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PHOENIX — Just over five months since he made his first MLB postseason appearance with the New York Mets, Pete Alonso was gearing up for another pressure-filled stretch of baseball — this time, for Team USA.

“My first playoff experience was this past season,” Alonso told the gathered crowd at World Baseball Classic media day. “It was only three games and it was a short-lived playoff experience. And after we were done, the feeling I came back with was, ‘Man, I want more of this.’

“Because that playoff baseball feeling, it’s addictive. And I want to put myself in every opportunity to be in those high-pressure, high-leverage situations. I mean, pressure is a privilege.”

Longtime St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright, an experienced MLB playoff veteran, was sitting next to Alonso and nodded in agreement. When the news conference ended, Wainwright was still smiling about what his Team USA teammate had said.

“Pressure is a privilege,” he said to Alonso as they got up from their chairs. “Man, that’s good.”

It’s an attitude the entire team has embraced during the opening round of the WBC. As the defending champions from 2017, anything less than a deep run for Team USA would be considered a disappointment. With each pressure-packed at-bat, scrutinized pitching decision or unifying rally, it has become clear that October arrived early this year.

“There’s going to be some big games coming up,” all-world outfielder Mike Trout said earlier in the week. “We don’t always get that at this time of year.”

Count Wednesday night as one of them. After a surprise loss to Mexico, the U.S. went from group favorite to in danger of being sent home with another slipup. The squad rebounded with a rout over Canada on Monday night, and now needs a win against Colombia to secure a spot in the quarterfinals (a loss would leave the team’s hopes of advancing in the hands of the WBC’s tiebreaker scenarios).

And for some on Team USA — including Trout — these games are a chance to experience a playoff-caliber environment they have not had often during their major league careers.

“I was talking to [Kyle] Schwarber, who has a lot of postseason experience,” center fielder Cedric Mullins said. “He was telling me, nothing beats it. Now I’m feeling it. I understand it a little.”

One of six players on the roster who have no MLB playoff experience, Mullins hit a triple on the very first pitch he saw during a nine-run first-inning in a must-win game against Canada. White Sox infielder Tim Anderson, who has played in seven total MLB playoff games, helped spark the U.S. by providing two hits at the plate and playing second base for the first time in his career.

“It does feel like the playoffs, a little,” Anderson said. “You never know when you’re going to get back there, so you have to embrace it.”

Anderson isn’t the only player willing to change his routine to help the team — key in both the MLB postseason in October and the WBC in March. Normally a starter for the Kansas City Royals, Brady Singer is pitching out of the bullpen for Team USA. He struggled against Mexico, giving up four runs in two innings, but his willingness to adapt allowed manager Mark DeRosa to set up his pitching to cover enough innings to advance despite challenging limitations across his pitching staff.

“A little different role coming out of the bullpen,” Singer said. “Wouldn’t want to do it any other way. I just want to pitch.”

A teammate of Singer on the Royals, 22-year-old Bobby Witt Jr. knew that his WBC experience might come with few opportunities to make an impact on the field — but that hasn’t stopped the youngest player on the U.S. roster from soaking up the playoff-like atmosphere.

“I’m getting October in March,” said Witt, who hit a pinch-hit RBI double in his first at-bat against Mexico. “It’s an honor to be part of this team. The guys told me you have to enjoy every moment because you never know when it’s going to be the last time to play in games like this.”

For even the most playoff-tested members of the Team USA roster, there is an element that adds pressure the players haven’t often felt in October: the one-and-done format of the knockout rounds.

“I haven’t played in a tournament in a long time,” Team USA and Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner said. “It’s a funny concept because we’re not used to it.”

“[In MLB] you play six, seven months to play in [the] postseason. Now it’s just a sprint. You’re in there and you’re wearing a different jersey and you have guys from different teams. You’re trying to come together. There’s such a unique experience.”

And instead of at the end of a long season, it’s coming at the very beginning. After three years of canceled or abbreviated spring trainings, this year a select group of players have something even more impactful: meaningful games.

“To be able to feel that right off the rip and during a normal spring training time, it’s a rare opportunity, especially with this team,” Alonso said. “It’s an extremely rare opportunity. And hopefully I can learn from this experience and just continue to chase those feelings.”

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Cristobal: QB Beck cleared for summer workouts

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Cristobal: QB Beck cleared for summer workouts

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — Miami coach Mario Cristobal said Monday that quarterback Carson Beck has been cleared to participate in all team summer activities and is approaching 100 percent following elbow surgery last year.

Cristobal said Beck has been throwing for the past three weeks as part of his rehab regimen. Beck missed all of spring practice and has yet to throw to Miami’s receivers as part of organized team activities. But that is all about to change when Miami begins summer workouts next week.

“He’s good to go,” Cristobal told ESPN at the ACC spring meetings. “He’s exceeding every benchmark.”

Beck underwent surgery on his right elbow to repair his ulnar collateral ligament, which he injured on the final play of the first half in second-ranked Georgia‘s 22-19 overtime win against Texas in the SEC championship game Dec. 7.

Beck started at Georgia for two seasons, going 24-3, and ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. had him rated as the No. 5 quarterback for the 2025 draft. But given his injury and inconsistent performance in 2024, Beck entered the portal in January. He quickly opted for Miami, where he will replace No. 1 NFL draft pick Cam Ward.

Beck threw for 7,426 yards over his two seasons as Georgia’s starter, fifth most among all FBS passers since 2023, with 57 total touchdowns and 23 turnovers.

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Canes LB Hayes out of hospital after tragic crash

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Canes LB Hayes out of hospital after tragic crash

Miami Hurricanes linebacker Adarius Hayes, who was one of the drivers in a two-vehicle crash that left three people dead and at least two others injured, has been released from the hospital, the university said Monday.

The three people who died as a result of the crash were all in a Kia Soul, which collided with a Dodge Durango being driven by Hayes on Saturday afternoon in Largo, Florida, police said.

A 78-year-old woman who was driving the Kia and two of her passengers — 10-year-old Jabari Elijah Solomon and 4-year-old Charlie Herbert Solomon Riveria — died in the crash, police said. Another passenger in the Kia was hospitalized with serious injuries, police said.

No tickets or criminal charges have been filed, though the investigation is continuing.

“We are deeply saddened to learn the crash resulted in three fatalities, as confirmed by Largo Police, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those lost,” the Hurricanes said in a statement.

The school is still working to gather further information.

“There were no signs of impairment with either driver of the vehicles,” Largo Police public information officer Megan Santo said in a statement distributed Sunday.

Hayes, a four-star recruit coming out of Largo High, played in 12 games for the Hurricanes as a freshman in 2024, mostly on special teams. He finished the season with four tackles and one interception, which he returned 25 yards in Miami’s 56-9 victory over Florida A&M on Sept. 7.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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NCAA prez is open to Trump’s idea of commission

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NCAA prez is open to Trump's idea of commission

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — NCAA president Charlie Baker said Monday he was “up for anything” when asked about a President Donald Trump-proposed commission on collegiate athletics.

Reports surfaced last week that Trump was going to create the commission.

While his conversations at ACC meetings with league football coaches, men’s and women’s basketball coaches, athletic directors and other school officials focused on governance and the pending House settlement, Baker was asked during an informal media availability for his thoughts on the presidential commission.

“I think the fact that there’s an interest on the executive side on this, I think it speaks to the fact that everybody is paying a lot of attention right now to what’s going on in college sports,” Baker said.

“I’m up for anything that can help us get somewhere.”

Baker noted the NCAA has already spent time in Washington asking for congressional help that is focused on three big issues. Among the biggest: a patchwork of state laws that relate to how collegiate athletics work in individual states; and whether student-athletes should be considered employees.

“I think [Congress] can help us. I really do,” ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said during an interview with ACC Network. “We have been very bold in the desire for a national standard when it comes to name, image and likeness. We need to make sure that we have something that comes out of Washington that connects all 50 of the states because we’ve had a piecemeal project and it’s really undermined college sports. It’s been a race to the bottom. So that’s one. Two is we need some legal protection. We cannot sustain one legal case after another legal case after another legal case. A reaffirmation that these are student-athletes. Those three things to me will be very important to see if that can come out of the commission.”

Baker said, “People in our office have talked to folks who are working on this, but I don’t think they’ve decided the framework around who they want to put on.”

When asked whether he felt the creation of a commission would enhance the NCAA’s chances at legislative relief, Baker said, “I don’t have a crystal ball on that one. I don’t know. I do think, though, that it’s quite clear at this point that there are a lot of people interested in college sports, and we do need some help at some point to create some clarity around some of these issues in Washington. Creating clarity one lawsuit at a time is just a really bad way to try to move forward.”

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