Team USA World Baseball Classic manager Mark DeRosa shared the reason why Robert J. O’Neill, the U.S. Navy SEAL who is credited with killing terrorist Osama bin Laden, was invited to speak to the team last week.
United States manager Mark DeRosa talks in the dugout before a World Baseball Classic semifinal game against the Dominican Republic, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Miami.(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
But before the game against the Dominican Republic, DeRosa was questioned about having O’Neill in the locker room.
“That was my decision to bring him in,” DeRosa said, via Defector. “He was brought in, actually, a couple of days in Houston. It wasn’t before the Canada game. I think for me there has to be … you never want it to get lost why you’re doing this. Whatever that ‘why’ is and a lot of people, like Paul Skenes said to me when he signed up for this, ‘I want to do this for every service man and woman that protects our freedom. That’s why we wear USA across our chest.’
Robert O’Neill speaks onstage during book signing and lecture at Richard Nixon Library on July 26, 2017 in Yorba Linda, California.(Phillip Faraone/Getty Images)
“I just thought it would be like a time to kind of redirect and get those guys to understand that, although this is an unbelievable event and you get a chance to share a locker room with the game’s greats, there’s a reason why you’re doing it and a reason why people protect our freedom at night. I just wanted to honor that.”
O’Neill wasn’t the only one to hype up Team USA before the game.
DeRosa revealed that USA hockey hero Jack Hughes, who scored the winning goal in the gold medal game against Canada at the Olympics, reached out to the American baseball players before Friday’s game.
United States manager Mark DeRosa adjusts his baseball cap prior to an exhibition baseball game against the Colorado Rockies Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Scottsdale, Arizona.(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Welcome back to the #1 Men’s bracket game! The tourney tips off Thursday, 3/19 @ 12:15p ET – don’t get locked out, create your brackets today! Don’t forget to create a group and invite your friends to share in the madness.
Game Locking
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The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) on Monday notified changes in the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy to permit overseas companies with Chinese shareholding of up to 10 per cent to invest in India through the automatic route, subject to sectoral limits and conditions, PTI reported.However, the relaxation will not apply to entities incorporated in China, Hong Kong or other countries sharing land borders with India. Earlier, foreign firms with even a single shareholding link to such nations were required to seek mandatory government approval for investments across sectors.A DPIIT notification said, “The expression ‘beneficial owner’ of an investment in India will mean the beneficial owner of the investor entity incorporated or registered in a country other than a country which shares a land border with India”.The term will carry the same meaning as defined under Section 2(1)(fa) of the Prevention of Money-laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Under PMLA rules, controlling ownership interest refers to entitlement to more than 10 per cent of shares, capital or profits in a company.The revised rules also mandate that investments from entities having any direct or indirect ownership link with citizens or firms from land-bordering nations — and not requiring prior approval — will have to follow additional reporting requirements under the standard operating procedure prescribed by DPIIT.The decision to ease the norms was cleared by the Union Cabinet last week. The government had earlier tightened the FDI policy through Press Note 3 (2020) on April 17, 2020, to prevent opportunistic takeovers of Indian companies during the Covid-19 pandemic.Under that framework, investments from entities in countries sharing land borders with India, or where the beneficial owner was situated in such nations, required prior government approval. This was seen as affecting investment flows, particularly from global private equity and venture capital funds with minority Chinese or Hong Kong shareholding.DPIIT has also indicated that proposals for FDI from these countries in specified sectors will be considered under an expedited approval mechanism with a 60-day timeline.Countries sharing land borders with India include China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and Afghanistan.China currently ranks 23rd in FDI equity inflows into India, accounting for 0.32 per cent share, or USD 2.51 billion, between April 2000 and December 2025.
As the war in the Middle East drives up energy prices, Americans are feeling the pinch at the gas pump. With elevated prices likely to stick around for the near future, experts say there are some practical steps drivers can take to stretch their fuel a little farther.
Gas prices hit $3.72 per gallon on Monday, an increase of 74 cents, or about 25%, since the war started, according to data from AAA. As prices continue to rise, here are three tips to improve your fuel economy.
Check your tire pressure
Drivers can start by ensuring their tires are properly inflated.
The U.S. Department of Energy says properly inflated tires can improve gas mileage by about 3%, although some estimates say the impact can be as high as 10%. The proper tire pressure for your vehicle can usually be found on a sticker on the driver’s side door jamb or in the owner’s manual.
“Lower-inflated tires will increase the resistance on the road, so properly inflated, the vehicle is going to drive a little bit smoother and be able to accelerate properly,” said David Bennett, AAA senior automotive manager.
Slow down on the highway
Fuel economy gets worse the faster you drive. That’s why experts advise going slower when you can do it safely, including on the highway.
According to Sean Tucker, managing editor for compact and full-size vehicles at Kelley Blue Book, driving 65 miles per hour on the highway is a good sweet spot.
“Today’s cars are geared to be most efficient at that speed, and you lose quite a bit of fuel efficiency the faster you go,” he said.
Small speed adjustments can go a long way. According to AAA, reducing highway speeds by 5 to 10 mph can improve mileage by up to 14%. The roadside assistance and insurance provider says that fuel economy for most cars peaks at 50 mph before tapering off.
Cruise control can come in handy here as it allows you to maintain a set speed while driving.
Avoid hard acceleration or slamming the brakes
Maintaining a steady speed while driving is another way to maximize fuel efficiency. That means avoiding rapid acceleration and braking, according to experts.
These aggressive driving practices can lower gas mileage by roughly 15% to 30% if you’re traveling at highway speeds, and 10% to 40% in stop-and-go traffic, according to the Energy Department.
Experts also recommend coasting to a stop when you can.
“When you see a red light ahead, there’s no reason to rush to be the first one there,” Mackenzie Raetz, the senior editor of freelance for Penny Hoarder, a personal finance website, told CBS News in an email. “Letting off the accelerator and coasting to a stop can help conserve fuel.”
What a start to conference play! The SEC got off to a fast and hot start, with Arkansas taking its home series against Mississippi State in Fayetteville and Texas finally losing its first game of the season. And things continued to get worse for LSU as the Tigers dropped two games on the road to Vanderbilt.
In the ACC, Clemson lost its home series to Georgia Tech, and Wake Forest had a tough week overall, losing all four of its games — one to Coastal Carolina and three to Florida State. The series sweep for FSU helped the Seminoles jump nine spots in this week’s rankings.
Elsewhere in the top 25, UCLA is holding steady at No. 1, and the week’s biggest riser is crosstown rival USC, which rose up 12 spots. Virginia’s rise continues, too, with the Cavaliers finally breaking into the top 10.
This week’s newcomers to the rankings include West Virginia coming back in at No. 20, Oregon at No. 21 and Louisiana at No. 25 with TCU, UTSA and LSU — yep, the Tigers are officially unranked — dropping out.
Here are the entire top 25 rankings as of March 16, plus our favorite moments and what we’re watching in the week to come.
Top moments
Can we put in a late nomination for the Oscars? Because this ending to Georgia-Tennessee had everything you could want to see. A dramatic bat flip after what looked like a go-ahead home run for the Vols! But then enter Cole Johnson! And Johnson clearly wasn’t going to let this ball fly past him.
While Cincinnati has been pretty middle of the pack this season — the Bearcats are 15-6 and lost their first conference series to BYU — Coats has been dominant. The sophomore has hit 14 home runs and has a batting average of .418 to go along with 35 RBIs. With the way he has been hitting, the Big 12 will certainly be on watch.
Game 1: 6 p.m. on Friday (ACC Network Extra) Game 2: 2 p.m. on Saturday (ACC Network Extra) Game 3: 1 p.m. on Sunday (ACC Network Extra)
There are plenty of top-ranked SEC matchups this weekend, like Texas at Auburn, but we’re narrowing in on the ACC with NC State traveling to Tallahassee to face Florida State. NC State had a little bit of a rocky 2-2 week, dropping games to Elon and Boston College, but it did bounce back to eventually take the series against BC. Florida State meanwhile swept then-ranked No. 12 Wake Forest, though it did drop a game to Florida earlier in the week. Can the Wolfpack bounce back on the road? Or have the Seminoles found their groove?
Updated top 25
Here are D1baseball.com’s latest rankings, plus information on each team’s next game.
All times Eastern.
1. UCLA Bruins
Previous rank: 1 Record: 17-2 Next game: vs. Pepperdine, 9 p.m. on Tuesday
2. Texas Longhorns
Previous rank: 3 Record: 18-1 Next game: at Tarleton State, 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
3. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Previous rank: 4 Record: 17-3 Next game: at Auburn, 7 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
4. Arkansas Razorbacks
Previous rank: 5 Record: 14-6 Next game: vs. Northern Colorado, 7 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
5. Auburn Tigers
Previous rank: 6 Record: 17-2 Next game: vs. Georgia Tech, 7 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
6. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Previous rank: 3 Record: 16-4 Next game: vs. Jackson State, 5 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
7. Georgia Bulldogs
Previous rank: 8 Record: 17-4 Next game: vs. the Citadel, 3 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
8. Oklahoma Sooners
Previous rank: 9 Record: 17-3 Next game: at Southeastern Louisiana, 7 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)
9. Virginia Cavaliers
Previous rank: 14 Record: 16-4 Next game: vs. Georgetown, 4 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)
10. NC State Wolfpack
Previous rank: 10 Record: 16-4 Next game: at UNC Wilmington, 6 p.m. on Tuesday (ACC Network Extra)
11. Florida State Seminoles
Previous rank: 20 Record: 16-3 Next game: vs. Bethune Cookman, 6 p.m. on Tuesday (ACC Network Extra)
12. Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Previous rank: 7 Record: 16-4 Next game: vs. Nicholls, 7 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)
13. USC Trojans
Previous rank: 25 Record: 19-1 Next game: vs. San Diego State, 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday
14. North Carolina Tar Heels
Previous rank: 15 Record: 16-3-1 Next game: vs. UNC Greensboro 4 p.m. on Tuesday (ACC Network Extra)
15. Kentucky Wildcats
Previous rank: 21 Record: 18-2 Next game: vs. Marshall, 2 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
16. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Previous rank: 16 Record: 13-6 Next game: at Campbell, 6 p.m. on Wednesday
17. Oregon State Beavers
Previous rank: 18 Record: 14-4 Next game: at Portland, 8:35 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)
18. Florida Gators
Previous rank: 23 Record: 18-3 Next game: vs. Stetson, 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
19. Clemson Tigers
Previous rank: 11 Record: 16-4 Next game: at College of Charleston, 6 p.m. on Tuesday
20. West Virginia Mountaineers
Previous rank: NR Record: 13-4 Next game: vs. Penn State, 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)
21. Oregon Ducks
Previous rank: NR Record: 17-3 Next game: vs. Northwestern, 7:05 p.m. on Friday
22. Tennessee Volunteers
Previous rank: 19 Record: 14-6 Next game: vs. Eastern Kentucky, 6 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
23. Texas A&M Aggies
Previous rank: 22 Record: 16-3 Next game: vs. Texas State, 7 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
24. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Previous rank: 12 Record: 15-5 Next game: vs. Liberty, 6 p.m. on Tuesday (ACC Network Extra)
25. Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns
Previous rank: NR Record: 15-5 Next game: at Houston, 7 :30 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)
The 2026 NCAA women’s Frozen Four is set, with the sport’s two most dominant teams lined up for a potential rematch for the national title.
No. 1 seed Ohio State and No. 2 Wisconsin won their regionals in impressive fashion — the Buckeyes beating Yale 6-1 and the Badgers blanking Quinnipiac 6-0. They will be joined by No. 3 Penn State, which shut out UConn 3-0, and No. 5 Northeastern, a 4-2 winner over Minnesota, in the national semifinals Friday at University Park, Pennsylvania.
The national championship game will be played Sunday at 4 p.m. ET and air on ESPNU. Every game of the tournament will be streamed live on the ESPN App.
Ohio State earned the top overall seed in the 11-team field after beating Wisconsin 2-1 for the WCHA tournament championship. The Badgers are the No. 2 seed, with Penn State of Atlantic Hockey America at No. 3. Minnesota (WCHA) and Northeastern (Hockey East) round out the top five seeds.
Wisconsin beat Ohio State 4-3 in overtime to win the 2025 national championship. Those teams have alternated as national champs over the last five seasons and have met in the title game the last three years, with Wisconsin winning in 2023 and Ohio State taking the crown in 2024.
Below is the schedule for the tournament and a look at every team in the field, including insight from ESPN college hockey analyst Paige Capistran. This page will be updated with results as the tournament progresses.
Schedule
All times Eastern. All games streamed on ESPN App.
REGIONALS
First round
Yale 1, Minnesota Duluth 0
UConn 4, Princeton 1
Quinnipiac 4, Franklin Pierce 0
Finals
No. 2 Wisconsin 6, Quinnipiac 0
No. 3 Penn State 3, UConn 0
No. 5 Northeastern 4, No. 4 Minnesota 2
No. 1 Ohio State 6, Yale 1
FROZEN FOUR at University Park, Pennsylvania
Semifinals, Friday
Ohio State vs. Northeastern, 4 p.m.
Wisconsin vs. Penn State, 7:30 p.m.
Final, March 22
4 p.m., ESPNU
Highlights
play
1:14
Quinnipiac Bobcats vs. Wisconsin Badgers Game Highlights
Quinnipiac Bobcats vs. Wisconsin Badgers Game Highlights
play
1:19
Uconn Huskies vs. Penn St. Nittany Lions Game Highlights
Uconn Huskies vs. Penn St. Nittany Lions Game Highlights
play
1:19
Northeastern Huskies vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers Game Highlights
Northeastern Huskies vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers Game Highlights
Field at a glance
Records, statistics entering NCAA tournament
Ohio State (33-4-0)
NPI ranking: 1
How the Buckeyes got in: WCHA tournament champion
NCAA history: Eighth appearance, seeking third national title
Numbers to know: The Buckeyes are 19-1 since the calendar flipped to 2026, with the one loss to Wisconsin on Feb. 8. They have allowed less than two goals in 15 of their last 20 games. … Hailey MacLeod blanked Minnesota in the WCHA semifinals for her fifth shutout of the season, then limited high-scoring Wisconsin to one goal with 28 saves in a 2-1 win in the final. … Ohio State can put the puck in the net, too, ranking third in the country with 4.42 goals per game. Joy Dunne of the US Olympic team leads the Buckeyes with 26 goals in 28 games. … Hilda Svensson, who played for Sweden in the Milan Olympics, is the top scoring freshman in the country with 1.67 points per game. She had a goal and a team-high eight shots on goal in the WCHA title win over the Badgers.
Paige Capistran’s take: The top seeded Buckeyes are peaking and coming together as a team at the right time. Coming into the tournament as the favorite, they won’t take their foot off the gas and will continue the blue-collar play that defines them.
Wisconsin (32-4-2)
NPI ranking: 2
How the Badgers got in: At-large berth (WCHA)
NCAA history: 20th appearance, seeking ninth title
Numbers to know: The Badgers split four games with Minnesota and were 3-2 against Ohio State, accounting for their four losses on the season. … Wisconsin leads the country in scoring (5.26 goals per game), is second in goals allowed per game (1.45) and is tops in power-play percentage (.357). … Seniors Caroline Harvey (2.03 points per game) and Lacey Eden (1.92) lead the high-powered attack. Six Badgers have more than 40 points on the season. … Ava McNaughton, who leads the NCAA with a 1.32 goals-against average, had a career-high 38 saves in the Badgers’ WCHA final loss to Ohio State. … Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson is one win away from becoming the first NCAA women’s hockey coach to reach 700 career victories.
Capistran’s take: The Badgers’ stacked roster includes four Olympians who won gold for Team USA: Kirsten Simms, Laila Edwards, McNaughton and Olympic MVP Harvey. Plus, Eden is a top-10 Patty Kazmaier finalist along with Edwards, Harvey and Simms. Johnson’s team certainly has the skill to go all the way.
Penn State (32-5-0)
NPI ranking: 3
How the Nittany Lions got in: Atlantic Hockey tournament champion
NCAA history: Fourth appearance, seeking first title
Numbers to know: Penn State claimed its fourth straight AHA title with a 3-2 win over Mercyhurst on Saturday. … Senior Katie DeSa is one of the best goaltenders in the country, allowing just 37 goals in 29 games this season. She has an NCAA-high 11 shutouts and a .935 save percentage. … The Nittany Lions lead the country in scoring defense (1.35 goals per game) and are fourth in scoring offense (4.3 goals per game). … US Olympian Tessa Janecke leads a balanced offense with 45 points (23 goals, 22 assists) in 29 games. Grace Outwater leads Penn State with 24 goals and 10 skaters have at least 20 points on the season.
Capistran’s take: Janecke is tough as nails and leads the Nittany Lions on and off the ice. Penn State will have home-ice advantage through the Frozen Four and has proven how hard it is to beat at home, going 17-1 at Pegula Ice Arena. Penn State wants to win its first national title in its own building.
Minnesota (26-11-1)
NPI ranking: 4
How the Golden Gophers got in: At-large berth (WCHA)
NCAA history: 23rd appearance, seeking seventh title
Numbers to know: Minnesota closed January with a 23-4 record, but struggled down the stretch with Abbey Murphy (Team USA) and Josefin Bouveng (Sweden) away for the Olympics, going 1-6-1 before winning two straight over St. Cloud State in the first round of the WCHA playoffs. The Gophers then lost 4-0 to Ohio State in the WCHA semifinals. … Murphy leads the country with 2.13 points per game (38 goals and 26 assists for 64 points in 30 games) and Bouveng is 10th at 1.40 (15 goals, 27 assists in 30 games). … Minnesota is second in the country with 171 goals and fourth in goal margin (plus-2.34).
Capistran’s take: Minnesota was playing its best hockey before the Olympics and wants to revive its offensive identity, playing with speed and pushing the pace. With a deep lineup, Brad Frost has the flexibility to roll three lines evenly. But Murphy, one of the most lethal players in the NCAA, will lead the way.
Northeastern (28-8-1)
NPI ranking: 5
How the Huskies got in: At-large berth (Hockey East)
NCAA history: Eighth appearance, seeking first title
Numbers to know: Northeastern won all three regular-season meetings with UConn, but lost a 2-1 double-overtime heartbreaker in the Hockey East final. Before that loss, the Huskies had been 12-1-1 in their previous 14 games. … Goaltender Lisa Jönsson has been rock solid for NU, allowing two or fewer goals in each of her last 12 games, including a 54-save effort in the loss to UConn. … Northeastern trails only Wisconsin in penalty-kill percentage (.895). … Stryker Zablocki (18 goals, 25 assists) became the first player to win Hockey East player of the year and freshman of the year since 2017-18. … The Huskies are back in the NCAA tournament after a two-year absence. They had been in the field six straight years before that.
Capistran’s take: The Huskies play shutdown defense in front of Jönsson, who has been outstanding in her sophomore campaign. Captain Lily Shannon has had a breakout senior season, playing a 200-foot game; she will be a key. Jules Constantinople is Northeastern’s go-to defender and brings great physicality.
UConn (27-8-2)
NPI ranking: 6
How the Huskies got in: Hockey East tournament champion
NCAA history: Second appearance, seeking first title
Numbers to know: Tia Chan made 57 saves, 33 after regulation, in UConn’s 2-1 double-overtime win over Northeastern in the Hockey East title game. A top-three finalist for national goalie of the year, she has the best save percentage (.950) of any netminder in the NCAA tournament and is sixth in the country with a 1.59 goals against average. … UConn blocked 39 shots against Northeastern. … The Huskies, who led Hockey East in both scoring (3.05) and defense (1.62), have won eight of their last nine games.
Capistran’s take: The Hockey East champions took their offense up a notch this season and continued to play the top-notch defense they have displayed in years past. While Chan is a force at the back end, forwards Julia Pellerin, Claire Murdoch and Kyla Josifovic have been key to the Huskies’ success this year.
Quinnipiac (28-8-3)
NPI ranking: 7
How the Bobcats got in: ECAC tournament champion
NCAA history: Fifth appearance, seeking first title
Numbers to know: Quinnipiac won its first ECAC title since 2016 with a 5-1 win over top seed Yale. … Goaltender Felicia Frank, a top-three finalist for national goalie of the year, was the tournament MVP with 61 saves and just two goals allowed over two games. The sophomore is first nationally with 28 wins, third in shutouts (nine) and fourth in goals against average (1.51). … Kahlen Lamarche keys the Bobcats offense, scoring better than a goal per game (42 goals in 39 games). She had seven goals in a three-game ECAC quarterfinal win over Brown.
Capistran’s take: Frank backboned the Bobcats this season and Lamarche, a top-10 Patty Kaz finalist, is an offensive threat whenever she hits the ice. Quinnipiac will want to build off its momentum from the ECAC tournament and will be a tough out.
Yale (25-9-0)
NPI ranking: 8
How the Bulldogs got in: At-large berth (ECAC)
NCAA history: Third appearance, seeking first title
Numbers to know: The Bulldogs’ loss to Quinnipiac in the ECAC final was just their second defeat in 2026 (16-2). … Senior Carina DiAntonio is fifth in the country with 26 goals, doubling her team-high total from last season. … Freshman defender Molly Boyle led the ECAC with 21 assists, while fellow first-year player Samson Frey has a 1.47 GAA in 17 games. … Yale is fifth in the country with 3.65 goals per game. … The Bulldogs have seven wins over teams ranked in the top 15 in NPI.
Capistran’s take: ECAC coach of the year Mark Bolding led his team to the conference title game in his seventh season behind the bench. The Bulldogs have a great shot-blocking mentality, and Boyle, who was named ECAC defender of the year, sets the tone.
Princeton (23-10-0)
NPI ranking: 9
How the Tigers got in: At-large berth (ECAC)
NCAA history: Fifth appearance, seeking first title
Numbers to know: Princeton fell to Quinnipiac 2-1 in overtime in the ECAC semifinals. … The Tigers are fourth in the country in scoring defense, allowing 1.41 goals per game. … Princeton was 3-3 against NCAA qualifiers Yale and Quinnipiac this season, with four of the six games going to overtime. … Issy Wunder has 27 goals, with eight of them game-winners, tied for most in the country.
Capistran’s take: Despite having a short bench this season, Princeton found success with the help of team captain Wunder. Her offensive ability and high hockey IQ define her game and will be key to the Tigers’ chances.
Minnesota Duluth (20-14-3)
NPI ranking: 10
How the Bulldogs got in: At-large berth (WCHA)
NCAA history: 17th appearance, seeking sixth title
Numbers to know: Eve Gascon, the third finalist for national goaltender of the year, led WCHA with a .943 save percentage and 10 shutouts, second nationally. She has averaged just shy of 30 saves per game this season. … The Bulldogs have shown they can win in hostile environments, posting a 13-4-1 record on the road. … After closing the regular season with six straight wins, UMD lost a tight best-of-three series with Minnesota State in the WCHA playoffs.
Capistran’s take: Gascon had another phenomenal season being a brick wall for the Bulldogs. She won WCHA goalie of the year for the second year in a row and will have to bring her A game for Minnesota Duluth to find success in this year’s tournament. Offensively the Bulldogs will turn to Caitlin Kraemer, who again leads the team in points (15 goals, 15 assists).
Franklin Pierce (23-11-2)
NPI ranking: 25
How the Ravens got in: NEWHA tournament champion
NCAA history: First appearance
Numbers to know: The Ravens are in the NCAA tournament for the first time as Jill Hertl made 41 saves for her 19th career shutout in Franklin Pierce’s 2-0 win over Saint Anselm in the NEWHA championship game. Hertl was the conference’s top goaltender, with a 1.63 GAA and .955 save percentage. … Franklin Pierce is third nationally with an .890 penalty-kill percentage. … Caleigh Murphy is the Ravens’ leading scorer (17 goals, 16 assists). … David Stockdale, the only coach in program history, is in his 14th season at the helm for Franklin Pierce. The team moved to Division I in 2019-20.
Capistran’s take: Franklin Pierce had its most exciting season yet and will look to build off its the NEWHA championship, but just taking this step is huge. The Ravens will depend on Hertl and will want to use physicality to slow down their opponent.
While the glamour of Oscars 2026 is the talk of the town right now, the one name that’s hitting the headlines yet again is Will Smith— the Hollywood actor who is banned until 2032 after he infamously slapped Chris Rock in 2022. The man who charmed us in Men in Black, Bad Boys, and clinched Best Actor for King Richard won’t be seen on the red carpet anytime soon. Amid the drama, eyes turn to his partner, Jada Pinkett Smith, whose life story—from Baltimore roots to Hollywood power couple—feels like a masterclass in resilience, love, and unfiltered truth.
Meet Jada Pinkett Smith
Born in 1971 in Baltimore, Maryland, to an African-American father and Afro-Caribbean mother, Jada burst made her screen debut in 1991’s A Different World. She skyrocketed with The Nutty Professor, then slayed in Menace II Society, Jason’s Lyric, Set It Off, and Scream 2. Beyond acting, she’s a Daytime Emmy winner for her raw talk show Red Table Talk, a businesswoman who launched fashion label Maja in 1994, and author of Girls Hold Up This World, dedicated to daughter Willow (shared with Will). Before Will, she was married briefly to Sheree Zampino; their paths crossed, parted, but Jada found enduring partnership with him—though not without twists.
The 2026 Oscars were full of glitz, glamour, and some truly unforgettable moments.
When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock for his wife Jada
Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during 2022 Oscar ceremony.
Take the slap: While the world gasped and the Academy issued a 10-year ban, Jada saw grace in chaos. In a 2023 Daily Mail interview, she dubbed it the “‘holy slap'” because “so many positive things came after it. That moment of the s— hitting the fan is when you see where you really are. After all those years trying to figure out if I would leave Will’s side, it took that slap for me to see I will never leave him.” Bold? Absolutely. Their “entanglement” era revealed they’d lived separately for seven years by 2016—exhausted from fixing things, but never divorcing. On the Today show, Jada explained: “It wasn’t a divorce on paper… I had made a promise to Will that we would never get divorced and would work out things, and I couldn’t break the promise.”
When Jada spoke about how motherhood changed her
Motherhood reshaped her too. In a 2020 E! News chat, she got real: “Motherhood will teach you everything about yourself… I went through this period where I was just like, ‘Oh my god! I’m sacrificing so much!’ A lot of times, our parenting choices aren’t easy…and a lot of times they have to be really selfless… every step of the way, my kids were giving me the opportunity to be the woman that I really wanted to be—not the fantasy, ideal Jada.“Jada’s not just Will’s wife; she’s a force—flawed, fierce, and faithful.What are your views on this power-couple? Tell us in the comments below.
Resident college basketball bracketologist for ESPN
Contributor to SportsCenter, ESPN Insider
Published first public bracket in 1995
Multiple Authors
Well, after 4½ months of play, the bracket for the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament is set with the 68 teams that will vie for the national title.
How do we feel about the way the seedings and pairings played out?
It’s hard to be critical of a 12-person selection committee that just made you look a whole lot smarter than you really are, so I won’t go there.
What I’ll do, instead, is offer a handful of “kudos” and “crank” that came to mind as the selection show unfolded:
Kudos: For swapping Arizona and Michigan as the respective No. 2 and No. 3 overall seeds. This was justified when Michigan lost the Big Ten championship game but something most past selectors would have ignored. (So much so that I forgot to do it myself!) It’s also a swap that has absolutely no impact on any team’s seeding or placement — but it will bring a smile to bracket nerds everywhere.
Kudos: For going beyond the numbers in the cases of 2-seed Purdue and 3-seed Virginia, with both landing in better spots than was the case just a week or two ago. Selfishly, I did the same thing but wasn’t at all sure of that decision. Also selfishly, I’m delighted to have UVA leading one of the two pods in Philadelphia, where I plan to spend the first weekend as a happy spectator. If you’re in the neighborhood, feel free to say hello.
Crank: For putting Miami (Ohio) in the First Four. We were all too close to a 31-1 team missing the tournament with this decision. I’m going to spare everyone the histrionics since that didn’t actually happen, but seriously? Selection committee chair Keith Gill did a nice job explaining that the RedHawks weren’t actually the last team selected, despite their ignominious place on the seed list.
Kudos: Three WCC teams, two Atlantic 10 teams and two MAC teams in the field makes me smile. It’s still not enough mid-major representation, but it’s a step in the right direction. Remember, over the past 20 years, high-end mid-majors win almost twice as often in the NCAA tournament as “middling” high-majors despite worse seeding and far fewer selections.
Crank:Utah State is the only team with an overt argument about its seeding. The Aggies could easily have been a 7-seed, and they probably deserved to be spared the assignment (and likely fate) of an 8-9 matchup.
Semi-crank: Speaking of seeds, I thought Vanderbilt more than earned a spot on the top four lines. As it is, the two SEC finalists were 16 and 17 overall on the seed list, so clearly, the Commodores and Arkansas were playing for the final 4-seed on Sunday. Me? I’d have had both on that line and bumped unpredictable Kansas.
Kudos: Across the past five tournaments, Saint Mary’s has been a 5-seed thrice and a 7-seed twice. That’s a remarkable run for any mid-major, especially one of the smallest schools in Division I.
Kudos: It doesn’t appear the committee had to apply any bracket gymnastics to accommodate the unique needs of BYU (which can’t play on Sundays) or Hawai’i (which must travel excessive distances). Both have been slated to open in Portland, Oregon, for a Thursday/Saturday subregional in the West.
Crank: I am officially not a fan of Selection Sunday being staged the same Sunday as the Oscars. Whoever came up with that should be sent to the NIT. For now, let me close by saying that the Oscars would be a whole lot more interesting — like pretty much everything else — with a bracket.
Mumbai: Walmart-backed PhonePe has paused its IPO amid volatility in the markets which have fallen by about 7% since the start of the West Asia conflict. In a statement on Monday, the fintech firm said that it will resume the listing process once there is some stability in global capital markets. “We sincerely hope for a swift return to peace in all the affected regions. We remain committed to a public listing in India,” said CEO Sameer Nigam. The delay of PhonePe’s targeted $1.3 billion IPO which was set to be the second biggest public issue to be floated by a startup after Paytm’s 2021 listing and a major liquidity event for its early backers probably underlines the broader risk of a temporary slowdown of the domestic IPO market which had been on a bull run last year. Many companies are pushing back fundraises amid the West Asia driven market volatility, TOI reported recently. PhonePe’s IPO is an offer for sale (OFS) issue; Tiger Global and Microsoft will completely exit the company while parent Walmart which holds about 72% stake in the firm is paring its stake by 10%. The first local business from Walmart’s stable to go public, PhonePe was initially planning an April listing on the bourses. PhonePe, last valued at $12 billion was understood to be eyeing a valuation of up to $15 billion in the IPO, a target which would have been difficult to achieve in the current market scenario. “Some near-term blips in primary market activity are natural given the volatility in secondary markets….companies are being more calibrated on timing but we are not seeing a structural pullback,” said Amit Ramchandani, MD & CEO, investment banking at Motilal Oswal Financial Services.
2. Texas Longhorns
3. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
4. Arkansas Razorbacks
5. Auburn Tigers
6. Mississippi State Bulldogs
7. Georgia Bulldogs
10. NC State Wolfpack
11. Florida State Seminoles
12. Southern Miss Golden Eagles
13. USC Trojans
14. North Carolina Tar Heels
15. Kentucky Wildcats
16. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
17. Oregon State Beavers
18. Florida Gators
19. Clemson Tigers
20. West Virginia Mountaineers
22. Tennessee Volunteers
23. Texas A&M Aggies
24. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
