NIL

HookC Battles For First Place at St. John’s

Story Links QUEENS, N.Y. – The UConn baseball team (23-17, 8-4 BIG EAST) battles for first place in the BIG EAST with a three-game set at St. John’s (20-17, 6-3 BIG EAST). The series has been altered due to inclement weather on Saturday. The series kicks off with a doubleheader on […]

Published

2 months ago

April 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

QUEENS, N.Y. – The UConn baseball team (23-17, 8-4 BIG EAST) battles for first place in the BIG EAST with a three-game set at St. John’s (20-17, 6-3 BIG EAST).

The series has been altered due to inclement weather on Saturday. The series kicks off with a doubleheader on Friday, April 25 at 1 p.m. and finishes with the series finale on Sunday, April 27 at 1 p.m.

The Huskies and Red Storm are tied atop the BIG EAST standings with Xavier (8-4) and Creighton (6-3).

UConn enters the series riding a season-long 10-game win streak after defeating UMass and Army in the midweek.

The UConn pitching staff ranks 31st in the country with 9.9 strikeouts per nine this season. The last five games the UConn pitchers have recorded double digit strikeout efforts with 17 total games this year. 11 UConn pitchers have more strikeouts than innings pitched this season. Ian Cooke leads the Huskies with 53 strikeouts, Pudvar has 52 and Afthim has 40.

The Huskies rank 12th in the country with 100 stolen bases this season. Caleb Shpur leads the way with 30 bags, ranking eighth nationally. Sam Biller has 16 SB, Rispoli with 14, Minick with 10, Daniels with 9 and Dougherty with 8. The 100 stolen bases with 15 games to play already ranks 7th most in program history.The Huskies are averaging 2.50 stolen bases per game.

Rob Rispoli has been a spark at the top of the UConn order this season. The shortstop has been named to the Brooks Wallace Watch List, an award given to the best SS in college baseball. The redshirt freshman is hitting .324 with a team best .474 on-base percentage. The UConn SS leadd the team with 26 walks and 13 hit by pitches. He has also stolen 14 bases this year.

Ryan Daniles has had a breakout junior senior after dealing with injuries his first two seasons in Storrs. He is currently in a hot stretch with four home runs in the last three games. He registered his first career multi-homer game against Army with a two-run HR and grand slam to total a career-high six RBI. The Meriden, CT native is hitting .339 with 38 runs scored (tied for team lead), 10 doubles (leads team), two triples, eight home runs and 38 runs batted in. The infield/outfielder has a .447 OBP.

In the series finale at FAU, Daniels hit the go-ahead two-run home run in the 10th inning to lift UConn to its first win of the year. The home run was part of the first career four-hit game for the infielder/outfielder. Daniels followed up that performance with a game-tying home run against No. 14 Vanderbilt to eventually earn the Huskies a ranked win.

Sophomore Tyler Minick has already taken a big jump from his freshman to sophomore year. The Reading, Pa. native is hitting .346 batting average, 12 home runs and 41 runs batted in. The corner INF has a career-high with 18 walks and is slugging at a .692 clip. Minick recorded a multi-homer game in the series opener against Seton Hall. The sophomore already has four career grand slams with two of them this season (FAU & Creighton).

Long time Husky Bryan Padilla registered his 200th career hit with a double in the 8th inning against Creighton in the series opener. Padilla becomes the 24th Husky in programa history to reach the 200-hit mark. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native has played in 212 games with the Huskies and racked up 212 career hits including 24 home runs. The infielder has scored 139 runs, driven in 150 runs and walked 109 times.

Games Played

Chris Winkel, 2017-21   243

Billy Ferriter, 2010-2013   242

Mike Nemeth, 2008-11   241

Bobby Melley, 2013-16   241

Bryan Daniello, 2013-16   224

John Topaa, 2016-19   222

Pat Mahoney, 2005-08   217

LJ Mazzilli, 2010-13   212

Bryan Padilla, 2022-25   212

Hits

Mike Nemeth, 2008-11   331

LJ Mazzilli 2010-13   295

Bobby Melley, 2013-16.   290

Billy Ferriter 2010-13   288

George Springer, 2009-11   242

Pierre LePage, 2008-10   237

John Toppa, 2016-19   237

Dennis Donovan, 2004-07   236

Pat Mahoney, 2005-08   233

Clarke Caudill, 1997-00   232

Todd Rosenthal, 1989-92   227

Anthony Prato, 2017-19   227

Chris Winkel, 2017-21   222

Vinny Siena, 2013-15   221

Bryan Daniello, 2013-16.   212

Bryan Padilla, 2022-25   212

Walks

Sean Irey, 1991-94   143

Jack Sundberg, 2013-16   134

Mike Nemeth, 2008-11   134

Bobby Melley, 2013-16   132

George Springer, 2009-11   128

Bryan Padlla, 2022-2025   109

UConn closer Brady Afthim has been one of the top closers in the country. The RHP is ranked No. 15 by D1Baseball.com on the top 100 closers list. He has been named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List.

Afthim has appeared in 15 games for UConn this year and is 1-1 with eight saves and leads the team with a 1.40 ERA. In 25.2 innings, the Windham, Maine native has allowed four earned run and struck out 40 batters while holding opponents to a .218 average against. The tri-captain has now appeared in 85 games, ranking 4th all-time in program history. The 16 career saves he has registered is 9th all-time.

Saves

Justin Willis, 2021-23   28

Mike James, 2001-04   22

Kevin Vance, 2009-11   21

Patrick Ruotolo, 2014-16   20

David Erickson, 2005-09   20

Jacob Wallace, 2017-19   19

Matt Karl, 2005-08   18

P.J. Poulin, 2016-18   16

Brady Afthim, 2022-2025   14

Appearances

Dan Feehan, 2010-13.   96

David Erickson, 2005-09   87

CJ Dandeneau, 2016-19   87

Brady Afthim, 2022-2025   85

Ian Cooke has struggled to start his 2025 campaign but the 2024 BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year has looked strong in seven relief appearance. The New Milford, Conn. native has pitched 20.0 innings, allowed three earned runs, walked five and struck out batters. Cooke closed out the middle game of the series at Xavier with 3.0 shutout innings to earn his first save of the year. In BIG EAST play, Cooke has recorded three saves and one win with all four of those outings lasting 3.0 innings or more. The senior has logged 200.2 career innings and recorded 15 wins on the mound for the Huskies. He currently has 231 strikeouts, ranking sixth in program history.

Strikeouts

Mason Feole, 2017-19   278

Tim Cate, 2016-18   270

Anthony Kay, 2014-16   263

Ian Cooke, 2022-2025   252

RHP Sean Finn has become a back end of the bullpen piece for the Huskies this season. The RHP leads the team with five wins in 13 appearances and four starts. The Warrington, Pa. product has a 3.10 ERA in 20.1 innings and struck out 31 while holding opponents to a .200 batting average against.

Against Seton Hall, Finn earned a pair of wins out of the bullpen to help the Huskies sweep the series. He combined for 5.1 innings with just two hits, 0 earned runs and struck out 11.

Greg Shaw III has been another Manhattan transfer (Pudvar) that has made his impact felt in his first season in Storrs. The RHP leads the staff with 19 appearances and has a 4.11 ERA. In 35.0 innings, he has 31 strikeouts and held opponents to a .233 batting average against. Shaw earned his first save as a Husky by closing out the series finale at UNC Greensboro and earned his first win with 3.0 innings of work at Boston College.

CF Caleb Shpur has been one of the best CF’s in the country according to defensive runs saved. The East Canaan, CT native is third amongst CF’s with 9.70 defensive runs saved this season.

The UConn outfielder also leads the team and the BIG EAST Conference with 30 stolen bases after stealing 26 bases a year ago. The 30 stolen bases is 8th in the nation and is also climbing the single-season list for most stolen bases in a UConn single season.

Stolen Bases

Dennis Dwyer, 1993………….. 40

David Smith, 2023……………. 39

Dennis Dwyer, 1994………….. 39

Nick Ahmed, 2010 ……………. 34

Billy Ferriter, 2010 ……………. 33

Jack Sundberg, 2015 ………… 33

George Springer, 2010 ………. 33

George Springer, 2011 ………. 31

Jon Gorrie, 2002 ……………… 31

Brian Specyalski, 1989………. 31

Caleb Shpur, 2025……………. 30

NIL

Louisville baseball’s Bayram Hot enters NCAA transfer portal

Louisville baseball’s Bayram Hot has entered the NCAA transfer portal, On3’s Pete Nakos confirmed. Hot played one season with the Cardinals. Hot saw action in 36 games for Louisville in 2025. Across 92 at-bats, Hot averaged a .326 batting average to go with 30 hits, 22 RBIs and three home runs. 2025 was Hot’s third […]

Published

38 minutes ago

June 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Louisville baseball’s Bayram Hot has entered the NCAA transfer portal, On3’s Pete Nakos confirmed. Hot played one season with the Cardinals.

Hot saw action in 36 games for Louisville in 2025. Across 92 at-bats, Hot averaged a .326 batting average to go with 30 hits, 22 RBIs and three home runs.

2025 was Hot’s third season at the collegiate level, spending his first two years at Marist. There, he earned 2023 MAAC Rookie of the Year honors after finishing his true freshman season with a .382 batting average across 50 games played. Hot wasn’t a home run threat, but logged 73 hits, scoring 47 runs, 37 RBIs and 19 extra base hits.

In 2024, Hot’s batting average regressed to a career-low .278. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t productive, however. As a sophomore, he logged career highs in walks (29) and home runs (7).

Hot then transferred to Louisville, where the Cardinals finished the 2025 season with a 42-24 overall record. They reached College World Series for the sixth time in program history and the first since 2019. Their record allowed the program to surpass the 40-win threshold for the 14th time in program since Dan McDonnell came to the program 19 seasons ago. Before his arrival, Louisville baseball had never reached that win total.

Now, Hot will have one year of eligibility remaining to play for his new college baseball team. Chose Louisville over Kentucky, Mississippi State, East Carolina, Kansas, Michigan and Maryland. It’s unclear if any of these teams will pursue him in the portal this cycle. Whichever program it will be, it’ll be Hot’s third in four seasons.

The transfer portal wire provides a real-time feed of player activity, including basic player profile information, transfer portal ranking and original On3 Industry recruiting ranking, as well as NIL valuation (name, image and likeness).

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

Link

NIL

Rece Davis Names $6.8 Million QB As Best In College Football

We are only two months away from the start of the 2025 college football season. Media days are on the horizon, and preview magazines are hitting the shelf, which has created plenty of chatter about who the best returning players are in college football. On a recent episode of the ‘College GameDay Podcast,’ ESPN’s Rece […]

Published

59 minutes ago

June 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

On a recent episode of the ‘College GameDay Podcast,’ ESPN’s Rece Davis discussed his top returning quarterbacks in college football going into next season.

Davis highlighted multiple notable returning stars, including LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers. Even with all the returning talent, Davis made it clear that there is one quarterback who is primed to take a massive leap in his first year as a full-time starter.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

“My number one quarterback, guy who’ll have the best season for his team, put up the best numbers? Arch Manning,” Davis said. “And I know that’s what you expected, but not for the reasons.

“This is a healthy chunk of my belief in Arch Manning’s talent and a gargantuan check of my belief in Steve Sarkisian as a guy who can take quarterbacks and make them succeed beyond what their experience might indicate they would.”

Over his first two seasons, Manning has seen limited action in a reserve role but made two starts last season in relief of Quinn Ewers. He’s recorded 969 passing yards, nine passing touchdowns, and two interceptions. He added 115 yards and four scores on the ground. Manning enters next season 2-0 as a starter, with the expectations to lead Texas back to the College Football Playoff.

The expectations are not only tied to the high standard at Texas. Manning has the highest NIL valuation in college football, according to On3. He’s valued at over $6 million, which includes NIL deals with Panini America, Uber, Red Bull, and Vuori. Manning’s NIL valuation is over $2 million more than any other college athlete, with the next closest being Miami quarterback Carson Beck.

Manning signed with Texas as the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class. He finished his high school career with a 34-9 record as a starter, recording over 8,500 passing yards and 115 passing touchdowns. He broke multiple school records, including the career records for passing yards, passing touchdowns, total offense, and total touchdowns.

The Arch Manning era of Texas football will begin on Aug. 30 against Ohio State. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on FOX.

Link

NIL

Ed Graney

LAS VEGAS — Bill Paulos is happy there will be more oversight, that the House vs. NCAA settlement demands more scrutiny of name, image and likeness deals within college athletics. That a centralized clearinghouse will be in charge of regulating any NIL transactions. Friends of UNILV is the collective for UNLV, one in which Paulos […]

Published

4 hours ago

June 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LAS VEGAS — Bill Paulos is happy there will be more oversight, that the House vs. NCAA settlement demands more scrutiny of name, image and likeness deals within college athletics.

That a centralized clearinghouse will be in charge of regulating any NIL transactions.

Friends of UNILV is the collective for UNLV, one in which Paulos leads.

The House settlement allows athletes to be directly compensated by their schools via revenue sharing. There is a limit of $20.5 million this season, though that number has yet to be officially decided.

UNLV has opted in to terms of the settlement and will pay athletes directly. It’s unknown to what threshold the Rebels will reach when deciding how much to distribute.

Then there is the NIL money athletes can continue to receive.

NIL Go is the clearinghouse that will require any athlete to report deals more than $600. Contracts will be reviewed to guarantee they represent fair market value.

Whole new world

“I’m absolutely in favor of there being more (oversight),” Paulos said. “The unfortunate thing is there is a lot of mud in the water. Do you know how many applications there will be for anything over $600? Mind-boggling. We still don’t know what the real definition of revenue is going to be.

“It’s a new world with (the settlement) that will be in constant change. It’s like a new business model — NIL is the startup business. There will be trips and falls and mistakes, but there are a set of rules now. That’s a big step and certainly what the universities want.

“Things have gotten ridiculous with (NIL) across the country. It’s the Wild West. Hopefully, this means you will no longer have someone reach in their pocket and give a kid a million dollars for coming to their birthday party. You won’t be able to do that if you follow these new rules.”

Translation: A large percentage of previous NIL deals would not have been approved under the new system. Most of those were funded by boosters. You have a better chance at being approved via corporate sponsorships.

Which goes to the point about fair market value.

You would guess a starting quarterback at Alabama might be compensated more for a car dealership sponsorship in Tuscaloosa than one with the same deal in Provo, Utah. Even perhaps one in Las Vegas.

But the real goal is to eliminate any “pay for play” situations defined by NIL dollars. To curtail the millions often thrown at recruits to attend certain schools. The real goal is to tame the Wild West.

Here’s one fear, however: that many of the bigger deals simply won’t be reported for approval. That it will be more of a wink-wink situation between collectives and athletes.

“Look, if there’s a rule, someone out there is going to cheat it, unfortunately,” Paulos said. “But at least this is a beginning to try to control things. That’s a positive thing right now.”

Paulos said UNLV’s collective will pay the university some out of its donations while still compensating athletes via NIL deals. That there is still a Rolodex of donors willing to pay and that the collective can be a conduit between them and UNLV.

That commercial donors use such deals as business expenses when the athlete performs a service for them once cleared through NIL Go. The contract just can’t be excessive in what will be deemed fair market value or risk being rejected.

“We’ll be another fundraising arm for the university as long as it wants us,” Paulos said.

Coaches matter

The collective has taken in more money in the past four months than the past four years, Paulos said. He credits much of it to the excitement and anticipation of the football season, but also to coaches the Rebels have hired.

Lindy La Rocque reaffirmed her commitment to the women’s basketball program, ending rumors that she might be on the way out to take the head coaching job at Arizona.

Former Mississippi State and Florida coach Dan Mullen was hired to continue the historic levels football reached over the past two years under Barry Odom.

Josh Pastner, a former coach at Memphis and Georgia Tech, now leads the men’s basketball program.

It has all made for more interest in UNLV athletics and more donations to NIL efforts.

“Quite frankly, the entire university has also stepped up,” Paulos said. “We’re doing this the right way in accordance with every rule. I can tell you exactly what each kid has made over the last four years — how many hours he or she has worked and where. And we will continue to operate in this manner.”

Get those contracts ready to be approved.

It’s a whole new NIL world, is right.

NIL

Ed Graney

LAS VEGAS — Bill Paulos is happy there will be more oversight, that the House vs. NCAA settlement demands more scrutiny of name, image and likeness deals within college athletics. That a centralized clearinghouse will be in charge of regulating any NIL transactions. × This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be […]

Published

5 hours ago

June 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LAS VEGAS — Bill Paulos is happy there will be more oversight, that the House vs. NCAA settlement demands more scrutiny of name, image and likeness deals within college athletics.

That a centralized clearinghouse will be in charge of regulating any NIL transactions.

NIL

Ed Graney

LAS VEGAS — Bill Paulos is happy there will be more oversight, that the House vs. NCAA settlement demands more scrutiny of name, image and likeness deals within college athletics. That a centralized clearinghouse will be in charge of regulating any NIL transactions. × This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be […]

Published

5 hours ago

June 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LAS VEGAS — Bill Paulos is happy there will be more oversight, that the House vs. NCAA settlement demands more scrutiny of name, image and likeness deals within college athletics.

That a centralized clearinghouse will be in charge of regulating any NIL transactions.

NIL

Ed Graney

LAS VEGAS — Bill Paulos is happy there will be more oversight, that the House vs. NCAA settlement demands more scrutiny of name, image and likeness deals within college athletics. That a centralized clearinghouse will be in charge of regulating any NIL transactions. × This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be […]

Published

6 hours ago

June 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LAS VEGAS — Bill Paulos is happy there will be more oversight, that the House vs. NCAA settlement demands more scrutiny of name, image and likeness deals within college athletics.

That a centralized clearinghouse will be in charge of regulating any NIL transactions.