Sports rituals, documentaries

Weather is fickle and snow may still molest the crocuses, but incontrovertible evidence of spring’s arrival appears tonight. A bracket of 68 teams has dwindled down to the final two as the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament concludes (8 p.m., CBS), live from University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Meanwhile, our national pastime is in full swing. Prime-time Major League Baseball action (6 p.m., ESPN) includes the Texas Rangers hosting the Cleveland Indians in their home opener, as 30 teams embark on their 162-game trek to the fall classic. And if you really want to see spring foliage in all its glory, don’t miss “Live From the Masters” (6 p.m., Golf), from Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.

Those who prefer documentaries about difficult subjects are in luck. The “Independent Lens” (9 p.m., PBS, TVPG, check local listings) presentation “Newtown” includes harrowing firstperson interviews with the families, friends and colleagues of the 20 children and six educators slaughtered in the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in December 2012.

“Abortion: Stories Women Tell” (7 p.m., HBO) looks at the state of Missouri, where anti-abortion activists have applied political pressure to close all but one abortion provider in the state and require a 72-hour waiting period before getting an abortion. “Stories” offers very personal accounts from both sides. We meet a no-nonsense security guard who negotiates between clients, staff and protesters on a daily, if not hourly, basis.