Stanford outfielder drives in 11 runs to tie Pac-12 record
It took Alberto Rios until his third season at Stanford to break into the starting lineup. He arrived as an infielder, moved to catcher and did some pinch hitting before finding a home in left field.
Days like Sunday will only help keep him in the everyday lineup. He set the school record and tied the Pac-12 mark with 11 RBIs in a 24-9 win over Cal State Bakersfield.
“It's kind of ridiculous,” he said Monday. "I had no idea until I saw the box score.”
Rios appeared in eight of the Cardinal's 121 games his first two years and didn't play in the season opener against Cal State Fullerton.
He was the designated hitter for the second game and entered the third as a pinch hitter and stayed in to catch.
Rios started in left field for the Feb. 21 game against California and has been there since.
Rios entered Sunday batting .343 with six RBIs. He starts this week batting .410 with a teamhigh 17 RBIs after he had two three-run homers, a pair of tworun singles and an RBI base hit during his 5-for-7 day.
“I was as prepared as I possibly could be and was ready to roll for the game,” Rios said. “Yesterday was just baseball happening. Some days you have a good day, sometimes you have a bad day. Yesterday was just one of those good days.”
ELSEWHERE
Djokovic withdraws from Indian Wells
Organizers of the upcoming ATP tournament in Indian Wells, announced Sunday evening that Novak Djokovic has withdrawn.
The world No. 1, a native of Serbia who is not vaccinated against the coronavirus, has been unable to enter the United States. Djokovic said last month that he hoped to be granted an exemption by U.S. authorities so that he can play at Indian Wells and then later in March in Miami, but Sunday's development served as another indication that his efforts in that regard have not succeeded.
On Friday, Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R) said on Twitter that the Department of Homeland Security had just denied Djokovic his request for a vaccine waiver.
College Football: Iowa taxpayers will pay $2 million to help the University of Iowa athletic department settle a lawsuit brought by former football players who alleged racial discrimination existed in coach Kirk Ferentz's program, a state board decided in a vote Monday.
The state's Appeal Board voted 2-1 to approve the use of taxpayer funds for half of the $4.175 million settlement over the objection of State Auditor Rob Sand, a board member who said athletic director Gary Barta should be fired for a series of lawsuits ending in settlements under his watch.
Hockey: Wisconsin fired Tony Granato as men's hockey coach after a second straight losing season. Granato, who spent 13 years in the NHL, including five with the San Jose Sharks, posted a 105-129-16 overall mark and 6587-2 Big Ten record during his seven seasons.
Soccer: Brazilian soccer star Neymar will undergo seasonending surgery on his right ankle and will be out for up to four months, French club Paris Saint-Germain said Monday. Neymar will miss PSG's Champions League match at Bayern Munich on Wednesday and will be operated on in the coming days at a hospital in Doha.