Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

BASEBALL Appalachian League: The summer-collegiate Appy League, which operates under the Major League Baseball and USA Baseball Prospect Development Pipeline, started its 2025 season this week and features the same ten teams aligned in a five-team East and a five-team West. Each team will play a 48-game schedule through July 30, 2025. The league's Bristol State Liners will again be without their own home field in 2025 and will play 24 home games at TVA Credit Union Ballpark, home of the leagu... Full Story

Defenders Roll over St. Louis in XFL Conference Title Game

ST. LOUIS - Running back Deon Jackson and quarterback Jordan Ta'amu led the DC Defenders to a dominant 36-18 victory over the St. Louis Battlehawks in Sunday's XFL Conference Championship Game at The Dome at America's Center. Jackson rushed for 109 and two touchdowns on 21 carries, while Ta'amu was 18-of-26 passing for 204 yards and one touchdown to help send the Defenders to the 2025 UFL Championship Game. DC racked up 389 total yards to just 240 for St. Louis. The Defenders rolled up 187 yards on the ground, their highest rushing output of the season. Meanwhile, St. Louis entered the g... Full Story

Norfolk Throws Seven-Inning Combined No-Hitter To Win Series

LOUISVILLE, KY - The Norfolk Tides (24-38) split a doubleheader against the Louisville Bats (26-36) on Sunday at Louisville Slugger Field. The Tides would lose game one 6-5 in seven innings and then come back to win game two 4-0 in seven innings. Five Tides' pitchers would combine to toss a no-hitter in game two. That is the Tides first ever seven-inning combined no-hitter. By winning the second game, Norfolk would end the week 4-2 in Kentucky and secure their first series win of the season. Roansy Contreras, Grant Wolfram, Colin Selby, Kade Strowd, and Yaramil Hiraldo would combine to keep... Full Story

Taua, Perkins Lead Panthers to UFL Championship Game Berth

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - There was no panic for the Michigan Panthers Sunday at Protective Stadium. Michigan had built a 34-17 advantage that all but disappeared as Birmingham scored two TDs in a span of 1:10 early in the fourth quarter. But the Panthers' Bryce Perkins and Toa Taua responded. The duo accounted for every yard in a 9-play touchdown drive that was capped by a Taua 4-yard run. Taua rushed for 31 yards on the possession and added a 1-point conversion that put Michigan on top 41-29. Michigan's Arnold Tarpley picked off Corral on the next possession to effectively seal the victory. T... Full Story

• Timbers Down St. Louis City SC 2-1 with Late Game Winner at Providence Park - Portland Timbers (MLS)
• Oregon Lightning Keep Playoff Hopes Alive, Defeat Tritons 40-24 - Oregon Lightning (AF1)
• Big 10th Inning Sends Cards Home a Winner in Frisco - Springfield Cardinals (TL)
• Hood Hounds Hooks to Split Road Set - Arkansas Travelers (TL)
• Vermont Tops Sanford 6-4 in Home Opener - Vermont Mountaineers (NECBL)
• Drive Take Series Finale 7-2 - Greenville Drive (SAL)
• Miners Complete Road Series Sweep with 11-3 Rout of Titans - Sussex County Miners (FL)
• Mainers Fall in Season Opener at Vermont 6-4 - Sanford Mainers (NECBL)
• Mud Monsters Split Sunday Twin Bill, Win Series over Florence - Mississippi Mud Monsters (FL)
• Defenders Roll over St. Louis in XFL Conference Title Game - D.C. Defenders (UFL)
• All Today's Minor League News
  

• Collier scores 28 as Lynx improve to 9-0 - WNBA St. Paul Pioneer Press
• TinCaps beat Sky Carp to win series, finish long road trip .500 - MWL Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
• Utah Warriors: Former BYU, NFL RB Paul Lasike retires from rugby - MLR Deseret News
• Stoppage time goal the difference in Timbers win over St. Louis City - MLS Portland Oregonian
• 5 Tides combine to pitch no-hitter in doubleheader split at Louisville - IL Newport News Daily Press
• Sky point guard Courtney Vandersloot out for season with torn right ACL - WNBA Chicago Sun Times
• Mud Hens win high-scoring series finale at Columbus - IL Toledo Blade
• RailRiders build early lead, close series with win in St. Paul - IL Wilkes-Barre Times Leader
• Captains win third in a row, 6-4, over West Michigan - MWL Willoughby News-Herald
• Fisher Cats' Sanchez hurls 7-inning no-hitter - EL Manchester Union Leader
• All Today's Minor League Headlines

• Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report by Dan Krieger
• Inside the UFL by Fran Stuchbury
• Last Week around the Leagues by Fran Stuchbury
• Perez, Crowder and Isaac Named OurSports Central UFL Players of the Week by Fran Stuchbury
• Inside the UFL by Fran Stuchbury
• Smith, Payne and Cain Named OurSports Central UFL Players of the Week by Fran Stuchbury

Brock Wilken of the Biloxi Shuckers

See All Today's Images The following minor league and alternative professional sports teams on OurSports Central have been viewed the most over the last seven days:

1. Columbia Fireflies - Carolina League (CarL)
2. B.C. Lions - Canadian Football League (CFL)
3. Tampa Bay Rowdies - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
4. York United FC - Canadian Premier League (CPL)
5. New Mexico - ECHL (ECHL)
6. Richmond - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
7. Topeka Scarecrows - Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL)
8. Seattle - Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL)
9. Cleveland - Women's Premier Soccer League Pro (WPSL Pro)
10. Vancouver - Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL)

1. Mississippi Pro Hockey Announces Rebrand
2. Last Week around the Leagues
3. Perez, Crowder and Isaac Named OurSports Central UFL Players of the Week
4. Inside the UFL
5. Amerks Mourn the Loss of Scott Metcalfe
6. Riley Weselowski Named Head Coach of the Cincinnati Cyclones
7. Athens Rock Lobsters Appoint Garrett Rutledge as General Manager and Head Coach
8. Phoenix Mercury Sign Megan Mcconnell
9. Boston Legacy FC Unveils Official Team Crest
10. Scott Burt Named First Head Coach of Greensboro Gargoyles

The most recent minor league and alternative professional sports teams added to OurSports Central:

• Golden City Football Club - MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro)
• Indiana Sentinels - Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL)
• New Mexico - ECHL (ECHL)
• Seattle - Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL)
• Fort Lauderdale United FC - United Soccer League One (USL1)
• Vancouver - Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL)
• Pee Dee IceCats - Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL)
• Cleveland - Women's Premier Soccer League Pro (WPSL Pro)
• Noblesville Boom - NBA G League (G League)
• Richmond - Northwoods League (Northwoods)

OurSports Central provides coverage of select alternative and minor league professional sports leagues in addition to the top junior hockey leagues and college wood bat baseball leagues:

BASEBALL
Affiliated Minor League Baseball
AzCL, AzFL, CalL, CarL, EL, FLCL, FSL, IL, ML, MLBDL, MWL, NWL, PCL, SAL, SL, TL
College Wood Bat Baseball
ApL, Northwoods
Independent Minor League Baseball
AA, AtL, FL, Pecos, PL

BASKETBALL
Men's Minor League Basketball
BIG3, CEBL, G League
Women's Basketball
WNBA

FOOTBALL
Indoor/Arena Football
AF1, IFL, NAL, TAL
Outdoor Football
CFL, UFL

HOCKEY
Junior Hockey
NAHL, OHL, QMJHL, USHL, WHL
Minor League Hockey
AHL, ECHL, FPHL, SPHL
Women's Hockey
PWHL

LACROSSE
Indoor Lacrosse
NLL
Outdoor Lacrosse
PLL, WLL

OTHER
Other Sports
MLR
Other Women's
LOVB, MLV, NWLS, PVF

SOCCER
Indoor Soccer
MASL
Outdoor Soccer
CPL, MLS, MLS NEXT Pro, USL, USL1
Women's Soccer
NSL, NWSL, USLSL, WPSL Pro