BASEBALL

Connor Ball threw seven shutout innings and the Sanford Mainers beat the Newport Gulls, 7-1, to take a 1-0 lead in the New England Collegiate Baseball League championship series on Wednesday night in Newport, Rhode Island.

Game 2 of the best-of-three series is Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Goodall Park in Sanford. Game 3, if necessary, is scheduled for Friday in Rhode Island.

Jackson Tucker and Colin Barczi each had three of Sanford’s 15 hits while Barczi and Blake Schaaf each had two RBI for the Mainers.

TENNIS

U.S. OPEN: Rafael Nadal pulled out of the U.S. Open on Wednesday, making it the third Grand Slam tournament he’s missed this season and raising more questions about his future in tennis at age 38.

Nadal’s announcement on social media was not much of a surprise. He was on the official entry list released last month for New York, but that was more of a formality and did not preclude the 22-time major champion from withdrawing at any point before competition begins Aug. 26.

Plus, Nadal telegraphed this news a week ago after his participation in the Olympics for Spain ended with a quarterfinal loss in doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz. That followed a second-round loss in singles to rival Novak Djokovic, who left Paris with the men’s gold medal.

• Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic and other players at the U.S. Open will play for a record total of $75 million in compensation, a rise of about 15% from a year ago.

COLLEGES

FOOTBALL: The NCAA announced a four-year, show-cause order for former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh for impermissible contact with recruits and players during the COVID-19 pandemic, effectively banning him from college athletics until August 2028.

The NCAA said Harbaugh, who left his alma mater to coach the Los Angeles Chargers after last season’s undefeated national championship, “failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance and violated head coach responsibility obligations.”

• Texas running back CJ Baxter injured a knee in practice this week and will miss the season.

BASEBALL: Riley Cornelio, a former Texas Christian player, is suing the NCAA and power conferences, accusing the leagues of wage fixing through scholarship limits.

GOLF

PGA TOUR: The final event of the regular season, the Wyndham Championship at Greensboro, North Carolina, will start Thursday without fans due to the expected dangerous weather conditions from Tropical Storm Debby.

Tournament officials said spectators won’t be permitted on the grounds of Sedgefield Country Club for the first round.

AUTO RACING

INDYCAR: Agustin Canapino and Juncos Hollinger Racing mutually decided to part ways, ending a relationship between the team and Argentine driver that turned controversial when he took a brief leave of absence in June following a third social media firestorm in a year.

The team announced the decision with a social media post on X and its website, in which it commended Canapino for moving to open wheel racing and to the United States. JHR also thanked the driver for his time.

• Juri Vips will return to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for a third series start at the Grand Prix of Portland in Oregon that will give the team four Honda entries for the Aug. 25 race.

XFINITY SERIES: Connor Zilisch will race full-time in JR Motorsports’ No. 88 Chevrolet next season, the next step for the promising Trackhouse Racing development driver following victories in several series this season.

BASKETBALL

NBA: Lauri Markkanen received a multiyear contract extension with Utah, ensuring the Jazz have a key element in their rebuilding plans.

The deal is worth $238 million over five years, Markkanen’s agent told ESPN. Agent Michael Lelchitski of Sports International Group also said the deal includes $220 million in new money, and his salary for next season increases by $24 million. Markkanen’s deal had one year remaining at $18 million before the new agreement, and he can’t be traded until at least the 2025 offseason.

SOCCER

REAM SWITCHES: United States defender Tim Ream is leaving Fulham after nine years with the English club to join Charlotte FC in Major League Soccer.

Fulham, based in London, described the 36-year-old center back as a “legend” and an “outstanding servant.”