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Hogs Check in at No. 2 in Softball America Poll to Earn Highest Ranking in Program History

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Razorbacks made history on Monday morning by checking in at No. 2 in the Softball America Top 25 Poll to earn the highest ranking in program history. The Hogs are coming off their highest-ranked series win in program history at No. 1/2 Texas A&M last weekend, where the Razorbacks won […]

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Razorbacks made history on Monday morning by checking in at No. 2 in the Softball America Top 25 Poll to earn the highest ranking in program history.

The Hogs are coming off their highest-ranked series win in program history at No. 1/2 Texas A&M last weekend, where the Razorbacks won the first two games by the scores of 7-5 and 7-4 to secure their fifth-straight series win in SEC play. The series win was the Hogs’ fourth over a Top 10 opponent this season. Arkansas also became just the third SEC team in the last 20 seasons to take multiple series against Top 2 opponents, joining Tennessee and LSU, who accomplished the feat in 2025 and 2007, respectively.

The Razorbacks’ previous best in-season ranking was during week one of the 2023 season when they were ranked No. 4 in the NFCA and ESPN/USA Top 25 Softball Polls.

Arkansas will conclude the regular season this Thursday-Saturday when they welcome LSU to Bogle Park for a three-game league series. The first pitch for Thursday’s and Friday’s contests is set for 6 p.m., while the series finale is slated for 1 p.m.  All three games will be broadcast on SEC Network+.

For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on X, Instagram and Facebook.



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University of Louisville NIL collective 502Circle set for transition

The move is being made in anticipation of schools being allowed to pay college athletes directly. Louisville baseball: Dan McDonnell on winning NCAA Regional Opener Louisville baseball coach Dan McDonnell gives an opening statement after defeating East Tennessee State in the NCAA Regional Opener. 502Circle will use relationships with sports agencies like CAA, Klutch Sports […]

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The move is being made in anticipation of schools being allowed to pay college athletes directly.

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  • 502Circle will use relationships with sports agencies like CAA, Klutch Sports Group and Excel Sports Management to continue assisting Louisville coaches with roster construction.
  • If the House settlement goes through, the NIL market will be more heavily monitored by a clearinghouse. All deals exceeding $600 will have to be reported to and pass through the clearinghouse.
  • Since 502Circle became the official collective of Louisville Athletics in 2023, five U of L sports teams have rose to, returned to or maintained national relevance. “We freaking crushed it.”

502Circle, the official collective of University of Louisville Athletics since 2023, will be absorbed by U of L and turned into a marketing agency, president Dan Furman told The Courier Journal.

Furman said his group will use relationships with sports agencies like CAA, Klutch Sports Group and Excel Sports Management to continue assisting Louisville coaches with roster construction. Otherwise, 502Circle will lean into its creative content arm, Floyd Street Media, and local business partnerships to help athletes grow their brands and maximize earning potential outside of revenue-sharing contracts with U of L, which are scheduled to start July 1.

“I still think the functionalities are gonna be pretty similar,” Furman said of pre- and post-July 1 502Circle. “It’s just gonna have more layers to it.”

This move is being done in anticipation of schools being allowed to pay college athletes directly. The House v. NCAA settlement, which received preliminary approval from Judge Claudia Wilken in October, would provide $2.8 billion in back damages to athletes who could not profit off their name, image and likeness between 2016 and Sept. 15, 2024 and bring revenue sharing to college sports starting July 1 with a projected cap for 2025-26 of $20.5 million per school.

“The contracting party with these athletes, as Dan talked about, has been 502,” Andrew Brandt, strategic advisor to Louisville Athletics and former Green Bay Packers vice president, told The Courier Journal. “That’s what we have, and we respect that, and are continuing that through July 1. From that point on, it’ll be more of a marketing-focused agency along with Floyd Street Media to make sure we’re providing the best opportunities outside of the rev-share agreement for our players. 

“… We’re confident that role can be filled here by the collective, which may again turn into a different name or different type of entity going forward.”

Louisville athletics director Josh Heird has “a lot of confidence” that Wilken will approve the agreement, but she has yet to issue a decision since the final approval hearing April 7. Should Judge Wilken deny the settlement, U of L will likely pay athletes anyway as permitted by Kentucky Senate Bill 3. 

“That’s probably the path we would go down,” Heird told The Courier Journal at ACC spring meetings last month. “Just from the standpoint of the more control you can have of the situation, the better. It’s been a little bit disjointed with outside entities, collectives, doing things. So I would presume that’s the road we would go down.”

If the House settlement goes through, the NIL market will be more heavily monitored by a Deloitte-operated clearinghouse called “NIL go.” All deals exceeding $600 will have to be reported to and pass through the clearinghouse starting three days after the settlement is approved. The clearinghouse is intended to assess athletes’ fair market value.

Officials from Deloitte have been sharing data with athletics directors and coaches over the last month or so, including: 

Those numbers are a far cry from the millions collectives have reportedly spent on athletes over the last four years or so. Restricting compensation in this way feels, to some, like a step backward.

Louisville is adjusting by further emphasizing partnerships with businesses based in Louisville (like Buffalo Construction, The Galt House, L&N Federal Credit Union, Tom Drexler Plumbing, Angel’s Envy and Glow Brands) and upping athlete deliverables.

“(The clearinghouse) won’t necessarily impact how we spend,” Furman said. “It’s gonna impact how we operate. So we’ll just have to be more diligent with the reporting process. We’ll have to be more diligent with the deal structure. Like, make sure that what the athlete is doing for the money is more elaborate.”

Since 502Circle became the official collective of Louisville Athletics in 2023, five U of L sports teams have rose to, returned to or maintained national relevance.

Cardinals volleyball played for a national championship in 2024. Baseball will play in its first super regional since 2022 this weekend after missing three of the last four NCAA Tournaments. Football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball are all in ESPN’s way-too-early preseason top-25 polls.

As the revenue-sharing era of college sports looms, schools across the country are still trying to figure out what it’ll look like. But 502Circle and the University of Louisville have experience navigating uncharted territory en route to success.

“We freaking crushed it the last few years,” Furman said. “Like, has it been rocky? Yeah, 100%. Everyone’s trying to figure out the rules, trying to figure out what’s going on. But, golly, have we crushed it.”

Reach college sports enterprise reporter Payton Titus at ptitus@gannett.com, and follow her on X @petitus25.



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John Clay: After sticking out its chest, SEC baseball is taking it on the chin | Football

LEXINGTON, Ky. — For those convinced that NIL and the transfer portal will inevitably lead to a consolidation of power in college athletics, we present the NCAA baseball tournament. A record-breaking 13 SEC teams were selected for the 64-team field on the road to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. After the first weekend […]

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — For those convinced that NIL and the transfer portal will inevitably lead to a consolidation of power in college athletics, we present the NCAA baseball tournament.

A record-breaking 13 SEC teams were selected for the 64-team field on the road to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.

After the first weekend of play, only four SEC teams advanced to the super regionals.

No. 1 overall seed Vanderbilt lost to ACC member Louisville and Horizon League member Wright State. It was the first time the overall No. 1 seed failed to reach its regional final since the tournament adopted its current format in 1999.

No. 2 overall seed Texas was ousted by American Athletic Conference member UTSA. The losing Longhorns have won six CWS titles. The victorious Roadrunners were 0-6 in their three previous NCAA tournament appearances.

And we know about the home team. After making it to Omaha for the first time in program history last season, Kentucky was not a national seed this time around. Still, coach Nick Mingione’s team made it to its regional final, only to lose 13-12 to West Virginia at Clemson. It was the Cats’ second one-run loss to the Mountaineers in the regional.

Among SEC teams, only No. 3 overall seed Arkansas, No. 4 seed Auburn, No. 6 seed LSU and No. 14 seed and defending champion Tennessee remain alive.

Among the non-SEC teams still in the fight are a pair of Kentucky schools. Louisville won the Nashville Regional and will play fellow ACC member Miami this weekend. Murray State captured the Oxford Regional with a 12-11 win over No. 10 seed Ole Miss on Monday night to send the Racers to Duke on Friday.

It’s Murray baseball’s first trip to the super regionals in the history of the program. Winners of the Missouri Valley Conference, the Racers became only the 10th team to prevail as the No. 4 seed in a four-team regional.

It didn’t help the SEC’s look that Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan was caught on video berating Coastal Carolina tournament officials for changing a game time. Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin publicly chastised O’Sullivan’s behavior. The coach also issued a public apology.

The SEC’s showing had to be particularly embarrassing considering all the negative publicity commissioner Greg Sankey and the conference earned the previous week for the perception that it was attempting to strong-arm its way through College Football Playoff negotiations.

“Next year, Greg Sankey asks for all SEC teams to get automatic 5-0 lead at the start of all NCAA baseball tournament games,” the Courier Journal’s Jason Frakes posted on X.

So what gives? Isn’t the SEC considered baseball’s best conference, a league that has produced the last five national champions — Vanderbilt in 2019, Mississippi State in 2021, Ole Miss in 2022, LSU in 2023 and Tennessee in 2024?

For one thing, the transfer portal isn’t new to college baseball. It has been around for a long time, and used liberally by most teams to fill and rebuild rosters. Of the 42 players listed on UK’s 2025 baseball roster, 19 had played at another school previously.

As for NIL money, it might have a lesser effect in baseball, where the funds are smaller. That means that players might put a higher priority on an opportunity to play over a dollar sign.

The weekend’s big winner was the ACC, which pushed five teams (Duke, Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina and Miami) into the super regionals. The stellar showing comes a time when the conference is coming off a subpar men’s basketball season and the feeling that the league’s football showing is falling further behind the SEC and Big Ten.

For the SEC, maybe this tournament was simply an aberration. Maybe three of the four survivors — Arkansas plays host to Tennessee in one super regional — will make it Omaha. And maybe the conference will extend its college baseball national champion streak to six.

Still, for the “It Just Means More” league with the best weather, best financial resources and best tradition, the SEC’s baseball postseason showing has been humbling.

©2025 Lexington Herald-Leader. Visit at kentucky.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Copyright 2025 Tribune Content Agency.



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Pennsylvania Rep. Stambaugh plans NIL legislation

State Representative Perry Stambaugh plans to cosponsor legislation addressing student-athlete NIL earnings. PENNSYLVANIA, USA — On Tuesday June 3, State Representative Perry Stambaugh (R – Perry & Juniata Counties) announced his plans to cosponsor new legislation amid the current NIL landscape.  “It’s a wild, wild west in college sports,” said Stambaugh on the current state […]

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State Representative Perry Stambaugh plans to cosponsor legislation addressing student-athlete NIL earnings.

PENNSYLVANIA, USA — On Tuesday June 3, State Representative Perry Stambaugh (R – Perry & Juniata Counties) announced his plans to cosponsor new legislation amid the current NIL landscape. 

“It’s a wild, wild west in college sports,” said Stambaugh on the current state of college athletics. “It’s probably the biggest change in college sports since the NCAA was created 120 years ago.” 

The change was the introduction of NIL, allowing student-athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness. 

As for if Stambaugh backs NIL, “if you’re good at something and somebody wants to compensate you for that, whatever your age is, you should be able to earn whatever money you can make at any point in life.” 

A Penn State alum and big Nittany Lions football fan, Stambaugh supports the idea of NIL, but he also acknowledged that legislation needs to be put in place to protect student-athletes sooner than later. 

“This is something Pennsylvania needs to address, and we need to address it right now,” said Stambaugh. 

The urgency comes as a result of an ongoing federal court case that will set the standard for player compensation within NCAA athletics. 

Stambaugh sees this as a starting point, understanding that this is just the beginning for NIL legislation. 

“Eventually, we’re going to have to bridge this approach and look at other ways to make sure our colleges and universities and our high schools can stay competitive as the NIL and revenue-sharing landscape unfolds,” said Stambaugh. “Pennsylvania’s going to have to put itself in a competitive position so our colleges and universities can stay athletically competitive.”

The legislation Stambaugh and Pennsylvania House Republican Leader Jesse Topper are currently working on focuses on money management. 

In the proposed legislation, colleges would have to offer student-athletes the opportunity to put a portion of their earnings into trusts that would then be accessible upon their graduation or if they left their respective institutions. It would also mandate financial literacy classes for student-athletes. 

“This might be the most significant money they earn in a lifetime, so being able to have that money professionally managed [and] being able to learn the tools on how to live off those earnings just makes sense,” said Stambaugh. 

The bill has yet to be formally introduced, but it is expected to come in the near future, with the bill’s sponsors ensuring athletes are being kept at the forefront. 

Stambaugh is looking to set the standard, saying, “I think it’s a good first step, and every state should actually be adopting this.” 



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College Basketball Rankings: ESPN releases updated Top 25 after NBA Draft withdrawals

With the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline passed, rosters in college basketball are nearly set. Teams out there are looking for one or two more pieces, whether through the NCAA transfer portal or looking at international prospects. But for the most part, we have a good idea of how teams will look in 2025-2026. To celebrate, […]

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With the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline passed, rosters in college basketball are nearly set. Teams out there are looking for one or two more pieces, whether through the NCAA transfer portal or looking at international prospects. But for the most part, we have a good idea of how teams will look in 2025-2026.

To celebrate, ESPN has put together its latest top 25. There is a ton of movement throughout the rankings, specifically inside the top 10.

Five different conferences are represented inside the top 10, showing the potential parity we might have in the sport next season. That being said, let’s check out how ESPN ranks college basketball’s best in early June.

Multiple teams are candidates to take the No. 1 overall spot. ESPN has gone with Purdue due to Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn. Nobody else in the country will have guys like those two returning like the Boilermakers do.

ESPN: “There’s a chance Purdue has the preseason Wooden Award favorite and two All-Americans on its roster next season.”

Florida was the biggest riser from ESPN, getting news back on Alex Condon. He will return for Gainesville for another season, hoping to win a second national championship. Combined with the commitment of Boogie Fland, the Gators should be one of college basketball’s best.

ESPN: “There could be growing pains as Todd Golden figures out how all his players fit, but the Gators are certainly in the discussion to go back-to-back.”

ESPN highlighted the mixed bag of news for Houston. Milos Uzan returning is a positive but Pop Issacs decommitting in favor of Texas A&M was a blow. Even so, no program has been as consistent in recent years as Kelvin Sampson‘s.

ESPN: “It was an eventful NBA draft withdrawal deadline for Houston with all eyes on Milos Uzan’s decision. Hours before Uzan announced his return — which puts the Cougars in the conversation for preseason No. 1.”

UConn never came close to achieving a three-peat, having a down year by their standards. Everyone expects them to be back near the top this winter, getting back guys such as Alex Karaban and Solo Ball.

ESPN: “UConn’s national championship streak ended at two, but Dan Hurley and the Huskies have reloaded to make another run.”

St. John’s put itself back on the national map before a disappointing NCAA Tournament run. Rick Pitino has made sure the Red Storm are not a one-season wonder, adding through the portal while getting Zuby Ejiofor back in the program.

ESPN: “The Red Storm’s NCAA tournament run ended earlier than expected, but Rick Pitino guided them to the Big East regular-season and tournament titles and has them back in the national discussion.”

Having the No. 1 overall recruit on your roster is enough to raise eyebrows. Doing so at BYU only adds to the intrigue, needing to build a quality roster around him. BYU is hoping they have done so, looking to go a step further than 2025’s Sweet Sixteen appearance.

ESPN: “All eyes will be on Provo, Utah, next season, as No. 1 recruit A.J. Dybantsa arrives in college to suit up for the Cougars.”

Pat Kelsey hit the ground running in Year One, producing results not many thought were possible. Expectations have now been raised for Kelsey in the ACC. Outside support has followed, constructing a top roster, on paper, for the ’25-26 season.

ESPN: “Pat Kelsey had as strong an offseason as any coach in the country so far, landing impact transfers Ryan Conwell (Xavier), Isaac McKneely (Virginia) and Adrian Wooley (Kennesaw State) to go with top-10 recruit Mikel Brown Jr. in the backcourt.”

Michigan’s preseason expectations seemingly relied on the decision of Yaxel Lendeborg. Honest throughout the full process, Lendeborg chose for one more year of college basketball. ESPN kept them in the top 10 because of that.

ESPN: “Michigan solidified its preseason standing at the withdrawal deadline, when potential first-round pick Yaxel Lendeborg pulled his name out of the draft and headed to Ann Arbor.”

Similar to his in-state rival, Mark Pope has completely won over a fan base. Kentucky fans are all in, hoping Pope can bring back another national championship. His style of play brings excitement, especially given the talent acquisition from this offseason.

ESPN: “Kentucky is absolutely loaded on the perimeter next season… Mark Pope also revamped the frontcourt with defense in mind.”

Last time ESPN posted a top 25, Texas Tech was inside the top three. Things have changed in Lubbock, even with some quality portal additions. Mainly Darrion Williams leaving in favor of Will Wade in Raleigh.

ESPN: The biggest move was the return of JT Toppin, a preseason All-American who dominated the second half of the season. And LeJuan Watts, a versatile and skilled wing forward, would be a seamless replacement for Darrion Williams.

ESPN college basketball top 25 following NBA draft withdrawal deadline: Nos. 11-25

11. Arkansas Razorbacks
12. Duke Blue Devils
13. Arizona Wildcats
14. Auburn Tigers
15. UCLA Bruins
16. Illinois Fighting Illini
17. Alabama Crimson Tide
18. Iowa State Cyclones
19. Gonzaga Bulldogs
20. Wisconsin Badgers
21. Kansas Jayhawks
22. Creighton Bluejays
23. Tennessee Volunteers
24. NC State Wolfpack
25. North Carolina Tar Heels



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SGA in NBA Finals 2025 shows one-and-done impact

The rest of the country is just now catching up to what Kentucky basketball figured out during John Calipari’s tenure. One year on campus doesn’t allow for much of a connection. I’m reminded of that watching Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the first former Wildcat player to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, lead the Oklahoma City […]

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The rest of the country is just now catching up to what Kentucky basketball figured out during John Calipari’s tenure. One year on campus doesn’t allow for much of a connection.

I’m reminded of that watching Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the first former Wildcat player to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, lead the Oklahoma City Thunder into the NBA Finals as the overwhelming favorite over the Indiana Pacers.

An accomplishment like that in the past would have been trumpeted and Gilgeous-Alexander revered as one of the best to ever play for the Cats. Instead, the reaction has largely been, meh.

Sure, there’s some pride knowing he briefly wore Kentucky blue. But the attachment? Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t feel that much more tethered to UK than a seldom-used walk-on whose success came outside of basketball.

This isn’t to pick on UK or even to lament on days past — it’s only going to get worse as the new reality of college basketball ushers into the transfer if you wanna, pay-for-play, name, image and likeness era.

Players don’t have to turn pro to move like In and Out Burger through a program. And the ties that bind a former player to a particular program last about as long as fast food.

Travis Perry’s celebrated arrival after winning Mr. Basketball in 2024 and becoming the all-time leading scorer in Kentucky high school history turned into an unceremonious departure when he opted to transfer in April to Mississippi. Although Perry wasn’t viewed as a game-changing player, as a native of the commonwealth fulfilling a dream to play at UK, he had a feel-good story that doesn’t feel so good anymore.

Player movement isn’t ruining college basketball, but it has created a different culture. Programs have become like franchises and it is certainly all about business.

Calipari was ahead of the game during the one-and-done era with the large scale, annual flipping of his roster. Just the sheer volume of players who were gone after a single season got everyone used to the assembly line movement of players.

Gilgeous-Alexander played during such a nondescript season, it’s really hard to recall his year at UK. I’d gather many fans can’t do it without looking it up. His 2017-18 team did win the SEC Tournament, which is notable because the Cats haven’t won it since.

But that was the high point.

Despite an easy path to the Final Four — the top four seeds in the South bracket all lost in the first or second round, including No. 1 seed Virginia’s historic loss to No. 16 seed UMBC — UK lost to ninth-seeded Kansas State in Atlanta.

The “free-throw merchant” moniker some NBA pundits have tagged on Gilgeous-Alexander was far from being created, but he did score 11 of his 15 points in that final game from the free-throw line.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s post-UK career has included some examples of him staying attached to the program as recently as Calipari’s last season.

The Ontario native visited with the Cats and attended some games when they played in the GLOBL Jam in Toronto the summer of 2023. He also gifted them pairs of an unreleased version of his signature Converse shoes before the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Those are the kinds of actions that nurture a real connection. But those actions have to be multiplied.

What forms lasting bonds with a program are things like returning to campus during the summer to workout. Or making an effort to visit with the newest team. Or holding a skills camp or an event that reaches out into the community.

This new age of players that have played for multiple schools might not even have clarity on where they should anchor themselves.

Where does someone like Tre Mitchell consider his home? He played at Massachusetts, Texas and West Virginia before finishing at UK. Is he enamored with one program above all? Does he return to Lexington knowing his former coach is in Arkansas?

There’s no wrong choice here, but the fact that there are options speaks to why there will be a growing disconnect between programs and the former players who were only there for a season.

Short of winning a national championship or accomplishing something extraordinary, there’s just not many reasons to hold on.

Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@gannett.com, follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.





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Alabama baseball coach Rob Vaughn agrees to contract extension

A few more years of the Rob Vaughn era of Alabama baseball have been guaranteed. Yea Alabama, the university NIL collective, announced Tuesday night that, while financial terms remain subject to approval by The Board of Trustees, appropriate members have been notified of the proposed terms and conditions for a contract extension with Vaughn. In […]

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A few more years of the Rob Vaughn era of Alabama baseball have been guaranteed.

Yea Alabama, the university NIL collective, announced Tuesday night that, while financial terms remain subject to approval by The Board of Trustees, appropriate members have been notified of the proposed terms and conditions for a contract extension with Vaughn.

In two seasons, Vaughn has continued Alabama’s NCAA Tournament appearance streak and compiled a 74-42 overall record with the Crimson Tide, highlighted by the program’s first 40-plus win regular season since 2002 this spring.

“It means everything, to be honest with you,” Vaughn told Yea Alabama.

What does baseball coach Rob Vaughn currently get paid at the University of Alabama?

Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne told Yea Alabama that Vaughn has been “an incredible addition” to the university’s coaches and UA is “thrilled to reach an agreement to keep him and his family in Tuscaloosa for years to come.”

When Vaughn was hired in June 2023, he signed a five-year contract for $900,000 annually.

“He went and hired a young coach that had never one time coached in this area, this part of the country, that had never coached in this league, and gave me an opportunity. And I have felt from the second I stepped here super indebted to him for doing that. I never took that lightly,” Vaughn said of Byrne. “I felt like I had to wake up every day and prove Greg right.”

The Crimson Tide’s 2025 season ended on Saturday in an NCAA regionals against No. 16 national seed Southern Miss.

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Rob Vaughn reflects on Alabama baseball season after NCAA Regional elimination

Eliminated on the second day of regional play for the second year in a row, Alabama baseball’s 2025 season is over. What coach Rob Vaughn said.

Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.

This article was updated to correct a typo.



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