Sports

2025 Brewers Minor League Roundup

Published

5 months ago

August 18, 2025

As a reminder, every Monday morning I’ll be bringing you a quick recap of the previous week’s minor league activity — including team records, roster updates, standout performances, and more

Triple-A Nashville (64-54)

The Sounds went 3-3 this week against the Durham Bulls. Nashville is now 7.5 games back in the International League West.

Milwaukee still has a few highly-regarded position player prospects in Nashville despite all of the call-ups this year. Catcher Jeferson Quero (No. 4) has gone 10-for-25 (.400), including five extra-base hits, since returning from a mild left shoulder strain. He absolutely crushed the ball a few times this week — watch this home run:

Tyler Black (No. 24) earned another call-up to the big leagues after Isaac Collins went on the paternity list and Blake Perkins was placed on the bereavement list. Black only recorded two at-bats across two games (August 16 and 17), but that’s partially because he also managed to work three walks. He was returned to Nashville after Collins and Perkins returned. The former top 50 overall prospect is slashing .187/.308/.284 across 134 at-bats with Triple-A Nashville.

Ernesto Martinez Jr., who fell off the Brewers’ top 30 earlier this year, put together a nice week — 4-for-14 with three doubles. He did strike out eight times in those 14 at-bats. Martinez Jr. has a strikeout rate of 26.8%, a number that is higher than average but not necessarily egregious. The more concerning stat is his .366 slugging percentage — Martinez Jr. hasn’t slugged below .415 since rookie ball. His SLG and OPS (.707) are both career lows if you exclude abridged seasons in 2017 (49 games) and 2018 (35).

Robert Gasser (No. 18) gave up five hits and one earned run during a two-inning rehab start. Tate Kuehner, another left-handed pitching prospect who has been a mainstay in the Double-A portion of this column, made his first Triple-A start this week. Kuehner went 5 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and just one earned run while picking up four strikeouts. The outing was definitely an encouraging start to his time with the Sounds.

Easton McGee threw 4 2/3 shutout innings in his only start of the week. Chad Patrick, who put up great numbers (3.52) in 18 starts with Milwaukee, got hit around a little bit (six innings pitched with four earned runs on four home runs). Patrick was selected as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader and is expected to start the second game this evening.

Next week’s opponent: Louisville Bats

Double-A Biloxi (62-52)

Biloxi went 3-3 this week against the Columbus Clingstones. The Shuckers are 20-25 in the second half of the season after winning the first half Southern League title.

The hitting stats out of Biloxi hadn’t looked very impressive for a couple weeks there. This week was definitely an exception.

Cooper Pratt (No. 3) went 8-for-19 (.421) with three home runs and eight RBIs. Close enough, welcome back Barry Bonds:

Pratt has had a bit of a streaky, up-and-down season in the pitcher-friendly Southern League, but weeks like this serve as a reminder that the Shuckers’ shortstop oozes potential both at the plate and in the field. Pratt’s OPS (.703) is now above .700 on the season.

Luis Lara (No. 10) slashed (.318/.519/.714) with three doubles and two triples in 21 at-bats. Lara has a reputation as a defense-first contact hitter, which makes sense when you realize he’s only hit one home run all season while sporting a .370 OBP. Still, Lara leads the Shuckers in doubles by a good margin — he’s hit 29, with Pratt and the injured Brock Wilken both sitting at 17 apiece. Lara’s still only 20, and he won’t turn 21 until the offseason. It’s possible that his extra-base pop might someday develop into home run power, although his diminutive stature (5’8”, 167 lbs) makes that slightly more unlikely.

Blake Burke (No. 29) has been hotter than hot since being called up to Biloxi. The No. 34 overall pick in 2024 had been one of the best hitters on the Timber Rattlers all season and slashed .278/.440/.722 in his first week with Biloxi. What did he do this week, you might ask? Nothing crazy, he just hit .417 with a 1.254 OPS, including two home runs.

Burke profiles as a career DH — or maybe a defensively unimpressive first baseman — at the major league level, so his bat needs to be valuable to continue progressing through the Brewers’ farm system. With that being said, I don’t think you can argue that his production in the last year-plus has been anything short of impressive. His exit velocities have also been incredibly impressive, especially for a Double-A hitter. I’ll say it again — Burke should be ranked higher than No. 29, even considering his defensive limitations.

For a slightly more holistic profile of Burke, I wrote this a few weeks ago for my overview of the top 30 Brewers prospects (per MLB Pipeline):

Burke, the No. 34 overall pick in 2024, is slashing .296/.381/.416 in High-A this year. Honestly, I’d have him higher than 27 on my own list of the Brewers’ top-30 prospects. He’s shown great contact ability in his time with the Brewers’ organization, and it’s not like he doesn’t hit for power, either. Burke has recorded 28 extra-base hits with the Timber Rattlers this year and has raw power that hasn’t yet entirely translated (due to his newfound tendency to pull the ball).

Burke’s defense, however, leaves something to be desired. He has a below-average arm and significantly below-average speed, so he projects as a first baseman or DH in the big leagues. Burke also tends to chase pitches more than he should (35% chase rate in his final year in college), although this year he’s walking 11.9% of the time.

Corner infielder Luke Adams (No. 7), who had a .986 OPS over his last month with the Shuckers, is still on the seven-day IL with a left shoulder contusion. Adams suffered the injury sliding into home plate about a month and a half ago.

RHP Tyson Hardin (No. 20), who’s been really impressive, hasn’t pitched in three weeks now. He was placed on the 7-day IL retroactive to July 20, apparently because he was slow to recover from his last couple of starts. Hardin has posted a 3.38 ERA through five starts in Double-A.

Brett Wichrowski fell out of the Brewers’ top 30 in MLB Pipeline’s most recent update. He struggled with his command last week (eight walks in eight innings), but this week was a different story. Wichrowski went seven strong innings, allowing four hits and three earned runs while striking out four and walking only one. It’s been more of the same for Wichrowski, who I also wrote about in my top 30 overview:

Wichrowski’s ERA (2.69) and FIP (3.28) are both stellar, and he hasn’t dipped below a 3.15 ERA in any given month this year. He has great stuff — including a sweeper that’s probably his best pitch, a fastball that touches the upper 90s, a sinker, and a cutter. The concerning part of Wichrowski’s profile is that his above-average stuff hasn’t been generating many strikeouts (7.01 K/9). He has at least improved his command (3.28 BB/9, compared to nearly 4 last year).

K.C. Hunt, who earned this column’s player of the week award last week, got lit up to the tune of seven runs (four earned) in 4 1/3 innings. It’s been a rough season for Hunt, who posted a 2.03 ERA last season between Single-A, High-A, and Double-A. Jaron DeBerry gave up four runs in 11 innings while striking out 13. DeBerry has usually been pretty effective this season. He has a 4.26 ERA on the season, but has posted an ERA under 3.60 in May, June, and August. We’re not going to talk about July (6.93).

Next week’s opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts

High-A Wisconsin (50-62)

The Timber Rattlers went 2-4 this week against the Great Lakes Loons.

Most of the Timber Rattlers have been cold at the plate in recent weeks, a trend that continued into this week. The three most productive offensive players for the Timber Rattlers have been C Marco Dinges (1-for-15 in his first full week back from the IL), Burke (promoted to Double-A), and SS Jadher Areinamo (traded to the Rays for Danny Jansen). Wisconsin has the worst record of any Brewers affiliate by a good margin.

However, the tide is turning. Recently promoted top prospects Jesus Made (No. 1) and Luis Peña (No. 2) have been absolutely raking since joining the club. Made hit .458 (LOL) with a 1.227 OPS this week. Those numbers speak for themselves, as does this:

111-mph exit velocity at 18 years old? That’ll play.

Peña “only” posted a .937 OPS with two home runs and seven RBIs. Yeah, LOL is right. The kids are gonna be just fine. Oh, and Wisconsin also added their 2025 first-round pick, 1B/3B Andrew Fischer (No. 6), to High-A. Fischer went 5-for-17 to start his career. The future is bright in Appleton, and for the Brewers organization:

Another player promoted last week was RHP Travis Smith, who was named the July Minor League Pitcher of the Month for the Brewers organization. Smith posted a 0.69 ERA through 26 innings with the Mudcats prior to his promotion. The 22-year-old right-hander has had a low strikeout rate (5.94 K/9) all season, but this month that number jumped all the way up to 8.31 K/9.

In his first appearance with Wisconsin, Smith allowed three runs (two earned) while walking two over 5 2/3 innings. He didn’t strike anybody out, which is potentially a red flag given his low K%. Still, hard to argue with the results in what would have been a quality start had he gotten that final out in the sixth.

RHP Manuel Rodriguez, who was ranked as the No. 30 prospect in the Brewers organization, got shelled again this week (7 hits, 6 ER, 2 HR in four innings). His ERA has ballooned from 1.73 to 3.21 over the last two starts.

Finally, Bishop Letson (No. 7), who’s been out since June 3, made his return from a right shoulder injury on Sunday. Letson allowed two hits (zero runs) while striking out two in 1 1/3 innings. His stats were legitimately the most impressive in the entire farm system prior to his injury — the right-hander has a 1.27 ERA with 10.16 strikeouts per nine innings and hasn’t allowed a home run all season.

Next week’s opponent: Beloit Sky Carp

Single-A Carolina (62-47)

Carolina went 3-4 against the Fayetteville Woodpeckers. The Mudcats are two games up in the Carolina League North.

This is your weekly reminder to find a way to watch a Mudcats game (free to watch on Bally Sports’ website). They’re young, feature a ton of the Brewers’ high-ceiling and top-ranked prospects, and put up runs. Carolina seriously might be one of the most stacked Brewers affiliates ever.

Even after the promotions of Peña and Made, the Mudcats’ roster includes:

Braylon Payne (No. 8): Payne had been slashing an astounding .371/.511/.600 over the month prior to landing on the IL. He wasn’t projected to be much of a power hitter coming out of high school, but Payne already has seven home runs this season. The Brewers’ 2024 first-round pick went 1-for-17 with nine strikeouts this week.

Josh Adamczewski (No. 14): Adamczewski hit .444 with a 1.211 OPS in 18 at-bats while walking seven times. Sure, that’s a hot streak, but he was also slashing .346/.438/.533 with five home runs through 179 at-bats this season. Promote him, you cowards.

Bryce Meccage (No. 15): Meccage had a rough last start (2 IP, 3 ER, 3 H) and didn’t pitch this week. Milwaukee’s 2024 second-round pick could stand to improve his command, so the fact that he’s only walked one batter over the last two starts is a definite positive.

Eric Bitonti (No. 19): Bitonti went 5-for-20 on the week. The 19-year-old Bitonti has one of the highest ceilings in the farm system, as evidenced by his league-leading 18 home runs. He’s also still raw, as evidenced by his 34.6% strikeout rate. Bitonti is certainly a work in progress, but has shown more than enough flashes to earn his spot in the Brewers’ top prospect list.

Ethan Dorchies (No. 21): Dorchies has been lights-out since the Brewers promoted him from the Arizona Complex League. The 6’5” righty sported a 1.11 ERA through the first seven games (three starts) with the Mudcats. Unfortunately, his few starts hadn’t been as smooth. In his last three appearances (13 2/3 innings) before this week, Dorchies has a 4.61 ERA with 7 walks.

Single-A has been an adjustment for Dorchies, who started the season in the Arizona Complex League. Regardless, last year’s 10th-round pick is already a five-pitch pitcher and still looks like an early development win for the Brewers’ organization. This week was a subtle improvement on the previous three — Dorchies allowed two earned runs through four innings while striking out three. Dorchies did still walk four batters, a number that he’ll have to cut down significantly if he wants to remain a starter.

Jose Anderson (No. 30): Anderson went 4-for-26 (.154) with a home run and 10 strikeouts this week.

Other standouts over the last week include pitchers Melvin Hernandez (5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 6 K), and Jayden Dubanewicz (4 IP, 4 H, 0 ER). Bryan Rivera struck out eight in six innings, but also allowed five earned runs.

Next week’s opponent: Salem Red Sox

Season Totals for the Top 10 Brewers Prospects (MLB Pipeline)

SS/3B Jesús Made (A+): .281/.383/.418, 5 HR, 40 SB (includes Low-A stats)
SS/3B Luis Peña (A+): .300/.372/.479, 9 HR, 42 SB (includes Low-A stats)
SS Cooper Pratt (AA): .242/.345/.358, 8 HR
C Jeferson Quero (AAA): .284/.364/.447, 4 HR
RHP Logan Henderson (MLB): 16 G, 15 GS, 10-4 W-L, 77.2 IP, 3.59 ERA, 1.11 WHIP
1B/3B Andrew Fischer (A+): 5-for-17
RHP Bishop Letson (A+): 7 G, 6 GS, 1.27 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 10.16 K/9, 2.22 BB/9
1B/3B Luke Adams (AA): .241/.422/.477, 11 HR
OF Braylon Payne (A): .249/.366/.397, 7 HR, 28 SB
C Marco Dinges (A+): .278/.363/.474, 7 HR

Player of the Week

Cooper Pratt, who had the most home runs in the Brewers’ farm system this week while hitting above .400. Pratt’s had a couple extended cold stretches and a few torrid weeks. He might always be a streaky hitter, but the fact that he’s putting together weeks like this in a pitcher-friendly league is a great sign for his development. I’d like to see how he does in Triple-A. especially because we already know his defense should play at that level. Also — it’s his 21st birthday today. Happy birthday, Cooper!

Play of the Week

Beautiful snag and great situational awareness from Zavier Warren to pick up the 5-2 double play:

Sports

Gaston Represents UIndy as Allstate NACDA Good Works Team Nominee

Published

9 minutes ago

January 13, 2026

Your Sports Nation

CLEVELAND, Ohio— Senior Emma Gaston was named as a nominee for the Allstate National Association of College Directors of Athletics (NACDA)2025-26 winter Good Works Team nominees, NACDA announced Tuesday.

The Allstate NACDA Good Works Team is an initiative to honor and recognize student-athletes who demonstrate levels of volunteerism that go beyond their achievements in the classroom and competition. The team recognizes 60 student-athletes annually across the fall, winter and spring seasons. The 2025-26 team will feature 20 student-athletes, consisting of 10 male and 10 female athletes.

During her time competing for UIndy’s cross country and track and field teams, Gaston has dedicated her time to many nonprofit organizations, including Joy House in Indianapolis, which serves adults with life-altering diagnoses. The senior also helped raise $110,000 for the Jackson Center for Conductive Education, a non-profit organization that supports children with cerebral palsy, by organizing donors, sponsorships and silent auction packages for the center’s annual Grape Escape Gala.

In addition to her work off campus, Gaston has had a great impact on the UIndy student-athlete community as the president of UIndy’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee. Emma played a part in the development of the Hounds Leadership Academy, which is designed to develop leadership skills within the student-athlete body at UIndy. She was selected to attend the 2025 APPLE (Athletic Prevention Programming and Leadership) Training Institute in Denver, Colorado, where she received training to prevent substance abuse misuse and hazing in Division II Athletics. She is now implementing an Action Plan on UIndy’s Campus to provide education regarding substance abuse and hazing, including starting the APPLE Team at UIndy.

The final Allstate NACDA 2025-26 winter Good Works Team will be announced in early February, and a full list of nominees can be found here.

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UNI volleyball: Hartman earns CSC Academic All-American status

Published

14 minutes ago

January 13, 2026

Your Sports Nation

GREENWOOD, Ind. — UNI junior Cassidy Hartman on Tuesday was honored with her latest academic honor, earning Second Team Academic All-American recognition from College Sports Communicators (CSC).

To be eligible for this honor, students must be at least a sophomore both academically and athletically, must have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale and participate in at least 90% or start in at least 66% of their team’s matches. All-Americans are voted on by the organization’s membership from its All-District teams.

Hartman, a North Liberty, Iowa native and outside hitter, is the 63rd Academic All-American selection in UNI history and 14th selection in the UNI volleyball program’s history. The 2025 season marks the second straight year a Panther has earned this honor after Kira Fallert earned second team recognition in 2024. Hartman is also the UNI’s eighth Academic All-American in the last four years overall and sixth in the last calendar year.

The 2025 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Player of the Year and a First Team All-MVC selection, Hartman led the league with 4.64 kills per set, along with 2.74 digs per frame, 58 total blocks and 19 aces during her junior season. Starting all 32 matches during her junior season, Hartman recorded ten or more kills in 27 matches this season, as well as six matches with 20+ kills, including a career-high 26 terminations at Southern Illinois in the regular season.

An AVCA All-American Honorable Mention selection and All-Region honoree, she also posted 14 double-double outings. A three-time MVC Player of the Week this season, Hartman was also a member of the Capital Credit Union Classic All-Tournament Team in September.

Hartman helped lead the Panthers to a 26-6 record overall, a 16-0 mark in MVC play and the program’s fourth consecutive MVC regular season and tournament titles, as well as a run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

UNI’s All-Time CSC Academic All-Americans

1974 – Paul James (Football) – First Team

1977 – Mark Enright (Men’s Basketball) – Honorable Mention

1977 – Mike Kemp (Men’s Basketball) – Honorable Mention

1978 – Tim Weber (Baseball) – Second Team

1980 – Owen Docktor (Football) – Second Team

1982 – Ray Storck (Men’s Basketball) – Honorable Mention

1984 – Randy Kraayenbrink (Men’s Basketball) – Second Team

1985 – Mary Bernhardt (Volleyball) – First Team

1986 – Mary Bernhardt (Volleyball) – First Team

1987 – Mary Bernhardt (Volleyball) – First Team

1989 – Kris Schroeder (Volleyball) – Second Team

1991 – Mike Schulte (Football) – Second Team

1992 – Gary Steffensmeier (Wrestling) – Third Team

1992 – Karen Vande Voort (Softball) – Third Team

1994 – Karen Vande Voort (Softball) – Second Team

1995 – Kate Galer (Volleyball) – Third Team

1996 – Kate Galer (Volleyball) – First Team

1998 – Jon Judisch (Track & Field) – Third Team

1999 – Brad Meester (Football) – First Team

2000 – Levente Timar (Track & Field) – Third Team

2000 – Kylie Sloan (Softball) – Third Team

2001 – Ryan Brunner (Baseball) – Third Team

2001 – Levente Timar (Track & Field) – Third Team

2002 – Travis Welsch (Baseball) – Third Team

2002 – Balaza Csillag (Track & Field/Cross Country) – Third Team

2002 – Jill Arganbright (Volleyball) – Second Team

2003 – Dirk Homewood (Track & Field/Cross Country) – First Team

2003 – Jill Arganbright (Volleyball) – First Team

2003 – Jill Arganbright (Volleyball) -First Team

2003 – Molly O’Brien (Volleyball) – Second Team

2003 – Katie Miller (Women’s Basketball) – Third Team

2004 – Dirk Homewood (Track & Field/Cross Country) – Second Team

2005 – Dirk Homewood (Track & Field/Cross Country) – First Team

2006 – James Lindgren (Football) – First Team

2007 – Nick Baima (Wrestling) – Third Team

2008 – Mat Clark (Track & Field/Cross Country) – First Team

2008 – Josh Mahoney (Football) – Second Team

2009 – Mat Clark (Track & Field/Cross Country) – First Team

2009 – Ryan Grenko (Track & Field/Cross Country) – Second Team

2009 – Josh Mahoney (Football) – First Team

2010 – Ben Boothby (Football) – Second Team

2011 – Ben Boothby (Football) – First Team

2011 – Jacqui Kalin (Women’s Basketball) – Second Team

2013 – Jacqui Kalin (Women’s Basketball) – First Team

2013 – Shelby Kintzel (Volleyball) – First Team

2013 – Macy Ubben (Volleyball) – Second Team

2015 – Holly Salzbrenner (Track & Field/Cross Country) – Third Team

2015 – Isaac Ales (Football) – Second Team

2015 – Jacob Rathmacher (Football) – First Team

2015 – Karter Schult (Football) – First Team

2016 – Karter Schult (Football) – First Team

2017 – Marcus Weymiller (Football) – Second Team

2018 – Alex Jackson (Track & Field/Cross Country) – First Team

2018 – Marcus Weymiller (Football) – First Team

2019 – Alex Jackson (Track & Field/Cross Country) – First Team

2022 – AJ Green (Men’s Basketball) – Second Team

2023 – Tyrell Gordon (Wrestling) – Third Team

2024 – Lauren Heinsch (Women’s Soccer) – Second Team

2024 – Kira Fallert (Volleyball) – Second Team

2025 – Tytan Anderson (Men’s Basketball) – Second Team

2025 – Kate Lappe (Softball) – Third Team

2025 – Parker Keckeisen (Wrestling) – Third Team

2025 – Cassidy Hartman – Second Team

ABOUT COLLEGE SPORTS COMMUNICATORS

College Sports Communicators was founded in 1957 and is a 3,200+ member national association for strategic, creative and digital communicators across intercollegiate athletics in the United States and Canada.

From its founding in 1957 until the 2022 name change, the organization was known as College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

The organization is the second oldest management association in all of intercollegiate athletics. College Sports Communicators became an affiliated partner with NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics) in December of 2008.

UNI volleyball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Volleyball), X (@UNIVolleyball) and on Instagram (@univolleyball). The full schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.

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Michael ‘Woody’ Woodring ’74 Scholarship established to support Mountaineer track & field and cross country student-athletes

Published

25 minutes ago

January 13, 2026

Your Sports Nation

The Woodring family has committed $25,000 to the Mansfield University Mountaineer Foundation to establish the Michael “Woody” Woodring ’74 Scholarship to support Mountaineer track & field and cross country student-athletes.

“The Michael ‘Woody’ Woodring ’74 Scholarship is a way for his generosity and desire to help others to continue to live on, positively impact Mansfield students and give back to a place that meant so much to him,” explained Lauren Woodring, Michael’s daughter.

A native of Pittsburgh, Woodring earned a scholarship to compete on the Mansfield track & field and cross country teams. He graduated from Mansfield with a degree in political science in 1974 and earned his juris doctorate at Duquesne University. Woodring used his law degree working in the leasing office of PNC Bank.

He is survived by his wife, Diane, and two children, Lauren and John.

“Just as the impact of a campus experience extends beyond four years, a donation ensures that Mountie Athletics continues to thrive for generations,” said Andrew Petko, Mansfield director of athletics. “This scholarship will sustain our support of Mansfield student-athletes who strive for excellence in competition, in the classroom and in life.”

Learn more about the MU Mountaineer Foundation at mountaineerfdn.org.

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Lyla Auth wins 2025-26 volleyball Gatorade Player of the Year honors

Published

30 minutes ago

January 13, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Jan. 13, 2026, 12:15 p.m. ET

It was quite the volleyball season for Westerly’s Lyla Auth.

The outside hitter steered the Bulldogs to an undefeated championship-winning season in Division II and she graduated from Westerly in December. The 6-foot-1 star already enrolled at Manhattan University, a Division I program, after excelling in the classroom and on the court.

Auth now adds more to her high school trophy case as she earned Gatorade Player of the Year honors, which Gatorade announced on Dec. 9. She managed 268 kills with a .401 hitting percentage as Westerly won its second girls volleyball crown overall. Auth also added 256 assists, 151 digs and 41 service aces this past fall.

Auth, after earning enough credits, chose to graduate on Dec. 21. It gives her the chance to train, and become acclimated to college life, early so she can hit the ground running with the Jaspers next season. She started planning for early graduation in the summer, well before Westerly went undefeated.

“I’m moving to New York City. Anyone would be nervous about that,” Auth told the Journal in October. “But I’m really excited, and I have a good group of girls behind me and a lot of support.”

Auth, who recently made The Providence Journal All-State Girls Volleyball First Team, maintained a weighted 4.75 GPA in the classroom, according to the release. And donated her time to organizing a fundraiser that raised $6,000 for the Westerly Hospital Foundation. She also volunteered locally as a mentor to elementary school students and was a tee-ball coach for the Westerly Girls Softball League.

“Westerly was dominant in [D-II] and [Auth] was the focal point of the team,” Cranston West coach, Tom Ferri said in a statement. “She was the best hitter we faced all year — in D-I and D-II —and she set from the back row, and did it very well.”

Westerly was never truly challenged this season, outside of the D-II championship against Barrington. The Bulldogs edged the Eagles, (25-22, 25-22, 20-25, 18-25, 15-8), in a thrilling D-II championship. Auth was the best player on the court that day at Rhode Island College and helped finish off the Bulldogs’ perfect season.

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Who are the Section III winter girls volleyball midseason MVPs? 16 coaches make their picks

Published

47 minutes ago

January 13, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Syracuse, N.Y. — Several of Section III’s best girls winter volleyball players have proved vital to their teams this season.

We contacted volleyball coaches to get nominations for their team’s midseason MVP. Here are the responses we got.

Kaylynne Bennett, Tully, outside hitter, senior

“Kaylynne eats, sleeps and breathes volleyball since I can remember and has done everything in her power to help the program and her team be successful. When a play needs to be made she is typically involved in some way. She plays with an energy and a power like very few others and has the way to impact a game right when it is needed the most. Always a powerful and intelligent hitter, but has turned into a real threat both defensively and from the service line. Every team prepares for her and she goes head-to-head with other teams’ best players and always finds an advantage and way to contribute.” — Jeremy Cook

Brooke Egresits, Rome Free Academy, setter, senior

“(She) has stepped up tremendously this season as the primary quarterback (setter), a position that does not get the recognition that it should as the setter position has a huge effect on the volleyball court. As a coach, it’s not always about the stats, but Brooke is someone who makes a significant contribution that has an enormously positive effect on the entire team. Brooke is one of the best setters in the game who changes the dynamic of the match with her athleticism, great court vision and volleyball IQ to keep the ball in play. She is a team player that is always looking for ways to help her team succeed. Brooke sees the game as opportunities to add value.” — Pete Keoviengsamay

Ella Griffin, Morrisville-Eaton, senior

“Ella is our quarterback. She distributes the ball to keep our offense balanced and moves quickly to set effectively anywhere on the court. Ella possesses a high volleyball IQ, works hard in the off-season and is a positive motivator in practice and in the game. When Ella is on the court, good things happen. The Lady Mavs are in good hands with Ella serving as the quarterback and a tri-captain.” — Wil Curtis

Phoenecia Hathway, Sandy Creek, outside hitter, senior

“Her overall insight, team leadership, execution of skills under pressure and ability to encourage her team to excel no matter what the circumstances is an important quality an MVP must possess.” — Dori Hathway

Chloe Jubar, Cooperstown, middle hitter, senior

“Chloe leads our team in kills and blocks, (has) double digits in kills in five of our seven matches.” — Rich Jantzi

Alachiir Kuany, East Syracuse Minoa, middle hitter, sophomore

“Alachiir is becoming a dominant player in our league. She is proving that she is going to be a problem for other schools for years to come. When she has it going, she is probably the toughest player in the league to stop.” — Jake Cline

Jaiden Maher, Remsen, middle hitter/blocker, senior

“As a middle hitter/blocker, Jaiden leads the team in both blocks and kills. She is quickly approaching a career total of 500 kills. Her leadership both defensively and offensively has helped our team be in such good standing this year.” — Amy Piaschyk

Michaela Mousaw, Fabius-Pompey, setter, junior

“Michaela has been the heartbeat of our offense. Michaela elevates the entire team with her communication, decision-making under pressure, and relentless competitiveness. Her ability to control tempo and lead in critical moments have been instrumental to our success this season, making her a deserving midseason MVP.” — Amy Wagner

Brooklyn Palmer, Whitesboro, libero, senior

“Brooklyn is the backbone of our defense and covers the whole court. Not only has she been averaging over 20 digs a match, she has over a 95% serve receive rate. She also serves at a 95% rate.” — Carl Manganaro

Morgan Penizotto, Pulaski, senior, setter

“She plays with such heart and positivity. She hustles and is determined to turn every pass into a perfect set.” — Monique Ritter

Melina Poturovic, Utica Academy of Science, middle blocker, freshman

“Melina has been doing an incredible job this season. She is one of our three captains, and leads our team in both blocks and kills thus far. The team is continuously inspired by her unmatched energy and we are so lucky to have her.” — Ku Ku

Layla Rice, Mount Markham, hitter, senior

“She is our team leader in kills and aces. But her leadership on and off the court are equally as vital to our success.” — Terry McKane

Alayna Richards, General Brown, hitter, senior

“She’s not necessarily the strongest, but she’s one that will lead the team. So definitely just a good person to have on the court at all times and is one of my leading servers and headers. She’s a senior, so she’s very dedicated to making her team better. She knows how to place the ball. She’s very strategic, I guess would be a good word to describe her in that respect.” — Carrie LaSage

Lucy Storms, Carthage, sophomore

“I pulled her up at the end of last season and she had proven to be a consistent, solid player all around the court. I feel this goes unnoticed as she is not some 6-foot middle hitter or libero but Lucy is a key player on our offense and defense. This became evident more so as she just suffered an injury that has put her on the sideline for an extended period of time.” — Joelle Decillis.

Remington Stull, McGraw, middle hitter, sophomore

“Remington is a middle hitter, however we can depend on her at any position. She is our go-to girl if a ball needs to be chased down. We can always depend on Remington to go get it and feed it back to her team. Remington gives 100% at practice and in games. We look forward to watching her continue to grow and develop.” — Jessyca Doran

Rachel Zdep, Christian Brothers Academy, setter, junior

“She plays all the way around all the time. She’s also my captain. She’s a great player. Just very motivated, very good teammate. She’s just very consistent. I feel like all my other players kind of have ups and downs, but she’s very stable through every game.” — Kristen DeLorenzo

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Sports

Reese Shugart named Gatorade volleyball player of year in South Carolina

Published

1 hour ago

January 13, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Updated Jan. 13, 2026, 11:21 a.m. ET

Reese Shugart of Dorman volleyball was named the South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
The Auburn commit led her team with 452 kills, 246 digs, and 57 aces during the 2025-26 season.

Reese Shugart of Dorman volleyball was named the South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year for the 2025-26 season for the second straight year.

Shugart, an Auburn commit, finished the season with 452 kills, 246 digs, and 57 aces this season. Shugart made the Class 5A All-State team, the AVCA All-Region team, and was named to the North team for the North-South girls’ all-star game.

Dorman finished the season with a 30-6 record, 14-0 in Region 2-AAAAA, and a third consecutive state championship after the Cavaliers topped River Bluff 3-2 in the state final.

The team is led by National High School Hall of Fame coach Paula Kirkland, who has won 16 state championships with the program.

This marks the third consecutive season a Dorman volleyball player was named Gatorade Player of the Year in South Carolina. Carly O’Brien won the award in 2024.

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