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NCAA baseball tournament: 4 things we learned on Day One The first day of baseball at the 2026 NCAA tournament has yet to officially conclude, as three games were pushed to Saturday due to rain.Still, there was enough baseball played to draw some early conclusions.Here are four things we learned from the first day of action at the 2026 NCAA baseball tournament.Georgia Tech’s offense is as advertisedGeorgia Tech entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 2 overall seed, with one of the most prolific offenses in both the nation, and program history.That offense played to form on Friday.After falling down 2-0 early to UIC, the Yellow Jackets exploded for 17 unanswered runs, en route to a 22-5 win in their first game. Five Georgia Tech batters left the yard, including Parker Brosius, Carson Kerce, Vahn Lackey, Jarren Advincula, and Alex Hernandes, who homered three times in the win. All told, Georgia Tech tallied 22 runs on 22 hits, and every player in the starting lineup had at least one hit save one.The one player without a hit in their starting lineup? That would be Drew Burress, who recently became the program’s all-time single-season home run leader. He’ll get his hits soon enough.Up next for the Yellow Jackets? The winner of Saturday morning’s game between The Citadel and Oklahoma, which was pushed to Saturday morning because of weather. But this looks like a team that could make a very, very deep run thanks to this offense.The Yellow Jackets are not aloneGeorgia Tech’s offense might get the most attention today, but they were not the only lineup to put on a show Friday.Texas, the No. 6 overall seed, poured it on against Holy Cross, racking up 21 hits in their 19-1 victory. Aiden Robbins, Anthony Pack Jr., and Jayden Duplantier all homered in the win.Alabama, the No. 7 overall seed, exploded for 21 runs in its 21-3 victory over in-state opponent Alabama State. The Crimson Tide roped 15 hits, including home runs from Bryce Fowler, Justin Lebron — a potential top-ten pick in the July MLB Draft — Brady Neal, and Luke Vaughn. Fowler also tripled in the Crimson Tide victory. And while this was a 3-2 game after three innings, Alabama broke it open with a six-spot in the fourth inning, followed by three more runs in the fifth and another six spot in the sixth.And how about Oregon? Many believed that the Selection Committee did not do the No. 11-overall seed any favors, putting them in a region with Oregon State and Washington State, as well as Yale, which meant they would likely face 2025 All-American Jake Ohman on Friday. But that is exactly who the Ducks faced, and Oregon chased him with five runs in the first four innings, and put a big crooked number up on the board in the eighth when they pushed eight runs across the plate. The final score in Eugene? Oregon 14, Yale 2. Designated Hitter Naulivou Lauaki homered in the win.Note: At the time of publication, Georgia is winning 18-1 against Long Island, so we can slot the Bulldogs into this category as well. While that game has yet to go final, Georgia has already hit nine home runs in this game, including two from Brennan Hudson and two more from Ryan Wynn. In the regionals format, the 64 teams in the field are divided into 16 double-elimination tournaments, with each of those four teams seeded No. 1 through No. 4 in the regional. That set up 16 No. 1 vs. No. 4 games for Friday, with each of those games featured one of the top 16 teams in the nation as ranked by the Selection Committee.While we are still waiting on the results of one of those games — the Georgia vs. Long Island contest, which was pushed to Saturday due to weather — four of those No. 4 seeds delivered upsets on Friday.St. John’s knocked off Florida State by a final score of 6-5, while Little Rock knocked off Southern Miss by a final score of 7-4. But those upsets pale in comparison to the other two. First was Milwaukee over Auburn, as the Panthers from the Horizon League took an early 10-0 lead over the Tigers (the No. 4 overall seed) and held on for a 13-8 victory. That win saw Auburn join a rather small list, as the Tigers became just the seventh top four national seed in NCAA tournament history to lose a regional opener, along with Alabama (No. 3, 2002), Georgia Tech (No. 3, 2003), Florida State (No. 4, 2008), Baylor (No. 4, 2012), Florida (No. 2, 2014), and North Carolina (No. 2, 2017).Hours later, UCLA joined that list. The Bruins, who entered the tournament as the top-ranked team in the nation, lost to Saint Mary’s by a final score of 3-2. That dropped UCLA (who went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the nation according to D1Baseball this season) into today’s elimination game and made the Bruins the first No. 1 overall seed to lose their regional opener.Jacksonville State made its caseWhen the Field of 64 was announced on Selection Monday, many were surprised to see the Jaguars on the No. 3 line. Jacksonville State finished the year with a 46-13 record out of Conference USA, which was good for the 25th-best RPI in the nation. Perhaps it was the schedule, ranked 108th in the nation, that saw the Committee drop them down to a No. 3 line instead of slotting them in as a No. 2.So that meant a meeting with the No. 2 team in the Hattiesburg regional on Friday, in Virginia.Jacksonville State pushed a pair of runs across the dish in the second, two more in the third, and then a five-run fifth inning powered the Jaguars to a 15-7 win. Caleb Johnson went 3-for-6 in the win with a home run and three RBI, while Brady Thomas went 3-for-5 with a double and three more RBI.And with Southern Miss losing to Little Rock, that means that Jacksonville State has a Saturday date with the No. 4 seed in the regional, with a spot in the super regionals potentially in their future. #NCAA #baseball #tournament #learned #Day

NCAA baseball tournament: 4 things we learned on Day One

The first day of baseball at the 2026 NCAA tournament has yet to officially conclude, as three games were pushed to Saturday due to rain.

Still, there was enough baseball played to draw some early conclusions.

Here are four things we learned from the first day of action at the 2026 NCAA baseball tournament.

Georgia Tech’s offense is as advertised

Georgia Tech entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 2 overall seed, with one of the most prolific offenses in both the nation, and program history.

That offense played to form on Friday.

After falling down 2-0 early to UIC, the Yellow Jackets exploded for 17 unanswered runs, en route to a 22-5 win in their first game. Five Georgia Tech batters left the yard, including Parker Brosius, Carson Kerce, Vahn Lackey, Jarren Advincula, and Alex Hernandes, who homered three times in the win. All told, Georgia Tech tallied 22 runs on 22 hits, and every player in the starting lineup had at least one hit save one.

The one player without a hit in their starting lineup? That would be Drew Burress, who recently became the program’s all-time single-season home run leader. He’ll get his hits soon enough.

Up next for the Yellow Jackets? The winner of Saturday morning’s game between The Citadel and Oklahoma, which was pushed to Saturday morning because of weather. But this looks like a team that could make a very, very deep run thanks to this offense.

The Yellow Jackets are not alone

Georgia Tech’s offense might get the most attention today, but they were not the only lineup to put on a show Friday.

Texas, the No. 6 overall seed, poured it on against Holy Cross, racking up 21 hits in their 19-1 victory. Aiden Robbins, Anthony Pack Jr., and Jayden Duplantier all homered in the win.

Alabama, the No. 7 overall seed, exploded for 21 runs in its 21-3 victory over in-state opponent Alabama State. The Crimson Tide roped 15 hits, including home runs from Bryce Fowler, Justin Lebron — a potential top-ten pick in the July MLB Draft — Brady Neal, and Luke Vaughn. Fowler also tripled in the Crimson Tide victory. And while this was a 3-2 game after three innings, Alabama broke it open with a six-spot in the fourth inning, followed by three more runs in the fifth and another six spot in the sixth.

And how about Oregon? Many believed that the Selection Committee did not do the No. 11-overall seed any favors, putting them in a region with Oregon State and Washington State, as well as Yale, which meant they would likely face 2025 All-American Jake Ohman on Friday. But that is exactly who the Ducks faced, and Oregon chased him with five runs in the first four innings, and put a big crooked number up on the board in the eighth when they pushed eight runs across the plate. The final score in Eugene? Oregon 14, Yale 2. Designated Hitter Naulivou Lauaki homered in the win.

Note: At the time of publication, Georgia is winning 18-1 against Long Island, so we can slot the Bulldogs into this category as well. While that game has yet to go final, Georgia has already hit nine home runs in this game, including two from Brennan Hudson and two more from Ryan Wynn.

In the regionals format, the 64 teams in the field are divided into 16 double-elimination tournaments, with each of those four teams seeded No. 1 through No. 4 in the regional. That set up 16 No. 1 vs. No. 4 games for Friday, with each of those games featured one of the top 16 teams in the nation as ranked by the Selection Committee.

While we are still waiting on the results of one of those games — the Georgia vs. Long Island contest, which was pushed to Saturday due to weather — four of those No. 4 seeds delivered upsets on Friday.

St. John’s knocked off Florida State by a final score of 6-5, while Little Rock knocked off Southern Miss by a final score of 7-4. But those upsets pale in comparison to the other two. First was Milwaukee over Auburn, as the Panthers from the Horizon League took an early 10-0 lead over the Tigers (the No. 4 overall seed) and held on for a 13-8 victory. That win saw Auburn join a rather small list, as the Tigers became just the seventh top four national seed in NCAA tournament history to lose a regional opener, along with Alabama (No. 3, 2002), Georgia Tech (No. 3, 2003), Florida State (No. 4, 2008), Baylor (No. 4, 2012), Florida (No. 2, 2014), and North Carolina (No. 2, 2017).

Hours later, UCLA joined that list. The Bruins, who entered the tournament as the top-ranked team in the nation, lost to Saint Mary’s by a final score of 3-2. That dropped UCLA (who went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the nation according to D1Baseball this season) into today’s elimination game and made the Bruins the first No. 1 overall seed to lose their regional opener.

Jacksonville State made its case

When the Field of 64 was announced on Selection Monday, many were surprised to see the Jaguars on the No. 3 line. Jacksonville State finished the year with a 46-13 record out of Conference USA, which was good for the 25th-best RPI in the nation. Perhaps it was the schedule, ranked 108th in the nation, that saw the Committee drop them down to a No. 3 line instead of slotting them in as a No. 2.

So that meant a meeting with the No. 2 team in the Hattiesburg regional on Friday, in Virginia.

Jacksonville State pushed a pair of runs across the dish in the second, two more in the third, and then a five-run fifth inning powered the Jaguars to a 15-7 win. Caleb Johnson went 3-for-6 in the win with a home run and three RBI, while Brady Thomas went 3-for-5 with a double and three more RBI.

And with Southern Miss losing to Little Rock, that means that Jacksonville State has a Saturday date with the No. 4 seed in the regional, with a spot in the super regionals potentially in their future.

#NCAA #baseball #tournament #learned #Day

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The first day of baseball at the 2026 NCAA tournament has yet to officially conclude, as three games were pushed to Saturday due to rain.

Still, there was enough baseball played to draw some early conclusions.

Here are four things we learned from the first day of action at the 2026 NCAA baseball tournament.

Georgia Tech’s offense is as advertised

Georgia Tech entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 2 overall seed, with one of the most prolific offenses in both the nation, and program history.

That offense played to form on Friday.

After falling down 2-0 early to UIC, the Yellow Jackets exploded for 17 unanswered runs, en route to a 22-5 win in their first game. Five Georgia Tech batters left the yard, including Parker Brosius, Carson Kerce, Vahn Lackey, Jarren Advincula, and Alex Hernandes, who homered three times in the win. All told, Georgia Tech tallied 22 runs on 22 hits, and every player in the starting lineup had at least one hit save one.

The one player without a hit in their starting lineup? That would be Drew Burress, who recently became the program’s all-time single-season home run leader. He’ll get his hits soon enough.

Up next for the Yellow Jackets? The winner of Saturday morning’s game between The Citadel and Oklahoma, which was pushed to Saturday morning because of weather. But this looks like a team that could make a very, very deep run thanks to this offense.

The Yellow Jackets are not alone

Georgia Tech’s offense might get the most attention today, but they were not the only lineup to put on a show Friday.

Texas, the No. 6 overall seed, poured it on against Holy Cross, racking up 21 hits in their 19-1 victory. Aiden Robbins, Anthony Pack Jr., and Jayden Duplantier all homered in the win.

Alabama, the No. 7 overall seed, exploded for 21 runs in its 21-3 victory over in-state opponent Alabama State. The Crimson Tide roped 15 hits, including home runs from Bryce Fowler, Justin Lebron — a potential top-ten pick in the July MLB Draft — Brady Neal, and Luke Vaughn. Fowler also tripled in the Crimson Tide victory. And while this was a 3-2 game after three innings, Alabama broke it open with a six-spot in the fourth inning, followed by three more runs in the fifth and another six spot in the sixth.

And how about Oregon? Many believed that the Selection Committee did not do the No. 11-overall seed any favors, putting them in a region with Oregon State and Washington State, as well as Yale, which meant they would likely face 2025 All-American Jake Ohman on Friday. But that is exactly who the Ducks faced, and Oregon chased him with five runs in the first four innings, and put a big crooked number up on the board in the eighth when they pushed eight runs across the plate. The final score in Eugene? Oregon 14, Yale 2. Designated Hitter Naulivou Lauaki homered in the win.

Note: At the time of publication, Georgia is winning 18-1 against Long Island, so we can slot the Bulldogs into this category as well. While that game has yet to go final, Georgia has already hit nine home runs in this game, including two from Brennan Hudson and two more from Ryan Wynn.

In the regionals format, the 64 teams in the field are divided into 16 double-elimination tournaments, with each of those four teams seeded No. 1 through No. 4 in the regional. That set up 16 No. 1 vs. No. 4 games for Friday, with each of those games featured one of the top 16 teams in the nation as ranked by the Selection Committee.

While we are still waiting on the results of one of those games — the Georgia vs. Long Island contest, which was pushed to Saturday due to weather — four of those No. 4 seeds delivered upsets on Friday.

St. John’s knocked off Florida State by a final score of 6-5, while Little Rock knocked off Southern Miss by a final score of 7-4. But those upsets pale in comparison to the other two. First was Milwaukee over Auburn, as the Panthers from the Horizon League took an early 10-0 lead over the Tigers (the No. 4 overall seed) and held on for a 13-8 victory. That win saw Auburn join a rather small list, as the Tigers became just the seventh top four national seed in NCAA tournament history to lose a regional opener, along with Alabama (No. 3, 2002), Georgia Tech (No. 3, 2003), Florida State (No. 4, 2008), Baylor (No. 4, 2012), Florida (No. 2, 2014), and North Carolina (No. 2, 2017).

Hours later, UCLA joined that list. The Bruins, who entered the tournament as the top-ranked team in the nation, lost to Saint Mary’s by a final score of 3-2. That dropped UCLA (who went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the nation according to D1Baseball this season) into today’s elimination game and made the Bruins the first No. 1 overall seed to lose their regional opener.

Jacksonville State made its case

When the Field of 64 was announced on Selection Monday, many were surprised to see the Jaguars on the No. 3 line. Jacksonville State finished the year with a 46-13 record out of Conference USA, which was good for the 25th-best RPI in the nation. Perhaps it was the schedule, ranked 108th in the nation, that saw the Committee drop them down to a No. 3 line instead of slotting them in as a No. 2.

So that meant a meeting with the No. 2 team in the Hattiesburg regional on Friday, in Virginia.

Jacksonville State pushed a pair of runs across the dish in the second, two more in the third, and then a five-run fifth inning powered the Jaguars to a 15-7 win. Caleb Johnson went 3-for-6 in the win with a home run and three RBI, while Brady Thomas went 3-for-5 with a double and three more RBI.

And with Southern Miss losing to Little Rock, that means that Jacksonville State has a Saturday date with the No. 4 seed in the regional, with a spot in the super regionals potentially in their future.

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TOSS

England has won the toss and opts to bowl first.

Three debuts handed out today: N Shree Charani (IND); Mady Villiers and Alice Capsey (ENG)

Playing XIs

India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Harmnpreet Kaur (capt), Jemimah odrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Sayali Satghare, Sneh Rana, N Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud

England: Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Heather Knight, Nat Sciver Brunt, Alice Capsey, Amy Jones, Mady Villiers Ecclestone, Issy Wong, Lauren Filer, Lauren Bell

Preview

This Test brings together the founding nation of the sport and its most formidable force. India has a brilliant record against England in Tests. In 16 encounters, India has three wins and a solitary loss, while the others were all drawn. Their most recent clash was at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai in 2023. India marched to a massive 347-run triumph then. England’s last win against India came in 1995.

Red-ball fixtures are few and far between in the women’s game. England and Australia are the ecosystem’s most active participants. India has been an enthusiastic follower, with South Africa too slowly hopping on board. The costs of staging Tests make this a tier too high for everyone else. Even a board like New Zealand, one of the game’s old powers, has been vocal about its disinterest in the format for women.

So, how this Test, staged on one of the game’s grandest stages, slots into cricket’s rhetoric, and whether larger questions about the format’s relevance in the women’s game will be answered, are things to watch.

But this Lord’s Test will be what it has been fashioned to be: historic. It is another major cultural and societal barrier broken. With record audiences expected and two hurting sides looking to sign off from a challenging international summer on a high, it remains to be seen whether this spectacle can prove to be the catalyst the ecosystem’s red-ball ambitions are crying out for.

SQUADS

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (Capt.), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Varma, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Shree Charani, Nandni Sharma, Harleen Deol, Sneh Rana, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare and Priya Punia.

England: Nat Sciver-Brunt (Capt.), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Grace Potts, Ellie Threlkeld, Mady Villiers and Issy Wong.

Published on Jul 12, 2026

#IND #ENG #Womens #Test #Day #Live #Score #India #leads #runs">IND vs ENG Women’s Test, Day 3 Live Score: India to 233/4, leads by 348 runs TOSSEngland has won the toss and opts to bowl first.Three debuts handed out today: N Shree Charani (IND); Mady Villiers and Alice Capsey (ENG)Playing XIsIndia: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Harmnpreet Kaur (capt), Jemimah odrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Sayali Satghare, Sneh Rana, N Shree Charani, Kranti GaudEngland: Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Heather Knight, Nat Sciver Brunt, Alice Capsey, Amy Jones, Mady Villiers Ecclestone, Issy Wong, Lauren Filer, Lauren BellPreviewThis Test brings together the founding nation of the sport and its most formidable force. India has a brilliant record against England in Tests. In 16 encounters, India has three wins and a solitary loss, while the others were all drawn. Their most recent clash was at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai in 2023. India marched to a massive 347-run triumph then. England’s last win against India came in 1995.Red-ball fixtures are few and far between in the women’s game. England and Australia are the ecosystem’s most active participants. India has been an enthusiastic follower, with South Africa too slowly hopping on board. The costs of staging Tests make this a tier too high for everyone else. Even a board like New Zealand, one of the game’s old powers, has been vocal about its disinterest in the format for women.So, how this Test, staged on one of the game’s grandest stages, slots into cricket’s rhetoric, and whether larger questions about the format’s relevance in the women’s game will be answered, are things to watch.But this Lord’s Test will be what it has been fashioned to be: historic. It is another major cultural and societal barrier broken. With record audiences expected and two hurting sides looking to sign off from a challenging international summer on a high, it remains to be seen whether this spectacle can prove to be the catalyst the ecosystem’s red-ball ambitions are crying out for.SQUADSIndia: Harmanpreet Kaur (Capt.), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Varma, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Shree Charani, Nandni Sharma, Harleen Deol, Sneh Rana, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare and Priya Punia.England: Nat Sciver-Brunt (Capt.), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Grace Potts, Ellie Threlkeld, Mady Villiers and Issy Wong.Published on Jul 12, 2026 #IND #ENG #Womens #Test #Day #Live #Score #India #leads #runs

Deadspin | Ryan Blaney wins Atlanta pole, leads Team Penske front-row sweep Jun 14, 2026; Long Pond, Pennsylvania, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (12) races during The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images HAMPTON, Ga. — Ryan Blaney claimed his second pole position of the season Saturday evening at Atlanta’s fast high-banked EchoPark Speedway — leading a Team Penske Ford front row sweep for Sunday night’s Quaker State 400 (7 p.m. ET, TNT, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Blaney’s No. 12 Team Penske Ford turned in a lap of 179.912 mph around the 1.5-mile track, besting his teammate Joey Logano’s No. 22 Ford by a slight .016-second in Busch Light Pole Qualifying. It’s the 32-year old Blaney’s 14th career pole and marks the first front-row Penske sweep this year. All three Penske’s advanced to Saturday’s 10-car second round after dominating the top of the speed charts in round one. Austin Cindric will roll off eighth in the No. 2 Penske Ford. The typically low-key Blaney was thrilled for the result, crediting his team for the hard work. However, the 2023 series champion was quick to remind at a high-speed, drafting track such as Atlanta, he was confident starting up front doesn’t automatically translate into a trip to Victory Lane. Toyota, which is enjoying a dominant season in wins, failed to place a single car into the final round of qualifying. NASCAR Cup Series championship leader Denny Hamlin will roll off 28th in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick, who trails Hamlin by 44 points in the standings, will start 31st in the No. 45 Toyota. A five-time race winner this year, Reddick won at Atlanta this February. Gibbs drivers Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell will start 23rd and 32nd. And Reddick’s 23XI teammates Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst are 23rd and 29th on the grid. “I feel like we’ve seen that,” Blaney said of the Toyotas qualifying effort. “They don’t really qualify great at these speedways, just the build of their race car. So usually that means they can probably be aggressive in the draft and get in the middle and get to the top and things like that. I’m sure we’re going to see them up there. “If you look at the spring race here and Toyotas were really, really good when it came race time. Hopefully, our balance in the race is good enough to be able to either maintain the lead or if we get shuffled back to be able to go forward. You really don’t know that until the race starts.” The Chevrolets of Kyle Larson (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports) and Austin Dillon (No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ) make up row two. Daniel Suarez will start fifth with the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets of Alex Bowman and defending race winner Chase Elliott, Cindric, Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain and Brad Keselowski owner-driver of the No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Ford, rounding out the top 10. The front row start is especially significant for the three-time series champion Logano, who is enduring one of the most challenging seasons of his Hall of Fame-bound career. He’s still not in the top 16 field that will ultimately settle the title in the 10-race Chase. Logano’s ranked 18th, 16 points behind 16th-place Erik Jones. “The good news is the Hunt Brothers Pizza Mustang is fast and that speed you see in qualifying will usually show up in the race,” said Logano, a two-time Atlanta winner. “I’m proud to see the speed that’s there and the handling seemed fine in qualifying. “I feel like our team can handle these speedways really well and you can remember what happened here last Fall (he wrecked after leading laps and winning the pole position), so there’s no guarantee you see the end of it. “But,” he added with a smile, “The speed’s there and that’s half the battle, so we know we have that.” –By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media #Deadspin #Ryan #Blaney #wins #Atlanta #pole #leads #Team #Penske #frontrow #sweepJun 14, 2026; Long Pond, Pennsylvania, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (12) races during The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images

HAMPTON, Ga. — Ryan Blaney claimed his second pole position of the season Saturday evening at Atlanta’s fast high-banked EchoPark Speedway — leading a Team Penske Ford front row sweep for Sunday night’s Quaker State 400 (7 p.m. ET, TNT, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Blaney’s No. 12 Team Penske Ford turned in a lap of 179.912 mph around the 1.5-mile track, besting his teammate Joey Logano’s No. 22 Ford by a slight .016-second in Busch Light Pole Qualifying.

It’s the 32-year old Blaney’s 14th career pole and marks the first front-row Penske sweep this year. All three Penske’s advanced to Saturday’s 10-car second round after dominating the top of the speed charts in round one. Austin Cindric will roll off eighth in the No. 2 Penske Ford.

The typically low-key Blaney was thrilled for the result, crediting his team for the hard work. However, the 2023 series champion was quick to remind at a high-speed, drafting track such as Atlanta, he was confident starting up front doesn’t automatically translate into a trip to Victory Lane.

Toyota, which is enjoying a dominant season in wins, failed to place a single car into the final round of qualifying.

NASCAR Cup Series championship leader Denny Hamlin will roll off 28th in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick, who trails Hamlin by 44 points in the standings, will start 31st in the No. 45 Toyota. A five-time race winner this year, Reddick won at Atlanta this February.

Gibbs drivers Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell will start 23rd and 32nd. And Reddick’s 23XI teammates Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst are 23rd and 29th on the grid.


“I feel like we’ve seen that,” Blaney said of the Toyotas qualifying effort. “They don’t really qualify great at these speedways, just the build of their race car. So usually that means they can probably be aggressive in the draft and get in the middle and get to the top and things like that. I’m sure we’re going to see them up there.

“If you look at the spring race here and Toyotas were really, really good when it came race time. Hopefully, our balance in the race is good enough to be able to either maintain the lead or if we get shuffled back to be able to go forward. You really don’t know that until the race starts.”

The Chevrolets of Kyle Larson (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports) and Austin Dillon (No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ) make up row two.

Daniel Suarez will start fifth with the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets of Alex Bowman and defending race winner Chase Elliott, Cindric, Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain and Brad Keselowski owner-driver of the No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Ford, rounding out the top 10.

The front row start is especially significant for the three-time series champion Logano, who is enduring one of the most challenging seasons of his Hall of Fame-bound career. He’s still not in the top 16 field that will ultimately settle the title in the 10-race Chase. Logano’s ranked 18th, 16 points behind 16th-place Erik Jones.

“The good news is the Hunt Brothers Pizza Mustang is fast and that speed you see in qualifying will usually show up in the race,” said Logano, a two-time Atlanta winner. “I’m proud to see the speed that’s there and the handling seemed fine in qualifying.

“I feel like our team can handle these speedways really well and you can remember what happened here last Fall (he wrecked after leading laps and winning the pole position), so there’s no guarantee you see the end of it.

“But,” he added with a smile, “The speed’s there and that’s half the battle, so we know we have that.”


–By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Ryan #Blaney #wins #Atlanta #pole #leads #Team #Penske #frontrow #sweep">Deadspin | Ryan Blaney wins Atlanta pole, leads Team Penske front-row sweep Jun 14, 2026; Long Pond, Pennsylvania, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (12) races during The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images HAMPTON, Ga. — Ryan Blaney claimed his second pole position of the season Saturday evening at Atlanta’s fast high-banked EchoPark Speedway — leading a Team Penske Ford front row sweep for Sunday night’s Quaker State 400 (7 p.m. ET, TNT, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Blaney’s No. 12 Team Penske Ford turned in a lap of 179.912 mph around the 1.5-mile track, besting his teammate Joey Logano’s No. 22 Ford by a slight .016-second in Busch Light Pole Qualifying. It’s the 32-year old Blaney’s 14th career pole and marks the first front-row Penske sweep this year. All three Penske’s advanced to Saturday’s 10-car second round after dominating the top of the speed charts in round one. Austin Cindric will roll off eighth in the No. 2 Penske Ford. The typically low-key Blaney was thrilled for the result, crediting his team for the hard work. However, the 2023 series champion was quick to remind at a high-speed, drafting track such as Atlanta, he was confident starting up front doesn’t automatically translate into a trip to Victory Lane. Toyota, which is enjoying a dominant season in wins, failed to place a single car into the final round of qualifying. NASCAR Cup Series championship leader Denny Hamlin will roll off 28th in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick, who trails Hamlin by 44 points in the standings, will start 31st in the No. 45 Toyota. A five-time race winner this year, Reddick won at Atlanta this February. Gibbs drivers Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell will start 23rd and 32nd. And Reddick’s 23XI teammates Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst are 23rd and 29th on the grid. “I feel like we’ve seen that,” Blaney said of the Toyotas qualifying effort. “They don’t really qualify great at these speedways, just the build of their race car. So usually that means they can probably be aggressive in the draft and get in the middle and get to the top and things like that. I’m sure we’re going to see them up there. “If you look at the spring race here and Toyotas were really, really good when it came race time. Hopefully, our balance in the race is good enough to be able to either maintain the lead or if we get shuffled back to be able to go forward. You really don’t know that until the race starts.” The Chevrolets of Kyle Larson (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports) and Austin Dillon (No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ) make up row two. Daniel Suarez will start fifth with the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets of Alex Bowman and defending race winner Chase Elliott, Cindric, Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain and Brad Keselowski owner-driver of the No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Ford, rounding out the top 10. The front row start is especially significant for the three-time series champion Logano, who is enduring one of the most challenging seasons of his Hall of Fame-bound career. He’s still not in the top 16 field that will ultimately settle the title in the 10-race Chase. Logano’s ranked 18th, 16 points behind 16th-place Erik Jones. “The good news is the Hunt Brothers Pizza Mustang is fast and that speed you see in qualifying will usually show up in the race,” said Logano, a two-time Atlanta winner. “I’m proud to see the speed that’s there and the handling seemed fine in qualifying. “I feel like our team can handle these speedways really well and you can remember what happened here last Fall (he wrecked after leading laps and winning the pole position), so there’s no guarantee you see the end of it. “But,” he added with a smile, “The speed’s there and that’s half the battle, so we know we have that.” –By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media #Deadspin #Ryan #Blaney #wins #Atlanta #pole #leads #Team #Penske #frontrow #sweep

England’s run at the 1986 World Cup came to a dramatic end due to the “Hand of God” goal scored by Diego Maradona.

Could their run at the 2026 World Cup continue due to the “Cable of God?”

Norway took a 1-0 lead late in the first half during Saturday’s Quarterfinal match between the two teams, thanks to a thunderous strike from Andreas Schjelderup.

However, England pulled level moments later, on a lovely left-footed strike from Jude Bellingham:

But should the goal have even counted?

FOX Sports cameras spotted Norway coach Stale Solbakken chatting with referee Clement Turpin after the goal, and Norway striker Erling Haaland was frustrated as well:

Eventually, replay angles showed why. After a goal kick from keeper Orjan Nyland, the ball appeared to strike one of the FIFA skycam cables, falling to the feet of England’s Anthony Gordon:

On the FOX Sports broadcast, former referee Mark Clattenburg noted that under FIFA rules, the play should have stopped, and a dropped-ball resulted.

A review did come later in the match, but that potential go-ahead goal was taken off the board after VAR noted a foul by Haaland before Norway’s corner kick:

The match remains tied at 1-1 deep into the second half, but no matter the result, expect that non-review to be part of the discussion.

Update: Following the match, FIFA shared this on social media:

#Englands #equalizer #Norway #counted">Why England’s equalizer against Norway should not have counted England’s run at the 1986 World Cup came to a dramatic end due to the “Hand of God” goal scored by Diego Maradona.Could their run at the 2026 World Cup continue due to the “Cable of God?”Norway took a 1-0 lead late in the first half during Saturday’s Quarterfinal match between the two teams, thanks to a thunderous strike from Andreas Schjelderup.However, England pulled level moments later, on a lovely left-footed strike from Jude Bellingham:But should the goal have even counted?FOX Sports cameras spotted Norway coach Stale Solbakken chatting with referee Clement Turpin after the goal, and Norway striker Erling Haaland was frustrated as well:Eventually, replay angles showed why. After a goal kick from keeper Orjan Nyland, the ball appeared to strike one of the FIFA skycam cables, falling to the feet of England’s Anthony Gordon:On the FOX Sports broadcast, former referee Mark Clattenburg noted that under FIFA rules, the play should have stopped, and a dropped-ball resulted.A review did come later in the match, but that potential go-ahead goal was taken off the board after VAR noted a foul by Haaland before Norway’s corner kick:The match remains tied at 1-1 deep into the second half, but no matter the result, expect that non-review to be part of the discussion.Update: Following the match, FIFA shared this on social media: #Englands #equalizer #Norway #counted

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