Beavers set records in series win over William Jewell — and more

Mar. 2—LIBERTY, Mo. — The Bemidji State baseball team got in the win column thrice over the weekend.

The Beavers renewed their nonconference meeting on the road against William Jewell. They won the first game 20-3 in seven innings, scoring the fifth most runs in a single game in program history. William Jewell rebounded to win the second game in the doubleheader 14-10.

BSU swept the second doubleheader. In an 8-5 seven-inning win, Bemidji State stole 12 bases, which is a new program record. The Beavers won the series finale 7-3 to improve to 3-8 in nonconference play this season (3-9 overall).

Beau Thoma and Noah Drusch homered in the 20-3 win.

The Beavers resume NSIC play on March 6 to begin a four-game set against Northern State in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at Ronken Field.

Bemidji State 20, William Jewell 3 (F/7)

BSU 211 019 7 — 20-20-1

WJ 001 000 2 — 3-7-4

WP: Huggard (4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K)

LP: Brenneman (5 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K)

William Jewell 14, Bemidji State 10

BSU 000 310 510 — 10-8-3

WJ 014 410 04X — 14-10-3

WP: Hunt (2 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB,

LP: Barnett (1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K)

Bemidji State 8, William Jewell 5 (F/7)

BSU 121 020 2 — 8-10-2

WJ 013 010 0 — 5-8-1

WP: Donlin (1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K)

LP: Rambo (4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K)

S: Smith (2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K)

No box score was posted for the fourth and final game of the series.

This week was always going to be about Brad Gushue playing his final Brier in his hometown of St. John’s, trying to win his record seventh Brier tankard in the place he won his first back in 2017. 

However, it is nice to think about the future sometimes…

The folks of Newfoundland and Labrador got that on Monday night as Gushue took on his prodigy, Nathan Young, in an all-province showdown.

Despite the fact that both teams were technically the ‘good guys’ in the fans’ eyes, it was clear Gushue was receiving more love from the hometown, as expected.

Early on, however, the crowd had to give Young his props, given what he was doing against Gushue. In the first end, Young made a clutch draw to the pin against two to earn a single. 

In the second end, Gushue was set up to score five, but Young made a double runback double takeout while lying buried, so Gushue could only score two. 

Young’s hot start continued for the next two ends as well. He earned a deuce of his own in the third while forcing Gushue to a single in the fourth end to be tied 3-3.

The fifth end is when the experience that only a team like Gushue has with Mark Nichols, Brendan Bottcher and Geoff Walker took over. Gushue made a nice shot with his last, and Young gave up a steal of two. 

From there, the momentum changed, and Gushue’s team played outstandingly in the second half to earn the 8-5 victory in just nine ends. As a team, they shot 90 per cent.

Even though Young is in his third Brier (thanks to Gushue wearing the Maple Leaf for a couple years), he’s still the youngest skip in the field at 23. 

Obviously, nobody expects Young to have the same career path as Gushue, but it’s safe to say the future of curling on The Rock is in fine hands.

Jacobs is picking apart his opponents 

You have to feel for the rookie squad from Ontario in Jayden King. After facing the six-time Brier champion Gushue on Sunday, where his team lost 8-4, he had to get back on the ice to face the defending Brier and Olympic champion, Canada’s Team Brad Jacobs, on Monday morning. 

Jacobs, who, as a team, is looking more like the champions of the world with each day, sensed the situation King and his teammates were facing and went to work right away. In the first end, Canada easily converted with the hammer to score their deuce and jump out to an early lead. 

Even though Ontario had the hammer for the next five ends, it never really felt that way. Jacobs and his teammates, Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant and Ben Hebert, made what felt like every shot, leaving Ontario chasing, much like their game against Gushue. 

After a steal and two blanks, Canada had a 3-0 advantage going into the fifth end. This is when the game fell apart for King, while for Jacobs, a piece of cake.   

With his final shot of the end, Jacobs made a sweet hit and roll to get perfectly buried and sit right on the button.

“That felt too easy,” Jacobs said, sliding the down sheet to his teammates to complement the ice they were playing on during the broadcast.

Canada ended up with a steal of three after King missed his final shot. Just to look at King’s stats and see he shot 63 per cent, doesn’t really do him justice. The level of difficulty he was facing when shooting, thanks to Canada playing a near-perfect game, shouldn’t go unrecognized.

Now at 4-0 on the week, it becomes harder to see a world where Jacobs doesn’t repeat as the champion this year.  

Nova Scotia loses game on weird decision

When Nova Scotia’s skip, Kendal Thompson, lies his head down on his pillow Monday night, he will still be thinking of the decision he made in the 10th end versus Quebec that cost him the game.

Nova Scotia was down 6-5 with the hammer, and after Quebec’s fourth-stone thrower, Felix Asselin, was heavy on his draw that landed in the back eight-foot, Thompson had two choices to earn his single to force an extra end. Either draw to the backing or play a soft-weight takeout. 

He chose neither. Instead, Thompson decided to get greedy and go for the win by scoring two. He attempted to play a thin triple takeout but flashed the shot anyway and gave up a steal of two to lose 8-5. To be honest, if Thompson hit the rock in the right spot, the angles didn’t look like the shot was there.

What’s more interesting is the fact that Thompson’s teammates, Stuart Thompson, Bryce Everist and Michael Brophy, seemed to agree with the decision rather than trying to change his mind. 

The result was massive as well. If Thompson had won, Nova Scotia would have been tied in the standings at 2-2. Now Thompson is 1-3, and Quebec is 3-1.

Pools separating contenders and pretenders

We’re at the midway point for round-robin play at this year’s Brier, and the contenders are starting to separate themselves from the rest of the competition.

In Pool A, it’s as expected. Both Brads (Gushue and Jacobs) remain undefeated at 4-0 and will probably stay that way until they face each other on Thursday afternoon in their round-robin finale. The third spot was always going to be interesting, and it looks to be a two-team race at this point. Quebec is 3-1, while Ontario is 3-2. Quebec still needs to face Jacobs, while King has already faced both Brads. 

When Ontario and Quebec face off on Wednesday, that will most likely decide the final playoff spot.

Meanwhile, in Pool B, it’s the veteran from Alberta, Kevin Koe, who’s been the most shocking so far, sitting at 3-0. Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone (3-0) and Saskatchewan’s Mike McEwen (3-1) are also holding down playoff spots at the moment. 

It feels like the only other team in the pool that has a chance is Manitoba’s Braden Calvert (2-1), but he still needs to face Dunstone and McEwen.

More from Sportsnet

Jacobs, Dunstone stay undefeated through four matches at Brier

Brier Takeaways: Ontario’s Jayden King earns respect from curling legends

Lightning trade rumor lands Steven Stamkos for high-powered reunion originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

This would be one of the coolest possible outcomes before Friday's NHL trade deadline.

Steven Stamkos is on a red-hot goal-scoring binge for the Nashville Predators, and he seems to be available. The Tampa Bay Lightning might come calling.

Yes, the Lightning for whom Stamkos built such an incredible legacy.

"Stamkos recently told reporters he wasn’t looking to expedite his way out of Nashville, but The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported there are multiple destinations he might consider attractive enough to waive his no-movement clause: Minnesota, Dallas, New Jersey and Tampa Bay," The Athletic's Chris Johnston wrote in his new trade board article. "A trade involving Stamkos might not materialize until the summer. However, given how he’s turned back the clock and filled the net this season, his name is worthy of a long look in the days ahead, too."

MORE: Maple Leafs getting help from Flyers to trade veteran center

Early this season, Stamkos looked like he might be washed up.

Lately, he's looked anything but.

"The future Hall of Famer has been on a heater after a slow start and just hit the 30-goal mark for the 10th time in his career," Johnston writes. "That's difficult to ignore."

Stamkos is under contract for two years after this one with an $8 million annual average value, so he's not cheap, and acquiring him means a multi-year commitment.

Given the long tenure of Stamkos with the Lightning, that'd make as much sense as anywhere. 

Stay tuned, because a Stamkos trade, especially to the Lightning, would grab a lot of headlines.

More NHL news:

• Oilers want 2 positions before the NHL trade deadline
• A salary cap rule may make 2 Flames trades difficult
• Canadiens know trade cost for Robert Thomas
• It'll be complicated to trade for Steven Stamkos
• Alex Ovechkin has shared an update on his retirement plans
• Evgeni Malkin gets big news on a possible future

Oilers actually made it easier to trade Andrew Mangiapane by waiving him originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Edmonton Oilers recently waived Andrew Mangiapane.

It seemed like an admission that they're giving up on him, and for the most part, that's the case.

He's not actually gone, though. He can just be sent to the AHL when he clears waivers. And that actually increases his trade value.

Why?

Because an acquiring team can now send Mangiapane straight to the AHL themselves.

"He’s unlikely to be claimed, but that doesn’t mean he won’t still be moved in a subsequent trade," The Athletic's Chris Johnston wrote in his latest trade board. "Quite the contrary, in fact, because an acquiring team can send Mangiapane directly to the AHL once he’s passed through waivers and would be in a position to get a sweetener from Edmonton for taking on his contract. Mangiapane’s game is a long way from the 35-goal season he had in 2021-22, but he did score 13 even-strength goals in Washington last season and was also deployed as a penalty killer on the league’s fifth-best unit. Edmonton is desperate to clear up cap space for other moves, so he has to go."

MORE: Maple Leafs getting help from Flyers to trade veteran center

Mangiapane has a cap hit of $3.6 million and is still under contract through the 2026-27 season.

That means that a team acquiring him might hope that a change of scenery at least provides him a bit of a jolt to be a slight NHL contributor at times in the next year-plus.

The Oilers will give up what they need to to clear his salary off the books, though, and now it's easier with him available to be placed in the AHL.

More NHL news:

• Oilers want 2 positions before the NHL trade deadline
• A salary cap rule may make 2 Flames trades difficult
• Canadiens know trade cost for Robert Thomas
• It'll be complicated to trade for Steven Stamkos
• Alex Ovechkin has shared an update on his retirement plans
• Evgeni Malkin gets big news on a possible future