Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee County overdose deaths continue to fall, but challenges remain
West Allis Fire demonstrates using Narcan for opioid overdoses
West Allis Fire Department Assistant Chief Armando Suarez Del Real illustrates how a Narcan nasal spray kit is administered in the event of an overdose.
The number of Milwaukee County residents who died from a drug overdose fell for a third year in 2025, which county officials say is a promising sign that more money spent on harm reduction, treatment and prevention efforts is working.
New data released April 21 show 387 overdose deaths across the county last year, down about 43% from their peak in 2022.
“The work is paying off,” Dr. Ben Weston, Milwaukee County’s chief health policy adviser, said at a news conference, touting the county’s vending machines stocked with Narcan and drug testing strips, as well as a state-sponsored data collection system that helps local health departments understand when and where overdoses occur.
Still, the hundreds of county residents who lost their lives last year to a drug overdose means that work isn’t close to done, officials say – especially as the drug landscape continues to change, presenting new challenges.
“We can’t let our foot off the gas quite yet,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.
Drug mixing continues to drive lethal outcomes
Milwaukee County’s decline in overdose deaths is a trend mirrored across the state and the country, following years of climbing fatalities that were deemed a public health crisis.
The county will spend $111 million in opioid settlement funds over the next several years and is already putting what it has received to use, focusing on “reaching residents where they are,” said Jeremy Triblett, prevention integration manager with the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services.
That includes initiatives like the harm reduction vending machines and also knocking on doors, providing county EMS workers with Narcan and seeking the opinions of people who use drugs to shape the county’s strategy.
But officials say they still see a concerning trend of combinations of drugs leading to overdose, particularly fentanyl being cut with stimulants such as cocaine. These mixes of drugs make it harder to reverse an overdose, said Dr. Wieslawa Tlomak, Milwaukee County’s chief medical examiner.
Nearly a third of all autopsies the medical examiner’s office conducted in 2025 were deaths by drug overdose, Tlomak said, and the majority involved multiple drugs. Data show the most common combinations were fentanyl and cocaine, cocaine and alcohol, and opoids and fentanyl.
Methamphetamines are also involved in more overdose deaths than a few years ago, Tlomak said.
For drug users, not knowing exactly what’s in the drug they are getting is one of the most dangerous elements of the current drug landscape, she said.
Fatal drug overdoses were most common among American Indian and Alaska Native residents in 2025, the data show, followed by Black residents. About two-thirds of fatal overdoses were in men, and the median age of death from an overdose was 49, a number that’s been climbing steadily since 2018.
Triblett said the county is focusing on how substances interact with cultural norms in different communities and that a community advisory board is convening to develop harm reduction messaging for specific populations. His team will also host a door-knocking event June 12 to reach new people across the county with prevention and treatment resources.
Madeline Heim covers health and the environment for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at 920-996-7266 or mheim@usatodayco.com.
AUBURN — It’s tough enough to win an NCAA regional championship, and considering the circumstance Auburn baseball put itself in, it’s rather miraculous the Tigers will be playing for one on Monday, June 1 (5 p.m. CT, TBA).
The fourth overall seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament, Auburn dropped its regional-opener four days prior, losing to 4-seed Milwaukee and tasked with working itself out of the field’s elimination bracket.
Since then, Auburn’s rattled off three-straight victories, sending 3-seed NC State and 2-seed UCF packing before besting the Panthers in a rematch that started late Sunday and didn’t end until the early hours of Monday morning.
It’ll wind up being a three-game set between the Tigers and Panthers, who go to battle one last time in a winner-take-all contest, with a super regional berth on the line.
BUY TICKETS FOR AUBURN BASEBALL’S NCAA REGIONAL HERE
Here’s everything you need to tune into Auburn’s upcoming contest, including viewing options and more:
How to watch Auburn baseball vs Milwaukkee today: TV, streaming
STREAM AUBURN BASEBALL HERE
It’s not yet known where, or if, Auburn’s NCAA regional championship will be nationally televised, but it’ll stream on ESPN+, which can be accessed with an ESPN subscription.
Mark Neely and former Auburn pitcher Gregg Olson are expected to be on the call, handling play-by-play and color commentator duties, respectively.
Listen live to Auburn baseball vs Milwaukee on the radio
Today’s game will be broadcast live on WMSP-AM (740) in Montgomery and WGZZ-FM (94.3) in Auburn. The radio call can also be streamed online. Andy Burcham and Brad Law are expected to be on the call.
When does Auburn baseball play Milwaukee today? First-pitch time, probable starters for NCAA regional
- Time: 5 p.m. CT
- Date: Monday, June 1
- Location: Plainsman Park (Auburn)
Here’s who the Tigers and Panthers will have toeing the rubber:
- Auburn: TBA
- Milwaukee: TBA
Auburn baseball’s 2026 schedule: Results, times, how to watch
| Date(s) (Times) | Opponent | Results | TV (Streaming) |
| Feb. 13-15 (5:30, 6, 2 p.m.) | Youngstown State | G1: 2-1, AU; G2: 2-1, AU (10); G3: 17-2 AU (7) | N/A (SECN+) |
| Feb. 17 (6 p.m.) | Cincinnati | 8-0, Cincinnati | N/A (SECN+) |
| Feb. 20 (7 p.m.) | Kansas State* | 5-1, Auburn | N/A (FloSports) |
| Feb. 21 (3 p.m.) | No. 14 Florida State* | 8-5, Auburn | N/A (FloSports) |
| Feb. 22 (10:30 a.m.) | No. 11 Louisville* | 10-3, Auburn | N/A (FloSports) |
| Feb. 25 (6 p.m.) | West Georgia | 4-3, Auburn | N/A (SECN+) |
| Feb. 27 – March 1 (6, 2, 1 p.m.) | Nebraska | G1: 9-8, NU (10); G2: 15-4, AU (7); G3: 12-3, AU | N/A (SECN+) |
| March 3 (6 p.m.) | Samford | 6-2, Auburn | N/A (SECN+) |
| March 6-8 (6, 6, 1 p.m.) | Winthrop | G1: 10-0, AU (7); G2: 6-0, AU; G3: 8-1, AU | N/A (SECN+) |
| March 10 (6 p.m.) | UAB | 17-2, Auburn (7) | N/A (SECN+) |
| March 13-15 (6, 4, 1 p.m.) | at Missouri | G1: 2-0, AU; G2: 4-3, AU (10); G3: 9-2, AU | N/A (SECN+) |
| March 17 (4 p.m.) | No. 3 Georgia Tech | 9-2, Auburn | N/A (SECN+) |
| March 20-22 (6, 6, 2 p.m.) | No. 2 Texas | G1: 4-3, AU; G2: 7-6, UT; G3: 5-0, UT | N/A (SECN+) |
| March 24 (6 p.m.) | South Alabama* | 10-0, Auburn (8) | TBA |
| March 27-29 (6, 7, 1 p.m.) | at No. 23 Alabama | G1: 11-1, UA (8); G2: 3-2, UA; G3: 3-1, UA | SECN (G1); (SECN+) |
| March 31 (6 p.m.) | at No. 3 Georgia Tech | 13-3, Georgia Tech (8) | ESPN2 |
| April 2-4 (6, 6, 2 p.m.) | No. 16 Arkansas | G1: 10-2, AU; G2: 3-2, ARK; G3: 8-3, AU | ESPN2 (SECN+) |
| April 7 (6 p.m.) | Jacksonville State | 15-4, JSU (8) | N/A (SECN+) |
| April 10-12 (6, 7, 2 p.m.) | Kentucky | G1: 12-5, AU; G2: 5-4, UK; G3: 11-0, AU (7) | SECN (G2, G3); (SECN+) |
| April 14 (6 p.m.) | Alabama State | 13-0, Auburn (7) | N/A (SECN+) |
| April 16-18 (6, 4:30 p.m., 11 a.m.) | at No. 18 Florida | G1: 6-3, UF; G2: 5-3, AU; G3: 8-5, AU | SECN (G1, G2), ESPN2 (G3); (SECN+) |
| April 21 (6 p.m.) | at Samford | 14-2, Auburn (7) | TBA |
| April 24-26 (6, 6, 2 p.m.) | No. 13 Oklahoma | G1: 6-4, AU; G2: 2-1, OU; G3: 14-4, AU (8) | N/A (SECN+) |
| May 1-3 (7, 2, 1 p.m.) | at No. 7 Texas A&M | G1: 18-5, AU (7); G2: 5-4, AU; G3: 4-3, A&M | SECN (G1); (SECN+) |
| May 5 (6 p.m.) | at UAB | 10-2, Auburn | TBA |
| May 7-9 (7, 7:30, 3 p.m.) | at No. 16 Mississippi State | G1: 10-3, MSU; G2: 5-4, AU; G3: 13-2, AU (7) | ESPNU (G1), SECN (G2, G3); (SECN+) |
| May 12 (6 p.m.) | at No. 25 Jacksonville State | 4-1, Jacksonville State | TBA |
| May 14-16 (6, 6, 2 p.m.) | No. 4 Georgia | G1: 2-1, UGA; G2: 9-7, UGA; G3: 14-4, AU (8) | N/A (SECN+) |
| May 20 (8 p.m.) | (14) LSU^ | 3-1, Auburn | SECN (SECN+) |
| May 22 (8:25 p.m.) | (3) Texas A&M^ | 7-0, Auburn | SECN (SECN+) |
| May 23 (4 p.m.) | (7) Arkansas^ | 2-1, Arkansas | SECN (SECN+) |
| May 29 (Noon) | (4) Milwaukee% | 13-8, Milwaukee | N/A (ESPN+) |
| May 30 (2 p.m.) | (3) NC State% | 17-13, Auburn | ESPN (ESPN+) |
| May 31 (2 p.m.) | (2) UCF% | 9-3, Auburn | ESPN2 (ESPN+) |
| May 31 (10:10 p.m.) | (4) Milwaukee% | 9-1, Auburn | N/A (ESPN+) |
| June 1 (5 p.m.) | (4) Milwaukee% | TBA (ESPN+) | |
| Record: 41-20 (17-13 SEC) |
Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at acole@gannett.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter. To support Adam’s work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Panthers Putting Together a Great Run in the NCAA Tournament – World Baseball Network
The Milwaukee Panthers are in the driver’s seat in the NCAA Tournament’s Auburn regional. The Panthers have two wins over the Auburn Tigers and UCF Knights and made it to the regional final.
The Panthers are looking to make it to their first super regional in program history.
From a rocky start to a red-hot Horizon League Tournament run
Milwaukee did not have a smooth start to the 2026 college baseball season. The Panthers were 5-22 overall on April 3 and had an uphill battle to climb to end the season.
From April 3 to the end of the regular season, Milwaukee went 17-9. However, they still had a below-average overall record of 22-31. The Panthers needed to win the Horizon League Tournament to make it into the NCAA Tournament as an automatic bid.
The Panthers posted a solid conference record of 14-10 in 2026. This gave them the number two seed in the Horizon League Tournament, which was played at Nischwitz Stadium in Dayton, Ohio.
Milwaukee defeated Northern Kentucky and the tournament host, Wright State, twice to win the tournament title. They outscored their opponents 23-7 across those three games. The 2026 Horizon League Tournament title is the first conference tournament title for the Panthers since 2010.
Milwaukee’s wins over Auburn and UCF
An automatic bid placed Milwaukee as the fourth seed in the Auburn regional. The Panthers faced off against the Tigers on Friday, May 29.
Milwaukee got off to a huge, early lead on Auburn. Heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, the Panthers had a 10-0 lead on the Tigers. Milwaukee would go on to win 13-8.
Joey Spence, John Hadley VI, and Grant Ross led Milwaukee offensively with three hits apiece. Spence had two doubles in the game and an RBI. Hadley VI had a double and a triple against Auburn.
Charlie Marion and Bradyn Horn both had three-run home runs early on in the game that were huge for the Panthers. Those home runs allowed them to gain a big 10-0 lead early.
The magic did not stop on Friday for Milwaukee. On Saturday, May 30, the Panthers defeated the UCF Knights in the “1-0” game by a score of 13-6.
Ross continued his big performance in the regional. After a three-hit game against Auburn, the Milwaukee third baseman hit a home run and a double against UCF. He finished the game with two hits, three RBIs, and five runs scored.
Marion finished with a multi-hit game against the Knights. Milwaukee’s center fielder, Dylan O’Connell, had two doubles in the game that led to four RBIs.
Up next for Milwaukee
The Milwaukee Panthers will play the winner of the game between Auburn and UCF in the Auburn regional final on Sunday, May 31.
The Auburn-UCF elimination game is at 3 p.m. ET at Plainsman Park, and the game can be watched on ESPN2. Milwaukee’s game against the winner will be at 8 p.m. ET. That game will be on ESPN+.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Via Dominic Kibler on Instagram (@dominic.kibler)
How will Auburn baseball approach pitching for rest of NCAA regional?
What’s Auburn baseball’s strategy on the mound after its upset loss to 4-seed Milwaukee? Here’s what Butch Thompson said.
Milwaukee proved its offensive outburst in the Auburn Regional opener was no fluke, though UCF’s pitchers certainly aided the Panthers’ efforts on May 30.
The Horizon League champs tagged the Knights for five extra-base hits and capitalized on five walks in the first three innings to cruise for a 13-6 victory at Plainsman Park. Milwaukee (27-31) sits in the driver’s seat to become just the 10th regional No. 4 seed to advance to supers in NCAA baseball tournament history.
UCF (32-22) will meet Auburn (39-20) at 3 p.m. Sunday in an elimination game. The winner will turn around and face Milwaukee at 8, needing to upend the Panthers twice.
Milwaukee scored the game’s first nine runs to win for the 22nd time in their last 30 games. They jumped out to a 10-0 lead the day before to stun Auburn.
Andrew Williamson demolished his fourth home run of the regional to lead off the sixth inning, a 443-foot blast with an exit velocity of 110 mph off the bat. Evan Jones gave the Knights a chance at an improbable comeback with a career-high 4⅓ innings of two-run relief.
Here are three takeaways from an untimely upset that puts the Knights on the brink of elimination.
UCF had no answers for the top of Milwaukee’s order
Milwaukee’s big bats at the top of the lineup set the tone and proved to be near-impossible outs for UCF’s pitchers.
Panthers leadoff hitter Grant Ross reached base in each of his five plate appearances, including an unorthodox solo home run deflected off the head of UCF center fielder De’Amez Ross — reminiscent of an infamous 1993 José Canseco blooper in Cleveland.
“We’re just gritty, man. We’re grinding it out,” Grant Ross told the ESPN+ broadcast crew after the game. “We knew we had the talent all along. It’s just clicking.”
Charlie Marion singled twice, walked twice, was hit by a pitch and scored twice. Dylan O’Connell smacked doubles in his first two at-bats and drove in four runs.
The Panthers chased Mateo Gray after 1⅓ innings. He found the strike zone on just 13 of his 27 pitches, allowing three hits and three earned runs. UCF burned through five of its bullpen arms, a potentially problematic situation for the rest of the weekend.
Home plate umpire exits after taking foul tip off mask
Play was halted for 20 minutes in the second inning when home plate umpire Blake Felix absorbed a foul ball off the face mask — a fastball thrown by Milwaukee starter Aric Ehmke that UCF catcher Zak Skinner tipped.
Felix was visibly shaken up, and he met with the on-site athletic training staff before heading into the dugout. He underwent testing for a concussion and did not return, replaced behind the plate by second base umpire Travis Carlson.
Alan Gorewitz filled the void at second base for the remainder of the evening.
UCF faces elimination against No. 4 national seed Auburn
The Knights will need to knock out the fourth-ranked team in the country to keep hope of a first trip to supers alive.
Auburn rebounded to eliminate NC State in a 17-13 slugfest in earlier action Saturday. Five Tigers had multi-hit games; Ethin Bingaman and Cade Belyeu each homered twice, and Chase Fralick drove in six RBIs.
UCF has a 5-6 all-time record against the Tigers, though it swept a three-game series at Plainsman Park during the abbreviated 2020 season.
Auburn’s pitching staff has allowed 26 runs through two regional games. During the regular season, the Tigers ranked fourth in Division I with a 3.45 ERA.
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