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Jami Ganz | New York Daily News

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s love story featured some fan favorite characters last week as the stars went on a double date with Swift’s longtime pal Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper.

Donna Kelce, mom of the 34-year-old Kansas City Chiefs tight end, said Wednesday at QVC’s Age of Possibility summit in Las Vegas that the Super Bowl champ sent her a snap from the foursome’s beach day in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, People reports.

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It was during their time down the shore that Kelce realized Cooper, 49, would be in attendance at the event to serve lunch to the 50 women being honored, which included his mother.

“Travis told me you were going to be here,” Mama Kelce told the “Maestro” star-director-co-writer at the event, per People.

The star-studded trip came on the heels of Grammy winner Swift, also 34, dropping her 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” last Friday.

Kelce is believed to have been the muse for two tracks on the double album. However, most of the songs appear to have been inspired by Swift’s brief relationship last year with the 1975 frontman Matty Healy, following her six-year relationship with Joe Alwyn.

Cooper and model Hadid, 29, have been linked at least since early October, when they were spotted grabbing dinner at Via Carota in New York City.

The Age of Possibility summit honored 50 “authentic and inspiring female celebrities, activists, business leaders, and lifestyle experts who exemplify the possibilities of life over 50.” The honorees, known as the Quintessential 50, or Q50, included Donna Kelce, Christina Applegate, Billie Jean King, Patti LaBelle, Queen Latifah, Martha Stewart, Liz Vaccariello, Naomi Watts and more.

©2024 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

What is it about tennis that gets such a firm grip on so many filmmakers?

Maybe it’s the sheer athleticism of the game. Or, perhaps, the tenacious, back-and-forth strategy involved. Then again, maybe it’s simply because it’s sexier than, say, chess.

“Challengers,” starring Oakland native Zendaya, the latest net winner, is rallying into theaters this week, so we decided to put on our best whites and serve up some tennis movies that we think really aced it.

All are available for home viewing.

“Borg vs McEnroe”: The iconic 1980 Wimbledon matchup between tennis titans Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe gets a vigorous, thoughtful narrative retelling with Shia LaBeouf well cast as the mercurial American pro and Sverrir Gudnason tapping in to the more interior nature of the Swedish tennis star. Where to see it: The 2017 film is available to watch for free on Tubi and is available on other platforms.

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“Final Set”: Best-selling author Taylor Jenkins Reid immersed readers into the intense mindset of a victory-seeking female tennis star as she stages a single-minded comeback in her 2022 novel “Carrie Soto Is Back.” Director/screenwriter Quentin Reynaud’s exceptional 2022 drama flips genders to tell a similar yet different story. This one’s about 37-year-old Thomas Edison (Alex Lutz, giving the role his all) and his relentless last shot at getting into the French Open.This is a heck of a watch. Where to see it: Available on Amazon Prime and various platforms.

“Battle of the Sexes”: Oscar winner Emma Stone steps convincingly into the role of a 29-year-old Billie Jean King while Steve Carrell turns in one of his best dramatic performances yet as a 55-year-old Bobby Riggs. Their performances power this entertaining re-creation of that groundbreaking match where Riggs and King squared off in a media-frenzied match in 1973. The attention to period detail is impeccable. Where to see it: Available on various platforms.

“King Richard”: Will Smith collected his first, and infamous, Oscar for his terrific portrayal of the unconventional father of two tennis greats — Serena and Venus Williams. Reinaldo Marcus Green’s feature benefits just as much from Smith’s work as from the astute performance of San Francisco native Aunjanue Ellis as his strong-willed wife. Where to see it: Available on various platforms.

“John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection”: Hot-headed tennis maverick John McEnroe continues to be the focal point of many filmmakers. (The revealing, introspective 2022 HBO documentary “McEnroe” being one of the best.) Another is this little-known 2018 gem from director Julien Faraut that takes 16-mm shot footage, mostly from the 1984 French Open, to show us how he was courting perfection. Faraut’s bold film looks at the body mechanics that made McEnroe such a powerful athlete. Where to see it: available for free on Tubi and available on other platforms.

“Match Point”: Woody Allen channels Alfred Hitchcock — after all, “Strangers on a Train” did feature a man character who was a tennis player — for this thriller about two incredibly beautiful narcissists (Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Scarlett Johansson) caught up in lies and infidelity that trigger a murder. It’s one of Allen’s better films, and features a dollop of tennis since Meyers’ character was once a tennis coach. Mostly, though, this is about people behaving badly. Where to see it: Available for free on Peacock, as well as for a fee on on various other platforms.

Well-traveled East Bay quarterback Jaden Rashada has found another home — and this one’s a mansion by college football standards.

The former Pittsburg High star has committed to the University of Georgia, On3’s Hayes Fawcett reported on Thursday morning.

The decision returns the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Rashada to the SEC, the conference he was set to play in before he asked out of the National Letter of Intent he signed in December 2022 with Florida when a Name, Image and Likeness deal reportedly worth millions fell through.

Rashada signed with his dad’s alma mater, Arizona State, in February 2023.

In three games last fall with the Sun Devils — two early in the season, then in the finale — Rashada threw for 485 yards and four touchdowns with three interceptions. A knee injury sidelined him for much of the season.

Because he didn’t play in enough games to qualify as a full season, Rashada has four years of eligibility remaining.

He entered the transfer portal last week. On.3 reported that Rashada was the top available quarterback in the portal.

Before Rashada signed with Florida, he had orally committed to the University of Miami.

Playing time at Georgia will be a challenge for Rashada. Returning starter Carson Beck, who is 6-4 and 220 pounds, threw for 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns last season while leading the Bulldogs to a 13-1 record. Sophomore Gunner Stockton, the presumed backup, is rated a four-star.

Rising high school senior Ryan Montgomery, another four-star, has committed to Georgia, as has rising high school junior Jared Curtis, also a four-star.

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Rashada’s high school career was filled with movement, too.

He played his freshman season as a backup to Jay Butterfield at Liberty in Brentwood, had a brief stint at renowned Florida powerhouse IMG Academy and spent three seasons (one spring, two falls) as Pittsburg’s quarterback.

Rashada was rated a four-star recruit coming out of high school. He threw for 5,275 yards and 59 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Pittsburg. As a senior, he led the Pirates to a NorCal championship and was named to the all-Bay Area News Group team.

SANTA CLARA — It isn’t necessarily a bad thing Thursday night if the 49ers end up taking someone only serious draft geeks have heard of at No. 31 of the NFL Draft or trading out of the first round altogether and doing their serious work on Friday and Saturday.

Taking the big swing hasn’t been a strength since coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch arrived in 2017, with some of their biggest roster additions coming from selections that brought blank stares.

The real drama will involve wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, a former first-round pick himself who may or may not have priced himself out of the 49ers’ immediate future. The 49ers were faced with a similar dilemma once before in 2020, and they made the decision to trade defensive lineman DeForest Buckner to Indianapolis and then draft his replacement in Javon Kinlaw.

Buckner has remained a mainstay with the Colts. Kinlaw, taken at No. 14, never ascended to his draft status mostly because of knee trouble and signed this offseason with the New York Jets after four seasons, with the 49ers declining his fifth-year option.

The safest, and probably best route, is to bite the bullet and fit Aiyuk into their financial puzzle in Brock Purdy’s last season on his rookie deal and use the draft to backfill an already strong roster.

The 49ers have 10 draft picks and there will be some maneuvering, but there’s no need to go too far outside the box considering the talent on the roster.

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah is leaning that way for the 49ers.

“They’ve got a nice haul of picks. If they want to move up, they have the ammunition,” Jeremiah told reporters recently on a conference call. “I don’t see them in a position where they need to do that. I think this is more filling out your roster, getting a layer of depth. They have the stars in place so I don’t think they’re in a position where they have a must, ‘Hey, we’ve got to get up there.’ I think they can be a little more patient than that.”

Lynch addressed the difficulty of having to add draft picks because they’re cheaper while at the same time acknowledging how hard it is to get them on the field because of the quality of the roster.

“I think it’s going to be hard for these young kids to come in and make a mark,” Lynch said. “But there’s good players and it’s our job to find that because you have to have that. As many as our players as we’ve paid, you have to rely on rookie contracts.”

The 49ers, albeit with changes in their personnel department over the years, have done their best work since 2017 going for singles and doubles and moving runners along — and winding up with some cornerstone players who weren’t regarded as such on draft day.

Some examples in previous Shananan-Lynch drafts, excluding last year’s selection because it’s only been a year:

2022

Purdy, the final draft pick at No. 262, provided the late save. The only other player who has started is right guard Spencer Burford, a fourth-round pick who has started but hasn’t yet seized the job.

The top three picks were edge rusher Drake Jackson of USC (second round, No. 61 overall), running back Ty Davis-Price of LSU (3/93) and wide receiver Danny Gray of SMU (3/105). Davis-Price is already gone. It wouldn’t be a major surprise if Jackson and Gray weren’t on the team in 2024.

Still on the roster are cornerback Samuel Womack (5/172), offensive lineman Nick Zakelj (6/187) and defensive tackle Kalia Davis (6/220).

2021

The Trey Lance draft. Three first-round picks to move up to No. 3 and take a quarterback who was dealt to Dallas for a fourth-round draft pick they’ll use this year.

Aaron Banks (2/48) watched and learned for a year before becoming a solid starting left guard. The 49ers hit on three winners with their final three picks in cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (5/172), safety Talanoa Hufanga (5/180) and running back Elijah Mitchell (6/194).

Running back Trey Sermon (3/88) couldn’t beat out Mitchell. Cornerback Ambry Thomas (3/102) has had both good and bad moments. Tackle Jaylon Moore (5/155) isn’t looked at as the answer when Trent Williams hangs it up.

George Kittle (85) and Jauan Jennings (15) are examples of 49ers who were later-round picks and ended up being key players on the roster. Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group

2020

Kinlaw was referenced earlier. Aiyuk (1/25) has blossomed as a star. Colton McKivitz (5/153) played more snaps than anyone on the offensive line and was a good value pick. Tight end Charlie Woerner (6/190) was a core special teams player and solid blocker and wide receiver Jauan Jennings (7/217) epitomizes the 49ers in terms of blocking at his position.

2019

Any draft that brings aboard starters in defensive end Nick Bosa (1/2), wide receiver Deebo Samuel (2/36), punter Mitch Wishnowsky (4/110) and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (5/148) gets an “A” grade in retrospect.

Bosa, Samuel and Greenlaw have been tone-setters and leaders besides their on-field production.

2018

Tackle Mike McGlinchey (1/9) was a solid run blocker on the right side right up to the point where he departed in Denver for free agency with the 49ers not re-signing them after the deal that brought Williams from Washington. Dante Pettis (2/44) was never a fit for the physicality the 49ers demand from wide receivers. A head-scratcher in hindsight.

Fred Warner (3/70), a positionless safety linebacker at BYU, more than made up for the Pettis pick considering he’s the prototype modern inside linebacker. No draft picks other than Warner remain from this class.

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2017

The 49ers traded back a spot so the Chicago Bears could blow the No. 2 pick on Mitch Trubisky and selected Solomon Thomas (1/3), who never lacked for effort or character but was also never the game-changer the third pick of the draft is supposed to be.

Next up was linebacker Reuben Foster (1/31), whose off-field issues led to his release.

The gold nugget in this draft was tight end George Kittle (5/146) who became an ideal blocker/receiver for the Shanahan system not to mention a bigger-than-life personality in the locker room.

Baseball No. 5 De La Salle 8, Monte Vista 5

The Spartans bounced back after a tough loss to Jesuit-Carmichael on Saturday by rallying from three runs down to beat Monte Vista on Wednesday in an East Bay Athletic League game.

After De La Salle took a 2-0 in the first inning, Monte Vista answered with five in the third.

Matteo Congdon’s RBI double to left field scored Luke Claussen and Brad Ballard to cap off the Mustangs’ big inning that made it 5-2.

But it was all De La Salle after that. 

Alec Blair’s three-run homer in the fourth inning have De La Salle a 6-5 lead. Then in the fifth, senior Joe McGee hit a two-run shot to right field that scored Max Ghiglieri, tacking on two more runs for the Spartans. 

De La Salle improved to 13-4, 7-2. Monte Vista dropped to 12-8, 4-6. 

De La Salle’s Alec Blair, shown here against San Ramon Valley this month, hit a three-run homer on Wednesday in a victory over Monte Vista. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)  No. 9 James Logan 8, Mission San Jose 5

Mission San Jose came close to pulling off the upset and capturing its first win of the season, but the Colts held strong late to win their ninth consecutive league game. 

James Logan led 6-1 through four innings behind strong pitching from Evan Yau. The junior pitched 3 2/3 innings and struck out four on 40 pitches. 

The Warriors responded by scoring four runs in the fifth to cut the deficit to just a run. Vinhson Nguyen’s single to the gap in left field scored three runs to make it 6-5 heading into the sixth. 

After the Colts scored a run in the bottom half of the sixth inning to give them a three-run cushion, Jesus Vasquez struck out three straight batters in the seventh to end the Mission Valley Athletic League game. 

James Logan is 15-3, 9-0. Mission San Jose dropped to 0-18, 0-9.

No. 6 Los Gatos 11, Cupertino 1

The Wildcats scored 11 runs on 13 hits in a blowout win over Cupertino in Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division play.

Los Gatos senior Carter Johnstone was 3 for 3 with three RBIs and a home run. Donovan Freed had two hits and two RBIs.

Sophomore Ethan Williams pitched six innings, allowing just a hit while striking out seven batters. 

Malachi Perez scored Cupertino’s lone run on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Brandon Chang. 

Los Gatos (18-3, 7-2) extended its winning streak to eight games. Cupertino is 4-13, 0-8.

Los Gatos’ Donovan Freed, shown here in a file photo, had two hits on Wednesday against Cupertino. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)  No. 2 Granada 2, Dublin 0

The Livermore school could only muster up two runs, but that’s all it needed as pitcher Jake Sekany was brilliant on the mound in this EBAL game.

The junior pitched a two-hitter, striking out eight in a complete game.

Junior Tommy Brown knocked in Granada’s only runs in the third inning when his single brought home Tyler Kardy and Nate Brown.

Granada improved to 20-1, 9-1 while Dublin dropped to 9-12, 4-7.

Oakland Tech 30, Fremont-Oakland 0 (four innings)

The Bulldogs scored 30 runs on 18 hits and cruised to their eighth Oakland Athletic League victory.

Rass Robinson went 4 for 6 and had four RBIs. Issac Estow, Vernard Scott, Elias Thompson, David Granger and Mike Martin each had three RBIs. 

Kalen Thomas threw a one-hitter and struck out seven for Oakland Tech, which improved to 13-6, 8-0.

Fremont is still winless at 0-8, 0-7.

Softball No. 1 St. Francis 14, Presentation 0 (five innings)

Senior Kate Munnerlyn and sophomore Hailey Nguyen combined to throw a no-hitter as the Lancers improved to 18-0.

Munnerlyn, who started the game, struck out seven on 42 pitches. Nguyen came in relief in the fourth inning and struck out three on 40 pitches. 

Freshman power hitter Peyton Tsao had two home runs and three RBIs. Rebecca Quinn and Shannon Keighran each had a homer. 

St. Francis is 4-0 in West Catholic Athletic League play. Presentation dropped to 5-11, 1-4.

St. Francis pitcher Kate Munnerlyn, shown here in a game this month against Mitty, struck out seven in a victory on Wednesday over Presentation. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)  No. 9 Gilroy 12, No. 20 Sobrato 0

The Mustangs scored five runs in the first inning and didn’t let up. 

Ariela Yslava pitched a complete-game shutout for Gilroy, allowing just two hits and striking out seven.

Bam Mendoza had two doubles and four RBIs and Jocelyn Ta had a home run. 

Gilroy, which improved to 16-5,10-2, remained in first place in the Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division.

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Sobrato (12-10, 6-6) dropped to fourth in the standings.

Granada 8, No. 11 Foothill 7

In a back-and-forth EBAL game, Granada scored enough runs late to beat Foothill on the road. 

Foothill led 7-6 after the fifth inning, but that was the last lead the Falcons would have. 

Madison Hom’s RBI triple scored Alecsis Phillips to tie the game after the sixth. 

Hom came up big again in the seventh when she scored Sarah Deplitch to give Granada an 8-7 lead. 

With the Matadors needing three outs to seal the victory, sophomore Ella VonBergen retired three of four batters she faced to end the game.

After a slow start to the season, Granada has won five straight games to improve to 10-9, 6-5. Foothill (12-7, 5-6) has dropped back-to-back games.

PIEDMONT – Bishop O’Dowd shortstop Rashad Hayes Jr. makes fielding look easy, plucking ground balls from the dirt and whipping a pinpoint throw to second or first base for an out. 

In a 9-5 victory on Wednesday over Piedmont, he threw out three runners and caught two pop-ups for the Oakland private school.

That defensive skillset is coveted by MLB and top college teams. Hayes is rated by multiple sites among the Top 100 amateur prospects in the class of 2025.  Baseball America recently listed him as the second-best defensive infielder in his class. 

“Before the play happens, I already know where I’m going with the ball and what I want to do with it,” said Hayes, a Stanford commit. “So when the ball is hit, I’m just playing loose and allowing my body to react to what’s happening.”

Bishop O’Dowd’s Rashad Hayes (5) spins his glove on his fingers while wearing for the next pitch against Piedmont High in the sixth inning of their 9-5 win at Piedmnont High School in Piedmont, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) 

The top-notch glovework shown against Piedmont in the West Alameda County Conference Foothill Division game was honed by hours of practice and late-night drills with his father, Rashad Sr. 

Hayes was not the most talented player growing up, remembering a Little League game where he did not get off the bench. 

The kid was crushed.

“The joy that he normally had was gone when that happened,” said Hayes Sr., whose son started playing T-ball at two years old.

Instead of pouting, he told his dad he wanted to get better. And that’s exactly what Hayes did, sending him on the path to being one of the best shortstops in all of high school baseball.

The defense in the hole was eye-catching on Wednesday, but it was his developing skills with the bat that was perhaps most intriguing.

He sent a hard-hit single through a gap to drive in a teammate during the sixth inning and also showed patience, walking once and getting hit by a pitch to reach base three times. 

The successful day at the plate was a welcome sight for the .224 hitter who is still trying to figure out that part of the game. He models his play after MLB stars CJ Abrams and Tim Anderson. 

“He has all the talent and all the tools,” O’Dowd coach Brian Mouton said. “It’s just about putting it together, because he has everything you need from a shortstop.”

Bishop O’Dowd’s Vander Cole (10), John Teti (22), Rashad Hayes (5) and Enrique Sotelo (17) watch reliever Ryan Schuh (19) making warmup throws from the mound in the seventh inning of their 9-5 win against Piedmont High at Piedmont High School in Piedmont, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) 

Hayes wasn’t the only reason the Dragons won on Wednesday.

Vander Cole had two RBIs and Ben Skiles, Dimitri Williams and Enrique Sotelo each contributed one RBI. Starting pitcher Nikolas Haas had a no-hitter through five innings and ended the day with six strikeouts and just three hits allowed. 

He appreciated Hayes’ defensive skills. 

“When you have a guy like that, you know that any ground ball to the shortstop is going to be an out,” Haas said. “As a pitcher, you gotta love that.”

Bishop O’Dowd starting pitcher Nikolas Haas (15) pitches in the first inning of their 9-5 win against Piedmont High at Piedmont High School in Piedmont, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) 

Piedmont made things interesting in the final inning, rallying for four runs to cut the deficit in half. Diego Delventhal was 2 for 3 with two RBIs, and Will Parker and Jordan Vo each had one RBI. 

Even though the comeback attempt fell short, Piedmont coach Eric Olson couldn’t help but be impressed by his team’s “moxie.”

“I was proud of the way they came out and had some quality at-bats and some hits there at the end,” Olson said. “That’s something to build on for sure.”

Olson, who spent time in the New York Yankees farm system in 2000, sees oodles of potential in Hayes. 

“The biggest thing is that his best baseball is still in front of him,” Olson said. “The sky’s the limit for him.”

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Only 16, the 6-foot-1 Hayes still has plenty of time to develop into a strong hitter while refining the other aspects of his game. It’s not MLB-or-bust either for Hayes once he graduates in 2025. 

“To be able to go to Stanford is huge, because we really value education and what that university has to offer,” Hayes Sr. said. 

Even though he’s thrilled to have an offer from one of the West Coast’s premier baseball programs, getting a shot at the pro level out of high school is something the younger Hayes aspires to as well. 

“After the season we’ve got summer ball, and that’s where I want to go out to the big events and prove who I am and why I should be drafted high,” Hayes said. “But I also try not to think about it too much … I just thank God every day for having this opportunity.”

Bishop O’Dowd’s Rashad Hayes (5) fields a grounder as he would throw Piedmont’s Markos Lagios (4) out at third in the sixth inning of their 9-5 win at Piedmont High School in Piedmont, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)  Bishop O’Dowd’s Rashad Hayes (5) dives back to first as Piedmont’s Jordan Vo (12) waits for the throw in the third inning of their 9-5 win at Piedmont High School in Piedmont, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)  Bishop O’Dowd’s Rashad Hayes (5) steals second on a high throw to Piedmont’s Diego Delventhal (1) in the third inning at Piedmont High School in Piedmont, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)  Bishop O’Dowd’s Rashad Hayes (5) slides safely to score on a wild pitch by Piedmont pitcher John Olsen (13) in the third inning at Piedmont High School in Piedmont, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)  Bishop O’Dowd’s Aeneas Salaam (7) is out at second as Piedmont’s Peter Krumins (2) throws to first on an attempt for a double play in the second inning at Piedmont High School in Piedmont, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)  Piedmont’s Diego Delventhal (1) makes a catch for an out against Bishop O’Dd High in the fourth inning at Piedmont High School in Piedmont, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)  Bishop O’Dowd’s Enrique Sotelo (17) tags out Piedmont’s Diego Delventhal (1) on his attempt to steal second in the first inning of their 9-5 win at Piedmont High School in Piedmont, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)  Bishop O’Dowd’s Ben Skiles (1) scores on a wild pitch against Piedmont High in the fourth inning at Piedmont High School in Piedmont, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)  Piedmont’s Diego Delventhal (1) throws the ball during a rundown against Bishop O’Dowd’s Cole Jones (3) between first and second in the third inning at Piedmont High School in Piedmont, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)  Bishop O’Dowd’s Cole Jones (3) is caught during a rundown between first and second against the Piedmont High in the third inning at Piedmont High School in Piedmont, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)  Bishop O’Dowd’s Cole Jones (3) is tagged out by Piedmont catheter Markos Lagios (4) during a rundown between first and second in the third inning at Piedmont High School in Piedmont, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) 

The San Jose Sharks are starting a coaching search for the second time in three years after the organization fired David Quinn after just two seasons.

While Quinn was considered the favorite to get the job in July 2022, shortly after Mike Grier was named the team’s general manager, there does not appear to be a similar obvious choice this time.

Instead, it seems Grier will cast a wide net when it comes to finding the Sharks’ next coach.

“We’re building a list of candidates we’d like to speak to,” Grier said Wednesday, roughly an hour after Quinn’s dismissal was announced. “I don’t really have a hard timeline. This is a tough day and a tough week. … We’ll start getting into it as the week goes on, but I don’t have any hard timelines and when it will get done.”

NHL or professional coaching experience is a good thing, Grier said. But he also did not want to rule out any other candidate who could come in and impress him or owner Hasso Plattner.

“I’m not going to rule out anything or anyone if a candidate comes up that blew us away,” Grier said. “At the same time, someone who’s had some sort of time or experience in the NHL, or pro hockey, would be beneficial.

“But I don’t want to rule anyone out if there’s someone that we come across that we’d like to speak to.”

The successful candidate would need to possess certain traits Grier and the Sharks hold dear at this stage of the team’s rebuild. That might include implementing a tighter defensive system or creating a less comfortable atmosphere around the team.

“Meeting with the players and reviewing the season, I think I have an idea of what they’re looking for, what they need and what I think they need,” Grier said. “But I think I’ll keep that internal for now.”

Here are seven names, in alphabetical order, to become the Sharks’ next head coach.

CRAIG BERUBE: Berube, 58, figures to gain some interest this offseason as a Stanley Cup-winning coach. He helped turn around St. Louis’ season in 2018-19 before the Blues went on to win the franchise’s first championship.

Berube has a demanding style, and if Grier views him as a candidate for the Sharks’ job, he’ll have to determine whether the former enforcer is the right guy for this stage of the team’s rebuild. But there’s little doubt that Berube gets results, as his teams have had an above .500 points percentage in six of his seven seasons as a coach with the Blues and Philadelphia Flyers.

Berube and Grier seem to share an interest in big-boy hockey. In his NHL career, Berube had 3,149 penalty minutes in 1,054 games.

DAVID CARLE: If NHL coaching experience is not a prerequisite for the Sharks’ job, perhaps Carle, 34, will be considered. He’s run a successful program at the University of Denver for six years, and the Pioneers just won the NCAA Division I national championship.

Grier could be open-minded about hiring a college coach, given his background. Carle is considered one of the game’s bright young minds, and he could grow into the role of the Sharks’ coach alongside a rebuilding team. But hiring anyone without pro experience is a risky proposition, and if it fails and the Sharks need to look for another coach in two years, then Grier himself might be on thin ice.

DEAN EVASON: An original Shark, Evason, 59, was fired as the Minnesota Wild’s coach earlier this season after the team got off to a 5-10-4 start. Prior to that, though, Evason had a 142-67-23 record in Minnesota, leading the Wild to three straight playoff appearances, although the team failed to advance past the first round.

Evason also has experience dealing with younger players from his experience as the Milwaukee Admirals’ head coach from 2012 to 2018. He also has a history with a handful of Sharks players, including Mikael Granlund, Luke Kunin, Nico Sturm, and Calen Addison.

If the Sharks are looking for a departure from Quinn’s more easy-going style, they’ll find it in the intense Evason, who had 1,002 penalty minutes in 803 career NHL games. From 1991 to 1993 with the Sharks, Evason had 57 points and 231 penalty minutes.

GERARD GALLANT: If we’re going with the connections route, perhaps Gallant, 60, is a name to watch in San Jose. He became the Rangers’ head coach in 2021-2022, shortly after the team named Grier hockey operations adviser. They only spent one season together in New York before Grier was named the Sharks’ GM.

Gallant had winning records as a head coach with the Rangers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Florida Panthers. But is he a fit for the Sharks, given that the team is at least two years, and quite possibly more, from being a playoff contender?

MITCH LOVE: Love, 39, was in the mix for the Calgary Flames’ head coaching position last offseason before he ultimately joined the Washington Capitals as an assistant on Spencer Carbury’s staff. The one knock was that he lacked NHL coaching experience. He has that now.

Love was a successful coach in the WHL for three seasons from 2018 to 2021 before he was named coach of the Flames’ AHL affiliate. In two years, his teams went a combined 96-33-11, and he was named the AHL’s Coach of the Year both seasons.

Love would be a bold choice for Grier, but perhaps he’s the right one at this stage of the Sharks’ rebuild.

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ALAIN NASREDDINE: Nasreddine, 48, might be ready to become a full-time NHL head coach for the first time. He has nine years of experience as an NHL assistant coach and is now in his second season as an assistant on Pete DeBoer’s staff in Dallas.

A no-frills defenseman during a 15-year pro career, Nasreddine has a history with Grier, as the two were on John Hynes’ staff for two seasons in New Jersey. Grier would easily surmise whether Nasreddine is the right guy for right now.

Perhaps Nasreddine’s only drawback is that he has limited experience as a head coach at the pro level. His only bench boss experience came in 2019-2020 as an interim head coach. After Hynes was fired after 26 games that season, Nasreddine took over and had a 19-16-8 record down the stretch.

JAY WOODCROFT: Woodcroft, 47, and Grier overlapped in San Jose by a year in 2008-09. Woodcroft was an assistant on Todd McLellan’s staff while Grier was in the final year of his three-year contract with the Sharks.

Woodcroft has 10 years as an NHL assistant coach, four years as an AHL head coach, and 120 games as an NHL head coach, having led the Edmonton Oilers from Feb. 2022 to Nov. 2023.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Logan Couture are the two Sharks players coached by Woodcroft, who no doubt learned from working in a hockey-mad market like Edmonton. Is his style, though, enough of a departure from Quinn’s?

OTHER NAMES: Joel Ward, 43 (11-year NHL career as a player, Sharks player from 2015-2018, three years as AHL assistant in Henderson, in his first year as NHL assistant with Vegas); Marco Sturm, 45 (14-year NHL career as a player, Sharks player from 1997-2005, four years as NHL assistant in Los Angeles, in his second year as AHL head coach in Ontario).

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer one pitch after Joe Boyle was called for a balk in the first inning the A’s never got within a run from there, losing to the Yankees 7-3 on Wednesday night.

Anthony Rizzo and Juan Soto later homered off A’s relievers as Oakland fell to 1-11 in its last 11 games in the Bronx.

Boyle (1-4) appeared to have thrown a fastball for a called third strike on the outside corner but was charged with a balk as Judge began walking to the Yankees’ dugout. Judge then hit an outside fastball to the short porch in right field for his 261st homer, passing former captain Derek Jeter for ninth on the Yankees’ all-time list.

Boyle told reporters after the game that the balk gave Judge “a free pitch that he got to see,” chalking up the homer to poor pitch selection — repeating an outside fastball — after the balk was called when an umpire ruled he didn’t come set.

“Pitch clock was running down, probably should have stepped off, but tried to squeeze a pitch in,” Boyle said of the balk. “I felt like I stopped, but obviously they saw it differently.”

Oakland had already suffered a loss before the game as second baseman Zack Gelof was scratched with an oblique strain. Manager Mark Kotsay said postgame that Gelof will likely be placed on the injured list. Gelof had played all 24 games for the A’s this season prior to Wednesday.

A strikeout looking for Aaron Judge was saved by a balk. He then went yard on the next pitch pic.twitter.com/0adRljae6T

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) April 24, 2024

Boyle only made it through three innings despite allowing just those two runs on the Judge home run because his pitch count ran to 85 by the end of the third. He struck out six Yankees and allowed four walks.

“It’s something that we’ll continue to work on with Joe,” Kotsay said of Boyle’s strike throwing.

Brent Rooker hit a three-run homer in the sixth that knocked out New York starter Clarke Schmidt and tightened the game to 5-3 after a Soto sacrifice fly and Rizzo’s home run, but that was the only scoring play for the A’s. Soto hit a home run to center one inning later and Alex Verdugo had a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Schmidt (2-0) allowed three runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out six and walked two.

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The A’s work in the field was suspect, as they committed a pair of errors. First baseman Ryan Noda threw high on a potential double-play ball in the third inning, then Nick Allen committed a fielding error in the eighth inning. Neither error cost Oakland any runs, but a fourth-inning outfield misplay by Lawrence Butler turned into an RBI triple for New York’s Anthony Volpe.

The Yankees also reached on two infield singles and a bunt single against the A’s, who overtook New York for the second-most errors on the season at 20 through 25 games.

UP NEXT

Oakland LHP Alex Wood (0-2, 7.89 ERA) opposes New York LHP Nestor Cortes (1-1, 3.41) in the finale of the four-game series Thursday.

SAN FRANCISCO — This is not what the Giants anticipated every fifth day when they signed Blake Snell.

Week after week, the Giants’ worst days have been the ones on which their $62 million free-agent prize was scheduled to start. Scratched and placed on the injured list before first pitch Wednesday, the pattern only continued in an 8-2 loss to the Mets and Sean Manaea.

“As we sit here right now, it hasn’t been our best day,” manager Bob Melvin said afterward.

Watching from the dugout after being diagnosed with a strained adductor, Snell bore no blame for the mess that transpired on the field. The Giants reverted to their worst tendencies, stranding runners and running into outs, and their first game of reliever roulette went south quickly.

“It just got away from us a little bit,” Melvin said. “Next thing you know it’s an uphill battle.”

The loss prevented the Giants (12-14) from climbing back to .500 for the first time since the fourth game of the season or securing their first sweep. Besides a four-game skid after they evened their record to 2-2, the Giants have not won or lost more than two in a row through their first 26 games.

By the time Manaea exited midway through the fifth inning, the Giants had cycled through two bulk arms who put them in a 6-0 hole.

San Francisco Giants pitcher Sean Hjelle #64 reacts as New York Mets’ Tyrone Taylor #15 rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) 

Sean Hjelle was bitten twice by the home run ball for three runs, and Landen Roupp allowed the deficit to balloon by another three runs.

Recalled before first pitch to take Snell’s roster spot, Roupp was one strike away from a 1-2-3 fifth inning, but Pete Alonso sent a line drive that tailed away from Thairo Estrada and under his glove for a base hit. Roupp walked the next batter and before he struck out Harrison Bader for the third out, three runs had scored.

With Roupp and Erik Miller taking down 2⅓ innings, the Giants have gotten 99⅓ innings from rookie pitchers this season, almost 30 more than the next-closest team (Cubs, 71 ⅓). The rookies, however, have combined for a 5.62 ERA.

“That’s been a problem,” Melvin said. “We give up too many runs in games where we’re not using key guys. Those guys just have to pitch better.”

The eight runs allowed by the mixture of Giants relievers still equaled the fewest the club has allowed on any of Snell’s scheduled start days. Counting the bullpen game that filled in for him Wednesday and Daulton Jefferies’ spot start in the fourth game of the season, the Giants fell to 0-5 in those contests. They have been outscored 55-12, amounting to a 10.47 ERA from their pitchers, compared to a 3.39 mark in all of the Giants’ 21 other games this season.

“Hopefully (Snell) comes off the IL and pitches better than he had before,” Melvin said. “We talked about what a tough spring it was for him, really no spring. April’s not his best month to begin with. There’s nothing we can do about it now except try to patch it up and pitch better on that turn.”

San Francisco Giants’ Tyler Fitzgerald #49 is congratulated by manager Bob Melvin after hitting a solo home run off New York Mets relief pitcher Reed Garrett #75 in the seventh inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) 

Manaea opted out of his contract in San Francisco after last season and secured a spot in the Mets’ rotation — plus a few more million and the ability to opt out again — though he didn’t exactly leave the Giants yearning for his services, even with the pregame development of Snell hitting the IL.

The Samoan southpaw — as large as ever, though with considerably less hair — held the Giants scoreless on a handful of hits but put four batters on base via walks and ran three-ball counts to another five hitters. He required 101 pitches to fall an out shy of completing five innings, but the Giants were unable to crack him.

“That might’ve been one of the best worst games I’ve ever had in my life,” Manaea told reporters in the visitors’ clubhouse.

Loading the bases with nobody out in the second, the Giants failed to get anything out of the situation when the bottom three hitters in their lineup couldn’t make a productive out, let alone a deliver a timely hit, and the next inning ran themselves into an out after the first two men reached base.

Stealing second after a leadoff walk, Austin Slater was promptly picked off when Manaea caught him leaning toward third.

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The Giants went hitless in seven tries with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 men on base. They only got on the board after chasing Manaea from the game, when Tyler Fitzgerald lined a solo shot off reliever Reed Garrett, his first home run of the season.

San Francisco Giants’ Tyler Fitzgerald #49 hits a solo home run off New York Mets relief pitcher Reed Garrett #75 in the seventh inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)  Notable

Thairo Estrada left the game in the sixth inning with left hamstring tightness, but Melvin said the move was precautionary. “He wanted to stay in the game, but we wanted to be proactive,” Melvin said. “We’ll see how he feels tomorrow. He’s going to come in and get some treatment.”

Mitch White, from San Jose, made his team debut in the ninth inning, walking the first batter he faced and issuing a two-run home run to Francisco Lindor, the second of the game from the Mets shortstop.

Up next

The Giants will enjoy only their second day off at home Thursday before welcoming the Pirates for three games to close their longest home stand of the season. Kyle Harrison (2-1, 5.00), Jordan Hicks (2-0, 1.61) and Keaton Winn (2-3, 3.54) are lined up to start the series, which will also mark Joey Bart’s return to San Francisco.

• San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Ryan Walker #74 throws against the New York Mets in the first inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• San Francisco Giants left fielder Michael Conforto #8 catches a fly ball hit by New York Mets' Brett Baty #22in the first inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• New York Mets' Pete Alonso #20 on the ground after being hit by a pitch thrown by San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Ryan Walker #74 in the first inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• New York Mets starting pitcher Sean Manaea #59 throws against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• San Francisco Giants' Nick Ahmed #16 takes a strike thrown by New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea #59 in the second inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. He ended up flying out. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• San Francisco Giants second baseman Thairo Estrada #39 throws out New York Mets' second base Jeff McNeil #1 at first base in the second inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• New York Mets' Brandon Nimmo #9 slides safely back to first base during a pick-off attempt in the third inning of their MLB game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• San Francisco Giants pitcher Sean Hjelle #64 throws against the New York Mets in the second inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• New York Mets' Francisco Lindor #12 hits a two-run home run off San Francisco Giants pitcher Sean Hjelle #64 in the third inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Landen Roupp #65 throws against the New York Mets in the fourth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• New York Mets' Francisco Lindor #12 celebrates his two-run home run with Brett Baty #22 in the third inning of their MLB game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• San Francisco Giants' third base Matt Chapman #26 makes a throwing error to first base on a hit by New York Mets' Harrison Bader #44 in the fourth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• New York Mets' Tyrone Taylor #15 and Harrison Bader #44 celebrate Taylor’s solo home run off San Francisco Giants pitcher Sean Hjelle #64 in the fourth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Erik Miller #68 throws against the New York Mets in the sixth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• New York Mets starting pitcher Sean Manaea #59 is taken out in the fifth inning of their MLB game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• New York Mets' Brett Baty #22 is congratulated by teammates after scoring on an RBI double by Tyrone Taylor #15 in the fifth inning of their MLB game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• New York Mets' Pete Alonso #20 grounds out into a double play in the seventh inning of their MLB game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• San Francisco Giants shortstop Nick Ahmed #16 completes a double play to first base as New York Mets' shortstop Francisco Lindor #12 is forced out at second base in the seventh inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• New York Mets' Francisco Lindor #12 smiles after San Francisco Giants shortstop Nick Ahmed #16 completed a double play to first base, getting Pete Alonso #20 out in the seventh inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• San Francisco Giants' Tyler Fitzgerald #49 celebrates his solo home run off New York Mets relief pitcher Reed Garrett #75 in the seventh inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• San Francisco Giants' Michael Conforto #8 hits a double off New York Mets relief pitcher Reed Garrett #75 in the seventh inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Taylor Rogers #33 throws against the New York Mets in the eighth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• San Francisco Giants' Jung Hoo Lee #51 hits the ground after a tight pitch by New York Mets relief pitcher Adam Ottavino #0 in the eighth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• New York Mets' shortstop Francisco Lindor #12 hits a home run off San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Mitch White #54 in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. It was Lindor’s second home run of the game. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Mitch White #54 throws against the New York Mets in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Mitch White #54 reacts as New York Mets' shortstop Francisco Lindor #12 rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. It was Lindor’s second home run of the game. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Díaz #39 and catcher Tomás Nido #3 celebrate their 8-2 MLB win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• New York Mets' Francisco Lindor #12 and Harrison Bader #44 celebrate their 8-2 MLB win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• New York Mets' Jeff McNeil #1 hits an RBI single off San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Landen Roupp #65 in the fifth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• New York Mets' Tyrone Taylor #15 celebrates with teammates after scoring on an RBI single by Jeff McNeil #1 off San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Landen Roupp #65 in the fifth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

• New York Mets' Francisco Lindor #12 and Brett Baty #22 celebrate their 8-2 MLB win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

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The NFL Draft starts on Thursday and it’s a vital one for John Lynch and the San Francisco 49ers.

Sure, the Niners might be the reigning NFC Champions and the team to beat going into 2024, but this offseason — and this draft — is a time for a re-set in Santa Clara. The future of this team has to be imported this spring.

With 10 picks in this draft and loaded classes at multiple positions of need, Lynch’s team is sitting pretty.

This mock draft represents something of a best-case scenario, blending moves I expect the Niners to make and moves I think the Niners should make, given their values and schemes.

And it all starts with a big trade.

Trade: Picks Nos. 31 and 124 to Washington… Picks Nos. 36 and 78 to San Francisco

Pick No. 36: Kingsley Suamataia – OT – BYU

Suamataia has everything you’re looking for in a future starting left tackle, save for the necessary polish with his feet and hands. He’s 6-foot-6, 325 pounds and moves with grace and power. Teach him how to harness all that natural ability and you have a cornerstone player for the next 10 years. Suamataia also represents a jumping off point in this draft, which is loaded at tackle, but, like the Niners’ roster, top-heavy — he’s the last reasonable “future starting left tackle” pick in this draft.

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No. 67: Ruke Orhorhoro – DT – Clemson

A one-gap monster with insane get-off, Orhorhoro represents a perfect scheme fit for the Niners’ defensive line. His athleticism should translate to interior pressures, sacks, and tackles for loss. His functional strength on the field should help the Niners’ run defense be more stout in 2024. He’s a high-floor, high-upside pick.

Trade: Picks Nos. 78 and 211 to Baltimore… Picks Nos. 93, 113, 130 to San Francisco

No. 93: Cooper Beebe – OG – Kansas State
No. 94: Ben Sinnott – TE – Kansas State

Back-to-back Kansas State Wildcats fill big-time needs for the Niners. The first pick gives San Francisco a trustworthy and attacking guard with a massive punch. Let Aaron Banks and Spencer Burford fight over one spot instead of putting two in jeopardy.

With Sinnott, the Niners get a No. 2 tight end who is solid in the run game and has enough polish and upside potential to fill in as a No. 1 should George Kittle become injured.

And with both Wildcats, you know you’re getting Grade-A toughness.

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No. 113: Brennan Jackson – DE – Washington State

The Niners need a 5-technique defensive end who can hold the edge and chip in some sacks, too. San Francisco was at its best up front when Arik Armstead held the role (before the Niners shifted him to 3-tech, and, eventually, 1-tech). This Jackson, unlike his namesake Drake, is capable of doing that. With a big motor and surprising polish, he’s the highest-floor defensive end prospect you can land outside the top-25. (It’s a terrible DE class.)

No. 130: Cedric Gray – LB – North Carolina 

The 49ers need a linebacker to replace Dre Greenlaw for at least the beginning of the season. Gray is the best linebacker in this class and should be available after pick 100. Is it the biggest pressing need? No. But the Niners need great (cheap) depth across the board and Gray, a torpedo of a linebacker, would provide just that.

No. 132: Ainias Smith – WR – Texas A&M

It might be a bit of a stretch to take Smith here, but with the Niners doing a lot of work in his area of the draft, they shouldn’t hesitate to reach up a bit and take Smith, who of the draft’s “Deebo Samuel types” looks to be the most ready to provide such an impact upon arrival in the league. He won’t beat press coverage or separate much as a route runner, but if you scheme him open (a Kyle Shanahan specialty), he will run for ages with the ball. He also becomes your top punt and kick returner, with the latter job much more valuable this season with the NFL’s new rules.

No. 135: Malik Mustafa – S – Wake Forest 

A smart, dependable safety who can play in the box or in coverage and brings the boom every time he drives, Mustafa is one of the most underrated prospects in the draft and will prevent the Niners from signing a safety (or two) off the street again this season.

No. 176: Kimani Vidal – RB – Troy

Vidal is a bowling ball and a workhorse. He’s also uber-dependable. He didn’t fumble once in college, despite rushing the ball over 700 times. Christian McCaffrey needs a viable No. 2. Vidal can be the thunder to McCaffrey’s white lightning.

No. 215: Daequan Hardy – DB – Penn State

The Niners need to bring someone in who can play the slot — they’re keen on letting Deommodore Lenoir play outside corner in 2024. Hardy thrived in that role last season for Penn State. Questions about his size will weigh down his draft stock, but the Niners’ best nickelback, K’Waun Williams, was 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds with questions about his deep speed. Playing the slot requires a different kind of temperament. I think Hardy has it.

No. 251: Dylan McMahon – C – NC State

His movement profile is off the charts and when you are looking for a center in an outside zone system, that’s where you need to go first. Given the proliferation of the scheme across the NFL, I’m surprised that McMahon is a Day 3 pick — much less a late one — but questions about his play strength persist. The Niners can afford to build that up, likely sending McMahon to the practice squad for the 2024 season.

 

It has been almost three years since Arizona State acknowledged an NCAA investigation into possible recruiting violations, 18 months since the school revealed a multimillion-dollar buyout of former coach Herm Edwards and one day since a published report indicated Edwards knowingly violated NCAA rules before reaching said separation agreement.

What a fiasco.

If you’re tracking at home, it sure looks like the university agreed to a separation deal with Edwards when it could have fired him with cause.

It certainly seems like ASU shelled out millions to a rule-breaking employee when it could have paid nothing.

Worst of all, it appears campus leadership abdicated all financial responsibility to students and staff, not to mention millions of state taxpayers.

The Sun Devils have danced to their own beat since hiring Edwards in the fall of 2017. But this, folks … this is next-level insanity.

Edwards delivered zero conference championships and no division titles during his five years on the job but managed to actively participate in a systematic eviscerating of NCAA recruiting rules during the COVID-era recruiting dead period.

We know this because he admitted to the violations and agreed to NCAA sanctions, according to a report Tuesday afternoon by SunDevilSource.

And yet, he was paid handsomely to step down as part of a “mutual separation agreement” in September 2022.

We know this because the State Press reported a few weeks after that separation agreement that Edwards would receive up to half the amount remaining on his contract — or $4.4 million, according to a school spokesperson.

The two men with oversight of this dumpster fire were president Michael Crow and athletic director Ray Anderson.

Crow remains in charge of the university, doing both immense good for the campus writ large and immeasurable damage to the athletic department.

Anderson stepped down as athletic director in November and was given a cushy job, purportedly with full pay, as a professor of practice in ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.

Why did Crow and Anderson agree to compensate an employee who broke the rules, knowingly and repeatedly? Every coaching contract in captivity includes sections on for-cause terminations.

Either they allowed Edwards to pocket more than $4 million when they could have fired him for nothing, or they agreed to the separation deal without knowing the facts of the case.

No matter how you slice it, they are guilty of fiscal mismanagement.

Did Anderson’s longtime friendship with Edwards influence the decision to cut a separation deal with favorable terms?

Why did Crow tell 98.7-FM, the school’s flagship radio station, in February 2022 that Edwards was innocent? “These are things he did not ask them to do,” Crow said of the violations. “These are not things he was a part of.”

The Hotline reached out to ASU for comment early this morning, asking why the school didn’t fire Edwards for cause, what portion of the $4.4 million has been paid, how it was funded and why Crow stated publicly that Edwards wasn’t part of the violations. Was he covering for Edwards or clueless about the details?

(Crow shouldn’t have been clueless considering the initial report on the violations, by Yahoo in June 2021, said the dossier of evidence against ASU included a picture of someone looking like Edwards escorting a recruit through the weight room during the NCAA dead period.)

We did not receive a response prior to publication.

The Hotline also sought comment from Cecilia Mata, the chair of the Arizona Board of Regents, which has oversight of the state’s three major public universities (ASU, NAU and Arizona).

Specifically, we asked if the regents would pursue the matter and ask Crow and Anderson to explain their decision to settle with Edwards.

Mata did not respond, but the board should do something. The situation demands real oversight and accountability.

Because if we cast aside the calamity that was the Edwards era, the deplorable violations during a public health crisis and the incompetent management of the football program, this situation is ultimately about the fiduciary obligations of a public institution.

The separation deal with Edwards was finalized in the fall of 2022. According to financial documents obtained by the Hotline, ASU’s athletic department received $18.5 million in subsidies that year:

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— $1.9 million in direct state or other government support.

— $4.8 million in net direct institutional support.

(The gross amount was $11.2 million, but athletics transferred $6.4 million back to central campus.)

— $11.8 million in student fee allocation.

(The subsidies are an annual occurrence in Tempe and across the Pac-12.)

Yet even with all that help, the Sun Devils reported a $27.1 million shortfall on their 2022-23 statement of revenues and expenses submitted to the NCAA.

Remove the state and institutional subsidies, and the operating deficit soared to $45.6 million.

Seems like the $4.4 million handed over to Edwards could have been put to better use by the two professors of malpractice.

*** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to pac12hotline@bayareanewsgroup.com or call 408-920-5716

*** Follow me on Twitter/X: @WilnerHotline

*** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference, and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference.

LOS ANGELES  – For the last few years, Reggie Bush has been a phantom around the caverns of the Coliseum, one of his alma mater’s greatest alumni praised and revered verbally but always tangibly kept a Heisman’s arm-length away.

That was the reality, because there was no choice. In 2010, Bush was stripped of his 2005 Heisman Trophy after the NCAA deemed he’d received improper benefits while playing at USC, setting in motion a long and grueling back-and-forth that seemed destined to leave Bush’s hands empty. No banner of his former No. 5 jersey, once beloved by fans, has hung at the Coliseum. He’d been asked multiple times to lead USC’s team out of the tunnel, Bush said in August, but simply couldn’t.

“I can’t wait to do it,” Bush said then. “But I can’t do it without my Heisman Trophy, and without that banner in the end zone.”

He’ll get the chance now, and USC can fully open its arms to Bush, with a bombshell announcement on Wednesday by the Heisman Trust: Bush’s 2005 Heisman Trophy was being returned.

“I am grateful to once again be recognized as the recipient of the Heisman Trophy,” Bush said in a statement Wednesday. “This reinstatement is not only a personal victory but also a validation of the tireless efforts of my supporters and advocates who have stood by me throughout this arduous journey.”

And after originally welcoming Bush back in 2020, USC embraced the Heisman Trust’s decision with open arms, able to now re-claim a status no other collegiate football program has reached: eight Heisman winners. The Trust, USC announced, had returned Bush’s trophy to him and the replica to USC, set to be put on display in the lobby of Heritage Hall.

President Carol Folt, who helped bring about Bush’s original re-integration into USC shortly after she was hired in 2019, said they were “proud we were able to stand with him as an advocate.” Athletic director Jen Cohen, who has quickly integrated herself into USC life since her hire last year, called Bush’s impact on USC and college football “unmatched.” And head coach Lincoln Riley offered multiple forms of emphatic congratulations, calling it a “historic day.”

“We are thrilled that Reggie’s athletic accomplishments as one of the greatest to ever play the game can officially be recognized,” Riley said in a statement through USC. “For a long time, the Heisman and USC have been synonymous and being able to acknowledge all eight of our winners is extraordinary.”

Since Bush’s trophy was stripped, he and the NCAA have been in a bitter back-and-forth for nearly 15 years, a tug-of-war for a Heisman Trophy and recognition that’s never budged as both sides have dug their heels into the sand.

Bush, the former USC legend who dazzled his way to a 2005 season still standing as one of the greatest individual years by a running back in college football history, has made a continuous push for the renewal of his trophy and collegiate records  – in 2022 sitting for an hour-long interview on podcast “I AM ATHLETE” entitled “Give Me My Heisman Back NCAA!!”

“I want to make it abundantly clear that I have always acted with integrity and in accordance with the rules and regulations set forth by the NCAA,” Bush said in his statement Wednesday. “The allegations brought against me were unfounded and unsupported by evidence, and I am grateful that the truth is finally prevailing.”

The NCAA, meanwhile, has never budged in its stance on Bush, long years after their investigation and ruling that he had received payments from then-agent Lloyd Lake while playing at USC. But in July 2021, after changes to longstanding name, image and likeness rules, the NCAA cracked open a window when they asserted that “NCAA rules still do not permit pay-for-play type arrangements” in a statement issued to media on the possibility of Bush’s records being restored.

In August 2023, Bush and a team of lawyers launched a full-scale attack on the NCAA, suing them for defamation on the “pay-for-play” statement associated with Bush and condemning the NCAA’s original investigation  – which was called into question in a subsequent trial involving former USC assistant Todd McNair. Still, the NCAA hadn’t budged for months since Bush and lawyers held a press conference at the Coliseum that August to publicly denounce the NCAA and push for his Heisman.

“If history is any indication, they’re going to fight it to the death, which has been their litigation strategy for a long time,” Mit Winter, a lawyer and expert in sports law, told the Southern California News Group back in the fall. “They never settle on anything, for the most part. They generally aren’t very reasonable in litigation.”

It was the Heisman Trust, however, that ended up bending the knee as a third-party, capable all along of reinstating Bush’s Heisman Trophy but never willing to cross the NCAA. In 2021, in response to the NCAA’s ruling on NIL and statements seemingly pointing at Bush, the Trust established that he wouldn’t receive his trophy under rules of Heisman eligibility, saying in a statement that he’d be welcomed back as a Heisman winner “should the NCAA reinstate Bush’s 2005 status.”

Ultimately, though, the Heisman Trust appeared to take matters into their own hands. In a statement Wednesday, they referenced the Supreme Court’s decision in the NCAA v. Alston case from 2021, which opened the door for collegiate athletes to receive NIL benefits and thereby  – seemingly  – vindicate any details of the NCAA’s original investigation into Bush.

“Recognizing that the compensation of student athletes is an accepted practice and appears here to stay, these fundamental changes in college athletics led the Trust to decide that now is the right time to return the Trophy to Bush,” the Trust’s statement Wednesday read.

And the football world erupted Wednesday with widespread fanfare for Bush, from Caleb Williams draping a No. 5 Bush jersey over his shoulder in a congratulatory video while in Detroit, and Johnny Manziel  – a former Heisman Trophy winner and frequent Bush advocate  – telling Bush “you deserve it” in a Twitter post.

Bush’s fight against the NCAA, however, isn’t finished. Bush will hold a press conference Thursday morning with lawyers Levi McCathern and Ben Crump at the Coliseum, a continuation of the defamation suit filed in 2023.

“While today we celebrate, tomorrow we continue our work in achieving full justice for Reggie in his ongoing defamation case against the NCAA,” Crump said in a statement. “This legend deserves that and so much more.”

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MORAGA – Saint Mary’s College’s difficult offseason got even worse on Tuesday night when highly-touted three-star recruit Zion Sensley decommitted from the men’s basketball program.

He joins a growing list of high-profile losses the Moraga school has endured since falling in the first round of the NCAA tournament as a No. 5 seed. 

Aidan Mahaney, who went to high school down the road at nearby Campolindo, entered the transfer portal last week after two seasons in Moraga. Fellow sophomore Joshua Jefferson transferred to Iowa State. 

Sensley, a 6-foot-8 shot-making wing who will graduate from San Francisco high school Archbishop Riordan in May, made the announcement on social media platform X/Twitter. 

“After reflecting on the changes within the St. Mary’s Men’s Basketball program, I have decided to request release from my NLI and reopen my recruitment,” Sensley wrote. “I will take this time to decide which school I will attend next year. Thank you.”

Sensley spent his freshman year at Riordan before transferring and playing the next two seasons at Prolific Prep in Napa. He came back to the San Francisco private school for his senior year and excelled. 

The all-Bay Area News Group selection averaged 17.5 points and 6.4 rebounds while leading the Crusaders to a Central Coast Section Open Division title and an appearance in the NorCal Open championship game. 

Sensley had been committed to Saint Mary’s since last November. 

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“I would like to begin by expressing my gratitude to St. Mary’s College of California, the coaching staff, and the athletic department for believing in me and for their support throughout the recruiting process,” Sensley wrote. “I am deeply thankful for the hospitality and support that Moraga and the entire Bay Area have shown me, and I will forever consider it my home.” 

The Gales were, ironically, held up as an example of a thriving old-school team that was not affected by the transfer portal or Name, Image and Likeness endorsements before the tournament. 

Longtime coach Randy Bennett will now need to replace at least three players who were expected to contribute next season. 

As of Tuesday night, three-star Prolific Prep guard Mikey Lewis and Australian prospect Joshua Dent are the only high school players committed to Saint Mary’s in the class of 2024. 

NEWARK – Danger was all around James Logan pitcher Anastasia Marquez in the bottom of the sixth inning Tuesday. Baserunners ready to spring into action crouched to the right, left and directly behind the senior with two outs.

But in front of her was a familiar face in catcher Makayla Villapando, who had a simple message for her childhood friend.

“Take your time and take control of the game,’” Villapando told the senior pitcher. “You control the tempo, so slow it down and go at your own pace.”

In a situation where one hit could turn a five-run lead into a close game, Marquez took her catcher’s advice and a deep breath before striking out the next batter to wipe away the threat. 

James Logan’s ace pitcher struck out 12 in a complete game as the Colts beat host Newark Memorial 5-0, improving the Union City school’s record to 16-1 overall and 9-0 in the Mission Valley Athletic League. 

James Logan starting pitcher Anastasia Marquez (17) talks with catcher Makayla Villapando (14) as they face Newark High with bases loaded in the sixth inning at Newark High School in Newark, Calif., on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) 

It was a typically superb performance by James Logan, which has allowed six runs during its 14-game winning streak and is batting .458 as a team.

Malia Athey had two hits and EJ Delgadillo drove in a pair of runs for James Logan, which gained a game on second-place Newark Memorial (8-7, 6-3). 

But while a league title is nice, what the Colts truly aspire for is North Coast Section hardware. 

“Logan ball has always been about going far in and winning NCS,” coach Mandy Camuso said. “Winning league has always been secondary.”

That section-or-bust standard was set by legendary coach Teri Johnson. who won five NCS Division I titles, including three in a four year stretch between 2010 and 2013.

James Logan teammates look on from the dugout at the end of the sixth inning of their 5-0 win against Newark High at Newark High School in Newark, Calif., on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) 

None of the current players played for Johnson, who ended a 33-year run with the program in 2018, but they all acknowledge and embrace the expectations she set for the team.

Logan has had a winning season every year since Johnson’s departure, including a 20-4-1 last year.

But the team’s leaders see this year’s version as capable of far more than last year’s first-round NCS exit.

“Logan softball has always been good,” Marquez said. “And to have this group of girls, who know how to work together and are good at doing that, it’s special to have.”

James Logan’s Ava Medellin (6) is congratulated by teammate EJ Delgadillo (10) after scoring against Newark High during their softball game at Newark High School in Newark, Calif., on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) 

Logan looked every bit like a special team ready to compete for a sixth section title early in Tuesday’s game. While Marquez tossed a no-hitter through four innings, her offense put up at least one run in each of those first four frames. 

Senior left fielder EJ Delgadillo got the scoring started when she poked a ball into center field, driving in Janessa Parras and Ava Medellin. 

Medellin got on base three times without putting the ball in play, twice hit by pitch and once by a walk, but she made her biggest impact with her glove at third base. She had four putouts and two assists on the hot corner.

“It feels good to have a defense behind me, to have people I can rely on so I don’t feel pressure,” Marquez said. 

James Logan’s Ava Medellin (6) throws to first for an out against Newark High in the seventh inning of their softball game at Newark High School in Newark, Calif., on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) 

Newark Memorial was able to hang around though, with pitcher Grace Veloza getting many of Logan’s potent bats to pull her breaking pitches right into the waiting gloves of shortstop Andrea Tall and outfielder Nouvelle Bennett on the left side of the field.

Tall and Kayla Presley each had a hit, and Newark Memorial was able to get five runners in scoring position after its slow start. The Cougars just couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities, to the chagrin of coach Rachel Kahoalii.

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“We started slow, but we competed.” Kohoalii said. “When you get kids on, you have to execute offensively when you need to. We just weren’t able to execute today.”

James Logan hasn’t had any issue getting runs on the board this season, scoring an average of nine per game. The Colts are poised to continue their high-scoring ways against the rest of their league as the program prepares for a playoff run. 

But if the Colts are to make a section championship push, they’ll need their senior ace to be in top form.

They’re confident Marquez will be.

“She’s been a beast on the mound,” Villapando said. “She’s been starting every single game … and shutting down everybody we face.”

James Logan’s Selena Gonzales (2) is caught in rundown between first and second by Newark’s Andrea Tall (25) in the third inning of their softball game at Newark High School in Newark, Calif., on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)  James Logan starting pitcher Anastasia Marquez (17) throws against Newark High during their softball game at Newark High School in Newark, Calif., on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)  Newark starting pitcher Grace Veloza (9) throws against James Logan High during their softball game at Newark High School in Newark, Calif., on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)  James Logan’s (3) makes a catch for an out against Newark High in the fourth inning of their softball game at Newark High School in Newark, Calif., on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)  Newark’s Kayla Presley (3) fails to make a catch on a line drive against James Logan High in the fourth inning of their softball game at Newark High School in Newark, Calif., on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)  Newark’s Kayla Presley (3) reacts after failing to make a catch on a line drive against James Logan High in the fourth inning of their softball game at Newark High School in Newark, Calif., on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)  James Logan third base coach checks on Janessa Parras (11) after she was hit by a foul ball from teammate Gabriella Garcia (13) while waiting on-deck against Newark High in the fourth inning of their softball game at Newark High School in Newark, Calif., on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)  James Logan third base coach, left, Gabriella Garcia (13) and Janessa Parras (11) react after Parras was hit on her torso by a foul ball from Garcia (13) while waiting on-deck against Newark High in the fourth inning of their softball game at Newark High School in Newark, Calif., on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Fortunately, Parras didn’t suffer major injury and continued in the game. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)  James Logan catcher Makayla Villapando (14) and Gabriella Garcia (13 ) share a light moment at the end of the sixth inning of their 5-0 win against Newark High at Newark High School in Newark, Calif., on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) 

By Ed White | Associated Press

DETROIT — The U.S. Justice Department announced a $138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.

When combined with other settlements, $1 billion now has been set aside by various organizations to compensate hundreds of women who said Nassar assaulted them under the guise of treatment for sports injuries.

Nassar worked at Michigan State University and also served as a team doctor at Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics. He’s now serving decades in prison for assaulting female athletes, including medal-winning Olympic gymnasts.

Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer said Nassar betrayed the trust of those in his care for decades, and that the “allegations should have been taken seriously from the outset.”

“While these settlements won’t undo the harm Nassar inflicted, our hope is that they will help give the victims of his crimes some of the critical support they need to continue healing,” Mizer said of the agreement to settle 139 claims.

The Justice Department has acknowledged that it failed to step in. For more than a year, FBI agents in Indianapolis and Los Angeles had knowledge of allegations against him but apparently took no action, an internal investigation found.

FBI Director Christopher Wray was contrite — and very blunt — when he spoke to survivors at a Senate hearing in 2021. The assault survivors include decorated Olympians Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney.

“I’m sorry that so many different people let you down, over and over again,” Wray said. “And I’m especially sorry that there were people at the FBI who had their own chance to stop this monster back in 2015 and failed.”

After a search, investigators said in 2016 that they had found images of child sex abuse and followed up with federal charges against Nassar. Separately, the Michigan attorney general’s office handled the assault charges that ultimately shocked the sports world and led to an extraordinary dayslong sentencing hearing with gripping testimony about his crimes.

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“I’m deeply grateful. Accountability with the Justice Department has been a long time in coming,” said Rachael Denhollander of Louisville, Kentucky, who is not part of the latest settlement but was the first person to publicly step forward and detail abuse at the hands of Nassar.

“The unfortunate reality is that what we are seeing today is something that most survivors never see,” Denhollander told The Associated Press. “Most survivors never see accountability. Most survivors never see justice. Most survivors never get restitution.”

Michigan State University, which was also accused of missing chances over many years to stop Nassar, agreed to pay $500 million to more than 300 women and girls who were assaulted. USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee made a $380 million settlement.

Mick Grewal, an attorney who represented 44 people in claims against the government, said the $1 billion in overall settlements speaks to “the travesty that occurred.”

Associated Press reporters Mike Householder in Detroit; Dylan Lovan in Louisville, Kentucky; and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington, D.C., contributed to this story.

Oakland native Zendaya crushes it down the line, and from the very opening moments, in “Challengers,” Luca Guadagnino’s magnificently sexy and sweaty beyond all realistic belief “Challengers.”

The refreshingly adult drama peers in on the games that limber, calculating athletes play both on and off tennis courts — a metaphor, naturally, that applies to the power dynamics adventurous lovers often negotiate.

Zendaya is a thunderbolt that strikes time and again in “Challengers” and she gives this passionate drama all the reverberating rumble it requires.

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Working off an screenplay from stage dramatist and novelist Justin Kuritzkes, she proves she’s perfect to play Tashi, one of the most indelible, assured female characters we’ve encountered onscreen in some time. She’s fierce and strong in body, mind and confidence. She’s also driven, and knows exactly what she wants — to be at the top of her game at all times, regardless of which game she’s dealing with.

“Challengers” fluidly jumps back and forth in time as it reveals how the past influences the present. We are shown how Tashi became a tennis sensation at an early age; at 18 she holds the world and numerous fawning guys in the palm of her hand.

That includes two bros and up-and-coming tennis players —  the play-it-loose Patrick (indie heartthrob Josh O’Connor) and the more reigned-in Art (“West Side Story’s” Mike Faist). After watching her obliterate her competition on the court and hearing her release a primordial scream of victory that sends shivers down the spine, the hormonal guys find themselves stupidly gobsmacked and transfixed by her.

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Shortly thereafter, the threesome meet up at a motel — the selling point of the film’s trailer — for one hot make-out session reveals the robust, if subconscious, attraction all three have for each other. It’s a smoldering cinematic exchange and director Guadagnino — who so expertly navigated the insistent desire in “Call Me By Your Name,” with Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer — toys with how these two handsome straight guys are drawn to each other in ways they might not even realize. The ever-aware Tashi, notices right off.

The dynamics of the threesome radically change once Tashi and Patrick start a fiery relationship while a jealous Art — who loves to be the “good guy” — frets on the sidelines. A brutal injury Tashi sustains while playing for Stanford (the film was not shot there) shuts down her playing days, leading her to later become coach to Art, who eventually starts to loosen his passionate grip on the sport.

As you can tell, there’s a lot of volleying back and forth — in various ways — in “Challengers,” which sets it apart from traditional “sports-related” films. Then comes the nail-biting showdown between two erstwhile friends and now competitors – Patrick and Art. Both actors are game for it: O’Connor embodies the soul of a slacker here and is ever so sexy while Faist brings just the right amount of empathy and resignation to his part as a good person that lacks a certain spark.

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The adrenaline-pumping “challengers” match takes place some 13 years after the threesome have met. It is here when Guadagnino calls out all the stops — and opens the faucets on geysers of sweat torrenting down from the brows of these two adversaries and former besties. If that doesn’t amp you up, the throbbing, caffeinated soundtrack from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross will. It hits you hard like a triple shot of espresso that’s been washed down with a Red Bull. And if that doesn’t do it, perhaps the tennis ball POV will do the trick.

“Challengers” gets unruly, passionate, tempestuous and downright impossible as its three lovers get tangled up in their desire and ambitions. That’s why it makes such grand-slam entertainment, especially in its delicious excessiveness.

Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.

‘CHALLENGERS’

3½ stars out of 4

Rating: R (language, some sexual content, nudity)

Starring: Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist

Director: Luca Guadagnino

Running time: 2 hours, 11 minutes

When & where: Opens April 26 at theaters nationwide

 

Bill Polian calls it the “draft industrial complex” — the tendency for the NFL media machinery to generate unrealistic expectations for quarterbacks projected as first-round selections.

“They can’t live up to it,” said Polian, a six-time NFL Executive of the Year and one of the greatest talent evaluators in league history. “The adjustment from college is huge.

“And usually, the better the arm, the harder the lessons.”

Pac-12 quarterbacks included.

No conference has a better collection available in the 2024 NFL Draft, which begins Thursday in Detroit.

USC’s Caleb Williams is the presumptive first overall pick, seemingly destined for Chicago, with Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix as potential Day One selections, as well.

All three face a steep learning curve, Polian told the Hotline earlier this week.

Their chief hurdle: Adjusting from the spread offense to the NFL system, which features a higher percentage of throws from the pocket and often requires quarterbacks to make three or four reads before delivering the ball into tighter windows than exist in college.

“You can’t put the ball in harm’s way in the NFL and get away with it,” said Polian, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame after his run as general manager of the Bills, Panthers and Colts.

“Additionally, college quarterbacks haven’t faced the ferocity of the pass rush they will see in the NFL. And they haven’t faced the post-snap sophistication of the defenses that they will see in the NFL.”

Polian likes what he has seen from Williams, Penix and Nix but believes all three will have a tougher adjustment than Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, who played a Pro Style offense under coach Jim Harbaugh.

“Williams is an arresting talent,” Polian said. “His arm talent is undeniable, and he can make off-schedule throws. He’ll be drafted No. 1 no matter what. But he’s going to have a breaking-in period … McCarthy is further along in his development.”

Polian believes Penix will be selected in the first round but is wary of the shoulder and knee injuries sustained at Indiana.

“His size, his arm, his maturity, his competitiveness — everything’s fine. And he’s a quick processor. He sees the field very well,” Polian said.

“The injuries issues are the only thing that troubles me with him. He’s going to have to be careful running the ball and recognize the need to protect himself.

“But if I was a betting man, I’d bet he goes in the first round.”

Polian was slightly more skeptical about Nix, largely because of Oregon’s spread offense.

“It’s a big jump in the style of play,” he said. “He’s mature and has enough escapability to make you worry about him as a defender.

“He certainly has a chance to be pretty good, but I don’t know if he’s necessarily a first-rounder. He might be a second-rounder.”

One thing is certain: Nix won’t be the first quarterback selected; neither will Penix.

But recent history suggests there’s a path to stardom nonetheless.

It has been eight years since the quarterback voted first-team All-Pro was the top quarterback selected in his draft class. Atlanta’s Matt Ryan, the first-teamer in 2016, was the first quarterback off the board in 2008.

Since 2016, none of the first- or second-team All-Pro selections — the list includes Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Drew Brees and Russell Wilson — was the top quarterback selected in his draft.

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So many of the essential traits, from mental processing power and toughness to work ethic and the ability to handle pressure, cannot be quantified.

“That stuff is 55 percent of the grade,” Polian said of his method for evaluating quarterbacks.

“Peyton Manning threw 28 interceptions as a rookie. That’s the real world. But in the world of the draft industrial complex, all these guys are going to make the playoffs in Year 1.

“The transition is hard, and if you don’t have good players around you, especially at receiver and offensive line, it’s really hard.”

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SANTA CLARA — Less than a month after Fred Warner and Brock Purdy experienced one of the most bitter defeats imaginable, the real world took over and bestowed both with life-altering events that altered the trajectory of their existence.

The last time the 49ers’ defensive and offensive leaders were in a press conference setting was on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas following a 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII.

Warner was speaking in hushed tones about how much it hurt, with the added heartbreak of teammate and close friend Dre Greenlaw suffering a torn Achilles in the first half while simply running onto the field.

Purdy was doing his best to explain how the 49ers’ offense managed just 19 points in regulation. He led the 49ers from behind three times and it wasn’t enough to conquer Patrick Mahomes.

Twenty-five days after the Super Bowl, Warner was a father for the first time, as his wife Sydney gave birth to Beau Anthony Warner on March 7. Two days after that, Purdy and his fiancee Jenna Brandt were married in Des Moines, Iowa.

From the lowest of lows in a sports sense to pure bliss.

Both men touched on their offseason life changes Monday in a media availability session following a pre-draft press conference with John Lynch. The grind continues, with the goal of winning the last game to share with families.

“Obviously I had to get over that loss pretty quick because I had something that was really important coming up,” Warner said. “I think now I have even more to play for in this game. I already had a lot of motivation, a lot of inner drive, but to look at my son every day and know I’m playing for something else as well, it could get pretty scary.”

For Purdy, his wedding and honeymoon in the Turks and Caicos Islands were a welcome respite from a non-stop whirlwind: Last pick in the draft. Goes from No. 3 quarterback to No. 2 and eventually the starter. Tears the UCL of his throwing elbow in the NFC Championship Game loss to Philadelphia. Surgery. Non-stop rehab through the offseason. On a gradual throwing program in training camp.

Finally, a second season in which he was a Most Valuable Player candidate, passes for a club record 4,280 yards and authors a remarkable 34-31 win over the Detroit Lions for the NFC title, erasing a 17-point halftime deficit. When the Super Bowl ended, Purdy found himself with something resembling free time for the first time since he was in college at Iowa State.

“It’s nice that I don’t have to be on this schedule and regime of rehab, rehab, rehab, get healthy and stress about if I’m going to make it back for the season or not,” Purdy said. “It’s been nice to marry Jenna and have an offseason to breathe and reflect because the last two years it’s been go, go, go.”

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) looks to throw the ball against the Green Bay Packers in the first quarter of their NFC divisional playoff game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) 

With the 49ers having advanced to at least the NFC title game in four of the last five years, Warner conceded it’s a mind trick to start all over again.

“The emotional toll of, ‘Damn, we were so close,’ it takes everything out of you,” Warner said. When you come back you’ve got to be ready to go because nobody cares about what happened last year. I’m rejuvenated, ready to go. Everything’s set, so let’s go.”

As usual, Warner is relentlessly positive about new defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen and assistant Brandon Staley, who will attempt to reshape the 49ers’ defense in its own image after it faltered at times under Steve Wilks.

He’s fired up about De’Vondre Campbell, a former All-Pro from Green Bay, and Ezekiel Turner, a linebacker and special teams demon from Arizona.

Greenlaw, Warner said, is making strides in his Achilles’ rehab.

“His boot is getting smaller every day,” Warner said.

Warner’s sense of humor has remained intact as he attempted to describe an indescribably bad Opening Day first pitch at Oracle Park after being invited by the Giants. (Deebo Samuel wasn’t much better.)

“I guess that’s what happens when you don’t warm up,” Warner said.

Fred Warner and Deebo Samuel threw out the ceremonial first pitches
#BayAreaUnite pic.twitter.com/VmYvX4wVHc

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) April 5, 2024

Given an out when it was suggested newborn-induced sleep deprivation was the problem, Warner took the excuse and said he hoped for another shot at it.

“Sleep deprivation, I like that,” Warner said.

Purdy, who spoke with the Bay Area News Group at his football camp at Levi’s Stadium on April 14, reiterated how excited he was to get going again, his desire for incremental improvement and and setting aside a massive contract he’ll be due after the 2024 season.

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With the draft coming up Thursday, Purdy will be fodder for another round of “Mr. Irrelevant” and debates about how quarterbacks are scouted and developed. He said no borderline prospects have sought him out for advice.

“Everyone’s story and path is different,” Purdy said. “To live out the same way that some other guy did, that isn’t right. Everyone’s got their own story. Obviously I’m a big believer that it doesn’t matter where you’re drafted, it’s what you do when you get there with that opportunity.”

“Challengers,” a sexy tennis love triangle from acclaimed director Luca Guadagnino and budding superstar Zendaya, has generated enough buzz and rave reviews that it may reach No. 1 in the rankings. 

But even if the story, directing and acting are all aces, to achieve greatness the movie still needs to provide genuine excitement and realistic drama on the court.

To provide an air of credibility, the film hired former pro and veteran analyst Brad Gilbert to consult on the film and to train Zendaya for three months; Guadagnino says she got so good he barely had to use her tennis stunt double in the film.

• Even if the story, directing and acting are all aces, a tennis movie still needs to provide genuine excitement and realistic drama on the court. (Getty Images)

• This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Will Smith, right, with Demi Singleton, left, and Saniyya Sidney in a scene from “King Richard.” (Chiabella James/ Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

• KIRSTEN DUNST as American tennis champ Lizzie Bradbury in the romantic comedy Wimbledon. Film Title: Wimbledon. Copyright: © 2004 Universal Studios. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Credit: Laurie Sparham. No Mags, No Sales, No Internet, No TV

• Borg vs McEnroe, is a 2017 English-language Swedish biographical sports drama film focusing on the famous rivalry between famous tennis players Bj+¦rn Borg and John McEnroe at the 1980 Wimbledon Championships – Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgard

• Even if the story, directing and acting are all aces, a tennis movie still needs to provide genuine excitement and realistic drama on the court. (Getty Images)

• This image released by Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures shows Mike Faist, from left, Zendaya and Josh O’Connor in a scene from “Challengers.” (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures via AP)

• Even if the story, directing and acting are all aces, a tennis movie still needs to provide genuine excitement and realistic drama on the court. (Getty Images)

• Melinda Sue Gordon/wentieth Century Fox Film

  Emma Stone and Steve Carell in the “Battle of the Sexes,” coming to DVD on Jan. 2.

• Zendaya portrays a tennis star in director Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers.” (Photo credit: Niko Tavernise / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures)

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It should be an improvement over “Wimbledon,” with Kirsten Dunst and Paul Bettany, and not just because of “Wimbledon’s” flimsy dialogue. When Bettany reaches the Wimbledon finals, director Richard Loncraine relies on quick cuts, distracting camera movement, and close-ups of footwork and foreshortened shots from the players’ backs – they feel like shortcuts and drain away any sense that real tennis was played.

By contrast, “Battle of the Sexes,” which is less about tennis and more about Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and the fight for women’s equality, gives its tennis showdown between King and Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) its proper due. Directors Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton often shot from above and behind like a typical tennis match on television. This provides a familiar vantage point and allowed them to use tennis doubles, future pro Kaitlyn Christian and former pro Vince Spadea to have real rallies. (Rigg’s former coach and King herself consulted on the grips the players used and other details.) They also trusted the viewer and let points develop, including the moment of triumph where King shrewdly lobs to Riggs’ backhand and then finishes him off with a slice down the line. 

Good tennis cannot save a bad movie like “16-Love,” an insipid 2012 teen romance featuring Lindsey Shaw and Chandler Massey. Massey was cast partly because of his tennis skills and Shaw’s rival was played by Susie Abromeit, who had been a top-ranked junior but a weak script and poor directing renders all that irrelevant. 

On the other hand, good tennis can enhance a stronger movie, like the acclaimed 2020 French drama “Final Set.” Director Quentin Reynaud had played competitively as a youth and the star, Alex Lutz, trained enough to look believable during practice. For Lutz’s opponent in the big match, Reynaud cast French pro Jurgen Briand, who gives the points a thrilling realism, which makes Reynaud’s arty shots – swinging shadows and fancy footwork in the red clay as well as balletic slo-mo close-ups – feel earned, adding to the drama instead of distracting from it. 

There are plenty of movies and TV series that give tennis a cameo, typically for main characters who are amateurs. They frequently play the scenes for laughs – it’s often clichéd as in “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” which wastes Andy Roddick as a coach in a scene that falls flat. But when done well, or with charming stars, it can still be effective: a brief scene in “Annie Hall” with Diane Keaton’s title character playing with a carefree glee perfectly introduces her “la-di-da” character; on “Seinfeld,” Jerry’s one good forehand launches a ball machine attack that nails Kramer in the head; and “Bachelor Party” is silly and forgettable but watching Tom Hanks childishly launch home runs while playing his future in-laws is still a delight. 

Then there’s the tennis as combat, whether played broadly in “Bridesmaids” to the soundtrack of AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap,” or with more nuance as dramatic marital warfare between Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney in Noah Baumbach’s “The Squid and The Whale.” (The cheesiest version of this is “Hart to Hart,” the 1980s crime show that once featured Martina Navratilova as herself playing in a mixed doubles match; the overuse of closeups wasted Navratalova’s talent before the contrived plot devolved into an on-court shooting.) 

The exception is “Red Oaks,” a coming-of-age series that featured tennis prominently, with Craig Roberts as a tennis pro at the club and Paul Reiser, as a wealthy but aging weekend warrior. Set in the 1980s, it was able to capture the game as played at that level in that time. (Reiser’s opponent in the big season finale club match is none other than Brad Gilbert.)

Most movies with tennis as a notable part of the plot focus on elite athletes. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1951 classic, “Strangers on a Train,” depicts a tennis star Guy Haines (Farley Granger) caught up in the murder scheme of a psychopath, Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker). Taut and tense, but with little tennis, Hitchcock starts off the climactic match with long shots that capture the sport’s dramatic potential. But as the tension builds, Hitchcock, intercutting between Guy’s match and Bruno’s escapades, dilutes the tennis with close-ups, odd angles that don’t suit the sport and intrusive music. 

More impressive, tennis-wise, was “Pat and Mike,” the 1952 romcom with Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. While the movie pales compared to their other films like “Adam’s Rib,” it was written to display Hepburn’s tennis and golf skills. Hepburn had no stunt double and in one big match played Gussie Moran, a recent Wimbledon finalist. The rallies are realistic and well shot and there’s also an entertaining section when Hepburn’s character’s controlling fiance shows up and she becomes so distracted that her game falls apart as she hallucinates her fiance in the umpire chair and her racket shrinking while Moran’s grows.

Wimbledon, unsurprisingly, frequently commands center stage… or Centre Court. Beyond “Wimbledon,” there’s “Borg-McEnroe,” about the epic 1980 Wimbledon final. John McEnroe (Shia LaBeouf miraculously pulls out a 20-minute fourth set tiebreaker, 18-16, before Bjorn Borg (Sverrir Gudnason) coolly prevails 8-6 in the final set. 

While the film devotes 20 minutes to the match, it fails to do the tiebreaker justice. It does show dynamite points like McEnroe nailing a leaping backhand volley off a Borg lob, or Borg whipping a passing shot down the line. While the scenes can appear like actors doing impressions of the players in between their tennis doubles hitting the real shots, the rallies have an air of authenticity. But as tension mounts, director Janus Metz Pedersen loses interest in the tennis itself, shifting to close-ups to show emotional and physical strain along with montages that feel cliche. 

In “7 Days in Hell,” the tennis, such as it is, exists outside of criticism. This riotous Andy Samberg mockumentary parodies the longest match in tennis history, a three-day Wimbledon battle between John Isner and Nicholas Mahut that finished with the score of 70-68 in the final set. Samberg’s Aaron Williams ups his game by snorting cocaine he had hidden in his water bottle and the court’s lines. In this never-ending match, Williams and Kit Harrington’s Charles Poole have a lengthy rally at the net while both are prone after diving for shots. It’s as far from realistic as possible but it works perfectly on its own terms.

Ultimately, the greatest tennis film of all time is “King Richard,” directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green. In telling the story of Venus and Serena Williams and their father, Green featured more drilling and match play than any other film. He also frequently shot the tennis shots with a low camera angle from behind the players, allowing the viewer to see the action in a way that, say, “Wimbledon” did not, while still creating a sense of immediacy and urgency.

And in the final match at the end between 14-year-old Venus and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, he repeatedly mixed in mid-range shots with long shots while giving the points time to build dramatically as they would in a real tennis match. While the teen loses that match, it is fitting that when it comes to tennis movies, the undeniable champ features the unsurpassable Williams sisters. 

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Bay Area News Group Baseball Top 20

(Mercury News & East Bay Times)

(Records through Monday)

No. 1 ACALANES (17-1)

Previous ranking: 1

Since last ranking: Beat College Park 4-3, lost to College Park

Up next: Tuesday vs. Benicia, 4 p.m.

No. 2 GRANADA (19-1)

Previous ranking: 2

Since last ranking: Beat Foothill 5-1,10-3

Up next: Wednesday at Dublin, 4 p.m.

No. 3 SERRA (17-3)

Previous ranking: 3

Since last ranking: Beat Bellarmine 7-0, Saint Francis 22-7

Up next: Tuesday at St. Francis, 4 p.m.

No. 4 VALLEY CHRISTIAN (19-3)

Previous ranking: 4

Since last ranking: Beat St. Francis 3-1, Archbishop Mitty 5-3

Up next: Tuesday vs. Mitty, 4 p.m. 

No. 5 DE LA SALLE (12-4)

Previous ranking: 5

Since last ranking: Beat San Ramon Valley 11-0, 12-2, lost to Jesuit 5-2

Up next: Wednesday vs. Monte Vista, 4 p.m.

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No. 6 LOS GATOS (17-3)

Previous ranking: 6

Since last ranking: Beat Overton-Tennesee 10-5, Lebanon-Tennesee 12-5, Friendship Christian-Tennesse 9-2 

Up next: Wednesday vs. Cupertino, 4 p.m.

No. 7 HERITAGE (15-3-1)

Previous ranking: 8

Since last ranking: Beat Pittsburg 6-2, 4-3

Up next: Tuesday at Freedom, 4 p.m. 

No. 8 SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL (15-6)

Previous ranking: 11

Since last ranking: Beat St. Ignatius 9-7, Bellarmine 4-0

Up next: Tuesday vs. Bellarmine, 4 p.m.

No. 9 JAMES LOGAN (14-3)

Previous ranking: 9

Since last ranking: Irvington 15-1, 9-1

Up next: Wednesday at Mission San Jose, 4 p.m.

No. 10 COLLEGE PARK (11-6)

Previous ranking: 15

Since last ranking: Lost to Acalanes 4-3, beat Acalanes 5-1, Berkeley 8-0

Up next: Tuesday vs. Northgate, 4 p.m.

No. 11 ST. IGNATIUS (13-6)

Previous ranking: 10

Since last ranking: Lost to Sacred Heart Cathedral 9-7, beat Archbishop Riordan 8-0

Up next: Tuesday vs. Riordan, 4 p.m.

No. 12 SAN RAMON VALLEY (12-7)

Previous ranking: 7

Since last ranking: Lost to De La Salle 11-0, 12-2

Up next: Wednesday vs. Amador Valley, 4 p.m.

No. 13 ARCHBISHOP MITTY (13-8-1)

Previous ranking: 12

Since last ranking: Beat Riordan 10-1, lost to Valley Christian 5-3

Up next: Tuesday at Valley Christian, 4 p.m.

No. 14 WOODSIDE (15-2-1)

Previous ranking: 16

Since last ranking: Beat San Mateo 1-0, 4-2, University 10-7

Up next: Tuesday at Mills, 6:30 p.m.

No. 15 BURLINGAME (12-5)

Previous ranking: 9

Since last ranking: beat Menlo-Atherton 4-1, lost to Menlo-Atherton 2-1, beat Palo Alto 5-4

Up next: Wednesday vs. Sacred Heart Prep, 5 p.m.

No. 16 LEIGH (13-6)

Previous ranking: 14

Since last ranking: Beat Pioneer 3-2, 8-6, lost to Prospect 5-3

Up next: Tuesday vs. Leland, 4 p.m.

No. 17 CAPUCHINO (14-7)

Previous ranking: 18

Since last ranking: Beat Sequoia 2-0, lost to Sequoia 6-5

Up next: Wednesday vs. Hillsdale, 4 p.m.

No. 18 BERKELEY (10-7)

Previous ranking: Not ranked

Since last ranking: Beat Bishop O’Dowd 3-2, 3-2, lost to College Park 8-0, Monte Vista 13-8

Up next: Wednesday vs. Arroyo, 4 p.m.

No. 19 MENLO-ATHERTON (12-9)

Previous ranking: 20

Since last ranking: Lost to Burlingame 4-1, beat Burlingame 2-1, lost to Mountain View 16-11

Up next: Wednesday vs. Carlmont, 4 p.m.

No. 20 THE KING’S ACADEMY (11-7-1)

Previous ranking: Not ranked 

Since last ranking: Beat Carlmont 11-1, 4-2

Up next: Wednesday vs. Sequoia, 4 p.m.

Teams eligible for the Bay Area News Group rankings come from leagues based predominantly in Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.