#key-players

#key-players

Japan's national team, known as the Samurai Blue, has never advanced past the last 16 in World Cup history but stunned the football world with group-stage victories over Spain and Germany in Qatar, demonstrating their potential as formidable opponents.

Facing a France team with limited NHL talent beyond Montreal Canadiens forward Alexandre Texier and former NHLer Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, it was expected that Canada would win by a sizeable margin. Despite a close game early on, that lasted until just over halfway into the second period before Canada opened the floodgates. Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson opened the scoring in the first period before France tied it up 13 seconds later with a goal from Floran Douay.

The 94-win Blue Jays are a feared team around the league, and for good reason. They ran through the regular season behind the talents of the aforementioned Springer, who hit .309 this season with an OPS of .959, a bWAR of 4.8, and smashed 32 home runs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the slugging first baseman of the Blue Jays, hit .292 with 23 home runs and 84 RBIs.

STANFORD AT SMU Records: Stanford 2-3, 1-1 ACC. SMU 3-2, 1-0. Kickoff: 9 a.m. PT at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas TV: The CW Radio: KNBR 1050 AM Series history: Tied 1-1. SMU won 40-10 last year at Stanford Stadium, while Stanford won 7-0 in the 1936 Rose Bowl. SMU and Cal are Stanford's protected rivals in the ACC, which means the teams will play each other every season.

In a remarkable doubleheader, Lloyd Waner still holds a major-league record with 18 putouts in center field against the Braves, showcasing his defensive prowess.

Jackson Eisenhauer has proven to be a valuable asset for Crespi, showcasing his skills without allowing any earned runs in a remarkable 51 innings this season.