Off-Topic » en, but theres no letdown.E5 TO HIGHLIGHT

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw believes parity might finally hit womens basketball after seeing Connecticut win an unprecedented fourth consecutive title last season.I think well have a year where maybe well see a different No. 1 every other week like the men had last year, which I thought was really exciting -- unless were the ones that are not No. 1, she joked Monday.The Fighting Irish, like Baylor, Tennessee, Stanford and several other teams, have most of their best players returning. The Huskies lost three-time AP Player of the Year Breanna Stewart, Morgan Tuck and Moriah Jefferson.McGraw said shes hoping there is parity.I think its going to be great for the game, she said. This was the year nobody lost a lot of talent except for Connecticut. So I think that really evens things out.McGraw, who guided the Irish to a national championship in 2001, believes this years Irish team might be the most talented shes coached. She believes 6-3 forward Brianna Turner (14.6 points, 7.3 rebounds), the Atlantic Coast Conference player and defensive player of the year as the Irish went 33-2 last season, is the nations best player and senior Lindsay Allen, who averaged 9.3 points and 5.8 assists, is the best point guard.Allen has started every game in her three seasons at Notre Dame, leading the Irish to a 106-6 record.The Irish ended their string of five straight Final Four appearances when they were upset 90-82 by Stanford in a regional semifinal last year, only its second loss in the past three seasons to a team other than Connecticut. Gone from that team are Madison Cable (13.7 points) and Michaela Mabrey (6.8 points), but the Irish add a pair of talented freshmen in Jackie Young and Erin Boley, and get back Ali Patberg, who sat out her freshman year after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee.Despite being confident in her team, McGraw said she wouldnt rank the Irish No. 1 to begin the season.I would put us in the top five. There are a lot of good teams this time of year, she said. We havent earned anything. I want to earn it. Ron Santo Cubs Jersey .ca! Hi Kerry, Its another day and here we are looking at another dubious hit to the head. In this case Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky elbowed Saku Koivu in the head about a second after he dished off the puck to a teammate, knocking him unconscious. Jason Heyward Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. http://www.thecubsteamshop.com/Cubs-Cole-Hamels-Kids-Jersey/ . -- Jakob Silfverberg is making himself right at home with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring four goals in his first four games. Kyle Schwarber Jersey . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday. Kosuke Fukudome Jersey . Bjorn, who had a 36-hole total of 8-under 134, made a testing six-foot putt to save par on the 16th and a birdie on the 17th before bogeying the final hole after a misjudged approach shot. American Kevin Streelman was in second place after shooting a 69. ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers most likely will be AL West champions by time they return home next week.Even before a 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night, the Rangers knew any chance of ending their homestand with a clinching game had ended earlier in the day when second-place Houston won at Oakland.Destiny is in our hands, shortstop Elvis Andrus said. Believe me, no matter if we clinch here, or anywhere, as long as youre in that, thats been our main goal. Thats our first goal.With nine games left in the regular season, the magic number remained at two for the Rangers (90-63) to clinch their second consecutive AL West title and seventh overall.After a day off Thursday, when Houston is home against the Angels, the first division-clinching opportunity for Texas could come as early as the series opener Friday night against the As. The three-game series at Oakland is their last on the road before finishing the regular season at home against Milwaukee and Tampa Bay.I feel great about our ball club and where theyre at, manager Jeff Banister said.Mike Trout hit his 28th homer for Los Angeles and Jered Weaver went six innings for his 150th career victory in an Angels uniform.Weaver (12-12), who struck out six and allowed four runs, joined Chuck Finley (165) as the only pitchers to win 150 games for the Angels.Andrew Bailey worked the ninth, allowing a two-run double to Andrus before hitting Jurickson Profar with a pitch. He earned his fourth save in four chances since his Angels debut Sept. 2.Trouts three-run drive off Derek Holland (7-9) in the fifth put the Angels up 5-1.Were still fighting. ... Were not going to give up. Were just going to try to get some positives out of the end of the year and go from there, Trout said. Its not fun when youre not playing for a playoff spot.Holland, who spent two months on the disabled list with left shoulder inflammation, allowed five runs and six hits in five innings. The lefty struck out three and walked two while throwing only 71 pitches.Obviously I just didnt do my job, Holland said. Its plain and simple.After two imprressive starts in late August when he came off the DL, Holland has lost his last three starts while giving up 14 runs in 14 2/3 innings.ddddddddddddRookie outfielder Nomar Mazara had three hits for Texas, including two RBI singles. After his run-scoring hit in the fifth, he scored on Carlos Beltrans homer that got the Rangers within 5-4.Beltran hit his 28th homer overall, and sixth since getting traded from the New York Yankees on Aug. 1.We won the series, now weve got to move on to Oakland and win the series over there. Sometimes you want things to go your way, but at the end of the day, we play good baseball, Beltran said about not clinching at home. Unfortunately it didnt happen, but theres no letdown.E5 TO HIGHLIGHT PLAYRangers 3B Profar was charged with an error when he allowed a grounder by Carlos Perez to go through his legs for an error to start the fifth. But when the next batter, Shane Robinson, tried to bunt, he popped it up and Profar made a diving back-handed catch in foul territory.CENTURY AND A HALFWeaver is a California native who has spent all 11 of his MLB seasons with the Angels, and is 150-93 in 321 career starts. The right-hander 18-8 in 40 career starts against the Rangers, his most wins against any opponent.SHORT HOPSThe Rangers won the season series against the Angels 10-9. ... Texas is still an MLB-best 36-11 in one-run games. The Rangers won the first two games in the series by one run, both comeback victories that pushed their majors-leading total to 47.TRAINERS ROOMRangers: OF Shin-Soo Choo, out since mid-August because of a fractured left forearm, said he was feeling good as he continues workouts in hopes of being ready for the postseason. He has taken batting practice in the cage, but not on the field yet.UP NEXTAngels: Travel about 250 miles south to start their final road series of a season in Houston, with the first of four games on Thursday night.Rangers: A day off before opening a three-game series Friday in Oakland. ' ' '