High School Sports

Pitching key to Trailblazers' success

PENN LAIRD — Many athletes have a pregame regimen to get motivated before they go out to perform. It could be listening to their favorite workout or hype music, watching old sports highlights, or listening to motivational speeches. Whatever it takes, athletes will do what they can to get in the mode and be game-ready. […]

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4 weeks ago

June 12, 2025

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PENN LAIRD — Many athletes have a pregame regimen to get motivated before they go out to perform.

It could be listening to their favorite workout or hype music, watching old sports highlights, or listening to motivational speeches.

Whatever it takes, athletes will do what they can to get in the mode and be game-ready.

For Spotswood senior pitching aces Carter Lenz and Brady Hoover, neither of them has any go-to superstitions.

That’s because the two simply live for the game, and the excitement and thrill of taking the mound and competing gives them the spark they need before they take the field.

“Honestly, it kind of does itself,” Lenz said. “I love the game of baseball, so every game gets me pretty fired up and gets me going a little bit. … I just live in the moment with my guys.”

Where does Hoover get his energy from as he trots out to the mound?

At least this year, Hoover lets the feeling of knowing it could be his final high school game bottle up inside and gets set to release that adrenaline against whoever steps up against him at the plate.

“I don’t know when it’s going to be my last time playing high school baseball,” Hoover said. “If that doesn’t get you fired up, I don’t know what does.”

Hoover and Lenz have maximized that drive to keep playing high school baseball because, win or lose, they’ll be hanging up the Spotswood blue and white after this weekend.

In the end, the pitching duo could call themselves state champions.

“Carter and Brady are extremely special athletes,” SHS head coach Marcus Davis said. “Anytime they’re on the mound, they give us a chance to be successful. We’re extremely thankful for them. They put in a lot of work behind the scenes.”

Hoover and Lenz have varying pitching styles, making them a phenomenal 1-2 punch for the Blazers pitching staff.

They have differing mentalities on the bump, but Lenz said he and Hoover have a unique bond that pushes them both to be at their best.

“We’re both very similar people,” Lenz said. “We get along great. He’s a great teammate and I love to have him around. We use each other to push each other. Very similar in skill level and we just like to treat every game like a competition in the game. We always try to see who can have the better outing and push each other that way. It’s just a really fun dynamic between us.”

Hoover and Lenz have proven they can go the distance in any game while throwing a high volume of strikeouts, and while that might be similar, their styles are different.

Davis described Lenz as having a “closer” mindset on the mound with excellent velocity and extreme competitiveness.

No matter the situation, Davis said Lenz never wavers and believes he can get the job done.

20250410_dnr_TA-SPOT BSB_7 (DN-R) — Spotswood’s Carter Lenz winds up a pitch to Turner Ashby earlier this season.

Daniel Lin / DN-R

“His mentality is more of a closer,” Davis said. “He’s going to dominate. That’s his mentality, is ‘I’m going to dominate whoever’s in the box, no matter what.’ … Carter is all-out, all the time, and I love it.”

Hoover is a more traditional pitcher, Davis said, describing him as one who throws a ton of pitches for strikes and understands the role of a starter.

“Brady is more of a finesse guy,” Davis said. “He pitches with some velocity but does a good job spotting.”

Hoover and Lenz have alternated as the starting pitcher essentially every other game this season.

With that amount of activity, Hoover said it’s important for he and Lenz to hold each other accountable, even if it’s the small things such as getting a run in after the game.

“I think we usually keep each other in check,” Hoover said. “After games, we always have [to run], so we always keep each other to that standard of finishing our running and all that. It just keeps us in good shape to be able to come out and pitch the next game and be ready.”

Davis often talks about executing the four phases of the game, with pitching being one of them.

Whether it’s Hoover or Lenz on the mound, the duo both have the confidence in themselves and in each other to check off that box every game.

“When I’m on the mound, I’m like, ‘All right, tonight, we’re getting that pitching box checked off,’” Lenz said. “‘We’re getting that done. I’m going to do my part to help our team win.’”

Hoover has played in his fair share of big-time games at Spotswood, but none will be greater than this Friday’s state semifinal matchup against Kettle Run at Fluvanna County High at 1:30 p.m.

But with the experience of those huge moments over the years, Hoover isn’t shying away from the spotlight this weekend.

“I feel like through all the big games I’ve played in my life, it’s definitely helped me up to this point,” Hoover said.

Hoover and Lenz have thrown some of their best outings in their final season with the Blazers, and the duo will look to do the same this weekend as they aim to notch two more victories and bring home the hardware to Penn Laird.

“It’d mean everything,” Hoover said. “It’d be awesome. … It’s what everyone works for and what everyone lives for.”

Lenz couldn’t find the words to describe what a state championship win would mean.

But one thing he knows for sure, between heartbreak in the playoffs the previous few years and the camaraderie among the players, Lenz knows it would be special.

“It’s something to look back on,” Lenz said. “It’s your last time really playing with the group of guys you grew up with, so it makes it special. Whenever a game is special, everyone is going to put their all into and really go all-out for it.”

High School Sports

5 highlights from NY Islanders Matthew Schaefer's Spittin' Chiclets interview

Schaefer credits roller blading for his skating ability “At my high school in Stoney Creek, there’s a sports camp we do every year. All the kids would go to power skating six times a week, always on the ice. But my dad was like, “No, I want you to be a kid. Go to sports […]

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2 hours ago

July 8, 2025

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5 highlights from NY Islanders Matthew Schaefer's Spittin' Chiclets interview

Schaefer credits roller blading for his skating ability

“At my high school in Stoney Creek, there’s a sports camp we do every year. All the kids would go to power skating six times a week, always on the ice. But my dad was like, “No, I want you to be a kid. Go to sports camp. Be with your buddies.”

“He said hockey can wait. So I didn’t do much power skating. I’d just be on the rollerblades a lot, skating with my brother, shooting on my mom—she’d put on the pads.”

Honestly, I think over time from rollerblading—me and my brother would rollerblade all the time, do mohawks up and down. That helped a lot. I didn’t do a crazy amount of power skating. Maybe a couple times a week, similar to every other kid.”

Matthew Schaefer — New York Islanders Development Camp | Bruce Bennett/GettyImages

He’s not relaxing this summer

“My goal is to be ready to play by the end of the summer. That’s what they heard from me. They told me to go home and relax,” said Schaefer. “Training camp was busy. So now it’s about putting on weight and muscle. It’s bigger, stronger, faster guys at that level.”

“I’ll be 18 by the time the season starts, but I’m still transforming my body. Still a lot I need to work on. We’ll talk more soon, I think. But for now it’s just getting stronger and enjoying a bit of summer too”.

He has a new nickname (maybe)

“Shae-Daddy. I’ll never call him Matthew Schaefer again,” said Bissonette. “He’s Shae-Daddy now. I imagine he’s going to be a nasty player based on how good he is at interviews.”

High School Sports

With eyes on 'best players,' White Sox intrigued by prep shortstops

CHICAGO — No specific names were given by White Sox director of amateur scouting Mike Shirley when asked this past weekend about his team’s first-round plans for Day 1 of the 2025 MLB Draft presented by Nike on Sunday night. But Shirley provided details of the work put in by the organization to prepare for […]

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4 hours ago

July 8, 2025

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With eyes on 'best players,' White Sox intrigued by prep shortstops

But Shirley provided details of the work put in by the organization to prepare for possibilities at No. 10, representing the White Sox first-round selection.

Draft coverage:
Day 1 (Rounds 1-3): Sun., July 13, 6 p.m. ET (MLBN/MLB.com/ESPN)
Day 2 (Rounds 4-20): Mon., July 14, 11:30 a.m. ET (MLB.com)

“We are looking at two college hitters, there’s two strong college pitchers we like, there’s about five high school shortstops that we worked really hard on, and there’s one high school pitcher that is extremely talented,” Shirley told MLB.com. “His talent is something that makes you pay attention to him.

“It’s not a preference to go that way, but when you have that many weapons, all the boxes you are looking for a high school right-handed starter to check, he checks a lot of those things pretty easy. And he’s an unbelievable kid. That puts us at a pretty good number that we worked extremely hard to get where we are at today.

“As far as who we are picking?” Shirley added. “I can’t get there with you.”

COMPLETE WHITE SOX PROSPECT COVERAGE

MLB.com mock drafts have focused on that high school shortstop area for the White Sox, with JoJo Parker and Billy Carlson coming up as possibilities at pick 10. Colson Montgomery, the No. 5 White Sox prospect, per MLB Pipeline, made a triumphant debut at shortstop in Colorado over the weekend, and fellow rookie Chase Meidroth has played 56 games at the position.

Caleb Bonemer, the No. 9 White Sox prospect, and William Bergolla at No. 13 are other shortstops of the future within their system. Having talented players in place won’t stop the White Sox from going in that direction.

“Look, [general manager] Chris Getz has a serious plan for what he’s trying to build in this organization,” Shirley said. “Up-the-middle field players are the piece of the puzzle that really you can do a lot with. They have the athleticism, the skills, the mindset, the instincts to play multiple [positions] and help your team in multiple sectors.

“Today, when you look at high school shortstops, that’s like playing quarterback. It is the most important piece on the field. A lot of the great players are morphing toward that direction. That’s a piece of the puzzle that’s not going to change for a while. These guys are the best athletes or the best players.”

White Sox Draft meetings began Sunday and will run throughout the entire week. Shirley praised Getz and the organization for deploying so many people from the front office outside of their four national scouts, four regional crosscheckers and 16 area scouts, leaving them infinitely prepared for this now two-day event.

It’s more than just the No. 10 pick for a White Sox organization coming off 121 losses in 2024, as it holds the first selection in every other round. This Draft comes one year prior to what could be a top pick for the White Sox in 2026.

All these players are essential components to this ongoing rebuild, with the team making strides in ’25 despite the 30-60 record entering the final first-half homestand. Moves center around the $12,169,100 bonus pool and the $6,238,400 slotted for the No. 10 pick.

“Financially, we are looking at how to do a lot with our pool stuff,” Shirley said. “That’s a plan we have going into this. I think that’s important to do the best work.

“The high school group, the high school position players, have been unbelievable. That’s been the strong point of this Draft in my opinion. That’s the place we are looking the heaviest at this point.”

High School Sports

Milwaukee girls soccer team highlights culture, love of the sport

The Brief At Riverside University High School, the girls soccer team is in a league of their own. The Karen are an ethnic group who come from the mountainous region of Southeast Asian, mainly Myanmar, which is formerly known as Burma, along with Thailand. Their love for soccer brought them all together, and now, the […]

Published

6 hours ago

July 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Milwaukee girls soccer team highlights culture, love of the sport

The Brief

At Riverside University High School, the girls soccer team is in a league of their own.
The Karen are an ethnic group who come from the mountainous region of Southeast Asian, mainly Myanmar, which is formerly known as Burma, along with Thailand.
Their love for soccer brought them all together, and now, the team boasts quite a few Karen.

MILWAUKEE – At Riverside University High School, the girls soccer team is in a league of their own.

What they’re saying

“It’s very fun, very energetic,” said Hser Mu Nar, Riverside senior defender.

“We’re all pretty close, like we all get along pretty well,” said Eh Moo Gay Paw, Riverside senior forward.

As you can tell, the Tigers are a close-knit group.

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Many of these girls have played together since freshman year, but they have much more than soccer in common.

“We’re another family,” said Eh Gay, Riverside senior goalkeeper. “Some of us are related. Some of us aren’t.”

Dig deeper

Riverside has a pretty significant Karen population.

The Karen are an ethnic group who come from the mountainous region of Southeast Asian, mainly Myanmar, which is formerly known as Burma, along with Thailand. However, hundreds of thousands of Karen have fled their homes due to religious and ethnic persecution.

“We come from all over,” said Eh Moo. “We come from like, either Burma or Thailand, and then we don’t really have a country of our own. I guess you could say like we come from like a refugee camp, so we’re like all over the place.”

For Eh Moo Gay Paw, Hser Mu Nar and Eh Gay, their families immigrated in the early to mid-2000s to Milwaukee with other Karen refugees to join an already growing Karen population in town.

“I know it was tough for them,” said Hser Mu. “I remember my dad telling me on the way here, my mom was crying since she was leaving her hometown where she grew up and everything.”

“My parents, my mom grew up in the mountains,” said Eh Moo. “My dad was born in Burma. It wasn’t easy, but we had help.”

Years later, their love for soccer brought them all together, and now, the team boasts quite a few Karen.

“It was easy since we spoke the same language, had the same background and culture,” said Hser Mu. “It was easy for me to get along with them and just be friends with them.”

On the pitch, speaking Karen is an added advantage.

“We all speak it,” said Eh Gay. “It does help us on the field as well because we can just yell out each other’s name.”

And it’s clear, this trio takes pride in who they are.

“At first, people would ask us like where we come from, who we are, what we speak,” said Eh Moo. “We’re not very known, so we don’t really take offense to it.”

What we know

In turn, they enjoy teaching others about the Karen.

“I don’t have the actual flag, but this is what our flag looks like,” said Eh Moo. “There’s red, white and blue and there’s like a tiger because we’re called the tigers and it represents our school.”

“It has sunrays,” said Hser Mu. “The nine sunrays represent the nine different regions we come from and in the middle of the sunray, there’s a frog drum which is our traditional instrument.”

The girls also celebrate Karen New Year and go to summer school to stay connected to their roots.

“If we stick more to our culture, there’s going to be more people that understand us and what we have gone through and our past,” said Eh Gay.

Consider their head coach Vincent Goldstein one of those people.

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“I’ve learned a lot,” said Vincent Goldstein, Riverside girls soccer coach. “First of all, culturally, I know they’re people that are very vibrant. They’re a population of people that really enjoy soccer. Soccer’s really big among the Karen population. They’re a lot of my favorite students. They’re really good kids.”

That’s the beauty of being on a team because the assists come not only on the field, but also in life.

“I would have a lot less life experience if I wouldn’t have met them,” said Goldstein. “Here at Riverside, we really embrace the Karen population. We want more of them to come here, so we do what we can to try to promote them and try to make this place welcoming to everyone, but including the Karen.”

And for these girls, their pact will be an everlasting one.

The Source

The information in this post was collected and produced by the FOX6 sports team.

High School Sports

A kindergarten in China added lead to food, and over 200 children are affected

BEIJING — More than 200 kindergarten students were found to have abnormally high levels of lead in their blood after the school added paint to their food, authorities in northwest China reported Tuesday. The case highlights long-running food safety concerns in China. State broadcaster CCTV, citing a police official, said the school in Gansu province […]

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6 hours ago

July 8, 2025

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A kindergarten in China added lead to food, and over 200 children are affected

State broadcaster CCTV, citing a police official, said the school in Gansu province added the paint to try to attract more students and increase revenue. CCTV obtained and posted online the full text of an investigation by the province and city.

The Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui city bought the paint online and added it while preparing the food, according to CCTV. High levels of lead were found in a three-color breakfast cake and a sausage dish for dinner.

Of the 251 students at the kindergarten, 233 had abnormal lead levels, with 201 receiving hospital treatment, the report said. The World Health Organization says exposure is ”particularly harmful” to young children, including in the development of the central nervous system.

”There is no level of exposure to lead that is known to be without harmful effects,” WHO says.

Dozens of students had levels above the Chinese standard for lead poisoning in children, three other media outlets reported, based on test results shared by parents. The investigation did not provide details of blood tests.

Eight people, including the headmaster, have been detained.

High School Sports

Watch Clayton Kershaw throw an all

Mr. 3,000. Los Angeles Dodgers all-time great pitcher Clayton Kershaw just reached 3,000 strikeouts for his career this past week in the Dodgers’ victory over the Chicago White Sox at Chavez Ravine. Kershaw became the 20th player all-time to do it and just 4th lefty to reach the milestone. Only three pitchers have amassed 3,000 […]

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7 hours ago

July 8, 2025

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Mr. 3,000.

Los Angeles Dodgers all-time great pitcher Clayton Kershaw just reached 3,000 strikeouts for his career this past week in the Dodgers’ victory over the Chicago White Sox at Chavez Ravine. Kershaw became the 20th player all-time to do it and just 4th lefty to reach the milestone.

Only three pitchers have amassed 3,000 strikeouts while doing it for one team. Walter Johson, Bob Gibson and Kershaw.

Kershaw has had an illustrious professional career and will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But his superstardom didn’t start in the MLB. Kershaw was a standout in high school, too.

As a senior for Dallas Highland Park High in 2006, Kershaw was an All-American after going 13-0 from the bump with a dominating 0.77 ERA. He tallied a mind-boggling 139 strikeouts in just 64 innings of work.

One of the highlights of his prep career came in the playoffs against Northwest High of Justin, Tex. where Kershaw threw an all-strikeout perfect game and hit a grand slam. Kershaw struck out all 15 batters in a game that was shortened due to the mercy rule.

In all, Kershaw collected nine strikeouts swinging and six looking, on just 70 pitches in five innings. Highland Park won 10-0, scoring 10 runs on 10 hits, including Kershaw’s grand slam.

Kershaw would later pitch for USA Baseball’s Junior National Team in the Pan Am Championship, be named USA TODAY “High School Baseball Player of the Year” and was also the Gatorade National Player of the Year.

The Dodgers selected Kershaw No. 7 overall in the 2006 MLB Draft. Of course, he’d go on to win more than 200 games, strikeout 3,000 batters, be named to 11 All-Star games, be named the NL MVP in 2014, win three Cy Young awards, and win two World Series rings (2020, 2024).

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High School Baseball

Watch highlights from Pleasant Valley’s win over Marion and North Scott’s loss against Solon. Published: Jul. 7, 2025 at 11:01 PM CDT|Updated: 15 hours ago Email This Link Share on Facebook Share on X (formerly Twitter) Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn 0

Published

11 hours ago

July 8, 2025

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