Sports

Ranking The 20 Hottest MLB Prospects

Baseball America’s Hot Sheet ranks the 20 hottest prospects from the previous week. This week’s installment considers how minor league players performed through May 11. Contributing this week were BA staffers Josh Norris, Geoff Pontes, Jesús Cano and J.J. Cooper. The Hot Sheet simply recognizes how the hottest prospects in the minors did in the […]

Published

3 weeks ago

May 12, 2025

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The Hot Sheet simply recognizes how the hottest prospects in the minors did in the past week—it’s not a re-ranking of the Baseball America Top 100 Prospects.

We host our weekly Hot Sheet Show on YouTube at 3:30 p.m. ET on Mondays. We’ll also be answering prospect questions in our weekly Hot Sheet chat on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. ET.

1. Braden Montgomery, OF, White Sox

Team: High-A Winston Salem (South Atlantic)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .476/.500/1.000 (10-for-21), 5 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 10 RBIs, 2 BB, 1 SO

The Scoop: Understandably, Montgomery wrecked shop in Low-A for the early portion of his professional debut before earning a bump up a level. If he keeps performing like he has so far, the Texas A&M alum might need to book a ticket back to Southeastern Conference country for his first test at the upper levels. One of the centerpieces of the trade that sent ace lefty Garrett Crochet to Boston, Montgomery has been overwhelming and unrelenting in the first month and change of his career. He smacked three home runs against Bowling Green last week, equaling the total he’d produced in 18 games with Low-A. He’s gotten on base in all but one of the 11 games he’s played with Winston-Salem since the promotion. (JN)

2. Jonah Tong, RHP, Mets

Team: Double-A Binghamton (Eastern)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 6.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 13 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: Tong’s outing this week was not only the best of his minor league career, it was the best of any pitcher this season. The righthander manhandled Reading for 6.2 perfect innings and 99 pitches before handing the ball to Wesley Moore, who struck out the only hitter he faced and completed the seven-inning perfecto. Tong racked up 13 strikeouts and got 18 whiffs, one shy of the season high he set two weeks ago in just four innings against New Hampshire. His 51 strikeouts are the most in the Eastern League, the most in all of Double-A and just four off the minor league lead. (JN)

3. JR Ritchie, RHP, Braves

Team: High-A Rome (South Atlantic)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 9 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: It was a memorable week for Ritchie, as he made the best start of his professional career on Saturday and was promoted to Double-A on Sunday. In his Saturday start against Greenville, Ritchie threw a complete game shutout on 95 pitches, as he faced the minimum. He did allow two baserunners, but both were thrown out attempting to steal second. Ritchie sat 94-95 mph in the first inning but settled in at 92-94 later on in the start. He mixed two fastballs styles in a four-seam and two-seam while showing three different secondaries in a sweeper, curveball and changeup. He showed feel for all of his secondaries, and the introduction of the sinker at higher usage rates had led to excellent results. Ritchie’s next start will come with Columbus next week. (GP)

4. Eduardo Quintero, OF, Dodgers

Team: Low-A Rancho Cucamonga (California)
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: .375/.500/.875 (9-for-24), 8 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 6 SO, 3-for-4 SB

The Scoop: Quintero has done nothing but win since signing with the Dodgers out of Venezuela in 2023. He played a crucial role on championship-winning clubs in both the Dominican Summer League and the Arizona Complex League, and now he’s swinging a hot bat for a first-place Rancho team in the Cal League South Division. His dominant week was highlighted by a 3-for-5 performance on Thursday night when he went deep twice, showcasing his power to both the opposite field and his pull side. The 19-year-old also swiped three bases, flashing his 60-grade speed. (JC)

5. Cole Young, SS, Mariners

Team: Triple-A Tacoma (Pacific Coast)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .455/.538/.818 (10-for-22) 8 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 BB, 3 SO, 2 SB, 1 CS

The Scoop: It’s been a pretty quiet start to the season for Young, but the underlying data is better than his .236/.349/.368 line may indicate. Young continues to be a very tough out who makes excellent swing decisions, plenty of contact and rarely gets beaten by pitchers. His modest power has been even more subdued so far, but his ability to be a very pure hitter should help get that slash line much closer to his normal numbers by June. (JJ)

6. Jefferson Rojas, SS, Cubs

Team: High-A South Bend (Midwest)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: .444/.545/.889 (8-for-18), 4 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBIs, 3 BB, 2 SO, 2-for-2 SB

The Scoop: Rojas held his own following an aggressive assignment to High-A South Bend to begin 2024. He returned to the level to begin 2025 and has enjoyed strong results. Last week, Rojas torched Fort Wayne pitching, racking up a pair of three-hit games and reaching base in all five games in which he played. Rojas’ best performance came on Sunday when he slugged two home runs in a 3-for-4 showing. On the season, he is hitting .300/.387/.513 over 21 games. At 20 years old, Rojas is still one of the youngest players in the Midwest League. (GP)

7. Carson McCusker, OF, Twins

Team: Triple-A St. Paul (International)
Age: 26
Why He’s Here: .391/.462/.870 (9-for-23) 5 R, 2 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBIs, 3 BB, 6 SO, 2 SB, 1 CS

The Scoop: McCusker mashed a 115-mph home run this week that ranks as the third hardest-hit homer in Triple-A this year. He also hit a 114.7 mph homer that ranks as the fifth hardest-hit homer of the year. McCusker combines big power with just enough contact to make it work. He’s pretty limited in the outfield, but for a former indy ball star, there’s now a pretty clear path to maybe getting a big league callup, which seemed unthinkable just a couple of years ago. (JJ)

8. Jacob Misiorowski, RHP, Brewers

Team: Triple-A Nashville (International)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 1 GS, 6.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 SO

The Scoop: During spring training, Misiorowski seemed to be struggling with the same control and command issues he’d battled for years. Just two months later, that seems hard to fathom, as Misiorowski has found the control that long eluded him while also throwing harder than he ever has before. His 102.3 fastball this week is the hardest pitch from a starter in the majors or Triple-A this year. Coming into this season, Misiorowski had posted a well-below-average 59% strike percentage in 2023 and 2024. This year, it’s slightly above-average at 64%, and it’s 66% for the past four starts. (JJ)

9. Jac Caglianone, 1B, Royals

Team: Double-A Northwest Arkansas (Texas)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .348/.375/.739 (8-for-23) 4 R, 3 HR, 10 RBIs, 1 BB, 5 SO

The Scoop: When Caglianone was drafted, there were real concerns over whether his swing-happy, power-hungry approach could be exploited by pro pitchers. There’s a lot less worry about that now, as he rarely finds a ball in the strike zone he can’t hit, and when he does connect, he does it with top-of-the-scale raw power. Between last week and this week, Caglianone hit four home runs in a three-game stretch, and he’s also working on an eight-game hitting streak. (JJ)

10. Ben Hess, RHP, Yankees

Team: High-A Hudson Valley (South Atlantic)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: The bulk of the Yankees’ pitching talent is clustered on the roster of the Hudson Valley Renegades. There, you’ll find a group fronted by Hess, their first-round selection from a year ago, and backed by high-end righties Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, Bryce Cunningham and Carlos Lagrange. Hess led the way this week, punching out nine Jersey Shore hitters in his lone start. The outing marked the third time in five turns that he’d racked up nine punchouts and boosted his season total to 39 in 25 innings, good for a tie for fifth place in the South Atlantic League. (JN)

11. Gage Jump, LHP, Athletics

Team: High-A Lansing (Midwest)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 1.13, 8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: After being featured as a helium name a few weeks ago, Jump has made the Hot Sheet each week since. This week, he tossed an eight-inning gem, allowing one run on four hits and no walks. He generated 15 swinging strikes and a career-high 23 looking strikes as he punched out eight batters. Jump has exhibited an outlier combination of velocity, movement and release traits on his fastball and has ridden it to excellent results. Jump’s overall arsenal has improved in just a short time as a professional, and he is pitching like a promotion to Double-A is potentially just weeks away. (GP)

12. Ryan Clifford, 1B, Mets

Team: Double-A Binghamton (Eastern)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .474/.500/1.000 (9-for-19) 5 R, 1 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBIs, 1 BB, 4 SO

The Scoop: Clifford’s offensive approach is all about wearing a pitcher down. He has fringe-average contact skills at best, but he prides himself on knowing the strike zone, rarely chasing pitchers’ pitches and taking advantage whenever a pitcher makes a mistake. It’s a combination that will always lead to strikeouts, because he can be beaten by quality stuff, but then there are weeks like this one where he feasts. Two of his three home runs this week came on pitches in the middle/upper third of the zone over the heart of the plate. The third came when he stayed on a breaking ball. Clifford was hitting .195/.313/.354 when Reading arrived in Binghamton. He’s now hitting .248/.345/.475. (JJ)

13. Mike Sirota, OF, Dodgers

Team: Low-A Rancho Cucamonga (California)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .318/.400/.727 (7-for-22), 6 R, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 3 BB, 6 SO

The Scoop: It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Sirota may have already outgrown Low-A. Entering 2024, he fit the mold of a top 10 pick in the draft, but a regression in his swing caused his stock to drop. The Reds ended up selecting him in the third round last year. The Dodgers, however, had been tracking Sirota since his prep days—drafting him once before in 2021—and finally acquired him this past offseason in the Gavin Lux trade. General manager Brandon Gomes has praised Sirota’s “high-end talent,” signaling the organization’s strong belief in his long-term potential. His seven home runs this season currently lead the California League. (JC)

14. Carson Benge, OF, Mets

Team: High-A Brooklyn (South Atlantic)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .348/.464/.652 (8-for-23), 6 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBIs, 5 BB, 5 SO, 3-for-3 SB

The Scoop: The Mets’ system is radiating good vibes so far this season—three of its prospects landed on this week’s Hot Sheet—and Benge has been one of the group’s steadiest performers. He swatted two home runs this past week, tripling his season total. He’s failed to reach base just once since April 23 and has collected multiple hits in four of his nine games in May. He’s racked up nearly as many walks (19) as he has strikeouts (26) for the season, producing positive marks in both categories. (JN)

15. Demetrio Crisantes, 2B, Diamondbacks

Team: High-A Hillsboro (Northwest)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: .318/.423/.636 (7-for-22), 5 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 4 BB, 1 SO, 3-for-4 SB

The Scoop: Crisantes’ rise through the D-backs’ system has been powered by his polished hit tool, which remains consistent one month into the season. He’s displayed great plate discipline and rarely misses in the zone, even with an aggressive swing rate. His strong week was capped by a career night on May 7 in which he homered twice in a single game for the first time in his career. (JC)

16. Josue De Paula, OF, Dodgers

Team: High-A Great Lakes (Midwest)
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: .357/.400/.714 (10-for-28), 3 R, 4 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 9 SO, 0-for-1 SB

The Scoop: One scout described De Paula as having a Ken Griffey Jr.-esque swing. That kind of comparison brings some Bigfoot-sized shoes to fill, but so far, De Paula is backing it up by dominating High-A with a mature, polished approach. He’s building on his success from last season, laying off bad pitches and hammering the ball with top-tier exit velocities. At just 19 years old, he’s already considered one of the most advanced hitters in the Dodgers’ system, with plenty of room to grow as he matures. (JC)

17. Miguel Ullola, RHP, Astros

Team: Triple-A Sugar Land (Pacific Coast)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: After a pair of tough starts in mid April, Ullola has turned a corner over his last two appearances, exhibiting improved command and swing-and-miss stuff. Ullola tossed arguably his best start of the season this past week, as he struck out 10 batters over five innings, generating a whopping 22 whiffs. Ullola shows above-average ride and heavy cut on his four-seam fastball, which allows it to play above its 92-94 mph velocity. Ullola is just a call away from helping the Astros at some point this summer. (GP)

18. Zyhir Hope, OF, Dodgers

Team: High-A Great Lakes (Midwest)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: .348/.444/.652 (8-for-23), 5 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 BB, 8 SO

The Scoop: You know the Great Lakes Loons are a special team to watch when two of their three outfielders crack Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list. We already covered De Paula—now it’s time to dig into Hope. His hard-hit rate isn’t just one of the best in the Dodgers’ system; it puts him among the top performers across all of the minors. A big part of that leap? The Dodgers have worked closely with him to better recognize and attack hittable pitches, which was an area he struggled with as an amateur but has now turned into a strength. (JC)

19. Jaxon Wiggins, RHP, Cubs

Team: High-A South Bend (Midwest)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 1.29, 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: Over six appearances this season, Wiggins has pitched to 1.71 ERA and showed swing-and-miss stuff. On Thursday, Wiggins threw the longest start of his career, tossing seven innings while allowing one run on three hits and striking out seven. Wiggins generated a season-high 20 whiffs on 87 pitches as he earned the win for Fort Wayne. His fastball sits 95-97 mph with plus ride and above-average run, and he also mixes a changeup, slider and curveball. Wiggins is fighting the relief questions that have plagued his prospect status since college. (GP)

20. Dakota Jordan, OF, Giants

Team: Low-A San Jose (California)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .409/.458/.636 (9-for-22), 7 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBIs, 2 BB, 6 SO, 3-for-3 SB

The Scoop: In the lead up to last year’s draft, Jordan’s tools were mostly unquestioned. He could run, throw, defend and put a charge into a baseball. The only box left unchecked was whether he could hit. So far, so good. This past week against a Lake Elsinore team that featured high-end arm talent like Kash Mayfield and Boston Bateman, Jordan added nine more knocks to his ledger, including a pair of doubles and a longball. His strikeout numbers are a touch high, but the impact he’s produced thus far is hard to dispute. (JN)

HELIUM

Brendan Tunink, OF, Dodgers

The Dodgers’ 2024 eighth-round pick had quite the opening week of ACL play. He slugged his first home run on Tuesday, a day after recording his first multi-hit game. Tunink was an overslot signing for $412,500 at 250th overall and was an athletic testing standout. He comes from a cold-weather background and has less experience than other preps in his signing class. Despite this, he’s looked like a potential breakout name from the first week of ACL play. (GP)

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Oklahoma’s toppled softball dynasty, in context of other college sports

Until Saturday Newsletter | This is The Athletic’s college football newsletter. Sign up here to receive Until Saturday directly in your inbox. Today in college football news, the Mrs. and I have been rebuilding our CD collections from scratch … inspired by our kid, who’s started one of her own. CDs are so unbelievably back. […]

Published

6 minutes ago

June 4, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Until Saturday Newsletter | This is The Athletic’s college football newsletter. Sign up here to receive Until Saturday directly in your inbox.

Today in college football news, the Mrs. and I have been rebuilding our CD collections from scratch … inspired by our kid, who’s started one of her own. CDs are so unbelievably back.

Dynasties: Oklahoma softball’s place in college history

Yesterday, one of the greatest dynasties in major college sports history saw the end of its current title streak, though we’ll let future seasons determine whether the dynasty itself has run its course.

In the Women’s College World Series semifinals, big-money upstart Texas Tech — which had never won even a conference title in this sport until this season — knocked off four-time reigning champion Oklahoma. On a walkoff, no less. Having spoiled what would have been the third rivalry finale in four years between OU and Texas, the Red Raiders will take the shot themselves. Still plenty of juice, though, since few schools hate Texas more than Tech does. (The best-of-three starts tomorrow night.)

With history’s longest softball title streak now officially dusted, where does it stand in college sports history? Well, since this is college sports, there are about a million ways to answer that. All according to the NCAA’s records:

Among all Division I title streaks, the longest was Arkansas’ 12-year run in men’s indoor track and field, beginning in 1984.
If we limit it to just DI team sports that draw big crowds (a la modern softball), it’s UCLA basketball hitting seven in a row from 1967 onward.
Division I football’s best streak ever was — of course — North Dakota State’s five from 2011 through 2015. (The Bison might have since started yet another run, winning their 10th last season.)
In FBS football, the answer would be … a big mess. The last widely recognized three-peat was 1930s Minnesota, while I’d argue the only consensus-ish streak of five belonged to 1880s Yale.
If we include every sport in every level of the NCAA, then hang on to your freaking hats, because Ohio’s Kenyon College had the two longest ever: 31 and 17 in a row for its men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs, both lasting from the 1980s and into the 2000s.
As for the longest current streak, it belongs to Middlebury College’s Division III field hockey campaign, now seven years strong. This is the Vermont school’s second Until Saturday mention in 2025. Just setting up shop around here.

Coach Patty Gasso’s softball Sooners didn’t put together a streak long enough to hurdle some of the biggest records in the books, but they also managed to challenge for a fifth straight title despite playing in The Portal And NIL Era. This season, their previous star Jordy Bahl was the DI Player of the Year for her home-state Huskers, and the Texas Tech team that finally took OU down was led by million-dollar ace NiJaree Canady.

(Nobody’s heart is breaking for any SEC power in any sport, but still. It’s reasonable to wonder whether staying on the very top is even harder now. Salute.)

Quick Snaps

Frisbee emoji? No, it’s a blue chip, you see. Today, Grace Raynor ranks all 25 No. 1 recruits of the 2000s. I can stop selling this link now, because you’ve already clicked it.

Three days ago, it would’ve cost Bill Belichick $10 million to leave his job at North Carolina. As of this week, it’d cost just $1 million. Still hasn’t coached a game yet!

Jim Leavitt, USF’s founding coach who then led the Bulls to their momentary No. 2 ranking in 2007, left the program on very bad terms in 2010. He’s now joining the athletic department’s hall of fame, alongside late basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim.

Lots of slow starters in recruiting, like Alabama down at No. 45. Not without precedent at this point in the calendar, but still.

For teams looking to vault upward in the rankings, look to the hills of … Idaho? Averaging about one blue-chipper per year these days, plus three-stars drawing a lot more attention than they used to.

“It’s little (stuff) like this. That’s not typical for 3. Watch 8. That’s the stuff I watch this game and go, hmmm … Why aren’t we playing as hard as we usually play? If this was Ohio State, Adon would knock the crap out of him.” — Marcus Freeman with Pete Sampson, explaining Notre Dame‘s loss to NIU while demonstrating how coaches watch film.

We Meet Again: Why the Big Ten is into the auto-bids thing

As we talked about last week, the current “50 million automatic College Football Playoff bids for the Big Ten and SEC, plus scraps for the other powers” plan isn’t necessarily the SEC’s favorite.

As SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has noted, four auto-bids for his league in a 16-team field could actually decrease the SEC’s number of contestants. But … wouldn’t roughly the same be true for the Big Ten? In that case, why would the B1G want this at all?

As Scott Dochterman explains, it all goes back to the exact same thing the Big Ten has been yelling at the sky for nine years now: Its teams play one more conference game per year than the SEC’s or ACC’s do. Scott writes:

“Without uniform scheduling, Big Ten officials are concerned that an open (five automatic bids and 11 at-larges) plan would cause more schools to ease up on their nonconference slates rather than play other power-conference schools; one recently called it a ‘race to the bottom.’”

Hmm. In general, this version of college football’s eternal strength-of-schedule debate has been non-stop since the CFP era began, with everybody saying each offseason that SOS should matter more, but then nobody liking it once the season begins and a three-loss team ranks ahead of a two-loss team.

As for the perpetual Big Ten vs. SEC sub-debate, by any schedule-strength metric, Big Ten and SEC teams annually play schedules that are about as comparable overall as any you’ll find anywhere in such a sprawling sport.

In the upcoming season, for instance, Team Rankings judges Texas and Ohio State as having the hardest slates. They even play each other. College Football News has Florida at No. 1, followed by Wisconsin. Bill Connelly’s rankings start with three SEC teams, likewise followed by Wisconsin. In ESPN’s, the easiest schedule in either league is Maryland’s at No. 61 out of 136.
To be clear, this disparity does complicate things. Having a longer conference schedule automatically means a larger number of losses to distribute throughout league records, which can make the middle and bottom of that league look weaker than it is. (Then again, in certain years, it can artificially inflate the top.) Regardless, expanding to nine games was not something anyone else forced the Big Ten to do in 2016.

(As always, because it’s impossible to discuss any of this without hearing a specific charge: I’m not an SEC alum. I’m a Conference USA alum who was raised to root for an ACC rival of an SEC team. My list of annoyances with the SEC happens to not include this one, and nobody hoodwinked me into thinking that. I still love you.)

(Top photo: Sarah Phipps / The Oklahoman / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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Meadville sweeps South Fayette in PIAA Class 2A boys volleyball opener

Meadville celebrates a D-10 boys volleyball title with interviews Watch Meadville celebrate the D-10 2A boys volleyball championship with interviews. MEADVILLE — South Fayette’s boys volleyball team made its PIAA tournament debut on June 3. Meadville made sure the greatest season in the Lions’ brief history concluded with that achievement. The Bulldogs began their official […]

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7 minutes ago

June 4, 2025

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MEADVILLE — South Fayette’s boys volleyball team made its PIAA tournament debut on June 3.

Meadville made sure the greatest season in the Lions’ brief history concluded with that achievement.

The Bulldogs began their official defense as the state’s best Class 2A program with a first round sweep of the WPIAL third seeds. They advanced to the June 7 quarterfinals with a 25-23, 25-11, 25-15 home victory.

Meadville (16-0) will face Ambridge, another District 7 opponent, in that round. The Bridgers swept District 8’s Obama Academy 25-17, 25-12, 25-5 in their match at Pittsburgh.

South Fayette (16-6) competed in a state match for the first time since the program began five years ago.

Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNcopper.

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SCSU Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Brings Home Three USTFCCCA NCAA DII Regional Awards

Story Links NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Southern Connecticut Men’s Outdoor Track & Field brought home three NCAA Division II Regional Awards for the 2025 season, as announced by the USTFCCCA. Cameron Belton was named the East Region Field Athlete of the Year, John Wallin was named the East Region Coach of […]

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26 minutes ago

June 4, 2025

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NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Southern Connecticut Men’s Outdoor Track & Field brought home three NCAA Division II Regional Awards for the 2025 season, as announced by the USTFCCCA. Cameron Belton was named the East Region Field Athlete of the Year, John Wallin was named the East Region Coach of the Year, and Bernardo Mbaya was named the East Region Assistant Coach of the Year. All three winners also won the award for the 2025 Indoor season.

Cameron Belton capped off his phenomenal 2025 season by completing the indoor/outdoor sweep of the East Region Field Athlete of the Year. He finished the season with a personal-best mark, throwing 18.87m to grab silver at the NCAA DII Shot Put Championship, earning All-American honors for the second time after doing the same at the Indoor Championships. That is the second-best throw in SCSU Program History. This season, he was named the NE10 Indoor and Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year, the USTFCCCA Indoor and Outdoor East Region Field Athlete of the Year, and the NE10 Outdoor Most Outstanding Field Performer. Through both the indoor and outdoor seasons, Belton never placed lower than third in a Shot Put competition.

John Wallin took home the Men’s Coach of the Year honors, also completing the season sweep. In his 15th year as Head Coach at Southern Connecticut, he led the Owls to their ninth-straight NE10 Championship, winning 10 events. Southern also earned one First-Team (Belton) and two Second-Team (Lawrence Hicks, Osaretin Osagie) All-America honors from the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships.

In his first year transitioning to coaching, Bernardo Mbaya saw major success. He coached the Owls’ throwers to combine for 49 points at the Northeast 10 Conference Championships, helping Southern Connecticut win the team title. His top athlete, Cameron Belton, won the NE10 Shot Put and Discus titles and finished second in the shot at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships.

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PIAA volleyball and lacrosse roundup: Ambridge advances to quarterfinals

Riverside’s Zach Hare discusses perfect game in WPIAL Championship Riverside pitcher Zach Hare discuses his perfect game in the WPIAL Class 3A Championship game against Quaker Valley. The PIAA boys volleyball and girls lacrosse postseason got underway for two Beaver Valley schools on June 3. Here is a look at how the two area teams […]

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27 minutes ago

June 4, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The PIAA boys volleyball and girls lacrosse postseason got underway for two Beaver Valley schools on June 3. Here is a look at how the two area teams fared in their opening round matchups.

PIAA 2A girls lacrosse first round

Wyomissing 18, Quaker Valley 7

Quaker Valley gave Wyomissing everything that it could handle as it fell to the undefeated District III champion in the first round.

The team finishes the year 11-6, closing a strong campaign, qualifying for the state playoffs for the second time in three seasons.

PIAA 2A boys volleyball first round

Ambridge 3, Obama Academy 0

Ambridge shook off its WPIAL Class 2A championship loss to Shaler by sweeping City League champion Obama Academy on the road to open up its PIAA playoff run.

The team rolled through the match with a 25-17, 25-12 and 25-5 wins in the three-set victory. The team will now face District 10 champion Meadville at a site and time to be determined on June 7.

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SCSU Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Wins Three USTFCCCA NCAA DII Regional Awards

Story Links NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Southern Connecticut Women’s Outdoor Track & Field brought home three NCAA Division II Regional Awards, as announced by the USTFCCCA. Hannah Caiola was named the East Region Track Athlete of the Year, Melissa Stoll Funaro was named the East Region Coach of the Year, and […]

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43 minutes ago

June 4, 2025

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NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Southern Connecticut Women’s Outdoor Track & Field brought home three NCAA Division II Regional Awards, as announced by the USTFCCCA. Hannah Caiola was named the East Region Track Athlete of the Year, Melissa Stoll Funaro was named the East Region Coach of the Year, and Brian Nill was named the East Region Assistant Coach of the Year.

Caiola, who hails from Glastonbury, Connecticut, earned First-Team All-America honors in the 400 meters at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships. Earlier in the season, Caiola starred at the NE10 Championships with individual titles in both the 200 meters and 400 meters, and a tote on the winning 4×100 relay. She also won the award for the 2025 indoor season.

Stoll Funaro, in her 13th year as Head Coach at Southern Connecticut, led the Owls to the team title at the Northeast 10 Conference Championships, winning 11 events and scoring 246 points. Southern Connecticut also had one First-Team All-America at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships – Hannah Caiola in the 400 meters.

Nill, in his 10th year as assistant coach at Southern Connecticut, coached the Owls’ middle- and long-distance runners to combined for 76 of the team’s 246 points in winning the team title at the Northeast 10 Conference Championships. Four of his athletes also earned All-New England honors at the NEICAAA Championships.

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Thomas’s Emma Burr finishes sixth in the heptathlon at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships

WATERVILLE, Maine (WABI) – Thomas sophomore Emma Burr finished in sixth place in the heptathlon at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships last month. Burr landed in the top 20 as a freshman and made the podium and first team All-American in her second college season. “Coming from a small school, I […]

Published

58 minutes ago

June 4, 2025

Your Sports Nation

WATERVILLE, Maine (WABI) – Thomas sophomore Emma Burr finished in sixth place in the heptathlon at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships last month.

Burr landed in the top 20 as a freshman and made the podium and first team All-American in her second college season.

“Coming from a small school, I feel very helpful to growing the program and getting a lot of attention out there for MCI and for Thomas. Being able to be an athlete, I am very proud of that,” said Burr.

Burr graduated from MCI and is studying entrepreneurship during her Terriers career.

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