Sports

West Virginia baseball coach calls out Clemson Regional for 'bogus' bullpen setup

Published

7 months ago

June 7, 2025

West Virginia baseball coach calls out Clemson Regional for 'bogus' bullpen setup

West Virginia baseball emerged out of the Clemson Regional, but its coach, Steve Sabins, still had a gripe about the setup.

Speaking to the media on June 6, Sabins complained about the new visiting bullpen setup at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. With the new setup, fans can gather close to the opposing pitchers and talk trash to them before and during the game through a net in the standing-room beer garden area.

“I like that you called them ‘issues,’” Sabins said. “I agree with ‘issues.’”

Clemson earned the No. 11 seed in the NCAA tournament, but lost to West Virginia 9-6 on May 31 in the winner’s bracket and then lost 16-4 to Kentucky on June 1 to be eliminated. The Mountaineers defeated the Wildcats 13-12 in the region championship game.

The visiting bullpen got a new setup ahead of the 2025 season. It’s something that Sabins did not appreciate, calling the entire setup “bogus,” and saying that “drunk frat guys” got too close to his players as they tried to warm up.

“It’s a net where, as a pitcher is warming up, someone could actually grab a pitcher’s arm,” Sabins said. “And so I’m all for the environment. It’s just that as somebody was warming up, somebody could actually reach out and grab an arm.”

Sabins was asked if any of his players were touched.

“I don’t want to say that,” Sabins said. “I don’t know that for certain. It’s close enough to be able to do that. So, I think as a pitcher is warming up, psychologically, if you feel like you’re in danger, you may adjust your mechanics, or you may feel like it’s too tight. So there probably needs to be a rule in place just to control that a little bit.”

But he did give credit to the Tigers’ faithful for a loud environment. He likened Clemson to more of a “minor league atmosphere.”

“The crowd here is raucous and really into the game, but it’s more of a traditional college baseball setting,” Sabins said, comparing LSU to Clemson. “At Clemson, it’s kind of that minor league thing where it’s offensive-oriented. Every time that there’s a ball or a walk or a hit, the music gets louder, and so it’s a little bit of an artificial heart rate increase, I think, for pitchers and for defenders.”

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Tulane Beach Volleyball Announces 2026 Schedule

Published

17 minutes ago

January 12, 2026

Your Sports Nation

NEW ORLEANS – After a successful 2025 fall campaign, the Tulane beach volleyball program is set for the 2026 spring season with the announcement of the Green Wave schedule as released Monday morning. The slate features eight tournaments with three hosted by Tulane at White Sands Volleyball Courts, which all culminates with the Conference USA Tournament.

“We are thrilled to announce our 2026 Season schedule!” said head coach Eyal Zimet. “It is arguably our most challenging and exciting campaign to date, competing from the west to the east coast and in between versus top-notch programs. Our experienced and super competitive squad is eager to keep getting fire tested, grow, and forge unity throughout our journey to reach our full potential! We can’t wait to get after it this year! Roll Wave!”

The Green Wave hosts the Olive and Blue Scrimmage on February 14 at White Sands as the final tune-up before the season opener. The slate officially kicks off the following weekend with the Green Wave Invitational at White Sands on February 20 and 21. Tulane opens against LSU and also faces Texas A&M Corpus Christi on day one, and day two features three contests against Oregon, South Florida, and New Orleans.

Tulane then hits the road for two tournaments, beginning with the Tiger Beach Challenge hosted by LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on February 27 and 28. The Wave are set to face North Alabama, Houston Christian, UAB, and Southern Mississippi. March opens with the Chanticleer Challenge, hosted by Coastal Carolina on March 6 and 7 in Conway, South Carolina. Tulane’s schedule in the event features Florida Atlantic, Georgia State, Cal Poly, and the host Chanticleers.

Returning home, Tulane hosts the Bayou Beach Duals at White Sands on March 13 and 14. Tulane opponents are scheduled to be Central Arkansas, UTEP, McNeese, Nicholls, and Southeastern Louisiana.

The second half of the season begins in Malibu, California, with the ASICS Classic, hosted by Pepperdine on March 20 and 21. Tulane’s four matches are set to be against the host Waves, Vanguard, Loyola Marymount, and Concordia University Irvine.

Next up is the Longhorn Showdown, hosted by Texas in Austin on April 3 and 4. Tulane will play four matches against Houston Christian, Texas, Washington, and a fourth opponent yet to be determined. The last away trip is set for April 10 and 11 at the Blazer Beach Bash in Birmingham, Alabama. The Wave will again open against Houstin Christian before facing host UAB, Mercer, and Louisiana Monroe.

The regular season concludes at White Sands with the NOLA Classic on April 17 and 18. Tulane will face Arizona, ULM, New Orleans, Florida International, and Southern Miss.

The Conference USA Tournament follows April 23-25 in Youngsville, Louisiana. The Green Wave finished as the runner-up in last season’s edition after falling in the championship match as the program aims to take the next step this season. The national championships will take place in Gulf Shores, Alabama, on May 1-3.

Tulane is fresh off a strong fall slate that concluded with a dominating home event in which the Wave won 41 of 42 sets across 21 matches against New Orleans. Tulane was 29-11 last season and 3-3 in the Conference USA Tournament, in which the Wave advanced to the championship match.

TICKETS

Tickets for the football, volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball campaigns can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.

DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL TULANE ATHLETICS APP

Download the official mobile app of Tulane Athletics. Now, you can stay in touch with the Green Wave anytime and anywhere on your Android or iOS mobile device.

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow Tulane beach volleyball at @GreenWaveBeach on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

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Molinares Joining Mean Green as XC/Distance Coach

Published

1 hour ago

January 12, 2026

Your Sports Nation

DENTON – UNT head track and field coach Doug Marshall announced the hiring on Monday of new cross country and distance coach Jafet Molinares.

“I’m thankful to (Director of Track & Field) Doug Marshall for the opportunity to join the UNT cross country and track and field family,” Molinares said. “I’m excited to work with an elite staff and can’t wait to get started with our athletes and coaches as we continue pushing the program forward.”

Molinares comes to the Mean Green following a successful stint at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, where he led one of the nation’s top NJCAA programs and coached All-American performers. He is the two-time reigning USTFCCCA Central Region Men’s Head Cross Country Coach of the Year and also won the Women’s award in 2025. He also coached the USTFCCCA Central Region Male and Female Athletes of the Year and individual national champions this past fall at Hutchinson, while the men’s team finished national runner-up and the women claimed a third-place finish. In all at Hutchinson, Molinares coached 13 All-American performers combined in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track.

Before his three-year run at Hutchinson, Molinares was the coach at Fort Scott Community College for three seasons (one as an assistant and two as head cross country coach) and coached 16 All-American performers in cross country and track. Before that, Molinares spent one season at Iowa Central Community College as an assistant, where the Tritons won the NJCAA Indoor national title on the men’s side and was runner-up on the women’s side.

As a student-athlete, Molinares was part of the 2013 NJCAA national championship half-marathon team at Iowa Central Community College before he transferred to Fort Hays State and ended up serving as a graduate assistant for the Tigers and coached an individual national champion, six MIAA conference champions and had runners set 14 new program records.

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Deacon Sports Xtra: Tina Readling Reflects on Journey Back into Coaching and Joining Demon Deacons Volleyball

Published

1 hour ago

January 12, 2026

Your Sports Nation

When Tina Readling looks back on the path that led her to Wake Forest, it’s not a straight line — and it’s not one she believes was rushed or accidental.

After stepping away from full-time coaching to take an operations role at Penn State, Readling was clear with herself and with those around her that the move was never meant to be permanent. She wanted to return to the gym. She wanted to coach again. She just didn’t know exactly when.

“I wasn’t trying to make a career out of an operations job,” Readling said. “It was a blessing, but I knew it wasn’t me long-term.”

That clarity mattered when timing intervened. Just as Readling felt ready to pursue coaching opportunities again, circumstances shifted. Penn State head coach and national champion Katie Schumacher-Cawley announced her breast cancer diagnosis in October, and Readling felt an unmistakable pull to stay.

“I really can’t explain it,” she said. “I just felt like God had something else for me. When Coach Katie shared what she was going through, it became very clear that I was supposed to be there that extra season.”

Readling stayed, supporting the program through a demanding year that culminated in a national championship — an experience she still describes as uniquely meaningful, not just professionally, but personally.

“It was meant to be,” she said. “There are no words to describe it.”

Only after that season did Readling reopen the door to what came next. When she did, she wasn’t targeting a location or a conference. She was looking for the right fit culturally, professionally and personally.

That search led her to Wake Forest and to first-year head coach Jeff Hulsmeyer, even though the two had never worked together.

“I didn’t know Jeff at all,” Readling admitted. “But when I heard he got the job, I thought, ‘That says a lot.’ He’s been around successful programs for a long time and he knows what he’s doing.”

What followed was a chorus of trusted voices encouraging her to look more closely — former coaches, colleagues across the volleyball world and longtime friends who knew both Readling and Hulsmeyer well.

“In this business, it’s hard for a head coach to hire someone they don’t know,” Readling said. “So the fact that so many people made calls on my behalf mattered.”

Her campus visit didn’t answer every question, but it confirmed something deeper.

“I just knew this was a place I was supposed to be,” she said.

Two days later, another piece of the puzzle fell into place. Readling learned that her mother-in-law, who lives in the area, had been diagnosed with leukemia. Being closer to family suddenly carried even more weight.

“All things work together for good,” she said. “That part became very real, very quickly.”

Readling joined a staff that emphasized experience and continuity — an intentional choice for a program emerging from transition. Wake Forest entered the 2025 season following a difficult 2024 campaign that ended with an eight-match losing streak and a 5–15 ACC record. Demon Deacons Volleyball was in need of a reset, and Hulsmeyer built a staff ready to facilitate that change.

Year one showed signs of stabilization. Wake Forest finished with 15 overall wins and nine in the ACC – the latter being its most since the 2010 season. The team proved competitive at home and more consistent week to week.

For Readling, those results were never meant to be an endpoint.

“Being able to make it to the NCAA tournament would be great,” she said. “But that’s not enough for us.”

That mindset aligns with Hulsmeyer’s resume — built across the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 — and with Readling’s own experience inside programs that understand what sustained success actually requires.

“He knows what it takes to get there,” Readling said of Hulsmeyer. “And not just get there once.”

Equally important was retaining Director of Volleyball Operations Drew Langston, whose presence smoothed the early transition.

“We’re not spending time figuring out how things work,” Readling said. “Drew has it dialed in. That matters more than people realize.”

Recruiting, too, has been approached with patience rather than urgency. Readling views growth as something built deliberately over time. She’s been immersed in volleyball at nearly every level: collegiate coaching, youth and club development, USA Volleyball leadership, and conference governance. The sport’s growth, particularly on the women’s side, is something she believes Wake Forest is positioned to capitalize on.

“This is a great product,” she said. “The campus, the facilities, the academics — all of it matters.”

For Readling, returning to the gym has been both energizing and grounding. She speaks with enthusiasm about film sessions, practice planning, recruiting trips and the day-to-day rhythm of coaching — work she missed while in operations.

“I love being back in it,” she said. “I love the conversations, the teaching, the challenge.”

She also understands that building something meaningful doesn’t happen overnight, especially in a changing college athletics landscape.

“We have a vision for what we want this program to be,” Readling said. “It’s a journey, but it’s also about getting better. Every year.”

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Former Alabama Volleyball Standout Alyiah Wells Rejoins Crimson Tide as Assistant Coach

Published

1 hour ago

January 12, 2026

Your Sports Nation

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Former Alabama standout player Alyiah Wells has rejoined the Crimson Tide as its newest assistant coach, it was announced Monday by head coach Rashinda Reed.

“It’s an honor and a blessing to return to Tuscaloosa, where I committed to at just 15 years old,” Wells said. “I spent five years helping to grow this program on the court and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to do so from the sidelines alongside the same staff who believed in me from the very beginning.

“I’m incredibly thankful for Coach Reed’s mentorship over the past four years. She pours her heart and soul into developing this program and its players every day, on and off the court, even long after they leave the Capstone. During my time playing for her, we always discussed building a program people would be proud to be a part of, creating a winning culture and leaving a legacy. Now, I’m even more excited to bring my loyalty and passion for Alabama into a new role.”

Wells played at Alabama from 2019-23, accumulating 987 career kills over 117 matches played with the Tide. She was an SEC All-Freshman team selection in 2019 and finished her career with a .312 hitting percentage and 411 blocks. Following her graduation, she played professionally in Europe with the Elite Féminine league in Sens, France for Sens Volley 89 in 2024-2025 and the Hungarian first division for MÁV Elore Foxconn in Székesfehérvár, Hungary serving as team captain 2025.

“Thank you to Coach Reed, Greg Byrne and the entire compliance and administrative staff who watched me grow from an 18-year-old student-athlete into someone ready for this opportunity,” Wells said. “I’m proud to be home with my family after my professional career in Europe.

“Thank you to my parents and grandparents for your endless support of a little girl chasing her dream of becoming a professional athlete and always putting me in the best position to be successful. I would not be here without my village! I can’t wait to get to work and be back in Foster Auditorium this fall. Bama has always had my heart. Roll Tide!”

Memphis, Tenn. native

2018-19 Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year at Briarcrest Christian School

2019 SEC All-Freshman Team

Finished her Alabama career (2019-23) with 987 kills, a .312 hitting percentage and 411 blocks over 117 matches played

Played professionally in Europe for the Elite Féminine league in Sens, France for Sens Volley 89 in 2024-2025 and the Hungarian first division for MÁV Elore Foxconn in Székesfehérvár, Hungary serving as team captain 2025

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Rising Phoenix: This Week In Elon Athletics

Published

2 hours ago

January 12, 2026

Your Sports Nation

ELON – The Elon women’s tennis team is set to begin its spring season at Charlotte this Friday. The Phoenix is coming off of the 2025 CAA Championship win over William & Mary at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center last spring.

Each Monday, Rising Phoenix will preview the week ahead in Elon athletics. Here is a look at each Elon team competing this week.

Men’s Basketball

After trailing the entire contest against Campbell on Saturday night, the Phoenix prevailed, going on a 10-0 run to defeat the Camels, 83-82. Kacper Klaczek and Chandler Cuthrell paced the team with 20 points each, followed by Randall Pettus II and Ja’Juan Carr, who scored 17 apiece. Pettus II scored the go-ahead layup to secure the victory. The Phoenix will spend the week on the road, facing Northeastern in Boston on Thursday at 7 p.m. and Hofstra in Hempstead on Saturday at noon.

Women’s Tennis

For the first time this spring, the Elon women’s tennis team will take the court, facing off against Charlotte on the road Friday. The Phoenix returns with junior Simone Bergeron, the 2025 CAA Player of the Year, 2025 CAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player and member of the All-CAA First Team in both singles and doubles. Also returning is Bergeron’s doubles partner junior Mariana Reding, seniors Helen Sarikulaya and Madison Cordisco and sophomore Lisa Kranec. Elon welcomed three newcomers this offseason in Cornelia Kack, Nathalie Marinovitch and Alexis Nyborg.

Men’s Tennis

The Elon men’s tennis team earned its first victory of the 2026 season against St. Joseph’s on Saturday, 6-1. Elon secured the doubles point via victories from Rafael Ymer and Jack Curtis on Court 2 and Veljko Krstic and Nikola Parichkov on Court 1. Krstic, Ymer and Parichkov, as well as Charles Pilet and Oskar Antinheimo, also earned their first singles victories of the season. Elon heads to Durham to face No. 17 Duke on Friday at 5 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

The road slate continues for the Elon women’s basketball team, who will face UNCW on Friday at 7 p.m. and College of Charleston on Sunday at 1 p.m. Against Campbell last week, Ashanti Fox scored a career-high 14 points with a career-high and team best four steals. LaNae’ Corbett led the team with 17 points and one block.

Track & Field

The Elon University track & field team will compete for the first time in 2026 on Saturday at the Mondo College Invitational in Winston-Salem. At the Liberty Kickoff, Jasmine Young took home first place in the 5,000 and Winter Oaster also placed first in the mile. In Boston for the Sharon Colyear-Danville Opener, Sarah Petitjean ran a personal-best 9:49.97 in the 3,000 while Hannah Weber ran a personal-best 16:29.00 in the 5,000.

‘Rising Phoenix’ is a student-led initiative to cover Elon Athletics. Through innovative content creation and storytelling, Elon University students will have the opportunity to highlight the moments, people and events that make an impact, leveraging the athletic department’s various web and social media platforms for distribution. Follow Rising Phoenix on X (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Sydney Spencer at sspencer9@elon.edu.

–ELON–

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What to know about the 2026 NCAA Convention

Published

2 hours ago

January 12, 2026

Your Sports Nation

The 2026 NCAA Convention begins Tuesday in the Washington, D.C., area, where all three divisions will gather for the annual event, which includes education sessions on important topics, action on legislative proposals and celebrations to honor the achievements of many people in college athletics.

The event runs through Friday. Roughly 3,000 attendees from member schools and conferences across the country are expected to attend. Below is a snapshot of the event. View the full schedule here.

New championships

All three divisions will vote on recommendations to make stunt and acrobatics and tumbling NCAA championship sports. If the measures are approved, the two sports will host their first championships in spring 2027. They would also join the following sports to earn NCAA championship status through the Emerging Sports for Women program: rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003), beach volleyball (2015) and wrestling (2025).

Additionally, Divisions II and III will vote on proposals at their business sessions to create division-specific championships for women’s bowling (Division II) and women’s wrestling (Division III). If approved, both division-specific championships first would be held in 2028.

Division I

Division I will hold a full membership vote on a proposal that would add three units each to the men’s and women’s basketball distribution funds: one unit for each team competing in the respective championship games and an additional unit for each national champion. If approved, teams competing in championship games during the 2026 tournaments will begin earning distributions that will be paid out to conference offices starting in 2027.

The Division I Cabinet is expected to consider a proposal to allow additional commercial logos on uniforms, apparel and equipment — except during NCAA Championships. The measure would become effective in August. The Cabinet also will consider proposals to create National Collegiate Championships for women’s stunt and women’s acrobatics and tumbling and may introduce women’s flag football to the Emerging Sports for Women program. Additionally, the Cabinet will review proposals from oversight committees in several sports — men’s and women’s basketball, track and field, wrestling and men’s ice hockey — to adjust notification-of-transfer windows in those sports.

The Division I Board of Directors will receive an update on the Decision-Making Working Group’s recommendation to decentralize certain regulatory areas of NCAA rules and will consider a proposal that requires a supermajority to approve changes to Division I membership requirements, effectively preventing the autonomy conferences from unilaterally acting without the support of at least one other voting member of the Cabinet or board.

Division II

Division II’s Convention week will include key committee meetings, impactful education sessions and its business session.

The business session Friday will include 17 proposals, with 11 membership-sponsored proposals and a resolution specific to the Division II Football Championship date formula. The Division II Official Notice and Question and Answer Guide provide details on all the proposals. In addition, the winner of the 2026 Division II Award of Excellence will be announced during the business session. The finalists were revealed last week.

The Division II Executive Board, Management Council and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will also meet individually and collectively during the week.

Division II will hold division-specific education sessions on topics covering business models and enrollment strategies, the future of Division II championships, strengthening the Division II academic and compliance framework, and the impact of Division I decisions on the Division II landscape.

Additionally, Eric Gaynor from Bentley will be recognized at a reception Thursday as the 2025 Dr. Dave Pariser Faculty Mentor Award recipient. Also at the reception, Division II will celebrate 20 years of Division II faculty athletics representative institutes, which provide professional development and education.

Division III

Division III will vote on legislative proposals and continue its divisional analysis. The NCAA’s largest division will focus on the betterment of student-athletes and its schools and conference offices.

Key legislative proposals for Friday’s business session include establishing a Division III women’s wrestling championship, redefining how a season of eligibility is used, permitting multiple automatic qualifiers for conferences and requiring use of the Transfer Portal. Dive deeper into the proposals.

The Presidents and Management Councils and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee all will gather. During those meetings — as well as the Presidents and Chancellors Forum and the Issues Forum — delegates will engage in initial discussions of the Division III analysis the Presidents Council is undertaking.

The Division III educational sessions include “Connecting With Generation Z,” “Building Campuswide Relationships for Athletic Success” and “How Technology Can Help an Athletics Department.”

The annual Special Olympics event will occur Wednesday afternoon, and the Division III LGBTQ of the Year Award celebration will be held that evening. This celebration recognizes those in college athletics for their service and leadership. Division III delegates are encouraged to attend these events.

For more information, visit the Division III Convention resources page.

Awards

Several student-athletes, coaches and administrators will be celebrated during the Convention for their success on and off the field, as well as their positive contributions to college sports and society.

The NCAA Honors Presentation will be livestreamed from 5-6:30 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday. The following award winners will be recognized during the event, which will also include the State of College Sports address from NCAA President Charlie Baker. (Livestream)

Theodore Roosevelt Award: Dikembe Mutombo, Georgetown men’s basketball.

NCAA Woman of the Year: Sam Schott, The University of Texas at Tyler softball.

Silver Anniversary Awards: Nick Ackerman, Simpson men’s wrestling; Drew Brees Purdue football; Tamika Catchings, Tennessee women’s basketball; and Dr. Lauren Witmer, Millersville women’s tennis.

Gerald R. Ford Award: Charlene Curtis, Radford women’s basketball.

Pat Summitt Award: Nikki Franke, Temple fencing.

Inspiration Award: Francesca Loiseau, Marymount (Virginia) women’s tennis.

Award of Valor: Alex Guerra, Radford baseball.

Impact Award: Ella Brissett, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women’s tennis; Mia Levy, Yale rowing; Brayden Long, Slippery Rock football; Aino Martikainen, Franklin Pierce women’s soccer; Micaylon Moore, Nebraska men’s indoor and outdoor track and field; and Matt Wrather, John Carroll football.

Featured Association-wide sessions (all times Eastern)

The Power of Partnership: Leveraging Team IMPACT To Transform the Student-Athlete Experience (2:30-3:30 p.m. Tuesday): This panel will highlight how NCAA member schools are partnering with Team IMPACT to create life-changing experiences for children facing serious illness and disability while enhancing student-athlete development. Panelists will share best practices, outcomes and stories that demonstrate the profound influence on community engagement and the leadership development of student-athletes. (Livestream)

Sports Betting (10-11 a.m. Wednesday): This session will educate attendees about prevention and harm-reduction strategies related to gambling and sports betting in collegiate athletics, including educational and mental health resources available for member schools. Experts will also discuss integrity trends and social media abuse research and monitoring techniques. (Livestream)

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