Kahlil Watson hit a home run and Travis Bazzana went 1 for 3 with 2 walks, while Aaron Davenport and the bullpen (including Triston McKenzie and Carlos Hernandez) had a rough day.

New right-handed starter Khal Stephen looked very good in three scoreless innings with two strikeouts and allowing two hits. Zack Cozart was 2 for 4 with a double and Wuilfredo Antunez were 2 for 4 with a triple. Ralphy Velazquez sustained his 1.266 OPS with a single and two walks.

Catcher Bennett Thompson went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk and centerfielder Nick Mitchell went 2 for 3 with a homer and a walk, but Captains pitchers led by Rafe Schlesinger had a tough game… EXCEPT for Tyler Naquin who went two scoreless, hitless innings striking out three!

The Hillcats have some HITTERS on their team as Junekir Caceres went 1 for 3 with three walks, Riley Nelson went 1 for 4 with a double, and Luke Hill went 3 for 4 with a triple and a walk. Hill also stole two bases. Each of the six Lynchburg pitchers who played in this game gave up at least one run.

The Salukis finished 10-19 (3-15 MVC) in 2024, placing 11th in The Valley and missing the conference tournament.

Brittany Harry takes over as the new head coach for a team returning eight players from the 2024 season: five outside hitters, two middle blockers, and one defensive specialist. Among the returners is Cecilia Bulmahn, who ranked 10th in the Missouri Valley with 4.12 digs per set and was eighth in total digs (433). She had seven aces at UIC on Oct. 12, tied for second-highest in the MVC in a single match, and tied for first in a three-set match. The mark is also tied for eighth in school history. She also posted 34 digs vs Missouri State (9/19), tied for the fourth-most in school history. Returning in the middle are sophomore Eva Krakowski and senior Larissa Seger. Krakowski put together a strong true freshman season and was named the Missouri Valley Conference’s Freshman of the Week on Sept. 16 after a season-high 17 kills (41.2%) and eight blocks (T-8th in MVC in a five-set match in 2024) in a 3-2 win at UT Martin (9/10). She would post eight blocks for a second time (T-10th in MVC in a four-set match) against SIUE (9/20). Seger is back after putting up 92 blocks, leading the Salukis and ranking ninth in the Missouri Valley at 0.88 blocks per set. Senior outside hitter Annabelle Sulish returns as the team’s most productive offensive player in 2024. She played in all 29 matches and 113 sets, continuing her streak of appearing in every possible match during her college career. She led the Salukis in kills (343) and points (389.0), and added 291 digs, 25 aces and 37 blocks to her ledger. Her four aces against Idaho on Aug. 31 ranked ninth for the most in a four-set match in the MVC.

Southern will open its season on Friday, Aug. 29, when they Sam Houston State at the Bearkat Invitational. First serve is scheduled for 10 a.m. CT.

FOLLOW THE SALUKIS

Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on X (@SIU_Volleyball), Instagram (@SIU_Volleyball) and Facebook (SalukiVolleyball). Fans can also download the “Salukis” Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.

MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine water polo head coach Merrill Moses has announced a pair of staff changes ahead of the 2025 campaign. Terry Schroeder will transition into the role of senior advisor following 32 total seasons with the program including 31 as head coach. In addition, Mike Tragitt has been elevated to Associate Head Coach having been on staff for 12 seasons including the past nine as assistant coach.

The Waves posted a 143-77 overall record in the eight seasons with Tragitt as assistant coach including seven campaigns with a winning record. In his previous 11 seasons total on staff, the Waves have finished in top-13 in the final CWPA rankings in all 11 years. Tragitt was a four-year letterwinner with the Waves from 2010-2013 and joined the staff the following year before being named an assistant coach ahead of the 2017 season. Pepperdine has had a pair of 25-plus win seasons during his tenure including the 2019 campaign which saw the Waves win the Gold Coast Conference and reach the NCAA semifinals.

“I’m incredibly appreciative of the trust and support that Merrill and Terry have given me within this program since beginning my coaching career,” said Tragitt. “Pepperdine is an incredibly special place, and I am honored and proud to continue to work and impact the best players in the country.”

“I am very excited to announce the elevation of Coach Mike Tragitt to Associate Head Coach,” said head coach Merrill Moses. “He has been on our coaching staff for 12 years and has been an integral part of our team’s success in and out of the water throughout his coaching career. He understands and promotes the core values and goals that our program and University represent every day. He is a tremendous tactician and recruiter and is going to continue to help elevate our program to compete for Conference Championships and National Championships.”

Schroeder is a legendary figure in American water polo, widely regarded as one of the greatest players and coaches in the sport’s history. A two-time Olympic silver medalist as a player (1984, 1988) and team captain for the U.S. squad, Schroeder went on to become the head coach at Pepperdine from 1986-2005, where he led the Waves to the 1997 NCAA Championship. He then served as head coach of the U.S. Men’s Olympic Water Polo Team at the 2008 Beijing Games, where his squad captured the silver medal, and again at the 2012 London Games. Schroeder then returned to Malibu in 2013 to resume his role as head coach of the program and transitioned to Associate Head Coach following the 2023 campaign. In his 31 total seasons as head coach of the Waves, Schroeder amassed a 508-345 record while reaching the NCAA Tournament on nine occasions. 

“I am excited to announce Coach Terry Schroeder‘s new role as Senior Advisor for Pepperdine Water Polo,” said Moses.  Coach Schroeder is going into his 33rd season for Pepperdine Water Polo and he has guided this program to great successes throughout his coaching career with his experience and knowledge of the game. I would not have been the player that I became without Coach Schroeder’s coaching and belief in me and my skills. I also would not be the coach I am today without his guidance and mentorship. He is going to help advise our coaching staff with his tremendous experience and knowledge that he has gained throughout his years of coaching. With his new role he will also help continue to build our alumni relations and focus on helping our team with our fundraising goals so we can compete at the highest level.”

Pepperdine was recently selected at No. 7 in the CWPA Preseason Poll and No. 2 in the WCC Preseason Poll ahead of the 2025 campaign. The Waves open the season this weekend at the Triton Invite hosted by UC San Diego with matchups against No. 20 Navy and Pomona-Pitzer on Saturday to begin the season.

ABOUT PEPPERDINE WATER POLO

Pepperdine water polo has seen success spanning decades under Terry Schroeder who gave the reins to Merrill Moses following the 2023 season. Highlighted by its national championship in 1997 with Moses as the starting goalie, the Waves have reached the NCAA Tournament on 13 occasions and recently won the inaugural WCC Regular Season Championship in 2023. Overall, the program has seen 60 athletes garner All-American honors while boasting a winning record in 36 of 50 seasons.

TICKETS

For more information and to purchase tickets to upcoming home events, visit here.

FOLLOW

To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine water polo news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineMWP.

The field at Jordan-Hare Stadium will look a little bit different this season.

Auburn announced a new partnership with YellaWood this week that will place the words “Pat Dye Field” on each 25-yard line along with the YellaWood logo.

The partnership is expected to “elevate Auburn’s student-athlete brand exposure at the onset of college athletics’ revenue sharing era,” as well, according to a press release from Auburn.

On-field corporate branding is a new phenomenon in college sports, and Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze was asked about it during his Monday press conference.

“We couldn’t function in today’s climate without the quality of boosters and supporters that we have,” Freeze said. “We’re blessed here at Auburn to have many great ones that have obviously stepped up and done new things that are a sign of the new climate.”

Jimmy Rane, YellaWood’s founder and CEO and a longtime member of the Auburn Board of Trustees, reflected on what it meant to give back to Auburn in the press release.

“The things that Auburn gave to me laid the foundation for the success you see today,” Rane said. “How do you ever repay a debt like that?”

Freeze expressed his appreciation for Rane and other boosters, especially as changes in college sports call for more donor support than ever.

“We’re very grateful that we have those people that are willing to do that time and time again, and I know they probably get tired of us always calling the same few,” Freeze said. “But we’re very thankful here that we’ve got many, many great boosters that are helpful in a lot of ways.”

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at prauterkus@al.com

The Bishop Diego duo of Tua Rojas and Sophie Otte opened their senior seasons with a bang, earning the first Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Athlete of the Week honors for the 2025-26 school year.

The pairing was honored at the first SBART Press Luncheon of the year on Monday at Harry’s Plaza Cafe.

Rojas, the Cardinals’ starting quarterback, had a big night last Friday to lead his team to a thrilling 42-40 season-opening win over Lancaster.

The senior completed 15-of-21 passes for 258 yards, threw for three touchdowns and rushed one in himself to pull out the victory in the high-scoring affair.

Meanwhile, Otte began last week with a pair of strong performances in non-league matches. She tallied 11 kills and five aces in a four-set win over Santa Paula, and followed that up with 16 kills, three blocks and three digs in a 3-1 victory over Santa Barbara High.

Over the weekend, Otte filled up the stat sheet at the annual Cardinal Classic to help power her team to a second-place finish in the Silver Division.

The boys honorable mentions were Oscar Mauia (Bishop Football), Cole Dominguez (SM Football), Aaron Baizan (SB Football), Lucas Neushul (DP Water Polo) and Oliver Kelly (SB Water Polo).

The girls honorable mentions were Laila Hernandez (SB Flag Football), Elina Stump (SB Flag Football), Victoria Aldana (SM Flag Football), Kacey Hurley (DP Flag Football) and Brooklyn Hedricks (DP Flag Football).

The Athlete of the Week award winners are selected by the local sports media. Coaches are encouraged to nominate deserving athletes. Nominations should be sent to sports@noozhawk.com by Saturday afternoon, if possible.