Five months ago this week, the Indiana Sentinels played their first game in franchise history and lost to the Topeka Scarecrows 6-1.

The Sentinels have since beaten the Scarecrows a couple times this season, and Friday night, they again showed how far they have progressed when they fell just short with a 4-3 loss to Topeka at Hamilton Community Center and Ice Arena.

“It’s definitely a better rebound from the beginning of the season until now,” assistant coach Nick Wright said. “We’re establishing roles and playing the good kind of hockey that we want.”

Friday’s game did not start well for the Sentinels. Topeka scored a goal just 10 seconds into the game.

Indiana bounced back to tie the game later in the first period when Bohdan Zinchenko scored off assists from Seth Bacon and Filip Tomiczek. But the Scarecrows responded quickly again, retaking the lead a little more than a minute later.

Topeka went up 3-1 with a goal early in the second period. This time the Sentinels responded quicky, with Corey Cunningham scoring off assists from Noah Hippolyte-Smith and Cole Ouelette about a minute-and-half later. But the Scarecrows scored again and led 4-2 after two periods.

Indiana got back to within one when Brendan Bauer scored off assits from Tomiczek and Kristers Bormanis with 5:24 remaining. The Sentinels pulled goalie Chris Curr with about three minutes left and had a few shots, but couldn’t get the equalizer.

Topeka outshot the Sentinels 39-35. Curr finished with 35 saves.

“Tonight, we definitely started out a little slow, but we got our bearings under us,” Wright said. “We defintely started getting pucks deep, started getting a lot of shots on net and started playing a good, physical brand of hockey that we’re looking to play.”

The Sentinels will host Topeka again at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Indiana will host the Port Huron Prowlers at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in a makeup game that was snowed out in January.

The Sentinels will play their final two home games of the season at 7:30 p.m. March 20 and 21 against league-leading Binghamton. The games with Topeka March 27 and 28 have been moved to River Falls, Minnesota, where a Federal Prospects Hockey League expansion team is starting next year.

DAYTON, Tenn. — Columbus Christian claimed third place in the National Association of Christian Athletes Division 4 girls basketball tournament Friday with a 48-34 win against Independent Athletics Ministries from Alabama.

Emma Murray scored 14 points, and Katie Bond added 13 to lead the Crusaders (22-5). Bond, who averaged 14.7 points over three games, was named to the All-Tournament team.

The Columbus Christian boys fell to Independent Athletics Ministries 72-55 to finish sixth in Division 6. Adam Haines and Ben Carter each scored 12 points, and Elijah Fields and Eli Wright each added nine points for the Crusaders (13-19).

IU Columbus took a 3-0 lead against Midway (Kentucky) in the fourth inning Friday, but Midway rallied for a 9-3 River States Conference baseball victory.

Trey VanMeter went 2 for 3 with a double, a triple and two RBIs for the Crimson Pride (4-19, 0-7). Riley Mertl, the first of four IUC pitchers, took the loss.

The Crimson Pride host Midway again in a doubleheader beginning at noon Saturday at Cerland.

PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — IU Columbus dropped a River States Conference softball doubleheader at Shawnee State Friday, falling 12-4 and 13-3, both in five innings.

Linnea Baldner went 2 for 3 in the opener. Starting pitcher Chloe Linn took the loss.

Renee Lecher went 2 for 3, and Destiny Forler had a double and two RBIs in the second game for the Crimson Pride (5-7, 2-4). Forler, the first of three IUC pitchers, took the loss.

IUC will host Brescia in a doubleheader beginning at noon Saturday at Ceraland.

Full Throttle Speed Skating team closed its regular competition season at the Land of Lincoln Short Track Championships last weekend in Champaign, Illinois. The event was an age-based competition, drawing more than 150 skaters from Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, Virginia and Indiana.

Making his racing debut, Oliver Meir competed in Tiny Tot division at 55m, 111m, 222m and 333m distances and finished fifth for boys.

Finn Phipps competed in Peewee A at 111m, 222m, 333m and 500m distances, finishing third for boys.

Ethan Tan competed in Pony B at 222m, 333m, 500m and 777m distances, finishing second for boys.

Edward Meir competed in Pony C at 222m, 333m, 500m and 777m distances, finishing fourth for boys.

Vivaan Gupta and Quin Fortner competed in Junior D at 500m, 777m, 1000m, and 1500m distances. Gupta finished fifth, and Fortner took sixth for boys.

Rithwik Veeravalli competed in Junior C at 500m, 777m, 1000m and 1500m, finishing fifth for boys.

Luis Marimoto Taqueushi and Wyatt Kiefer competed in Men’s Heartland B category at 500m, 777m, 1000m and 1500m. Marimoto Taqueushi claimed first, with Kiefer finishing sixth.

Next weekend, Marimoto Taqueushi and Eric Nichols will close their competition season at US Speedskating’s Age Group Nationals in Norwood, Massachusetts, having achieved qualifying times earlier this season.

Full Throttle Speed Skating Team practices at the Hamilton Community Center and Ice Arena and is coached by Taylor and Mikey Burdekin of Columbus.

With heavy rainfall over the past two weeks creating saturated grounds, officials of Brownstown Speedway and the Northern Allstars Series have postponed this today’s Fourth Annual Ira Bastin Memorial to a later date to be announced.

It was scheduled to be the season opener for Brownstown Speedway for 2026. Up next on the schedule for Brownstown will be the 29th Annual Indiana Icebreaker featuring the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series paying $25,000 to win March 28. Also competing will be Pure Stocks. For more information, visit brownstownspeedway.com

The Northern Allstars Late Model and Modified Dirt Series Powered by Sunoco Race Fuels will now set its sights on the 50th Annual Spring 50 March 21 at Florence Speedway in Union, Kentucky.

The Northern Allstars Late Models will compete for a $10,000 to win and $1,000 to start main event. The Northern Allstars Modifieds will be racing for a $1,500-to-win main event, and the Pro Late Models will compete for a $1,200-to-win feature race. For more information, visit florencespeedway.com

Also, in memory of the late John Weber, there will be a special “Dash for Cash” for the four Late Model heat race winners paying $2,000 to win, winner take all.

Weber, a former co-owner of Florence Speedway, passed away at age 82 July 10. He was instrumental in helping several area racers for more than 30 years, owning cars driven by Audie and Chuck McWilliams, Jason Jameson and Darrell Lanigan among others.

High Limit season opener this weekend

After a five-month offseason, High Limit Racing finally returns to action on American soil this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The series brings to town a new title sponsor and 15 full-timers as the SugarBee Blackjack Bash is officially the opening act in what is set to be the largest schedule in series history with 64 races at 34 tracks in 22 states.

Heading into the third year as a national touring series, High Limit is now charged by title sponsor Interstate Batteries and looks forward to more primetime national coverage than ever via six live broadcasts on FS1 and another three simulated to the NASCAR Channel in 2026.

Among myriad storylines entering this season are Rico Abreu’s move to Tony Stewart Racing, Tyler Courtney’s return from injury, Brad Sweet’s retirement opening the door for Daison Pursley at Kasey Kahne Racing, Giovanni Scelzi bringing Spire Motorsports and Chili’s to the series, the addition of two Rayce Rudeen Foundation Rookie of the Year contenders and other familiar title foes returning.

That’s only the big news out of the High Rollers. With 35-plus sprint cars expected this weekend in Vegas, there is plenty more to talk about between NASCAR stars on dirt, Aussies back in America and superstars from across the country coming to race in “The Entertainment Capital of the World.”

Remember, if you can’t be there in person, every Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing event can be streamed live on FloRacing.

James Essex writes a motorsports notebook for The Republic. Send comments to sports@therepublic.com

Spring arrives across the southern Midwest in waves. First come the warmer afternoons and the smell of fresh earth in the woods. Then, the dogwoods bloom, and gobblers start sounding off from the ridge tops. Morel mushrooms return to the landscape, and somewhere in the middle of all that, the crappies begin moving shallow.

At 8,800 surface acres, Patoka Lake is the second-largest reservoir in Indiana. It’s located in the southwestern part of the state. The lake itself is impressive, with long winding coves and standing timber scattered throughout. It’s a well-known fishery for numerous species, but to me, Patoka is a crappie lake. It looks and feels exactly like the kind of water crappies love.

This time of year, most of the crappie action happens shallow. When water temperatures reach 50 degrees, begin looking for fish in less than seven feet of water, especially over solid bottoms near timber or brush. When you find the right pocket, the fishing can be fast and furious.

As water temperatures begin creeping upward of 60 degrees, the crappie spawn is on. You’ll find the fish along the banks in shallow coves. During this period, the bite can be excellent, and Patoka has built a reputation as one of the Midwest’s best lakes for catching limits of good-sized crappie.

The most common tactics for catching crappie is about as simple as fishing gets. Either cast a small jig and slowly retrieve it, or rely on the old tried and true tactic of floating live minnows suspended beneath slip-bobbers. Minnow fishing is a method that has filled coolers for generations. Small jigs often work just as well and are especially beneficial when you want to cover more water to locate fish.

On good days, you’ll make a cast toward a submerged log, watch your bobber settle on the surface, then suddenly disappear. A quick lift of the rod, and another slab crappie comes flipping into the boat. This magic period of the crappie spawn only lasts a few weeks, so make the most of it. Crappie have always been one of my favorite fish to chase, because when we catch them, we’re having a fish fry. When it comes to fish for dinner, they’re hard to beat.

Patoka isn’t just a lake; it’s an entire outdoor experience. With roughly 17,000 acres of public land wrapping around the lake, outdoor enthusiasts will not only catch fish but enjoy spectacular wildlife viewing as well. Deer and turkey are common. River otters slide along muddy banks. Osprey hover above open water before diving for fish. Bald eagles cruise the shoreline with slow, deliberate wingbeats. Whether you come to fish, hunt, hike, paddle or simply watch wildlife, the Patoka region offers a little bit of everything.

Spring also brings the tradition of morel mushroom hunting to the public lands around Patoka. After a morning on the water, it’s hard to resist slipping into the timber to see if any morels might be popping up on the forest floor. South-facing slopes often produce first because they warm up quickly in the spring sun. Fallen logs and the bases of elm trees, especially dead ones, are always worth checking. On a good day, anglers can catch a limit of crappie and pick a bushel basket of morels.

With so much to do, it’s easy to stretch a weekend into a full outdoor adventure. The Department of Natural Resources campground at Patoka offers roughly 500 campsites with modern amenities and plenty of activities for visitors. If you prefer something a little different, floating cabins and houseboats are also available for rent on the lake.

Once you’ve had your fill of the outdoors, the nearby towns offer plenty to explore. French Lick and West Baden are just 15 minutes north of the lake. If you’ve never stepped inside the historic West Baden Springs Hotel, it’s worth the trip. The massive domed atrium and classic architecture are unlike anything else in Indiana. Jasper is about the same distance west, and for a memorable meal, you can’t go wrong with the Schnitzelbank Restaurant, an authentic German dining destination that has earned a loyal following.

See you down the trail…

Brandon Butler writes an outdoors column for The Republic. Send comments to sports@therepublic.com. For more Driftwood Outdoors, check out the podcast on www.driftwoodoutdoors.com or anywhere podcasts are streamed.

COMING UP

Indiana Sentinels hockey

Today vs. Topeka, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday vs. Topeka, 12:30 p.m.

Thursday vs. Port Huron, 6:30 p.m.

IU Columbus baseball

Today vs. Midway, noon (DH)

Tuesday vs. Wright State Lake, 1 p.m.

Friday vs. IU Kokomo, 3 p.m.

IU Columbus softball

Today vs. Brescia, noon (DH)

Friday vs. Midway, 1 p.m. (DH)

March 21 vs. Kentucky Christian, 1 p.m. (DH)

Indiana Pacers

Sunday at Bucks, 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday at Knicks, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday vs. Trail Blazers, 7:30 p.m.

Purdue men’s basketball

Today vs. UCLA in Big Ten semifinals, 2:30 p.m. (CBS)

NASCAR Cup Series

Sunday at Las Vegas, 4 p.m. (FS1)

March 22 at Darlington, S.C., 3 p.m. (FS1)

March 29 at Martinsville, Va., 3:30 p.m. (FS1)

IndyCar Series

Sunday at Arlington, Texas, 12:30 p.m. (FOX)

March 29 at Birmingham, Ala., 1 p.m. (FOX)

April 19 at Long Beach, Calif., 5:30 p.m. (FOX)

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS TODAY

Boys basketball

Hauser vs. South Decatur in Seymour Regional, 1 p.m.

Columbus North vs. Terre Haute North in Greencastle Regional, 7 p.m.

Gymnastics

Columbus North in State Finals at Ball State, 11:30 a.m.

SPORTS ON TV TODAY

Men’s Australian Rules Football

AFL: St. Kilda vs. Melbourne, midnight (FS2)

Auto racing

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: The LiUNA!, 5:30 p.m. (CW)

Formula 1: Heineken Chinese Gran Prix, 2 a.m. Sunday (APPLE TV)

Women’s basketball

FIBA World Cup Qualifying: U.S. vs. Italy, 4:45 p.m. (TRU)

College baseball

Mississippi State at Arkansas, 2 p.m. (SEC)

Tennessee at Georgia, 5 p.m. (SEC)

Notre Dame at Louisville , 6 p.m. (ACC)

LSU at Vanderbilt, 8 p.m. (SEC)

Men’s college basketball

America East Championship: Vermont at UMBC, 11 a.m. (ESPN2)

Ivy League Semifinal: Cornell vs. Yale, 11 a.m. (ESPNU)

Big Ten Semifinals, 1 and 3:30 p.m. (CBS)

Atlantic 10 Semifinals, 1 and 3:30 p.m. (CBSSN)

SEC Semifinals, 1 and 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Mid-Eastern Athletic Championship, 1 p.m. (ESPN2)

Ivy League Semifinal: Penn vs. Harvard, 2 p.m. (ESPNEWS)

AAC Semifinal: TBD vs. South Florida, 3 p.m. (ESPN2)

AAC Semifinal: TBD vs. Wichita State, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

Mountain West Championship, 6 p.m. (CBS)

Big 12 Championship, 6 p.m. (ESPN)

Big East Championship, 6:30 p.m. (FOX)

SWAC Championship, 7:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

Mid-American Championship, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)

Conference USA Championship, 8:30 p.m. (CBSSN)

ACC Championship, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Big West Championship, 10 p.m. (ESPN2)

WAC Championship, midnight (ESPN2)

Women’s college basketball

Mid-American Championship, 11 a.m. (CBSSN)

SWAC Championship, 1 p.m. (ESPNU)

WAC Championship, 3:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

MEAC Championship, 4 p.m. (ESPNEWS)

Conference USA Championship, 5:30 p.m. (CBSSN)

Ivy League Championship, 5:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

AAC Championship, 9:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

Women’s college gymnastics

Utah at UCLA, 10:30 p.m. (BTN)

Men’s college hockey

Big Ten Semifinal: Penn State at Michigan, 5 p.m. (BTN)

Big Ten Semifinal: Ohio State at Michigan State, 7:30 p.m. (BTN)

Men’s college lacrosse

Michigan at Notre Dame, noon (ACC)

Virginia at Maryland, 1 p.m. (BTN)

Women’s college lacrosse

Clemson at Virginia, 4 p.m. (ACC)

College softball

Florida at Kentucky, noon (SEC)

Virginia Tech at Duke, 2 p.m. (ACC)

Fishing

Bassmaster Classic 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic, noon (Fox)

Golf

PGA Tour: The PLAYERS Championship, 2 p.m. (NBC)

LIV Golf League, 9 p.m. (FS1)

Boys high school basketball

EYBL Scholastic Conference Semifinals, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (FS1)

Horse racing

NYRA: America’s Day at the Races, 1 p.m. (FS2)

World Baseball Classic

Puerto Rico vs. Italy, Quarterfinal, 3 p.m. (FS1)

Venezuela vs. Japan, Quarterfinal, 9 p.m. (FOX)

MLB Spring Training

Tigers vs. Blue Jays, 1 p.m. (MLB)

Diamondbacks vs. Giants, 4 p.m. (MLB)

Mets vs. Astros, 6 p.m. (MLB)

NBA

Hornets at Spurs, 3:30 p.m. (Prime Video)

Wizards at Celtics, 6 p.m. (NBA)

Nuggets at Lakers, 8:30 p.m. (ABC)

Kings at Clippers, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)

NHL

Bruins at Capitals, 3 p.m. (ABC)

Maple Leafs at Sabres, 7 p.m. (NHL)

Paralympics

Alpine Skiing: Women’s Slalom: Run 1 , 4 a.m. (CNBC)

Cross-Country Skiing: Mixed Team 4×2.5km Relay, 5 a.m. (CNBC)

Snowboarding: Men’s & Women’s Banked Slalom: Run 1, 5:45 a.m. (CNBC)

Cross-Country Skiing: Open Team 4×2.5km Relay, 6:25 a.m. (CNBC)

Snowboarding: Men’s & Women’s Banked Slalom: Run 2, 7 a.m. (CNBC)

Alpine Skiing: Women’s Slalom: Run 2, 8:15 a.m. (CNBC)

Cross-Country Skiing: Mixed Team 4×2.5km Relay, 9:15 a.m. (CNBC)

Curling: Mixed Team Gold Final, 10:05 a.m. (CNBC)

Snowboarding: Men’s & Women’s Banked Slalom: Run 2, 12:30 p.m. (CNBC)

Cross-Country Skiing: Men’s & Women’s 20km Free (Sitting), 4 a.m. Sunday (CNBC)

Alpine Skiing: Men’s Slalom: Run 1, 5:15 a.m. Sunday (CNBC)

Cross-Country Skiing: Men’s & Women’s 20km Free (Standing), 5:40 a.m. Sunday (CNBC)

Men’s rugby

Six Nations: Ireland vs. Scotland (taped), noon (NBC)

Six Nations: France vs. England, 4 p.m. (NBCSN)

Men’s soccer

English League Championship: Bristol City at Middlesbrough, 8:25 a.m. (CBSSN)

English Premier League: AFC Bournemouth at Burnley, 11 a.m. (NBCSN)

English Premier League: Brighton & Hove Albion at Sunderland, 11 a.m. (USA)

English Premier League: Newcastle United at Chelsea, 1:30 p.m. (NBCSN)

English Premier League: Everton FC at Arsenal FC, 1:30 p.m. (USA)

MLS: Philadelphia Union at Atlanta United FC, 3 p.m. (FOX)

English Premier League: Manchester City at West Ham United, 4 p.m. (USA)

MLS: Nashville SC at Columbus Crew, 6 p.m. (FS1)

Women’s soccer

NWSL: Gotham FC at Boston, 12:30 p.m. (ABC)

NWSL: Utah at Kansas City , 4 p.m. (ION)

NWSL: Denver at Bay, 6:30 p.m. (ION)

NWSL: Houston at San Diego,8:45 p.m. (ION)

Tennis

Indian Wells-Live; ATP Singles Semifinals; WTA Doubles Finals; ATP Doubles Final, 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. (Tennis)