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East Palestine VB Camp
EAST PALESTINE -- The East Palestine Youth Volleyball Camp will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in the high school gym.
Cost is $30. Day of camp registration opens at 8:30 a.m. Saturday in the high school gym lobby. It is open to all girls and boys entering grades K-8 in any school district.
Heat on the mound
ATLANTA (AP) -- The MLB All-Star game Tuesday featured were 21 pitches of 100 mph or more, down from a record 23 last year but up from 13 in 2023, 10 in 2022 and one in 2021.
Philly hosts 2026 All-Stars
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Next year's game is set for Philadelphia and MLB plans to announce later this month the 2027 game will be at Chicago's Wrigley Field. Manfred mentioned Baltimore, Boston and Toronto as possible future sites for All-Star Games.
Minor leagues more minor
ATLANTA (AP) -- Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred wouldn't speculate Tuesday whether MLB will try to cut minor league affiliates from 120 to 90 when current Professional Development Licenses expire after the 2030 season.
"There is a lot going on. College baseball's changing big time," he said. "It's just impossible for me to speculate but don't take that as he thinks it's going to be smaller or bigger."
Clark draws 19,156 to TD Garden
BOSTON (AP) -- Natasha Howard scored 18 points with 13 rebounds to lead the Indiana Fever to an 85-77 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday night in front of a sold-out crowd of 19,156 at the home of the Boston Celtics and Bruins.
Caitlin Clark struggled during the game, scoring 14 points on 4 for 14 shooting, and walked off the court in the final minute, crying and clutching her right leg. Clark missed five games recently and five others earlier in the season with left leg injuries.
Tina Charles scored 21 points with 11 rebounds for the Sun, who fell to 3-19 for the season -- the worst record in the WNBA.
OAC will be streaming games
WESTERVILLE -- The Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) and FloSports have entered into an exclusive five-year media rights agreement that will begin in the fall of 2025, bringing nine universities to the FloCollege platform.
Through the agreement, FloSports will provide a global platform to live stream over 1,000 regular-season and postseason events annually. The partnership adding a ninth Division III conference to the portfolio and the 18th NCAA conference to FloCollege in the fall.
"This partnership with FloSports is an exciting opportunity for the Ohio Athletic Conference," said OAC commissioner Bethany Dannelly. "FloSports has demonstrated a strong commitment to Division III athletics, and we are proud to team up with a national leader in digital sports media to elevate the visibility of our institutions, our teams, and most importantly, our student-athletes. This partnership also enhances how fans experience OAC athletics and reinforces our commitment to providing a high-quality, student-centered experience."
FloCollege will provide live and on-demand coverage for a subscription fee for the OAC full sports calendar across 23 sports.
"The OAC is one of the most storied conferences in Division III with a tremendous history in athletics," said Michael Levy, FloSports SVP of Global Rights & Acquisition. "We're excited to elevate exposure for its schools and athletes, while investing in their ability to produce high-quality events."
Jets are paying the price
NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Jets are making Sauce Gardner the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.
The Jets and Gardner agreed on a four-year, $120.4 million extension through the 2030 season, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the agreement had not been announced.
Gardner took to social media to report "THE DEAL IS DONE" and thank his agents for making that happen.
"This only the beginning," Gardner posted. "I appreciate the Jets organization for believing in me, my teammates for the blood, sweat (and) tears we put in."
The contract paying the two-time All-Pro an average of $30.1 million a year comes a day after the Jets agreed to a lucrative extension with top wide receiver Garrett Wilson. That deal with Wilson, who starred at Ohio State, is worth $130 million, as the organization locked up two foundational players for the long-term future.
Gardner, who turns 25 before Week 1, was the No. 4 pick in the 2022 draft out of Cincinnati. He established himself as one of the league's top cornerbacks during his first two professional seasons, including being selected the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year.
After a down year by his standards, he is out to prove naysayers wrong, saying he has always felt like an underdog. Gardner opted to participate in mandatory minicamp rather than hold out to try to push for a new deal.
After recently declining to say whether he wanted to be the richest player at the position, Gardner now has that distinction.
"Man, I just wanted to show my teammates, show the coaches how much I'm bought into this," Gardner said. "I want to win. I want to change the organization. I want to be a part of changing the organization."
The Jets have the longest active playoff drought in the NFL, dating to a trip to the AFC championship game in the 2010 season. The organization hopes the new regime of general manager Darren Mougey and coach Aaron Glenn can lead a successful turnaround.
Ratings raise
ATLANTA (AP) -- ESPN said Tuesday that viewership for Cal Raleigh's Home Run Derby victory was up 5% from 2024, according to Nielsen ratings. Raleigh's win over fellow finalist Junior Caminero of Tampa Bay drew an average audience of 5,729,000 viewers, up from 5,451,000 viewers in 2024 when Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Teoscar Hernández topped Bobby Witt Jr. in the finals.
ESPN says the combined audience on ESPN and ESPN2 peaked with 6,307,000 viewers at 9:30 p.m. ET. That made the Home Run Derby one of the most-watched programs of the day, including all broadcast and cable choices.
Raleigh, 28, leads the majors with 38 homers and 82 RBIs.