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Chase DeLauter rakes fifth home run in seventh career regular-season game as Guardians top Cubs in home opener

Cleveland Guardians' Chase DeLauter, right, celebrates his home run with Steven Kwan (38) in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Cleveland, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians' Chase DeLauter celebrates a seventh-inning home run with Steven Kwan during a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs in Cleveland on April 3. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
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When Cleveland Guardians rookie right fielder Chase DeLauter fouled a Shohei Ohtani pitch off his back foot on Tuesday night, it looked like the 24-year-old himself might be the only one who could actually put a stop to his season-opening power surge.

After grounding out later in that at-bat, DeLauter left the game with a left foot contusion, and he didn’t play in the series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers the following day, although manager Stephen Vogt said DeLauter was supposed to be off regardless.

With negative X-rays, DeLauter was confident he’d return to the lineup for the Guardians’ home opener on Friday. He was back, and the same could be said for his seismic swing, which delivered another home run in a 4-1 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Most home runs in first 7 career regular-season games, since at least 1900:

2016 Trevor Story: 7
2026 Chase DeLauter: 5
2024 Rece Hinds: 5
1999 Mark Quinn: 5 https://t.co/x1fOtXkvCA

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) April 3, 2026

DeLauter has now hit five home runs over his first seven career regular-season games, tied for the second most in such a span since at least 1900, according to MLB researcher and reporter Sarah Langs.

The only player with more in that data set is Trevor Story, who scattered seven homers across the first seven games of his rookie season with the Colorado Rockies.

This story is being updated.

Mac McClung, 3-time NBA Slam Dunk champion, becomes first player to win multiple G League MVP awards

Mac McClung continues to rewrite G League history.

On Friday, the 27-year-old, three-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion became the first player to win multiple G League MVP awards. Last month, during a 59-point outing, the Chicago Bulls two-way guard, who stars for their affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, overtook Renaldo Major in career points, establishing himself as the league’s all-time leading scorer.

The G League has been around since 2001. Over five seasons, McClung has combined for 5,335 points across the G League’s tip-off tournament, regular season and playoffs. For reference, Major scored 5,299 points in the span of 10 seasons.

McClung last won MVP with the Osceola Magic during the 2023-24 campaign. The season before that, he won a G League title with the Delaware Blue Coats.

Just as he did with the G League’s Magic two seasons ago, McClung took home the scoring title this time around. He led the league with 31.8 points per game, plus he averaged 7.9 assists while making 3.5 triples per contest.

Adding to the trophy case! After leading the G League in scoring (31.8 PTS) while also averaging 7.9 AST and 3.5 3PM, @ChicagoBulls and @WindyCityBulls Two-Way guard Mac McClung has been named 2025-26 @Kia NBA G League Most Valuable Player.
 
McClung becomes the first player to… pic.twitter.com/3T5Jzys54V

— NBA G League (@nbagleague) April 3, 2026

McClung still has only 11 NBA games under his belt, five of which he’s played in this season, but since going undrafted out of Texas Tech in 2021, the springy, 6-foot-2 sensation has found a way to make an impact on the basketball world during his nomadic pro career.

McClung initially went viral for his dunks at Gate City High School in Virginia. He eventually showed off his hops on a global stage at the NBA Slam Dunk Contest: first in 2023, then again in 2024 and once more in 2025, when he completed his milestone three-peat in the event.

The contest could have used him in 2026. After an underwhelming showcase without McClung, he posted four dunks he would have performed. His creativity and athleticism remain impressive.

McClung began his college career at Georgetown before transferring to Texas Tech. He was part of a Red Raiders team that earned a No. 6 seed in the 2021 NCAA tournament before bowing out in the Round of 32.

Over the subsequent years, he’s had a collection of NBA regular-season opportunities, however, they’ve been fleeting.

Early this season, the guard-needy Indiana Pacers signed McClung to a multi-year deal — his first standard NBA contract, except they waived him less than two weeks later.

McClung played in three games for the Pacers, all losses. He averaged 6.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals off the bench.

In two games with the Bulls this season, he’s tallied a combined 12 points. He got the nod on Wednesday and scored eight points on 3-of-6 shooting in a lopsided loss to the Pacers.

McClung’s played sparing NBA minutes for the Bulls, Lakers, 76ers, Magic and Pacers. His chances at that level have been sporadic.

In the G League, though, his dominance has been consistent.

Curt Cignetti goes to bat for transfer QB Josh Hoover after TCU's Sonny Dykes called attention to his turnovers

All eyes were on Bloomington Wednesday for Fernando Mendoza’s pro day. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner and national champion is poised to become the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. He’s the latest transfer quarterback to thrive with the Hoosiers under head coach Curt Cignetti.

The next in line is Josh Hoover, who came over from TCU, where he combined for 71 passing touchdowns across the three seasons he started games for the Horned Frogs.

Hoover’s turnover issues are no secret. His old coach, TCU’s Sonny Dykes, called attention to them in an interview last month with Frogs Today. Cignetti, bold an unafraid as usual, alluded to those comments while going to bat for his new QB1 on Thursday during spring ball.

“Got to clean up some of the turnovers, obviously, which Coach Dykes made light of,” Cignetti said. “But when Josh got here, he met his two new best friends: Great defense and a really good run game.”

Cignetti added before giving a wink and a cheeky grin: “And he was never the same after that.”

“When Josh got here, he met his two best friends: a great defense and a run game.”

Curt Cignetti talked his talk in support of his new QB 👀 pic.twitter.com/wosi295xnP

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) April 2, 2026

Hoover has played in 36 games and tossed 33 interceptions. His 13 picks in 12 games last season were the most any Big 12 quarterback threw during the 2025 campaign.

“Look, numbers are numbers, and stats are stats,” Dykes said during an episode of “State of the Frogs” on March 23, when asked about new TCU offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis. “I think Josh started 31 games here as a quarterback, and we turned the ball over 40 — he turned the ball over 42 times in those 31 starts.”

Dykes continued: “Gordy was the offensive coordinator last year at Connecticut, and their quarterback turned it over twice. And so, you know, I think that's where we want to get to. You look at the teams that played for a national championship. You look at Indiana this year. They were No. 1 in the nation in turnover margin. …”

The Horned Frogs are looking to get back to the Big 12 championship game and the College Football Playoff for the first time since their national runner-up finish in 2022. Turnovers have undoubtedly held them back, but that’s not been the only limiting factor in Fort Worth.

When Hoover had the keys to the offense, the Horned Frogs asked a lot of him. They didn’t rank top 70 in the country in rushing yards per game in any of the three seasons he was the team’s first-string signal-caller. In 2024 and 2025, Hoover finished 11th and tied for 13th in pass attempts per game, respectively, among all quarterbacks nationally.

Then of course there’s TCU’s defense, which didn’t rank higher than 62nd in points per game allowed in any one season from 2023-25.

For reference, last season at Indiana, the Hoosiers had the 12th-best rushing offense in the FBS. Plus Mendoza attempted only 23.7 passes per game — in other words, 94 other quarterbacks, including Hoover, averaged more pass attempts than him in 2025.

Oh, and he was supported by the No. 2 scoring defense in the nation.

Cignetti’s transparency is endearing to the media and fans. He put that on display last week when inviting the world into a “wake-up call” he gave Michigan State transfer wide receiver Nick Marsh after he showed up to the first spring practice wearing gold cleats.

Cignetti was also his candid self when discussing Hoover on Thursday.

“We're still learning about him,” the third-year Hoosiers coach said. “A couple different things there. Would like to see him play a little faster at practice, a little more urgency, drive every ball. I don't know what was asked of him where he came from in terms of practice, but no plays are like a throw off.

“Even in walkthrough, we get on wide receivers for running half speed. Well, we want to drive every football, throw it like in the game. But obviously, I think the great thing is — excited about Josh, first of all. Let's be clear about that.”

Cignetti pointed out: “And he's got a body of work in terms of winning football games, passing yards, touchdown passes.”

As for those other stats, Cignetti’s clearly not concerned.

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