Sports

C. Notes

Published

5 months ago

July 21, 2025

NEW YORK — As far as first tests go, Noelvi Marte’s debut in the outfield for the Cincinnati Reds was pretty easy.

Through six innings in right field Sunday at Citi Field, Marte had exactly one ball hit to him, a third-inning grounder from New York Mets leadoff man Brandon Nimmo that got by second baseman Matt McLain.

With Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor on second, Marte had a play at the plate, but Taylor was about halfway between third and home when Marte scooped the ball to throw home. Marte’s one-hop toss was on line, but too late to get the speedy Taylor, opening the game’s scoring in an eventual 3-2 Mets victory Sunday.

“He came in on the ball — it was (a) very good (throw),” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “He kept the ball down, one-hop. He’s OK. He’s going to be fine.”

Facing Mets lefty David Peterson, Francona put Marte in right field — marking the 23-year-old’s first professional appearance in the outfield — to maximize the number of right-handed bats in the lineup. With Marte in right, the Reds’ starting lineup had seven right-handed hitters, the switch-hitting Elly De La Cruz and left-handed hitting leadoff man TJ Friedl.

Austin Hays, who was the DH for Sunday’s game, and Connor Joe, who specializes in hitting left-handed pitching, are the only regular right-handed hitting outfielders on the team’s roster. Utilityman Santiago Espinal has made eight starts in the outfield after playing there for the first time last year, but at this point is a better defender at third base.

Several weeks ago, Marte, who played shortstop for most of his minor-league career before being traded to the Reds and moved to third base, was shagging balls in the outfield when Reds outfielder coach Collin Cowgill noticed him and thought he looked good out there. Since then, Marte had been working with Cowgill before games in the outfield. After Saturday’s workout, Marte told Cowgill, “I’m ready.”

The next day, Marte found himself in the lineup and in right field.

“I’m a person who likes challenges, I like experimenting different things,” Marte said before the game, according to team interpreter Tomás Vera. “If the team needs me there, I’ll be there.”

Marte said as a kid he wanted to be an outfielder but was then moved to shortstop, where he was signed by the Seattle Mariners.

The 6-foot-2, 216-pound Marte has the arm strength and athleticism to play in the outfield. He’s made five errors in just 70 chances at third this year and 12 in 130 last season. Espinal, who has played five defensive positions this season, has one error in 119 total chances at third base this season, one at second base (38 chances) and one in the outfield (eight chances).

The Reds already moved Marte from shortstop to third base because he was behind De La Cruz and McLain at the position, and another of the Reds’ top prospects, Edwin Arroyo, also plays short.

“He’s not going to be our everyday right fielder right now,” Francona said. “There’s going to be some days where it may be against a lefty that we think we can put a better team out there, and maybe — and hopefully — it helps us defensively.”

Marte said he wasn’t worried about playing in the outfield, noting that all infielders think they can play outfield.

In Sunday’s game against the Mets, the first ball hit in the air to right came with two outs in the seventh, after Jake Fraley had come into the game in the top of the inning as a pinch hitter against right-handed reliever Huascar Brazobán and Marte moved to third.

“I’m not sure we’re dying to have guys start pelting balls to him in the outfield,” Francona said after the game. “That’s not the object here.”

For his part, Marte said he felt comfortable in the outfield and thought it went well. He’s open to the challenge of playing there more, knowing it’s a good chance to expand his playing time and role.

“It’s an opportunity,” Marte said, according to Vera. “And when you have an opportunity, you have to be open to it.”

Another of the Reds’ top prospects is a third baseman. Sal Stewart, 21, was recently promoted to Triple-A Louisville after leading the Southern League in hitting. Two years ago, when Marte was 21, he started the season at Double-A Chattanooga before being promoted to Louisville and then made his big-league debut Aug. 19, 2023.

When Francona was asked whether Marte’s move was a precursor to Stewart’s arrival, he shot down that speculation.

“Oh, you might be getting a little ahead of us there,” Francona said.

Connor Joe got another chance after his recent miscue when Terry Francona put him in left field as a defensive replacement. (Vincent Carchietta / Imagn Images)

Connor Joe put back on the horse

Francona said before Saturday’s game against the Mets that Joe, who lost what would’ve been the final out of Friday’s game in the lights and had it bounce off his glove, was distraught after the series-opening win.

“We would’ve had to talk him off the ledge if that’d ended (differently). Of course, I’d have been right there with him.”

Instead, the Reds pulled out the victory, so Joe was saved the embarrassment of his miscue leading to a loss.

Joe said his teammates and coaches told him to shake it off, and they knew it was just one play. So did Francona, but he also had the power to actually show Joe that he still trusted him by putting him in left field as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning Saturday.

“It was a concerted effort,” Francona said Sunday. “I don’t think when something like that happens, you put someone in the penalty box. He just missed the ball.”

For as small a thing as it is to put someone in left field for two innings, it has an outsized meaning to both Joe and his teammates.

“I really appreciated it,” Joe said Sunday. “I think that’s him. Everything I’ve heard about Tito is on par with that exact moment and that exact showing. These are big, meaningful games, and we want to do nothing but win, and for him to put that trust in me in a big, big situation goes a long way with me and means a lot to me.”

Joe said as soon as he got back on the field, he forgot about Friday’s error — “once you get out there, it’s status quo.”

But he won’t forget what Francona did by showing his trust.

“For him to do that when the game is on the line, it goes further than what anyone could tell me,” Joe said.

Sal Stewart, Héctor Rodriguez to AAA

After one game this spring, Francona noted Stewart was as good a young hitter as he’d seen in a long time. Stewart is one step closer to being seen by Francona regularly.

Stewart and outfielder Héctor Rodríguez were promoted from Double-A Chattanooga to Triple-A Louisville last week.

“With those two guys, I think we all feel like they’re a part of what we’re going to be and we’re excited about that,” Francona said. “We want to make sure they understand that it’s not just getting to Cincinnati, but get here ready to help us win.”

At Chattanooga, Stewart hit .306/.377/.473 with 10 home runs and 19 doubles. When promoted, Stewart was leading the Southern League in batting average and was third in OPS. Sunday, in his third game at Triple-A, Stewart hit his first home run at that level.

“(The minor-league staff has been) staying on Sal about not having the ups and downs of if I get hits or if I don’t. Cause when you get here, you don’t get hits every day and you’ve still got to be a good player,” Francona said. “I think we tried to impress that upon Sal — we’re not picking on you, we f—ing love you, but we’re going to stay on you.”

The message to Rodríguez has been similar. A converted infielder, the 21-year-old Rodriguez was acquired from the Mets in the deal that sent Tyler Naquin to New York near the 2022 trade deadline. Rodríguez was second in the Southern League in batting average (.298) and slugging percentage (.481), and he was fourth in OPS (.838) and fifth in home runs (12).

In the Reds’ system, he’s played all three outfield spots, but has been in right field this season. In his second game at Triple-A on Saturday, Rodríguez reached base four times, going 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.

“They both have a chance to really help us,” Francona said.

The week that was

De La Cruz (0-for-2) and Andrew Abbott (1 inning pitched) appeared in the All-Star Game in Atlanta. The Reds began the second half by taking two of three from the Mets in front of three sellout crowds at Citi Field. The Reds’ series win in New York, coupled with an Arizona Diamondbacks sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, moved Cincinnati into third in the National League Central, 7 1/2 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs, and 2 1/2 games behind the San Diego Padres for the third wild-card spot.

The week ahead

The Reds go to Washington for three against the Washington Nationals, with rookie right-hander Chase Burns making his fifth start Tuesday. After a day off Thursday, the Reds return home to start a long homestand beginning with three games against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Injury updates

• RHP Hunter Greene (right groin strain) is expected to start a rehab assignment in Arizona this week before moving to Triple-A Louisville.

• RHP Carson Spiers (right shoulder impingement) was returned from his rehab assignment with right biceps soreness. Spiers threw 75 pitches in 3 1/3 innings in his start Saturday. He gave up three runs on four hits with four walks and three strikeouts.

• RHP Ian Gibaut (right shoulder impingement) has begun throwing.

• LHP Wade Miley (left flexor strain) has been playing catch and hopes to return this season.

Minor-league report

• Triple-A Louisville (41-55): OF Rece Hinds notched his first multihomer game of the season Saturday, going 3-for-5 with two home runs.

• Double-A Chattanooga (47-39): OF Austin Hendrick hit his second career leadoff home run in Saturday’s Lookouts win. He has 10 home runs on the season. The 24-year-old, who was the team’s first-round pick in 2020, is having his best season yet as a pro, hitting .266/.342/.462 in 60 games.

• High-A Dayton (28-59): SS Carlos Sanchez is hitting .290/.400/.435 with a pair of home runs in 18 games at Dayton after his promotion from Class-A Daytona. In 60 games with the Tortugas, the 20-year-old Sanchez hit .308/.429/.449 with four home runs.

• Class-A Daytona (41-47): C Alfredo Duno extended his on-base streak to 39 games Sunday (not including his appearance in the Futures Game) with a pair of walks. Over his streak, he has 41 walks to go along with 41 hits and four home runs.

(Top photo: Ishika Samant / Getty Images)

Sports

Iowa State Honors Fall Graduates

Published

8 minutes ago

December 19, 2025

Your Sports Nation

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State athletics department recognized 29 student-athletes who have earned their degrees from the school.

Also recognized were 25 spring graduates from the softball and track and field programs, who because of their athletic schedules will likely be unable to attend next semester’s event.

The group was recognized at the fall graduation ceremony Friday afternoon at the Sukup End Zone Club.

Congratulations to the 2025 Cyclone student-athlete fall graduates.

2025 Fall Graduates

Reagan Bartholomew, Softball

Rocco Becht, Football

Kai Black, Football

Cannon Butler, Football

Drew Clausen, Football

Kiersten Fisher, Track and Field

Jace T. Gilbert, Football

Kailynn Gubbels, Track and Field

Eli Green, Football

Deylin Hasert, Football

Caleb Helgeson, Wrestling

Amiree Hendricks-Walker, Volleyball

Jenna James, Track and Field

Rachel Joseph, Track and Field

Lauren Kimball, Swimming and Diving

Kaia Holtkamp, Track and Field/Cross Country

Paula Krzeslak, Volleyball

Zachary Lovett, Football

Tyler Maro, Football

Tamatoa McDonough, Football

Will McLaughlin, Football

Tyler Moore, Football=

James Neal, Football

Domonique Orange, Football

Ana Irene Palacios, Gymnastics

Tyler Perkins, Football

Kaylee Tobaben, Track and Field/Cross Country

Xavier Townsend, Football

Sydney Willits, Track and Field

2026 Spring and Summer Graduates

McKenna Andrews, Softball

Hannah Baier, Track and Field

Riley Beach, Track and Field/Cross Country

Jadan Brumbaugh, Track and Field

Kinsey Christianson, Track and Field

Ava Cinnamo, Track and Field

Makayla Clark, Track and Field

Emanuel Galdino, Track and Field/Cross Country

Bella Heikes, Track and Field/Cross Country

Tatum Johnson, Softball

Ashlyn Keeney, Track and Field/Cross Country

Sydney Malott, Softball

Sanele Masondo, Track and Field/Cross Country

Ashley Minor, Softball

Paige Nakashima, Softball

Brooke Naughton, Track and Field

Quinton Orr, Track and Field/Cross Country

Tiana Poole, Softball

Maelle Porcher, Track and Field/Cross Country

Jaiden Ralston, Softball

Daniel Romary, Track and Field

Rodgers Rotich, Track and Field/Cross Country

Riley Simpson, Track and Field/Cross Country

Mya Trober, Track and Field/Cross Country

Ryan Watts, Track and Field/Cross Country

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Dan Fisher: Defense not good enough in NCAA volleyball loss

Published

15 minutes ago

December 19, 2025

Your Sports Nation

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pittsburgh volleyball coach Dan Fisher said he’s to blame after the Panthers lost in the NCAA tournament semifinals for a record fifth straight season Thursday night.

Top-seeded Pitt was swept by No. 3 Texas A&M 29-27, 25-21, 25-20 and failed to advance to the program’s first national championship game.

The Aggies finished the three sets with a .382 hitting percentage and 52 kills; the Panthers hit .344 with 45 kills.

In Sunday’s championship match, Texas A&M will face Kentucky, a five-set winner over Wisconsin in the other semifinal.

“I guess the main story from a coaching standpoint is, we hit for a high-enough percentage, that’s for sure,” said Fisher, the 13th-year Panthers coach. “If you would have told me we would hit .350, I would have been pretty pleased with that.

“We were nowhere near as good as we needed to be defensively. … I thought we were ready. It’s on me and on us as coaches. We just weren’t good enough defensively.”

Pitt was eliminated in the national semifinals by Nebraska in 2021 and 2023, and by Louisville in 2022 and 2024.

“I’m proud of being consistently good and consistently in the hunt. But I’m pretty pissed off about it right now,” Fisher said.

On Thursday, Pitt junior and 2024 American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of the Year Olivia Babcock had a game-high 22 kills. The 6-foot-4 right-side hitter, who is a finalist for the prestigious award again, fought back tears after the loss.

“Obviously, losing sucks, but I don’t think there’s anything shameful or bad about losing in a final four,” Babcock said. “I mean only four teams got to play today. We were grateful enough to be one of them. Losing is always hard.”

She echoed Fisher’s comments on the defensive play.

“Offensively, we were great the entire night,” she said. “Normally, we’re better at getting block touches and we are making more digs. Today, I feel that we just weren’t up to our standard.”

Pitt beat Purdue in the regional finals to become the first team since Texas (2012-16) to make five straight final four appearances. The Longhorns won the national championship in 2012 and were the runners-up in 2015 and 2016.

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Sports

Inaugural K-State Relays High School Meet Set for April 2026

Published

23 minutes ago

December 19, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The best high school track and field athletes from the state of Kansas and surrounding states will descend on Manhattan this spring as Head Track and Field Coach Travis Geopfert and Athletics Director Gene Taylor have announced details for the inaugural K-State Relays at the R.V. Christian Track Complex.

The meet, which will be held April 10-11, will consist of six different relay events as well as seven field events and will infuse the Manhattan community with visitors from all over the state. The unique format will score the relay events and will crown both a boys and girls team champion.

“We are thrilled to host this event and help support high school track and field here in the state of Kansas,” Geopfert said. “This will be a high school-only meet that will allow every school in the state of Kansas to come to Manhattan and have their athletes compete against the best that this state, and surrounding states, have to offer.”

The relay events include the 4×100, 4×400, 4×800, sprint medley relay, distance medley relay and shuttle hurdle relay. The field events to be contested are the long jump, triple jump, shot put, discus throw and javelin throw with a field size of 32 athletes. The high jump and pole vault will have up to 24 participating athletes. The Cliff Rovelto Indoor Track will be utilized as a warm-up area while Bramlage Coliseum will house the team camps. The close proximity of these three facilities will make for a seamless experience for athletes and coaches.

“We wanted to create a unique team concept, with team-scored relays only on the track,” Geopfert added. “This allows hundreds of athletes to compete as a team in a condensed time frame that’s exciting for all track and field fans. We also wanted to make sure we created an opportunity for the best field event athletes in the state to compete. This is a slightly different concept from the traditional ‘Relays Meet’ but we’re hopeful the team score, the condensed schedule and the opportunity for elite field event competition, will attract and give a great opportunity for these high school athletes.”

Events such as the K-State Relays also provide the department with the opportunity to host visitors to not only see the Wildcat program and facilities up close but also spend time in the Manhattan community.

“When we look at hosting outside events, we want to ensure that they provide value to our department and programs, make sense from a cost/revenue perspective and are beneficial to the Manhattan community,” Taylor said. “We feel this event checks all the boxes, and we look forward to welcoming high school track athletes and their families to Manhattan in April.”

More information, including detailed schedules and ticket information, will be announced in the coming months. High school coaches and teams interested in participating in the event can contact Chris Goodwin at (785) 473-6661 or cgoodwin@kstatesports.com.

— k-statesports.com —

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.

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Badgers fall to Kentucky in National Semifinals

Published

31 minutes ago

December 19, 2025

Your Sports Nation

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WMTV) – The Badgers Volleyball team lost to Kentucky Thursday night and failed to advance to the National Championship game on Sunday.

Wisconsin lost to the Wildcats 3-2 in Kansas City.

Kentucky will play Texas A&M on Sunday afternoon for the National Championship.

Click here to download the WMTV15 News app or our WMTV15 First Alert weather app.

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Huskers year-end report shows concession sales up 75%, shares volleyball reseating data

Published

48 minutes ago

December 19, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Athletic Director Troy Dannen reflected on another year of Nebraska Athletics, sharing highlights and achievements of the men’s and women’s sports teams and hinting at what’s to come.

In competition, Huskers excelled in multiple sports:

Nebraska volleyball team just completed a remarkable 33-1 season
Wrestling finished as the national runner-up as a team and two Husker wrestlers won individual national championships
Softball made an NCAA Super Regional appearance
Football earned a second straight bowl berth
Both basketball teams are undefeated and ranked in the AP Top 25.

This year, student-athletes set a school record with a 3.464 GPA, led the Big Ten Conference with 117 fall Academic All-Conference selections and once again posted a Graduation Success Rate over 90%, among the best in the nation. Dannen said they also made a positive impact in Lincoln and surrounding communities through their volunteer work.

Alcohol and food sales at Husker venues

The start of alcohol sales at all on-campus venues and the addition of new food options resulted in an increase of 75% in total concession revenue compared to last year, Dannen said.

“More than 313,000 alcoholic beverages were served and new food options were added to the menu, resulting in an increase of 75% in total concession revenue compared to last year,” Dannen said.

The introduction of alcohol sales came with concerns about the impact on fan behavior, but Dannen said it remained consistent with the previous five years.

John Cook Arena reseating

The John Cook Arena reseating process planned for 2026 has drawn criticism from longtime season ticket holders.

Dannen said the athletic staff has developed a plan that ensures that season-ticket holders in 2025 will be guaranteed season-tickets next year.

Dannen said 10% of current season-ticket holders did not use their tickets this year but rather sold those tickets through secondary markets. Those tickets, originally purchased for a total of $600,000 by those ticket holders, were then resold for a total of $3.2 million on the secondary market. Ticket use for this purpose is strictly prohibited.

The accounts that resold the entirety of their tickets will be excluded from the ability to purchase season-tickets in 2026, Dannen said.

1890 Nebraska winding down operations

With the implementation of the House settlement, 1890 Nebraska, Husker Athletics’ NIL collective, has begun winding down its operations.

“Hundreds of Husker fans donated millions of dollars over the past 24 months to support NIL for our student-athletes, as the rules at the time permitted,” Dannen said the in the letter.

The House settlement now prohibits much of what 1890 Nebraska provided, but in turn allows the university to share $20.5 million directly with student-athletes as they pay to license their NIL rights.

The five sports primarily supported by the collective include the Nebraska wrestling team, football team, two basketball teams and the volleyball team.

Facility upgrades

Several Nebraska athletic facilities saw enhancements including the completion of the track and field complex, along with new facilities for golf, rifle, swimming and diving and bowling.

In 2026, the athletics department is planning to renovate the softball and baseball clubhouses. Dannen said they are also looking forward to expanding the Devaney Center.

Entertainment

Three shows have been scheduled to take place inside Memorial Stadium next year. Zach Bryan will perform on April 25, the Savannah Bananas on June 13 and The Boys from Oklahoma on Aug. 22.

“Our plan is to continue to utilize our facilities for outside events to bring new events to our spaces and to help drive entertainment options in Lincoln,” Dannen said.

Due to anticipated construction, Nebraska Athletics will hold off on booking events for Memorial Stadium in 2027.

The athletics department is expecting to make two “big announcements on the Husker women’s sports front” early next year that will have a tremendous impact on its female student-athletes.

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Sports

3 takeaways from Wisconsin volleyball’s Final Four loss to Kentucky

Published

1 hour ago

December 19, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Updated Dec. 19, 2025, 9:07 a.m. CT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kentucky had all the laughs – or at least almost all of them.

“I’m glad I get to do it almost in my home state,” said Kentucky’s Brooklyn DeLeye, who is from Topeka, Kansas. “I know we’re in Kansas City, Missouri, but who even looks at that.”

Wisconsin had all the heartbreak. One could hear the emotion in Charlie Fuerbringer’s voice in the press conference as she talked about playing with Mimi Colyer being “so fun.” The joy that usually comes with the band’s post-match rendition of “Varsity” was hollow considering the team already left the court.

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