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Mocs Bring the Rain with Four Home Runs at ETSU

Next Game: at East Tennessee State 5/4/2025 | 1:00 p.m. May. 04 (Sun) / 1:00 p.m. at East Tennessee State History JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — The rain held off long enough Saturday in Johnson City to play the game, but the Chattanooga softball team brought a little of its own, […]

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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — The rain held off long enough Saturday in Johnson City to play the game, but the Chattanooga softball team brought a little of its own, raining down four home runs to beat ETSU 7-2 in Southern Conference action.
 
With the Mocs trailing 1-0 in the fourth, Baileigh Pitts put a first-pitch shot over the fence in left field to give UTC a 2-0 lead. Acelynn Sellers led off the inning with a double and pinch runner Abi Pikas scored on the homer.
 
In the fifth, Chattanooga added a third run. Kailey Snell reached on a double and advanced to third on a single by pinch hitter Presley Williamson. Camryn Cernuto reentered to run the bases and was caught stealing. However, that opened up the chance for Snell to score from third and UTC was up 3-1. It was the first time Cernuto was caught this season.
 
Pitts led off the sixth with a single through the left side. With two outs, freshman Mia Leone stepped up to the plate to pinch hit. She didn’t wait long to get her first collegiate home run. Leone took the first pitch well out of the park clearing the fence in left field and down the hill adding two more runs for Chattanooga.
 
In the seventh, the Mocs decided to shake it up. Olivia Lipari led off with a home run to left and Acelynn Sellers took a cue from her and the duo went back-to-back to make it a 7-2 advantage.
 
The Bucs picked up their first run, scoring on a double into the gap in left center. The second was a solo home run in the sixth.
 
Peja Goold struck out seven and improved to 23-5 on the year. She takes sole possession of seventh on the single-season wins list.
 
Pitts was 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Leone was 1-for-1 with a homer and a pair of runs batted in. Sellers was 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and an RBI.
 
The Mocs improved to 38-12 overall and 14-4 in SoCon play. ETSU dropped to 16-34 on the season and 5-14 against the league.
 
• The last time UTC had four home runs in a single game was earlier this season against IU Indy in the Frost Classic. The Mocs won 9-8.
• The last time the Mocs had back-to-back home runs was in the 2024 SoCon Championship game by Kaili Phillips and Addy Keylon.
 
FOLLOW CHATTANOOGA SOFTBALL
For the most up-to-date information and news regarding Chattanooga Softball, please follow @GoMocsSB on Twitter & Instagram and ChattanoogaSB on Facebook.
 





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The Blackhawks will have to deal with speculation regarding 1st-round pick Mason West

The Blackhawks took a gamble on Mason West in more ways than one. The Hawks traded back into the first round of last month’s draft to take the hulking forward with No. 29 overall pick. Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson admitted he wanted to roll the dice on a hunch that West is going to […]

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The Blackhawks took a gamble on Mason West in more ways than one.

The Hawks traded back into the first round of last month’s draft to take the hulking forward with No. 29 overall pick. Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson admitted he wanted to roll the dice on a hunch that West is going to be a great NHL player.

West has major boom-or-bust potential.

He is massive at 6-foot-6 with good skating ability and excellent vision. He gets that vision from being an elite high school quarterback. The bust ability comes from still being raw, and the speculation he can still choose to play football.

West is a standout prep quarterback at Edina High School in Minnesota. West has said his future is in hockey. That has not dissuaded some college teams.

College football programs are still interested in changing West’s mind.

According to the Athletic’s Blackhawks beat writer Scott Powers, college football programs are still trying to recruit him.

Powers talked with West’s high school coach, Jason Potts, who confirmed that programs are still making inquiries.

West is committed to playing his senior football season. Once the season is over, the plan is for him to go play for the USHL’s Fargo Force, where he will focus on hockey full-time.

He is committed to play at Michigan State next year on a hockey scholarship. You can be sure some Michigan State fans will be calling for him to join the team the moment a major injury at quarterback or defeat hapens.

The Hawks will just have to deal with that speculation.

Potts did say West has not thrown for any major programs and seems committed to playing hockey once the football season ends.

West even talked with controversial Super Bowl-winning head coach Jon Gruden on his Barstool show about his commitment to hockey over football.

The Blackhawks are reportedly fine with him playing one more year of high school football. The chances of him getting severely injured are just as good in the USHL as they are on a Minnesota high school football field.

Both are contact sports.

It is good that the Hawks are not sweating a potential injury.

What they will need to sweat out is the draw of college football and the NIL money that comes along with being a college quarterback. College QBs are getting millions. He could potentially make more playing one season of college football than he can on his NHL entry-level contract.

He can still draw NIL dollars playing college hockey. Also, he is already an NHL first-round pick with a chance to have a pro career. An NFL future is a huge unknown, so it makes sense for him to take the better odds of being a professional hockey player.

That still does not mean the draw of playing college football will go away. It will probably not go away until West signs his entry-level deal.





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Nico Iamaleava hopes Vols fans ‘understand’ why he left Knoxville

LAS VEGAS — College football’s future wore a baby blue suit, a gold pin that read “UCLA” and a pair of diamond-encrusted hoop earrings. He glided toward the microphone, sat down, then prepared for the grilling about how much money he makes, why he left the University of Tennessee, who betrayed who when he departed […]

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LAS VEGAS — College football’s future wore a baby blue suit, a gold pin that read “UCLA” and a pair of diamond-encrusted hoop earrings.

He glided toward the microphone, sat down, then prepared for the grilling about how much money he makes, why he left the University of Tennessee, who betrayed who when he departed Knoxville, and what it all means for the college football world that his story now defines.

Bottom line: If quarterback Nico Iamaleava handles this season as well as he did his half-hour Q&A on Thursday as the Big Ten Conference’s media days event wrapped up, chances are, UCLA will be good — maybe even very good — in 2025.

“I think it’s just: Keep my head down and be humble,” the 20-year-old California native said. “And try not to let the outside noise affect you.”

If he succeeds at that, he will have more discipline than a great majority of fans, experts and journalists who have filled the internet and airwaves with timelines and tick-tock analysis of a decision that shook college football and seemed to say everything about the burgeoning power that players wield in a world of name, image and likeness deals and a rapidly rotating NCAA transfer portal.

The thumbnail of the story is that Iamaleava was a successful quarterback who led Tennessee to the College Football Playoff last season, then abruptly picked up stakes to head much closer to home and play for UCLA.

Money seemed to be the most obvious motive. Reports circulated that he was looking for a raise — maybe a doubling to nearly $4 million a year — to remain with the Volunteers for his redshirt sophomore season this fall. Then in mid-April, he missed Tennessee’s final spring practice the day before its Orange & White intrasquad scrimmage. Just as abruptly, he was gone.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel handled it diplomatically.

“Today’s landscape of college football is different than it has been,” he said at the time. “It’s unfortunate — the situation and where we’re at with Nico.”

Before he’d even enrolled at Tennessee, Iamaleava was causing his share of turmoil. It was his NIL deal with the Vols that triggered an NCAA investigation and a lawsuit by the attorneys general of Tennessee and Virginia in January 2024.

The NCAA settled that lawsuit, and though there aren’t as many questions about who makes the payments to the players (the colleges can do it themselves now as result of another lawsuit settlement), recriminations that flowed when Iamaleava enrolled at Tennessee kept flowing after he made his move to UCLA.

Asked about what triggered his move and exactly when it happened, Iamaleava said it came around the time “false stuff about whether it was a financial thing or not” started coming out that made him “not feel comfortable in the position I was in.”

Then, in a revelation that not everyone appears quite ready to accept, he said moving closer to where he grew up — in Long Beach, about 30 miles from the UCLA campus — was the biggest piece of the puzzle. He was soon after joined by younger brother Madden, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound freshman quarterback who went through spring practices at Arkansas this year before transferring to UCLA.

“My driving factor to come back home was my family, and I hope every Tennessee fan understands that,” Iamaleava said. “It was really one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make.”

He will not delve into finances, though most of the reporting has shown that Iamaleava will make about as much, or just barely more, with the Bruins than he was making at Tennessee.

“All that stuff is for my business team and my agents to handle,” he said. “I just focus on football.”

Among the other questions consuming college football, and that Iamaleava’s saga reflects as well as anyone’s, is how a player who makes more money and generates more hype than anyone else in the locker room can possibly fit on a team that is still, at its core, filled with teenagers whose football lives will end in college.

UCLA’s second-year head coach, DeShaun Foster, said he scouted that part when the prospect of Iamaleava coming to Westwood became real.

“He’s a team guy and a family guy,” Foster said. “It just felt good that we were getting the right kind of quarterback.”

From a pure talent standpoint, hardly anyone argues that. Iamaleava was considered one of the country’s top prospects coming out of high school. The 6-6, 215-pounder threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdown last season, his first as Tennessee’s full-time starter, while leading the Vols to a 10-3 record overall, a 6-3 mark in the powerful Southeastern Conference, and the first 12-team edition of the College Football Playoff. Tennessee lost in the opening round, 42-17, at eventual national champion Ohio State.

As one of the theories about his departure goes, though, he and his family were less than thrilled about Tennessee’s ability to protect him. The Buckeyes sacked him four times, which meant Iamaleava finished the season having been sacked 28 times.

None other than ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit — a former Ohio State quarterback — dove into the mix when he said he’d heard Iamaleava’s dad had gone to Heupel in December and said, “Like, hey, listen, you’ve got to get better at offensive line, better at receiver.”

Speaking not so much about that specific story but to the realities of football, Foster said he knows keeping things clean in the pocket for Iamaleava will be key to his success.

“If he stays upright, things are going to go the right way,” said Foster, a former NFL running back who led the Bruins to a 5-7 overall record (3-6 in Big Ten play) last season in his debut campaign as his alma mater’s head coach.

And if things do “go the right way,” there’s at least a chance Iamaleava could be a one-and-done player at UCLA. He is widely thought to have NFL talent if he improves his mechanics and accuracy — two areas that will be helped by better protection — and might need only this season before declaring for the draft.

During his news conference at Big Ten media days, the quarterback brushed aside questions about pro football.

He also said he pays no mind to the billion-dollar questions swirling around the college game every day — most of them revolving around student-athlete compensation, freedom to transfer and other issues that have turned UCLA’s quarterback into a villian in some places, a hero in others, and a player to watch everywhere.

“I love college football,” Iamaleava said. “Everything that goes on with my name, that’s not going to change my love for the game. Obviously, everyone has to move on. I’m excited about what’s next for me. But I’m where my feet (are), and right now, I’m a UCLA football player and I’m excited to go to camp.”



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Can USC Trojans Make NCAA Tournament Without Alijah Arenas? Analyst Weighs In

The USC Trojans suffered a devastating blow earlier this week with the news that freshman guard Alijah Arenas had suffered a torn meniscus in his knee. This injury puts his entire 2025-2026 season at risk. Who will Coach Eric Musselman and the Trojans turn to in his absence?  Mar 8, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; […]

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Can USC Trojans Make NCAA Tournament Without Alijah Arenas? Analyst Weighs In

The USC Trojans suffered a devastating blow earlier this week with the news that freshman guard Alijah Arenas had suffered a torn meniscus in his knee. This injury puts his entire 2025-2026 season at risk. Who will Coach Eric Musselman and the Trojans turn to in his absence? 

USC Trojans Eric Musselman NCAA Tournament Alijah Arenas Knee Injury Big Ten Jon Rothstein

Mar 8, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts in the second half against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

College basketball analyst Jon Rothstein attended a USC Trojans practice earlier this week. Rothstein addressed the Arenas injury, but said that Eric Musselman still has the piece to get the Trojans to the NCAA tournament. USC has not made an NCAA Tournament since the 2023 season and will look to put a stop to that this season.

“The Trojans may not have a traditional point guard at the point of attack this season after highly touted freshman Alijah Arenas is out (6-8 months) with a knee injury,” Rothstein said. “but Eric Musselman still has enough to get USC to the NCAA Tournament in 2026.” 

Musselman is coming off very successful runs at both Nevada and Arkansas prior to taking the USC job last season. Musselman led Nevada to a Sweet 16 in 2018 and Arkansas to the Elite Eight in both 2021 and 2022. Rothstein sees similarities in this USC team compared to Musselman’s teams at those schools.

“Similar makeup to his teams at both Nevada and Arkansas, USC possesses really good positional size,” Rothstein said.

USC was aggressive in the transfer portal, landing a handful of power conference transfers with Terrance Williams, Rodney Rice, Chad Baker-Mazara, and Ezra Ausar. Rothstein notes that USC’s size should make them a threat next season in the Big Ten.

“(USC) should have a formidable perimeter once Michigan transfer Terrance Williams comes back to the lineup,” Rothstein said. “With Williams, Maryland transfer Rodney Rice, Auburn transfer Chad Baker-Mazara, and Utah transfer Ezra Ausar, the Trojans should have the positional size to be a factor in the Big Ten and compete for a NCAA tournament berth in year two under Musselman. “

MORE: USC Trojans’ Lincoln Riley Expanding Recruiting Efforts With Elite Safety

MORE: Paul Finebaum Goes After USC Trojans’ Lincoln Riley Again Before Big Ten Media Days

MORE: USC Trojans Receive ‘Surprising’ Ranking Before First AP Top-25 Poll

MORE: Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams Reveals Lofty Goals Under Coach Ben Johnson

USC Trojans Eric Musselman NCAA Tournament Alijah Arenas Knee Injury Big Ten Jon Rothstein

Apr 1, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; McDonald’s All American West guard Alijah Arenas (16) dribbles the ball during the first half of the game McDonald’s All American East at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Pamela Smith-Imagn Images / Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

Alijah Arenas was USC’s highest graded recruit in the class of 2025. The five-star guard was ranked as the No. 7 overall player in his class according to 247Sports. Arenas is estimated to be out from 6-8 months. Depending on how USC is faring and his recovery progress, this could be for the whole season.

“I probably feel closer to him (Alijah Arenas) than anybody that I’ve coached in a two-month span since he’s been on campus,” Musselman said to the Los Angeles Times about Arenas.

Unfortunely, it might not be until 2025-2026 until Musselman gets an opportunity to coach Arenas. Musselman once coached Alijah’s dad, former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, with the Golden State Warriors back in the early 2000’s.

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FAU LHP Trey Beard commits to Florida State from NCAA Transfer Portal

FAU LHP Trey Beard spent a week available in the NCAA Transfer Portal. Now, his recruitment over with his decision, to stay in-state at that, being made. Beard has committed to Florida State from out of the NCAA Transfer Portal. He made that announcement with a video posted on social media on Friday morning. “K […]

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FAU LHP Trey Beard commits to Florida State from NCAA Transfer Portal

FAU LHP Trey Beard spent a week available in the NCAA Transfer Portal. Now, his recruitment over with his decision, to stay in-state at that, being made.

Beard has committed to Florida State from out of the NCAA Transfer Portal. He made that announcement with a video posted on social media on Friday morning.

“K Time,” Beard captioned the post.

Beard entered his name into the portal earlier this month on June 5th. He did so with a do-not-contact tag per On3’s Pete Nakos. Now, after having momentum in this recruitment per sources speaking to Nakos on Tuesday, FSU has earned the commitment of Beard.

Beard spent a pair of underclassman seasons at Florida Atlantic. He appeared in 32 games, 30 being starts with a record of 11-5, while in Boca Raton. He’d, in that career, post an ERA of 4.16 with 186 strikeouts across a total of 151.1 innings pitched. That includes an even better season this past year as a sophomore, posting an ERA of 3.14 with 118 strikeouts, both being among the best this year in college baseball, over 86 innings pitched in being a selection to the All-AAC First Team.

Beard is now an in-state addition to the roster. That’s with him being a native of Dunedin, Florida down around Tampa.

This report will be updated further

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

The post FAU LHP Trey Beard commits to Florida State from NCAA Transfer Portal appeared first on On3.

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NIL promises made to recruits, now coaches wait for key decision to learn whether they can keep them

In anticipating the future, some schools have disbanded their collectives while others, such as Ohio State, have brought them in-house. It is all a bit of a gamble. If the agreement that comes out of these negotiations doesn’t restrict collectives, they could be viewed as an easy way to get around the salary cap. Either […]

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In anticipating the future, some schools have disbanded their collectives while others, such as Ohio State, have brought them in-house. It is all a bit of a gamble. If the agreement that comes out of these negotiations doesn’t restrict collectives, they could be viewed as an easy way to get around the salary cap. Either way, schools eyeing ways for players to earn money outside the cap amid reports that big programs have football rosters worth more than $30 million in terms of overall player payments.



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College Football Analyst Blasts QB Nico Iamaleava’s ‘Family Reasons’ for Leaving Tennessee

The biggest quarterback controversy in college football isn’t happening on the field. Nico Iamaleava’s sudden departure from Tennessee to UCLA has college football insiders questioning everything they thought they knew about player loyalty and NIL deals. At Big Ten Media Days, the former Vols star faced the rumors head-on, but his answers only deepened the […]

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The biggest quarterback controversy in college football isn’t happening on the field. Nico Iamaleava’s sudden departure from Tennessee to UCLA has college football insiders questioning everything they thought they knew about player loyalty and NIL deals. At Big Ten Media Days, the former Vols star faced the rumors head-on, but his answers only deepened the mystery surrounding one of the most scrutinized transfers in recent memory.

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Why Did Nico Iamaleava’s Family-First Explanation Fall on Deaf Ears?

Iamaleava’s decision to transfer from Tennessee to UCLA continues to generate widespread skepticism among college football analysts, despite his public insistence that the move had nothing to do with money.

The former 5-star quarterback recruit, who led Tennessee to a College Football Playoff appearance in 2024, addressed the mounting controversy during Big Ten Media Days in July 2025. His explanation centered on family ties rather than financial incentives.

“My decision to leave was extremely hard. You know, one of the hardest decisions that I ever had to make,” Iamaleava told reporters. “Family was the biggest thing for me.”

The California native dismissed speculation about NIL disputes driving his transfer, emphasizing his desire to return home. “A lot of things about financial stuff, it was never that. It was me getting back home, close to my family, and playing at the highest level with my family support.”

However, college football analysts aren’t buying his explanation. RJ Young, host of the show “Adapt and Respond,” openly questioned Iamaleava’s narrative during a recent segment.

“Reportedly, he did not report to camp or show… if he did not get a raise,” Young said. “So, he held out. He didn’t show up to practice, and he didn’t show up to the spring game.”

Young’s theory suggests Iamaleava believed Tennessee would cave to his financial demands, only to discover the program’s unwillingness to negotiate under pressure.

“They told him he could kick rocks. Go enter the transfer portal. That’s what you want to do. You’re not going to hold us hostage,” he said, noting how many in the college football world applauded Tennessee’s firm stance.

What Makes Iamaleava’s UCLA Move So Hard to Believe?

The skepticism intensified when Iamaleava doubled down on his family-focused reasoning during media availability. “Not at all. My family was strictly the main importance for me. I let my business team, my parents handle that side of the NIL. Just being closer to family was the most important thing.”

For Young, the timeline doesn’t support Iamaleava’s explanation.

“So why’d you commit to Tennessee? So why’d you sign with Tennessee? Why’d you play two years there?” he asked. “It’s hard for me to take that quote and make it feel like it is trustworthy.”

Multiple reports backed up the financial angle behind the transfer. Sources from On3’s Pete Nakos and the Knoxville News Sentinel’s Adam Sparks indicated that NIL concerns played a significant role, with Iamaleava’s absence from team activities coinciding with financial negotiations.

Young remained unconvinced by the quarterback’s public statements.

“It’s hard to believe. Now, if he turns UCLA into a world-beater, the segment might feel bad. But even if he does, Tennessee is probably gonna feel about Nico the way they feel about Lane Kiffin.”

The comparison to Lane Kiffin suggests lasting resentment among Tennessee fans, who watched their former coach leave for USC after just one season in Knoxville.

Meanwhile, Iamaleava acknowledged that the ongoing speculation created an uncomfortable environment during his final months with the Volunteers. The constant rumors about NIL negotiations and his commitment to the program cast a shadow over what should have been preparation for another championship run.

Despite his efforts to control the narrative, analysts and fans continue questioning the true motivations behind one of college football’s most controversial transfers. Whether Iamaleava’s tenure at UCLA vindicates his decision or proves his critics right remains to be seen.





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