BEAL CITY - In an early season non-conference rivalry matchup, the Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart Irish and Beal City Aggies played two very different games on Monday, with the Irish scoring a 15-1 win in game one, and Aggies bouncing back to earn the split in the nightcap with a 5-3 victory. Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart wasted no time taking control in the first game, plating six runs in the top of the first inning on their way to a 5-inning mercy victory. In the second contest, the Aggies were able to benefit from a number of early Sacred Heart fielding errors to build a 4-0 lead through the first two innings on their way to the win. The Aggies’ win snapped a 13-game Sacred Heart winning streak. Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart (13-2) travels to take on Ashley in a Mid-State Conference matchup on Tuesday. Beal City (3-5) hosts Pine River in Highland Conference play on Tuesday.

BEAL CITY - The Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart Irish and Beal City Aggies combined to score 61 runs in a non-conference doubleheader on a windy afternoon on Monday, with both teams coming up with a win to show for it. Sacred Heart jumped out to an early lead in the first game before the Aggies exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the second, keyed by a two-run homer off the bat of Eva Lynch. Beal City would go on to claim victory in the first game by a 16-6 tally. The Aggies would then take a lead in the second game, before the Irish bats caught fire late, as Sacred Heart was able to put 23 runs on the board to take the nightcap of the rivalry matchup 23-16. Beal City (6-5) hosts Pine River for their first Highland Conference games of the season on Tuesday afternoon. Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart (7-5) is off until Saturday, when they compete in the Frankenmuth Tournament.

BIG RAPIDS - On Friday night the Ferris State Bulldogs held their annual Crimson & Gold Spring Game. The game ended tied as Mitch Middleton hit a 53 yard field goal as time expired. It was a great evening for the fans as they got their first look at the 2024 Bulldogs in action. Trinidad Chambliss connected with James Gilbert for the first touchdown of the evening, and was quick to praise everyone on the offensive side of the ball after the game. “It was good to get out there, throw to my guys again, we got great receivers, great slots, great running backs, and obviously I can’t do anything without my offensive line, so it was good.” Said Chambliss James Gilbert was excited to be back out on the field, catching dimes from his quarterback.

ST. IGNACE - After 25 years at the helm of the St. Ignace boys’ basketball team, Doug Ingalls is calling it a career. Ingalls, was named the 2024 AP coach of the year in division 4, a great way to wrap up his career. Ingalls played basketball at Northern Michigan University before finding his way to what would become his home of the future. “Gladstone, Marquette and St. Ignace have been, my world kind of, and that’s all in the UP, which makes it even better to me.” Said Ingalls. “Right away after school, I got a job offer from St. Ignace to coach varsity basketball and teach junior high math. And that was kind of my goal, my hope, my dreams to be a varsity basketball coach.” A dream come true right out of college for Ingalls, and this year was special for not only the St. Ignace team but also for Doug, as the team made it to the state semifinal game at the Breslin Center, with Doug’s son Jonny Ingalls leading the Saints there.

BEAVERTON— The undefeated (5-0-1) Beaverton Beavers hosted the Roscommon Bucks in a doubleheader Thursday night. Beaverton took game one 7-1, and game two 12-1. They will look to continue their winning streak on Saturday against Clio. As for the Bucks, they’ll see the Gladwin Flying G’s Friday in a doubleheader.

Here’s how fishing looks this week in the Northwest Lower Peninsula, Northeast Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula, according to the latest report from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

CLARE - The Clare Pioneers and Roscommon Bucks played to a 0-0 draw in Northern Michigan Soccer League action Wednesday night. Clare moves to 2-2-1 on the year, and Roscommon to 0-4-1.

Blake Griffin announced his retirement Tuesday after a 14-year career that included six All-Star selections, Rookie of the Year honors and a dunk contest victory. Griffin said in a social media post that he’s “thankful for every single moment” of his career. He was the No. 1 overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers out of Oklahoma in 2009. He missed his first season with a knee injury, but rebounded to earn the Rookie of the Year award in 2011, when he also won the All-Star Game dunk contest. Alongside Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan, Griffin’s high-flying plays rejuvenated the Clippers franchise and earned it the nickname “Lob City.” He was traded to the Detroit Pistons during the 2018 season as his ability to soar dwindled and injuries piled up. “Blake was a big part of the turnaround here,” said Tyronn Lue, the current Clippers coach who was an assistant on the staff early in Griffin’s LA career. “Blake was one of the most dynamic players we’ve seen in this league for a long time as far as athletic-wise. One thing he doesn’t get credit for is his passing ability. He had a great career.”

BIG RAPIDS - The Ferris State Bulldogs men’s and women’s basketball teams were unified as one team with special Olympians on Tuesday night for the 18th annual Unified Special Olympics Benefit Game. It was a great night for everyone involved including a special olympian on the red team, Nick Borders. “It’s more special this year because both men and women captured the Midwest regional championship, and the women made it to the final Four and the guys made it to the elite eight.” Said Borders. The coach for the red team, Amanda Davis enjoyed seeing everybody having fun. “It’s absolutely amazing. I’m not only getting see the smiles on my athletes faces, but also getting to see the smiles on the Ferris men and women’s faces. And we all come together as one unified team.” Davis Said.

Michigan was given three years of probation, fined and hit with recruiting limits by the NCAA on Tuesday after football coaches and staff had impermissible contact with recruits and players under coach Jim Harbaugh while access was restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The NCAA said it had reached a negotiated resolution with the school that has been approved by the committee on infractions involving five former and current coaches and staffers, but it did not include allegations that Harbaugh failed to cooperate with investigators. That is now a separate case. “We are pleased to reach a resolution on this matter so that our student-athletes and our football program can move forward. We have no additional information and cannot comment further on other aspects of the NCAA’s inquiries,” Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in statement. The recruiting case is also separate from the NCAA’s investigation into impermissible in-person scouting and sign stealing that roiled Michigan’s national championship season in 2023, and resulted in a three-game suspension of Harbaugh by the Big Ten.

NEW YORK (AP) — Whitey Herzog, the gruff and ingenious Hall of Fame manager who guided the St. Louis Cardinals to three pennants and a World Series title in the 1980s and perfected an intricate, nail-biting strategy known as “Whiteyball,” has died. He was 92. Cardinals spokesman Brian Bartow said Tuesday the team had been informed of his death by Herzog’s family. The team was not yet sure whether it happened Monday night or Tuesday. Herzog had been at Busch Stadium on April 4 for the Cardinals’ home opener. A crew-cut, pot-bellied tobacco chewer who had no patience for the...

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to a three-year contract with Frank Nazar, one of the team’s top prospects. The Blackhawks announced the deal on Saturday, two days after Nazar and Michigan lost 4-0 to Boston College in the Frozen Four. The entry-level agreement runs through the 2025-26 season at a $950,000 salary-cap hit. Chicago (23-51-5) plays its home finale Sunday against Carolina, and then finishes the season with games at Vegas on Tuesday and Los Angeles on Thursday. The Blackhawks are hoping the 20-year-old Nazar can become a key player in the team’s ongoing rebuilding project. The 5-foot-10 forward was the No. 13 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.

McBAIN - The McBain Northern Michigan Christian Comets beat the Lakeview Wildcats 4-1 in the first game of the Comet Cup. Jada VanNoord has a pair of goals for NMC, Kylee Winkle, and Melanie Bennett has the other goals for the Comets. Holli Painter scored the lone goal of the game for Lakeview.

REED CITY - The Hart Pirates beat the Reed City Coyotes 4-2 in non-conference action on Friday evening. Carly Carlson scored both goals for the Coyotes. For Hart, Addison Kokx, Lilliana Mena, and Brianna Arjona has goals. Reed City falls to 2-1-0 on the year, while hart moves to 2-1-0.

SAULT STE. MARIE - The MHSAA and Farm Bureau Insurance, will give $2,000 college scholarships to 32 individuals. Students applying for the Scholar-Athlete Award must be carrying at least a 3.5 grade-point average and have previously won a letter in a varsity sport in which the Michigan High School Athletic Association sponsors a postseason tournament. Other requirements for the applicants were to show active participation in other school and community activities and produce an essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics. Sault Ste. Marie senior Isabella DeWildt is a tri-sport varsity athlete for Sault Ste. Marie, playing volleyball,...

ST. IGNACE — On Thursday, Jonny Ingalls officially signed a contract to play basketball at Northern Michigan University. Ingalls finished his high school career with 2,029 points, and was the AP Division 4 Player of the Year and the Upper Peninsula’s Mr. Basketball for all classes. He played all four years on varsity under his now-retired father, Doug. “I had a really good game in Marquette,” Ingalls said. “After that, he really wanted me, and I wanted to be there. I left the table open for other colleges, but NMU really stood out and really wanted me. They always texted me and I just loved them after that.” Ingalls plans to study accounting and business while on the team at NMU.

RUDYARD— Last season, the Rudyard Bulldogs made a deep postseason run, all the way to the D4 state semifinals. They ended last season 19-20, a record head coach Billy Mitchell calls deceiving, as he purposely puts his teams up against the best during the regular season in hopes of a postseason run. The past two seasons, the Bulldogs have appeared in the final four. Mitchell is returning a key group hoping to make a similar, or better, run. “Their goal is to be playing at Michigan State Stadium,” the head coach said. “We need to keep getting better each day and just stay the course and believe we are going to be there.”

BUCKLEY— The Buckley Bears hosted the Glen Lake Lakers on Wednesday. Glen Lake would come out on top on the night 2-0. The Lakers goals were both scored by junior Maggie Diotte. The Lakers will be back in action on Monday when they host Suttons Bay. As for the Bears, they’ll look to bounce back on Saturday during McBain NMC’s “Comet Cup” against Hart.

JOAHNNESBURG - The Johannesburg-Lewiston area schools are putting the finishing touches on some brand-new facilities. The facilities include, a brand-new auditorium, fieldhouse, as well as baseball and softball fields. The additions come as a 20-million-dollar bond was approved back in 2020. The Johannesburg-Lewiston softball and baseball teams haven’t been able to play home games the past couple of years because of the renovations, but not anymore, as both teams will host games this spring, something superintendent, Katy Xenakis-Makowski knew was necessary. “We put a lot of miles on the last few years and we’re super appreciative of all the teams that allowed us to play at their place, but now we’ve got a very nice facility. And we’ve spent a lot of time and a lot of energy and lots of people helped make this happen.” Said Xenakis-Makowski. “Thanks to the community support, we’re going to be able to host some pretty amazing home games and I think we’ve got regionals this year too for our softball team, so that would be great.” The school’s athletic director, Joseph Smokevitch, talked about how much their students enjoy the facilities.

LAKE CITY— Lake City softball and baseball hosted Beaverton in doubleheaders on Tuesday. In softball, the programs would split. Beaverton winning game one 18-0 in four innings, and Lake City winning game two, 4-1. In baseball, the Beavers took the sweep 7-3, 6-4.