Sports

Never far from home

Published

7 months ago

June 10, 2025

Suited up to call a game at the Pittsburgh Pirates’ spring training facility in Bradenton, Florida, May steps into his fourth season as a full-time Major League Baseball umpire. Photo by Ryan Young.

Ben May hadn’t quite reached the major leagues yet, but it felt like it.

The Marquette alumnus scanned his surroundings within the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, laying eyes on the iconic ivy along the outfield wall and the scoreboard that has been hand-turned by a stadium employee since this sports cathedral opened in 1914.

He was living any baseball fan’s dream. And as a professional umpire, he was getting paid to do it.

“I grew up watching Cubs games all my life on WGN,” says May, a native of Racine, Wisconsin. “You step back and picture what it used to look like on TV, the Budweiser roof and the Torco sign. And seeing my number on the manual scoreboard out there, it’s surreal. Just crazy.”

That first game was just a taste; May was working a minor league matchup upgraded to the famed facility. But now, not much more than a decade later, he spends nearly every day from March to October inside baseball’s great venues. After a 14-year journey rising through the ranks, including eight shuffling between Triple-A and the majors, he was hired full time by Major League Baseball in 2022.

“I was hell-bent on becoming an umpire by the age of 18,” says May, who first began officiating Little League as a middle schooler. “And probably by age 10, I came to that idea.”

Marquette connections

May, Arts ’05, comes from a true Marquette family. His father, Jim May, Jour ’64, was recruited to Marquette on a football scholarship. Five of the seven May children graduated from Marquette, with Ben rounding out the group. “I loved Marquette,” May says. “It played an integral role in me getting a job in Major League Baseball.”

But even while pursuing a degree in sociology, he was in tune with his true calling. He belonged behind home plate. “I didn’t really make it a secret that I wanted to be an umpire,” May says. “Even during the summertimes before I was in professional baseball, I was umpiring on the weekends out in southeastern Wisconsin, doing recreational ball.”

One day during his sophomore year, he decided it was time to act. He called his dad and told him he wanted to enroll in an umpire school and attempt to turn a hobby into his livelihood.

“My first thought was, how much does that cost?” Jim May recalls.

Umpire school came with a $2,500 price tag covering everything from tuition to the uniform, and Ben had been saving up to pay for it. So, Jim agreed, but requested he still complete his degree. That recommendation was echoed by those at the Florida-based umpire school Ben chose, especially after his first trip through the three-week program left him outside the select group of graduates (about the top 10 percent) cleared for professional duty.

By the time he received his Marquette degree, he had saved up for another trip to the Sunshine State and a second stab at umpire school. This time he made the cut, but his journey to the majors was just beginning.

Riding the bus

Like other major league umpires, May spent years working minor league games in small cities around the country. When his first major league call-up came in 2014, he jumped at the chance. “I don’t think my feet hit the ground till the seventh inning,” he says. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI/Shutterstock.

Much like ball players, most umpires must pay their dues in the minor leagues before you’ll ever see them calling balls and strikes on national television. This was especially true when May entered the system. Umpires were required to prove themselves on every rung of affiliated baseball, starting out with rookie ball in either the Arizona Complex League or the Florida Gulf Coast League.

Successfully reaching the majors was no promise either; the MLB employs only 76 umpires on a full-time basis. One out of every 100 students who attend umpire school climbs to the top.

So, May endured the transient nature of the job, the constant shuffling from town to town and hotel to hotel, sometimes not knowing his next destination until days before — all in service of a dream. As he puts it, he was resolute in his determination, knowing the sacrifices that would come with it.

“Living in Wisconsin, the summertime is when everybody hangs out and does everything. Not me,” May recalls. “I’m hearing from all my friends, ‘Oh we did this! The Fourth of July was great. Wow, this concert was awesome.’ I missed it all, but I signed up for that.”

That commitment was rewarded when he got the call for his first major league assignment, a doubleheader between the Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins on April 17, 2014. He battled nerves and the weather — Minneapolis was a balmy 29 degrees that day.

“I don’t think my feet hit the ground until the seventh inning,” May says.

The right call

May, who lives in Milwaukee, was driving down Water Street with his wife when he finally got the call offering a full-time position in 2022. By then, he’d been receiving regular short-term call-ups to the majors, learning to handle the pressure of calling balls and strikes behind the plate in giant ballparks and going face-to-face with angry MLB managers.

He’s now considered one of the most reliable in the game. May was ranked among the top 10 umpires in accuracy as part of a 2018 study conducted at Boston University, an endeavor that required researchers to pore over 350,000 pitches from the previous regular season. Umpire Scorecards, an online platform that measures the accuracy, consistency and favor of umpires, graded May in the 93rd percentile for accuracy and 97th percentile for consistency during the 2024 season.

“I’ve been afforded so many opportunities because of this job to go to different parts of the world and get paid to do it.”

Ben May

His strong performance has brought added opportunity. He was on the left field line for his first MLB All-Star Game in 2024 and has worked each of the last three postseasons. He entered a heated rivalry for his first playoff game behind the plate, a duel between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. “That was one of my proudest moments,” May says.

He’s umped games in Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Germany and most recently in Japan, when the country hosted the World Baseball Classic. “It’s one of my favorite parts of the job,” May says of the travel. “I’ve been afforded so many opportunities because of this job to go to different parts of the world and get paid to do it.”

In addition to developing a thick skin, May has earned a stellar reputation at the plate, ranking in the top 7 percent among his peers for accuracy and top 3 percent in consistency. He has worked the last three postseasons and joined the officiating team for the 2024 MLB All-Star Game. Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images.

New-world baseball

Advances in technology have made it easier than ever to criticize May and his colleagues. Fans at home can spot missed calls on their high-definition televisions, and managers can now ask for a video review to check whether an umpire’s initial call was correct. America’s time-tested pastime has evolved for the 21st century.

“It’s made our jobs a little bit nicer when it comes to not making us the story,” May says of the video reviews. “The other side of it is that when you’re overturned, it’s just about the most humiliating thing that can happen to you. It’s like your pants are around your ankles in front of 40,000 people. You find your humility quick.”

The misses stick with you. May still loses sleep thinking through his performances, especially when he’s positioned behind the plate. You’re on display just like the players, except no one is hooting and hollering for you when you succeed. Well, almost no one.

A dozen of May’s family members were watching from the stands, enjoying a rare opportunity during the 2019 season to see him work in Milwaukee’s American Family Field. The game was tight, with the Brewers facing a one-run deficit, when May called a member of the Crew out on a bang-bang play.

The replay team was summoned as boos rained down from the crowd. They scrutinized each angle, digging for conclusive evidence that the tag was applied in time.

Turns out, May was right.

“What did my family do?” Jim May remembers. “Stand up and cheer. All the folks around us were like, ‘What are you doing? I thought you were for the Brewers!’”

Sports

Volleyball Legends codes: Full list of codes for January 2026

Published

9 minutes ago

January 7, 2026

Your Sports Nation

If you’ve ever wanted a Haikyu!! game in Roblox, then Volleyball Legends is for you, and with our codes, you’ll be able to dominate the court.

Based on the hit Volleyball manga and anime Haikyu!!, Volleyball Legends is one of the biggest sports games on Roblox.

These codes will mostly get you Spins, but if you’re after some other codes, you may want to check out our pages for The Forge, Blox Fruits, Fruits Battlegrounds and even Fortnite Steal the Brainrot.

But if you’re here for Volleyball Legends codes, you can read on for the full list of available codes that you can redeem right now.

Volleyball Legends codes: Full list of codes for January 2026

Here is a full list of available codes for Volleyball Legends in January 2026:

Active codes

UPDATE_51 – 5x Lucky Style Spins
SET_DUMP – 5x Lucky Style Spins
NEW_YEAR – 5x Lucky Ability Spins

Expired codes

HAPPY_HOLIDAYS
JINKO_CLAUS
UPDATE_50
UPDATE_49
BAN_CHALLENGE
FREE_ABILITY_SLOT
UPDATE_48
SEASON_X
WINTER_IS_HERE
PITY_FIX
UPDATE_47
2_BILLION
KAZANA_BACK
UPDATE_46
CHALLENGE
HAKKA_NERF
ULTRA
CLONE
UPDATE_45
BUG_FIXES
MASTERY_2
UPDATE_44
1V1
SEASON_9
UPDATE_43
HOTFIX
MASTERIES
KISUKI_BUFFED
TAICHOU_WINNER
UPDATE_41
PLAYERCARDS
SECRET_CARDS
UPDATE_40
ROBO_ARM
HIDARI_GOAT
SPOOKY_MONTH
TWINS_RETURN
UPDATE_39
UPDATE_38
FALL_SEASON
BECOME_SPIDER
YOGAN_BUFF
3M_FAVS
UPDATE_37
ANGRY_MAN
300K_CCU
UPDATE_36
TSK_RETURNS_WOO
GOAT_SETTER_RETURNS
UPDATE_35
UPDATE_34_BALANCE
EXTRA_TOUCH_BUFF
NEW_STYLE_SOON
PROTORI_100K_CLUB
SCHOOLS_BACK
INDOOR_COURT
UPDATE_33_EVIL
UPDATE_33_GOOD
CURVE_SPIKER
2RAINBOWSTATS
UPDATE_32_JINKO
VOTE_BLOXY
UPDATE_31_W
EXTRA_TOUCH
BLAME_DONDRED
FREE_SLOT_HERE
TSH_RETURNS
UPDATE_30
BIG_HUGE_UPDATE
SOME_ABILITY_SPINS
DON’T_TAP_THE_GLASS
SEASON_6_GRIND
MIKAGE_W
MIKAGE_GOATED
1_BILLION_VISITS
UPDATE_28
NEW_ABILITY
1MILLION
MATCHMAKING_PLS_WORK
UPDATE_27
UPDATE_26
NEW_STYLE
KAZANA_COMING
SPINS
BONUS_SHELL
BONUS_YEN
VOLCANO_SEASON
2M_MEMBERS
UPDATE_25
UPDATE_24
900K_MEMBERS
QOL
PROTORI_50K
UPDATE_23
TAICHOU_YEN
TAICHOU_SHELLS
TAICHOU_SOON
PROTORI_YT
800K_MEMBERS
ABILITY_FIX
700M_VISITS
UPDATE_22
UPDATE_21
650M_VISITS
2M_FAVS
750K_MEMBERS
1_MIL_FAVS
5M_FAVS
6M_M_MEMBERS
7M_FAVS
100M_VISITS
10MIN_DELAY
180K_FAVS
1M_LIKES
250K_MEMBERS
350K_MEMBERS
400M_VISITS
40M_VISITS
50M_VISITS
600K_MEMBERS
AURA
BACK_TILT
BALANCE
BLOCKING
DELAYED
EASTER
FAST_MODE
GODLY_BLOCKER
KIMIRO_ABILITY
KIMIRO_BLOCK
KIMIRO_BOUNCY
KIMIRO_HEIGHT
KIMIRO_OUT
KIMIRO_SET
KIMIRO_SPEED
KIMIRO_SPIKE
KIMIRO_THICK
MADNESS
MOBILE_FIXES
NEW_TIMESKIP
OP_LIBERO
PRACTICE_AREA
PROTORIONTWITTER
RANKED_FIXING
SEASON_3
SECRET_ABILITY
SHIELD_BREAKER
SHUTDOWN_CODE2
SILLY_POTIONS
SUPER_DIVE
TWINS_ARE_HERE
TWINS_REWORK
UPDATE_20
UPDATE_19
UPDATE_18_CRYSTALS
UPDATE_18
UPDATE_17
UPDATE_16
UPDATE_15
UPDATE_14
UPDATE_13
UPDATE_12
UPDATE_5
UPDATE_4

How to redeem codes in Volleyball Legends

Redeeming your Volleyball Legends codes is simple, and only requires following these quick steps:

Launch Volleyball Legends in the Roblox client
Hit the ‘Shop’ icon at the bottom of your screen
Hit the ‘Codes’ icon on the left-hand side of the menu
Type or paste your code of choice into the text box
Hit ‘USE CODE!’ to redeem
Enjoy your rewards!

Just be aware that, in order to use codes, you must first reach Level 15 – any codes used before reaching this level will not work!

Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

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Sports

Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield sheds light on Una Vajagic’s departure

Published

25 minutes ago

January 7, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Updated Jan. 6, 2026, 6:00 p.m. CT

MADISON – In the wake of Wisconsin’s Final Four run and heartbreaking loss to Kentucky, Kelly Sheffield’s hope was to have a moment to embrace the season before addressing players’ futures upon the team’s return to Madison.

The 13-year Wisconsin volleyball coach, sitting in his Kellner Hall office, could envision in an ideal world “taking a deep breath, for the coaches to have a bourbon, for the kids that are 21 to probably share in one as well and our younger ones to have a Shirley Temple – whatever it is that they have, a Diet Coke – and just toast each other and say, ‘Damn, that was fun, that was unbelievable.’”

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Sports

Volleyball signs six freshmen for 2026 season

Published

41 minutes ago

January 7, 2026

Your Sports Nation

HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech volleyball coach Cindy Pindral announced six incoming freshmen to the team for the 2026 season. Outside hitter Reagan Lesley from Clinton Township, Mich., middle blocker Laney Knaack from Waunakee, Wis., setter Ella Maxwell from North Aurora, Ill., outside hitter Kayla Heinonen from Delano, Minn., defensive specialist Natalie Leach from Burlington, Wis., and outside hitter Mia Hahn from Fairbanks, Alaska have all committed to continuing their education and playing careers at Tech in the fall.

“This is a very exciting and dynamic signing class that will bring a lot of energy and skill to our roster,” Pindral said. “Each of these student-athletes have earned high accolades during their prep careers, and I have no doubt that they will each leave a positive mark on our program.”

Reagan Lesley – Outside Hitter / Clinton Township, Mich.

Reagan is a 5-foot-10 outside hitter from Clinton Township, Michigan. She was a four-year starter on varsity and two-time captain for Chippewa Valley High School, where she led the Big Reds to three consecutive conference championships. She was the 2024 MVP/Player of the Year for her conference. Reagan was a three-year All-Conference First Team selection, two-time First Team All-County and four-year All-State Academic Student. In her Senior season, Reagan was named All-Region and broke Chippewa Valley’s 29-year-old kills record with over 1,400 kills and led her team to its first district championship since 2014. She played club for both Michigan Elite and Unified. Reagan will be pursuing a degree in business.

Laney Knaack – Middle Blocker / Waunakee, Wis.

Laney is a 6-0 middle blocker from Waunakee, Wisconsin. She has been the starting middle for Waunakee High School varsity, as well as for Sting United and Madtown 18-1s national club teams. During her senior season, Waunakee was ranked fourth in the state in Division 1, went 41-9-0 overall, and made it to the Wisconsin State semifinals. Waunakee also won its conference in her junior and senior years. In her senior season, Laney earned Honorable Mention All-State Badger-Large Conference, Second Team All-Conference, ranked second in the conference in hitting percentage, and fourth in blocks. Laney will be pursuing a degree in business.

Ella Maxwell – Setter / North Aurora, Ill.

Ella is a 5-8 left-handed setter from North Aurora, Illinois. She was a three-year starter for West Aurora High School and the captain of the team in her senior year. She received Upstate Eight Conference Player of the Year honors in 2025 and was a three-time All-Academic Varsity Scholar. Ella led her team to a Conference Championship in 2024 and a runner-up finish in 2025, which marked the first time the school advanced past the first round of regionals in 2019. Ella hit the 1,000-career assist mark in her senior season with 600 assists as her season total. She also played for Club Fusion Volleyball Club for six years and was a JVA-Watchlist member in her junior year. Additionally, Ella was a State Qualifier in track and field for the 4×400 relay in 2023 and 2024. She earned All-Conference and All-Academic honors in track and field in 2023 and 2024. Ella will be pursuing a degree in business at Tech.

Kayla Heinonen – Outside Hitter / Delano, Minn.

Kayla is a 5-8 outside hitter from Delano, Minnesota. She was a four-year varsity player for Delano High School and attended the Minnesota State Tournament in two of the four years. She was voted All-Conference and won the team’s Leadership Award in each of the last three seasons. In her Senior season, Heinonen held Delano’s highest hitting percentage and earned an All-Tournament team spot at the AAA Showcase Tournament. She plays for Crossfire Volleyball Club at the Elite level. Kayla also had three state appearances for Delano track and field. She will be pursuing a degree in either business or kinesiology/integrative physiology.

Natalie Leach – Defensive Specialist / Burlington, Wis.

Natalie is a 5-5 defensive specialist from Burlington, Wisconsin where she was a three-year letter winner for Burlington High School and played club for VC United. Natalie helped lead her team to Conference Championships in the 2023 and 2025 seasons and was a State Qualifier in WIAA Division 1 in her 2023 season. She was named team captain in her senior season and led the Demons with 4.2 digs per set, and earned First Team All-County and Honorable Mention All-State recognition. Natalie was named to the WVCA All-Academic Team in all three eligible seasons and named First Team Best and Brightest by AVCA for her senior season. She plans to major in engineering.

Mia Hahn – Outside Hitter / Fairbanks, Alaska

Mia is a 5-11 outside hitter from Fairbanks, Alaska, where she was a two-year letter winner for Lathrop High School. Mia was named MVP and First Team Middle Alaska Conference All-Conference while helping her team to a 4A State Tournament Quarterfinal appearance in the 2025 season. She led the conference in kills and earned multiple All-Tournament awards, including Best Attacker at the Whaler Invitation in Barrow, Alaska. Mia competes with Alaska Elevate Volleyball Club and was recently selected as one of the top 12 players in the state of Alaska to represent the Alaska U.S. Team at the 2026 Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse, Yukon, where she will compete against Canadian provincial teams and international programs including Norway and Finland. Prior to Lathrop, Mia competed for Kaiserslautern High School (Germany) and earned All-Euros Tournament Team honors as a sophomore. She plans to major in business while at Tech.

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Sports

2026 Men’s Track & Field Season Preview

Published

1 hour ago

January 7, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Over his first two campaigns, Caleb Smith has produced successful efforts in the heptathlon and decathlon events. He broke the school record in the heptathlon, posting his best total of 4,952 points to win the Middlebury Winter Classic. A few weeks later, Smith paced the event at the Division III New England Championships to earn all-region accolades and qualify for the NCAA Championships. He translated that success to the decathlon, winning the title at the Carla Coffey Invitational and Williams’ Farley Interregional Extravaganza. He garnered All-NESCAC accolades with a third-place showing in the high jump and claimed all-region honors in the decathlon.

Sam McGarrahan returns after a superb season in the field events. He qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the high jump, clearing the bar with the 18th-best height at 1.95 meters. McGarrahan topped the podium in the event during the Division III New England Championships, soaring to a school-record effort of 2.05 meters. He also set the program mark in the long jump, leaping 6.81 meters at Middlebury’s New England Small College Invitational. McGarrahan became the NESCAC Champion in school-record fashion in the high jump (2.00 meters) and recorded a third-place leap in the long jump. His high jump efforts outdoors earned him all-region honors.

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Sports

Multiple athletes earn all state volleyball honors

Published

1 hour ago

January 7, 2026

Your Sports Nation

For the first time since the 2018-2019 season, all three schools advanced past the Area round of the playoffs. Archer City and Holliday both were Regional Semifinalists, while Windthorst was a State Semifinalist for the fourth-straight season. With that success comes state recognition Holliday senior Jordan Peters closed out her final season as a Lady Eagle with an All-State honor from the Texa…

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Sports

Cedar Rapids wrestler chases her dream, from a volleyball player to a young star in the sport

Published

4 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Your Sports Nation

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – When Maggie Peters is home, she’s locked in.

She lifts weights at a gym in her hometown of Cedar Rapids. But it’s not just for strength – it’s for safety.

“One things goes wrong, and you’ve got people’s lives in your hands,” she said. “I mean, you don’t want to drop somebody on their head.”

But more often than not, Peters is on the road. Her sport is professional wrestling.

She’s performed performed in front of thousands in arenas and on television. Her fights may be scripted, but her dream of reaching WWE is real.

Peters has a background in volleyball, playing at Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Kirkwood Community College and Mount Mercy. But her dream has always been in the wrestling ring.

“I wanted to do it right when I started watching I wanna say I was eight or nine I would just go wrestle on my trampoline,” Peters said.

She went from the volleyball court at Mount Mercy to a wrestling school in Davenport.

“We would have a show on a Thursday night, so I would leave class early,” said Peters. “But at that point, I will say, my senior year was my worst year of school. Once I got the wrestling training done, I was like, ‘ooh, this is what I want to do.’”

In professional wrestling, the winner and loser are predetermined, unlike traditional sports.

“Pro wrestling, I will say, is like a dance,” Peters said.

But there’s nothing fake about the pain wrestlers endure, what they call “bumps.”

“Any time you get put down on the mat, you’re taking a bump. You’re hitting the top of your back,” Peters said. “Higher on your neck, sometimes, (is) not good.”

Maggie wrestles in independent shows across the Midwest under the ring name Maggie Lee. She also performs in front of thousands in TNA Wrestling as the villainous character “M By Elegance.”

“Yeah, I do like being the bad guy,” Peters said. “I’ve worked a mix of both the bad guy and the good guy on the independents. But everybody was like, ‘you look more like you as the bad guy.’ I was like, ‘gee, thanks,” Peters said.

TNA – Total Nonstop Action – is high-level televised professional wrestling, one step below WWE.

“I actually really love the whole TV aspect. It’s very organized. Being able to see myself on TV is really cool,” Peters laughed.

Maggie hopes a full-time contract with WWE is next. She’s banking on it, writing a card to her mother labeled “open when I’m in the WWE.”

“And it was one of many letters. I made them for her birthday,” Peters said.

When asked about the letter’s contents, Peters said she doesn’t remember what she wrote as a girl.

“I don’t even remember what’s in it, so I’m kind of like scared,” she said. “When she does open it, I feel like it’s going to be a big deal and I might get embarrassed.”

Sometimes she’s flying high, sometimes she’s taking bumps.

Either way, she’s racing towards her dream.

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