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2025 College World Series Predictions & Preview With Chris Lemonis

Image credit: (Photo by Eric Francis/Getty Images) On this week’s College Baseball Podcast, Baseball America college writers Jacob Rudner and Peter Flaherty are joined by 2021 national champion head coach Chris Lemonis to break down super regional action, preview the College World Series and make predictions for a national champion. Time Stamps (0:35) Super regional […]

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2025 College World Series Predictions & Preview With Chris Lemonis


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(Photo by Eric Francis/Getty Images)

On this week’s College Baseball Podcast, Baseball America college writers Jacob Rudner and Peter Flaherty are joined by 2021 national champion head coach Chris Lemonis to break down super regional action, preview the College World Series and make predictions for a national champion.

Time Stamps

  • (0:35) Super regional review with Chris Lemonis
  • (7:15) College World Series preview with Chris Lemonis
  • (15:30) Scouting top draft prospects
  • (24:24) The impact of NIL and portal
  • (28:25) Are college exit velos out of control?
  • (32:00) Chris Lemonis’ pick to win it all
  • (33:00) Coastal vs. Arizona
  • (34:33) Oregon State vs. Louisville
  • (37:38) UCLA vs. Murray State
  • (39:43) LSU vs. Arkansas
  • (41:13) Flaherty and Rudner make picks to win it all
  • (42:28) Picks to Click
  • (47:50) Final thoughts

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Transfers are common across college sports. Athletes see irony in being criticized as disloyal | Football

Hailey Van Lith was one year away from tying a bow on a traditional college career at Louisville and being cemented as one of the most decorated four-year starters in Cardinals history. She had just led her team to its third straight Elite Eight appearance and put up career-high numbers, including 19.7 points per game. […]

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Hailey Van Lith was one year away from tying a bow on a traditional college career at Louisville and being cemented as one of the most decorated four-year starters in Cardinals history. She had just led her team to its third straight Elite Eight appearance and put up career-high numbers, including 19.7 points per game.

But the rising senior from Wenatchee, Washington, had other plans. With WNBA aspirations on her mind, Van Lith swapped Louisville red for LSU purple and gold and embarked on a new journey in Baton Rouge. Her lone season included another run to the Elite Eight and it was back to the transfer portal.

Coach Mark Campbell’s pro-style offense caught her eye, and she decided her fifth and final year of eligibility would be spent at TCU.

College sports was once rooted in tradition, school pride and loyalty, but those expectations are changing if not fading in a landscape where athletes have won the ability to transfer season to season, year to year. Some are painted as disloyal or selfish but Van Lith and others don’t see it that way.

“Whenever you transfer, you always expect pushback,” Van Lith told The Associated Press. “I can’t tell you how many podcasts I’ve seen on people discussing my choices to go to this school and that school, and the theories that are thrown out there are all wrong. But it’s just, you learn to live in harmony with that, and at the end of the day, I just decided I’m no longer going to let false assumptions disrupt my peace.”

One of the biggest misconceptions, Van Lith said, is that her transfer decisions were guided by NIL compensation. She was able to look past accusations of being a “money chaser” or a “trophy chaser” and find solace knowing onlookers didn’t have the full picture.

“Multiple of the schools that I went to, I actually never got a check from,” she said. “I think that in transfer culture now, a lot of people automatically assume that it has to do with the collective money or now I guess it’s revenue share. But it just depends on the person, and for me, it was all basketball decisions.”

A level playing field

Ann Skeet, senior director of Leadership Ethics at Santa Clara’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, said all parties should be held to the same standards. Coaches and athletic directors take new jobs, navigating buyouts and ill will along the way.

“I do think one of the realities of sport in this day and age is that people are making changes more often than they used to,” Skeet said. “How they communicate what their decision is, how much time they give people, how frequently they’re changing teams, all of those things should be considered, and I think it’s fair to hold the coaches and players to equal standards.”

Skeet acknowledged the pressure on athletes navigating a new, professional-like industry at a young age. Millions of dollars in name, image and likeness compensation is already flowing even before schools start cutting checks after July 1 under the NCAA antitrust settlement.

“The reality is, NIL is bringing market pressures to college sports in a way that we haven’t experienced before, and so players are having to trade off and think about what serves their own personal interests vs. what serves the team interests in ways that they haven’t had to consider in the past,” she said.

Complicated decisions

While Van Lith was deciding her future, running back Ray Davis was awaiting his. In his sole season at Kentucky, Davis rushed for 1,129 yards on 199 carries and led the SEC with 21 touchdowns from scrimmage. His production was enough to garner interest from NFL scouts.

Similar to Van Lith, Davis’s winding road to the pros involved several stops. Before Kentucky, he had two-year stints at Temple (2019-2021) and Vanderbilt (2021-2023). Transferring to Kentucky meant Davis would suit up for his third team in five years, and he knew moving from one SEC school to the next could stir the pot. The decision wasn’t an easy one.

“It was super difficult,” Davis said. “It took days, literally almost weeks to just really make a decision. And when I made the decision, I just had to live with it. I couldn’t think twice about it. I had to be confident.”

The move paid off. Davis gained national attention and was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. But while his draft stock soared, the backlash from transferring a second time took a toll.

“Mentally it sucks because, you know, as a kid when you’re 18, 19 or whatever, you’re being told, ‘Hey he’s leaving because he’s disloyal,’ and that’s not what it is,” Davis said.

He focused on what he could control.

“I think it’s really about how you handle it yourself, how you internalize it yourself, and how you go about walking in the building each and every day. If you be like, `Ah, people are looking at me like I’m not an honest and disloyal person,’ then that’s going to hurt you mentally. But if you walk into a place where you’re confident in who you are, then I think you’ll succeed,” Davis told AP.

The impacts

Transfer decisions, regardless of the underlying factor, can lead to unfavorable public perceptions — or worse. A 2024 study found a cross-section of abusive content directed toward college athletes on social media.

“It certainly is their right to transfer, but then they will also develop whatever reputation they develop as a result of the choices they make. So people who transfer multiple times are going to be identified in that way,” Skeet said. “It goes with the territory, as they say.”

Both Van Lith and Davis noted the irony in receiving blowback when team personnel can seek new ventures without repercussions.

“Coaches leave. Directors leave. Everybody has the opportunity to leave. So for players, we’ve got to have that opportunity too,” Davis said.

Added Van Lith: “A lot of times, the loyalty is placed on the responsibility of the players, but you see coaches leave all the time to better their financial situation, to make more money, to do better for their family. When people talk about loyalty, I really challenge them to put into perspective, if they would feel the same if a coach left.”


AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports



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How Does the House v. NCAA Settlement Affect NIL for Collegiate Athletes? What to Know – Eagle Media

After years of buildup and legal arguments, the House v. NCAA reached a settlement on revenue share for collegiate athletes on June 6. The $2.8 billion, ten-year settlement will pay current and past players for missed name, image and likeness opportunities. Still, it most notably will allow colleges to pay current players directly starting July […]

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After years of buildup and legal arguments, the House v. NCAA reached a settlement on revenue share for collegiate athletes on June 6. The $2.8 billion, ten-year settlement will pay current and past players for missed name, image and likeness opportunities. Still, it most notably will allow colleges to pay current players directly starting July 1. 

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken gave final approval of the landmark settlement. This comes after five years of litigation, followed by another year of discussions and edits, following the NCAA and power conferences’ initial decision to settle the suit in 2024. 

This ruling ends the amateurism status of the NCAA and provides a new framework of rules and regulations to help tame what some have called the “Wild West” era of NIL. Currently, NIL collectives operate virtually free from any sort of regulation, which results in widespread tampering across college sports and multiple lawsuits every time a player leaves a school for another after receiving a payment from the school they left. 

This most notable incident took place recently, when quarterback Madden Iamaleava transferred from Arkansas to UCLA during the spring transfer portal window. Iamaleava was an early-enrollee member of the Razorbacks’ 2025 high school recruiting class. He transferred after just spending a few weeks with the program. 

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The school’s collective, Arkansas EDGE, is still pursuing its legal dispute against Iamaleava. According to CBS Sports, they’re seeking $200,000 in repayment following his decision to leave before he touched the field. This case marks a new and aggressive approach to NIL contract enforcement, which is likely to become a more common occurrence as NIL contracts become a requirement for players to enroll at a new school. 

According to the Associated Press, universities will share up to $20.5 million with student-athletes directly across all sports. That cap will increase by at least four percent each year throughout the ten-year agreement. As far as the current planned distribution model goes, most schools are expected to allocate roughly 75 percent of future revenue to football players, 15 percent to men’s basketball, five percent to women’s basketball and the rest to all remaining sports. However, other schools plan to mirror the gross revenue each sport averages, which would likely result in more than 85 percent of the money earned being allocated to football players.

One of the main arguments against the settlement was that the new roster limits could result in thousands of student-athletes losing their spots due to imposed limitations across all 43 NCAA-sponsored sports. 

This counterargument led to a delay in the final ruling until a compromise was reached. While the judge asked for a plan to be proposed that would “grandfather in” current athletes, the power conferences instead proposed a compromise that would allow schools the option to temporarily exceed the roster limits until the players exhausted their eligibility. 

Once the roster limits are enforced, some sports will gain spots that they didn’t have in previous years, but most will be shrunk down despite being able to offer unlimited scholarships within those thresholds. 

 



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Tarleton State Softball set to host 3 camps at Tarleton State Softball Complex

Story Links STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Following a run to the WAC Tournament title game in the Texans’ first season of postseason eligibility, Tarleton State Softball announced three camps on Wednesday.   With the most successful season in the Purple and White’s Division I era behind the Texans, Tarleton State will […]

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STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Following a run to the WAC Tournament title game in the Texans’ first season of postseason eligibility, Tarleton State Softball announced three camps on Wednesday.
 
With the most successful season in the Purple and White’s Division I era behind the Texans, Tarleton State will offer three different camps this summer. The two types of camps offered will be a pair of prospect camps that bookend the kids camp in mid-July.
 
Tarleton State will offer their prospect camps on July 15 and Aug. 16. Both camps are open to those entering 8th-12th grade. All positions are welcome but are limited to the following: nine pitchers, nine catchers, 12 outfielders and 20 infielders per camp. Check in will take place at the Tarleton State Softball locker room from 8:15 a.m. to 9 a.m. Participants are expected to bring the following items: glove, bat, helmet, batting gloves, water bottle (water will be provided to fill up), hat/glasses (if needed) and catching gear (if catcher). The full camp schedule is listed below.
 
July 15
8:15 A.M.  Check in
9:00 A.M.  Introductions
9:15 A.M.  Stretch
9:30 A.M. Defense
11:15 A.M. Offense

1:15 P.M. Meet/Q&A
1:30 P.M. Check out
 
Aug. 16
8:15 A.M.  Check in
9:00 A.M.  Introductions
9:15 A.M.  Stretch
9:30 A.M. Defense
11:15 A.M. Offense

1:15 P.M. Meet/Q&A
1:30 P.M. Check out
 
The kids camp will take place on July 16-17. All kids entering kindergarten through 7th grade are welcome to attend. Check in will take place at the Tarleton State Softball locker room from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Participants are expected to bring the following items: glove, bat, helmet, batting gloves, water bottle (water will be provided to fill up), hat/glasses (if needed) and catching gear (if catcher). The full camp schedule is listed below.
 
8:30 A.M.  Check in
9 A.M.  Stretch
9:15 A.M. Defense
10:25 A.M. Offense

11:35 A.M. Meet/Q&A
 
For full information and to register, visit https://www.tarletonsoftballcamp.com
 
For the latest news on the Texans, follow Tarleton Softball on Facebook, Instagram and X @tarletonsoftball.
 





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Newest ESPN mock draft drops Kyson Witherspoon from top 10

ESPN’s second MLB mock draft was a lot different than the first, including the landing spot for Oklahoma ace Kyson Witherspoon. ESPN on Wednesday released its 2025 MLB mock draft 2.0 as Kiley McDaniel predicted the first 40 picks of the upcoming 2025 MLB Draft for the second time. This time around, McDaniel projected Witherspoon […]

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ESPN’s second MLB mock draft was a lot different than the first, including the landing spot for Oklahoma ace Kyson Witherspoon.

ESPN on Wednesday released its 2025 MLB mock draft 2.0 as Kiley McDaniel predicted the first 40 picks of the upcoming 2025 MLB Draft for the second time. This time around, McDaniel projected Witherspoon to go 13th overall to the San Francisco Giants, compared to eighth overall to the Toronto Blue Jays in his first mock last month.

“Witherspoon has some landing spots in the top 10, but Arkansas’ Gage Wood is closing in on him as the top college righty,” McDaniel wrote. “I think both will land just outside of the top 10. The Giants have been tied to many of the aforementioned second cut of college players, with Wehiwa Aloy and Marek Houston also coming up a lot, and Irish quite similar to recently traded former first-rounder James Tibbs.”

Kyson Witherspoon predicted to go outside top 10 in 2025 MLB Draft

According to ESPN, Witherspoon is the 10th-best overall prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft. The MLB ranks Witherspoon as the No. 8 overall draft prospect and Bleacher Nation recently projected him to go to the Texas Rangers at No. 12.

This season as a junior, Witherspoon was named a First-Team All-America by Perfect Game and NCBWA Second-Team All-American after one of the best seasons from a pitcher in college baseball. He was also an All-SEC First-Team honoree.

Witherspoon led the SEC with a 2.65 ERA, which also ranked 23rd in the country. He was also first in the conference with 10 wins and fourth with 124 strikeouts. He had a 10-4 record in 16 starts as OU’s right-handed ace.

In his two-year career at OU after transferring from Northwest Florida State College, Witherspoon posted a 3.16 ERA and 18-6 record.

Outside of Witherspoon dropping, ESPN’s newest mock draft also featured a new top pick in LSU left-handed pitcher Kade Anderson, who dethroned Ethan Holliday, a third baseman from Stillwater High School in Oklahoma. Holliday was now predicted to go fourth to the Colorado Rockies, where his father, Matt, also started his MLB career.

OU commit Eli Willits, a shortstop from Fort Cobb-Broxton High School in Oklahoma, was also a projected top-10 pick at No. 7 to the Miami Marlins.

The first round of the 2025 MLB Draft will be on July 13 during MLB All-Star Week in Atlanta, Georgia.

Read more about OU baseball



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Florida amendment approves ‘forbidden funds’ for NIL payouts through 2028

Florida public universities will be allowed to use “auxiliary funds” to help support the new revenue sharing model established by the House v. NCAA settlement, according to an amendment passed by the Florida Board of Governors on Wednesday. Schools around the country are entering an adjustment period for the major changes brought on by the […]

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Florida public universities will be allowed to use “auxiliary funds” to help support the new revenue sharing model established by the House v. NCAA settlement, according to an amendment passed by the Florida Board of Governors on Wednesday.

Schools around the country are entering an adjustment period for the major changes brought on by the House Settlement and new revenue sharing model.

The recent House Settlement ruling ushered in a new era in the NIL space. Beginning July 1, participating schools will be able to allocate up to $20.5 million to athletes this year, with that number increasing incrementally on an annual basis.

That $20.5 million figure isn’t a required landing point for schools. However, staying competitive in the NIL space is certainly important to maintain winning programs at the highest level.

In light of the House Settlement’s approval, which will lead to increased athletics spending, Florida public university leaders like FSU Board of Trustees Chair Peter Collins pushed for the state to amend a law that previously banned using certain funds from use in athletics, according to On3’s Ira Schoffel.

“Auxiliary funds, which come from areas such as housing, bookstores and parking fees, previously were forbidden from use in athletics in an effort to keep state sports programs self-sufficient,” Schoffel wrote.

As a result of the amendment passed by the Florida Board of Governors, schools like Florida State and Florida, among others, will be able to temporarily use up to $22.5 million in those previously forbidden funds for NIL revenue-sharing payouts over a three-year period.



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How Does the House v. NCAA Settlement Affect NIL for Collegiate Athletes? What to Know

After years of buildup and legal arguments, the House v. NCAA reached a settlement on revenue share for collegiate athletes on June 6. The $2.8 billion, ten-year settlement will pay current and past players for missed name, image and likeness opportunities. Still, it most notably will allow colleges to pay current players directly starting July […]

Published

on

How Does the House v. NCAA Settlement Affect NIL for Collegiate Athletes? What to Know

After years of buildup and legal arguments, the House v. NCAA reached a settlement on revenue share for collegiate athletes on June 6. The $2.8 billion, ten-year settlement will pay current and past players for missed name, image and likeness opportunities. Still, it most notably will allow colleges to pay current players directly starting July 1. 

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken gave final approval of the landmark settlement. This comes after five years of litigation, followed by another year of discussions and edits, following the NCAA and power conferences’ initial decision to settle the suit in 2024. 

This ruling ends the amateurism status of the NCAA and provides a new framework of rules and regulations to help tame what some have called the “Wild West” era of NIL. Currently, NIL collectives operate virtually free from any sort of regulation, which results in widespread tampering across college sports and multiple lawsuits every time a player leaves a school for another after receiving a payment from the school they left. 

This most notable incident took place recently, when quarterback Madden Iamaleava transferred from Arkansas to UCLA during the spring transfer portal window. Iamaleava was an early-enrollee member of the Razorbacks’ 2025 high school recruiting class. He transferred after just spending a few weeks with the program. 

Story continues below advertisement

The school’s collective, Arkansas EDGE, is still pursuing its legal dispute against Iamaleava. According to CBS Sports, they’re seeking $200,000 in repayment following his decision to leave before he touched the field. This case marks a new and aggressive approach to NIL contract enforcement, which is likely to become a more common occurrence as NIL contracts become a requirement for players to enroll at a new school. 

According to the Associated Press, universities will share up to $20.5 million with student-athletes directly across all sports. That cap will increase by at least four percent each year throughout the ten-year agreement. As far as the current planned distribution model goes, most schools are expected to allocate roughly 75 percent of future revenue to football players, 15 percent to men’s basketball, five percent to women’s basketball and the rest to all remaining sports. However, other schools plan to mirror the gross revenue each sport averages, which would likely result in more than 85 percent of the money earned being allocated to football players.

One of the main arguments against the settlement was that the new roster limits could result in thousands of student-athletes losing their spots due to imposed limitations across all 43 NCAA-sponsored sports. 

This counterargument led to a delay in the final ruling until a compromise was reached. While the judge asked for a plan to be proposed that would “grandfather in” current athletes, the power conferences instead proposed a compromise that would allow schools the option to temporarily exceed the roster limits until the players exhausted their eligibility. 

Once the roster limits are enforced, some sports will gain spots that they didn’t have in previous years, but most will be shrunk down despite being able to offer unlimited scholarships within those thresholds. 

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