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."

Detroit If this was it, and nobody is saying that it was, Tarik Skubal made it memorable.As the Aug. 3 trade deadline nears and rumors continue to be relentless, if not fictional, the Tigers lefty ace put on a show for a sold-out crowd of 40,638 at Comerica Park Friday as the Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals, 2-1.Skubal struck out a season-high 12, allowed just four hits in 7.1 innings and left to thunderous ovations at the end of the seventh and after he dispatched Carter Jensen in the eighth.Skubal's next start, if the Tigers' rotation stays in order, would be next Wednesday against the Orioles at Comerica Park. Skubal announced his presence right out of the gate, striking out the first two batters of the game. By the end of the fifth, he had nine strikeouts, five of which were of the three-pitch variety.He was dominating the strike zone. Throwing 24 first-pitch strikes to the 28 batters he faced. He got 25 misses on 54 swings, 10 on 14 swings at his changeup.The 12 strikeouts was one off his career-high for a regular-season start, two off his postseason best of 14.He struck out Jensen and Lane Thomas to strand runners at second and third in the third inning. But his old nemesis, Salvador Perez, struck again, doubling into the right-center gap to lead off the fourth.He scored on a two-out double by Nick Loftin.That was the only smudge on his ledger and he left the 2-1 lead first to Brenan Hanifee, who got two ground ball outs to end the eighth.Kenley Jansen got two tough left-handed hitters, Jac Caglianone (fly out) and Vinnie Pasquantino (strikeout), and then ended it by retiring Nick Loftin, earning his 12th save. It looked like the Tigers were going to make a rout of this early.Colt Keith and Gleyber Torres greeted Royals right-handed opener Beck Way with singles and Dillion Dingler took one off his shoulder to load the bases.Riley Greene launched one to the opposite field that seemed headed to the Tigers bullpen. But left fielder Isaac Collins, who is 5-8, got back to the fence, timed his leap expertly and turned what wouldve been a grand slam into a sacrifice fly.With two outs, Hao-Yu Lee ripped a sharp single to center. Third base coach Billy Boyer aggressively waved Torres home, challenging the arm of center fielder Lane Thomas.The throw was up the line and Torres scored relatively easily.But the offense was cooled by left-hander Noah Cameron.He kept the Tigers off the board from the second through the eighth, allowing only two hits with eight strikeouts.This story is developing.Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com@cmccoskyThis article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tarik Skubal dominates Royals amid trade deadline talk

FORT DODGE There's a first time for everything, even in the lengthy history of Iowa high school softball.On Friday, July 24, it was Wahlert Catholic making waves. For the first time in program history, the Golden Eagles are state champions. Junior Natalie Ruba turned in a historic performance, blasting two home runs to power her team to a 13-6 victory over Williamsburg.This was just one part of a phenomenal weekend for Ruba. In total, she had 16 RBIs over the course of the state tournament, shattering the record of 11 set by Mackenzie Mohler of West Des Moines Valley in 2024. Ruba had seven RBIs in Friday's victory alone, tying the Class 3A tournament record for a single game.The cherry on top of the success is that it all came on the junior's 17th birthday."I don't know where it came from," Ruba said. "But it happened and I'm glad it did."Iowa's all-time home run leader, Julia Roth, tallied two home runs and three RBIs to cap off one of Iowa's most storied high school softball careers as well.More: Iowa high school state softball tournament 2026: Scores, bracketsRuba started fast, with her biggest play coming in the top of the first. With the bases loaded, she blasted the ball into the center field bleachers to take a 4-0 lead. Leading 4-1 entering the top of the second following an RBI single from Williamsburg's Harper Meyers, Wahlert Catholic was rounding the bases with ease once again. Addison Klein (single) and Sadie Schultz (double) each recorded an RBI to push the lead to 6-1. Then, Ruba was there again for another superstar play. With two runners on, she blasted a shot over the left field wall to extend her team's lead to 9-1 by the end of the second inning.The team's best power then joined the party in the top of the third, as Roth lasered a no-doubter into the center field bleachers for a two-run home run and an 11-1 lead.Williamsburg would put together a small rally to make it interesting and prevent the mercy rule, cutting the deficit to as little as five runs, 11-6, in the bottom of the fifth, but the Golden Eagles kept piling on. In the top of the sixth, Roth recorded her second home run of the night, with a solo shot to center field. Hayley Lang drove in the final run of a busy game for Wahlert Catholic with an RBI single to center, capping off the 13-6 dominant win.More: Des Moines Register seeks fall high school sports internThe Golden Eagles' victory puts an end to the Raider reign in Class 3A. Williamsburg had won the last three state championships in the class. Williamsburg concludes the season as state runner-ups with a 41-7 record.For Wahlert Catholic, the state championship is the reward for a stellar season. Beyond its 39-6 record and a state title, Roth concludes her career as Iowa's all-time home run leader with 77 home runs. The 2026 season firmly established the Golden Eagles' spot in the state record books. "It's a surreal feeling for all of us," Roth said. "There's six seniors and we gave it everything we had. This is a great way to go out."Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at@EMcKown23.This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Wahlert Catholic tops Williamsburg for Iowa state softball title

No one knows what the next 10 days will bring for Tarik Skubal, but he showcased his talents on Friday.The Detroit Tigers ace struck out a season-high 12 in 7 1/3 innings against the Kansas City Royals, while allowing only 4 hits, 2 walks and 1 run on 91 pitches, in what could be some of his final innings in a Tigers uniform. The Tigers won 2-1.He exited the game in the eighth inning, to a standing ovation at Comerica Park.Tarik Skubal leaves to a standing ovation in what could have been his final home start at Comerica Park.Held KC to one run over 7 1/3 innings, striking out 12. pic.twitter.com/SHIpOBiLT2 97.1 The Ticket: (@971theticketxyt) July 25, 2026Skubal still looms as the biggest name of the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 3. It remains to be seen if the Tigers trade him, a possibility that felt inevitable earlier in the season but now comes with some uncertainty now that the Tigers have gone 28-16 since June 1.The pitcher himself knows its a distinct possibility, as he admitted to reporters Thursday that this start could be his final home appearance at Comerica Park.There were some concerns about Skubals arm when he hit the injured list with loose bodies in his pitching elbow in May, but a novel procedure involving a needle-sized scope had him back in 38 days.Overall, Skubals stats have lagged behind the marks from his back-to-back Cy Young Award years, with the injury obviously not helping. However, he appears to have turned a corner in his past five starts, with a 1.45 ERA and 44 strikeouts against 19 hits and 4 walks in 30 1/3 innings.Each of Tarik Skubal's season-high 12 strikeouts pic.twitter.com/tqvRjVPea4 Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 25, 2026If the Tigers trade Skubal, it will net them immense collection of young talent between prospects and controllable major-leaguers. Skubal likely raised that price on Friday, but made the decision no less easy.Regardless of where he finishes the season, Skubal is set to hit free agency this winter and is widely expected to challenge Yoshinobu Yamamotos $325 million deal for the largest pitcher contract in MLB history.

LeBron James' announcement that he is coming to Philadelphia drew enthusiastic reactions from across the sports world, including players, coaches and local athletes, even as the 76ers organization has not yet publicly commented on the news.Among those reacting were future teammates Tyrese Maxey, newly acquired guard Jaylen Brown and shooting guard VJ Edgecomb.IMAGE: Tyrese Maxey reacts to news that Lebron James is coming to Philly.Philadelphia basketball icon and South Carolina coach Dawn Staley also welcomed James to the city and offered to help him get settled."We got the king! Welcome to Philly, Bron. Let me know if you need any spots," Staley said.YOOOOO PHILLY STAND ALL THE WAY UP!! @ sixers @KingJames lets gooooooo!!!! pic.twitter.com/I65ZZ1YhgI dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) July 24, 2026While on "The Stephen A. Smith Show" on SiriusXM, 76ers legend Allen Iverson weighed in saying, "Definitely championship or bust, man. I mean, that's the added piece we needed. Obviously you put him on any team, to me, you definitely have a chance. But obviously, a whole lot of things gotta go right during the season."Joe Vardon, an NBA reporter for The Athletic, said the announcement caught many people off guard."The people close to LeBron are saying that this was a decision that came down this morning," Vardon said. "No one is saying how long LeBron knew that it was going to be Philadelphia, but those around him did not know."Vardon said the Sixers' acquisition of Jaylen Brown played a key role in the decision."The acquisition of Jaylen Brown at the start of this month or last month. That is what vaulted the Sixers into this poll position," Vardon said. "They added him for virtually nothing."The excitement extended beyond basketball. Eagles safety Andrew Makuba, speaking at a community event, said he was eager to watch one of his favorite players compete in Philadelphia.SEE ALSO | Philadelphia 76ers fans hyped amid LeBron James announcementSixers fans hyped for King James in Philadelphia"For it to be real is insane. He's one of my favorite players growing up," Makuba said. "I know he's at the end of his career so it's coming to an end. It'll be dope to go down the street to watch him play. Exciting for the city of Philly."Makuba also shared advice for James as he begins his time in Philadelphia, saying, "Do what you're supposed to do, and the fans will love you."While the Sixers have yet to comment publicly, reaction to James' announcement continues to build throughout Philadelphia and across the broader sports community.

CHICAGO Elena Delle Donne played her last WNBA game in Sept. 2023, but her jump shot looks like it hasnt taken a day off since.In the inaugural WNBA All-Star Shooting Stars challenge, Team Washington made up of Delle Donne, current Mystic Shakira Austin and high school player Jezelle GG Banks took the win in large part because its legend was in the best form of any of the four former WNBA players. While the rest of the retired players struggled to hit from the long range, the first 50-40-90 player in WNBA history found her stroke from distance to help Washington advance to the final round, and then the youngster took it home.Banks, a gold medalist for the USA at the U-18 level and a member of Team Durant in grassroots basketball, hit three of the six jumpers in the first round before finishing with two half-court shots (no other team hit more than one). She carried the team in the final round, when they knew they had to hit a target score of 25. She made more of the first six jumpers and hit the half-court shot to give Washington 27 points.Washington kept shooting even after they had the trophy secured, and Banks made another halfcourt shot, earning the largest cheers of the evening as she celebrated the victory.As Delle Donne told the broadcast following the competition, her stamina wasnt there for the second round, and she needed Banks to carry the load. The Class of 2027 recruit is ranked No. 4 nationally by the 247Sports Composite.The winner of the Shooting Stars competition gets $15,000 from the WNBA and an additional $85,000 from Aflac through a partnership with the WNBPA. Every current player participant makes $7,500 for appearing.This article originally appeared in The Athletic.Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, Seattle Storm, Los Angeles Sparks, Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Indiana Fever, Dallas Wings, Las Vegas Aces, Phoenix Mercury, Golden State Valkyries, Portland Fire, Toronto Tempo, WNBA2026 The Athletic Media Company

CHICAGO (AP) Houston Astros right-hander Spencer Arrighetti left his start against the Chicago White Sox in the second inning Friday night with an apparent injury.Arrighetti was throwing warmup pitches before starting the second inning when he was visited at the mound by manager Joe Espada, pitching coach Joshua Miller and a trainer. After a short discussion, Arrighetti left the game and was replaced by AJ Blubaugh.There was no immediate word on the reason Arrighetti left the game with the Astros trailing 3-0.Arrighetti struggled in the first inning, allowing three runs and two hits with two walks and two hit batters while throwing 33 pitches. He entered the game 7-5 and has a 4.60 ERA and hasn't won since May 28, when he was 7-1.AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

When LeBron James decided to join the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $8 million contract, he locked in some interesting NBA history, becoming the player to take the biggest pay cut ever. After shattering the record for most points scored in a career, as well as most 1st Team All-NBAs, most All-Star appearances and most consecutive games scoring double-digit points, the biggest pay cut in NBA history doesn't quite have the same level of aura, but even then, it's more history made by the Akron native.HoopsHypeThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: LeBron James takes biggest pay cut ever in NBA history in Philadelphia

Regardless, James went from making an astronomical $52.63 million in his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers, 2025-26, to earning just $3.88 million this upcoming season in Philadelphia, for a pay cut of $48.75 million, now the largest in NBA history.HoopsHypeThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: James went from making an astronomical $52.63 million

Another player new to the Top 5 in this distinction, like James, is veteran swingman Khris Middleton, who signed a three-year, $17.61 million contract this offseason to rejoin the Washington Wizards. Middleton's new deal will pay him $5.59 million next season, after his previous deal had him earning $35.09 million last year, for a pay cut of $29.50 million, now the fourth-largest ever.HoopsHypeThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Middleton's new deal will pay him $5.59 million next