Open Extended Reactions One month into the Major League Baseball season, the favorites are playing as expected (for the most part), the stars are off to great starts (more or less) and the game looks as it should (except for the two minor league parks). April offers a window into the next five months, though […]
One month into the Major League Baseball season, the favorites are playing as expected (for the most part), the stars are off to great starts (more or less) and the game looks as it should (except for the two minor league parks). April offers a window into the next five months, though it’s still slightly opaque — a tease for what’s ahead.
Will there be another historic Aaron Judge season? A team breaking the record for futility just one year after a single-season record for losses was established? A new standard for on-field larceny? All of that and so much more are possible, according to a wide swath of players, coaches, executives, evaluators and analysts ESPN surveyed to understand what in April was real and what was more early-season mirage.
We’ll begin with one thing that is clear enough to say definitively. And while it might not mean anything come October, for May, June, July, August and September, it’s bound to prove true.
The National League is vastly superior to the American League
This disparity was anticipated, yes, but the degree to which the Senior Circuit dwarfs the Junior Circuit in almost every way — from record to run differential to preeminence of the best teams — only reinforces the chasm between the leagues.
Currently, the NL is 224-218 with a plus-69 run differential. And that’s despite the 4-25 Colorado Rockies and their -78 run differential. The combined OPS of NL hitters is 25 points higher than that of AL hitters. They walk more and strike out less, score way more and steal copious bases comparatively and hit more home runs. In interleague games, NL pitchers have an ERA that is more than a third of a run lower than that of their AL counterparts.
There is an argument to be made that seven NL teams are better than the AL’s best team (either the New York Yankees or Detroit Tigers, who have separated themselves by the end of April), and that doesn’t even include the Cincinnati Reds, who have a five-game winning streak and the fourth-best run differential in MLB (aided by a 24-2 win against Baltimore). The NL’s magnificent seven include:
Los Angeles Dodgers: The overwhelming World Series favorites have been just all right since an 8-0 start, with injuries hammering their starting rotation and offensive struggles by third baseman Max Muncy, outfielder Michael Conforto, utility man Kiké Hernández and even shortstop Mookie Betts. And yet the Dodgers still terrify opponents because of games like Sunday, when starter Tyler Glasnow exited because of a shoulder injury and was replaced by Ben Casparius, whose fastball sat at 97 mph, topped out at 99 and complemented a slider and curveball averaging 3,000-plus RPMs of spin. The Dodgers are great because of their stars, but they’re even more dangerous because their replacements also have elite ceilings.
San Diego Padres: For a team that entered 2025 with rotation questions, the Padres have managed to post seven shutouts, the most ever for a team through the end of April. Much of it is owed to their bullpen, which owns an MLB-best 1.66 ERA and has stranded 87.8% of runners, blowing away the league average of 71%. Powered by their nasty bullpen, starters Michael King and Nick Pivetta, and Fernando Tatis Jr. going full superstar mode, the Padres have managed most of April without star center fielder Jackson Merrill and second baseman Jake Cronenworth with aplomb. Once the Padres get healthy, look out.
New York Mets: They sport the best record in MLB — and have gotten to the top of the standings despite slow starts from Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo, with Juan Soto still seeking his power stroke. New York’s pitching has been nothing short of brilliant, with a rotation leading MLB in ERA by nearly three-quarters of a run at 2.27. And that’s without Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas, two free agent signings who have spent the first month on the injured list. It doesn’t hurt that Pete Alonso was the best hitter in the league in April, and Francisco Lindor is doing Francisco Lindor things, too. There might not be a more electric place to watch a ballgame these days than Citi Field, where the Mets are 13-1 this season.
Chicago Cubs: The Cubs have been baseball’s best offense by a significant margin so far and achieved the exceedingly rare 40/40 month: 42 home runs and 44 stolen bases in April. Chicago’s balance isn’t just power-speed, either; it’s up and down the lineup, from Kyle Tucker starting his walk year with a flurry to Pete Crow-Armstrong‘s breakout looking real to Carson Kelly hitting better than anyone in the sport in limited playing time. The Cubs’ pitching is problematic, though, and losing Justin Steele to reconstructive elbow surgery did them no favors. But with an offense on a 977-run pace and the easiest schedule in MLB for the remainder of the season, summer and fall in Wrigley could be a lot of fun.
San Francisco Giants: The season’s biggest surprise so far, the Giants look like the Padres Lite with excellent bullpen performances elevating steadiness across all other facets of the game. Randy Rodriguez has been a revelation in a relief corps that has also seen a bounce-back from Camilo Doval, consistent excellence from Tyler Rogers and the high-octane stuff of Hayden Birdsong playing up out of the pen. The offense has been more of a mixed bag. Willy Adames has struggled at the plate, but Jung Hoo Lee is looking like a potential star and Mike Yastrzemski ihad his best start in years. San Francisco’s hitters have thrived in big spots, highlighted by Wilmer Flores ranking third in the majors in RBIs thanks to a .387/.457/.677 line with runners in scoring position.
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Philadelphia Phillies: Let’s start with the good. On paper, Philadelphia remains one of the toughest teams in the NL. Zack Wheeler is the most consistent ace in baseball, Jesus Luzardo is pitching like the best version of himself, and coupled with Cristopher Sanchez‘s continued ascent, the starting pitchers all combine to make the Phillies a dangerous squad come October. Can they get there, though? The bullpen is a real issue, with the second-worst ERA in baseball (5.25) and only Jose Alvarado exceeding expectations. The bottom third of the Phillies’ lineup also needs to produce more, and the lack of home runs (24, which ranks 23rd in MLB) will catch up to their offense if it persists.
Arizona Diamondbacks: At some point, the Diamondbacks’ pitching is bound to right itself. A rotation of Corbin Burnes, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt should not have the 24th-ranked starter ERA in MLB. Thankfully for the Snakes, the offense has been elite. Corbin Carroll has turned in an MVP-caliber April, Pavin Smith might be the best platoon player in MLB, Josh Naylor is bordering elite with his swing decisions, and Eugenio Suarez leads the big leagues in home runs. With Ketel Marte back soon and Jordan Lawlar destroying Triple-A, the Diamondbacks’ offensive excellence could get even better. And as long as the pitching stabilizes, Arizona will be a team nobody wants to face now or in October.
The stolen base is back and better than ever, but offense is still meh
When MLB introduced new rules in 2023, the implementation of larger bases and limiting of pickoffs weren’t talked about as much as adding the pitch clock and banning the shift. But both have had a demonstrable effect on the game. Perhaps not quite as much as the pitch clock — nine-inning games are averaging 2 hours, 37 minutes, almost dead even with last year’s 2:36 — but the changes that have brought back the stolen base have been far more significant than those the league hoped would help juice batting average.
Last year, MLB players stole 3,617 bases, the highest number in more than a century. This April’s stolen-base total already exceeds last year’s at this time (714 to 672), and runners aren’t going to stop stealing until catchers show they can more consistently throw them out.
With a success rate of 79.5% on steals of second — and 74.8% on attempts to swipe third — runners are emboldened. Anything in excess of 75% encourages teams to keep running, and with seven teams already pilfering more than 30 bases, they are gladly obliging, turning singles and walks into “doubles” regularly.
And it’s not only the fastest players in baseball who are thriving. Everyone is running. Bryce Harper, nobody’s idea of a stolen-base machine, has six in 29 games after swiping seven last season in 145 games. Manny Machado hasn’t stolen more than a dozen bases since 2018; he’s already halfway there.
On the other hand, an offensive regression last year alarmed executives who were hopeful the runs-per-game jump in 2023 meant offense would continue to blossom under baseball’s new rules. It has not. The numbers from the past four seasons through the end of April:
YearBAOBPSLG2022.231.307.3692023.247.321.4052024.240.314.3852025.242.316.392Walks are up three-tenths of a percentage point and strikeouts are down by the same amount. Runs per game are flat (4.38 last year, 4.34 this year). The ball is being put in play at the highest April rate since 2017 … but defenses are turning more of them into outs than the previous two years of new-rule ball.The torpedo bat was more moment than game changerMLB torpedo bats: What you need to knowTorpedo-shaped bats have become MLB’s next big thing. Here’s what you need to know about the sport’s hottest trend.Passan: Inside the rise of torpedo bats » Olney: 48 hours of torpedo bat chaos » FAQ: How they work, are they legal? » Fantasy spin » | What players are saying » Before the torpedo bat: History of experiments »
With this novel-looking piece of equipment that forsook the standard shape of a bat and aimed to place more wood in the part of the bat that strikes balls most frequently, the hitters who embraced the torpedo looked like world beaters. The numbers from that opening series against Milwaukee were undeniably good.
Chisholm: .151/.279/.312, 4 HRs, 11 RBIs in 111 PA Wells: .212/.258/.425, 3 HRs, 14 RBIs in 89 PA Volpe: .242/.327/.434, 3 HRs, 15 RBIs in 113 PA Bellinger: .184/.273/.322, 2 HRs, 10 RBIs in 99 PA
The torpedo bat, it turns out, doesn’t erase weaknesses of hitters. It’s also not fool’s gold. Cal Raleigh is using it with his left-handed swing, but not his right — and seven of his 10 homers have come from the left side, where he has an OPS nearly 300 points better than the right. Steven Kwan, who might as well be the anti-Raleigh, is also swinging a torpedo and is batting .333, seventh best in the big leagues.
Because of that opening-weekend blitz, though, the torpedoes will continue to be associated with the Yankees. And it’s worth noting that Judge has continued to swing a traditional bat and not only looks like the best hitter on the planet but by a significant margin. Judge leads MLB in each of the triple-slash categories (.412/.507/.728), ranks second in RBIs (29), second in runs (28) and third in home runs (nine). He is striking out in a career-low 20.6% of his plate appearances and continues to hit the ball harder and more consistently than anyone.
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Why Jeff Passan considers Aaron Judge a little underappreciated
Jeff Passan breaks down Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge’s impressive play to Pat McAfee.
The Rockies are a real threat to the 2024 White Sox as the worst team ever
Where to begin? The Rockies are 4-25. They’re in the midst of their third six-plus-game losing streak. They have not won back-to-back games. They are dreadful on the road (1-14). They are abysmal at night (1-13). They cannot touch left-handed starters (0-9). They are striking out in 28.1% of their plate appearances, which would be a big league record. Their starters’ ERA is 6.73, which would be the worst mark in MLB history. They are 15½ games behind the Dodgers after one month.
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The Rockies are not bad — they are tragic. And what’s worst of all is it’s not for lack of trying by their owner, Dick Monfort, who has typically carried a middle-of-the-pack payroll. They are simply a baseball team that can neither score nor prevent runs, with an offense tied for last and a pitching staff that ranks 29th out of 30 teams.
The record of 120 losses held for more than 60 years before the White Sox went 41-121 last year. Their minus-78 run differential through 29 games was exactly the same as Colorado’s, but even the White Sox were 6-23.
Considering the Rockies still have to play 46 games against the Dodgers, Giants, Padres and Diamondbacks, Colorado’s road is far more treacherous than the White Sox’s through the AL Central. So watch out, White Sox. Your reign of futility might be only as a one-year placeholder for the burgeoning champions of misery.
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Jeff Passan: The Rockies spend money, they just don’t spend it well
Jeff Passan tells “The Pat McAfee Show” that the Rockies are on pace to be the worst team in MLB history, surpassing the Chicago White Sox.
The pitching woes of the Orioles and Braves have dug mighty holes
All winter, Orioles fans waited in vain for the move to replace former ace Burnes in Baltimore’s rotation. And after projected Opening Day starter Grayson Rodriguez went down because of a shoulder injury and Zach Eflin hit the injured list because of a lat strain, it has become clearer than ever that the O’s lack the sort of starting pitching to stay competitive in the AL East. Kyle Gibson, their latest effort at replacing Rodriguez and Eflin, gave up four home runs to the Yankees in the first inning of his first start Tuesday. Now 11-18, the Orioles have given up the most runs in the AL and haven’t hit their way out of the pitching deficits they continue to face.
The money Baltimore did spend this winter also has not worked out well. Tyler O’Neill (three years, $49.5 million) has been a league-average player. Gary Sanchez (one year, $8.5 million) has been awful and is hurt. Charlie Morton (one year, $15 million) has the highest ERA in the AL. Andrew Kittredge (one year, $10 million) still hasn’t thrown a pitch. Only Tomoyuki Sugano (one year, $13 million) has been passable, and his lack of strikeouts does not portend good things, though he managed to find success despite it in Japan.
Like the Orioles, Atlanta is suffering from a paucity of pitching depth. The Braves have cycled through an MLB-high 22 pitchers this season, and the loss of Reynaldo Lopez to Tommy John surgery, Spencer Strider to a hamstring injury and Joe Jimenez to knee surgery have taken a weakness and made it worse. Things would be better if the Braves were hitting, but outside of Marcell Ozuna, Austin Riley and Matt Olson — who’s slugging under .400 — the juggernaut lineup of two years ago remains AWOL.
There is hope for Atlanta in the form of Ronald Acuna Jr.’s upcoming return from an ACL tear and Strider’s hamstring healing. And they’re starting to win. Since an 0-7 start, the Braves are 14-8; they’re currently 6½ games behind the Mets and only two shy of the Phillies. It’s still early, but the Braves could soon look more like the team that won the World Series three years ago.
Five pitchers who are 2025’s breakout aces
We’ve focused on the themes and teams that have shaped the first month so far. Now, we’ll turn our attention to the players who have caught our eye, for better … or worse.
Hunter Brown, RHP, Houston Astros: The quietest ace in baseball began his run of dominance early last season but is only now beginning to receive the recognition he warrants. With a fastball up to 99 mph, a vicious sinker, a swing-and-miss changeup and three more pitches, he has the arsenal to complement his moxie. He is the next great Astros pitcher.
Max Meyer, RHP, Miami Marlins: Meyer’s six-inning, 14-strikeout gem against Cincinnati illustrated what the No. 3 pick in the 2020 draft can be. His slider is one of the best in MLB and he throws it 50% of the time. Combine it with a fastball that sits at 95 mph and plays at the top of the zone and he’s primed to anchor the Marlins’ rotation with Eury Perez for years to come.
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Shane Baz, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays: Baz sat out nearly two years after Tommy John surgery in 2022, and though he looked excellent in his return last year, there was even more in the tank. Between his 97 mph fastball and hard curveball, he has one of the best two-pitch combinations in baseball. With Shane McClanahan out, the Rays needed one of their young arms to step up, and Baz has done just that.
Matthew Liberatore, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals: Continuing the theme of post-hype prospects is the 25-year-old Liberatore, who came into camp as an underdog to win a rotation spot after spending most of last year in the bullpen. He has rewarded the Cardinals with the lowest walk rate in baseball (two in 31 innings) and complemented it with only one home run allowed. With a six-pitch mix, Liberatore has cemented himself as a fixture for a Cardinals team in need of a reimagination.
Nick Pivetta, RHP, San Diego Padres: The 32-year-old Pivetta has spent upward of a decade tantalizing evaluators with his stuff and always found himself done in by the home run ball. In 35⅓ innings this season, he has given up two homers, and three of his six outings ended after seven shutout innings. The best part of Pivetta’s game: He’s getting tremendous amounts of in-zone swing-and-miss, a testament to the quality of his stuff.
Five hitters who are 2025’s breakout bats
Corbin Carroll, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks: The 24-year-old Carroll excels at almost everything he tries, which made last year’s first-half swoon so uncharacteristic. His aggressiveness this season — Carroll’s out-of-zone and swing-and-miss percentages have rocketed up — belies an intelligent approach that’s happy to trade whiff for production. Thanks to his speed, Carroll always will be useful. But the Diamondbacks want more than that. And if he maintains anything close to his early-season line (.298/.365/.645), they’ll have a top-10 player in the game.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF, Chicago Cubs: The question with Crow-Armstrong was always about ceiling vs. floor. Because his glove is so good, he could carve out a plenty fine big league career as a defense-first center fielder. But Crow-Armstrong wanted to be a great player, not simply a top-flight defender. His improvements at the plate are clear not only because of the numbers but how he’s getting them. Namely, he’s making good contact on good pitches, going from an in-zone whiff percentage of 24.6% last year to this year’s 13.5%.
James Wood, OF, Washington Nationals: If Wood ever figures out how to consistently elevate the ball, he will be one of the best hitters in baseball. As is, even with an average launch angle of 3.2 degrees — the 11th lowest of 219 qualified hitters — he has managed to whack nine home runs. Five have gone to the opposite field. At 6-foot-7, Wood packs uncommon power, particularly when he goes the other way. He’s starting to get to it, an alarming prospect for pitchers who know that pounding the outside corner is simply an invitation for Wood to do what he does better than just about anyone.
Oneil Cruz, CF, Pittsburgh Pirates: It’s finally looking like the year that one of the most physically talented players in baseball evolves into one of the best. Since he debuted in 2021, the 6-foot-7 Cruz has hit the ball as hard as anyone not named Judge. This season, he is striking out less, walking significantly more, lashing home runs and stealing bases. And while his center-field defense leaves plenty to be desired, it’s a reasonable price to pay for such exceptional offensive production.
Jung Hoo Lee, CF, San Francisco Giants: Lee doesn’t hit the ball particularly hard, limiting his ultimate ceiling, so he’ll have to settle for simply being a damn good baseball player. He rarely strikes out. He plays a solid center field. He’s a natural on the basepaths. And at 26, in his first full season after a shoulder injury sustained crashing into an outfield wall last May ended his season, Lee can fulfill his destiny as the best South Korea-born player in MLB since Shin-Soo Choo.
Five players whose slow starts warrant panic
Tanner Bibee, RHP, Cleveland Guardians: His strikeouts are down, his walks way up and his home runs allowed alarming. Bibee, signed to a five-year, $48 million contract extension in spring training, added a new cutter this winter — and it’s not working. Neither, at this point, is his fastball, a slower slider and his changeup. In five starts, Bibee has generated only 39 swings and misses. For someone expected to spearhead Cleveland’s rotation, he has a lot of work to do.
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Raisel Iglesias, closer, Atlanta Braves: In 11 innings, Iglesias has given up more home runs (five) than he did in 69⅓ innings last year (four). He weathered a precipitous dip in strikeout rate last season, but his slider — always a strength — is catching too much of the strike zone and being ambushed.
Marcus Semien, 2B, Texas Rangers: Semien is a notoriously slow starter, but the lack of power and bat speed is disconcerting even for him. On top of that, he has yet to steal a base in 29 games, and though nobody would ever mistake him for Rickey Henderson, it was always the little things that made Semien such a beloved player. At 34, climbing out of an early-season hole will be that much trickier.
Anthony Santander, OF, Toronto Blue Jays: Spending the first month as a $92.5 million free agent below the Mendoza Line is tough. Doing so with a barrel rate that has cratered and only three home runs this year after hitting 44 is doubly so. Santander is not elevating the ball nearly as well as he did in 2024 — a problem Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had last year before his second-half resurgence. If the Blue Jays have any hope of contending in the AL East, they’ll need Santander to do the same.
Luis Robert Jr., CF, Chicago White Sox: The White Sox held onto Robert this winter figuring his value had reached its nadir and that they could rebuild it and move him at the trade deadline. Not only has he been a demonstrably worse hitter, his center-field defense also has plateaued. This is the ultimate change-of-scenery candidate, though with a club option for $20 million in 2026 and 2027, teams could treat Robert as more of a rental than long-term solution. With a turnaround, he could well earn it.
Statement from Director of Athletics Tanner Gardner on House Settlement
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MALIBU, Calif – Pepperdine Director of Athletics Tanner Gardner released the following statement regarding the NCAA v. House settlement. “The approval of the House vs NCAA Settlement on Friday marks a significant moment in the history of college athletics. The Settlement permits institutions to invest in student-athletes in new ways […]
MALIBU, Calif – Pepperdine Director of Athletics Tanner Gardner released the following statement regarding the NCAA v. House settlement.
“The approval of the House vs NCAA Settlement on Friday marks a significant moment in the history of college athletics. The Settlement permits institutions to invest in student-athletes in new ways through revenue-sharing and additional scholarships. Over the past year, we have been diligently preparing for this moment in collaboration with our university leadership, and we are ready to strategically move forward. We will do this while staying true to our values and pursuing a unique, ambitious vision to be a championship athletic program fueled by Christian values, academic excellence, and community.
Coming off a year in which we won five conference championships and earned six NCAA postseason berths, all while achieving the highest department GPA in Pepperdine Athletics history, the future is bright. We look forward to partnering with the Pepperdine community to thrive in this new era of college athletics.”
– Tanner Gardner
Director of Athletics
More information on the settlement can be found HERE.
Autumn Smith Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications Louisiana Tech women’s basketball’s Autumn Smith was selected as one of 10 recipients for the Conference USA Jim Castañeda Postgraduate Scholarship, as announced by the league office on Thursday. Smith recently graduated from Louisiana Tech with her bachelor’s in biology with a pre-med concentration while maintaining a […]
Louisiana Tech women’s basketball’s Autumn Smith was selected as one of 10 recipients for the Conference USA Jim Castañeda Postgraduate Scholarship, as announced by the league office on Thursday.
Smith recently graduated from Louisiana Tech with her bachelor’s in biology with a pre-med concentration while maintaining a 3.54 GPA. She is a four-time CUSA Honor Roll recipient and a 2021-22 CUSA Academic Medalist. She plans to continue her education in a physician’s assistant program.
The Arlington, Texas, native is a four-year member of the Lady Techsters and appeared in 82 games. She shot 34.4 percent from the field and 32.6 from long range for her career. She had a career-high 15 points on 5-6 shooting from three in a win over Central Baptist on December 19 during her senior year.
This marks the 17th year the award has been named after Dr. Jim Castañeda, who served Rice for 46 years as an educator, coach and Faculty Athletics Representative before he passed in 2008. Every season, CUSA grants a $4,000 scholarship to distinguished graduates selected by the league’s Faculty Athletics Representatives and approved by the Conference USA Board of Directors.
2025 Jim Castañeda Postgraduate Scholarship Recipients Mathys Lefebvre, FIU, Men’s Soccer Hannah Buffington, Jax State, Softball Tianna Rivera, Kennesaw State, Women’s Soccer Taiva Reinertson, Liberty, Women’s Lacrosse Autumn Smith, LA Tech, Women’s Basketball Kendall Maynard, MTSU, Women’s Golf Elizabeth Cervantes-Vanderlugt, NM State, Swimming Jaylen Phillips, Sam Houston, Football Ema Uskokovic, UTEP, Volleyball/Beach Volleyball Brooke Sleeva, WKU, Women’s Soccer
Dragovic Selected to Represent Montenegro at U20 World Championship
After an impressive freshman season with UC Santa Barbara’s Men’s Water Polo team, Danilo Dragovic has been selected to represent Montenegro at the World Aquatics U20 World Championship in Croatia. This marks another achievement for the Gauchos, as he joins fellow player Dom Brown who debuted for Team USA earlier this year. Dragovic’s first match […]
After an impressive freshman season with UC Santa Barbara’s Men’s Water Polo team, Danilo Dragovic has been selected to represent Montenegro at the World Aquatics U20 World Championship in Croatia. This marks another achievement for the Gauchos, as he joins fellow player Dom Brown who debuted for Team USA earlier this year. Dragovic’s first match will be against reigning champions Hungary on June 14, followed by a game against host Croatia and then Team USA. The tournament runs through June 21, with all matches live streamed.
By the Numbers
34 steals, 35 goals, and 35 assists in the season for Dragovic, making him the Gauchos’ third-highest scorer.
Recorded nine points across four games against top teams including UCLA, USC, and Stanford.
Yes, But
While Dragovic’s selection highlights his talent, there could be pressure as he faces elite international teams, which may test his skills further and impact Montenegro’s overall performance.
State of Play
Montenegro will open its championship campaign against Hungary on June 14.
Dragovic’s performance will be closely watched after a notable collegiate season.
What’s Next
Following group stage matches, Montenegro aims to advance to playoff rounds from June 17-20, with hopes for a strong performance leading to the finals on June 21.
Bottom Line
Dragovic’s representation at the U20 World Championship is a significant milestone, showcasing not only his individual talent but also elevating the profile of UC Santa Barbara’s water polo program on an international stage.
UIL Legislative Council to consider new sports, playoff changes during Wednesday meeting | Beeville Bee-Picayune
The University Interscholastic League’s Legislative Council is set to meet Wednesday, June 11, in Austin, where proposals to sanction new sports, implement a basketball shot clock, and alter playoff rules will take center stage. The all-day meeting will be held at the Westin Austin at the Domain, beginning at 8 a.m. with a business session […]
The University Interscholastic League’s Legislative Council is set to meet Wednesday, June 11, in Austin, where proposals to sanction new sports, implement a basketball shot clock, and alter playoff rules will take center stage.
The all-day meeting will be held at the Westin Austin at the Domain, beginning at 8 a.m. with a business session followed by a public hearing featuring scheduled presentations from leaders of athletic organizations and public stakeholders. Speakers are expected to advocate for changes ranging from eligibility rules to the expansion of UIL activities.
Among the most prominent proposals is the addition of new UIL-sanctioned sports. Boys volleyball, girls flag football, bowling, table tennis, and lacrosse are among the activities being pitched, along with cultural and performance programs like Ballet Folklórico and TDEA dance.
The athletic committee, scheduled to meet later in the day, will take up a series of proposals including the formal adoption of a shot clock for basketball, the creation of a Class 3A soccer division, and removal of pilot status from the water polo program. Other proposals include allowing instant replay in all playoff games, setting a mileage cap for travel in postseason contests, and modifying rules around off-campus PE participation.
The committee will also hear staff reports related to sportsmanship, playoff structure, and pilot program evaluations. Though the public hearing allows outside input, the committee’s business meeting does not accept external presentations unless clarification is needed by committee members.
Additional proposals address player eligibility, including the impact of school transfers and student grade retention as well as coaching certification and playoff seeding formats. One proposal would give home field advantage in the first round of playoffs to all district champions.
Final decisions on which proposals move forward to the full council are expected by day’s end.
Nine Wildcats Ready for National Championship Stage
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The K-State track and field teams wrap up the 2024-25 season with nine Wildcats competing in the four-day NCAA Championship starting on Wednesday (June 11) at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. The first two days of the meet will be streamed on ESPN, the final two days on ESPN2. Each individual event […]
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The K-State track and field teams wrap up the 2024-25 season with nine Wildcats competing in the four-day NCAA Championship starting on Wednesday (June 11) at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. The first two days of the meet will be streamed on ESPN, the final two days on ESPN2. Each individual event can be streamed separately on ESPN+.
Six women and three men will compete across ten individual events after earning a qualifying spot at the NCAA West Preliminary on May 28-31. Featured women include Sharie Enoe (high jump), Jourdin Edwards and Safhia Hinds (400 meter hurdles), Monique Hardy (hammer throw), Tamaiah Koonce (discus throw) and Shalom Olotu (long, triple jump). The three participating men include Riley Marx (javelin throw), Selva Prabhu (triple jump) and Emil Uhlin (men’s decathlon).
With the men’s first day of competition on Wednesday, the men’s decathlon will kick off at 2 p.m., CT with the 100 meter dash. The following events include the long jump, shot put, high jump and 400 meters. Marx will compete in the javelin throw that afternoon at 7:15 p.m.
On Thursday (June 12) the men’s decathlon will wrap up with the remaining five events starting at 11:45 a.m., CT with the 110 meter hurdles. The women will then start their first day of action, the hammer throw beginning at 3:30 p.m., the long jump at 7:40 p.m. and the quarterfinal 400 meter hurdles race at 8:14 p.m.
Prabhu will be the only Wildcat to compete on Friday (June 13) in the triple jump at 7:10 p.m., CT. On the final day of competition on Saturday (June 14) the women will start at 2:30 p.m., CT in the discus throw. The remaining Cats hit the field at 7:30 p.m. in the high jump and the triple jump, at 8:10 p.m. Should Edwards or Hinds finish in the top-9 on Thursday, the 400 meter hurdles final will take place at 9:27 p.m.
Olotu is the first K-State woman in 10 years, since Akela Jones, to compete in two events individually at the outdoor NCAA Championship. In 2015, Jones won the women’s heptathlon with 6,371 points and then went on to finish 4th in the high jump at 1.87m (6′ 1 ½”). Olotu reached the highest stage in two events after significant personal bests at the West Preliminary, 6.44m (21′ 1 ½”) in the long jump, the no. 4 best outdoor mark at K-State, and 13.45m (44′ 1 ½”) in the triple jump.
Uhlin, a senior from Falun, Sweden will compete in his second NCAA Championship decathlon. During his freshman season in 2022 he earned Second Team All-America honors after finishing in 12th place with 7,546 points. At the Drake Relays Uhlin recorded his best decathlon performance at 7,788 points, the no. 6 best score in the K-State records.
This is the first outdoor championship appearance for eight Wildcats, Enoe and Hardy have previously competed in the indoor championship in the high jump and weight throw, respectively. The outdoor Big 12 championship on May 15-17 propelled the athletes to personal bests, the momentum leading them to qualifying marks.
Hinds, this season’s 400-meter hurdles Big 12 Champion, is looking for her first NCAA title. A transfer from South Plains College, she claimed the NJCAA title in the same event last year in 58.31 seconds and was part of a winning 4×400 relay team in 2023. Her conference title winning time of 55.90 seconds remains her fastest time and the no. 2 best in the school records.
Enoe is looking to add to her trophy case this season as she earned First Team All-America honors in the high jump this indoor season, consistently aiming towards her best height of 1.88m (6′ 2″). Advancing past the Preliminary’s for the first time, Hardy’s personal best of 68.07m (223′ 4″) in the hammer throw claimed 3rd place in the conference meet.
Prabhu, the freshman from Madurai, India, arrives in Eugene with the 3rd best triple jump in the NCAA this season at 16.49m (54′ 1 ¼”). His personal best earned him the runner-up spot during the West Prelims and the no. 3 spot in the K-State outdoor records. Marx threw over 70 meters three times this season, including his personal best of 72.58m (238′ 1″) for 4th place during the Prelims, the no. 2 best throw in the K-State records.
Edwards saw steady progress in the 400 meter hurdles during the postseason, racing under 57 seconds for the first time during the Preliminary semifinal race in 56.73 seconds to finish 7th overall. Koonce had her best performance of the season in the discus throw as the 6th place finisher in the Prelims at 55.99m (183′ 8″), just six inches shy of her personal best from last season.
How to follow the ‘Cats: For complete information on the K-State Track and Field and Cross Country Teams, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team’s social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
Lee Wood named WKU Director of Cross Country and Track and Field
WKU Athletics named Lee Wood as the Director of Cross Country/Track & Field Monday morning, filling the gap on the Hill left by the sudden passing of Brent Chumbley on Jan 30. Wood has served as interim head coach since the position opened, leading the Hilltopper men’s team to a fifth-place finish in the 2025 […]
WKU Athletics named Lee Wood as the Director of Cross Country/Track & Field Monday morning, filling the gap on the Hill left by the sudden passing of Brent Chumbley on Jan 30.
Wood has served as interim head coach since the position opened, leading the Hilltopper men’s team to a fifth-place finish in the 2025 Conference USA Outdoor Championship, their best finish since 2019.
“We are excited to name Lee Wood our next Director of Cross Country/Track & Field,” said WKU Athletics Director Todd Stewart in a press release. “Coach Wood guided the program admirably this spring following Coach Chumbley’s passing.”
Wood ran for Missouri Southern from 1998 to 2000 before transferring to the University of Arkansas, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Education with a concentration in Kinesiology and Exercise Science. He later obtained a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
“It is a great honor to be the next Director of Cross Country and Track and Field at WKU,” Wood. “This team has had a great amount of success and winning tradition in the past, and I’m ready to build on the foundation that has been set.”
Wood began his coaching career with 12 years of experience at the 7A high school level, winning seven state championships with Rogers High School and Heritage High School in Arkansas. He was scooped up by Western Colorado University, an NCAA Division II school, where he spent the first five years of his collegiate coaching career.
Before arriving on the Hill in December of 2023 to lead the WKU Cross Country and distance teams, Wood served as head coach at Drury University. As a Panther, he led over 70 athletes to break school records, leading the women’s team to their highest conference finish in program history.
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