Too many refuse to acknowledge how the improper NCAA sanctions from the coach Pete Carroll days affected USC. Not only has it been proven in court that it was a complete overreach by the entity at the time, but the allegations have also been shown to be baseless.

Even so, the result and repercussions remained long after the fact. This has been the case despite history shining a light on the misjudgment of the collegiate institution at the time.

Take the recruiting limits, for example. That is an aspect that lingers well past the end date from when those were lifted. The cumulative butterfly effect has harmed the Trojan program well after the gruesome day in sports history.  

There is something going on now, however, that is restoring the scales within college sports and football in particular.

After Judge Claudia Wilken’s ruling from the NCAA House settlement, schools will be able to directly help student-athletes earn for their on-the-field efforts. When looking at USC and where it is placed in the culture and economy of the country as a whole, there will not be any shortage of NIL opportunities that will be able to easily pass the guidelines set by the clearinghouse.

It is a new dawn that is also coinciding with a Trojan staff and administration that has proactively anticipated many of these changes. Coach Lincoln Riley also has the right people throughout the football program in a position to best help the team. Everything combined will allow USC to stand out among other programs.

Encouraging signs are only the beginning for USC

Sure, USC may have the top classes for 2026 and 2027 now. It may only be something that is about to take off even further.

The rest of the country may have enjoyed the Trojans not firing on all cylinders. Many, on social media and otherwise, have enjoyed laughing at the program and kicking the Trojans while they were down.

With what is currently going to be allowed and due to the administrative arm of USC being set up the way it is, USC is on the cusp of a long run of dominance that will see other teams around the nation find it difficult to keep up with. 

Expectations for the College World Series

Murray State is a veteran team. They’ve got guys who have played a ton of college baseball, JUCO ball, small-conference ball, summer ball, you name it. They’ve leaned into the “no one believes in us” mentality and it’s working.

They’ve also shown they can adapt. They won a slugfest against Ole Miss and then won a tense, low-scoring game against Duke. That kind of versatility, being able to play different styles, is essential in Omaha.

And then there’s the pressure, or lack of it. Murray State isn’t supposed to win. They’re playing with house money, and that’s a dangerous position for a confident team with nothing to lose.

The Racers draw UCLA in their opening game, a team with a strong pitching staff and plenty of Omaha experience. Also in their half of the bracket are LSU and Arkansas, two of the most talented lineups in the country. It’s a gauntlet, no doubt.

But Murray State’s been walking through fire for the past two weeks. At this point, they’ve earned the right to believe.

If the bats stay hot and the bullpen can hold things together, there’s no reason they can’t keep the magic going. We’ve seen it before, Fresno State, Coastal Carolina, Stony Brook.

College baseball doesn’t care how many resources you have. Sometimes, it just takes a group of guys who believe in each other and a coach who knows how to get the most out of them.

Players to Watch

OF Jonathan Hogart

The engine of the offense. Hogart has crushed postseason pitching and hit two homers in the Super Regional clincher. He’s batting over .400 this postseason with five home runs and a knack for the big moment. On the season, he’s slashing .339/.449/.713 with 26 2B, 22 HR, and 65 RBI. Some video game numbers. He’s been the catalyst and as Jonathan Hogart goes, so does the rest of the Murray State Racers.

Alabama Crimson Tide basketball fans are excited. National college basketball pundits are projecting Alabama to have just the fourth or fifth-best SEC team. Many Crimson Tide fans are convinced those experts are wrong.

A few weeks ago, Nate Oats made a stunning statement saying the 2025-26 Crimson Tide could be the best shooting team he has ever coached. More recent opinions from some Alabama basketball insiders are that the Tide will also improve on defense.

The past week has fueled more buzz about the future of Alabama Basketball. Early in the week, elite 2026 prospect Caleb Holt returned to Tuscaloosa. The Alabama Mr. Basketball in his sophomore season at Buckhorn High School, near Huntsville, has made several unofficial visits. After a junior season playing in Georgia, he will play at Prolific Prep in Fort Lauderdale, FL. How good is Holt? The 5-star is rated the No. 2 shooting guard in the 2026 class and the No. 5 player overall in the 247Sports Composite. Before Holt, no Alabama sophomore had ever won Mr. Basketball. Had he not left for Georgia, he would have won it again last season. Like Brandon Miller was, Holt is perfectly suited for the Nate Oats system of play.

Holt was at a practice this week. What he saw, along with some Alabama basketball insiders, was a team loaded with talent. The buzz about Holt’s visit was expected. The buzz about how good the ’25 team looked was a bonus.

The new Alabama Crimson Tide

The Oats’ claim about good shooting is legit, and the summer indication is that Houston Mallette has a chance to be the best Alabama three-point shooter ever. The return of Labaron Philon portends an offense in which Philon’s dribble-dish penetration will regularly feature three high-percentage teammates outside the arc. With Mallette, Aden Holloway, Latrell Wrightsell Jr., Jalil Bethea, and Taylor Bol Bowen, Alabama may rain threes like never before in Tuscaloosa.

The early word is that freshman Amari Allen and transfers Noah Williamson and Keitenn Bristow will mesh well in the Crimson Tide’s player rotation. Nate Oats still has a roster slot open, but it is looking as though the only need to fill it would be a backup big man.

Summer can be flawed, but it appears that every bit of optimism felt by Crimson Tide fans is warranted.

What does Star Wars and Toy Story’s Pizza Planet have to do with the College World Series? LSU baseball star Jake Brown, of course.

It all ties back to the standout from the Tigers baseball team being an avid wearer of the popular shoes, Crocs. He’s been using some of his extra NIL cash to decorate his current pairs and revealed that he’d be interested in a collaboration if the brand was willing to work with him.

“I have some Crocs slides that I’ve decorated with Star Wars Jibbitz,” Brown said. “So, I have a Star Wars pair of Crocs, and I have Pizza Planet-Toy Story crocs that I bought with some per diem money thanks to Champ Artigues, our baseball ops guy. Thank you so much, Champ, and great purchase. I love my Crocs.

“And if they’re watching this, just shoot me a message on Instagram, or however else you can contact me, I’d love it.”

Brown pitched his very own LSU, or Louisiana-themed, pair of Crocs as well. He already had some ideas for the Jibbitz, which are the decorative accessories that can be attached to the holes designed into the Crocs.

“I don’t know, like some gators. Some alligators, something. A pelican, maybe a tiger, anything that we could do,” Brown said. “That would be super sweet.”

Brown’s pitch is aided by the fact that he’s one of the top sluggers in the LSU lineup. Batting .315 heading into the College World Series, he’s appeared in 59 games for the Tigers in 2025. Across 165 at-bats, Brown has logged 43 runs on 52 hits, including 19 extra base hits (eight home runs) and 44 RBIs.

In turn, his team enters Omaha with a 48 – 15 overall record after hosting both their own Regional and Super Regional. They’re 5-1 in those matchups after winning three of four in the Baton Rouge Regional, and sweeping West Virginia the following weekend in the Super Regional.

LSU will start its stay in Omaha by taking on a familiar foe during its College World Series opener on Saturday vs. the No. 3 seed Arkansas Razorbacks. First pitch between the two SEC teams is set for 7 p.m. ET at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb.

The Tigers will be participating in their 20th CWS — and are the seventh school in NCAA history to earn this distinction. They have seven national championships to show for that effort, and are looking to secure their second in three seasons later this month.

WACO, Texas – Baylor softball head coach Glenn Moore has added Cambree Creager to the 2026 roster, announced Saturday.
 
Creager transfers from Arizona State to join the Bears with three years of eligibility. The sophomore pitcher spent her first season with the Sun Devils.
 
Originally from Georgetown, Texas, Creager made 17 appearances and eight starts in the circle as a freshman. She became just the second freshman in three seasons to start the season opener when she took the circle against Maryland.
 
During her freshman campaign, she pitched one complete-game and had 21 strikeouts in 39 innings pitched. In the first game of her career, she held Maryland to just one run to become the first ASU freshman to start and earn the win in a series opener since 2015.  
 
A graduate of Georgetown High School in 2024, Creager had a 36-6 record with a 1.35 ERA and 412 strikeouts over three varsity seasons. She was named one of the Top 40 Right-Handed Pitchers by SB Live in Texas during her high school career. She closed out her high school career with back-to-back Pitcher of the Year honors in 2023 and 2024, including a district 5A MVP in 2023.  
 
To stay up to date all year long on all things Baylor softball, follow the team on Facebook, X and Instagram: @BaylorSoftball.
 
 

– BaylorBears.com –