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Elmer Rodriguez

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5 months ago

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Elmer Rodriguez

When the Binghamton Rumble Ponies came to Somerset for a week of games against the Patriots, they brought a 68-32 record and one of Minor League Baseball’s best rosters with them. With one of baseball’s top pitching prospects in Jonah Tong and a lineup featuring Jett Williams, Carson Benge, and Ryan Clifford, Binghamton was a tough matchup for any Double-A pitcher. Despite some recent struggles, they went into Somerset with Tong on the mound and a lineup ready to mash. Instead, they came out on the wrong end of a marquee pitching matchup.

Tong went up against Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, a 21-year-old right-hander in the midst of a breakout season with the Yankees organization. Since being promoted to Somerset, Rodriguez-Cruz had recorded quality starts in all three of his appearances and was fresh off of tossing six shutout innings in his last start. The matchup against Tong did not disappoint. Neither pitcher allowed a run, and both struck out eight batters while walking two. The difference in the matchup was longevity, and Rodriguez-Cruz won that battle by lasting seven innings to Tong’s five. The Patriots broke the score open in the bottom of the seventh, earning Rodriguez-Cruz the victory in a 3-2 win.

It was a dominant performance from the young starter against a tough lineup, and he backed it up by doing the exact same thing again on Sunday. Rodriguez-Cruz faced off against Tong for the second time in a week, and this time he threw six more shutout innings with seven strikeouts. In total, he pitched 13 innings against Binghamton with 15 strikeouts, 5 walks, 5 hits, and not a single run allowed. It was a rude sendoff for Tong, Williams, Benge, and Clifford, who were all promoted to Triple-A immediately following the series, but it was exactly what the Yankees wanted to see from a prospect who’s quickly becoming one of the most promising young starters in the organization.

Rodriguez-Cruz spent most of this season at High-A with the Renegades, where he was part of a rotation that also included Carlos Lagrange and 2024 draft picks Ben Hess and Bryce Cunningham. The foursome dominated the first couple months of the season and all saw their prospect stock rise significantly at the same time. Cunningham has been on the IL for over two months now, but the other three pitchers have all been promoted to Double-A where they continue to develop and look like future members of a big-league rotation.

The rise of these pitchers and the ascent of Cam Schlittler into the Yankees’ rotation has made it quite the year for the organization’s pitching development, and arguably Rodriguez-Cruz has been the most promising arm in a crop of standout pitchers. He recorded a 2.26 ERA in 83 innings in High-A with a 29% strikeout rate, and has been even better since the promotion to Double-A with a 1.41 ERA in 32 innings. He’s not missing quite as many bats in Somerset with a 24.4% strikeout rate, but he’s also seen his walk rate go from 10.9% to 6.5%. In total, Rodriguez-Cruz has a 2.03 ERA on the season in a career-high 115.2 innings.

Rodriguez-Cruz was acquired in a trade with the Red Sox last offseason for catcher Carlos Narvaez. Anytime the Yankees trade with their biggest rival it creates commotion among the two fanbases, and a hot start to the season for the 26-year-old Narvaez put an added layer of pressure on Rodriguez-Cruz to justify his acquisition. However, recent months have made the victory laps in Boston seem a bit premature. Narvaez has cooled down significantly and Rodriguez-Cruz has caught fire during that same stretch, earning a much-deserved promotion. Now he’s gone three consecutive starts without allowing a run, and could even be knocking on the door of Triple-A Scranton for a brief stint at the highest level of the minors before the season ends.

The recent update to MLB Pipeline’s prospect rankings placed Rodriguez-Cruz at #6 within the Yankees organization, but he’s still outside the overall Top 100. Here’s what they wrote about his arsenal: “Rodriguez’s fastball sat at 91-95 mph in 2023 before jumping to 93-96 and topping out at 98 last season, featuring some arm-side run and carry. His slider got stronger as well, parking in the mid-80s with improved depth and becoming his best secondary offering. His upper-70s curveball with similar shape and upper-80s splitter/changeup give him a pair of average pitches to round out his repertoire.” He doesn’t have the most electric stuff in the organization, but he’s made noticeable strides in each of his professional seasons and at age 21 will continue to develop physically and mentally on the mound. Taking into account his 6-foot-3 frame and ability to work deep into games, Rodriguez-Cruz checks a lot of boxes for a future big-league starter.

What’s next for the young right-hander? Rodriguez-Cruz again occupies a spot in the same rotation as Lagrange and the recently promoted Hess, but now it’s at a whole new level. 15 departures across various levels of the organization required a lot of movement among the remaining prospects, and the fact that the Yankees held onto their top prospects at such an active trade deadline is a strong indication of how they feel about these young players. The next step is to see if they keep Rodriguez-Cruz at Double-A for the rest of the season, or if they decide to push him even further and send him to Scranton for his toughest challenge yet.

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Deputy Director of Athletics in Danville, KY for Centre College

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18 minutes ago

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January 12, 2026

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Details

Posted: 11-Jan-26

Location: Danville, Kentucky

Type: Full-time

Categories:

Executive

Executive – Associate Athletics Director

Sector:

Collegiate Sports

Required Education:

4 Year Degree

The Deputy Director of Athletics serves as a senior member of the athletic department’s leadership team, providing strategic, operational, and administrative oversight to ensure the success, integrity, and excellence of Centre Athletics. Reporting directly to the Director of Athletics, the Deputy AD will help advance the College’s mission by supporting a holistic student-athlete experience, strengthening departmental operations, and promoting excellence in athletics, academics, and the community.


The Deputy AD provides key oversight in the areas of admissions, alumni and corporate relations, sport performance, athletic training, external relations, communications, facilities, and events. This person will lead teams, ease communications, and unite people across units to keep the department moving forward.


The Deputy AD is a highly visible position that carries significant influence and thus requires strong character and work ethic.


Key Responsibilities


Operational Leadership and Administration •Serve as primary manager of day-to-day departmental operations to ensure efficient, coordinated, and mission-aligned functioning of all athletic units. •Provide oversight, supervision, and guidance to assigned staff and functional areas, including operations, facilities and events, communications, and external relations. •Act as a key advisor to the Director of Athletics on departmental strategy, policy development, and long-range planning. •Serve as a key project manager. •Involvement with budgeting process, capital requests process, and facilities planning. •Represent department at various campus, community, conference, and national functions. •Travel with teams when appropriate as administrative representative. •Oversight of new hire, onboarding process; department policies and procedures; and secondary duties. •Acts on behalf of the AD in his/her absence. •Demonstrate an appreciation for and sensitivity to an inclusive academic community, fostering a welcoming environment for students, faculty, and staff from all social, economic, cultural, ideological, racial, and ethnic backgrounds.


Admissions and Recruitment Support •Collaborate closely with the Office of Admissions to strengthen recruitment, support strategic enrollment goals, and ensure healthy communication between coaches and admissions staff •Monitor recruitment data and roster management, providing troubleshooting, data tracking, and mentoring to coaches to increase effectiveness.


Communications and External Relations •Oversight of athletics communications, marketing, and community relations units, ensuring high performance with consistent, high-quality storytelling, branding, and promotion of student-athletes and teams. •Oversight of branding, serving as project leader and shepherd on comprehensive branding and story-telling initiatives. •Build and maintain strong relationships with athletics alumni, parents, and external stakeholders to foster engagement, visibility, and philanthropy. •Oversight of athletic development unit, to include relationship building with the Office of Development and Alumni Engagement, working to enhance the Athletics Brand, while also working with an appropriately sized portfolio of donors and major gift prospects.


Facilities, Events, and Operations Management •Provide oversight and vision for the Athletics Facilities and Operations team, including maintenance planning, capital improvements, scheduling, and risk assessment and management. •Lead the planning and execution of Athletic events, including home competitions, championships, special events, and departmental programming. •Oversee policies and operations for summer camps and other-revenue generating initiatives, ensuring compliance, safety, and program quality. •Involvement and oversight of department’s NIL activities, working in concert with the Associate AD to remain in NCAA (and state and federal) compliance.

Education and Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred.
  • Significant experience (five-plus years) in intercollegiate athletics, as a head coach or administrator, and preferably at the NCAA Division III level.

Knowledge and Skills

  • Ability to lead teams, manage budgets, and develop and successfully execute strategic and operational initiatives.
  • Exceptional communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills.
  • Deep commitment to the value of a liberal arts education and the holistic development of student-athletes.
  • Skill in organizing resources and establishing priorities.
  • High level of emotional intelligence and consensus building.
  • Ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituents on campus.
  • Ability to foster a team environment as well as the ability and desire to work successfully within a team-oriented athletic department.

Physical Requirements

  • Some pushing, pulling, and lifting required. Required handling could be 25 pounds or more.
  • Ability to stand or walk for extended periods of time.
  • Ability to drive a car with valid driver’s license required prior to appointment, and maintained throughout.
  • Visual acuity to read computer screens and reports.
  • Work, as appropriate, nights and weekends and travel.

Benefits

Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
Retirement Plan
Healthcare Flexible Spending Account
Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
Caregiver Support Program and Employee Assistance Program
Long-Term Disability
Paid Time Off, Holidays and Sick Time
Holiday Shutdown Period
Staff Education and Development
Tuition Benefit for Dependent Children 
Gym Access
Pet Insurance
Free Library Access
Campus Bookstore Discounts
Discounted Norton Center Subscription Packages

Application Instructions

*Apply via computer, please do not use a cell phone to apply. * Centre College uses Interfolio as their Applicant Tracking Software to review all applications for employment.  From the Apply button on the Centre Employment Page, you will be linked to create an Interfolio Account.  You will then set up a Dossier Account following the software instructions.  For the I am Question, select Other for Staff Openings.  Agree to Terms of usage and then Create your Profile.  Once your account is set up, you will select your opportunity from your Home Page, Complete Application Questions, Upload Cover Letter, CV/Resume/ and References.  Once the application and uploads are complete you will Submit your application. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. If you need any assistance with the application process, please contact Interfolio support at 1-877-997-8807 or stephanie.franklin@centre.edu.

Employer Logo

About Centre College

Centre College is a premier national liberal arts college that serves approximately 1,400 students and provides a supportive community and a flexible, personal academic path to a meaningful life and career. Founded in 1819, Centre accomplishes its goals in an atmosphere of caring and respectful relationships among faculty, students, and staff. The College has an endowment in excess of $420 million and an operating budget of more than $65 million.
Centre welcomes and supports diversity. The College strives to create an environment where differences are celebrated, where individuals can exchange ideas and share in the richness of mutual experiences. Please view our Statement of Community.
Located in Danville, KY, the historic, picturesque 150-acre campus is 30 miles from Lexington, in the famed Bluegrass Region of Central Kentucky.
For information concerning the College, visit our web site at www.centre.edu


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UT Arlington track and field, baseball, softball, basketball set to compete this spring | Sports

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2 hours ago

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January 12, 2026

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Collage of athletes for various sports, including baseball, softball, basketball, and track and field.



With the start of the new semester, UTA sports return as basketball continues its regular season while track and field, baseball and softball gear up for their spring seasons.

Men’s basketball

After falling 98-75 to Grand Canyon University in the Western Athletic Conference tournament last season, the team looks to carry its preseason momentum into the rest of the schedule as it makes a push for another appearance.

Before the team’s three-game win streak, the Mavericks saw a 69-63 loss to Tarleton State University to open the regular season. The team has a chance to get its first win of the season against Tarleton at 7 p.m. Jan. 21 at College Park Center.

The Mavericks will meet California Baptist University two more times during WAC play. The team’s first matchup this season evened the all-time series at 3-3, with the remaining games starting Jan. 31 and Feb. 26.

The Mavericks’ final home game will be against Utah Valley University at 2 p.m. Feb. 21 at College Park Center. The game will serve as a Senior Day matchup honoring UTA’s graduating players in a conference showdown.

The team will look ahead to the WAC tournament, with a chance to cap off the season with a championship push. The tournament will run from March 11 to 14 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

Women’s basketball

The women’s basketball team continues regular-season play, sitting at a 6-10 record. The team will open the spring semester against Utah Tech University at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at College Park Center. The all-time series is currently tied 3-3.

The Lady Mavericks look to wrap up their regular season with a Senior Day home game against Abilene Christian University on March 7. After this game, the team heads straight into the WAC tournament from March 11 to 14 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

Despite a rough start, head coach Shereka Wright looks to lead the Lady Mavericks into another tournament championship match and berth into the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. The 2024-25 season was capped with a single win in the WNIT and a loss to the University of North Texas to knock UTA out of the tournament.

Track and field

Track and field will start its indoor season with the Arkansas Invitational on Friday in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The team will follow up with the Robert Platt Invitational from Jan. 30 to 31 at the Yeoman Fieldhouse in Houston.

The team will conclude its regular season with two more meets. The final meet takes the team to Lubbock, Texas, to compete in the Jarvis Scott Invite from Feb. 13 to 14 at the Sports Performance Center.

Following these events, the Mavericks will aim to finish strong at the WAC championship from Feb. 27 to 28 in Spokane, Washington, looking to earn a bid to the NCAA Championship, which runs from March 13 to 14 in Indianapolis.

Baseball

The baseball team will start its 2026 season facing off against Northwestern State University on Feb. 13. The team will face a tough early challenge against Texas Christian University on Feb. 17 at Globe Life Field. The Mavericks will face the Horned Frogs again April 29 at Lupton Baseball Stadium.

The team will be on the road for a three-game series, where they will get a taste of Southeastern Conference play, pitted against the University of Arkansas from Feb. 27 to March 1 at Baum-Walker Stadium.

The team will wrap up its season with a final series in the WAC tournament from May 19 to 23 at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona.

Softball

The softball team will have its season opener in the New Mexico State/UT El Paso Tournament from Feb. 6 to 8 in Las Cruces, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas.

The team will then host the Dream City Invitational from Feb. 13 to 15 at Allan Saxe Field. The Mavericks will face the University of Wisconsin, The University of Tulsa and Iowa State University, with an opportunity to build some momentum in front of a home crowd for the first time this season.

The team looks to extend its all-time four-game win streak against UT San Antonio in the UTSA Tournament from Feb. 27 to March 1 in San Antonio.

The team will wrap up its 2026 campaign with the three-day WAC Tournament from May 6 to 9 in Stephenville, Texas. The Mavericks also have the opportunity to compete in the NCAA Regionals, which will take place from May 15 to 17.

@tracysansomjr

sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu



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SBU Sports: Women’s Track & Field returns to competition at TCNJ Invitational

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4 hours ago

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January 12, 2026

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Danielle Cirrito during Jan. 9 race. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook University Athletics

Stony Brook women’s track & field competed in its first meet of the New Year on Jan. 9 at the TCNJ Invitational from The Armory in New York City. As a team, the Seawolves recorded seven top-eight placements.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Amelie Guzman recorded a second-place finish in the 3,000m (10:15.53).
  • Danielle Cirrito finished second in the mile run event (5:06.99).
  • Olivia Schwartz placed third in the 500m (1:18.24).
  • Sophia Squires produced a fifth-place finish in the mile run (5:10.08).
  • Samantha Osei-Kyei finished fifth in the 500m (1:18.81).
  • Jade Pazmino placed sixth in the 800m event (2:29.07).
  • Alejandra Garcia produced a seventh place run in the mile, setting a new PR with a time of 5:13.33.

Up next, the team continues its busy January slate next Friday returning to The Armory for the Ramapo College Invitation on January 16, with action set to begin at 9:30 am. 











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Two School Records Fall for Women’s Track & Field in VIrginia

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6 hours ago

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January 12, 2026

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WINCHESTER, Va. – After a week in Florida leading into the spring semester, the Franklin & Marshall’s women’s track & field team competed at Shenandoah’s Kaye & JJ Smith Invitational. The Diplomats got the January portion of their schedule off to a great start with a pair of school records, with four other marks that rank in the top 10 in program history.

Tara Silverman broke the school record in the 3,000 meters that was formerly held by All-American and F&M Hall of Famer Sheena Crawley ’13. Silverman finished in a time of 10:19.87. Teammates Annalise Kauffman (11:01.19) and Georgeia Hodgson (11:36.98) finished second and sixth in that same event.

Lauren Dunnigan once again broke her own school record in the 60 meter dash as she finished with a time of 7.75 seconds during the finals of that event. That is currently the second-fastest time in the Centennial Conference this season. Dunnigan was also the individual champion in the 200 meter dash as her time of 26.56 seconds was the second-fastest in school history. Dunnigan capped her day with a time of 9.15 seconds to take first (her third event title of the day) in the 60 meter hurdles.

The Diplomats finished with five individual titles on Sunday as Jordyn Collie won the 400 meters with a time of 1:05.42. Her performance highlighted seven Diplomats in the top 10 of that event, as Avery Canady (1:06.33) and Abby Bachman (1:06.52) took the silver and bronze positions. Collie was also the team’s top finish in the 800 meters (2:33.68), with Bachman (2:44.52) and Sophia Bloom (2:53.15) each turning in top 10 individual finishes.

Amanda Imhauser and Hayden Adams both had busy days in their return to competition. Imhauser was third in the 60 meter hurdles (10.24) and long jump (4.84m), sixth in the high hump (1.35m) and shot put (9.30m), and seventh in the 200 meters (29.14). Adams took third in the pole vault as she cleared 3.20 meters to rank second in school history. She added a fifth-place showing in the high jump (1.38m). Max McCoy led the Diplomats in the both throwing events as she took third in the shot put (11.13m) and fourth in the weight throw (12.07m). Both of those marks were top 10 performances in school history.

Women’s track & field will return to competition this Saturday, January 17 when the team travels to Catholic’s Cardinal Classic.

Franklin & Marshall Event Winners / Top 10 Performances

60 Meters

1. Lauren Dunning (7.75) – school record

200 Meters

1. Lauren Dunnigan (26.56) – second in school history

3,000 Meters

1. Tara Silverman (10:19.87) – school record

Pole Vault

3. Hayden Adams (3.20m) – second in school history

Shot Put

3. Max McCoy (11.13m) – ninth in school history



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Ball State Finishes Weekend Victorious Versus NJIT

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7 hours ago

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January 12, 2026

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MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State men’s volleyball team completed a successful weekend at Worthen Arena, defeating NJIT in four sets (25-13, 21-25, 25-12, 25-15) Saturday evening.

The Cardinals (3-0, 0-0 MIVA) limited the Highlanders (0-4, 0-0 EIVA) to a 0.80 hitting clip while averaging .391 themselves, along with a team block total of 15.5 compared to NJIT’s 3. The evening saw just one lead change, three points into the fourth set, as NJIT recorded an attack error at the end of a Patrick Rogers serve.

Rogers led the way as he matched his kill total from the evening prior, tallying 16 while hitting .522, along with six digs, two assists and a team-leading three aces. Ryan Louis was credited with 11 kills on a .318 clip, two aces, four digs and a career-high seven block assists. Wil Basilio earned nine kills, three digs and four block assists.

Ball State’s defense halted the Highlanders at the net, aided by Jacob Surette who recorded a career-best nine block assists, Louis’ seven and Braydon Savitski-Lynde’s five. Savitski-Lynde also completed five kills while hitting .522. Freshman libero Adir Ben Shloosh led the men with eight digs.

Lucas Machado’s hustle was on full display throughout the match, dishing out 37 assists with three kills.  

The Cardinals led by as much as 14 in the opening set, highlighted by an 8-0 run which brought them to set-point. After three-straight points by the Highlanders, Rogers punched a kill to finish it, capping off a set that saw Ball State hit an efficient .688 clip.

Set two was a different story, as the score tied seven times until NJIT’s late momentum pushed them just enough to claim the set.

The men’s squad was unfazed, easily taking sets three and four. Rogers swatted nine kills between the two sets, and claimed two of his three aces in set four, with one of those bringing the Cardinals to match point. Surette’s four block assists were also instrumental, including back-to-back blocks assists by him and Basilio.

In his first career appearance with the Cardinals, sophomore Jason Harris put the exclamation point on the weekend with the final kill of the match, finishing with two.

The Ball State men’s volleyball program ride this momentum into next week when it travels to Phoenix, Ariz. for the First Point Collegiate Challenge Tournament at the Phoenix Convention Center. The men square off against No. 1 UCLA Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. ET, followed by No. 9 Stanford Jan. 18 at 4 p.m. ET.



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Gauchos Down Harvard to Start Season 3-0

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January 12, 2026

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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Men’s Volleyball team defeated Harvard 3-1 Saturday night to close out the final round of the 61st ASICS Invitational. The Gauchos open the 2026 season undefeated, having also beaten Kentucky State and Maryville earlier in the tournament. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

Harvard opened the gate with a first-set win, taking it 25-22.  The Gauchos hit just 0.074 in the first and were unable to collapse Harvard’s early lead. 

The Gauchos finally clicked during the second, bringing it home 25-18. Santa Barbara and Harvard stayed even through the second, with neither team managing to gain more than a three-point lead until the set’s finale. At 19-18, Santa Barbara went on a six-point scoring run that brought them directly to victory. 

Santa Barbara shone in the third, capturing a 25-14 success for their cleanest win of the match. The Gauchos made off with a 7-2 head start and stayed at least three points ahead at all times. Senior Owen Loncar sealed the set with a service ace.

Finally, the Gauchos closed out the match by winning the fourth and final set 25-19. They held a slight initial lead before springing multiple points ahead of the Crimson. 

Santa Barbara revived their hitting percentage after the grim first set, hitting 57% in the remaining three. As a team, they dug 42 digs and made ten aces.

George Bruening put on a hitting masterclass, annihilating 26 kills and hitting .455. He tied his career record in kills and made ten in the fourth set alone. Ben Pearson delivered the match’s second highest kill count with nine, while Riggs Guy lasered eight. Guy also placed a career-best six assists. 

Cole Schobel achieved all over the court, popping 42 assists,  five kills, and a block. He also led the match in service aces with four, hit .714, and tied Jason Walmer for the match-high dig count at nine. Joe Wallace followed with seven digs and freshman Dylan Pilkvist made a team leading 5 block assists

 

UP NEXT

The Gauchos will continue home play for their next match, hosting The Master’s University on Friday, Jan. 16 at 7:00 p.m. in the Thunderdome. 



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