Ducks host Islanders as postseason pursuit continues

• March 8, 2025

Smarting from a four-point loss with more than its share of wonky bounces, funky goals and near misses, the Ducks will again try to claw their way up the wild-card standings when they host the New York Islanders on Sunday.

They beat the Isles 3-1 on Oct. 29, led by three of their four top scorers: Mason McTavish, Frank Vatrano and Troy Terry.

The three of them all factored into a frantic rally against St. Louis on Friday that saw the Ducks cut their disadvantage to one off Vatrano’s goal from Terry, allow an empty-netter, halve their deficit anew when Terry connected with Alex Killorn and then nearly force overtime on McTavish’s bid that beat the goalie but not the buzzer.

For several Ducks, the Islanders sweater once represented home, as Terry and Vatrano’s centerman Ryan Strome, enforcer Ross Johnston and coach Greg Cronin all resided on Long Island, with Cronin enjoying two separate assistant coaching stints there.

The Islanders got a significant haul for sturdy center Brock Nelson from the Colorado Avalanche near the trade deadline, so significant that they sent one of the pieces to the Ducks, defenseman Oliver Kylington, for future considerations. It was a deal that responded to the Ducks’ trading Brian Dumoulin to another New York metro area franchise, the New Jersey Devils, to help open up games and minutes for Olen Zellweger.

Zellweger was part of a noticeably livelier power play Friday, quarterbacking one unit and showing off his ability to skate laterally, walk the blue line and create shot opportunities out of thin air.

Cronin lauded Zellweger’s work with the extra man, saying he gave the Ducks “a jolt.” Zellweger is more than a specialist, however.

“Zelly’s up and down the ice. He’s fearless. He just adds a dimension of pace and speed. When he gets the puck, his head’s up and he’s looking for opportunities to generate offense,” Cronin said.

He added: “Not to put too much weight on him, but he’s got a little bit of that Quinn Hughes in him. I know he’s religious about his preparation and his work habits, so he’s got a really bright future.”

Zellweger could further augment the Ducks’ skill and mobility on the left side behind Pavel Mintyukov and the Ducks’ top defenseman this season, Jackson LaCombe. Their defense corps skewed stalwart and a bit rigid, but has gained better balance over time.

LaCombe has 10 points in his past eight games with a +7 rating over that span. On the season, he has 20 more points than the next highest-scoring defenseman, Zellweger, though that’s also a feather in Zellweger’s cap since he’s played 13 fewer games and in a lesser role.

LaCombe, however, has been the biggest revelation.

“He’s extremely poised with the puck. He’s a one-man breakout machine, he’s very skilled at the offensive blue line and he defends really well. He’s arguably our best player,” Cronin said.

The Islanders were in a similar spot to the Ducks as both teams entered Saturday’s docket on the wrong side of the playoff bubble, with the Ducks trailing Vancouver by eight points and the Isles five back of Columbus.

New York won seven straight under coach and Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy, but has since returned to its middling ways, seizing four of its past 10 opportunities. Nelson was in a three-way tie with captain Anders Lee and former Canuck Bo Horvat atop the Islanders’ scoring leaderboard. The dynamic Mathew Barzal has been sidelined by a knee injury but will likely return later this month.

New York Islanders at Ducks

When: 6 p.m. Sunday

Where: Honda Center

TV/radio: Victory+, KCOP (Ch. 13)

​ Orange County Register 

Clippers’ Nicolas Batum always ready to answer the call

• March 8, 2025

INGLEWOOD — Clippers veteran forward Nicolas Batum is not in a rush to get on the court. He sits patiently game after game on the bench waiting for his name to be called.

And when coach Tyronn Lue signals for him to check in, Batum is ready, always ready to play whether it is for five minutes or Friday night’s season-high 34 minutes.

Batum got his fourth start of the season against the New York Knicks as forward Derrick Jones Jr. makes a slow return to the starting lineup after suffering a lingering groin injury. And the 36-year-old French international player made the most of his minutes, nailing five 3-pointers among his efficient season-high 17 points. He also recorded four assists, two blocks and two steals.

And in typical fashion, Batum deflected praise to his teammates, those who see most of the minutes and touches. He said it’s easy to play when you have “unselfish superstars” on your team.

“It’s easy when you play with those three guys – James (Harden) Zu (Ivica Zubac) and Kawhi (Leonard),” Batum said. “The defense is so focused on those guys you are going to get open shots. … It’s easy to play with those guys. You are just open, you just got to be ready to shoot.”

Batum was ready, hitting 6 of his 9 shots from the field and 5 of 7 from the 3-point range in the 105-95 victory.

“Sometimes you have to step up and make some baskets to win the game,” he said.

Big moments aren’t anything new for Batum. He is a two-time Olympian, including a member of the 2024 French National team that lost to the United States in the gold-medal game in Paris. He also was named French Player of the Year in 2021 and a longstanding competitor in FIBA.

But that doesn’t mean he assumes he will get more minutes based on his experience. He knows what Lue expects from him.

“I mean that was the talk I had with Ty like during the offseason after the Olympics and during training camp,” he said. “I mean some games I play 25, some games 5 minutes, some games I won’t play.

“But I knew, like maybe like down on the road like the last 20 games, I might mean more like (in) a game tonight (with) some injury, so I need to be ready to step up.”

The Clippers, currently seeded No. 8 in the Western Conference, are going to need Batum’s steady play in the final 19 games, starting with Sunday’s key matchup against the Sacramento Kings, who are No. 9.

“We have a very tough stretch, I mean the last six, seven games after the break (when the Clippers lost six of seven) and we see that other teams start winning too,” Batum said. “I mean Warriors came back on track, Sacramento as well, (and) Minnesota. So, we’re not winning the race, (but we) just (need to) make sure we don’t put ourselves in a bad position for the next 20 games.”

INTERNATIONAL FLAIR

Not only did Batum play a big role in beating the Knicks, Zubac (Croatia) finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds and Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia) added eight points and 12 rebounds.

“We stick together, that was a good team win,” Batum told EuroHoops.

Sacramento at Clippers

When: 6:30 p.m. Sunday

Where: Intuit Dome

TV/radio: FDSNSC/AM 570

​ Orange County Register 

Kennedy dedicates softball field to Hall of Fame coach Sue Hall

• March 8, 2025

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

LA PALMA — As a youth softball player in Bobby Sox, the award that Sue Hall aspired to win the most was called the “four ships.”

“All the girls would vote on one player and it was called the four ships award,” she recalled. “It’s sportsmanship, leadership, friendship and citizenship. I always thought that was my best award.”

Kennedy’s softball program might have topped Hall’s list.

On Feb. 20 before its home game against Cerritos, Kennedy dedicated its softball field to the Hall of Fame coach, who guided the Fighting Irish to a CIF-SS title in 1998 and a section runner-up finish in 2002, her final season.

In a ceremony that attracted Hall’s family, alumni players and community leaders, Kennedy’s softball diamond became known as “Coach Sue Hall Field.”

Now living in San Diego, Hall, 62, cherished the dedication because she felt the field naming — like the Bobby Sox award — reflected on her character.

“You can’t just win,” she said, “people have to respect you.”

Hall’s career produced both.

In a coaching run that started at Woodbridge and ended at Kennedy, she won 369 games, two CIF-SS titles, earned two Orange County coach of the year awards and was voted to the Orange County softball and Southern Section Hall of Fame.

In a brief tenure at Woodbridge, Hall led the Warriors to a section title in 1987 and a runner-up finish in 1986.

She took the helm at Kennedy in 1998 and maintained a consistently successful program,

Hall attended Foothill and later played collegiately at UC Santa Barbara and Chapman.

​ Orange County Register 

Man accused of hit-and-run, DUI after Westminster crash kills motorcyclist

• March 8, 2025

The 24-year-old driver of a car was arrested Saturday, March 8, after police say he ran away following an early morning collision in Westminster that killed a motorcyclist.

Abdallah Hussein Ali Eid of Westminster was booked on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, felony hit and run and felony driving under the influence. He was driving even though his license had been suspended, the Westminster Police Department said in a news release.

The collision was reported shortly after 2 a.m. near Beach Boulevard and McFadden Avenue. Police arrived to find the motorcyclist in the southbound lanes, where he was pronounced dead. His name has not been publicly announced.

Eid was arrested soon after witnesses told police that Eid ran south on Beach, the release said. He was hospitalized before being taken to Orange County Jail.

Police were still investigating the circumstances of the collision Saturday, so the exact cause was not available.

Police ask anyone with information on the crash to call 714-898-3315, ext. 3790. Tips may be left anonymously with Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-847-6227 or occrimestoppers.org.

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County scores and player stats for Saturday, March 8

• March 8, 2025

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

Scores and stats from Orange County games on Saturday, March 8

Click here for details about sending your team’s scores and stats to the Register.

The deadline for submitting information is 10:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 p.m. Saturday.

SATURDAY’S SCORES

SOFTBALL

DAVE KOPS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

At Bullhead City, AZ

GOLD BRACKET

Semifinals

El Modena 6, Mater Dei 1

Norco 3, Sandra Day OC 2

SILVER BRACKET

Semifinals

Whittier Christian 8, Cypress 1

Other scores

Fountain Valley 9, Campo Verde (AZ) 8

JSerra 6, Rio Rancho (NM) 3

El Toro 11, Cibola (AZ) 3

Fullerton 5, Marina 4

La Cueva 3, La Habra 0

La Mirada 8, Villa Park 1

Bonita 5, Los Alamitos 4

BASEBALL

NORTH HILLS LEAGUE

Brea Olinda 9, Esperanza 0

NONLEAGUE

Estancia 7, Brentwood 6

Est: Viramontes (W, 4IP 1H 0R 6K), 1-3, RBI. Atkinson 2-4, HR, 2RBI.

Fullerton 8, Corona del Mar 7

Full: Meni 3-3, BB, R, 3RBI. Fany 3-5, 2R. Warden 2-2, HR.

Other nonleague scores

Colony 6, Garden Grove 0

Saddleback 11, Morningside 7

Woodbridge 9, Flintridge Prep 1

Aliso Niguel 3, El Toro 0

Orange 4, Buena Park 2

Sonora 3, University 0

Los Alamitos 8, Palos Verdes 1

GIRLS LACROSSE

LAGUNA HILLS LA/OC CHALLENGE GAME

Redondo Union 22, Corona del Mar 6

NONLEAGUE

JSerra 14, Los Alamitos 2

Goals: (JS) Berkus 6, O’Hara 3.

Saves: (JS) Pearl 2, Ng 2.

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

BEST OF THE WEST TOURNAMENT

At San Diego

Beckman def. Moanalua, 25-23, 25-18

Mira Costa def. Servite, 25-22, 25-13

Corona del Mar def. Buchanan/Clovis, 25-13, 25-21

Torrey Pines def. Newport Harbor, 25-22, 25-18

Huntington Beach def. Mater Dei, 25-13, 25-13

Buchanan/Clovis def. Servite, 25-17, 33-31

​ Orange County Register 

Jo Adell hits 3-run homer as Angels defeat Brewers

• March 8, 2025

THE GAME: Jo Adell’s three-run homer in the second inning put the Angels on top in their 6-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in a Cactus League game on Saturday in Phoenix.

PITCHING REPORT: Left-hander Tyler Anderson gave up a pair of solo homers in 3⅓ innings. Anderson also issued a walk. In three starts this spring, Anderson has allowed seven earned runs in 7⅔ innings. “I felt good,” Anderson said. “A couple pitches I probably wouldn’t have thrown in games, but just throwing them in the spring, with two strikes. My command was good. There’s some pitches that I was just trying stuff I’m working on, messing around to see how hitters react.” Anderson said he was specifically experimenting with dropping down his release point, which he’s done occasionally in the past. “During the season, you can do all that when you’re ahead in the count,” Anderson said. … Right-hander Ryan Johnson, who was just drafted in July, pitched two scoreless innings, including facing the Brewers’ top five big-league hitters. He retired them all. Johnson, who has not allowed a run in five innings this spring, is one of 18 healthy pitchers left in camp, with 13 spots on the Opening Day roster. Asked if Johnson should be considered a candidate to break camp, manager Ron Washington laughed and said: “I’m not ready to not ready to say that yet, but I think he’ll get the ball a couple more times, and we’ll see where it goes. This is the first time he pitched professionally. And he did a tremendous job out there. He didn’t seem to be out of whack. He seemed to be composed, and he did pound the strike zone. And he has a very good arm.”

HITTING REPORT: Adell hit his second homer of the spring. Adell used his toe tap when he hit the homer. Adell has gone back and forth this spring between using his leg kick and his toe tap. Adell is 6 for 29 (.207) with a .614 OPS this spring. “He’s just gonna continue to get better, and it’s good that he can try to make adjustments, because that’s what the game of baseball is about, and he’s learning how to play the game of baseball,” Washington said. .… Nolan Schanuel hit his first homer of the spring. The ball went out to left of straightaway center field. All of Schanuel’s regular-season homers have been between center field and the right-field line. He said he’s worked this winter to improve his power and exit velocity. … Tim Anderson led off the game with a single and was picked off first by the catcher. Anderson, who is fighting for a job on the Opening Day roster, is 6 for 26 (.231) with a .632 OPS this spring. … Jorge Soler walked and singled. Soler is 9 for 20 (.450) with a 1.360 OPS this spring. … J.D. Davis hit a two-run homer over the batters’ eye.

DEFENSE REPORT: Second baseman Christian Moore ranged to his right to field a chopper headed up the middle. … Catcher Logan O’Hoppe threw out Manuel Margot trying to steal third. … Shortstop Kyren Paris made an over-the-shoulder catch of a popup as he ran toward the outfield in the ninth inning.

UP NEXT: Angels (RHP Jack Kochanowicz) vs. Cincinnati Reds (RHP Graham Ashcraft), 1:10 p.m. PT Sunday, at Tempe Diablo Stadium, FanDuel Sports Network West, 830 AM

​ Orange County Register 

USC women rally past Michigan to reach Big Ten Tournament final

• March 8, 2025

When one USC door closes, another one opens.

With Trojans all-everything JuJu Watkins having a suboptimal game Saturday in the Big Ten Conference Tournament semifinal, Kiki Iriafen rose to the occasion with 25 points and 11 rebounds in an 82-70 victory that was closer than the final scoreboard suggested at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Iriafen shot 10 of 19 in the victory, made all five of her free throws and collected seven offensive boards. The Stanford transfer forward is catching fire at the right time, averaging 21.8 points and 9.0 rebounds in her past five games.

Watkins scored 11 of her 20 points in the fourth quarter. She also finished with 11 rebounds, but shot 7 of 17 from the field and committed six turnovers.

Ranked second in the country, USC (28-2) awaits the winner of the second semifinal between UCLA and Ohio State.

The top-seeded Trojans, riding an eight-game winning streak and coming in as -9.5 favorites, finally tied the fifth-seeded Wolverines (22-10) late in the third quarter before pulling away in the fourth.

The game was tied at 60 with 6:28 to play, then the Trojans scored 14 unanswered points to chart their course to Sunday’s tournament final, largely due to shooting 17 of 28 (60.7%) in the second half.

The first half, however, was a world of struggles for USC and Watkins. The sophomore star scored just four points on 2-of-9 shooting with three of the Trojans’ nine turnovers. The Trojans shot 12 of 37 (32.4%) and 3 of 12 (25.0%) from the 3-point line.

They finished 29 of 65 (44.6%) but made only 5 of 18 (27.8%) from deep.

The Wolverines limited the Trojans to nine first-quarter points and led by as much as nine in the second quarter when Jordan Hobbs’ 3-pointer gave them a 27-18 with 5:24 to play.

USC fared well down the first-half stretch though, using a 6-0 run over the last two minutes – on a Rayah Marshall layup, a Watkins 17-foot jumper and two Kennedy Smith free throws – while forcing two missed shots and two turnovers for Michigan to trail 31-29 at the break.

Syla Swords led Michigan with 26 points.

​ Orange County Register 

Angels’ Kyren Paris making his case for the majors

• March 8, 2025

TEMPE, Ariz. — As Kyren Paris has come up with one clutch hit after another this spring, Ron Washington has gushed over the young infielder’s transformation.

“He’s a totally different guy than he was last spring,” the Angels manager said.

Paris, 23, was the Angels’ second-round pick out of high school in 2019, and he’s still struggling to find his footing in the majors. He’s hit .110 with a .378 OPS in 105 major-league plate appearances. Last year, he hit only .209 with a .646 OPS at Triple-A, in a hitter-friendly environment.

All of which is why Paris spent some of his winter working with Richard Schenck, a well-known hitting guru who counts Aaron Judge among his pupils.

“I like some of the stuff that he was talking about that I would see online,” Paris said. “I feel like a lot of it resonated with me, and a lot of the problems that I was having at the plate. I just wanted to clean up some things and make my swing more efficient, and he’s helped me with that.”

Paris now has a small leg kick, which is part of developing a more athletic swing that he thinks will make more contact.

“I feel like my strikeout rate will go down,” Paris said. “Just hit the ball hard more consistently, and ultimately that leads to more power.”

So far this spring, Paris is 6 for 15 with two doubles and a homer. That includes a go-ahead three-run double in the seventh inning Thursday, a game-tying homer in the ninth inning Feb. 27 and a game-tying single in the ninth Feb. 22.

“I feel like it’s huge,” Paris said of the late-game success. “Perry (Minasian) talked a lot about hitting with runners in scoring position and those late-game moments. And I feel like this is a perfect opportunity to practice those, so when it comes in the season, I’m ready.”

The caveat to all of that late-game success is that the ninth inning of a spring training game is very different than the ninth inning of a regular-season game. Paris is getting most of his at-bats against the minor-league pitchers who work the end of spring training games. Paris has started only twice this spring.

When Washington was asked Saturday if he’d like to start seeing more of Paris against the big-league pitchers who work the beginning of games, his answer was telling.

“At the beginning of the game is for the big boys,” Washington said. “He has to make his way to the big boys section.”

Washington’s response made it clear that the Angels don’t yet view Paris as a candidate for the Opening Day roster.

Even with shortstop Zach Neto starting the season on the injured list, the Angels have middle infielders Kevin Newman, Luis Rengifo, Tim Anderson, Scott Kingery and Christian Moore all seemingly ahead of Paris on the depth chart.

In the longer term, though, Paris is giving the Angels reason to believe he could be a useful player.

“Right now (his new swing) has been productive,” Washington said. “I like to see him carry it through a full season. He’s going to have his ups and downs, but that’s where adjustments come in. He’s in a different place. He’s in a better place mentally, and that’s all that matters, because he has the athletic ability.”

BACHMAN UPDATE

Right-hander Sam Bachman tried to throw again this week, but felt some discomfort and was shut down again.

Bachman said he’s not sure if he’s going to seek further evaluation of his injury, which he continues to describe only vaguely.

“There’s inflammation in my body,” he said. “Just trying to figure it out. It’s frustrating. We’re getting down to it. We have a good plan here. I think we’ll be in good shape here in a couple weeks.”

Bachman, 25, was the Angels’ first-round pick in their all-pitcher draft in 2021. His career so far has been marked by a series of injuries, most notably to his shoulder and back. He had shoulder surgery after the 2023 season.

CUTS

The Angels sent down 16 players Saturday morning, including some of the top prospects in the organization. None of the moves were surprising.

Right-handers Caden Dana and George Klassen and left-hander Sam Aldegheri – the top three pitching prospects in the system – were all sent down. Klassen was still scheduled to pitch in Saturday afternoon’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Angels also sent down outfielder Nelson Rada and third baseman Cole Fontenelle, two of the top position player prospects.

Right-handers Connor Brogdon, Michael Darrell-Hicks and José Fermin, left-handers Jack Dashwood, Victor Gonzalez and Samy Natera, infielders Niko Kavadas, Carter Kieboom and Denzer Guzman, outfielder Gustavo Campero and catcher Sebastian Rivero were also sent down.

NOTES

Rengifo was a late scratch from Saturday’s lineup because of hamstring tightness. It’s the second time in a week that Rengifo has been scratched because of the hamstring issue. …

Mike Trout said he’s going to play consecutive games Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. That includes a road game Tuesday against the Texas Rangers in Surprise, Ariz. Trout said he expects to play right field twice and DH once. …

Neto threw from shortstop to second base Saturday, the first time this spring that he’s thrown to a base. Neto, who is rehabbing from shoulder surgery, will start the season on the injured list, but he’s expected back sometime in April.

​ Orange County Register