Five sports shorts
By Levi Bright
Pistons gearing up
The NBA playoffs are set to begin April 18, and the Detroit Pistons have already clinched their spot. As a matter of fact, they did it on March 20 — the first Eastern Conference team to do so. It will be their second straight playoff appearance. It’s a remarkable turnaround for a team that’s only two years removed from a dismal 14-68 record — part of a brutal five-year stretch in which the franchise was consistently among the worst-performing in the league. Last year marked a long-awaited change of course, and they’ve only improved since. Led by the young duo of all-star point guard Cade Cunningham and center Jalen Duren, the group has strung together wins all year long to the tune of a 57-21 record and the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 playoff seed. The only damper on the situation is that Cunningham has been sidelined with a collapsed lung for the last two weeks, but there’s optimism that he could return in time for the playoffs. Even without him, though, the team has consistently played good basketball and shown their ability to continue winning until he’s back. This is a scrappy and resilient group. It’s been quite a while since Detroit had a championship-caliber basketball team, so getting to watch this group in the playoffs will be especially sweet for fans. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and General Manager Trajan Langdon have worked miracles.
Red Wings miss out, again
Despite a strong start to the season, it appears likely that the Detroit Red Wings will narrowly miss the NHL playoffs for the third time in as many years. Despite sterling play from left wing Alex DeBrincat and defenseman Moritz Seider (as well as significant contributions from right wing Lucas Raymond and center Dylan Larkin), the team as a whole has not done enough. The Wings occupied a playoff spot for large portions of the season, but in a fashion eerily reminiscent of past years, they just seemed to run out of steam when it mattered most. Barring a miraculous last-minute turnaround, they are — once again — on the outside looking in. It’s another frustrating result for a franchise that has a lot of incredible history — they don’t call Detroit “Hockeytown” for no reason, but the team’s play over the last decade has been thoroughly uninspiring. They haven’t made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season, and failing to qualify is becoming the norm. Some questions will undoubtedly be posed in the Wings’ front office as to the team’s direction going forward.
Tigers get going
And they’re off! The Detroit Tigers’ season has officially begun. The team set the 2026 season in motion with a March 26 road win against the San Diego Padres before returning to Comerica Park to win their April 3 home opener. Even after a frustrating collapse at the end of the 2025 campaign, there are high hopes for this season. The team currently sits at 4-5, and despite some early-season ups and downs they’ve shown a lot to like. The arrival of rookie infielder Kevin McGonigle has been the subject of much excitement, and so far, he has not disappointed — through nine games, he has a .303 batting average and five runs batted in. Additionally, superstar pitcher Tarik Skubal looks fully prepared to chase his third consecutive AL Cy Young award. Of course, those are just the headlines. It’s an intriguing group overall and a good mix of veterans and young guns. With that said, time will tell how they stack up against the rest of the league. The Tigers are coming off two straight playoff appearances, both under the direction of manager AJ Hinch and president of baseball operations Scott Harris. The league’s 162-game regular season concludes on Sept. 27.
Delta baseball and softball finishing up
The semester at Delta is coming to an end, and so are the seasons of its sports teams. The baseball team (men) and softball team (women) are the two currently playing, as they have been for the last two months.
The baseball team has a record of 4-17. Sophomore outfielder Joseph Kowalak is first on the team with eleven runs batted in, and sophomore infielder/outfielder Jack Berthiaume tops the list of qualified Delta hitters with a .418 batting average. Freshman pitcher Gabriel Shores leads the pitchers with a 3.86 ERA across 11 & ⅔ innings pitched. They’ll be taking on the Mid Michigan College Lakers next.
The softball team, meanwhile, stands at 8-11 and is coming off a win at Grand Rapids Community College River Otters. Sophomore pitcher Geena Gauthier leads the all hitters with eleven runs batted in, while freshman second baseman Grace Zetwig owns a team-best .460 batting average. Gauthier is also the squad’s #1 pitcher, boasting a 1.59 ERA and 61 strikeouts across 66 innings pitched and two complete games.
The regular seasons for both teams wrap up in late April.
Lions making big decisions
We’re in the midst of the NFL offseason, and the Detroit Lions are preparing for an extremely important time. With free agency mostly being over, the football world is turning its attention to the league’s annual draft slated for April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. The event has seven rounds, in which the Lions have nine total picks. It’s always a significant event, but this one is especially impactful. The team looked like it regressed last year, and 2026 will determine whether that’s a one-off or a pattern. If the Lions want to re-establish themselves as a contender, they have to do it this year or risk sliding back into mediocrity. Detroit’s roster still has some holes following a less-than-stellar free agency period, and the draft is the last feasible avenue to making major changes before the season begins. In other words, a lot hinges on getting this right. NFL teams can change the whole trajectory of their year (and by extension, of their franchise) with the draft — having young talent on the roster is everything. General manager Brad Holmes has developed a reputation as a skilled drafter, but he has his work cut out for him in Pittsburgh.
After the draft concludes, things will remain relatively quiet until preseason games begin in August. The next season officially begins on Sept. 9.