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Mountaineers Win Wild Game Against UCF to Claim Series

Next Game: at UCF 4/27/2025 | 1 p.m. Apr. 27 (Sun) / 1 p.m. at UCF ORLANDO, Fla. – In a game that lasted nearly five hours, the West Virginia University baseball team came out on top, 15-10, over UCF, Saturday evening at John Euliano Park. The Mountaineers improve to 36-5 and 15-3 in the Big 12 […]

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Mountaineers Win Wild Game Against UCF to Claim Series


UCF

Next Game:
at UCF
4/27/2025 | 1 p.m.

Apr. 27 (Sun) / 1 p.m.

at UCF

ORLANDO, Fla. – In a game that lasted nearly five hours, the West Virginia University baseball team came out on top, 15-10, over UCF, Saturday evening at John Euliano Park. The Mountaineers improve to 36-5 and 15-3 in the Big 12 while the Knights fall to 23-19 and 6-14 in conference play. Seniors Brodie Kresser and Kyle West each had three hits on the night while freshman Gavin Kelly and junior Ben Lumsden each drove in three runs. Lumsden’s three RBI came on a three-run home run in the ninth inning, his first of the season.
 
The Mountaineers jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first as Kelly opened the scoring with a two-run single. Senior Grant Hussey followed with an RBI double before a bunt single by Kresser and a sacrifice fly by freshman Spencer Barnett knocked in two more.
 
UCF responded in the home half with four runs to get right back in the game before taking the lead with two runs in the fourth inning.
 
In the fifth, the teams traded runs with Kelly hitting a sacrifice fly for WVU, as the Knights held on to a one-run lead.
 
The wackiest play of the night came in the seventh as junior Sam White grounded out to first for the second out. However, the pitcher thought there were three outs and tossed the ball away, allowing sophomore Armani Guzman to score the tying run from second base.
 
After UCF retook the lead in the bottom of the seventh, the Mountaineers answered with four runs in the eighth to take the lead. The big hit came off the bat of junior Skylar King as he doubled home two with the bases loaded to put WVU in front. A squeeze bunt from Guzman added another run before WVU tacked on one more to take an 11-8 lead.
 
The Knights got two runs back in the eighth to get back within one, but junior Carson Estridge escaped the inning with WVU still in front.
 
In the ninth, Kresser had an RBI single before Lumsden slammed a three-run home run to put the game away.
 
Sophomore Chase Meyer earned his team-leading eighth win of the season while Estridge collected his fifth save.
 
The Mountaineers will go for their fourth consecutive series sweep on Sunday with first pitch set for 1 p.m.
 
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
 
 

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Was Jim Nagy the offseason’s best hire in college football?

The Oklahoma Sooners made a very big hire this offseason when they brought in Jim Nagy as their new general manager. Nagy previously ran the Senior Bowl, but he’s got plenty of experience in NFL circles and was a huge get for OU. Oklahoma needed a new general manager and a new direction when it […]

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The Oklahoma Sooners made a very big hire this offseason when they brought in Jim Nagy as their new general manager. Nagy previously ran the Senior Bowl, but he’s got plenty of experience in NFL circles and was a huge get for OU.

Oklahoma needed a new general manager and a new direction when it came to player evaluation and player acquisition. Nagy offers both, as the Sooners have altered the way they view high school recruiting, NIL and the transfer portal in the months that Nagy has been on staff. The new GM has also shifted Oklahoma’s front office model, making plenty of new hires this offseason.

It was a bold move for the Sooners, but one that the program and its fan base are hoping will work out. After six straight conference titles and four College Football Playoff trips from 2015 to 2020, OU has fallen behind in the four years since, as the portal and name, image, and likeness have changed the game more than Oklahoma thought they would. The Sooners haven’t played for a conference championship in the last four years, went through a coaching change, and haven’t gotten all that close to the CFP. Nagy has been hired to fix all of that on the player acquisition side of things where Oklahoma has slipped behind the pack. He’s also going to be managing the new revenue-sharing era of college football in the near future.

Brad Crawford, who covers college football for CBS Sports, believes the Sooners nailed it with the Nagy hire and that things will pan out in a positive way for Oklahoma. He made one bold prediction for each SEC team this week and believes that Nagy will be tabbed as the conference’s best offseason hire.

How often does someone in an off-the-field role take center stage in the SEC? The general manager position is rapidly gaining importance in college football. We’re likely to see that evolution accelerate this season, thanks in part to the success already shown by Oklahoma with the arrival of Jim Nagy. He brings nearly two decades of personnel and scouting experience to Norman, drawn from the NFL and his time as executive director of the Senior Bowl. Most importantly, Nagy is coach Brent Venables’ designated talent evaluator — tasked with managing the roster and identifying the right personnel fits for what Oklahoma wants to build on both sides of the ball. – Brad Crawford, CBS Sports.

Nagy’s talent evaluation skills and roster management will be put to the test in Norman. It’s been a rocky stretch at OU over the past few seasons, but the Sooners swung for the fences with multiple moves this offseason, one of the biggest being the Nagy hire.

College football has changed so drastically in the first half of the 2020s. It’s no secret that things have slipped at bit at Oklahoma. Bring in Jim Nagy is OU’s big move to make sure that they can get back to the top.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.





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Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong sign NIL deals with Unrivaled

Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong are among 14 women’s college basketball stars who signed NIL deals with Unrivaled, a 3×3 basketball league that operates during the WNBA’s offseason. The pair will help promote the fledgling league while also attending events throughout the year. The hope is they’ll eventually suit up when they turn pro. Fudd […]

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Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong are among 14 women’s college basketball stars who signed NIL deals with Unrivaled, a 3×3 basketball league that operates during the WNBA’s offseason. The pair will help promote the fledgling league while also attending events throughout the year. The hope is they’ll eventually suit up when they turn pro.

Fudd could play in Unrivaled as early as 2027 as she embarks as her final year in Storrs but Strong still has three more seasons of eligibility to go.

Former UConn stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart co-founded Unrivaled as a way to keep WNBA stars stateside during the offseason instead of playing overseas. Seven Huskies participated in the inaugural campaign — Collier, Stewart, Tiffany Hayes, Aaliyah Edwards, Katie Lou Samuelson, Stefanie Dolson and Azura Stevens — with Collier taking home MVP honors while winning the 1v1 tournament.

Paige Bueckers is set to join Unrivaled this upcoming season after signing an NIL deal with the league last August. Unlike the current crop of signees, Bueckers received an ownership stake.

The other 12 players to sign as part of Unrivaled’s “Class of 2025” are JuJu Watkins (USC), Lauren Betts (UCLA), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Olivia Miles (TCU), Madison Booker (Texas), Kiki Rice (UCLA), MiLaysia Fulwiley (LSU), Audi Crooks (Iowa State), Ta’Niya Latson (South Carolina), Syla Swords (Michigan), and Sienna Betts (UCLA).



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Exposing the West’s most deluded college football fan bases

Social media breeds self-delusion. Every fan base has its echo chamber, the memes and retorts they use to reinforce their favorite arguments. “Zero natties.” “Built not bought.” “We are so back.” Some fan bases specialize in living in the past and distorting their record. Others confuse hype with reality. Washington Huskies What they think they […]

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Social media breeds self-delusion. Every fan base has its echo chamber, the memes and retorts they use to reinforce their favorite arguments. “Zero natties.” “Built not bought.” “We are so back.”

Some fan bases specialize in living in the past and distorting their record. Others confuse hype with reality.

Washington Huskies

What they think they are: A blueblood program with no limits, a national championship contender.

What they actually are: A window program.

The Huskies had six straight losing seasons between 2004 and 2009, including an 0-12 season in 2008. They proceeded to go 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, and 7-6 under current Texas coach Steve Sarkisian before breaking through with a 9-4 record and a win in the Fight Hunger Bowl in 2009.

Chris Petersen came to Seattle and went 8-6 and 7-6 for two years, then had a run of 12-2 in 2016, settling back to 10-3, 10-4 before falling back to 8-5 in his last year before retiring, 2019.

Jimmy Lake imploded the program again, 4-8 in 2021. Kalen DeBoer had a two-year run before bolting for Alabama. Jedd Fisch took over and finished 6-7 last season.

In the last 24 seasons, the Huskies have won 10 games or more five times, they’ve finished ranked in the AP Top Ten three times while suffering through eight losing seasons. They’ve had 15 seasons with six or more losses.

They are a window program, a school that occasionally stitches together a couple of good recruiting classes and keeps a staff together long enough to emerge from the shadow of Oregon, USC and UCLA.

UW hasn’t been a consistent top-tier program in over 30 years.

Delusion Grade: 97

While it’s nice to remember the glory years of Don James and Gloomy Gil Dobie or the One Shining Moment when DeBoer brought a potent offense to Montlake, the Huskies haven’t sustained success, and the Petersen era was more brief and more mediocre than remembered (first two years, 8-6 and 7-6, last year 8-5.) They’re competent in two or three-year stretches, awful the rest of the time.

Yet to interact with Dawg fans on X, they’re still the power in the West. In reality they’re living off their three straight wins over the Ducks when during Dan Lanning’s first two years as a head coach, all by a field goal.

USC

What they think they are: “We are back, once again the dominant program in the West.”

What they actually are: A program that had great runs under John McKay, John Robinson and Pete Carroll, but one that has fired its three previous head coaches including Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin, who’ve gone on to success elsewhere.

Since Carroll left after the 2008 season, SC has finished in the AP Top Ten exactly once, when they went 10-3 in 2016 under Clay Helton. It’s been 22 seasons since their last national championship and since then they’ve had 11 seasons of 10-4 or worse, 8 seasons with 5 or more losses, never returned to the the college football playoff. In the last four years they’ve gone 30-22.

An impressive 2026 recruiting class can’t help the Trojans in 2025. Coming off seasons of 8-5 and 7-6, can Lincoln Riley survive another year in the same range?

Delusion Grade: 89

Oregon State

What they think they are: Lunchpail U., the Little Program That Could

What they actually are: A Power 4 also-ran with a small stadium.

Among Beaver fans the expectations are to be competitive against Oregon, have a winning season and make a bowl, so the fanbase is reasonably realistic. They’ve been to a bowl game 13 times in the last 25 seasons, won 11 games once and had 13 winning seasons, finished in the AP Top 25 five times.

Against Oregon since 2000, they’re 8-17, though the Ducks have won 14 of the last 17 and two in a row. In Trent Bray, they’ve hired a defensive-minded coach with roots in the program so they should be competitive in the reconfigured PAC-12.

Hopes are high for Duke transfer at quarterback Maalik Murphy, a former four-star who started his college career at Texas, 2,933 yards and 26 touchdowns with the Blue Devils in 2024.

Although the OSU program has fallen on hard times, passed over by the Big Ten and relegated to a rebuilt conference with an unimpressive lineup, it’s hard to really hate on them. The fans are realistic; they’re loyal to their school and have modest expectations.

Delusion Grade: 53

Colorado Buffaloes

What they think the are: A resurgent juggernaut and future national champion.

What they actually are: Playing for clicks.

The national media has fueled the Deion Sanders hype, understandably because he’s quotable and flamboyant and had a brilliant career as a player.

In 2023 the Buffs started 3-0 and pundits like Skip Bayless and RJ Young went full blast about the Buffs being a national championship threat until Oregon thumped them 42-6. Moving to the Big 12 in 2024 they put together a nice season that ended with a 36-14 loss to BYU in the Alamo Bowl and a 9-4 record.

Travis Hunter won the Heisman and Shedeur Sanders got drafted by Cleveland in the 5th round. Coach Prime, battling health problems, has to start over with Kaidon Salter or Julian Lewis at quarterback. He’s trying to rebuild the offensive line around five-star Jordan Seaton and the portal.

Last season, Shedeur Sanders was sacked 40 times, and the Colorado defense ranked 71st against the run. It’s the lack of progress in the trenches that’s holding them back.

Although moving to the Big 12 gives them a renewed chance to be competitive, Colorado isn’t as back as the fanbase thinks, and it remains to be seen whether Coach Prime has staying power in Boulder. One thing is certain though: He’s elevated attention and interest.

Delusion Grade: 83

What about the Ducks?

Duck fans are pretty realistic about the Oregon program. They’ve known adversity and disappointment on big stages. The program has been a consistent winner with relatively few clunker seasons.

The Ducks have won 9 conference championships since 2000 and three Rose Bowls. They’ve been to the national championship game twice and finished in AP Top Ten 11 times. And no, they’ve never won a natty.

Yet Oregon fans are realistic about all this. They’ve remained loyal and enthusiastic through the downturns, filled Autzen Stadium and made it a loud, raucous environment. Oregon has had two losing seasons in 25 years; they’ve won 10 or more games 15 times over that span.

All in all, a successful if not elite program, though they are 35-6 under Dan Lanning. The noise and derision from opposing fans won’t stop until they win a national championship, and even then the references to “Phil Knight’s money” will end never.

Duck fans themselves have a pretty realistic view of the program and they’ve maintained admirable loyalty.

Delusion grade: 39

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Unrivaled announces NIL deals with 14 college players, including JuJu Watkins and Flau’Jae Johnson

INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are three of 14 top women’s college basketball players that Unrivaled is signing to NIL deals, the league announced Saturday. It’s the second consecutive year that the 3-on-3 league that was founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart has had name, image and likeness deals with […]

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INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are three of 14 top women’s college basketball players that Unrivaled is signing to NIL deals, the league announced Saturday.

It’s the second consecutive year that the 3-on-3 league that was founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart has had name, image and likeness deals with college players. In it’s inaugural season, Unrivaled had deals with Paige Bueckers and Johnson.

Watkins, who plays for Southern California but is sidelined with an ACL injury, has also previously been involved with Unrivaled as an investor in its Series A funding round.

Johnson, who is at LSU, and Fudd, at UConn, both were on hand for the announcement, as were Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and UConn’s Sarah Strong.

“Unrivaled is doing something amazing for women sports. It’s a big reason why we’re all here today,” Johnson said at Unrivaled’s pop-up headquarters in Indianapolis. “They’re doing it in the W and really giving us a chance in college to really go at it.”

Other players signed include TCU’s Olivia Miles, UCLA’s Kiki Rice and Lauren and Sienna Betts, Texas’ Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina Ta’Niya Latson and Michigan’s Syla Swords. The players range from sophomores to seniors.

“Just seeing from the first year what (the league) was able to build, you know it’s only going to get better,” Fudd said. “I’m super excited.”

Guard Flau'jae Johnson warms up during practice at USA Basketball...

Guard Flau’jae Johnson warms up during practice at USA Basketball women’s Americup trials, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at the USA Olympics training center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Credit: AP/David Zalubowski

Women’s basketball players have been able to take advantage of NIL opportunities over the last few years with Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Bueckers and Johnson at the forefront of it. Reese played in Unrivaled in its first season.

As part of the initiative, the class will be attending a multi-day event at the league’s headquarters in Miami, which will include skill development and content shoots.

“Our job is to try to bridge the gap between the current stars that are in Unrivaled and the future stars sitting on the stage right now,” Luke Cooper, Unrivaled’s president of basketball operations, said at the announcement. “Everyone that we asked to be a part of this said yes.”

Unrivaled completed its inaugural season this past March, and is gearing up for its second this coming January.



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JuJu Watkins, Flau’jae Johnson, Azzi Fudd Among 14 to Sign Unrivaled NIL Contracts

USC’s JuJu Watkins, LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson and UConn’s Azzi Fudd are among the 14 college stars who have signed new NIL contracts with Unrivaled ahead of its second season, the 3×3 women’s basketball league announced Saturday. UCLA’s Kiki Rice, Lauren Betts and Sienna Betts, Texas’ Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, Notre […]

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USC’s JuJu Watkins, LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson and UConn’s Azzi Fudd are among the 14 college stars who have signed new NIL contracts with Unrivaled ahead of its second season, the 3×3 women’s basketball league announced Saturday.

UCLA’s Kiki Rice, Lauren Betts and Sienna Betts, Texas’ Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, South Carolina’s Ta’Niya Latson, TCU’s Olivia Miles, UConn’s Sarah Strong and Michigan’s Syla Swords also inked contracts with the league.

Johnson previously signed an NIL deal including an equity stake in Unrivaled ahead of the league’s inaugural 2025 season. Her new contract does not include a stake in the league, per ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.

She joined Fudd, Hidalgo and Strong with league representatives in Indianapolis for an announcement made during the WNBA All-Star Weekend, per Winsidr’s Myles Ehrlich.

Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers signed her own deal involving a stake in the league ahead of the 2025 season.

Unrivaled already inked Bueckers to a second deal spanning three years ahead of her selection on top of the 2025 WNBA draft.

According to Andrews, the first year of Bueckers’ Unrivaled deal is expected to pay her more than her entire four-year WNBA rookie contract.

Bueckers is set to earn just over $348,000 on her first WNBA contract if the Wings pick up her fourth-year club option, per Spotrac.

Johnson and Bueckers aren’t the only players to ink new deals with Unrivaled after previous involvement with the league. Watkins joined investors, including Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, in contributing to league’s $28 million Series A investment round last winter, per Sportico’s Jacob Feldman.

Unrivaled ultimately spent more than $7 million on player salaries while making $27 million in revenue during its first season, per Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports. Unrivaled commissioner Micky Lawler told Costabile the league “almost broke even.” 

Unrivaled’s inaugural season featured 36 players split across six clubs of the Lunar Owls, Rose, Laces, Vinyl, Mist and Phantom.

League president Alex Bazzell told USA Today‘s Safid Deen that the league plans to add between six and eight players to the pool in 2026 and expand to multiple other playing sites outside of Miami in the future.

Drawing interest by bringing in some of the top players in college basketball, including the reigning player of the year in Watkins and defensive player of the year in Betts, could help Unrivaled pursue those revenue and expansion goals in the future.



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Veteran Florida OL arrested on multiple charges including felony weapon possession

The Florida Gators are getting ready to start fall camp in less than two weeks, but some eye-opening news has come in on a veteran offensive lineman. That’d be second-year Gator Devon Manuel, who transferred to Florida after previously playing for Arkansas. According to multiple reports, the redshirt senior was arrested a little after midnight […]

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The Florida Gators are getting ready to start fall camp in less than two weeks, but some eye-opening news has come in on a veteran offensive lineman. That’d be second-year Gator Devon Manuel, who transferred to Florida after previously playing for Arkansas.

According to multiple reports, the redshirt senior was arrested a little after midnight on Friday and he’s now facing charges for a misdemeanor DUI and also a second-degree felony for the possession of a concealed weapon. Manuel was arrested in Gainesville on Southwest 34th Street.

Veteran Florida OL Devon Manuel was arrested on Friday and he’s facing multiple charges

According to Graham Hall of 247Sports, Manuel was pulled over and officers quickly smelled an odor to marijuana – he admitted to smoking out of a cartridge. Per the police report that Hall referenced, the arresting officers asked Manuel if he had a card to possess marijuana and he confirmed with them that he didn’t.

On top of that, Manuel also admitted that he had a gun in the car with him. Per Hall, the officers then found a Glock 20 pistol right next to the driver’s seat. Manuel was taken to Alachua County Jail – he was then granted his release after posting bond.

Via On3’s GatorsOnline, a Florida spokesperson released the following statement after the news of Manuel’s arrest was made public: “We are aware of the situation with Devon Manuel. We will gather all the facts and monitor the situation.”

Last season for Florida, his first suiting up for Billy Napier, the 6-7 lineman appeared in three games as a backup for the Gators. The previous two seasons, he played in 10 games combined for Arkansas before he decided to enter the transfer portal.

Manuel was expected to battle for Florida’s right tackle job at fall camp, but we’ll now have to wait and see how Florida and Napier handle his arrest. Not long ago, nose tackle Stephon Shivers was dismissed from the program after being charged with felony false imprisonment.



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