Sports

Alicia Arzaga

2016-17 (Junior): Competed in two tournaments for the 49ers, finishing with a 79.00 stroke average … Shot a season low 77 in the second round of the Juli Inkster Spartan Invitational. 2015-16 (Sophomore): Did not play. 2014-15 (Freshman): Played in three tournaments as a freshman, one for the 49ers and two as an individual … […]

Published

4 weeks ago

May 10, 2025

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2016-17 (Junior): Competed in two tournaments for the 49ers, finishing with a 79.00 stroke average … Shot a season low 77 in the second round of the Juli Inkster Spartan Invitational.

2015-16 (Sophomore): Did not play.

2014-15 (Freshman): Played in three tournaments as a freshman, one for the 49ers and two as an individual … Posted a season low 76 in the opening round of the Colonel Bill Wollenberg Ptarmigan Ram Classic in Fort Collins, Colo. … Recorded a best finish at the LBSU-hosted Gold Rush tournament, tying for 50th … Finished the year with a stroke average of 81.33.

HIGH SCHOOL: Graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach … Four-year letterwinner of the women’s golf team under Jeff Evans … Helped the Bruins to a Moore League Championship and individual title in 2014 … Made CIF first round appearances all four years.

PERSONAL: Majoring in liberal studies.

FALL 2014
T65, Colonel Bill Wollenberg Ptarmigan Ram Classic, 76-77-83–236 (+20)

SPRING 2015
T50, * The Gold Rush, 78-82-79–239 (+23)
71, * UC Irvine Invitational, 86-87-84–257 (+41)

FALL 2016
T71, Colonel Bill Wollenberg Ptarmigan Ram Classic, 78-79-81–238 (+22)
T46, Juli Inkster Spartan Invitational, 81-77-78–236 (+20)

* Played as an individual

Sports

Taunton boys volleyball fall short to powerhouse Needham in D1 Elite 8

VIDEO: Milford volleyball wins first set on ‘Free Marcelo’ night; fans go crazy On a night where Milford and Taunton played volleyball in support of the recently-detained Marcelo Gomes da Silva, the Scarlet Hawks won the first set. NEEDHAM — This spring season has been quite a ride for Taunton boys volleyball. Though the Tigers […]

Published

12 minutes ago

June 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

NEEDHAM — This spring season has been quite a ride for Taunton boys volleyball.

Though the Tigers went 5-15 last year, there were signs of promise in a talented squad of largely juniors and underclassmen. This year, with the Hockomock League launching a boys volleyball division for the first time, that potential was reached.

The Tigers roared back to life in 2025, going 15-3 in the regular season while finishing 8-1 in league play to earn a split of the first ever Hockomock crown with Milford. Led by the program’s all-time assists leader in senior setter Daniel Freitas and powerful senior outside hitter Travis Johnson, who recorded over 500 career kills, the Tigers at one point had a 9-match winning streak and won all 12 of their final regular season sets.

Come tournament time, No. 27 Taunton only picked up the intensity in less-than-ideal circumstances. Their Preliminary and Round of 32 matches took place within 18 hours of each other, one at Bristol-Plymouth and the other on the road, but the Tigers prevailed, including an upset over No. 6 Nipmuc in the Round of 32.

Then came an emotional rematch with the Scarlet Hawks in the Round of 16, with the Milford community rallying around the team in support of the release of junior Marcelo Gomes da Silva after he was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while on his way to practice a few days prior. In front of a massive crowd and with thoughts of Gomes da Silva, a club teammate of a couple Taunton players, the Tigers once again prevailed against a higher-seed, setting up an Elite Eight showdown with powerhouse No. 3 Needham.

Though the Rockets prevailed in four sets (25-15, 25-14, 22-25, 25-22) Friday, the Tigers put up the same fight and tenacity they’ve displayed all season until the final point.

“It was just all-out effort,” Taunton coach Toby Chaperon said. “They just didn’t quit.”

After a slow start, the Tigers found themselves down 2-0. In set three, they seemed to find another level, taking an early advantage before fighting off a Needham comeback effort. After the Rockets tied the set 16-16 and called timeout, Taunton responded by out scoring the hosts 9-6 down the stretch to earn the 25-22 set win.

Needham started the fourth set off strong, at one point going up 17-9, before the Tigers showed their teeth and came clawing back, to go within two before the Rockets ultimately pulled out a 25-22 set win.

“I felt like we could’ve just laid down (there), but we didn’t,” Chaperon said. “We made it a game and almost caught them, so I’m proud of the guys for fighting the entire way.”

While saying the team made some errors to put them down early in the opening sets, Chaperon couldn’t have been prouder of the resilience his players showed in battling back against a powerhouse opponent on the road and hopes the successful season inspires more boys and girls in the Silver City to pick up volleyball.

“I just hope the younger kids see this (success) and the program grows,” Chaperon said.

Without a strong youth feeder program in the city like baseball and softball have to drive their success, Chaperon said many players that start in eighth grade aren’t really ready to perform until their sophomore year. It’s his hope that seeing the success of this year’s boys team will help provide a spark to build the framework and turn Taunton into a consistently strong volleyball program across the board.

“We need to get more kids playing club volleyball,” Chaperon said. “We need to get more kids signing up at a younger age and playing in the middle schools.”

If an increased interest in volleyball in Taunton is the lasting legacy of the Class of 2025, it would be fitting for a group Chaperon was incredibly proud to lead.

“I’m proud of these guys for being one of the top teams that play three months a year,” Chaperon said.

Stats

Johnson led the way for the Tigers with 13 kills and three digs, while sophomore middle blocker Syre Duverna had 13 kills and Senior middle blocker Ike Asiegbunam had seven kills and a dig.

Freitas had 36 assists while senior libero Dantae Bauer had 16 digs.

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Sports

Bemidji’s Caron, Johnson Selected to MN Boys’ Volleyball All-State Team

In their first season as an MSHSL-sanctioned sport, Bemidji boys’ volleyball has two athletes being recognized for their play on the court. Senior captains Reed Johnson and Elijah Caron were two of just 22 selected to the Minnesota Boys Volleyball All-State team. The duo helped lead the Lumberjacks to a 13-2 regular season finish, earning […]

Published

29 minutes ago

June 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

In their first season as an MSHSL-sanctioned sport, Bemidji boys’ volleyball has two athletes being recognized for their play on the court.

Senior captains Reed Johnson and Elijah Caron were two of just 22 selected to the Minnesota Boys Volleyball All-State team. The duo helped lead the Lumberjacks to a 13-2 regular season finish, earning the team their first ever home section playoff game in the sport. It was a game they won 3-0 victory over Coon Rapids, propelling the team to a section semifinal appearance, where their season ended against St. Michael-Albertville.

Reed Johnson was also selected as one of three finalists for the Minnesota Boys Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Year award. Some are dubbing it the “Mr. Volleyball” award, and much like some of the other “Mr. (insert sport here)” awards, it is a senior career award given to the top player in the state.

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Sports

Video shows Oregon track star somersaulting over finish line

“I wasn’t sure how far back everybody else was behind me, so I knew to just keep rolling, to keep going, because I really wanted to get first,” Brooklyn Anderson told a local outlet. A high school Oregon track star somersaulted her way through the state championship finish line last week. Brooklyn Anderson, a junior […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

“I wasn’t sure how far back everybody else was behind me, so I knew to just keep rolling, to keep going, because I really wanted to get first,” Brooklyn Anderson told a local outlet.

A high school Oregon track star somersaulted her way through the state championship finish line last week.

Brooklyn Anderson, a junior at Thurston High School, turned heads during her somersault finish in the girls’ 100-meter hurdles at the Oregon State Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, on May 30. To much surprise, Anderson tumbled in at first place. Thurston High School is located in Springfield, Oregon, about 120 miles south of Portland.

Footage captured by the National Federation of State High School Associations shows Anderson, who was already ahead in the race, tripping and performing a double somersault across the finish line. She won the race with a final time of 14.93 seconds. The second-place runner, Maisy Scanlan from Wilsonville High School, came in at 15.15 seconds, according to the Oregon School Activities Association.

“All I remember is resorting back to my gymnastics career and just somersaulting over that line,” Anderson told The Oregonian after her race. “I wasn’t sure how far back everybody else was behind me, so I knew to just keep rolling, to keep going, because I really wanted to get first.”

Celebrating the win, Anderson shared a photo and video of her somersault finish on Instagram.

“Wow, what a memorable season,” Anderson wrote in the Instagram post. “Year 3 is one for the books. Thank you everybody for the support, and especially thank you to the most amazing heat of girls a girl could finish a race with. You guys are awesome. GO COLTS #jryear #somersault #track #100mhurdles.”

The 500-meter hurdles weren’t the only event Anderson competed in. She also placed fourth in the girls’ 100-meter race, third in girls’ long jump and 10th in the girls’ 4-by-100-meter relay, per the Oregon School Activities Association.

Watch high school track star somersault to a first-place finish

High school track athlete somersaults to victory

A high school track athlete competing in a championship 100m hurdles race rolled her way to victory after she tripped near the finish line.

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.

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Sports

U.S. Loses Heartbreaker to Czechia at 2025 Women’s VNL

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 6, 2025) – The U.S. Women’s National Team won the first two sets before falling short in a thrilling five-setter to Czechia, 3-2 (23-25, 20-25, 25-17, 25-20, 27-25) on Friday night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The U.S. (0-3) will have an off day before facing Korea at 1 p.m. PDT […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 6, 2025) – The U.S. Women’s National Team won the first two sets before falling short in a thrilling five-setter to Czechia, 3-2 (23-25, 20-25, 25-17, 25-20, 27-25) on Friday night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The U.S. (0-3) will have an off day before facing Korea at 1 p.m. PDT on Sunday, June 8, to finish week one of Volleyball Nations League.

Get Tickets to Women’s VNL in Arlington, Texas, July 9-13

The U.S. block dominated the first two sets and finished with a 13-6 advantage for the match. Czechia, which won its first VNL match in its history and defeated the U.S. for the first time ever, led in kills (82-66) and aces (7-2).

Outside hitter Sarah Franklin led five double-figure scorers for the U.S. with 20 points on 19 kills and a block, while middle blocker Amber Igiede totaled 18 points on 13 kills, four blocks, and an ace. Franklin also led the squad with nine successful receptions and added 10 digs,

Middle Molly McCage led all players with five blocks and registered six kills for 11 points. Outside Logan Eggleston also scored 11 points (seven kills, three blocks and an ace). Opposites Logan Lednicky and Olivia Babcock recorded 10 and nine kills, respectively.

Libero Morgan Hentz paced the U.S. with 13 digs and contributed seven successful receptions. Eggleston finished with 11 digs and seven successful receptions. Setter Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres tallied nine digs and two kills.

The U.S. finished on a 6-2 run to win its first set of the 2025 VNL in the opening set. Franklin and Lednicky each scored four points on kills.

Trailing 15-14 in the second set, the U.S. scored five consecutive points to take control. McCage scored on a slide and her back-to-back blocks made it 20-16. McCage led the team in the set with five points on two kills and three blocks. Igiede, Lednicky and Eggleston each scored four points.

Czechia stayed in the match by passing at a 75 percent success rate in the third set. Igiede scored four points with Franklin adding three.

The U.S. trailed most of the fourth set, drawing within one point at 11-10 and six more times after that, but could not draw even. A kill by Franklin made it 19-18 but Czechia sent the match to a fifth set with a 6-2 run. Babcock produced a team-high six kills in the fourth set.

Two Eggleston kills put the U.S. in front 7-3 in the deciding set and an Igiede kill later in the set made it 11-8. Czechia scored the next four points and had match points at 14-12 and 14-13.

A Franklin kill off a set from Hentz gave the U.S. its first match point at 15-14. Two kills by Igiede and three by Franklin help set up five more U.S. match points, including a Franklin kill that gave the U.S. its 10th match point at 25-24. Czechia scored the final three points, finally securing the victory on its fourth match point. Franklin (six) and Igiede (five) combined for 11 of their team’s 18 kills in the fifth set.

“We got back into that same rut where we lost some consistency early on in the third and put ourselves in a pretty big hole,” head coach Erik Sullivan told VBTV. “Again, I’m proud of the way our team fought through the whole match, but it’s a hard one to swallow. We’ve got some grit and some fight to us, but we’ve just got to figure out the consistency. We can’t have these big lulls in our execution.”

Monica Brancuska of Czechia led all players with 22 kills and 23 points, while Michaela Mlejnkova recorded seven of her 21 kills in the final set.

U.S. Women’s Week One Roster for 2025 VNL

No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
6 Morgan Hentz (L, 5-9, Lakeside Park, Ky., Stanford Univ., Pioneer)
9 Madisen Skinner (OH, 6-2, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky and Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
13 Amber Igiede (MB, 6-3, Baton Rouge, La., Univ. of Hawaii, Bayou)
14 Anna Dodson (MB, 6-5, Fort Collins, Colo., UCLA, Rocky Mountain)
17 Zoe Jarvis (previously Fleck) (L, 5-6, Granada Hills, Calif., UCLA and Univ. of Texas, Southern California)
21 Roni Jones-Perry (OH, 6-0, West Jordan, Utah, BYU, Intermountain)
22 Sarah Franklin (OH, 6-4, Lake Worth, Fla., Univ. of Wisconsin, Florida)
24 Olivia Babcock (Opp, 6-4, Los Angeles, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)
27 Ella Powell (S, 6-0, Fayetteville, Ark., Univ. of Washington, Delta)
28 Logan Lednicky (Opp, 6-3, Sugar Land, Texas, Univ. of Texas A&M, Lone Star)
29 Molly McCage (MB, 6-3, Spring, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
32 Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres (S, Honolulu, Hawaii, Univ. of Texas, Aloha)
33 Logan Eggleston (OH, 6-2, Brentwood, Tenn., Univ. of Texas, Southern)
43 Serena Gray (MB, 6-2, Temple City, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)

Head Coach: Erik Sullivan
Assistant Coach: Mike Wall
Second Assistant Coach: Brandon Taliaferro
Second Assistant Coach: Tayyiba Haneef-Park
Second Assistant Coach: Joe Trinsey
Team Manager: Rob Browning
Team Doctors: William Briner, James Suchy, Chris Lee, Andrew Gregory
Physiotherapist: Kara Kessans
Physical Trainers: Shawn Hueglin, Shannon Boone
Mental Performance Coach: Andrea Becker, Katy Stanfill
Performance Analyst: Virginia Pham

Week 1 Schedule: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Matches will be shown live and on-demand on VBTV. CBS Sport Network and the Big Ten Network will also air matches.

All times PDT
June 4 Italy def. USA, 3-0 (25-13, 25-13, 30-28)
June 5 Brazil def. USA, 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-19)
June 6 Czechia def. USA, 3-2 (23-25, 20-25, 25-17, 25-20, 27-25)
June 8 at 1 p.m. vs. Korea

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Sports

Even Democrats Are Sick Of Men In Women's Sports

MINNEAPOLIS — The aggressive push for gender ideology by left-wingers is starting to cost them — and not just with conservatives. Even lifelong Democrats are clashing with party leaders over one increasingly unpopular issue: allowing biological males to compete in girls’ and women’s sports. That frustration was on full display this week in Minnesota, where […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Even Democrats Are Sick Of Men In Women's Sports

That frustration was on full display this week in Minnesota, where a trans-identifying male athlete just carried Champlin Park High School to a state championship win in high school girls’ softball.

READ: Champlin Park Wins Minnesota Softball State Title Behind Trans Pitcher’s Complete Game Shutout

On Friday morning, as the Champlin Park Rebels clinched the Class AAAA state title behind male pitcher Marissa Rothenberger, a small group of protesters stood outside Jane Sage Cowles Stadium holding signs that read “Females deserve fair sports” and “Democrats for Title IX.”

One of those protesters was Elizabeth, a member of Women’s Declaration International, who spoke with OutKick.

“I came out today to stand up to protect women and girls in sports,” Elizabeth said. “Girls throughout the state have lost out on their opportunity for safe and fair sport. Some of the women I’m here with today are with DIAG, which is Democrats for an Informed Approach to Gender. All of us at one point — or some still — are Democrats.”

She added: “I myself left the Democratic Party over this issue and am now an independent. Democrats are pushing this on their constituents and their base without our consent.”

Minnesota Law Welcomes Males Into Girls’ Sports With Open Arms

The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) allows athletes to compete in sports based on gender identity, regardless of biological sex. Minnesota law allows individuals to change the sex marker on their birth certificate with either a physician’s note or a court order — and the document doesn’t have to indicate any changes were made.

This policy, along with vocal support from politicians like Governor Tim Walz and Rep. Leigh Finke, has made Minnesota one of the most aggressive states in pushing trans inclusion in girls’ sports.

But that doesn’t mean their voters feel the same way.

“They have kind of introduced boys playing on girls teams, self-ID, changes to birth certificates and legal documents without voters really being aware,” Elizabeth said. “And we’re concerned about the impact that has on women and girls.”

Protesters gather outside the Minnesota high school softball state championship game.

(Photo by Amber Harding)

She’s not alone. Recent polling confirms that what was once whispered among centrists is now loud and clear: this is a losing issue for Democrats.

A 2023 Gallup poll found that nearly 70 percent of Americans, including two-thirds of Gen Z voters, oppose allowing trans-identifying males to compete in girls’ and women’s sports. When NBC repeated that poll in April 2025, that number grew to a whopping 75 percent.

Even among Democrats, support is dropping as parents watch their daughters lose out on fair competition, college scholarships and basic safety. OutKick had boots on the ground for this week’s Minnesota state softball tournament, and we saw this revelation happening in real-time.

It’s All About The Bottom Line

So why are Democrat leaders so willing to die on this hill? According to Elizabeth, it’s all about the Benjamins.

“Honestly, I think it’s money-related,” she said. “There’s a lot of money in the trans lobby. This is an identity movement that relies very heavily on the pharmaceutical and the medical-industrial complex. And there’s a lot of money to keep this going.”

Her concerns echo OutKick’s previous reporting on an alleged Nike-funded study on minors undergoing medical gender transition. That alleged study aims to determine if treating young boys with puberty blockers and hormone therapy early enough could close the performance gap between males and females in sports. Never mind the known health risks and the irreversibility of many of these procedures.

A Legal Battle Is Brewing In Minnesota

After President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February banning males from competing in female sports, the Department of Education launched an investigation into both Minnesota and California for Title IX violations.

Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor made the administration’s position clear: “The Minnesota State High School League and the California Interscholastic Federation are free to engage in all the meaningless virtue-signaling they want,” Trainor said, “but at the end of the day, they must abide by federal law.”

MORE: Will President Trump Call Out Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Over Male Athletes in Girls’ Sports?

Instead of backing down, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sued the Trump administration, claiming that protecting sex-based rights in sports amounts to discrimination against “vulnerable children.”

Champlin Park celebrates winning the State Championship while Bloomington Jefferson looks on.

(Photo by Amber Harding)

But while Minnesota’s leaders were pretending nothing is wrong, Rothenberger threw three complete games in the state tournament, allowed just two runs over 21 innings and was named to the All-Tournament team.

For many watching from the stands — or standing outside in protest — this wasn’t just a game. It was a public display of what happens when political ideology is placed ahead of basic fairness.

Earlier this week, after Champlin Park narrowly defeated White Bear Lake in the semifinals, one frustrated dad in the crowd summed it up perfectly: “You’re looking at a whole team of future Republicans.”

Michael Jordan once said, “Republicans buy sneakers, too.” That’s true. And, well… Democrats have daughters, too.

Sports

Here are Friday's top prospect performances from the Minors

Friday night was for the pitchers, who dominated up and down the Minor League landscape, including several noteworthy performances from Top 100 prospects. The Blue Jays’ Trey Yesavage continued to pile up the K’s, while the Marlins’ Thomas White and the Cards’ Quinn Mathews were on point. Plus, the High-A Northwest League was graced with […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Here are Friday's top prospect performances from the Minors

Jordan Lawlar, INF, Reno (AZ No. 1/MLB No. 4)
Since going hitless in his return to Triple-A Reno on May 31, Lawlar has gone on a four-game hitting spree. The 22-year-old went deep for the second time in three games — and for the eighth time overall — and also added his third triple. Lawlar, who is slashing .341/.418/.607 for the Aces, has gone 8-for-17 with seven RBIs, four extra-base hits and three walks since the calendar flipped to June. Gameday

Walker Jenkins, OF, Fort Myers (MIN No. 1/MLB No. 6)
Rehabbing a high ankle sprain that has kept Jenkins on the IL since April 9, the 20-year-old got back into the swing of things with his first long ball of the season. The fifth overall pick in 2023 was hitless in his first two rehab games before belting a two-run jack and adding a single for Single-A Fort Myers. Jenkins opened the year with Double-A Wichita, but played only two games before he was sidelined. Full story | Gameday

Thomas White, LHP, Beloit (MIA No. 1/MLB No. 31)
White was in total control in his first start of the month, spinning four scoreless frames and equaling a season high with eight strikeouts for High-A Beloit. The 20-year-old retired nine consecutive hitters to begin his outing before allowing a leadoff single in the fourth. White induced 16 whiffs on 51 pitches (37 strikes) during his most efficient performance of 2025, which lowered his ERA to 2.90. Gameday

Quinn Mathews, LHP, Memphis (STL No. 2/MLB No. 37)
A bout with left shoulder soreness kept Mathews on the sideline for more than a month, but following a pair of rehab starts and one abbreviated outing for Triple-A Memphis, he looks back to his prominent self. The 24-year-old surrendered an unearned run and struck out a season-high six over five innings. Gameday

Brandon Sproat, RHP, Syracuse (NYM No. 2/MLB No. 64)
It’s been a season of inconsistency for Sproat, who is in the midst of his first full campaign at Triple-A. However, the Florida product seems to be finding his footing after equaling a season best with six scoreless frames. Sproat struck out four, walked two and generated 10 whiffs on 83 pitches (54 strikes) in his third straight solid start. The 24-year-old has surrendered four runs in his past three starts, spanning 16 innings. Gameday

Trey Yesavage, RHP, Vancouver (TOR No. 2/MLB No. 67)
Yesavage continues to be virtually unhittable since his promotion to High-A Vancouver. The 21-year-old moved back atop the Minors in strikeouts with 88 after fanning nine over five frames for the Canadians. Yesavage yielded a solo homer, a single and a walk but otherwise was dominant in his fourth High-A start, generating 17 whiffs on 72 pitches (49 strikes). The East Carolina product has a 2.13 ERA and an 0.85 WHIP across two Minor League levels in his debut season while limiting opponents to a .137 average. Gameday

Ryan Hawks, RHP, Everett (SEA, Unranked)
The finest outing of Hawks’ career culminated in a no-hitter for High-A Everett. The 24-year-old struck out seven over seven innings, continuing a strong run of pitching that dates back to his last start in April. An eighth-round pick out of Louisville in 2023, Hawks tossed 82 pitches (52 strikes) in his first scoreless outing of ’25. Gameday

Jack Perkins, RHP, Las Vegas (ATH No. 10)
Perkins was in total control during his five-inning outing, racking up 10 strikeouts and yielding just two hits and two walks. The 25-year-old began the season on the IL and missed the first month but has been solid since he returned on May 1, posting a 3.58 ERA and fanning 49 in 32 2/3 innings. Gameday