In Dodgers minor league games played Saturday, August 23rd, we have Davalan deja-vu, Emil Morales is playing like a teen phenom, and Chris Newell had a two-homer game in a losing cause.
Sports
It's Davalan deja vu with four hits for second game in a row


Player of the day
If Charles Davalan keeps this up, they might have to ban him from Low-A ball. Playing his fourth game of professional baseball, he had four hits for the second consecutive game, this time adding a home run. His four-game productivity looks like this: 11 for 19, eight RBIs, six runs scored, three stolen bases, and throw in an outfield assist.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
The Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) defeated the Oklahoma City Comets 9-7. The Rainiers scored the first four runs of the game and never lost the lead. The Comets pushed across three runs in the fourth inning to try and make a game of it. A hit-by-pitch, single, and walk loaded the bases, and after a force out scored a run, Cody Hoese singled in two more. But the Rainiers piled on five more runs to put the game out of reach. Bobby Miller was charged with two runs, the first runs he has given up in eight games. However, the runs were scored after he was removed from the game. He came into the game in the seventh inning and easily retired the side on a pop-up and two strikeouts. He was brought back out in the eighth, retired two batters, but was removed after a single and a walk after 34 pitches. A triple brought home both runners.
CJ Alexander had three hits for the Comets, Ryan Ward hit his 30th double and drove in his 113th run, and Esteury Ruiz stole two bases, giving him 52 on the year for the Comets.
Double-A Tulsa
The Tulsa Drillers lost to the NW Arkansas Naturals (Royals) by the identical score, 9-7. Jackson Ferris needed 96 pitches to get through four innings, giving up three runs, eight hits, and three walks. Chris Newell hit two home runs for the Drillers, giving him 17 on the season.
High-A Great Lakes
Eduardo Quintero, Zyhir Hope, and Elijah Hainline all had two hits, and Joe Vetrano hit a two-run homer, but the Great Lake Loons could only manufacture three runs and lost to the Quad Cities River Bandits (Royals) 6-3. The River bandits scored three runs in the seventh inning to break a 3-3 tie, and held on for the win.
Low-A Rancho Cucamonga
The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes put together back-to-back three-run innings early in the game, then back-to-back four-run innings late in the game, crunching the Modesto Nuts (Mariners) 14-7. Charles Davalan drove in four runs with four hits, including his first professional home run. He should consider retiring now, because that .579 batting average is going to be difficult to sustain. 18-year-old Emil Morales drove in three runs on two hits, and his .337 batting average and 1.013 OPS now have a sample size of 20 games and 95 plate appearances. His seven doubles and five home runs in 20 games are also noteworthy for the shortstop.
Scores of games played Saturday, August 23rd:
Up next: games scheduled for Sunday, August 24th:
Great Lakes (Payton Martin) at Quad Cities (Drew Beam), 11:00 AM PST
Tulsa (Luke Fox) at NW Arkansas (Frank Mozzicato), 12:05 PM PST
Oklahoma City (Landon Knack) at Tacoma (TBD), 1:35 PM PST
Modesto (Walter Ford) at Rancho Cucamonga (Sterling Patick), 5:00 PM PST
Sports
Penn State women’s volleyball earns commitment from Texas transfer outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein | Penn State Volleyball News
Penn State landed its second commitment in the transfer portal of the day.
The Nittany Lions earned a commitment from outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein.
Lauenstein was previously at Texas and Nebraska before transferring to her third school, Penn State.
Lauenstein adds depth to the right side and outside, which is already pretty deep for the blue and white.
The Waverly, Nebraska, native had her best season in 2022 with the Cornhuskers, totaling 297 kills, with 2.78 kills per set and a .238 hitting percentage. She added 28 aces as a premier server, which could be a major part of her role with the Nittany Lions.
She’ll make her way to Happy Valley as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility.
MORE VOLLEYBALL COVERAGE

Penn State earned another commitment from the transfer portal.
Sports
Texas Outside Hitter Whitney Lauenstein Transfers To Penn State Women’s Volleyball
Texas outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein announced her commitment to Penn State women’s volleyball out of the transfer portal on Wednesday. Lauenstein posted her decision to transfer to Happy Valley on her Instagram.
As a redshirt senior this past season, Lauenstein logged 33 kills, 11 digs, and 14 total blocks across 20 sets for the Longhorns.
Lauenstein began her NCAA journey with two seasons at Nebraska. As a sophomore, she led the Cornhuskers in total points, earning AVCA All-Region Team and Academic All-Big Ten honors.
After the 2022 season, the Waverly, Nebraska, native stepped away from the team to focus on her family. Lauenstein then transferred to Texas in December of 2023, where she spent the last two seasons.
Lauenstein now joins setter Alexis Stucky and middle blocker Ryla Jones as transfer players who have committed to the Nittany Lions this cycle.
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Marquette volleyball All-American Natalie Ring transfers to Texas A&M
Updated Dec. 24, 2025, 10:22 a.m. CT
- Marquette volleyball All-American Natalie Ring is transferring to Texas A&M for her final season.
- Ring, a third-team All-American, ranked 25th in the nation with 497 kills this past season.
- She is the second key player to leave Marquette, following freshman setter Isabela Haggard’s transfer to Baylor.
- Marquette has added Ball State’s Carson Tyler, the Mid-American Conference player of the year.
A Marquette volleyball All-American is joining the national champions.
The Golden Eagles’ Natalie Ring announced on social media on Dec. 23 that she will use her final season of NCAA eligibility at Texas A&M.
Ring, a former Madison Edgewood High School standout, was a third-team All-American this season. She ranked 25th in the nation in kills with 497. Ring has 754 kills in her career.
“We are excited to add Natalie to our Aggie family here in Aggieland,” Texas A&M coach Jamie Morrison said in a statement. “She brings a wealth of experience as a well-rounded outside hitter and is a relentless competitor who consistently raised her level against the best competition.”
Ring helped lead the Golden Eagles to the second round of the NCAA tournament under first-year coach Tom Mendoza. MU lost in five sets to host Louisville.
Texas A&M went on a magical run to the national title as a No. 3 seed, beating three of the tournament’s No. 1 seeds, culminating in a sweep of Kentucky in the title game.
Ring is the second key player to leave MU’s team. Freshman setter Isabela Haggard announced a transfer to Baylor after recording 997 assists and 257 digs.
Mendoza has added Ball State’s Carson Tyler, the Mid-American Conference player of the year who will have two seasons of eligibility. She registered 506 kills, which was 18th in the country.
Sports
Izzy Starck transfers to Pitt volleyball from Penn State
Updated Dec. 24, 2025, 12:56 p.m. ET
Pitt volleyball’s fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament national semifinals ended with another heartbreak following an upset loss to the eventual champions, the Texas A&M Aggies. But the Panthers have reloaded for next season with one of the biggest names in the transfer portal.
The Panthers announced the signing of former Penn State setter Izzy Starck on Tuesday, pairing the 2024 AVCA National Freshman of the Year with Olivia Babcock, the two-time AVCA National Player of the Year.
“I’m so excited I cannot wait for next season to start,” Babcock wrote on Instagram. “WOOOOHHOOOO.”
Starck had a breakout freshman campaign at Penn State, recording 1,483 assists (10.89 per set), 342 digs, 112 kills and 99 blocks. The Big Ten Freshman of the Year led the Nittany Lions to a 35-2 overall record under head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley and the program’s eighth national championship.
The 6-foot-1 setter appeared in four games for Penn State before stepping away for the season to prioritize her mental health. Starck said her hiatus wasn’t a “goodbye forever,” but her time at Penn State officially came to an end when she entered the transfer portal earlier this month.
“I am very excited to announce that I will be entering the transfer portal this December. I look forward to finding a new home where I can grow in the next chapter of my career,” said Starck, who has three years of eligibility remaining after redshirting her sophomore season. “I am beyond grateful for the endless support I’ve received over the past months.”
Starck joins a championship contender looking to finally get over the national semifinal hump. Pitt advanced to the 2025 NCAA volleyball Final Four for the fifth consecutive year, but the No. 1 seed Panthers were swept 29-27, 25-21, 25-20 by No. 3 seed Texas A&M. It marked the first time Pitt had been swept all year and the Panthers’ fifth straight time falling short of a national championship berth.
Pitt is in search of its first national championship appearance and first national title.
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Texas A&M volleyball’s sweep of Kentucky attracts record viewership
Dec. 24, 2025, 10:30 a.m. CT
Texas A&M’s first-ever NCAA Championship win over the Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday was one of the most-watched title games in college volleyball history.
The 2025 campaign has featured many first-time achievements for Jamie Morrison’s squad in just his third year as head coach in Bryan-College Station, Texas, including a victory in the No. 2-most-watched NCAA title game ever. Texas A&M’s match against Kentucky attracted a peak of 1.7 million viewers, as part of the most-consumed NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament in the history of the sport.
The Aggies have much to be proud of following their historic run on the court this season. Still, the Maroon and White faithful have also played their own crucial roles in supporting the program as it ventured to some of the most hostile road environments in volleyball. One of those rowdy atmospheres occurred in the Lincoln Regional, where Morrison’s squad dethroned No. 1 seed Nebraska in an instant classic that advanced the Aggies to their first-ever appearance in the Final Four.
Texas A&M’s outstanding season, capped off by a sweep of the Wildcats in the NCAA Championship, played a massive role in etching their name into the viewership history books.
The wheels never stop turning, however. Morrison went straight to work and immediately made a splash in the transfer portal by landing commitments from Ohio State middle blocker Kaia Castle and Marquette outside hitter Natalie Ring. While it hasn’t even been one week since Texas A&M brought the national title to College Station, Morrison and company are already turning their heads to focus on building another stacked roster eager to make more history in 2026.
That approach to recruiting and rebuilding is a massive reason for the Aggies’ recent success on the court under Morrison’s watchful eye. The talented athletes like Logan Lednicky, Ifenna Cos-Okpalla and the NCAA MVP Kyndal Stowers have molded this winning culture, which the stars of the future in the Maroon and White will look to build upon and surpass moving forward.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
Sports
K-State Hires Jeremiah Johnson to Serve as Defensive Backs Coach
Johnson comes to Manhattan after serving one season as the defensive coordinator at Coastal Carolina in addition to being the Chanticleers’ interim head coach for the Independence Bowl against Louisiana Tech, which will be played next Tuesday.
“When Coach Klein called about joining his staff, it was a no brainer,” said Johnson, who worked with Klein during the 2016 season at Northern Iowa. “Having the opportunity to help him execute his vision for this program is exciting, and I am humbled and honored to work alongside one of the best coaches, leaders and humans in this business. It’s an added bonus that I am able to return to my home state. Nicki, Lane, Drew and I are so grateful to Collin and Shalin for bringing us on their journey and making us a part of their Wildcat Family. Team Johnson is fired up to get to Manhattan and get to work. Go Cats!”
Johnson has also served as a defensive coordinator at Northern Iowa (2014-2021, 2023), Kent State (2022) and Louisiana Tech (2024).
“Jeremiah is one of the best teachers of the game of football I have been around,” said Klein. “He is a relentless recruiter and a program builder. I am very excited to have him on our staff.”
This season, Johnson has helped Coastal advance to its sixth-straight bowl game as the Chanticleers rank 16th nationally and second in the Sun Belt in fourth down defense (40.0%) and 31st in fumble recoveries (8). He has helped Xamarion Gordon to a No. 2 national ranking in fumble recoveries (3) and a No. 5 ranking in the conference in interceptions (3). Myles Woods also had three interceptions on the year, while Johnson has coached Ezekiel Durham-Campbell to a No. 7 ranking in the conference in sacks (0.46 per game).
The Johnson-led Louisiana Tech defense in 2024 ranked 12th nationally in total defense, surrendering only 308.4 yards per game. It was a 98-spot improvement over where the Bulldogs finished in 2023, while his unit also produced a 91-place improvement in scoring defense (21.0 points per game) as they finished at No. 26. Additionally, Johnson led La Tech to an 88-place bump in rushing defense (135.5 yards per game) to rank 44th.
Outside of a one-year hiatus in which he served the 2022 season as Kent State’s defensive coordinator, Johnson coached for 16 seasons at Northern Iowa, spending the 2007 through 2021 seasons – in addition to the 2023 campaign – in Cedar Falls. While at UNI, Johnson coached Panther defenders to a combined 32 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) First Team honors, five MVFC Defensive Players of the Year, one Buck Buchanan Award winner, 15 Associated Press FCS All-America honors and seven American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-American accolades.
In 11 seasons as the UNI defensive coordinator, Johnson’s defenses ranked in the top 10 nationally in statistical categories 29 times, which included turnovers gained on six occasions (highest ranking of No. 2 in 2019 with 34), defensive touchdowns four times (highest ranking of No. 5 in 2016 and 2019 with 4) and scoring defense three times (best ranking of No. 6 at 15.3 points per game in the Spring of 2021). During his first run as defensive coordinator from 2014 through 2021, UNI ranked sixth in the FCS by allowing 19.9 points per game over a 99-game span. He was also named a finalist for the 2019 FootballScoop FCS Defensive Coordinator of the Year award.
The Panthers won four conference championships during Johnson’s time at UNI. Additionally, they made 10 FCS Playoff appearances and advanced past the first round in eight of 10 seasons, which included a semifinal showing in 2008 and quarterfinal appearances in 2015 and 2019.
Before being promoted to coordinator, Johnson coached the Northern Iowa defensive backs and served as the recruiting coordinator from 2009 through 2012. In 2007 and 2008, he was the video coordinator and assistant defensive backs coach.
Johnson went to UNI after working the 2003 through 2006 seasons at Loras College, serving on the same staff as former K-State head coach Chris Klieman. Johnson worked with the Duhawk defensive backs in 2003, 2004 and 2006, while he coached the wide receivers in 2005. Prior to his time at Loras, he was a graduate assistant and video coordinator at Wyoming in 2002.
A native of Scandia, Kansas, Johnson obtained his undergraduate degree in sports science from Kansas in 2000, while he earned a master’s degree in athletic administration from Loras in 2005.
Johnson and his five, Nicki, have a son, Lane, and a daughter, Drew.
THE JEREMIAH JOHNSON FILE
Hometown: Scandia, Kansas
College: Kansas – Bachelor’s degree in sports science (2000); Loras College – Master’s degree in athletic administration (2005)
Family: Wife: Nicki; Children: Lane, Drew
JEREMIAH JOHNSON’S COACHING CAREER
2002, Wyoming (Graduate Assistant/Video Coordinator)
2003-04, Loras College (Defensive Backs)
2005, Loras College (Wide Receivers)
2006, Loras College (Defensive Backs)
2007-08, Northern Iowa (Video Coordinator/Assistant Defensive Backs Coach)
2009-12, Northern Iowa (Defensive Backs/Recruiting Coordinator)
2013-16, Northern Iowa (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2017-21, Northern Iowa (Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs)
2022, Kent State (Defensive Coordinator)
2023, Northern Iowa (Defensive Coordinator)
2024, Louisiana Tech (Defensive Coordinator)
2025, Coastal Carolina (Defensive Coordinator/Interim Head Coach)
2026, K-State (Defensive Backs)
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