Big Ten Spotlight: True Freshmen Getting On-job Training

Spoiler alert: The Rockies’ bullpen is about as volatile as Colorado’s May weather. On a night when shortstop Ezequiel Tovar had the first two-homer game of his young career and Cal Quantrill made another terrific start, the Rockies found a way to lose, 5-4, to the Athletics Tuesday night at the Oakland Coliseum. After a heartening seven-game winning streak, Colorado has now dropped four straight.

COMMERCE CITY —  Evergreen girls soccer was a No. 14 seed entering the state tournament, and had not won a championship in 27 years. But the Cougars clearly didn’t care about any of those factors, running the table to the 2024 Class 4A title that finished with a 2-0 victory over Lutheran on Tuesday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Evergreen star sophomore Nadia Leunig scored first and then senior Gretchen Lynch added another tally in the second half, lifting Evergreen to its third title overall on a night where the Cougars’ defense also shined in limiting No.

Kris Bryant is back. But will his injured back allow him to stick around? For the first time in more than a month, the Rockies’ first baseman/right fielder was back in the starting lineup Tuesday as the Rockies took on the Athletics in Oakland. Bryant started at first base and hit fifth. “This last month … sometimes I think you take being on the field for granted,” Bryant told Rockies.

Bo Nix is becoming famous. Since the Broncos drafted him with the 12th pick in the first round, he has spoken to John Elway and Peyton Manning and hung out with Tom Brady and Jay-Z. Bo knows pressure after playing and failing at Auburn, where he was originally hyped as the school’s Tim Tebow.

The Broncos will host a joint practice in Denver again this summer with at least one of their preseason opponents. The team confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Denver will host Green Bay for a joint practice session ahead of the teams’ Aug. 18 preseason game. That came after Packers head coach Matt LaFleur earlier in the day told reporters in Green Bay of the arrangement.

The Broncos’ march toward the 2024 season hits an important check point on Tuesday, with the start of organized team activities at the team facility in Centennial. This will be the first time Denver’s rookies, including quarterback and first-round pick Bo Nix, will get to practice with new and returning veteran players on the roster.