopal and spent stints in camps with the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons, won the Times-Union's All-First Coast boys track and field athlete of the year in 2011.This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Garrett Scantling, back on top. Here's the Episcopal grad's latest feat

The City of Bron-erly Love has welcomed a new superstar.The basketball world was holding their breath all summer until Friday, July 24 when LeBron James announced that he is joining the Philadelphia 76ers.The four-time NBA champion and league's all-time leading scorer was reportedly deciding between Philadelphia, joining Stephen Curry on the Golden State Warriors, a return to the Miami Heat or a comeback to his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.Besides the sports world expressing their excitement, Philadelphia rejoiced at the news. The future Hall of Famer will join former NBA MVP Joel Embiid and 2024 NBA Finals champion Jaylen Brown, who was shockingly traded from the Boston Celtics earlier in the month.More: 7 biggest winners and losers from LeBron James joining the 76ersFans also had fun imagining James on a favorite Philadelphia-based sitcom and comparing him to another beloved figure from the city.Here's the best pop culture reactions to James signing with the 76ers:Philadelphia music artists are hyped LeBron James is a SixerWhile Philadelphia might be overshadowed by Los Angeles or New York in the music scene, it still has a strong stable of influential artists. Questlove posted a series of Instagram stories welcoming LeBron James. Meek Mill, Tierra Whack and Lil Dicky were also among those who celebrated the 22-time All-Star's announcement that he was going to play in their city.James Poyser of The Roots had maybe the best response of the day when he made a Threads post saying, "LeJawn James!!!!"Philly on tilt MeekMill (@MeekMill) July 24, 2026View this post on InstagramTierra Whack reacts to the LeBron James news in a very Tierra Whack way via an IG story.If you havent listened to the Philadelphia artists WHACK'S MUSEUM mixtape yet, youre sleeping! pic.twitter.com/a0JkxEPbv3 Victoria Hernandez (@LadyViii) July 24, 2026The people want LeBron James on 'Abbott Elementary'Quinta Brunson's sitcom "Abbott Elementary" is set in Philadelphia and has become part of the city's pop culture DNA. The award-winning show has seen cameos from Bradley Cooper, the Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty and Philadelphia Eagles stars Jalen Hurts, Jason Kelce and Brandon Graham. Fans want LeBron to be next.Brunson herself showed excitement at the NBA's all-time leading scorer joining her hometown team. She posted a series of Instagram stories with James' famous "Can't believe this my life" meme, a picture of them together with the caption "My goat" and a sly emoji in response to a fan who asked if the basketball superstar would appear on the show.Quinta Brunson is hyped for LeBron to be in Philly.Abbott Elementary cameo coming soon?? Heres her IG stories pic.twitter.com/Qyvu5hTRav Victoria Hernandez (@LadyViii) July 24, 2026The "LeBron visits Abbott Elementary" episode is going to be great. one dozen rats at a keyboard (@PanasonicDX4500) July 24, 2026LeBron and Zhuri gotta have a guest starring role on Abbott Elementary next season Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod (@big_business_) July 24, 2026i know Quinta Brunsons pen just flew into her hand like Thors hammer https://t.co/FCHtScVdJy sitcom crave (@sitcomcrave) July 24, 2026Deep down hes just trying to secure a cameo on Abbot Elementary https://t.co/N6eoUmiO5E Daniel Cspedes (@_DanielCespedes) July 24, 2026Lebron gonna be on Abbot Elementary let me start catching up now Reggie Saxx (@ReggiSaxx) July 24, 2026LeBron James is the 'reverse Fresh Prince'In Akron, Ohio born and raised, on the playground is where he spent most of his days.Several people on social media pointed out that LeBron James joining the Philadelphia 76ers is a "reverse fresh prince." In opposite order of Will Smith's popular '90s comedy, the NBA superstar went from Los Angeles to Philadelphia. X user bobcattheUNC posted the final scene of the show where the Philadelphia-bred actor stands alone in the Bel Air living room after the Banks Family moved to the East Coast and suggested James is doing a similar move to his son Bronny. James was influential in getting the Los Angeles Lakers to draft his son.LeBron literally doing the reverse fresh prince # pic.twitter.com/XM0HVMnxr0 The Informer (@therealinformer) July 24, 2026Bron left bronny in la like a reverse fresh prince pic.twitter.com/feXknlDqFf Uncle Baby Bobcat (@bobcattheUNC) July 24, 2026Crazy Fresh Prince reboot -- dad abandons his son to pursue his hoops dreams, in Philadelphia, leaving son behind with his family in Bel-Air https://t.co/tLwf2qTw19 Evan Sporer (@ev_sporer) July 24, 2026WTF, he pulled the reverse Fresh PrinceThe Stale King https://t.co/FAxSN1jHOf Ingenuous Firebrand (@ING2Firebrand) July 24, 2026LeBron did the opposite of Fresh Prince pic.twitter.com/t3oYl4m7oK Darius Brown (@BrownDarius94) July 24, 2026 IIIIIIIn South Philadelphia, bought and paid,At Xfinity arena spent most of my days,Aging out, maxin, relaxin all coolAnd all shootin some bball like a damn foolWhen a couple of kids who were up to no goodSaid Dad whyd ya leave us in Hollywood https://t.co/Ce6HIyuSJT Aelfred The Great (@aelfred_D) July 24, 2026Philadelphia welcomes LeBron JamesPeople all across Philadelphia were welcoming. Pat's King of Steaks posted on their Instagram story and their rival Geno's Steaks made an elaborate post. Ice cream icon Frankie Two Scoops, the Theatre of Living Arts and the Philadelphia International Airport also expressed their appreciation.The governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, even declared a LeBron James Day!View this post on InstagramView this post on InstagramNow arriving at PHL: pic.twitter.com/RrTJGZgOE2 PHLAirport (@PHLAirport) July 24, 2026LEBRON IS COMING TO PHILLY.By the power vested in me as the Governor of the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a die-hard Sixers fan... I hereby proclaim today to be LEBRON JAMES DAY.Welcome to the City of Brotherly Love, @KingJames. pic.twitter.com/JHsNkCFyyN Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) July 24, 2026This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LeBron James on 'Abbott Elementary?' Reactions to superstar joining 76ers

IHRA's Future Thrown Into Doubt as Directors Ousted, Ownership Uncertainty GrowsThe International Hot Rod Association is facing what may be its most turbulent stretch in years, with three separate reports over the past 24 hours painting a picture of an organization in serious disarray.According to DragCoverage, every IHRA division director was relieved of their duties, leaving racers without answers about the Bracket Finals, World Finals, and the medical insurance tied to their competition licenses. No official explanation has been issued.That shakeup follows closely on the heels of an announcement from IHRA Australia and New Zealand, whose CEO Maurice Allen confirmed that the region's planned merger into the global IHRA Group, set in motion after Cuttell Motorsport acquired the territory last September, has been paused because of broader financial and political pressures within the IHRA Group. Allen maintains that day-to-day operations Down Under remain unaffected for now.Racing Pro Media adds further detail, reporting that a new ownership announcement for IHRA may be imminent, with current owner Darryl Cuttell possibly stepping away from the group entirely, and cautioning that racers and partners still owed money from the current ownership may not see those debts settled if a transition occurs. The outlet also highlights the abrupt departure of Northern Divisions Director Christopher Eager, who says he had already accepted a steep pay cut just weeks ago to avoid termination, only to lose his position anyway. Sensing an opportunity to reassure the community, Norwalk Raceway Park president Bill Bader Jr. published an open letter pledging to host displaced sportsman racers should IHRA be unable to finish out its season.Taken together, the mass removal of division leadership, a paused international transition, unresolved debts to racers, and a marquee director's ouster suggest an organization under real strain, leaving competitors, tracks, and fans watching closely for what comes next.

The 3M Open has moved to Moving Day. It's Round 3 at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota, north of Minneapolis.The cut came in at 3 under and 66 golfers advanced to the weekend. Those left behind included some big names.The final group Saturday will consists of the newest Mr. 59, Michael Kim, who had 12 birdies en route to his place in the history books.3M Open 2026 Saturday third-round tee timesAll times listed are ET.8:00 a.m. ET Zach Bauchou, Trace Crowe8:10 a.m. ET Corey Conners, Chris Kirk8:20 a.m. ET Rico Hoey, Mark Hubbard8:30 a.m. ET Max Greyserman, Jordan Smith8:40 a.m. ET Jimmy Stanger, Neal Shipley8:50 a.m. ET Ricky Castillo, Joel Dahmen9:00 a.m. ET John VanDerLaan, Matti Schmid9:10 a.m. ET Patrick Fishburn, A.J. Ewart9:20 a.m. ET Jake Knapp, Camilo Villegas9:35 a.m. ET Kristoffer Ventura, Mackenzie Hughes9:45 a.m. ET Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, John Parry9:55 a.m. ET Will Gordon, Fabin Gmez10:05 a.m. ET Hank Lebioda, Lanto Griffin10:15 a.m. ET Beau Hossler, Jeffrey Kang10:25 a.m. ET Davis Chatfield, Keith Mitchell10:35 a.m. ET Casey Jarvis, Pontus Nyholm10:45 a.m. ET Maverick McNealy, Tom Kim11:00 a.m. ET Sam Stevens, Kurt Kitayama11:10 a.m. ET Vince Whaley, Zecheng Dou11:20 a.m. ET Haotong Li, Muzzy Donohue11:30 a.m. ET Davis Thompson, Seamus Power11:40 a.m. ET Chandler Blanchet, Austin Eckroat11:50 a.m. ET Lucas Glover, Kevin Roy12:00 p.m. ET Scottie Scheffler, Hideki Matsuyama12:10 p.m. ET Austin Smotherman, Lee Hodges12:25 p.m. ET Gary Woodland, Kevin Streelman12:35 p.m. ET Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Kevin Yu12:45 p.m. ET Michael Brennan, Denny McCarthy12:55 p.m. ET Brian Harman, Jesper Svensson1:05 p.m. ET Zac Blair, Billy Horschel1:15 p.m. ET Jackson Koivun, Troy Merritt1:25 p.m. ET Emiliano Grillo, Chandler Phillips1:35 p.m. ET Michael Kim, Ben KohlesWhere to watch the third round of the 2026 3M OpenGolf Channel: 1-3 p.m.CBS/Paramount+: 3-6 p.m.ESPN+: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.Sirius XM: 1-6 p.m.Watch Golf Channel for free on Fubo TVWatch the CBS coverage of the PGA Tour on Paramount+Watch PGA Tour Live on ESPN+This article originally appeared on Golfweek: 2026 3M Open Saturday tee times, how to watch PGA Tour third round at TPC Twin Cities

DETROIT The final field for the final Rocket Classic is set.The PGA Tour announced Friday night the 141 players who are committed to teeing it up at Detroit Golf Club next week,when the eighth and final Rocket Classic will be playedfrom July 30-Aug. 2.There were no major changes with the final list of PGA Tour player commitments, from previous announcements, as the field continues to be highlighted by four players inside the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking, eight in the top 20, 21 in the top 50, and more than half of the top 100. There are 10 major champions. The field is arguably the best in the history of the Rocket Classic, and certainly the best since rival LIV Golf began playing and poaching in 2022.Headliners includeJordan Spieth,Xander SchauffeleandBrooks Koepka, all playing the Rocket for the first time, as well as world No. 3 Cameron Young, No. 5 Russell Henley, No. 7 Chris Gotterup and No. 9 Wyndham Clark,who won this year's U.S. Open. Michael Kim, world No. 57 who shot golf's magic number, 59, at the 3M Open on Friday, also is in.World No. 24 Ryan Gerard was the lone notable new name on Friday's entry list, while Matt Kuchar was the lone notable absence from the previous commitments.There are two local players in the field, DetroiterJoe Hooks, who was given a sponsor's exemption and will play the Rocket for a second straight year, and Ann Arbor nativePatrick Wilkes-Krier, who won the 2025 Michigan PGA Championship to earn his spot in the Rocket.The final four spots in the 145-player field will be decided at Monday's qualifier at The Orchards Golf Club in Washington Township. That qualifier is open to the public and is free to attend.2026 Rocket Classic fieldAs of Friday, July 24Zach BauchouChristiaan BezuidenhoutAkshay BhatiaChandler BlanchetKeegan BradleyMichael BrennanJacob BridgemanDan BrownBrian CampbellRafael CamposPatrick CantlayRicky CastilloDavis ChatfieldLuke ClantonWyndham ClarkEric ColeCorey ConnersPierceson CoodyTrace CroweJoel DahmanBrad DalkeCameron DavisJason DayZecheng DouAdrien Dumont de ChassartNick DunlapNico EchavarriaAustin EckroatA.J. EwartTony FinauPatrick FishburnSteven FiskRickie FowlerBrice GarnettRyan GerardDoug GhimLucas GloverChris GotterupMax GreysermanBen GriffinEmiliano GrilloHarry HallRussell HenleyGarrick HiggoJoe HighsmithKensei HirataRyo HisatsuneLee HodgesRico HoeyTom HogeNicolai HojgaardRasmus HojgaardJoe HooksBilly HorschelBeau HosslerMark HubbardMackenzie HughesSungjae ImStephan JaegerBen JamesWilliam JenningsTakumi KanayaJeffrey KangJohnny KeeferMichael KimSi Woo KimChris KirkPatton KizzireJake KnappBrooks KoepkaJackson KoivunChristo LamprechtHank LebiodaHaotong LiDavid LipskyJustin LowerPeter MalnatiHideki MatsuyamaStefano MazzoliDenny McCarthyMatt McCartyMax McGreevyMaverick McNealyMac MeissnerKeith MitchellTaylor MooreWilliam MouwKeita NakajimaRasmus Neergaard-PetersenAndrew NovakPontus NyholmThorbjorn OlesenJohn ParryMatthieu PavonTaylor PendrithMarco PengeChandler PhillipsAldrich PotgieterSeamus PowerAndrew PutnamChad RameyDavis RileyPatrick RodrgersKevin RoyMarcelo RozoRyan RuffelsAdrien SaddierGordon SargentXander SchauffeleAdam SchenkMatti SchmidNeal ShipleyWebb SimpsonJordan SmithAustin SmothermanBrandt SnedekerJ.J. SpaunJordan SpiethSam StevensKevin StreelmanJackson SuberAdam SvenssonJesper SvenssonNick TaylorDavis ThompsonMichael ThorbjornsenBrendon ToddAlejandro TostiErik van RooyenJohn VanDerLaanKristoffer VenturaKarl VilipsDanny WalkerMatt WallaceVince WhaleyPatrick Wilkes-KrierAaron WiseDylan WuSudarshan YellamarajuCameron YoungKevin YuThis article originally appeared on Golfweek: Going out with a bang: Final Rocket Classic may have its best-ever field

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Thursday the signing of four players from the 2026 First-Year Player Draft.The newly signed players include second-round pick and shortstop Aiden Ruiz, third-round pick and right-handed pitcher DeCaro, fourth-round pick and outfielder Andruw Giles and 11th-round pick and left-handed pitcher Spencer Evans. All four players will begin their professional careers assigned to the Florida Complex League. With these signings, the Pirates have now secured 15 of their 21 total selections from the 2026 draft class.Ruiz was highly rated by Baseball America as the No. 31 prospect and by MLB Pipeline as the No. 32 prospect in the draft. Baseball America also tabbed him as the No. 10 high school player in the draft. Perfect Game recognized Ruiz as the top prospect in New York and the No. 9 prospect in the country.During his senior year at the Stony Brook School in New York in 2026, Ruiz had a .403 batting average, a .547 on-base percentage and a .625 slugging percentage. He recorded six doubles, two triples, two home runs, 17 RBI, 21 walks and 23 stolen bases in 23 attempts, striking out only eight times in 95 plate appearances.Ruiz was named All-World Shortstop after hitting .379 with a tournament-best 11 hits during the 2025 World Baseball Softball Confederation U-18 World Cup, which the United States won. He also helped lead the Bears to the 2024 New York State Association of Independent Schools state title. Ruiz was part of the team that went 2-2 at USA Baseballs National High School Invitational in 2025.His father, Sammy Ruiz, was drafted by Chicago (AL) out of Central State University in Ohio in 1985 and played parts of two minor league seasons. Ruiz had previously committed to play collegiately at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. He is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds.DeCaro, a right-handed pitcher, was a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist as a junior at the University of North Carolina in 2026. He is the fifth different pitcher and 11th player overall in program history to receive the honor.During his junior season, DeCaro posted an 11-three record with three shutouts, a 2.87 earned run average across 97.1 innings pitched and 99 strikeouts in 19 starts. He helped guide the program to its 13th College World Series appearance, which was its second during his time at the school, alongside 2024.DeCaro earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team and D1Baseball All-American second-team honors during his third season with the Tar Heels, pitching a shutout against the University of Southern California in the Chapel Hill Super Regional on June 6. He was also named to the All-ACC second team as a freshman in 2024 and as a sophomore in 2025. DeCaro was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team in his first season at UNC and was tabbed by both D1Baseball and Perfect Game as a first-team freshman All-American. He is 6 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs 225 pounds.Giles was recognized by Perfect Game as the No. 1 outfielder and the No. 4 player overall in Nevada during his senior year in 2026 at the Basic Academy of International Studies. The outlet also rated him as the No. 32 outfielder in the country.In his final year with the Wolves, Giles slashed .494/.606/.935 and went 38-for-77 with 11 doubles, four triples, five home runs and 23 runs batted in. He was named the Prep Baseball Nevada Co-Player of the Year, sharing the honor with Keenan Dolan. Giles had previously committed to play collegiately at the University of Oregon. He is 6 feet tall and weighs 195 pounds.Evans was ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 17 player in Florida among this years draft class and No. 13 among left-handed pitchers. Baseball America rated him as the No. 144 prospect in this years draft and the No. 19 high school prospect in Florida. He is 6 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs 190 pounds. He attended TNXL Academy in Florida. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

Jul. 24GRAND FORKS Matti Kwarta had just seven at-bats as a freshman at San Diego State this year.On July 11, she won the Northwoods League's home run derby, beating out the likes of Wisconsin's Hilary Blomberg and Washington's Ava Carroll.Kwarta was primarily a pitcher for the Aztecs. This summer with the Grand Forks Spitfires, though, Kwarta is proving she's still a major threat at the plate."I hope to bring what I've been doing here back to SDSU to help my team," Kwarta said. "It gives me more confidence knowing that I can do this at this level, going against great pitchers. So hopefully when I go back, this carries over. ... I would love to be able to hit more and be able to pitch."Kwarta leads the Spitfires with 13 home runs, and her .475 batting average ranks fourth in the Northwoods League.Kwarta also leads Grand Forks with 48 hits, which ranks fifth in the league."I think what's amazing about her is that even when she fails, she's just very stoic," Spitfires head coach Aaron Alvarez said. "She doesn't get external. I think that's what helps her get back on the success train as fast as she can."Alvarez, who is also the head coach at York University in Nebraska, knew of Kwarta's talent before she arrived at San Diego State. He was one of the first to recruit her while she was playing at Red Bluff High School in California.This May, Alvarez called Kwarta to gauge her interest in joining the Spitfires."At first, I was hesitant," Kwarta said. "Then I talked to my coaches at SDSU, and they were like, 'I think it'd be a great opportunity for you to build your confidence and build your mental game.' And I was like, 'You know what? Why not?'"Fittingly, it was Alvarez who threw to Kwarta during the home run derby."It was like coaching a boxer," Alvarez said. "I told her, 'You can't start muscling the ball, you can't start swinging hard,' because she has natural power. So it's just a flick of the wrist. It was super cool because I tried recruiting her to come to my small NAIA school, but she ended up going Division I which she should have."Beyond her role in the batting order, Kwarta has also been one of Grand Forks' top pitchers. She has pitched the most innings on the team (78) and boasts a 6.46 ERA, the best among the Spitfires' starters.Kwarta has a 7-6 record. Only North Dakota State's Madison Wihlm has more wins on the team, with nine."I feel like I've progressed very well here," Kwarta said. "I've gotten confident in myself pitching-wise. I used to struggle with my first inning and starting, but now I'm more confident in myself. ... We are facing these teams 50 different times, so when I go against them for the third, the fourth, the fifth time, they're going to know my stuff."So it's more about spinning the ball, more about, OK, they're going to hit the ball, let them hit it instead of trying to get the strikeouts, the swings and misses. Those will come when I'm not trying so hard."This summer has been a continuation of Kwarta's strong showing as a freshman pitcher. She appeared in 28 games and made 12 starts as San Diego State's only left-handed pitcher.Kwarta finished the season with a 7-5 record and a 4.97 ERA through 62 innings."Coming in as a freshman, I did not expect to have that big of a role," Kwarta said. "But I feel like I learned to just go, 'OK, this is my role,' and comfortably go into it, put my head down and keep working."