AUBURN, Ala. — Caden Bodine’s second home run of the night — and his first since March — lifted No. 13 Coastal Carolina to a 7-6, 10-inning win over No. 4 Auburn in Game 1 of the NCAA Baseball Auburn Super Regional early Saturday morning at Plainsman Park.

Following a weather delay of one hour and 46 minutes, play resumed at 11:45 p.m. CT, and the Chanticleers (52-11) eventually pulled out their 10th extra-inning win of the season behind four home runs, two apiece from Bodine and Blagen Pado. The win pushes Coastal within one victory of its first College World Series appearance since 2016.

Bodine broke a 6-6 tie with a solo blast to right in the top of the 10th, then helped close the door defensively. The junior catcher also threw out two would-be base stealers, giving him 45 career caught-stealing throws — just one shy of tying the program record of 46 set by Matt Beaird (2015–18).

Pado matched Bodine’s output with two home runs, including a three-run shot in a four-run fourth inning that gave Coastal a 6-1 lead at the time. It marked the first time since March 25, 2016 (Tyler Chadwick and Michael Paez vs. Stetson), that two Chanticleers each homered twice in the same game.

Walker Mitchell was hit by a pitch in the 10th, setting a single-season school record with his 31st HBP.

The game lasted 3 hours and 23 minutes, not including the weather stoppage, and ended just after 2:30 a.m. local time. Game 2 of the best-of-three series is scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.

 

Notebook: Coastal Carolina 7, Auburn 6 (10 inn.)

• Big Bats Return: Caden Bodine hit his first home runs since March 11 vs. Wake Forest, bringing his season total to five. He finished the night 3-for-5 with three RBI.
• Pado Power: Blagen Pado also went deep twice, giving him eight homers on the year. He finished with a game-high four RBI.
• Record Watch: Bodine now has 45 career runners caught stealing, one shy of tying Coastal’s all-time mark.
• Mitchell Hit Again: Walker Mitchell was plunked for the 31st time in 2025, setting the program’s single-season record.
• Home Run Surge: Coastal tied its season high with four home runs in a game. The Chants previously hit four in their 18-7 win over East Carolina in the Conway Regional.
• Pitching Carousel: Cameron Flukey started and allowed three runs in five innings. Dominick Carbone surrendered three more over two innings, but Matthew Potok and Ryan Lynch (save No. 8) held Auburn scoreless over the final three frames.
• Lightning Delay: The game was halted at 9:59 p.m. CT due to lightning and resumed at 11:45 p.m.
• Clutch Defense: Coastal turned two double plays and threw out two runners on the bases — including a 10th-inning twin killing to end the game.
• Series Continues: Game 2 is set for 3 p.m. ET Saturday. A Chanticleers win sends them to Omaha.

One of the greatest joys about being retired from CIA is the opportunity I now enjoy to immerse myself in our local community, especially the schools where my kids and their pals spend their days in class and on the sports fields. 

After all, freedom of opportunity in our glorious country starts with a good education. 

Around this time of year I’m always honored to speak with high school seniors who are about to take a momentous step forward toward building their own adventure. My message to them invokes one of the most courageous and inspirational people I’ve ever met, Gib Smith. 

I first met Gib in the late 1980s when we were assistant swim coaches for the Capital Sea Devils, based in Washington, D.C. In addition to coaching, we both swam the morning practice with the older kids ages 12 to 18 from 5 to 7 a.m. 

I’M BUILDING HOPE ON CHICAGO’S NOTORIOUS SOUTH SIDE

Gib, who had swum all through high school and for James Madison University, was the fastest swimmer in the pool. He and I were both in our early 20s and from the moment we met, I admired Gib for being such a strong swimmer even though our days of competing in water polo and college swim meets were long behind us. 

But what made Gib’s swimming prowess so extraordinary was that he was also fighting cancer. Having been diagnosed with leukemia shortly after graduating from college, Gib would show up for practice even after having been subjected to arduous cancer treatment the day before. 

He inspired all of us, including future Olympian Tom Dolan, who was then only 12 years old and just starting to come into his own as a brilliant long distance and individual medley swimmer. I fondly remember good-naturedly teasing Tom, asking how it was that Gib was crushing him in practice even while recovering from another round of radiation. 

In 1988, Gib raised $12,000 for the National Cancer Institute by competing in the Chesapeake Bay Bridge swim race held each year in early June. Even while fighting cancer, Gib was building his own adventure.

MAKE COLLEGE COMMENCEMENTS BORING AGAIN

Adventure implies getting outside one’s comfort zone, which is especially challenging for cancer patients. That’s why Gib’s story should resonate with high school graduates as they take the next step in what can often feel like a daunting new chapter in their lives. 

First, few high school graduates have escaped some adversity in their lives, perhaps on the sports field, or God forbid as was the case for my own children, family trauma. But as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” 

In the words of my former boss at CIA Dave Petraeus, Gib overcame adversity by staying “fit to fight.” Swimming 6,000-yard practices each morning defined Gib’s will to overcome adversity by never ever giving up. 

Second, high school graduates should already be thinking about connecting with something larger than themselves by making a valuable contribution to their community, maybe even to our nation or beyond. Gib was not only empathically thinking of other cancer patients, he also impacted the rest of us. 

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Anyone who might have been weary at the end of swim practice only had to glance over at Gib fighting through the pain with every bit of strength he had. We were all better swimmers because of him. And for years at CIA and now in retirement, there has hardly been a day that goes by when I do not think of Gib, and the shining example he set. 

Third, as they start preparing to make important life decisions, high school graduates should be asking themselves this significant question: Why? 

In the words of my SEAL Team Six friends, Gib planned the dive and dove the plan. He was swimming through brackish Chesapeake Bay water overflowing with jellyfish that morning because that’s how he chose to fight cancer and do his part to help others suffering the same cruelly arbitrary fate. We should strive to be honest with ourselves about the reasons for our big life decisions. 

Gib successfully completed the grueling two-hour, 4-5-mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge race despite the frigid water and strong currents. He also beat cancer, earned a law degree, got married and had two children, who are now grown up and on to building their own adventures. 

So go forth, high school graduates, and take inspiration from the great ones around you as you choose your path in life’s great adventure.

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Kevin Murphy has been reinstated as the head coach of the boys’ swimming & diving team at Keller High School, but not the girls, Carrol ISD said in a press release. The announcement is the latest in what has been a chaotic few years for high school swimming in suburban Dallas, and comes about a month after Murphy was “reassigned” from the post he had held for 20 years.

Murphy has led the Southlake Carroll boys’ and girls’ swimming & diving teams to 15 team state titles in his tenure. Last season, the girls finished 2nd and the boys 12th at the state championship meet.

Justin Pudwill, the district’s aquatics supervisor and head water polo coach, will assume the role of the head coach of the girls’ team.

While in some states, especially midwestern states that have different boys’ and girls’ high school swim seasons, it’s not uncommon for the teams to have different head coaches. In Texas, where the teams have identical seasons, it is almost unheard of.

From the Press Release:

“We’re excited about the future of our swim program,” said Athletic Director Riley Dodge. “Having both Coach Murphy and Coach Pudwill in leadership positions allows us to provide the best possible support for our student-athletes. Their combined expertise and passion for the sport will elevate our program even further.”

Carroll ISD looks forward to continued success in the pool with both coaches working collaboratively to guide our student-athletes to new heights.

No explanation for Murphy’s reassignment, or the decision to bring him back as only the boys’ coach, has been given by the district, though local observers say that the complaints that prompted the move were brought forward by members of the girls’ team whose parents are influential boosters for Southlake Carroll’s football team.

The school’s athletics director is Riley Dodge, who is also a former star quarterback for the school and head football coach.

One local parent says that they were told by the AD that there were no applicants for the position.

Murphy took over the programs in 2005 and was named to the Carroll ISD Athletic Hall of Honor in 2017. The Carroll boys have won 10 state titles in that era, including nine straight from 2011 to 2019, and the Carroll girls won five state titles from 2012 through 2022.

Earlier this week, nearby Keller High School received a public reprimand for violating UIL rules by allowing swimmers to train with a USA Swimming club team during the school day. Maximus Williamson, one of the top high school swimmers in the country, just graduated from Keller High School, but began his high school swimming career at Southlake Carroll.

It’s been said that “in the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.”

In life, we all are dealt a hand of adversity. Whether it’s in the workplace, in a classroom, on the field, or even just in daily tasks and routines, it would be nearly impossible to find someone who has never faced any sort of challenge or setback.

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Within those setbacks, though, lie some of the most rewarding experiences of our lives. We just have to dig deep and battle through difficulties to find them.

For WVU track and field standout Lily Haught, her two years as a runner for the Mountaineers have been nothing short of challenging. Physically, mentally, and emotionally, the daunting task of being a collegiate-athlete, like it does for many, has often taken a toll on her ability to fight through expected adversity.

To her, though, the rewards have been worth the struggle. And with two years left in her career, she’s sure that the best moments are yet to come.

Haught, a former track and field standout at Hurricane High School, says that the decision to continue to pursue track in college became apparent early on in her career. Despite uncertainties that stayed with her throughout her time as part of the Redskins’ squad, she cites receiving inspiration from a few key figures in her life as a turning point when faced with making the call to either keep running or leave it behind after high school.

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“I knew I wanted to run track at the collegiate level in 8th grade, because I had just found out that my role model, Sydney McLaughlin, went to the Olympics at 16,” Haught said. “I felt inspired by that. Once I got to high school, I still wasn’t sure of my abilities and whether or not they would take me to the collegiate level. It wasn’t until my junior year that I really began to focus on training for college track.”

“My hurdle coach, Justin Tidd, was a crucial part of shaping me as an athlete, and he gave me the inspiration to even run hurdles in the first place. Being undefeated in the 100 and 300 hurdles during high school made me realize that a college track career was within my reach.”

Like most high school athletes with plans to continue their athletic career at the next level, Haught describes the decision process regarding where to attend school as one that presented challenges. For her, though, after visiting the campus and meeting with the track and field coaching staff, WVU just felt like the right fit.

More importantly, the ability to be surrounded by coaches and teammates who are always seeking to push her to the highest level possible is what has been her driving force during the first two years of her career.

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“My time at WVU has been rewarding so far,” Haught said. “I’ve liked the experience and the atmosphere my team creates is exactly what I was searching for. My coach, Shelly-Ann Gallimore, knows exactly how to coach me, and I’m blessed to have found that so easily.”

Haught also says, despite controversial takes from the talking heads within the media, that the Big 12 Conference is one of the toughest out there. In track and field, the competitions are up there with some of the best in the country, a feat she believes has helped her reach another level in her career.

“The Big 12 Conference meets I’ve attended have been the most memorable for me,” Haught said. “They brought me around competition I’ve never seen before. The athletes at these meets push me to be better and I feel lucky to have been able to go four times.”

Despite finishing the 2024-25 season setting a personal best in hurdles in the conference competitions, Haught said her sophomore year was not always as it appeared to be when on the track. While some athletes struggle with vulnerability and allow setbacks to mess with their game, Haught used the adversity she faced to push herself to become stronger both physically and mentally, which she said she will take with her moving forward into next season.

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“My main event is the 400 meter hurdles, and in practice I had a couple falls,” Haught said. “I also had a couple meets that messed with my mental health. I battled a ton of anxiety during the season, but fought through it because I didn’t want to let it control my sport. Through journaling and sports psychology, I was able to finish out my season strong.”

While it may be a misconception among those unfamiliar with track and field as a sport, athletes who participate in the events don’t stop once the season is over. Like every other sport, an offseason exists, and intense preparation is required to stay physically fit before the upcoming calendar year.

With summer now in full swing, Haught said that for her, the offseason is just as important as the regular season, and ultimately, recovery is necessary in order to be able to regain composure mentally and physically in time for next season.

“Recovery is important to implement because your body goes through so much all season long,” Haught said. “The season lasts from December to May, and we’re training even before that, so there’s a lot of stress put on the body. I’m planning to continue to weight train, while also following the running plan that my coach gives me.”

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As she approaches the beginning of her junior year, Haught said she still has plenty of room to grow both on and off the track. One thing she is choosing to prioritize, though, is maintaining physical and mental toughness in order to continue achieving her personal goals.

“I plan to continue to PR and become stronger mentally and physically,” Haught said. “I want to also get my time under a minute in the 400 meter hurdles. I’m currently at 1:00.67, so I specifically need to work on getting lower when jumping over the hurdles.”

Although she still has two years left as a Mountaineer, Haught’s journey thus far has been nothing short of inspiring.

PHOTOS by Jamie Nygaard / CLICK gallery to enlarge and view at your own pace

6 individuals, 1 relay compete in Saturday finals 

By Cort Reynolds

COLUMBUS – Two Bluffton High School boys and one relay team advanced to Saturday finals with strong day one showings in the 2025 Div. II OHSAA Track and Field State Tournament at The Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

Senior sprinter Griffin Stackhouse crossed the finish line second in the 200-meter dash, and finished sixth in the 100-meters to advance to Saturday finals in both events.

The 100-meter finals are at 1:10 p.m., with the 200 meters at 2:40 p.m.

Junior Kain Wright took second in the 400-meter run prelims. He runs in the 400-meter finals Saturday at 2:05 p.m.

The Bluffton boys 4×200 relay quartet of Carson Kruse, Tayte Giesige, Wright and Stackhouse came in fourth place to advance to the finals at 1:25 p.m.  

Four Bluffton athletes did not compete Friday, and are in Saturday final events. Field events begin mid-morning, with running events starting at 1 p.m.

Senior Noah Bricker competes in the high jump finals Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Junior Alayna Mueller will also compete in the pole vault final Saturday at 9:30 a.m.

Pirate senior and regional champion Marek Donaldson will run in the 800-meter finals Saturday at approximately 2:30 p.m. He has the best qualifying seed time in the 18-runner field.

Sophomore Nora Matthews runs in the 800-meter finals Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

Sophomore Tayte Giesige finished 15th in the long jump finals Friday.

Two Pirate girls competed in their event prelims Friday, but did not advance to the finals Saturday.

Freshman Maelee Miller came in 13th in the 400-meter run, and finished 17th in the 100-meter hurdle race.

Junior Aubrey Burkholder ended up 14th in the 300-meter hurdle preliminary heats.

A top-nine finish in the state prelims advances a runner or team to an event finals.

Bluffton Div. II state meet day 1 results:

EVENT PLACE ATHLETE YEAR TEAM TIME WIND HEAT

Boys 200 Meter Dash Prelims

2 Griffin Stackhouse 12 Bluffton 21.64 +3.1 1

Boys 400 Meter Dash Prelims

2 Kain Wright 11 Bluffton 48.77 

Boys 4×200 Meter Relay Prelims

4 Bluffton 1:27.98 

Boys 100 Meter Dash Prelims

6 Griffin Stackhouse 12 Bluffton 10.80 -0.4 1

Girls 400 Meter Dash Prelims

13 Maelee Miller 9 Bluffton 58.36 1

Girls 300 Meter Hurdles Prelims

14 Aubrey Burkholder 11 Bluffton 46.43 1

Boys Long Jump Finals

15 Tayte Giesige 10 Bluffton 20-3  +1.6 1

Girls 100 Meter Hurdles Prelims

17 Maelee Miller 9 Bluffton 15.90 +2.5 2