PORT JEFF, NY – it’s the best time of the year: MLB Opening Day intersects with the NCAA Tourney. Thus the headline: MLB Opening Day, March Madness Rolls On!
MLB Opening Day
The Mets are in a new era with a 11-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first viewing of the new-look Mets. The new offense was on full display against one of the best baseball in Paul Skenes. New additions like Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr and Bo Bichette powered the Mets offensively in the first few innings. Obviously it’s only one game and it’s the first of many, but the Mets look drastically deeper, with more professional at ABs.
Rookie Carson Benge hit his first career home run, which was followed by Francisco Alvarez’s towering blast I have said it before and I’ll say it again I truly think Francisco Alvarez is the key to this Met season. He’s a guy who could hit anywhere in the lineup and can easily hit 30 to 35 home runs if he stays healthy.
Elsewhere in the MLB, the Philles took down the Rangers, Tarik Skubal took the hill and was once again dominant, and I guess we have to talk about how great the Yankees looked last night, their lineup looks as deep as ever, and an improved infield defense should go a long way as well.
March Madness Rolls On
March madness rolls on; we have to touch on the heroics of Dylan Darling in the St. John’s victory against Kansas. This sent the Johnnies to the sweet 16 for the first time since 1999, I was not born until the year 2000, and have been a fan of the Johnnies since 2012. This is an unprecedented feeling… to beat a team like Kansas… to go the second weekend of the NCAA tournament… is almost too crazy to believe. The Johnnie’s face top seeded Duke on Friday with a chance to go to the elite 8.
Elsewhere in March, the UConn Huskies have advanced to another sweet 16 under Dan Hurley, and will face another familiar foe as they faced the Michigan State Spartans and Tom Izzo. is a who have been one the model program since Izzo took over and have been as consistent as anyone in the country of the past 20 to 25 years.
The Purdue Boilermakers took down the Texas Longhorns to go to another elite 8, behind the combination of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, Purdue is in position to win a NCAA championship.
In a last second thriller, Iowa and Nebraska matched up in a game which saw two “football” schools go at it for a chance at history. Nebraska has never been to elite date and unfortunately for Big Red that trend would continue, as they fell just short 77-71 in Ben McCollum’s first season in Iowa. He already has them in the E8. BTW McCollum is only 43-years-old and will be one of the best coaches in recent memory and should be at the forefront of every coaching discussion in the country.
And now for something different:
