March Madness has officially come to a close with the UConn Huskies defeating the San Diego State Aztecs 76-59 on Monday, April 3. This weekend also marked Major League Baseball’s opening day on Thursday, March 30, and saw 30 teams start their climb to dethroning the Houston Astros. 

In the Final Four on Saturday, April 1, San Diego State outlasted Florida Atlantic by one point on a buzzer beater, giving a final score of 72-71. Meanwhile, UConn handled Miami cleanly, winning by a final score of 72-59.  

This dominant run by the Huskies brought UConn its 5th NCAA title, and 3rd in the last 13 years. The silent killers of the West region, the Huskies had a rather easy path as big teams like Kansas and UCLA were taken out by other teams. However, the final stretch of Arkansas, Gonzaga, Miami, and San Diego State was far from easy. In a tournament full of upsets, finally the favored team takes it home. 

Meanwhile, MLB has opened its dugouts and broken in the gloves for the 2023 season. Last year, the Houston Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series, bringing them their 2nd title in 5 years.  

As of the end of all games on Monday, April 3, only the Tampa Bay Rays and the Minnesota Twins remain undefeated at 4-0 each. Our hometown Orioles lost the opening series against the Boston Red Sox after winning on opening day, but had an impressive bounce back win against the once 3-0 Rangers, holding them to only 1 hit. Teams like the Cincinnati Reds (3-1), Los Angeles Angels (3-1), Cleveland Guardians (4-1), New York Yankees (3-1), Atlanta Braves (3-1), and Milwaukee Brewers (3-1) all look predictably strong to start the year. 

As the sports season reaches its yearly peak, the NHL Playoffs will begin shortly, followed quickly by the NBA Playoffs, then followed by the start of NFL Preseason. So kick back that recliner and turn on SportsCenter, because there’s a lot to watch!