Sports

Fantasy baseball two

Published

9 months ago

March 28, 2025

David Peterson (@ Marlins, vs. Blue Jays)We have seen Rasmussen post nothing but elite numbers throughout his five seasons in the big leagues, so there’s really no reason to expect him to deliver anything otherwise for as long as he’s healthy. The second matchup against the Rangers isn’t great, but it’s still a very solid double overall and he should be started in all formats.Mlodzinski joins the Pirates’ rotation following the injury to Jared Jones (elbow), but there’s not a whole lot of reason for excitement here from a fantasy perspective. In favorable matchups, there’s a chance that I would have given him a look in deeper leagues to see what he has, but these matchups are anything but favorable this time around. If you are interested in the skills, keep him on your watch list or stash him for the week and see, but I can’t advise actually putting him into lineups for next week.Sean Newcomb (@ Orioles, vs. Cardinals)

MLB: Spring Training-Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Dodgers

It’s not the strongest two-step on paper for Singer in his first two starts with his new ballclub, but it’s also not exactly Murder’s Row. The right-hander was mostly good for the Royals across 32 starts during the 2024 season and was even better in his five spring tune-ups with the Reds. It’s understandable that you may have better options since you plucked Singer after pick 300 in most drafts, but he’s definitely worthy of starting in all 15-team formats and I’d be fine rolling him out in 12-teamers as well.

Going Twice…

With the Diamondbacks inexplicable decision to line Burnes up for the fifth start of the regular season, he won’t pitch during the team’s season-opening four-game set at home against the Cubs and will instead get two starts on the road against the Yankees and the Nationals. You drafted him in the third or fourth round of most drafts with the intention of being your ace or your SP2, so even with a tough start at Yankee Stadium, you’re starting Burnes in all formats during the first full week of play.

American League

Strong Plays

Casey Mize/Jackson Jobe (@ Mariners, vs. White Sox)This one is another automatic. You drafted Sanchez to be a staple in your fantasy rotation and you’re not going to sit him for a two-start week right out of the gate – even if the second leg happens to come against the Dodgers. No need to overthink this one, make sure that Sanchez is locked into your lineups.Tyler Glasnow (vs. Braves, @ Phillies)Here are a couple of my hand-picked streaming options for the upcoming week that are readily available in most fantasy leagues. I’ll track these results throughout the season so you can see how my recommendations have performed.For the most part, the expectation is that Hancock isn’t going to hurt you in this spot. A matchup at home against the Tigers is definitely a plus for him and taking on the Giants in San Francisco is a good spot as well in terms of avoiding a potential blowup. He’s not the type of arm that’s going to rack up a bunch of strikeouts though, so if trying to stream him for two starts you’re hoping that he can steal a victory in one of those starts. I don’t hate the play, it’s worthwhile in 15-team leagues, there are just a few other arms that I’d prioritize over him in my bid lists.Note: Probable pitchers as of Friday, March 28, and are subject to change.Kris Bubic (@ Brewers, vs. Orioles)Joey Estes (vs. Cubs, @ Rockies)Spencer Strider, Cristopher Sánchez, and Christian Yelich are on the rise while Thairo Estrada’s injury takes him off the board. As much as I would love to move Marquez up into the decent group, I simply can’t do that in good faith. He’s had plenty of great starts over the years – normally in spots where you think he’s going to get destroyed – but then he has also routinely been knocked around in what should have been favorable matchups. If it was late in the season and your ratios were already in the tank and you needed to gamble on wins and strikeouts, maybe. During the first full week of the regular season there’s just no reason to take the chance here.

Decent Plays

Ronel Blanco (vs. Giants, @ Twins)Jonathan Cannon (@ Tigers – Friday 4/4)This is another one that I’m torn on, because I had so much success streaming Quantrill for two-start weeks and solid singles during the 2024 season. While he showed flashes in Grapefruit League play, he ultimately pitched to a 5.91 ERA over 10 2/3 innings. He’s still backed by the Marlins’ offense and he’s going to be a major underdog in each start against a couple of likely playoff teams. He’s also not a good bet for strikeouts, meaning that you’d need him to be an asset in ratios to make the gamble worthwhile. There’s just not enough meat on the bone here.I feel like if you looked up available two-start streamers in the dictionary, you’d see a picture of Miles Mikolas. It feels like he’s always available in this type of situation. He is what he is, a below average arm who could potentially have some appeal when he’s lined up to go twice in a given week. The first matchup against the Angels is intriguing on Monday, though trusting a home run prone pitcher at Fenway Park is terrifying on the back end. I don’t think that I would go here, but if I wound up with like my seventh conditional option I could see myself winding up with him in some 15-teamers.Cal Quantrill ( vs. Mets, @ Braves)While a glance at Anderson’s ERA from the 2024 campaign may make you think about rolling him out in this spot, understand that his peripherals were nearly a full run higher. He also hasn’t posted a K/9 above 7.6 since the 2019 season. He’s fine in the deepest of leagues or in AL-only formats in a pinch, but he’s not someone that I’m looking to use this week, even in 15-team formats.Ben Brown (@ Athletics, vs. Padres)We haven’t received word yet in which order we’ll see the Nationals fourth and fifth starters this season, but I’m not sure I want to trust either of them against the Blue Jays and Diamondbacks. Of the two, I prefer Williams given his strong overall performance during the 2024 season, but without confirmation on when he’ll be pitching he’s a very tough sell because he has virtually no value in a single start week.This is a living document, so we’ll update the options below as the weekend moves along. Without further ado, let’s dig into the options for the week of March 31. Hicks has always had all of the talent in the world, he has just struggled to put it together for a consistent stretch while in the rotation. He was especially brutal this spring, registering a 5.19 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and an 11/5 K/BB ratio over 17 1/3 innings. While he’s capable of piling up strikeouts, there’s far too much ratio risk here for my liking. I’ll gamble elsewhere.

At Your Own Risk

Emerson Hancock (vs. Tigers, @ Giants)Initially it looked as though A.J. Smith-Shawver was going to be the one to get the first double-start week for the Braves, but instead manager Brian Snitker flipped it and it’ll be Holmes pulling double duty instead. It’s not the best-looking two-step on paper, as taking on the vaunted Dodgers’ offense in Los Angeles isn’t ideal, but the home start against the Marlins to finish the week makes up for it. He’s a better option in 15-team leagues than he is in 12-teamers, but if he’s on your roster you’re probably using him this week.We’re working under the assumption here that Paddack will start on Monday with Simeon Woods-Richardson following him. If Woods-Richardson goes on Monday, I’m not interested in streaming him. I’m hopeful that we get some clarity on this one before FAAB runs on Sunday, because Paddack is someone that I have plenty of interest in. He’s healthier than he has been in years and his changeup has once again looked electric this spring. He has strikeout upside, he gets to take on the White Sox and he has a decent offense backing him up. Not to mention that we have seen him be a viable contributor at the game’s highest level before. These are the types of gambles that I love to take early in the season, because it’s possible you work your way into a useable option for an extended period of time and not just for the two-start week.Martín Perez (vs. Twins, @ Tigers)Will Warren (vs. Diamondbacks, @ Pirates)We saw Blanco take the world by storm to start the 2024 season, going from being undrafted in most fantasy leagues to being universally rostered in just a matter of weeks. He’s not surprising anyone this season, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be trusting him for fantasy purposes. He gets a couple of decent offenses, but not any that I’m scared about throwing my pitchers against. He was drafted as a fringe top 100 pitching option with the expectation that you’d use him for two-start weeks, so if you have him you have to use him in this spot. This comes with the added caveat that Blanco actually starts on Monday and the Astros don’t use Hayden Wesneski in that spot instead, as this one has yet to be confirmed.Carmen Mlodzinski (@ Rays, vs. Yankees)Estes didn’t pitch well for the A’s during the 2024 season – registering a 5.01 ERA with just 92 strikeouts in 127 2/3 innings – and he didn’t pitch well during Cactus League play either (7.56 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and 10/3 K/BB over 16 2/3 innings). It’s a bit surprising that he even earned a spot in the A’s Opening Day rotation. He shouldn’t be anywhere near fantasy lineups in even the best of matchups – let alone when one of his starts comes against the Rockies at Coors Field. Avoid at all costs.

National League

Strong Plays

Tyler Anderson (@ Cardinals, vs. Guardians)The Tigers have yet to finalize the order of their starting rotation – or at least announce it publicly – so there’s no way to discern just yet whether it’ll be Mize or Jobe getting the ball for Monday’s series opener against the Mariners. Regardless of which talented young right-hander it is though, I’m open to using them against a couple of the most underwhelming offenses in the league. I’d slightly prefer Mize coming off of his brilliant spring, but I’d be rolling Jobe out there in most formats as well if he’s getting two starts.Corbin Burnes (@ Yankees, @ Nationals)Cannon is currently rostered in 0% of all Yahoo leagues, so you’d can’t say that he wasn’t available for you to go out there and get. The 24-year-old hurler quietly did a nice job in his first full season in the White Sox’ rotation, including a victory over these same Tigers in the season’s final week. Their lineup is heavily depleted at the moment, so take advantage and stream against them while you can.Grant Holmes (@ Dodgers, vs. Marlins)Landen Roupp (@ Astros – Tuesday 4/1)

Decent Plays

Thinking ahead with your weekly strategy can give you an advantage on the waiver wire and hopefully be a difference-maker in the standings at the end of the season. I’ve spoken ad nauseum throughout the winter about my love for Bowden Francis, so I won’t get too deep into it again here. He was a dominant force after joining the Jays’ rotation late last Summer and I expect him to be once again in 2025. He struggled during Grapefruit League play, but was also tinkering with his pitch mix, so I don’t put a whole lot of stock into that. The matchups are only middle of the road, but Francis is a pitcher that we should be trusting in all formats for his first two-start week.Miles Mikolas (vs. Angels, @ Red Sox)Cristopher Sanchez (vs. Rockies, vs. Dodgers)I’ll be honest, I had difficulty on where to place Rocker this week. On the plus side, he has all of the talent in the world and should be able to deliver quality strikeout totals in his two starts. The problem is that he struggled to a 9.00 ERA over 13 innings in Cactus League play, though that came with a 20/9 K/BB ratio. The first matchup against the Reds in Cincinnati is brutal, especially for a pitcher that has been prone to give up the long ball. Facing the Rays in the second start isn’t ideal either, as they’re a team that is very patient at the dish and Rocker has struggled with walks. This feels like he’s going to go fewer than five innings in each start and give you a real WHIPping while striking out eight or nine batters. If that appeals to you, roll the dice.Brewers #4 and #5 (vs. Royals, vs. Reds)Hello and welcome to the first edition of our weekly two-start pitcher article for the 2025 MLB season.German Marquez (@ Phillies, vs. Athletics)Sure, it’s a couple of difficult matchups, but you’re never sitting Glasnow for a two-start week. He’s going to pile up strikeouts and being backed by the powerful Dodgers’ offense there’s a good chance that he comes away with a victory in at least one of those starts. He should be used in every single format.At Your Own RiskThe 24-year-old southpaw was the Orioles’ best pitcher in Grapefruit League play, registering a 3.07 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and a 15/4 K/BB ratio over 14 2/3 innings of work. He draws a couple of neutral matchups for the first full week of the 2025 campaign and will be pitching with the added motivation of keeping his spot in the O’s rotation. He looks like a good bet for 10+ strikeouts, a decent shot at a victory and ratios that aren’t going to hurt you. This looks like a very strong streaming option in 15-teamers and I’d even be comfortable rolling him out in most 12-team formats as well.Chris Paddack (@ White Sox, vs. Astros)Bowden Francis (vs. Nationals, @ Mets)Kumar Rocker (@ Reds, vs. Rays)Alright, perhaps this one is a bit aggressive, but stay with me for a second here. Martin Perez is not a good pitcher. I’ll concede that to start. He has made a habit of pitching well early in the season though. Last year in March/April he somehow carried a 2.86 ERA with 27 strikeouts over 34 2/3 innings in six starts. The year prior, it was a 2.41 ERA with 26 punchouts over 33 2/3 innings in March/April. It seems he has a knack for getting by before the weather and hitter’s bats start to warm up. Combine that with the fact that I’m not really scared of the Twins’ offense and I’m certainly not scared of a very depleted Tigers’ offense – especially against a left-hander – and you have the makings of a viable streamer. He’s readily available in many leagues and makes for a nice gamble in 15-teamers and even in 12-teamers if you’re feeling frisky.For our National League pick this week we’re going to roll with Landen Roupp who claimed the final spot in the Giants’ rotation over Hayden Birdsong. While the matchup against the Astros is tough on paper, it’s against Hayden Wesneski so the chances of a victory aren’t as poor as they would normally be. This pick gets the added benefit of picking him up for his double a week early (vs. Reds, @ Yankees). He’s currently rostered in nine percent of all Yahoo leagues, so he definitely qualifies as someone who is readily available in all leagues. Roupp was extremely impressive in Cactus League play, posting a 3.75 ERA, minuscule 0.75 WHIP and a 14/1 K/BB ratio across 12 innings.
I’ll probably get grilled for this placement here, but that comes with the territory. Bubic was a late riser up fantasy draft boards on the heels of the news that he had secured a spot in the Royals’ Opening Day rotation. Let’s take a step back though before rolling him out automatically for his two-start week. He exhibited extreme inconsistency during seven Cactus League outings, which should be expected from a pitcher in his first full season back in the rotation following Tommy John surgery. It’s also a couple of very tough offenses that he’ll be doing battle against. If you’re counting on him in a 15-teamer, you probably have to use him and hope for the best, as worst case he should deliver the strikeouts. I think I’d hold off though in 12’s to see what he looks like the first time through.I’ll be here every Friday to highlight some of the best two-start pitcher options in fantasy baseball leagues for the upcoming week, as well as some streaming options to keep in mind. Brady Singer (vs. Rangers, @ Brewers)Trevor Williams/Michael Soroka (@ Blue Jays, vs. Diamondbacks)Cade Povich (vs. Red Sox, @ Royals)Peterson did a nice job in 21 starts for the Mets during the 2024 season, posting a 2.90 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and a 101/46 K/BB ratio across 121 innings. It took a couple of injuries in the rotation for him to get another opportunity, but there’s no reason that he can’t run with it once again. He gets a couple of solid matchups overall and with the Mets’ offense backing him will at least have a decent shot at earning a victory (especially in that first start). He probably won’t give you more than five or six strikeouts on the week, but that’s more than enough with what should be a solid ERA and a decent shot at a win. He’s a full go for me in 15-teamers and could be used in 12’s as well depending on my options.Jordan Hicks (@ Astros, vs. Mariners)It’s been about seven years since Newcomb has been a viable starting pitching option from a fantasy perspective, so the chances of him returning to relevancy in 2025 aren’t great. He was impressive during Grapefruit League play though, posting a minuscule 0.63 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and a 13/3 K/BB ratio over 14 1/3 innings. He’s just keeping the rotation spot warm until Brayan Bello or Lucas Giolito are ready to return, but there’s at least a glimmer of hope that he can be productive while he’s in there. I’m fine using him in AL-only formats and 15-teamers if you need starts and don’t have better options.Kyle Hart (vs. Guardians, @ Cubs)

Streamer City

This one takes a bit of faith, I get it. I was very interested in Hart during the early stages of the draft season, as he was coming over from the KBO after reinventing himself and winning their equivalent of the Cy Young award. He struggled badly during Cactus League play though and would have been booted from the rotation had Yu Darvish and Matt Waldron been healthy to start the season. He’s got a lot to prove though and I expect him to pitch well against a couple of middling offenses as he resumes his big league career. I always want to roster pitchers on good teams whenever I can and the Padres certainly qualify.

American League

Drew Rasmussen (vs. Pirates, @ Rangers)It’s wild that the season has started and we still don’t have any confirmation on who will be the fourth and fifth starters in the Brewers’ rotation. I’m here to tell you that for fantasy purposes, it doesn’t really matter. My best guess is that Chad Patrick and Logan Henderson will get the first chances to hold down those spots until reinforcements start to roll in from the injured list. I don’t think that either hurler is going to be an asset for fantasy purposes right out of the gate, and I’m certainly not throwing either to the wolves to start the season. I’ll let someone else try to beat me with them.

National League

Fantasy managers were thrilled, and rightfully so, when Ben Brown was named as the Cubs’ fifth starter at the end of Cactus League play. His numbers in the spring weren’t impressive though – a 5.84 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and a 13/2 K/BB ratio over 12 1/3 innings – so there is some risk involved in throwing him to the wolves in his first two starts of the season. If you’re in need of strikeouts, those should be there, so he’s worth a dice roll. Just don’t expect that he’s going to be an asset in ratios right out of the gate.Having to do battle against the Diamondbacks in the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium isn’t ideal, but the road matchup against the Pirates at the end of the week makes up for it. There’s reason for trepidation here, as Warren posted a horrifying 10.32 ERA and 1.90 WHIP over 22 2/3 innings across six appearances (five starts) with the Yankees during the 2024 season. Nothing ventured, nothing gained though. He’s got the Bronx Bombers providing him support and is likely to be a favorite in each of those starts. Nothing ventured, nothing gained though. There’s a chance that he gets blown up in one of those starts or doesn’t get through five innings. I think there’s a floor of around eight or nine strikeouts though with good win equity, so he’s the type of talent that I would roll the dice on in this spot.

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NC State kicks off indoor track season with strong distance performances – Technician

Published

9 minutes ago

December 8, 2025

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There’s no shortage of fast runners in the NC State athletic program. With women’s cross country coming off an NCAA National Championship run, many of the same speedsters who hoisted the big trophy have made the transition to indoor track season.

NC State’s top runners made the trip up to Boston, Massachusetts, to compete in the Boston University Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener, while the throwers stayed close to home and competed in the Winston-Salem College Kick-off in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Success continued for the Wolfpack in long distance running as a number of athletes marked strong performances in the 3000m and 5000m races.

In the 3000m, junior Angelina Napoleon led the charge with a fourth-place finish in the elite first heat, with a time of 8:46.15. Also competing in the first heat, Sadie Englehardt finished 17th with a time of 9:09.47. Junior Kate Putman competed in the second heat, finishing 14th with a time of 9:17.92.

Three NC State athletes competed in the 5000m, with senior Briley Bickerstaff finishing 40th with a time of 15:59.61, graduate Brooke Rauber finishing 54th with a time of 16:06.79 and junior Jolena Quarzo finishing 72nd with a time of 16:15.68.

Senior Grace Hartman, notably absent from the initial indoor track events, was away competing in the 2025 USA Track & Field Cross-Country Championships. In a field full of current and former NCAA champions and USA Olympians, Hartman finished with a strong sixth-place time of 34:25.7.

On the men’s side, junior Elliot McArthur sped through the mile in 4:03.19, placing eighth overall to become No. 9 on NC State’s top-10 list. Sophomore Noah Valyo and the UNC-Chapel Hill transfer, junior Luke Wiley, competed in the 5000m. Vaylo finished 156th in 14:27.13 and Wily finished 177th in 14:39.19.

In the throwing events, taking place in Winston Salem, junior Tony Taylor II showed out with a runner-up finish in the weight throw with a personal-best 17.83-meter toss. Sophomore Bradley Pawlak also showed some gusto with a fifth-place mark of 17.24. In the women’s weight throw, junior Natalie Griffith finished fifth with a personal-best 16.80-meter toss.

The Wolfpack women’s shotputters also made the trip to Winston-Salem. Junior Iniyah Mitchell finished 26th with a mark of 10.38m, while graduate Jakerra Covington finished 32nd with a mark of 9.71.

Next up, the Pack will head to Blacksburg, Virginia, for the Virginia Tech Invitational Jan. 16-17.

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NCAA Women’s Div I Volleyball Tournament Glance

Published

15 minutes ago

December 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

By The Associated Press

2025 NCAA Women’s Div I Volleyball Tournament Glance All Times EST

First Round

Thursday, Dec. 4

No. 4 Colorado def. American, 25-16, 25-19, 25-16

No. 4 Kansas def. High Point, 25-20, 25-15, 25-18

No. 6 Baylor def. Arkansas St., 23-25, 25-20, 30-28, 23-25, 15-10

No. 5 Miami (FL) def. Tulsa, 25-22, 13-25, 25-22, 25-20

No. 4 Indiana def. Toledo, 25-18, 25-15, 25-17

North Carolina def. No. 6 UTEP, 24-26, 25-11, 25-18, 25-21

No. 8 UCLA def. Georgia Tech, 24-26, 25-19, 23-25, 25-18, 25-10

No. 6 N. Iowa def. Utah, 15-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-10

Utah St. def. No. 7 Tennessee, 25-19, 25-15, 20-25, 18-25, 15-11

No. 3 Purdue def. Wright St., 25-13, 25-21, 25-19

No. 1 Kentucky def. Wofford, 25-11, 25-19, 25-12

Cal Poly def. No. 5 BYU, 25-19, 17-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-10

No. 3 Creighton def. Northern Colorado, 25-12, 23-25, 23-25, 25-17, 15-8

No. 2 Arizona St. def. Coppin St., 25-11, 25-14, 25-12

No. 4 Southern Cal def. Princeton, 25-19, 25-12, 25-13

No. 3 Wisconsin def. Eastern Ill., 25-11, 25-6, 25-19

Friday, Dec. 5

Marquette def. No. 7 W. Kentucky, 25-22, 25-21, 25-16

Michigan def. No. 8 Xavier, 25-19, 25-15, 25-23

Kansas St. def. No. 8 San Diego vs., 21-25, 25-17, 26-28, 25-22, 15-12

No. 6 TCU def. Steven F. Austin St., 25-8, 26-24, 25-20

Florida def. No. 7 Rice, 27-25, 25-23, 25-19

No. 5 Iowa St. def. St. Thomas (Minn.), 21-25, 25-13, 25-16, 21-25, 15-8

No. 8 Penn St. def. South Florida, 25-23, 12-25, 25-21, 25-19

No. 1 Pittsburgh def. UMBC, 25-10, 25-17, 25-13

No. 2 Louisville def. Loyola Chicago, 25-17, 25-9, 25-12

No. 2 SMU def. Cent. Arkansas, 25-13, 25-13, 25-13

No. 3 Texas A&M def. Campbell, 25-17, 25-9, 25-12

Arizona def. No. 7 South Dakota St., 25-21, 22-25, 25-15, 25-15

No. 1 Nebraska def. LIU, 25-11, 25-15, 25-17

No. 1 Texas def. Florida A&M, 25-11, 25-8, 25-14

No. 4 Minnesota def. Fairfield, 25-12, 25-7, 25-13

No. 2 Stanford def. Utah Valley, 21-25, 25-21, 25-13, 25-14

Second Round
Friday, Dec. 5

No. 3 Purdue def. No. 6 Baylor, 25-16, 25-19, 23-25, 25-20

No. 4 Indiana def. No. 5 Colorado, 25-20, 25-17, 25-13

No. 1 Kentucky def. No. 8 UCLA, 30-25, 25-16, 28-30, 25-17

No. 4 Kansas def. No. 5 Miami, 25-17, 25-22, 22-25, 27-25

No. 3 Creighton def. N. Iowa, 25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21

No. 2 Arizona St. def. Utah St., 25-15, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15

No. 3 Wisconsin def. North Carolina, 25-14, 25-21, 27-25

Cal Poly def. No. 4 Southern Cal, 25-19, 25-20, 20-25, 14-25, 15-7

Saturday, Dec. 6

No. 2 Louisville def. Marquette, 21-15, 25-11, 23-25, 25-19, 15-12

No. 1 Pittsburgh def. Michigan, 25-23, 25-23, 25-18

No. 1 Texas def. No. 8 Penn St., 25-16, 25-9, 25-19

No. 1 Nebraska def. Kansas St., 25-17, 25-21, 25-16

No. 2 SMU def. Florida, 25-11, 25-21, 26-24

No. 3 Texas A&M def. TCU, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 29-27

No. 4 Minnesota def. No. 5 Iowa St., 25-22, 25-21, 25-14

No. 2 Stanford def. Arizona, 25-16, 25-27, 25-17, 25-20

Third Round
Thursday, Dec. 11

No. 2 Arizona State vs. No. 3 Creighton, 1 p.m.

No. 1 Kentucky vs. Cal Poly, 3:30 p.m.

No. 1 Pittsburgh vs. No. 4 Minnesota, 7 p.m.

No. 2 SMU vs. No. 3 Purdue, 9:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 12

No. 1 Texas vs. No. 4 Indiana, noon

No. 2 Stanford vs. No. 3 Wisconsin, 2:30 p.m.

No. 2 Louisville vs. No. 3 Texas A&M, 7 p.m.

No. 1 Nebraska vs. No. 4 Kansas, 9:30 p.m.

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Colby Sweeps Team Titles at Home Elm City Classic

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25 minutes ago

December 8, 2025

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Waterville, Maine – The Colby College Men’s and Women’s Track & Field teams opened their indoor season in dominant fashion, sweeping both team titles as they hosted the Elm City Classic. The men scored 155 points to finish 1st of 5 teams, while the women collected 168 points to finish 1st of 4 teams on their home track.

The men delivered strong performances from sprints to field events. Ian Irwin won the 60m (7.02), while Levi Biery swept both the 200m (23.12) and 60m hurdles (8.47). Jackson Coelho claimed the 600m (1:21.71) and later anchored the victorious 4x400m relay with Sam Graubart, Biery, and Logan Sullivan (3:32.24). In the distance events, Stephen White captured the 3000m (8:32.80), and the Mules won the distance medley relay behind Chris Gould, Liam McGoldrick, Hugh McGuire, and Danny Reyes (11:07.15). Colby also earned multiple wins in the field, highlighted by Logan Sullivan taking the high jump (1.93m) and Logan Lehnert winning the pole vault (4.45m).

The women controlled the meet from start to finish, led by Charlotte Brake-Hoffman, who won both the 60m (7.90) and 200m (25.87). Tally Zeller took the 400m (59.16), Kaitlyn Ewald earned wins in the 600m (1:38.07) and long jump (5.14m), and Paige Goodwin secured the mile (5:44.18). Josie Hopkins won the 60m hurdles (9.62) and placed second in the pentathlon, while the 4x400m relay of Ellie Wang, Brake-Hoffman, Amina Cifric, and Alex Hermsdorff (4:11.92) closed out the track events with another Colby victory. In the field, Amina Cifric won the pole vault (3.32m).

The meet produced a strong list of AARTFC qualifiers, and several Mules broke into the Colby all-time top ten, including Hopkins (#3 LJ), Cifric (#4 PV), Sullivan (#5 HJ, facility record), Jack Coelho (#5 600m, facility record), and several multi-event athletes.

The Mules will be back on January 16th for the Bates Invitational at Lewiston, Maine.

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Gunderson Tabbed NSIC Wrestler of the Week

Published

30 minutes ago

December 8, 2025

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BURNSVILLE, Minn. – For the first time in his career, Coy Gunderson has been named NSIC Wrestler of the Week, announced by the conference office on Monday afternoon.

Coy Gunderson (174 lbs., R-Jr., Murdock, Minn. / Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg HS)

– Went 2-0 in a pair of conference duals

– Opened with a 4-2 decision over Damen Pape of Northern State

– Had a second-period escape and third-period takedown

– Earned a 4-1 decision over No. 3-ranked Drake Hayward of No. 12 Minnesota State

– Set the tone, earning a takedown in the final 10 seconds of the third period

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Penn State track and field opens indoor season dominating 3 meets | Penn State Track & Field News

Published

41 minutes ago

December 8, 2025

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With snow on the ground outside each of the three facilities, Penn State kicked off its 2025-26 indoor season in Boston, Philadelphia and Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

The Nittany Lions competed at the Penn Opener, Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener and Bison Opener, where they earned 12 top finishes across the three meets.

Penn Opener

Senior multi-eventer Maddie Pitts got things going on Friday at the Penn Opener, where she won the pentathlon with a meet record score of 4,132.

Pitts broke the meet record in the 60-meter hurdles, long jump and shot put — which was also a personal best — as she opened the season right where she left off last year.

Sophomore Hannah Riolo continued the strong performance momentum on Saturday as she jumped 1.75m for second place in the women’s high jump. Riolo was followed by Katie Becker and Gwen Cudmore in fifth and sixth place, who jumped 1.72m and 1.62m, respectively.

In the women’s long jump, Lizzie Schreiber jumped her way into first place with a personal-best performance of 5.98m.

Schreiber finished the Penn Opener in the women’s triple jump, where she finished in second place with a jump of 12.74m.

Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener

Sophomore Tayissa Buchanan opened the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener with a bang, running the second-fastest 800-meter in Penn State history.

Buchanan broke her personal best by nearly five seconds as she ran a 2:02.67 for second place.

In the women’s 3,000 meters, sophomore Ada Rand also etched herself into the No. 2 spot in Penn State history. Rand ran a 9:06.18 to finish fourth at the invite, followed by Sarah Pickering in 9:29.65 for 25th place.

Senior Justin Healey earned a personal best in the men’s 3,000m, running a time of 8:05.23 to finish 36th out of 124 runners.

The women’s 5,000 meters saw a pair of personal bests for Penn State, as Charlotte Costich took over a minute off her time to earn the No. 3 mark in school history.

Costich finished in 22nd place with a time of 15:49.68, followed by Claire Daniels in 65th with a time of 16:13.69.

Nick Sloff came out of the gates in the men’s 5000m in similar fashion, earning the No. 2 spot in school history with a 13:45.36 for 38th place.

Bison Opener

Freshman Lucas Band bursted onto the scene in the men’s 60-meter hurdles, where he finished first in both the prelims and the finals with a time of 8.17 seconds.

Addyson White shared similar consistency in the women’s 60m hurdles, finishing second in both races with a time of 8.88 seconds.

Sophomore Scotty Coffi showed improvement through both races at the Bison Opener as he finished second in the prelims and finals. Coffi earned a personal-best 6.84 in the prelims before cutting to 6.78 seconds in the finals.

Freshman Will Landwer made his collegiate debut in the men’s 60m, running 6.97 seconds for seventh place before scratching his finals.

The Nittany Lions also had a strong showing in the women’s 60m, as White took the win with a personal-best 7.59-second performance.

Alexandria North and White also earned finals berths, finishing in 7.69 seconds and 7.84 seconds for third and sixth place, respectively.

Graduate student Collin Burkhart picked up where he left off last season in the men’s weight throw, winning the event with a throw of 20.38m. MIT transfer Sam Engebretson finished third in his Penn State debut, throwing 19.30m.

Alex Pancoast earned a big personal best in the women’s weight throw, as shce threw 18.97m for another first place.

Gabby Cope finished third with 17.18m, followed by junior Gabi Deglau in fourth with 17.07m.

The men’s high jump experienced a Penn State sweep in the top three places, as junior Robert Allen won the event with a jump of 2.05m. Freshman Trip Campbell finished second with 2.05m, followed by Tim Watson tying for third in 1.95m.

The women’s pole vault saw similar domination by the Nittany Lions. Senior Meredith Baham led the way with a jump of 4.00m for first place, with sophomore Amelia McBain in second with 3.70m.

The Nittany Lions had four runners compete in the women’s 200 meter, including North leading the way in second place with a 24.99 performance. Duffy, Jacoutot and Aument finished in sixth, eighth and 13th, respectively.

Cope earned her second podium finish of the day in the women’s shot put, throwing 14.95m for first place.

Tristan McGarrah earned Penn State another first-place finish in the women’s pole vault, jumping 5.00m. Mason Bucks finished in third with 4.70m.

The Nittany Lions ended the Bison Invite in the men’s shot put as Engebretson won with a throw of 17.41m. Iowa transfer Brady Mider finished fifth with a personal best 16.67m.

Up next

The Nittany Lions will host their first of three indoor meets with the Nittany Lion Challenge on Saturday, Jan. 17.

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Empire 8 Conference Players of the Week – December 8, 2025

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December 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

General | 12/8/2025 1:00:00 PM

Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on December 8, 2025, for games played from December 1 – December 7. It is the 15th Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2025-26 season. Sports featured include men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s ice hockey, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, and men’s wrestling.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kelton Brown, Elmira, So., G, Olive Branch, MS/Olive Branch

Brown helped lead the Soaring Eagles to a 2-1 record on the week, including wins over SUNY ESF and Penn College. Brown, who leads the Soaring Eagles statistically in steals, assists, rebounds, and points, averaged 23.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.7 steals per game. Against Penn College, he recorded 28 points and five rebounds and tallied three steals and one block. On Saturday against St. Elizabeth, Brown recorded a double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds. He also tallied four steals and one block for his second E8 weekly honor.

CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Anthony Rose, SUNY Poly, Sr., G, Bronx, NY/Fannie Lou Hammer Freedom

Stellar play from Rose lifted the Wildcats to a 3-0 week with wins over St. Lawrence, Hamilton and Worcester State. He averaged 22.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, while shooting 55 percent (27-of-49) from the field. On Tuesday, Rose compiled 20 points and seven rebounds in a 64-51 victory over St. Lawrence. Just two days later, Rose exploded for for 27 points on 10-of-14 shooting, including 5-for-5 from 3-point range with five boards and three assists in a 78-72 victory over Hamilton. He added 21 points and four assists in a 78-59 win over Worcester State.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Ajani Flemming, SUNY Brockport, Fr., G, Brooklyn, NY/Eagle Academy

Flemming scored a season-high 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor, draining 4-of-5 from 3-point range to go along with three assists and a pair of rebounds in Brockport’s 84-65 win at RIT on Tuesday evening.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Layla Acosta, Russell Sage, Sr., G, Haines City, FL/Haines City

Acosta became just the tenth Russell Sage College women’s basketball player to surpass 1,000 career points in Monday’s 71-68 win vs. SUNY Cobleskill. She tallied 26 points on Monday to reach the milestone and help the Gators defeat the defending North Atlantic Conference Champions and improve to 5-2 overall in 2025-26. It is Acosta’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.

CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Katie MacLachlan, Nazareth, Sr., G, Marcellus, NY/Marcellus

MacLachlan shot 7-of-15 from the floor, including 5-of-11 from 3-point land en route to 23 points, four rebounds, two assists, and three steals in a win over Alfred on Saturday to open Empire 8 play.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Keely Mullins, Houghton, Fr., G, Livingston, TN/White County

Mullins scored 17 points and pulled down six rebounds to go along with a pair of assists in just 12 minutes of action in Houghton’s 103-66 win over Pitt-Bradford on Thursday. It is her second weekly honor of the season.

MEN’S ICE HOCKEY

PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Alex Dameski, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., F, Oakville, Ontario

Dameski recorded a six-point weekend with two goals and four assists and was plus-4, as the nationally-ranked Knights wrapped up the semester with a weekend sweep against Empire 8 foe St. John Fisher, winning by scores of 8-2 on Friday and 4-0 on Saturday. He tallied a goal and three assists and was plus-2 in Friday’s win, as the Knights erased a 2-0 deficit. On Saturday, Dameski scored twice, including the game-winner to open the scoring in a 4-0 win.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK – Jacob Torgner, SUNY Geneseo, Fr., G, Mjolby, Sweden

Torgner stopped all 22 shots he faced in Saturday’s 4-0 shutout win over St. John Fisher. He made five first period saves, seven more in the second period, and competed the shutout with 10 third period stops, as the Knights moved to 5-1-0 in UCHC and 3-1-0 in E8 competition.

WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY

PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Brooke Judkiewicz, Nazareth, So., F, East Concord, NY/Springville Griffith

Judkiewicz enjoyed a banner weekend with six points on two goals and four assist and was plus-4, as the Golden Flyers improved to 10-0-0 with wins over Trinity and Wesleyan of the NESCAC over the weekend. She had a goal and two assists in a 3-0 win over Trinity on Friday and added a goal and two assists in a 6-4 win over Wesleyan on Saturday.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK – Brynn Bacak, St. John Fisher, Fr., G, Williamsville, NY/Nichols School

Bacak stopped 69 of 74 shots as the Cardinals wrapped up their opening semester with a weekend split against NESCAC institutions Wesleyan and Trinity. On Friday, she made 34 saves on 35 shots, as the Cardinals defeated Wesleyan, 2-1. She made 35 saves on Saturday against Trinity.

MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING

SWIMMER OF THE WEEK – Andrew Ayala, Alfred, Fr., Distance/Individual Medley, Mexico City, Mexico/Prepatoria No. 5

Ayala had a record-breaking weekend at the 14th Annual Bomber Invitational hosted by Ithaca College over the weekend. He broke two records in total, both of them have stood on the AU record boards since the 80’s. Ayala began with breaking the 500-yard freestyle record, winning the event with a time of 4:34.00, breaking the previous mark of 4:38.03 held by four-time All-American and Alfred University Hall of Fame member, John Jewell ’85, set in 1984. He then competed in the 1,650-yard freestyle and while on-pace to win the event, once he reached the 1,000-yard mark, he combined mark at the time of his touch, he broke the school record of 9:45.27, set by Jeffery Benton ’89 in his senior year. Ayala had time of 9:43.28 after 1,000-yards, en route to a thrilling mile win. His 500-yard freestyle and 1,650-yard freestyle victories were accompanied by his first-place finish in the 400-yard individual medley as he clocked a time of 4:04.94 to break his own school record time of 4:08.54.

DIVER OF THE WEEK – Greg Meder, SUNY Geneseo, Jr., Diver, Plainview, NY/Plainview

Meder tallied the top score in both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives this past weekend at the Don Richards Diving Invitational, hosted by RIT, scoring a 557.05 and 587.75 respectively. It is Meder’s fourth E8 weekly honor of the season.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING

SWIMMER OF THE WEEK – Liv Richeda, Alfred, Jr., Distance/Breaststroke, Endwell, NY/Maine-Endwell

Richeda hit back-to-back personal best marks during the 14th Annual Bomber Invitational hosted by Ithaca College over the span of three days. During Saturday’s preliminary round in the morning session, Richeda posted the fifth-best time in the 200-yard breaststroke with a personal best mark of 2:33.42. She finished sixth in the evening finals with a time of 2:36.24. A day earlier, Richeda posted a personal best time of 5:13.73 during the prelims of the 400-yard individual medley. She then broke that again with a time of 5:09.84 in the finals. Richeda competed in a total of nine events with one more top-10 finish, swimming the anchor leg of the 800-yard freestyle relay, joining Alexandra Simmons, Lauren Mott and Courtney Cherricks for a time of 8:51.42 for seventh place. Richeda split a time of 2:16.14 in the event.

DIVER OF THE WEEK – Lydia Benjamin, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., Diver, Elmira, NY/Elmira

Benjamin was the top diver for the Knights at the Don Richards Diving Invitational at RIT this past weekend, scoring a 425.40 in the 1-meter dive and a 362.65 in the 3-meter dive. It is Benjamin’s second E8 weekly accolade of 2025-26.

MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD

TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Jacob Miller, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., Sprints, Brockport, NY/Brockport

Miller opened the indoor track season on a high note for the Knights, winning both the 400-meter dash and 4×400-meter relay at Nazareth on Friday. Miller posted a time of 48.27 in the 400-meters, adjusted to 47.55 seconds in the NCAA rankings, which is currently third in Division III. Miller was also part of the winning 4×400-meter relay team with a time of 3:18.55, which adjusted to NCAA standards, is the top time in Division III to date in 2025-26.

FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Dennis Bobbitt, SUNY Brockport, So., Jumps, Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph’s

Bobbitt opened the 2025-26 season at Houghton Classic over the weekend, in style, showing out with two first place finishes. Bobbitt finished strong in the long jump with a 7.28 meter (23’ 10.75”) jump good for first overall at the meet and ranks third to date in Division III. He then made a statement in the triple jump, taking first with a leap of 14.86 meters (48’ 9”), which was one of the best in league history and currently puts him third in all of Division III.

WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD

TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Laura Suppa, Utica, Gr., Hurdles, Canastota, NY/Canastota

Suppa made her presence on the track known in her debut for the Pioneers, posting a new school, facility, and briefly shattered the Empire 8 record in the 60-meter hurdles. In the prelims, Suppa managed to shatter the school record with a time of 8.75 seconds and followed that performance up with a massive 8.69 second effort in the finals. The previous Empire 8 record of 8.72 was set last season by Geneseo’s Jillian Ambler, who also re-broke the mark with a time of 8.67 seconds over the weekend. Suppa currently has the fourth-best time in Division III.

FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Jillian Ambler, SUNY Geneseo, Jr., Sprints/Jumps, Fairport, NY/Fairport

Ambler won two events for the Knights in their season opening meet at Nazareth on Friday. Ambler won the finals of the 60-meter hurdles in 8.70 seconds after breaking her own E8 record earlier in the meet at 8.67 seconds, then took the top spot in the long jump at 5.89 meters (19’ 4”). She currently has the best long jump in all of Division III and has the third best 60-meter hurdles time in the nation.

MEN’S WRESTLING

WRESTLER OF THE WEEK – Trevor Bishop, St. John Fisher, So., 149 lbs., Brunswick, NY/Tamarac

Bishop earned runner-up honors at 149 lbs. at the RIT Invitational on Saturday. He snuck past Isaac Judson of Williams by a 3-0 decision in his first match before winning 18-0 by technical fall in 4:10 over Jake Brown of Penn State Behrend, 8-0 by major decision over Brett Thomson of Scranton and by fall in just 58 seconds over Ty Trickle of Trinity College. He lost a hard-fought 1-0 battle to Caleb Seyfried of Williams College in the 149-pound championship bout.