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    Rylie West hit a three-run homer and No. 4 seed Tennessee defeated No. 5 seed Alabama 10-5 in the opening game of the Women's College World Series. Jamison Brockenbrough and Katie Taylor had two hits and Kiki Milloy scored twice for the Lady Vols. Tennessee's Ashley Rogers gave up two runs in four innings to improve to 19-1 this season. Jenna Johnson and Kenleigh Callahan each had two hits and Marlie Giles hit a solo homer for Alabama. The Crimson Tide committed three errors and gave up four unearned runs.

      NCAA rules state schools cannot recruit athletes who are currently on another team's roster. But with college football players freer to transfer than ever before — and name, image and likeness compensation opportunities being dangled — coaches are frustrated the recruiting starts even before the name pops up in the portal. SEC coaches all say tampering is more prevalent than ever, but there are few — if any — ways to stop it.

      They were No. 8 seeds. They barely got into the playoffs after up-and-down regular seasons. They had to face the No. 1 overall seeds in Round 1 of the postseason. They had to win Game 7s in Boston just to keep their seasons alive. They are Eastern Conference champions. They are four wins from a championship. This is the story of the Miami Heat and Florida Panthers. And it could have an ending like none other.

      Wednesday marked the deadline for players who were early entrants to the NBA draft to withdraw and return to college basketball. The list of returnees includes Purdue's 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey after being named Associated Press national player of the year. There's also national champion Connecticut getting back guard Tristen Newton. But Kentucky big man Oscar Tshiebwe is staying in the draft as a former AP national player of the year. UCLA returned Pac-12 freshman of the year Adem Bona. Michigan State retained guards Jaden Akins and A.J. Hoggard. Other returnees included Tennessee's Josiah-Jordan James and Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr.

      The LSU Tigers enter the NCAA baseball tournament with the top two prospects in this summer's major league baseball draft spearheading their postseason push. Centerfielder Dylan Crews is hitting .420 and was named the SEC player of the year. He's the consensus top prospect in this July's amateur draft. Next is pitcher Paul Skenes. The righty throws 100 miles per hour, leads the nation with 167 strikeouts and was named SEC pitcher of the year.

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      The Southeastern Conference began four days of meetings on the Florida Gulf Coast for a second straight year, debating what to do with its football schedule. Texas and Oklahoma join the conference next year to make it a 16-team league that is abandoning divisions. The options are sticking with an eight-game slate, but shifting to one annual rivalry game instead of the current two, or going to nine games with three annual rivals.

      Wake Forest is the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament and the Southeastern Conference had a record-tying 10 teams picked to play in regionals. The 64-team tournament opens Friday in 16 regionals. Winners advance to eight best-of-three super regionals. Those winners move on to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. The top eight national seeds are assured of hosting super regionals if they win their regionals.

      Oklahoma will seek its third straight national softball title and seventh championship overall at the Women’s College World Series. The Sooners set the NCAA Division I record with their 48th consecutive win in an 8-7 victory over Clemson on Saturday to win the Norman Super Regional. 

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