Jim’s Journal, March 29th, 2024

It’s another big night in the college basketball tournaments, as both the men’s and women’s NCAA’s are down to their respective Sweet 16’s.  On the women’s side, the 4th-seeded Indiana Hoosiers face overall Number 1 seed South Carolina’s Lady Gamecocks.  The winner will go into the Elite Eight against the winner of the Notre Dame-Oregon State game.  In the men’s tournament, the overall top team is also playing tonight, and they’re the Boilermakers of Purdue.  After a 39-point pasting of Utah State, the Boilers go up against 5th-seed Gonzaga, who knocked Kansas out of the tournament by 21.  Could be a good one, we shall see…

 

In the other big men’s college tournament, the NIT, the Final Four’s already set, with Seton Hall set to meet Georgia and Number 1 seed Indiana State preparing to meet Utah.  Those games will be played Tuesday night.

 

There were some pretty big high school softball games around the area Thursday.  Greensburg is an unbeaten 3 & 0 after hammering Jac-Cen-Del 12-2.  Tomorrow, on Saturday, JCD takes on Trinity Lutheran in Seymour.  Also playing Saturday, it’ll be East Central traveling to Madison, Milan hosting Ryle, South Dearborn playing a pair of home games against Cambridge City Lincoln and Taylor, and North Decatur just opening its softball season against Southwestern of Hanover.  Greensburg visits South Dearborn for a game next Wednesday, the 3rd.

 

Major league baseball saw the Reds look really sharp in their season opener Thursday, beating the Nationals at Great American Ballpark 8-2.  Starting pitcher Frankie Montas allowed only 4 hits in 6 scoreless innings, yielding no walks and striking out 4 batters.  He finished as the winning pitcher in the game, with a perfect earned-run average of zero.  Cincinnati’s offense was led by Nick Martini’s 2 homers and 5 RBI’s on his first major league opening day, plus Jake Fraley hit a single, a double, and stole a base.  No game today, but the Nationals are still in Cincy, and the two clubs will match up again tomorrow.  We’ll have the broadcast for you, beginning at 3:40, only on the Sports Voice, 103.9 FM, WRBI.

 

And the Pacers will be back from their latest NBA road trip tonight, welcoming the LA Lakers to Gainbridge Fieldhouse.