San Jose Barracuda forward Egor Afanasyev (#11) skates with the puck along with his teammate defenseman Braden Hache (#86) while Texas Stars defenseman Tristian Bertucci (#3) defends in his own zone at Tech CU Arena on Tuesday MAR 31, 2026. (San Jose Barracuda)
by Marko Ukalovic
SAN JOSE — The Texas Stars scored two quick goals to open the third period as they defeated the San Jose Barracuda 2-1 on Tuesday evening at Tech CU Arena.
San Jose has lost four games in a row. Texas is .500 in its past four games.
San Jose (38-22-2-2-80 points) dominated play in the first period. Despite recording 12 shots in first 10 minutes of the period, none of them resulted in goals as Stars goalie Remi Poirier was perfect between the pipes to start the game.
Cuda goalie Laurent Brossoit had an uneventful opening 20 minutes as Texas (33-27-3-1-70 points) registered just five shots on goal.
The Barracuda drew first blood early in the second period. Filip Bystedt scored his 19th goal of the season when he beat Poirier with a quick wrist shot at the 5:37 mark. Lucas Carlsson set up Bystedt from the left wing with a centering pass for his 14th assist of the season. Bystedt leads the team with 51 points on the season as his extended his points streak to three games.
Texas evened the game early in the third period with an even strength goal. Cross Hanas gathered the rebound off a Matthew Seminoff shot and buried it beyond the reach of Brossoit for his 14th goal of the season at the 1:24 mark.
Then 16 seconds later on the next shift, Dylan Hryckowian rifled home a slap shot past Brossoit from the right wing for his first goal of the season. Ayrton Martino and Micheal Karow received helpers on the play.
Poirier (23-17-4) had one of his best games of the season stopping 43 of the 44 shots he faced to earn his 23rd win of the season. Brossoit (14-7-1) suffered just his seventh loss of the season as he made 32 saves on 34 shots.
GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 0-for-4 on the power play. Texas went 0-for-2.
The Three Stars of the Game: 1) Poirier 2) Brossoit 3) Hryckowian.
UP NEXT: San Jose continues its four-game homestand with a two-game weekend series with the Colorado Eagles on Friday April 3rd at 7:00pm at Tech CU Arena.
Sacramento Kings Nique Clifford (5) defends against the Brooklyn Nets Nolan Traore (88) in the second half at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn on Sun Mar 29, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Renteria:
#1 How will the Raptors’ strong home record (21–16) impact the outcome against a struggling Kings team on the road (6–32)?
#2 Can the Kings overcome recent injuries and lineup instability to stay competitive in this game?
#3 Which Kings leading scorer—such as Maxime Raynaud or DeMar DeRozan—will have the biggest impact on the game’s outcome?
#4 Given the Raptors’ recent strong performances (winning 4 of their last 5 games), can they maintain momentum against a struggling Kings squad?
#5 What role will injuries and game-time decisions (GTD players on both teams) play in shaping the final result?
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani gets a turn at bat slugs a single against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the bottom of the first inning at Dodger Stadium on Thu Mar 26, 2026 (AP News photo)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary:
#1 How might Shohei Ohtani’s return to pitching impact the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation and early-season momentum?
#2 What are the expectations and risks surrounding Jacob deGrom’s 2026 debut after his recent injury scare with the Texas Rangers?
#3 What does the historic early-season performance of MLB rookies suggest about the league’s emerging talent pipeline in 2026?
#4 How significant is the reported record-setting contract for prospect Seattle Mariners Colt Emerson, and what does it indicate about teams investing in young talent?
#5 How important was it for former San Francisco Giants pitcher Juan Marichal to appear for Team Dominican during the World Baseball Classic it really inspired the players when he showed up.
Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.
While in the Bay Area, great food and great prices. 998cuba.com
South Carolina Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson (25) is thrilled after hitting a three point shot against the TCU Horned Frogs in the second half of the Elite 8 to advance to the Final Four at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Mar 30, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Michael Roberson
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The South Carolina Gamecocks (35-3) punched their ticket to the Final Four the sixth consecutive time, after a blowout victory over the TCU Horned Frogs (32-6) 78-52 in the Capital City of California.
TCU opened the game with a 6-0 start, stunning USC early in the first. It took a while for the Gamecocks to recover, but they eventually gathered their faculties. The Horned Frogs led by as many as eight points in the initial 10 minutes of the tournament tussle.
Despite the nearly 10-point deficit, South Carolina managed to tie the game at 14, with 1:03 left in the quarter. Later they took their first lead with six seconds remaining in the period. At the end of one, USC led by two, 16-14.
In the second stanza South Carolina improved on their advantage and showed their prowess. Their shooting percentage went up six points and and so did their lead at quarter’s end. At recess, South Carolina held an eight point lead, 35-27.
Two players from the Gamecocks scored 10+ points, while one Horned Frog fit that criteria, Sophomore forward Joyce Edwards scored 14 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, while her teammate and senior guard Raven Johnson dropped 10 points and dished 4 assists. Olivia Miles represented TCU with 11 points for her squad.
Despite shooting a horrible 20% from the field, South Carolina maintained their 8-point cushion after three quarters, 49-41. TCU shot 36% and scored 14 points, as did their opponent. Something big was about to occur in the final quarter.
South Carolina demonstrated their championship pedigree in the fourth quarter, by shooting a scorching 72% from the floor and going on a 16-0 run within the last 10 minutes of the game. Their lead ballooned into a 26-point advantage, and total dominance was underway.
After the final horn was sounded, South Carolina had secured a 24- point victory (78-52) and advanced to the Final Four in Phoenix. The Gamecocks will be taking on the the Connecticut Huskies, in a rematch of last year’s National Championship game.
The last time the Gamecocks played an Elite 8 game in California was 2017 in Stockton. They went on and won Coach Dawn Staley’s and the University of South Carolina’s first National Championship, They both have won two more since then. Number two was in 2022 (Minneapolis), coincidentally against Connecticut. The third one was 2024 (Cleveland) ageist Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Connecticut will be going for their 13th title, and the 12th was last year against, South Carolina. Dawn will be going for number four, in which will improve on her pioneering status. Staley is the winningest Black coach (Either Gender) in college basketball history for National Championship titles.
Macklin Celebrini celebrates one of his power play goals at SAP Center on Monday Mar 30, 2026 (Sharks Media)
By Fernando Abarca
SAN JOSE –– The San Jose Sharks returned home with momentum and a clear objective: keep climbing and stay in the fight as the season pushes forward. Fresh off a strong win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night, San Jose welcomed the St. Louis Blues to SAP Center looking to build on that success and build they did indeed with a strong 5-4 win.
The first period delivered immediate intensity, featuring goals, penalties, and standout moments on both sides.
St. Louis struck first when Jake Neighbours capitalized on a rebound near the crease, controlling the puck along the boards before setting up Theo Lindstein, who found open space and fired home the opening goal.
San Jose responded quickly on the power play. Macklin Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli orchestrated a sharp passing sequence in the offensive zone, leading to Alexander Wennberg finishing with a deft touch in front of the net to even the score.
The Sharks kept the pressure on and took control of the period behind Celebrini’s standout performance. On another power play opportunity, Celebrini combined with Wennberg and Dmitry Orlov, patiently finding space between defenders before calmly burying his chance to give San Jose the lead.
Celebrini wasn’t done. Late in the period, he struck again—slipping between defenders and finishing off a quick setup from the right side—to extend the Sharks’ advantage to 3-2.
The Blues answered in transition after a defensive miscue by San Jose. Neighbours disrupted a pass and connected with Pavel Buchnevich, who capitalized to keep St. Louis within reach.
The second period brought a more physical edge from the Blues, but Sharks goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic delivered a series of key saves that helped maintain San Jose’s momentum. The Sharks rewarded that effort with another goal, as Toffoli created chaos in front of the net, allowing Wennberg to clean up the opportunity and extend the lead to 4-2.
St. Louis responded in the closing seconds of the period on the power play. Robert Thomas initiated the play through the neutral zone, linking up with Jimmy Snuggerud and Dylan Holloway before the puck found Philip Broberg, who finished the sequence to cut into the deficit heading into the third.
The Blues even things out after a penalty called against the Sharks’ Yaroslav Askarov with a Power Play opportunity.In the final frame, the Sharks locked in defensively while continuing to generate chances on the counterattack. Ashkarov remained sharp between the pipes, turning away key opportunities as the Blues pushed for an equalizer. Despite the late pressure, San Jose held firm, managing the clock effectively and limiting high-danger chances.
In the closing moments, Adam Gaudette sealed the outcome as the Sharks secured a hard-fought victory at home.
The Sharks are now two points behind the Nashville Predators, the push continues on Wednesday night at home against the Anaheim Ducks
San Francisco Giants Harrison Bader rounds the bases after taking San Diego Padres starter Walker Buehler deep in the top of the third inning at Petco Park in San Diego on Mon Mar 30, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
The San Francisco Giants (1-3) got their first win of the season beating the San Diego Padres (1-3) 3-2 in the first game of their three-game series. Starting pitcher Landon Roupp had a great outing going six innings. Casey Schmitt had two hits in the game driving in one run and Patrick Bailey drove in a second run both in the fourth inning. Harrison Bader hit a 389 ft solo home run in a great offensive effort from San Francisco.
Game recap: Both Roupp and Padre starter Walker Buehler had nice opening innings going three and out in the first inning. Buehler was three and out in the second and Roupp only allowed a single in the bottom of the second.
San Francisco got their second run of the season in the third inning and it was a dandy, a (389 feet) solo home run to left center off the bat of Bader taking an early 1-0 lead. The Giants would extend their lead in the fourth inning, when Bailey singled Matt Chapman home from second base for a 2-0 lead. San Francisco was not finished. With two outs, Schmitt singled Jung Hoo Lee home from second base taking a 3-0 lead into the fifth inning.
In the top of the fifth inning Buehler was relieved by Wandy Peralta. He pitched four innings allowing five hits three earned runs with three strikeouts. Peralta pitched the one inning before being relieved by David Morgan in the sixth.
Through six innings the Padres were having a lot of trouble generating much offense. San Francisco had five hits through six innings.
In the seventh inning Schmitt had his second hit of the game that stayed fair for a double but with two outs Heliot Ramos grounded out to second and the game went into the bottom of the seventh inning with the Giants holding onto their first lead of the season 3-0.
In the seventh inning Matt Gage relieved San Francisco starter Roupp. Roupp finished going six innings allowing two hits, no runs with seven strikeouts. It was a great outing for Roupp.
The Padres waged a rally in the bottom of the ninth inning when Jake Cronenworth walked. With two outs, Jackson Merrill homered to right and with one swing of the bat the score was 3-2 in favor of San Francisco. When it got tight closing pitcher Ryan Walker got out of a jam. Xander Bogaerts grounded out to shortstop for the third out and that was the ballgame.
Ryan Walker closed out the game for the Giants and San Francisco had their first win of the season 3-2. The Giants finished the game with six hits and only allowing three San Diego hits handing the Padres their third loss of the season. Walker finished withone hit, two runs, one walk and one strikeout.
Game notes: Monday evening the Giants matched up with the Padres in their first road series of the season. The Giants were swept over the weekend by the New York Yankees as they continue to try and find their stride. Getting swept is bad enough in and of itself but they only scored one run over the entire series.
Their outfield is struggling a really crummy way to start the young season. While three games do not mean a whole lot in the early goings, the good news is that they can be expected to improve offensively. Meanwhile San Francisco has been busy off the field trading away Luis Matos to the Milwaukee Brewers.
In this game Monday night they got to see the newly acquired Luis Arraez who signed a deal with the Giants in March of 2026 nicknamed “La Regadera” because of the way he scatters hits all over the field. The Padres have had a bit of a slow start as well also losing their opening series 1-2 getting smoked in the first two games of the series 8-2 and 5-2 but winning game three 3-0.
The Giants started Landon Roupp Monday night Roupp pitched six inning surrendering two hits, two walks and sruck out seven. For the Padres Walker Buehler gave up five hits and three runs two walks and three strikeouts. San Francisco got three runs to add to the one run they had going into this contest. Attendance in Monday night’s game was 43,611.
In game two the Giants will start Logan Webb (0-1 ERA 0.00). For the Padres German Marquez will get the nod (0-0 ERA 0.00). San Francisco will be looking for a second win in a row after a great win in game one. First pitch for this game is scheduled for 6:40 PM.
Atlanta Braves Mauricio Dubon cracks a two run single in the bottom of the first inning against the Sacramento A’s at Truist Park in Atlanta on Mon Mar 30, 2026 (AP News photo)
Cold Bats Continue To Haunt the A’s in Atlanta; Braves Elder and relief corp blank A’s 4-0
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento Athletics came into Atlanta searching for traction after suffering a season opening sweep in Toronto, but by the end of Monday night’s game, they were still stuck in neutral. A game that began with promise on paper, with Jacob Lopez bringing strong recent interleague numbers into his first career outing against the Braves, quickly turned into a 4-0 loss defined by one rough first inning, a handful of missed chances, and an Atlanta pitching staff that never really loosened its grip.
The green and gold put men on base, sprayed a few line drives around Truist Park, and even flashed some clean defensive work, but when the night demanded one big hit, none arrived. The Braves got theirs early, then calmly shut the door.
Atlanta wasted no time setting the tone. Ronald Acuna Jr. opened the bottom of the first with a walk, Drake Baldwin followed with a single, and after Ozzie Albies popped out, Matt Olson lined a double into left to drive in Acuna and move Baldwin to third.
Austin Riley was retired, which gave the Athletics a chance to escape with only minor damage, but Lopez could not quite find the last clean landing spot of the inning. Eli White worked a walk, Mauricio Dubon lined a single to right, and suddenly two more Braves runs were home. Just like that, the Athletics were in a 3-0 hole before their offense had even found a rhythm.
To Lopez’s credit, the first inning did not snowball into a total disaster. After that early storm, he settled in and kept the Braves from blowing the game open. Acuna singled and swiped a bag in the second, but Lopez worked around it. He got through the third without damage, then caught a break in the fourth after Acuna walked again and was picked off and erased trying for second on a sharp play involving Shea Langeliers and Jacob Wilson.
That moment felt like a possible hinge in the game. Wilson, who was celebrating his 24th birthday, helped create one of the A’s cleanest defensive sequences of the night, and for a brief stretch the Athletics looked like they might still punch back.
The problem was Bryce Elder was not in a charitable mood. The Athletics did put traffic on the bases against him, but they never found the follow-through. Carlos Cortes doubled in the third, only to be stranded. In the fourth, Tyler Soderstrom and Brent Rooker hit back-to-back singles with one out, which gave the inning some real pulse, but Jacob Wilson flew out and Lawrence Butler, (playing in front of his home crowd for the first time in his Major League career) followed with another fly ball to center.
In the fifth, Cortes walked with two down, then Nick Kurtz struck out looking. By then, the pattern had become obvious. The Athletics were not lifeless, but they were incomplete. One batter reached, two reached, then nobody delivered the swing that could tilt the night. That fit an ugly early trend for a club that entered the game already buried under an embarrasing mountain of fifty total strikeouts through the opening series.
Elder finished six scoreless innings, and Atlanta’s bullpen handled the rest with very little drama. Aaron Bummer worked around Max Muncy’s seventh-inning double. Robert Suarez escaped an eighth-inning jam after Dubon’s error put Langeliers aboard and Soderstrom followed with a single, only for Rooker to bounce into an inning-ending double play.
In the ninth, Raisel Iglesias got a little help from the Braves defense when Jacob Wilson reached on another Dubon error, then Butler grounded into a replay-reviewed double play that snuffed out the last bit of daylight.
For the Athletics, the final line told a frustratingly familiar story. Seven hits, no runs, and too many innings that ended a little too quietly. There were moments to like: Lopez recovered well after the early punch, Wilson helped engineer a slick pickoff play on his birthday, and the bullpen mostly kept the game within reach until the eighth. But the offense never landed its counterpunch, and in a season-opening road swing already heavy with miles, the Braves made sure the Athletics kept carrying that weight a little longer.
The A’s will meet up again with the Braves tomorrow for Game 2 at 4:15pm PDT
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has covered sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for various magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, The Golden Bay Times. 2026 marks his 15th season covering Athletics baseball.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Logo of KDKA 1020 Radio Pittsburgh the first radio station in America (image from KDKA 1020)
Baseball Games on your Car radio? -Not so fast
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
Amaury Pi-González
Things are changing in baseball in many ways. This 2026 season, the ABS, Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system, often called “robot umps,” is a technology-driven system tracking the exact position of pitchers to determine balls and strikes in baseball. And players can challenge the system immediately. I covered the Giants-Yankees game last Saturday at Oracle Park, and it was weird to see this during the game.
Baseball games on the radio (usually on AM radio) were a staple of radio for decades since the first ever commercial broadcast on August 5, 1921, when KDKA 1020 AM in Pittsburgh aired the Pittsburgh Pirates’ defeat of the Philadelphia Phillies, 8-5. Announcer Harold Arlin called the action from a box seat at Forbes Field using a converted telephone as a microphone.
If you are ‘old school’ or just old baseball fan, chances are you are listening to baseball on the radio (mostly AM radio), like your parents and your grandparents. But this is 2026, and the world is changing by the minute, while AM radio is going the way of the Dodo Bird.
Today, many electric vehicle brands like Tesla, Ford, BMW, and Volvo have removed AM radio from some models; others still include it, and some go with digital streaming. I do have Sirius XM (Satellite Radio)so I can listen to many games LIVE, home and away, for all 30 teams (Channel 89 and the app) with zero blackout restrictions, and also all day to many specialty channels, like “Seriously Sinatra.”
Remember when 90% of baseball was heard on AM radio? Not anymore, although in some big radio market some AM stations carry baseball..
I remember when it was almost like a joke to have an FM station broadcasting baseball; they were almost exclusively for music, with much better sound and Stereo-sound than AM radio. Today, Major League Baseball has expanded its presence on FM radio stations, with many teams now simulcasting on FM, utilizing HD radio channels, or shifting away from traditional AM-only broadcasting to ensure better coverage.
Some AM stations today barely make it by “broker’s time “; some stations are so desperate that if you are a ventriloquist and want to pay a station to put your “show” on the air, you will probably find a station, even in languages other than English..since it would not matter. You mean a ventriloquist on the radio?
That line is from the 1987 Woody Allen movie Radio Days, one of Allen’s memorable films.
But seriously, technology is such that you can also listen to a game on your phone or wristwatch. Imagine if you had told your grandfather, “I am going to listen to the game today on my smart watch
This is the primary new digital hub for live audio, replacing the old “At Bat” app. For $59.99/year or $5.99/month, it offers live radio broadcasts for all 30 teams with no blackout restrictions, alongside 24/7 MLB Network access and MiLB games, and many other ways for those with high-tech devices
The standalone, cheap ($29.99) audio-only subscription has been phased out and incorporated into MLB Plus.
All WBC 2026 games were exclusively on SiriusXM, in addition to their MLB coverage.
Since we already have robots running many things, from baseball to retail to wholesale to top medical surgeries, some of us might like to see when we could have a microchip embedded inside our brain for FREE and listen to the World Series.
Quote: “I watch a lot of baseball on the radio”. -Gerald Ford.
Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.
While in the Bay Area, great food and great prices. 998cuba.com
San Jose Sharks goaltender Alex Nedelijkovic stops a shot by the Philadelphia Flyers right wing Owen Tippett (74) in the second period at SAP Center in San Jose on Sat Mar 21, 2026. Nedelijkovic stopped 21 shots against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sat Mar 28, 2026 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus to help defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 (AP News photo)
San Jose Sharks podcast Fernando Abarca:
#1 The San Jose Sharks Igor Chernyshov scored twice and got the go ahead goal at 1:25 as the Sharks edged the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday 3-2 at Nationwide Arena.
#2 The Sharks with the win ended a six game losing streak and are now just four points of the Nashville Predators for the second Western Conference wild card spot.
#3 The Sharks Macklin Celebrini scored and got an assist and teammate Will Smith had two assists in the Sharks one goal victory. The Sharks badly wanted to end the six game losing streaks and they were willing to go to great lengths to end the skid.
#4 With Yaroslav Askarov out with an injury back up goaltender Alex Nedelijkovic saved 21 shots enough to keep the CBJ’s out of the net to get by for the win.
#5 The Sharks host the St Louis Blues on Monday night hockey at SAP. The Blues had struggled but lately they have been surging now on a four game win streak, they have won seven of their last ten games. How do you see this match between the Blues and Sharks tonight?
San Jose Barracuda defenseman Braden Hache (86) skates against the Coachella Valley Firebirds at Acrisure Arena on Sun Mar 29, 2026 (Coachella Valley Firebirds photo)
San Jose Barracuda podcast Madison Montez:
#1 How did Oliver Whalstrom perform offensively against the Texas Stars, and can he manage to record any points?
#2 What role will Filip Bystedt play in generating scoring chances for the San Jose Barracuda during Tuesday’s game?
#3 How effective was Quentin Musty on the power play against the Texas Stars’ penalty kill?
#4 Did Colin White contribute defensively in limiting the Texas Stars’ top scorers?
#5 How solid was Gabriel Carriere in net for the Barracuda when facing shots from the Texas Stars’ offense?
Sports Radio Service 