Sports

Hickory Crawdads baseball loses 4th game to Columbia in 6 game series

The struggles of the Hickory Crawdads continued on the road Friday night with a 7-5 loss to the Columbia Fireflies at Segra Field in Columbia. Columbia (17-8) has won all four games of the current series in the Carolina League. The six-game series is scheduled to continue Saturday night at 6:05 p.m. Hickory (11-14) added […]

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1 month ago

May 4, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Hickory Crawdads baseball loses 4th game to Columbia in 6 game series

The struggles of the Hickory Crawdads continued on the road Friday night with a 7-5 loss to the Columbia Fireflies at Segra Field in Columbia.

Columbia (17-8) has won all four games of the current series in the Carolina League. The six-game series is scheduled to continue Saturday night at 6:05 p.m.

Hickory (11-14) added to its season high streak of five straight losses. The first-inning woes continued for the Crawdads, as Columbia jumped to a 3-0 lead early against starter Mason Molina (0-2).

Ramon Ramirez accounted for the first two runs with his fifth home run of the season, which leads the Carolina League. Stone Russell and Brennon McNair followed with back-to-back doubles for the third run.

The Crawdads countered with a run in the second. Rafe Perich walked and moved to third on Yeremy Cabrera’s double. Hiro Wyatt’s wild pitch scored Perich to cut the deficit to 3-1.

The teams waited out a rain delay of nearly two hours in the third inning. Yet, it didn’t seem to cool off the Fireflies at the plate, as they added three more runs upon their return in the third. Hickory reliever Michael Valverde walked Jorge Hernandez and Ramon Ramirez to start the inning. McNair joined the group on the bases with a single. After two were out, Josi Novas cleared the bases with a three-run double.

The Crawdads took advantage of control issues to put together a four-run fifth. Angel Arredondo worked a walk from Yeri Perez. One out later Beycker Barroso doubled Arredondo to third. Perez unleashed a wild pitch to score a run, then hit Antonis Macias with a pitch and walked Perich to load the bases.

Dash Albus replaced Perez and traded a run for an out on Cabrera’s grounder to short. However, Albus added his own wild pitch, which scored Macias and moved Perich to third. Chandler Pollard cashed in the scoring chance with an RBI single. Another Albus wild pitch placed runners at second and third, but Hector Osorio flew out to right to end the threat.

Columbia retook the momentum in the bottom of the fifth when McNair hit a solo homer, his third of the season.

The blast seemed to deflate the Crawdads, as they sent the minimum 12 hitters to the plate over the final four innings. Overall, the Crawdads went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded six. Hickory also hit into three double plays in the contest.

Albus settled down after his fifth-inning wildness and added two scoreless innings to pick up the win in relief (2-1). Julio Rosario set down all six hitters he faced to get his second save.

Roster changes

The Crawdads had several transactions announced on Friday. Right-handed pitcher Eric Loomis received a promotion to High-A Hub City (Spartanburg). He will be replaced on the roster by lefty Michael Trausch, who will make his full-season debut with the Crawdads.

Outfielder Jose DeJesus was released by the Texas Rangers. Michael Torres, who started the season with Hickory, returns to the squad.

Sports

Fifteen-time state champion Kevin Murphy reinstated as Southlake Carroll boys swim coach

Kevin Murphy, who led the Southlake Carroll swimming and diving program to 15 state titles, has been reinstated as boys head coach, Carroll ISD announced. Murphy had been reassigned within the district after the Carroll girls finished second as a team at the UIL state meet in February and the boys placed 12th. Murphy was […]

Published

6 minutes ago

June 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Kevin Murphy, who led the Southlake Carroll swimming and diving program to 15 state titles, has been reinstated as boys head coach, Carroll ISD announced.

Murphy had been reassigned within the district after the Carroll girls finished second as a team at the UIL state meet in February and the boys placed 12th. Murphy was not fired and did not resign, and he had signed a 2025-26 teachers contract in Carroll ISD, but the school district has not said why he was reassigned.

Murphy has coached at Carroll since 2005 and was inducted into the Carroll ISD Athletic Hall of Honor in 2017, and in the past, he had overseen the boys and girls teams. He led Carroll’s boys team to 10 state titles, including nine in a row from 2011 to 2019, and guided the Carroll girls to five team state championships in 11 years from 2012 to 2022.

Under a new arrangement, Justin Pudwill will assume the role of head coach for the girls swim program. Pudwill will continue to serve as Carroll ISD’s aquatics supervisor and is the head coach for Carroll’s water polo teams.

“We’re excited about the future of our swim program,” Carroll ISD athletic director Riley Dodge said in a statement. “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.”

It is the second time in less than a month that Carroll has brought back a successful coach after facing public backlash. David Markley was reinstated as Southlake Carroll’s head boys basketball coach in mid-May after parents protested the district’s decision to let him go.

A Carroll ISD spokesperson had told The Dallas Morning News that Markley resigned, but the coach told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram he was let go because of his “sideline demeanor and use of profanity.” Markley was named the District 4-6A coach of the year after leading Carroll to a 23-9 record this season.

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Simone Biles Calls Riley Gaines ‘Sick’ in Heated Trans Athlete Debate

Olympic champion Simone Biles called fellow female athlete Riley Gaines “sick” for her activism against trans athletes in women’s sports. As Breitbart News reported this week, a transgender athlete helped a Minnesota high school girls’ softball team advance to the state championship after a standout performance, including two double hits while pitching a perfect game […]

Published

11 minutes ago

June 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Olympic champion Simone Biles called fellow female athlete Riley Gaines “sick” for her activism against trans athletes in women’s sports.

As Breitbart News reported this week, a transgender athlete helped a Minnesota high school girls’ softball team advance to the state championship after a standout performance, including two double hits while pitching a perfect game without substitution. The player, Marissa Rothenberger, had reportedly “been dominating Minnesota softball all season and “and brought “Champlin Park High’s girls’ softball team out of obscurity, where it has always been in the past.”

On Friday, swimmer Riley Gaines, who became an activist for women’s sports after being forced to compete with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in the 200-yard NCAA freestyle championship, responded to the controversy when the official X account for the Minnesota State High School League celebrated the Champlin Park girls team in a post that limited replies as a possible attempt to ward off criticism.

“Comments off lol,” said Gaines as she reposted the team photo. “To be expected when your star player is a boy.”

Simone Biles later responded by calling Gaines a “bully” and a “sore loser” while demanding she fight for sports to be more inclusive.

“You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser,” she said. “You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!! But instead… You bully them… One things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!”

Riley Gaines called Biles’ attack “disappointing.”

“This is actually so disappointing. It’s not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces. You can uplift men stealing championships in women’s sports with YOUR platform. Men don’t belong in women’s sports, and I say that with my full chest,” she responded.

Biles then personally attacked Riley Gaines for her looks and body type.

“Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male,” posted Biles.

Neither of Biles’ posts was well-received by self-described fans of hers, with many accusing the Olympic gold medalist of essentially pulling the ladder up behind her by advocating for men in women’s sports just after retiring. Others accused her of body-shaming Riley Gaines and insulting girls with certain body types and physiques. Responses were overwhelmingly negative from people of various political persuasions, with supporters being few and far between. Activist Sall Grover noted, for instance, that the Swimming World Cup created a category for transgender athletes but was forced to cancel after no entries were received.

Biles did not go so far as to advocate for men competing against women. When one commenter said, “There is a reason they have rings in men’s gymnastics, and not women’s,” Biles then told them to use their “comprehension skills.”

“Can you even read? I see we are lacking comprehension skills as well…..” Biles wrote.

Despite that, many users took it to mean Biles either supports men participating in women’s sports or has at least morally and emotionally detached herself from the issue.

Americans overwhelmingly support keeping men out of women’s sports by a sizable majority that has only grown in recent years, according to the latest polls.

“A recent New York Times/Ipsos poll that found 79 percent of Americans believe trans athletes should not be allowed to participate in women’s athletics,” noted The Hill earlier this year.

Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning Christian tech thriller, EXEMPLUM, which has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes critic rating and can be viewed for FREE on YouTube, Tubi, or Fawesome TV. “Better than Killers of the Flower Moon,” wrote Mark Judge. “You haven’t seen a story like this before,” wrote Christian Toto. A high-quality, ad-free rental can also be streamed on Google Play, Vimeo on Demand, or YouTube Movies. Follow him on X @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.

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Sports

Holland Christian boys volleyball serves way into state finals

HUDSONVILLE – Grant VanderZee admits his serving could use some work. But the Holland Christian star was nearly perfect when it counted. VanderZee served six-straight points to finish off a 3-0 victory over Kalamazoo Christian to advance to the Division 2 boys volleyball state championship game. The Maroons won 25-12, 25-21 and 25-15 on Friday […]

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19 minutes ago

June 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

HUDSONVILLE – Grant VanderZee admits his serving could use some work.

But the Holland Christian star was nearly perfect when it counted.

VanderZee served six-straight points to finish off a 3-0 victory over Kalamazoo Christian to advance to the Division 2 boys volleyball state championship game.

The Maroons won 25-12, 25-21 and 25-15 on Friday afternoon at Hudsonville High School in the state semifinals.

“It feels awesome,” said VanderZee, who was named Michigan’s Mr. Volleyball last week. “Obviously, last year we didn’t get the chance (to make it this far). But this year we’ve pulled it off and it’s the farthest we’ve gone in the program’s history. It means a lot.”

Holland Christian will play the winner of Lowell on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Hudsonville.

“I’m ecstatic,” Maroons coach Mark Walraven said. “It’s the first time for Holland Christian to get this far in the state. We’ve got a team that can go all the way.”

Walraven said he was surprised the Maroons cruised to three-straight wins.

“You don’t expect to win in three,” he said. “In volleyball, sometimes you lose momentum and then you gain momentum back. I would have expected to drop a set this deep in the playoffs. But we played great. Hats off to Kalamazoo Christian, but we just played well and had it all together today.”

VanderZee, a 6-foot-6 senior, has a powerful arm at the net. And his coach said his jump serve is just as powerful. But not very accurate. So they came up with a solution.

“I only jump served last year,” he said. “But I developed the float serve in the offseason. It’s just more reliable. The jump serve is a pretty easy ball to receive. So the float moves back and forth and it’s hard for them to control them. It can move side to side.”

So VanderZee was thrilled to reel off six-straight points in the final game.

“It was awesome,” he said. “I’ve been really struggling with my serves lately. The float serve was going in today. I picked a spot and aimed for it and just see what happens. And they were struggling with it.”

Junior brings much-needed energy

Jacob Tinholt is an athletic, bouncy volleyball player and had some big plays at the net on Friday.

“Jacob played great,” Walraven said. “Everything about his game is good. He passed well in the backcourt and he’s always great at the net. Our focus is to minimize mistakes in games like this and he did that today.”

But his enthusiasm is what really stands out about the Holland Christian junior.

“He is as passionate as anyone on the court,” Walraven said. “Sometimes his emotions are too much. But that’s part of the sport. His emotions can bring a lot to the game and he can rally the team around his passion.”

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Oregon BVB: Ducks name Kristian Kuld as new head coach | Sports

Oregon Athletics EUGENE, Ore– Oregon beach volleyball has a new head coach following the departure of Matt Ulmer several months ago. On Friday, Oregon director of athletics Rob Mullens announced the hiring of Kristian Kuld as the program’s newest lead at the helm. In 11 seasons as an assistant coach for the Long Beach State […]

Published

24 minutes ago

June 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Oregon names new beach volleyball head coach .jpg — Oregon Athletics

EUGENE, Ore– Oregon beach volleyball has a new head coach following the departure of Matt Ulmer several months ago.

On Friday, Oregon director of athletics Rob Mullens announced the hiring of Kristian Kuld as the program’s newest lead at the helm.

In 11 seasons as an assistant coach for the Long Beach State beach volleyball team, Kuld helped The Beach to five NCAA/AVCA Championship appearances as well as more than 225 wins and seven top-10 finishes.

He will take over the program ahead of construction of new beach volleyball courts and locker rules that are apart of the Hamilton Walton Transformation Project.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kristian to Eugene as the next leader of Oregon beach volleyball,” Mullens said. “This is an exciting time for our program and we are looking forward to having Kristian on board, as he brings tremendous experience and knowledge in the sport of beach volleyball and has competed at the highest levels during his time as both a player and a coach. His dedication to providing a first-class student-athlete experience aligns perfectly with our values.”

“I am incredibly honored and excited to join the University of Oregon as the new beach volleyball head coach,” Kuld said. “I am deeply grateful to Rob Mullens and the rest of the UO administration for the opportunity to lead this program into an exciting new era. I look forward to contributing to the strong tradition of athletic excellence at Oregon and building something special together. I can’t wait to get started. Go Ducks!”

This is the first time since the 2016 season that Oregon has had two different coaches leading both Oregon volleyball & beach volleyball.

Last season the Ducks finished 8-20 and ended the season on a three-game losing streak.

Brett Taylor joined the KEZI 9 News team as a sports anchor and reporter in June of 2023. If you have a story idea, you can email Brett at btaylor@kezi.com.

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Sports

UK’s Graduate and Nursing School deans have been replaced – Kentucky Kernel

Two University of Kentucky deans are no longer in their roles. As of May 15, Padraic Kenney is no longer serving as UK’s Graduate School dean, according to UK spokesperson Jay Blanton. An email sent to faculty also confirmed that Rosalie Mainous is no longer serving as dean of the College of Nursing on June […]

Published

38 minutes ago

June 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Two University of Kentucky deans are no longer in their roles.

As of May 15, Padraic Kenney is no longer serving as UK’s Graduate School dean, according to UK spokesperson Jay Blanton.

An email sent to faculty also confirmed that Rosalie Mainous is no longer serving as dean of the College of Nursing on June 6.

The email, sent by Provost Robert S. DiPaola, said Gwen Moreland, chief nurse executive for UK HealthCare, is now serving as acting dean of the College of Nursing. Blanton said that Vice Provost Jana Jasinski is serving as acting dean of UK’s Graduate School.

According to Blanton, Kenney is on paid leave for the next year. Blanton said he “can’t speak to what will happen after next year” regarding Kenney’s employee status.

Blanton did not provide a reason for either dean’s departure.

“As a matter of policy, we don’t talk about personnel matters,” Blanton said.

Blanton said that DiPaola will provide more details about the search for new deans, though no timeline was given for when the permanent replacements will be hired.

“We’ve got, in both cases, really strong acting leadership in both the Graduate School and the College of Nursing, so we’ve time to make that transition while you have strong leadership in place,” Blanton said.

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Unverdorben named Pitt-Bradford volleyball head coach

Olean Times Herald file Articles, College Sports, Local Sports, Sports, Volleyball June 6, 2025 BRADFORD, Pa. – The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford has hired Kelly Unverdorben, longtime successful head coach at Portville High School, as the sixth head coach of the women’s volleyball […]

Published

39 minutes ago

June 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Unverdorben named Pitt-Bradford volleyball head coach

Olean Times Herald file

Articles, College Sports, Local Sports, Sports, Volleyball

June 6, 2025

BRADFORD, Pa. – The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford has hired Kelly Unverdorben, longtime successful head coach at Portville High School, as the sixth head coach of the women’s volleyball

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