Final Four

With nearly every eye at Pimlico fixated on either the uncatchable leader, Oxbow, or the Kentucky Derby winner and heavy betting favorite, Orb, Itsmyluckyday cruised under the radar to earn a little bit of redemption in Saturday's Preakness. After failing to challenge Orb on the muddy track at Churchill Downs two weeks ago and finishing near the back of the pack, Itsmyluckyday finished in second place in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. "We did run our race, but we just weren't lucky enough to win," trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. said.

It took two unexpected turn of events for former Gilman lacrosse standout Gordie Koerber to end up playing at the University of Denver, one of four teams left in this year's Division I NCAA men's lacrosse tournament. Until seventh grade, Koerber was the goalie for his lacrosse team before suffering two injuries made him change his mind about the position. After taking two close range shots to his chest just days apart, Koerber's parents, Bryan and Gillian, were fearful of additional injuries, especially as he faced larger, stronger players.

The Orange are gelling By Shannon Ryan, Chicago Tribune The one team everyone dissed could be the best bet to land in the Final Four. Syracuse, which started the season unranked, looks primed to find itself in Indianapolis along with Kansas, Kentucky and Texas. The Orange have a star in Wesley Johnson. They have power in the post with Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson. They have a strong perimeter shooting from Andy Rautins and Brandon Triche. And they have solid reserves in Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph.

This was supposed to be the year that Salisbury fell from the top of the Division III mountain - hard. After graduation had sapped the team of six starters, two more 20-goal scorers and two short-stick defensive midfielders, the team limped to a 1-2 start and suffered its first losing streak since 2009 and dropped below .500 for the first time since 1989. The Sea Gulls rebounded with nine consecutive wins, but was stunned, 7-6, by Washington College on April 17 in their final contest before the Capital Athletic Conference tournament and then upended, 13-11, by St. Mary's in the conference tournament final.

Ravens looking good Ken Murray Baltimore Sun In the absence of any truly dominant teams — no, the Saints don't qualify with their defense — the race is wide open. Starting in the AFC, the Colts probably aren't going to flirt with perfection again, and the Patriots still are clearing the rubble from a wicked playoff loss to the Ravens. Because of all their upgrades, I like the Ravens to challenge the Chargers in the AFC title game.

As "The Bachelorette" winds down, we're already looking forward to the next batch of hopeless romantics ("Bachelor Pad" starts July 23 featuring Kalon and his butt chin). We got a sneak peak last Thursday at the Bachelor/Bachelorette casting call. Though I don't think anyone from Baltimore made the cut, it was a sight to see: hundreds of girls in their smallest dresses and highest heels, and a handful of guys with no clue. I think a few of them thought they were auditioning for "My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding.

Whew! The final four contestants on “The Voice” were busy-sy-sy last night, performing three times each. It's getting down to the wire for Jermaine Paul, Juliet Simms, Chris Mann and Tony Lucca, and Monday was their last shot at wooing America before the season finale tonight. For some of them, it worked. Now, since each finalist performed three times - once in tribute to their coach, once with their coach, and once solo - America can only vote on their solo performance.

Prior to Sunday night's NCAA tournament semifinal against No. 4 Stevenson, No. 12 and reigning national champion Salisbury had advanced to nine of 10 Final Fours and won every single one to advance to the title game. That did not happen against the Mustangs, who registered a convincing 12-6 victory over the Sea Gulls at Mustang Stadium in Owings Mills. While the Stevenson players and coaches celebrated with their fans, Salisbury (17-6) huddled in front of the net on its side of the field and got some words of wisdom from coach Jim Berkman.

If you have any extra respect lying around the house, could I borrow it for the weekend?I'm going to be heading up to the Meadowlands for the Final Four, and I don't think I have enough respect in my personal cache to satisfy those who will be asking for it up there.None of the four teams headed for the Meadowlands thinks it gets enough respect.Syracuse doesn't. Mississippi State doesn't. Massachusetts doesn't. Even the favored Kentucky Wildcats don't think the world understands their pain.

After losing to Maryland on Saturday at Cole Field House, Florida State coach Pat Kennedy made his point about as simply as it could be made: "That team is a Final Four team."How sweet. How simple.And how correct.No, that doesn't mean Maryland's fans should run out and buy nonrefundable plane tickets to Seattle. The Terps will have to keep playing well up until the NCAA tournament, avoid the inevitable tumble of early-round upsets and probably beat at least one opponent that is every bit their equal in a regional final.

Prior to Sunday night's NCAA tournament semifinal against No. 4 Stevenson, No. 12 and reigning national champion Salisbury had advanced to nine of 10 Final Fours and won every single one to advance to the title game. That did not happen against the Mustangs, who registered a convincing 12-6 victory over the Sea Gulls at Mustang Stadium in Owings Mills. While the Stevenson players and coaches celebrated with their fans, Salisbury (17-6) huddled in front of the net on its side of the field and got some words of wisdom from coach Jim Berkman.

For the third time in the last four seasons, Stevenson and Salisbury will meet in the NCAA Division III tournament semifinals and at stake is a spot in the championship final at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on May 26. Both sides took different paths to the same destination. The No. 4 Mustangs (20-2) have been ranked in top five for pretty much the entire year and collected a program-record 20th victory with Wednesday night's 13-7 victory over No. 13 Lynchburg. The No. 12 Sea Gulls (17-5)

In February, Duke coach Kerstin Kimel said she wasn't sure any women's lacrosse team was better than Maryland. After Saturday's NCAA quarterfinal, she seemed pretty well convinced. The No. 1 Terps (21-0) had their lethal offense rolling and also forced 15 turnovers en route to a 14-9 victory and a berth in their fifth straight NCAA final four. Looking for their 12th national title and their first since 2010, the Terps are in the final four for a record 21st time. Taking their second win this season over their Atlantic Coast Conference rival at Maryland's Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex, the Terps continue to make it difficult for defenses to contain an attack that always has seven players ready to score.

When Salisbury opened the 2013 season in defense of the national championship it had captured last May, the team limped to a 1-2 start and the thought of advancing to the NCAA tournament semifinals appeared to be remote. At least that was the way coach Jim Berkman saw it. “It was definitely a distant possibility at that time,” he said Thursday after recalling a 13-12 setback to Lynchburg on Feb. 16 and a 7-6 double-overtime decision to Washington and Lee four days later. “But by the same token, they were both one-goal losses and in both games, we had a one-on-one to win the game.

Salisbury is the torchbearer for NCAA tournament semifinals, making 10 of the last 11 Final Fours. But Stevenson is beginning to establish itself as a regular in the semifinals. The No. 4 Mustangs (20-2) will be making their fourth Final Four appearance in the last five years when they play host to the reigning national champion and No. 12 Sea Gulls (17-5) this Sunday night at Mustang Stadium in Owings Mills. It is a badge of honor for a program that had not qualified for the NCAA tournament until 2009.

The cards did not look stacked in Salisbury's favor as the reigning national champion took on the unenviable task of trying to upend undefeated Dickinson. But that is exactly what the No. 12 Sea Gulls did as they evicted the No. 2 Red Devils, 11-9, from a NCAA tournament quarterfinal Wednesday. Salisbury improved to 17-5 and will meet No. 4 Stevenson (20-2) this Sunday night for the right to advance to the title game in Philadelphia on May 26. It is a development that coach Jim Berkman is thankful for. “It was a great win on the road against a team that had an unblemished season,” he said Thursday morning.

Boy, these are interesting times for CBS producer Bob Dekas.Not only will he be in charge of the production end of things when the network presents the men's Final Four this weekend, but Dekas, a lifelong Chicago Bulls fan, also is in a state of perpetual celebration now that You Know Who is back in the NBA."I grew up in Chicago and I am a huge Bulls fan. I took my kids to [Michael] Jordan's last game at the Stadium. I'm thrilled to have him back," said Dekas. "It's only when you've followed a team for that long when they start doing well do you appreciate what you've got. We've struggled for so many years with the Chicago Cubs being losers.

NEW ORLEANS -- Michigan coach Steve Fisher must not have read the newspapers or heard the comments made on television during this year's NCAA tournament. Or, he seems to ignore them the way his Wolverines seem to ignore him.How else do you explain Fisher's reaction to a question regarding his team being a group of uncoachable, undisciplined, underachievers who had trouble with the likes of Temple and George Washington at last weekend's West Regional in Seattle?"I have not heard that," Fisher said earlier this week from Ann Arbor during a national news teleconference.

ESPN analyst Quint Kessenich provided commentary for No. 7 Syracuse's 13-12 upset of No. 5 Cornell on Wednesday night and No. 2 Duke's 19-16 victory over No. 16 Virginia on Friday night. The former Johns Hopkins All-American goalkeeper, who can be followed on Twitter via @QKessenich, will be on hand for Saturday's tilt between Navy and No. 15 Johns Hopkins. Kessenich offered his perspective on the No. 1 team in the country, the 10 programs that could advance to the Final Four at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Memorial Day weekend, and the issues plaguing No. 15 Virginia.

C.J. Fair is all too familiar with the history of former high school players from Baltimore who left Syracuse early for the NBA. This week, the 6-8 junior forward follows Carmelo Anthony, who as a freshman a decade ago led the Orange to its only national college basketball championship before embarking on his professional career. But Fair, who helped Syracuse reach the Final Four for the first time since 2003 with wins over Indiana and Marquette last week at the Verizon Center in Washington, is even more familiar with another former Baltimore star who also left after being one of the top freshmen in the Big East.