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Husker softball has a Bahl in Baton Rouge, winning region in commanding fashion

Onward to Knoxville. And when you have Jordy Bahl on the trip, you’ll take your chances. Find a good seat on that plane for Ava Kuszak too. And Samantha Bland. OK, it was a dominating weekend by all involved. Nebraska punched its ticket to the best-of-3 Super Regionals next week against Tennessee by taking out Southeastern […]

Published

1 month ago

May 19, 2025

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Onward to Knoxville.

And when you have Jordy Bahl on the trip, you’ll take your chances. Find a good seat on that plane for Ava Kuszak too. And Samantha Bland. OK, it was a dominating weekend by all involved.

Nebraska punched its ticket to the best-of-3 Super Regionals next week against Tennessee by taking out Southeastern Louisiana 8-0 in six innings on Sunday. It marked three ‘run rule’ victories over three days. Not a bad little weekend in Baton Rouge.

Rhonda Revelle’s program will be making their first appearance in the Super Regionals in 11 years.

“You can get your adrenaline pumping in all the things that competitors do when it’s time to play, but there’s a real peace in knowing that every day this team has invested in themselves,” Revelle said.

Bahl allowed just one hit in her six innings pitched while also going 2-for-2 at the plate, including a leadoff home run in the first inning. At that point she had hit four home runs in her four official at-bats at this regional.

She added a lowly single to her stat line later. Sarcasm implied. Although it was a surprise when the ball didn’t go over the fence off her bat for once.

“I’ve said this all along when we people asked me questions about Jordy … I just am not surprised. I never would say, ‘Oh, I think she’s going to do this, this and this.’ But when she does do this, this and this it never surprises me. Because what is so cool about her, a lot of athletes could learn so much from her. She immerses herself in the moment. She’s not focused on numbers, accolades. She’s focused on one mission and it’s … doing whatever she can to help the team win. And she’s just talented enough that she can do a lot of things to help the team win.”

Kuszak did her own damage to the Lions, including a game-winning single in the sixth inning with the bases loaded to stop the game from going the full seven innings. Bland also had four RBI with three hits, including a double in the second inning to add two runs to the two NU had in the first. Her single in the fourth inning also brought in one of three runs that frame as NU moved to a comfortable 7-0 lead before putting the game to bed in the sixth.

Nebraska had beaten Southeastern Louisiana 14-1 in five innings on Saturday and took down UConn 10-2 in six on Friday.

Because of those stress-free games, Bahl was needed for only six innings of pitching the first two days. So she was fresh on Sunday and looked it. Bahl retired the first 13 batters before the Lions picked up a single for their only base runner of the day. NU’s star two-way player finished with 10 strikeouts.

Now the Huskers take on No. 7 Tennessee, which dispatched of the Big Ten’s Ohio State 5-0 on Sunday.

It was a long time ago but Nebraska did play the Volunteers in the first game of the season, with the Huskers winning 7-1.

The stakes are much higher this time. It’s a best-of-3 to go to the Women’s College World Series.

“I would say the postseason, it’s a grind. At the very beginning of the regional it seems like you’re so far away from the World Series and then three days later there’s only 16 teams left,” said Bahl, who was on two national championship teams at Oklahoma. “On our journey we have one goal. It’s not to make it to regionals or make it to Supers or make it to the World Series, it’s to win the World Series.

“So it’s a blessing to be able to win a regional with this team, but we know the work isn’t done and we’re just blessed to have the opportunity to go to Knoxville.”

Postgame notes courtesy of Paige Trutna of Nebraska Communications:

The Huskers’ 2025 regional title is the ninth in program history.

NU now has 100 doubles on the season, along with its 106 home runs. The 2025 Huskers are the 11th team in history with 100+ doubles and 100+ homers in the same season.
With her solo homer in the first inning, Jordyn Bahl put her season home run total at 23, which is a new program record. The previous record of 22 was set by Ali Viola in 1998.

Bahl also stands at 69 runs this season, which is a school record. Bahl’s mark beat the previous record of 66 set by Kiki Stokes in 2015.

Bahl hit four home runs in three games during the regional round. The last time a Husker hit 4+ homers in a regional was Hailey Decker in 2014.

Bahl notched 10 strikeouts on the day for her 10th double-digit strikeout game of the season.

In the Baton Rouge Regional, Bahl went 5-for-5 with four home runs, seven walks, eight runs and seven RBIs at the plate, while going 2-0 in the circle, allowing just one run and two hits in 12.0 innings with 16 strikeouts.

Nebraska has had 17 innings this season with multiple home runs after hitting two homers in the first inning.

NU had six run-rule victories in its NCAA tournament history entering this weekend. The Big Red run-ruled its opponent in all three games this weekend.

Ava Kuszak extended her hit streak to 14 games with her first-inning home run.

Nebraska has 26 run-rule wins on the season, which is the most in school history.

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ESPN analyst drops painfully hard truth on how Virginia Tech football gets over the hump in 2025

Going into the 2024 season, expectations were high for the Virginia Tech football team, but it ended up being another 6-6 regular season with a win needed over Virginia Thanksgiving Weekend just to become bowl-eligible. Since that Saturday night in late November in Lane Stadium, there have been some massive changes. The transfer portal saw […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The transfer portal saw nearly 30 players hit it for a new home for the 2025 season, while head coach Brent Pry added some pieces through the portal himself. Pry fired three coaches, and a fourth, offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen, left for the offensive line coaching position at Ohio State. Two new coordinators and a new offensive line coach highlight the changes, leaving the Hokies with more questions than answers.

You get the feeling that 2025 is a big one for Pry after last season and his 16-22 through his first three seasons at Virginia Tech. Maybe, just maybe, the Hokies will surprise this fall, and if they do, one college football analyst reveals how they can.

Greg McElroy explains how Virginia Tech can get over the hump in 2025

Greg McElroy on his Allways College Football with Greg McElroy podcast said there are two ways the Hokies can be a player in the ACC this season. One, Kyron Drones returns to the Kyron Drones from 2023, and that is something that Hokies fans hope does happen. The second? Well, that’s easier said than done.

The second is that Virginia Tech finds a way to win one-score games, something they are 1-11 under Pry, according to McElroy. He compared it to the Scott Frost days at Nebraska, where the Cornhuskers were 5-22 in one-score games under the former quarterback. We know how that tenure ended.

“I am super optimistic about Virginia Tech and will always be optimistic about Virginia Tech,” McElroy said. “But quarterback play and winning close games gets them over the hump.”

Look, Pry’s struggles in one-score games are what it is and have been talked about enough, but hopefully with a new offensive coordinator, Philip Montgomery on staff and a former head coach, he can help with that and also help with getting Drones back to his 2023 form as long as he’s healthy. If that happens, then this could be an under-the-radar team in the ACC.

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Big 12 Must Make Key Change to Keep Up With Rest of College Football

The college football landscape is evolving, and the Big 12 can’t waste time if it wants to keep up. Over the past few years, college football has begun to look more like the NFL. With players essentially having a free agency period with the transfer portal, and NIL delivering massive deals to players, the past […]

Published

3 hours ago

June 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The college football landscape is evolving, and the Big 12 can’t waste time if it wants to keep up.

Over the past few years, college football has begun to look more like the NFL. With players essentially having a free agency period with the transfer portal, and NIL delivering massive deals to players, the past couple of years have already seen significant changes.

Now, with revenue sharing coming into college sports, the similarities to professional sports are only growing. While those changes have impacted everyone in college sports, there is still one key part of college football that has only been adopted by the top leagues.

Over the past couple of seasons, player availability reports have become more prevalent in college football. With the Big Ten and SEC already requiring these injury reports, the College Football Playoff is the next to follow suit, as reported by CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello.

These reports have been key in giving teams an idea of what their opponent might look like on the field in a given week and has given fans more transparency on injuries. While college football injuries had been covered up and effectively left up to coaches to report on in press conferences for years, these reports have been a significant move in the right direction.

Of course, that move in the right direction has only been relevant for the two conferences that have implemented that change. For example, any Oklahoma State injury information about a player who could be held out of a game will still likely be covered up throughout the week before fans find out during the game or mere minutes before kickoff.

With the increase in gambling popularity obviously being another factor in these reports being required, it’s apparent which conferences are ready for this era of college sports and which conferences will be left behind due to complacency. Brett Yormark has tried to make his conference one of the best in the country and talked about being at the forefront of change, but the Big 12’s lack of action on this issue shows that the conference might never be capable of being on the same level as the SEC or Big Ten.

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Who is Texas Tech softball facing in Women’s College World Series? Bracket, times set

The field for the 2025 Women’s College World Series is set and the Texas Tech softball team knows its path toward the national championship. Texas Tech was the first team to punch its ticket to Oklahoma City, sweeping Florida State in the Super Regionals with the series concluding Friday afternoon. The Red Raiders had to […]

Published

4 hours ago

June 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The field for the 2025 Women’s College World Series is set and the Texas Tech softball team knows its path toward the national championship.

Texas Tech was the first team to punch its ticket to Oklahoma City, sweeping Florida State in the Super Regionals with the series concluding Friday afternoon. The Red Raiders had to wait for the final possible game of the weekend to find out their opponent.

More: Turns out NiJaree Canady’s NIL deal with Texas Tech softball is a bargain | Giese

More: NiJaree Canady finishes Super Regional sweep to send Texas Tech softball to Women’s College World Series

Ole Miss will be first up for Texas Tech with the game set for 6 p.m. Thursday in a game that will air on ESPN2. The Rebels pulled off another upset by taking out 4th-seeded Arkansas 7-4 in the third game of their Super Regional series.

Like Texas Tech, Ole Miss will be making its first appearance in the WCWS in program history. Those two are joined by Big Ten teams Oregon and UCLA on their side of the bracket. The Ducks and Bruins will square off in the final game of opening day.

Other teams to make the WCWS field include Oklahoma, Texas, Florida and Tennessee.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech softball to face Ole Miss in Women’s College World Series first

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Coastal Carolina coach says CWS ejection was unwarranted and he was wrongly accused of bumping ump – 960 The Ref

OMAHA, Neb. — (AP) — Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Schnall, tossed from the game along with first base coach Matt Schilling in the first inning of the College World Series finals Sunday, said his ejection wasn’t justified and he was wrongly accused of bumping an umpire. Walker Mitchell was at bat with two outs and […]

Published

4 hours ago

June 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Walker Mitchell was at bat with two outs and Sebastian Alexander had just stolen second base when Schnall went to the top steps of the dugout, gestured at plate umpire Angel Campos with three fingers and began shouting at him.

The NCAA said Schnall was arguing balls and strikes, was given a warning and thrown out when he did not leave immediately. Instead, Schnall went onto the field to continue arguing.

The Tigers won 5-3 for their second national championship in three years.

When Schnall was arguing with Campos, one of the base umpires ran toward the confrontation and fell on his back.

“If you guys watch the video, there was a guy who came in extremely aggressively, tripped over Campos’ foot, embarrassed in front of 25,000, and goes ‘two-game suspension’ and says ‘bumping the umpire,’ Schnall said. ”There was no bump. I shouldn’t be held accountable for a grown man’s athleticism. Now it’s excessive because I was trying to say I didn’t bump him.

“It is what it is. If that warranted an ejection, there would be a lot of ejections. As umpires, it’s your job to manage the game with some poise and calmness and a little bit of tolerance.”

A spokesman said the NCAA stands by its original statement on the incident when asked for comment on Schnall’s remarks about bumping an umpire.

The NCAA in its initial statement on the incident said Schnall and Schilling engaged in “prolonged arguing,” which is to result in a two-game suspension. Schnall would miss the first two games of the 2026 season.

Schilling was thrown out for the comments he made while arguing, the NCAA said. If an assistant is ejected, he automatically also is suspended for one game. Schilling also got an additional two-game suspension under the “prolonged arguing” rule, the NCAA said. That means he will miss the first three games next year.

Associate head coach Chad Oxendine took over Schnall’s duties.

Schnall said he couldn’t hear Campos’ initial warning when he was arguing balls and strikes from the dugout.

“As a head coach, it’s your right to get an explanation for why we got warned,” Schnall said. “I’m 48 years old and I shouldn’t get shooed by another grown man. When I came out, I got told it was a warning issued for arguing balls and strikes, and I said it was because you missed three. At that point, ejected. If that warrants an ejection, I’m the first one to stand here like a man and apologize.”

That wasn’t going to happen.

“I’m not sorry for what happened,” he said. “I’m sorry for this being over. I’m sorry for how it ended.”

___

AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

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Ranking the top eight Big Ten football NIL valuations for 2025

Being able to compensate college athletes over the last few years has changed the landscape of college sports, most notably the revenue behemoth that is college football. Name, Image and Likeness has helped usher in a new era of bidding wars and recruiting efforts that didn’t exist just less than a decade ago. And now, […]

Published

5 hours ago

June 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Especially at a place like Ohio State that has a huge athletic department and a massive budget.

But NIL is still in practice, and there are still athletes getting paid for the usage of their name, so it’s a big deal. We always hear about the astronomical figures the top-end stars are pulling in, but there are smaller ones as well. However, the multi-million dollar contracts aren’t as prevalent as one would think. In fact, we’re ranking the top Big Ten NIL valuations, and there are fewer than ten that make the list worth mentioning.

Here’s a list of the top eight NIL valuations according to On3 in the Big Ten, ranked from least to most expensive. You may be surprised by what and who is on this list., and of course, the bigger programs with the most money like Ohio State appear on this list more than some that do not at all.

No. 8 – Evan Stewart, Wide Receiver | Oregon Ducks

NIL Valuation – $1.7 Million

National Rank – No. 25

Stewart had a great year last season, but played second fiddle to Tez Johnson in star power. This year, it should be him as the No. 1 threat and player personality many will follow.

NIL Valuation | $1.8 Million

National Rank – No. 21

Singleton is entering his senior year and is part of a running back tandem that should be very dangerous this season. He’s a star running back for Penn State, and that alone garners attention and a pretty significant NIL package.

No. 6 – Nico Iamaleava, Quarterback | UCLA Bruins

NIL Valuation | $2 Million

National Rank – No. 19

Nico is well-known after having a fantastic season last year with Tennessee. He is one of the most recognizable quarterbacks with all the potential he possesses with his dual-threat ability, and now he’ll be doing his work out in Westwood for UCLA.

NIL Valuation | $2.3 Million

National Rank – No. 17

Raiola’s commitment was highly publicized. He first committed to Ohio State, then Georgia, before finally landing at Nebraska, where he had family ties. He had a very impressive, though a bit inconsistent freshman campaign and should be poised for a continuation and further breakout in 2025.

No. 4 – Caleb Downs, Safety | Ohio State Buckeyes

NIL Valuation | $2.4 Million

National Rank – No. 15

Downs came to Ohio State via the transfer portal after becoming a freshman All-American at Alabama. He had a stellar sophomore campaign in Columbus and is a fan favorite. He might be the best defender in all of college football, playing for arguably the most-followed college football program. That all translates to a massive NIL package.

No. 3 – Bryce Underwood, Quarterback | Michigan Wolverines

NIL Valuation | $3 Million

National Rank – No. 10

There is a ton of hype for the No. 1 quarterback coming out of high school, and Michigan is hoping he makes good on all of it. There was a lot of buzz surrounding his recruitment, and he has many folks following what he might do at the college level, even though he has yet to do anything in Ann Arbor.

No. 2 – Drew Allar, Quarterback | Penn State Nittany Lions

NIL Valuation | $3.1 Million

National Rank – No. 8

Allar was a five-star quarterback coming out of Ohio before committing to play for Penn State. Though he has yet to win the biggest of games, he has a big arm and is the face of the Nittany Lions’ chances at not only making the College Football Playoff, but going on a run to a national championship.

No. 1 – Jeremiah Smith, Wide Receiver | Ohio State Buckeyes

NIL Valuation | $4.2 Million

National Rank – No. 3

Everyone knows Smith. He was an absolute star who flashed on the scene for Ohio State as a freshman after being ranked as the top overall recruit in the 2024 class. He more than made good on all that buzz and is arguably the best player in college football returning for two more seasons, still in Columbus. He is adored in Central Ohio and feared across the rest of the country.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.

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Notre Dame misses out on top women’s college basketball recruit

The Fighting Irish are on the lookout for fresh talent to help keep them on an upwards trajectory under Niele Ivey, but have suffered a blow after losing out on one top star 15:25 ET, 22 Jun 2025Updated 15:27 ET, 22 Jun 2025 Notre Dame women’s basketball head coach Niele Ivey has suffered a blow […]

Published

5 hours ago

June 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The Fighting Irish are on the lookout for fresh talent to help keep them on an upwards trajectory under Niele Ivey, but have suffered a blow after losing out on one top star

15:25 ET, 22 Jun 2025Updated 15:27 ET, 22 Jun 2025

Notre Dame women’s basketball head coach Niele Ivey has suffered a blow in recruitment for her 2026 class

Notre Dame women’s basketball has suffered a major setback in its recruitment for its 2026 class after missing out on elite prospect Savvy Swords.

The Fighting Irish are keen to continue adding to their squad in years to come as part of efforts to land them a first national championship since 2018, yet head coach Niele Ivey and co. will have to do so without the 5-star wing after she committed to Kentucky on Saturday.

It comes as Notre Dame added a fifth player to combat the departure of Olivia Miles after Kelly Ratigan decided to join via the transfer portal last month. The Fighting Irish had already acquired the services of Gisela Sanchez, Malaya Cowles, and Vanessa de Jesus, and more could still follow.

READ MORE: Jordan Spieth snubbed PGA Tour duo with blunt verdict on LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeauREAD MORE: WNBA urged to change rules after Caitlin Clark incident in Indiana Fever game

With regards to next year’s roster, however, Notre Dame will have to keep searching for the next best thing after losing out on the services of Swords, who also had offers from South Carolina, UCLA and Michigan, according to On3.

The 6-foot-1 star from Brookville (NY) Long Island Luthera is currently ranked No. 9 in On3’s top 2026 recruits in the nation, perhaps most notably averaging 16.3 points and six rebounds per game for Canada at last year’s U17 FIBA World Cup.

Swords achieved those stats while shooting 50 per cent from deep and 88 per cent from the free throw line, highlighting her versatility and strong ability to shoot from deep and rebound the ball at a high level.

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The teenager is the younger sister of current Michigan women’s basketball player Syla Swords, who earned freshman All-American and All-Big Ten honors in 2025. The 19-year-old is also a member of the Canadian national team and was an Olympian in 2024.

Swords took to Instagram on Saturday to announce her commitment to Kentucky, uploading a series of images from her signing shoot alongside the caption: “Big blue business. Let’s workk #committed.”

Her older sister, Syla, commented “so proud” followed by four love heart emojis, while premier point guard Maddyn Greenway, who was Kentucky’s first commitment in the 2026 class, wrote: “TEAMMIEEE.”

Notre Dame has already obtained the commitment of four-star college basketball prospect Bella Ragone to its 2026 class, who announced her decision with a TikTok video last month.

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In Ragone, the Fighting Irish have landed themselves a top-25 2026 wing, beating over 35 schools including Iowa, UCLA, and UNC to her signature. The 6-foot-2 wing from Georgia became the first commit in Notre Dame’s 2026 class.

Ranked No. 25 overall in the ESPNW 2026 rankings, Ragone used her brand of humor to announce her commitment, posting a short skit joking about telling a boy she’d be playing in Indiana. When he guessed Purdue, the clip cut to Ragone in a Notre Dame No. 5 jersey, flashing the camera with a smile and the caption, “Holy Airball.”

On Instagram, she reposted the announcement with a simple “Go Irish,” followed by clovers and her social media exploded with congratulatory messages from coaches, teammates, national recruits, and some of the most influential names in the game on her level.

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