AD Chun jumps from Wash St. to Washington
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
The University of Washington has hired Pat Chun, the athletic director at rival Washington State, as the school’s new athletic director on Tuesday.
It is a six-year deal, sources told ESPN.
“Pat has a track record of success and a wealth of experience — from 15 years in the Big Ten and service on national groups guiding the future of college sports, to securing community support and a commitment to the well-being of student-athletes,” University of Washington president Ana Mari Cauce said in a statement. “He knows our state, is highly respected in national athletics circles and has an eye for talent. I’m so happy he’ll be joining us to lead UW Athletics into the future.”
The hiring of Chun, who brings both a familiar face and strong Big Ten ties, marks a swift response to the sudden departure last week of Troy Dannen to become Nebraska’s athletic director after only six months on the job at Washington.
Chun has led Washington State since January 2018, and his duties there included being selected to serve on the College Football Playoff committee and helping manage the university’s future in the aftermath of mass departures from the Pac-12.
He will begin his new role on Wednesday.
“It is truly an honor for my family and I to join the University of Washington family, and I look forward to doing my part to help elevate the athletics program and the university,” Chun said in a statement. “… Our transition to the Big Ten is a critical step in our journey and great things lie ahead for the Huskies!”
His experience in the Big Ten proved appealing to the Washington brass, with the university entering the conference for the 2024-25 school year. Chun’s expected hire marks the rare occasion of the hiring of a rival school’s athletic director, although the extenuating circumstances of the Pac-12’s recent flurry of departures make this move less jarring.
Chun worked for 15 years at Ohio State, where his responsibilities included everything from managing all facets of external relations to serving as the administrative liaison with the football program. That time gave him a window into the ways of the Big Ten, as he spent significant time in both fundraising and football, which will be two linchpins of his tenure in Seattle.
His ability to lead an athletic department during financial challenges was valued, as Washington faces significant stadium debt. The school also must find ways to be competitive in the Big Ten while only receiving half of the television revenue — along with Oregon — of its peers through 2029-30.
Chun’s time at Washington State included the successful hire of men’s basketball coach Kyle Smith, who left this week for the head-coaching job at Stanford after leading the Cougars to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008. That job is currently open.
Chun also hired Kamie Ethridge as women’s basketball coach, and she led WSU to the Pac-12 tournament title in 2023 and three straight NCAA tournament bids — both firsts in school history.
Chun’s tenure included promoting Jake Dickert from assistant coach to head football coach, a move that’s resulted in two bowl appearances — one as an interim — and a 15-16 overall record that includes two wins over Wisconsin.
When Chun was hired at Washington State, he became the first Asian American athletic director to lead a Power 5 school. Chun came to Washington State from Florida Atlantic, where his tenure included the hiring of Lane Kiffin as football coach.
For the first time since the turn of the century, MLB’s All-Star Game will be held in Atlanta — the first ever at Truist Park since its opening in 2017.
All-Star festivities begin July 11 and culminate in the Midsummer Classic on July 15, as the National League looks to gain just its second win since 2013 while the American League aims to extend its dominance.
Following the first phase of All-Star voting, we know the top overall vote-getters in each league — Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani — automatically earned the starting spot at their positions, outfield and designated hitter, respectively. Now, the starting lineups have been revealed, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers leading the way each with three starters, followed by the Chicago Cubs with two. Four players named as starters — Cal Raleigh, Jacob Wilson, Ryan O’Hearn and Pete Crow-Armstrong — are first-time All-Stars.
Stay tuned, as we’ll have everything you need to navigate All-Star Week — from event schedules and full rosters to All-Star Game analysis.
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2025 MLB All-Star roster predictions, biggest debates
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All-Star schedule
(All times ET)
July 2: MLB All-Star starters reveal at 7 p.m. on ESPN
July 6: MLB All-Star full rosters announced at 5 p.m. on ESPN
July 11: HBCU Swingman Classic at 8 p.m. on MLB Network
July 13: MLB Draft at 6 p.m. on ESPN and MLB Network
July 14: MLB All-Star Celebrity Softball Game at 1 p.m. on MLB Network
July 14: MLB Home Run Derby at 8 p.m. on ESPN
July 15: All-Star Red Carpet Show at 2 p.m. on MLB Network
July 15: MLB All-Star Game at 7 p.m. on FOX
Braves ace Spencer Schwellenbach has a fractured pitching elbow, becoming the latest Atlanta starter sidelined with a long-term injury.
The Braves said on Wednesday that the right-hander was placed on the 15-day injured list as part of a series of roster moves.
Schwellenbach said he felt tightness while pitching against Philadelphia on Saturday, when he threw 90 pitches and had a career-high 12 strikeouts. He allowed one run and three hits over seven innings.
He felt sore the following day and imaging Monday revealed a small fracture at the top of the elbow. Schwellenbach said he was told this was a freak accident and said he hopes to be back this season.
MLB.com reported that the second-year player won’t throw for at least four weeks.
Schwellenbach is 7-4 with a 3.09 ERA in 17 starts this season for the Braves, who already are without reigning Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale (rib cage), 2024 All-Star right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (shoulder) and hard-throwing rookie AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow).
The Braves also announced Wednesday that outfielder Jurickson Profar, who was suspended 80 games without pay on March 31 for violating MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, has been activated after his reinstatement. Veteran outfielder Alex Verdugo, batting .239 with 12 RBIs in 56 games, was designated for assignment to create a roster spot.
Atlanta also optioned right-hander Kevin Herget to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday, reinstated right-hander Daysbel Hernandez from the IL and recalled left-hander Austin Cox from Gwinnett.
The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.
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Jesse Rogers
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, MLB’s home run leader, and American League Rookie of the Year candidate Jacob Wilson of the Athletics will be in the starting lineup for the All-Star Game on July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta, it was announced Wednesday.
Raleigh, nicknamed “The Big Dumper,” earned his first All-Star selection and starting spot on the back of his 33 first-half home runs and MLB-leading 71 RBIs (through Tuesday). Wilson, the Athletics’ shortstop, was voted in after a dynamic first half in which he has hit .339, second in all of MLB, through Tuesday’s games.
“Just trying to stay as consistent as I can — my work, preparation going into games and my approach at the plate,” Raleigh told ESPN on Wednesday. “It’s been working out so far, and I just got to keep it rolling and keep my head down.
“… This is all I’ve ever known — this city, Seattle. They’ve taken me in with open arms and I’m very blessed and very lucky to have them in my corner. They’ve been awesome and they’ve always been there for me in this organization. It’s great that I’m going to get to represent them, like I said, in the [Home Run] Derby and the All-Star Game. Hopefully I can make them proud.”
The 23-year-old Wilson, whose father, Jack, was an All-Star for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2004, is the lone rookie in either league to be voted into the starting lineup after edging the Royals‘ Bobby Witt Jr. 52% to 48%. He is the first rookie shortstop to win an All-Star fan election and just the second to start an All-Star Game after Baltimore’s Ron Hansen, who started both games in 1960.
Three players from the Detroit Tigers — second baseman Gleyber Torres and outfielders Riley Greene and Javier Baez — will join them in the AL’s starting lineup, while the National League starters are led by three representatives from the Los Angeles Dodgers: first baseman Freddie Freeman, catcher Will Smith and DH Shohei Ohtani, who received the most votes among NL players during Phase 1 of the voting.
Rounding out the starting lineup for the AL: Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez and Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn. They’ll all join New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who was the AL’s top vote-getter in Phase 1.
Joining the Dodgers trio in the NL starting lineup will be Chicago Cubs outfielders Pete Crow-Armstrong (first selection) and Kyle Tucker (fourth), Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado and New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, who was named an All-Star starter for the first time.
Despite missing the first seven weeks of the season, Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. also earned a starting nod after getting the most votes at the position during Phase 2 voting.
There are nine first-time starters for the second time in three years.
“I am overly grateful right now,” Crow-Armstrong, who has 21 home runs and 62 RBIs so far this season, told ESPN. “It’s pretty cool. … That’s definitely the highlight of the year so far.
“… I think what I kind of surprised myself with is obviously the power production, but in this specific time span. You know, pulling the ball in the air is something I’ve worked on for my whole pro career, and we’re really starting to make some good improvements here. But I think inherently I’ve always had enough confidence to produce a year like this.”
The Tigers had three fan-elected starters for the fourth time in history, matching a franchise best also accomplished in 1984, 1985 and 2007. Meanwhile, the three fan elections for the Dodgers marks their most in a single season since the team had four fan-elected starters for the 1980 Midsummer Classic: Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell and Reggie Smith.
Freeman, 35, was picked for the ninth time — fifth as a starter — and is the oldest player on either team. He will return to Atlanta, where he starred from 2010 to 2021.
For Torres and Baez, it marks the first time since 2019 that they are All-Stars. Baez, meanwhile, will be making his third All-Star start at his third different position, having started for the NL at second base (2018) and shortstop (2019) while with the Cubs.
Baez edged the Los Angeles Angels‘ Mike Trout 26% to 24% in the closest vote.
Overall, 13 MLB teams are represented among the 18 positional starters, including seven clubs in the AL and six in the NL.
Judge, Ramirez and Machado each earned their seventh All-Star selection.
Under rules that began in 2022, voting was split into two stages, and the second phase ran from Monday to Thursday.
Pitchers and reserves for both teams — totaling 23 for each side — will be determined through a combination of player ballot choices and selections made by the MLB commissioner’s office. They’ll be announced Sunday (5 p.m. ET, ESPN).
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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