By: Drew Williams

With spring here, that means there is a lot happening in the sports world. College basketball just ended, playoffs are starting in the NBA, and professional baseball is starting up. This is an exciting time of year for sports fans, especially basketball fans.

March was full of excitement with the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament. Michigan State upset number one ranked Duke to advance to the final four. Five seed Auburn had a great run to the final four after defeating North Carolina and Kentucky, but fell short to Virginia. Michigan State did not have enough momentum to defeat Texas Tech. Texas Tech was over looked by most teams in the tournament, but fought their way to the championship, as they played Virginia, the number one seed out of the East division. It was a great game; both teams gave it their all. At the end of regulation it was tied and, heading into overtime, the score was 68-68. Virginia clinched the National Championship by outscoring Texas Tech by eight in overtime.

In NBA news, the Warriors are looking for a three-peat this season, after winning the past two years. That also means the other teams in playoffs are looking for a championship. LeBron has been to the playoffs 13 times since the 05-06 season, and, with LeBron out of the discussion, that leaves the door wide open. Giannis Antetokuonmpo is hungry for a championship, ending the regular season very strong and not showing any signs of slowing down.

Springtime means it is almost summer, which means warm weather and baseball games. Major League Baseball is already under way; it is too early to tell how the post season will turn out. Big news at the start of the season is the $330 million, 13-year deal Bryce Harper signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. While Harper left the Nationals, Mike Trout decided to extend his contract with a 12-year $426.5 million deal, making him the highest paid baseball player in the world.

Exciting things are happening in sports and its only the start of spring. If you love warm weather, you should go to a baseball game and see how you like it. The Pirates and the Indians are the closest professional teams to watch. However, there is a Minor league baseball team in Erie called the Sea Wolves. To order tickets you can visit sites such as, www.viagogo.com. Enjoy your spring and summer! Be sure to keep up on your sports and tune into W-IKE News for the latest sports updates.