First Look
The Chattanooga Mocs have made several new hires leading into a new athletics school year. The highlight is the creation of an NIL Manager position with Jalen Washington taking on the role. Washington joins from Mississippi State and fills a pivotal position in the ever-changing landscape of college athletics.
 
First Thought
“We’re excited to have Jalen on board. His experience and enthusiasm for NIL provide an excellent resource for our student-athletes in this new space as well as welcome guidance on staff.” – Vice Chancellor for Athletics Mark Wharton
 
More Additions
It’s been a busy few months with changes in several areas.

• Equipment: Tom Schultz took on the role of Assistant Athletics Director for Equipment Operations. He comes to the Scenic City from Eastern Kentucky where he had a similar role. Emma Fullington was elevated to Director of Equipment and has the lead role servicing the football program. Collin Stafford was also added as Assistant Equipment Manager coming from Samford.
• Event Operations: Jay Shiltz was elevated to Director of McKenzie Arena and Event Operations. He was invaluable in his previous role assisting with event and facility management.
• Digital Media Services: The MocsVision staff welcomes back one of its own. Former student intern Logan Stapleton joins as Coordinator/Producer. He most recently worked at Newschannel 9 in Chattanooga.
• Golf Player Development Complex: New staff took over the jewel of the golf programs. Superintendent David Patterson moved to Chattanooga to take on oversight of the facility. He was most recently the superintendent at River Hills Golf and Country Club in Valrico, Fla. He welcomes Chris Bilbra to his team as Groundskeeper.

 
Final Word
“Chattanooga is a fantastic place to live and work. We like to think our department is as well. It is vital to our success to keep bringing in the strong, professional people that make such a huge difference in support of our student-athletes and coaches.” – Wharton
 
GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs. Buy officially licensed gear in our online store. The Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook page or Twitter. Find out how to join the UTC Mocs Club and support more than 300 student-athletes by clicking here. Check out the Mocs on the Mic podcast here.
 

 

 

By Mike London

Salisbury Post

MOORESVILLE — Steven Smith is working 40 hours a week (CRP USA in Mooresville) this summer and swinging a wood bat for the Statesville Owls, while he prepares for the biggest challenge of his baseball life.

Smith, a 2021 West Rowan graduate, has finally reached his goal of being a Division I baseball player.

He has signed with Appalachian State, and he is well aware of what playing in the Sun Belt Conference means. It means taking on national-level programs such as Coastal Carolina and Southern Miss. That’s a big step up from his time in the D-II South Atlantic Conference with Emory & Henry. In the SAC, the bullies were Catawba and Lenoir-Rhyne.

Smith, who played the 2022 and 2023 seasons at Caldwell Tech, will be taking advantage of a court ruling on junior colleges that eventually could alter the landscape of college sports.

A lawsuit was brought against the NCAA by Diego Pavia, a Vanderbilt quarterback. A judge was receptive to Pavia’s argument that the years he played junior college ball should not count against his years of NCAA eligibility because junior college offered no meaningful opportunities to earn NIL and no television exposure.

In January, the NCAA announced an eligibility extension for athletes who had played at non-NCAA schools such as NAIA schools and jucos, granting them an additional year of NCAA play for the 2025-26 school year. Things could change down the road, but that policy is in place for now.

“I’d been banking on getting that additional year,” Smith said. “I plan on soaking in every day I get to play for Appalachian State.”

Rowan baseball fans started hearing about Smith when he emerged as a varsity standout for West Rowan back in 2019. He was a sophomore that season and batted .329.

Smith is 5-foot-9, but he’s a strong and twitchy two-way player.

There was a showcase game the summer after Smith graduated from West. Smith played for a team of lightly recruited and un-recruited guys and personally beat a stacked South Charlotte Panthers team filled with D-I recruits in Greensboro. Smith’s team won 2-1. He hit a two-run homer and closed the game on the mound.

Smith has a 90-miles-per-hour right arm, he’s a dependable infielder, and he has stunning power at the plate for someone his size. He would have become a major star in high school, but his junior season at West was derailed by COVID and he got only half of a delayed senior season. Because of the pandemic, his only offers were from D-II and D-III schools, and his dream was D-I.

So he headed to Caldwell Tech, a junior college in Hudson. He thrived for coach Frank Pait. Smith was outstanding at Caldwell Tech for two seasons (2022-23), batting .331 and .367 and totaling 17 homers, 103 runs scored and 77 RBIs. He also went 4-0 on the mound.

Smith moved on to Emory, Va., to play for the Emory & Henry Wasps. He became a starter as a junior in 2024, but experienced modest success. He batted .240 with five homers and 14 RBIs.

Labrum surgery in the summer of 2024, prior to his senior season, threatened to end Smith’s career, but Smith had other ideas.

“When we got started last fall at Emory & Henry, I still couldn’t do very much,” Smith said. “I didn’t play until the last two weeks of fall ball. I was thinking then it would probably  be my last baseball season, so I did everything I could to get ready for it and make the most of it. I was doing physical therapy three times a week and hitting in the cages every day. I worked every day on hitting breaking balls.”

The PT and the cage work paid off. His second season for the Wasps was incredible, probably the best season any Wasp ever has had. Playing third base, Smith tied the school record for RBIs in a season with 58. He broke the program records for runs (53), hits (84) and doubles (22). He batted .420. His 12 homers, were one shy of the program record.

There was a game against Lenoir-Rhyne when Smith went 4-for-5 with four RBIs. He had a 4-for-4 against Tusculum and a five-RBI game against Mars Hill.

He was second team All-SAC and second team All-Southeast Region and he made the SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll in the classroom.

After the court ruling and the NCAA announcement of an extra year, at least for those athletes playing in 2025-26, Smith entered the transfer portal and settled into a summer of playing for the Owls, who are based at West Iredell High School.

The opportunity at App State came through a network of baseball friends and baseball coaches, who have been impressed with Smith over the years.

“Johnny Meadows (a longtime coach in Mooresville) called (East Rowan AD and former coach) Brian Hightower, and Coach Hightower called Ross Steedley, who is an assistant at App State. Coach Steedley played for Hightower at East. App State was interested and when I went up there to visit, I was sold on the program quickly. It’s a beautiful place to play baseball.”

Smith said that after spending 15 minutes with personable App State head coach Kermit Smith, he felt like he’d known him his whole life.

“He reminded me of Coach Pait at Caldwell Tech,” Smith said.

While he had a staggering statistical season in 2025 in D-II, Smith knows he’s still got to keep improving. D-I velocity is going to be greater and the breaking balls and locations will be sharper. He plans to work every day to be ready. He may even pitch some for the Mountaineers, as his arm has come back strong. He can reach the low 90s on the radar gun.

“I’ve never had a weight room to work in like they’ve got at App State,” Smith said. “I’ve never had the level of pitching coach that I’m going to have now. I haven’t peaked yet.”

Smith has played a lot of baseball in one small part of the world. He’s pretty sure it was meant to be this way.

“Caldwell was a hour down the mountain from App State and Emory & Henry was an hour up the mountain from App State,” Smith said. “Now I’ll be right in the middle of where I played the last four seasons and right where I’ve always wanted to be.”

 

Buy Men’s Soccer Season Tickets Here | Championship Fund 
 
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall Men’s Soccer team was picked second in the 2025 United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll, as announced by the United Soccer Coaches on Thursday.
 
The Herd is coming off an appearance in the 2024 College Championship, the second College Cup Final Four and Championship Game appearances in program history.
 
Marshall starts 2025 with a pair of Fan’s First matches at Hoops Family Field against Villanova on August 9 and Radford on August 11 with both contests starting at 7:15 p.m. MU’s first regular season home match is scheduled for August 22 against George Mason at 7:15 p.m.
 
Check out the rest of the 2025 schedule below!
 
2025 Marshall Men’s Soccer Schedule
Aug. 9 Villanova, 7:15 p.m.# (Fan’s First)
Aug. 11 Radford, 7:15 p.m.#
Aug. 15 at Maryland, TBD#
Aug. 22 George Mason, 7:15 p.m.
Aug. 29 Virginia Tech, 7:15 p.m.
Sept. 5 at St. Johns, 7 p.m.
Sept. 9 at High Point, 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 UCSB, 2 p.m.
Sept. 19 Coastal Carolina, 7:15 p.m.**
Sept. 24 at VCU, 7 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Georgia Southern, 7 p.m.**
Oct. 4 Georgia State, 7:15 p.m.**
Oct. 10 Kentucky, 7:15 p.m.**
Oct. 14 Oakland, 7:15 p.m.
Oct. 18 at James Madison, 7 p.m.**
Oct. 22 South Carolina, 7:15 p.m.**
Oct. 26 at Old Dominion, 7 p.m.**
Oct. 31 at West Virginia, 7 p.m.**$
Nov. 4 UCF, 7:15 p.m.**

# = Exhibition

** = SBC action

$ = Mountain State Derby

 

To donate to the Championship Fund for Marshall men’s soccer, please click HERE. All proceeds go directly to the Marshall men’s soccer team.

 

For all the latest information about Marshall men’s soccer, follow @herdmsoccer on Twitter and Instagram.

To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS and Android.

 

—HerdZone.com—

Incoming LSU freshman Bella Hines grew up playing baseball. But around sixth grade, she didn’t want to make the transition to softball. That’s when she decided to try basketball. Turns out it was the right decision. She scored 28 points in her first game.

She credits that successful debut to the time she spent “messing around” at the rec center with her older brother. 

Her first college offer came in 8th grade from NAIA school Northern New Mexico, which at the time was coached by former NBA player J.R. Giddens. She got her first Division I offer from the University of New Mexico during her freshman year at ElDorado High School in Albuquerque.

“I’d say my freshman year was kind of like the big turning point for me,” Hines told CBS Sports. “I was like, if I want to go big in this sport I have to keep putting in the work. So I’d say those are the two years where it really made me realize that I could go far in this sport.”

She continued this trajectory throughout high school and ended up as the No. 23 prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, per 247Sports. Eventually, Hines committed to LSU.

Things moved quickly for Hines, almost too quickly. After a lot of brands started reaching out her junior year about NIL deals, and her dad decided they needed to hire an agent. They found Daveed Cohen with Young Money APAA Sports. Not too long after, Hines became the first high school player to sign with the Jordan Brand. Hines had interest from brands like Nike, Adidas and Under Armour, but when she talked to Michael Jordan’s daughter, Jasmine M. Jordan, she was sold with the Jordan Brand.

“She just made me realize they care more about you as a person than as a player. They’re just a very family-oriented brand. So I just wanted to become a part of that family,” Hines said. “…She’s super cool, very outgoing, very sweet person in general. She’s not on the NIL part of it anymore, but we still have regular conversations. She’s still always there for me, so I really appreciate that.”

Brands reached out and so did multiple colleges. Hines got offers from a lot of well-respected programs, including NC State, TCU, Baylor, West Virginia and Iowa. However, LSU was the one that stood out the most.

“I liked watching Angel (Reese) play,” Hines said. “She’s just had that dog mentality. So I liked watching her, especially when they played like, Iowa, South Carolina. I love watching those games. But the team overall is just so good, and I like to see how coach (Kim) Mulkey coaches. I’ve been watching her since Baylor.”

Hines said she liked the culture of the school when she first visited, and she already had friends on the roster, including Grace Knox, Divine Bourrage, ZaKiyah Johnson and Jada Richard, whom Hines said has taken her under her wing. 

As for Mulkey, Hines bonded with the coach right away.

“Very big personality,” Hines said. “But I’d say I like her personality because I have a very big personality as well. I would say my most memorable moment so far with Coach Mulkey is on my visit when we made my viral Tiktok of me and her doing the gritty.”

Hines finished her high school career as one of the most prolific scorers in New Mexico history with more than 3,000 points. She said she is excited to bring her shooting ability to LSU, but she also wants to make an impact on defense. 

“I feel like the shooting ability is definitely something big. I feel like that’s something a lot of teams need,” she said. “And then, defense I feel like is what keeps you on the floor. If you can play defense, you’ll stay in the game. So I’m willing to sacrifice my body by taking charges and stuff. I love taking charges. So I definitely say that’s one thing I’ll bring to the game.”

Hines said she is inspired by a few different players. She wants to mirror the mentality of NBA legend Kobe Bryant and the games of and young WNBA stars Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers.

Hines would obviously like to follow Bueckers’ footsteps and win an NCAA national title.

“A national championship, for sure,” she said when asked what she wants from her LSU experience. “But I also just want to learn. And like, I want to learn from people above me, The seniors, the sophomores, juniors, everybody. I just want to learn a lot more knowledge for the game, especially playing for Coach Mulkey.

“…And then I also want to make an impact on the youth, too. Especially from where I’m from, not a lot of people make it to where I’m at with LSU. So I definitely want to make an impact back on my hometown, too.”

The 2025 college football season will mark the 11th year of the College Football Playoff and the second year of the 12-team College Football Playoff on ESPN. Alabama leads the way with three national titles in the era, followed by Clemson, Ohio State and Georgia with two a piece. Michigan and LSU have also won a title in the CFP era.

Preseason is all about optimism, so why can’t your team make the Playoff this season? Well, ESPN has ranked the top 32 contenders that could make the College Football Playoff (and possibly win a national title) this season. Check out ESPN’s full list below:

Toughest Games: at Ohio State, at Georgia, at Florida. BetMGM National Title Odds: +500

Texas heads into the first year of the Arch Manning era fresh off a 13-3 (7-1) season and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. The Longhorns won two games in the Playoff before falling to Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. Along with Manning, the Longhorns return big-time playmakers in running back Tre Wisner, wide receiver Ryan Wingo, linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and defensive back Michael Taaffe. Coach Steve Sarkisian‘s team is seeking a third consecutive appearance in the College Football Playoff and its first National Championship since 2005, and ESPN favors the Horns.

Toughest Games: vs. Texas, vs. Alabama, at Tennessee. BetMGM National Title Odds: +700

Georgia finished with an 11-3 (6-2) record in 2024, but fell in the Sugar Bowl due to Carson Beck‘s untimely injury in the SEC Championship Game. Still, ESPN likes the Bulldogs. Quarterback Gunner Stockton has now had an entire offseason to prepare, aided by last season’s leading rusher, Nate Frazier. Georgia did lose its two leading receivers in Arian Smith and Dominic Lovett, but hauled in star receiver Zachariah Branch from USC. The Bulldogs are expected to be right there in the mix back at the top of the SEC and compete for a National Championship this season.

Toughest Games: vs. Texas, vs. Penn State, at Michigan. BetMGM National Title Odds: +525

Ohio State took advantage of the new 12-team College Football Playoff last season and won the National Championship as a No. 8 seed. The Buckeyes lost a ton of production to the 2025 NFL Draft, but still return a strong core led by two of the best players in the sport, DB Caleb Downs and WR Jeremiah Smith. There are still questions at the quarterback position and on defense, but Ryan Day‘s team should be heading into “The Game” this season as locks for the Playoff once again.

Toughest Games: at Georgia, vs. LSU, vs. Tennessee. BetMGM National Title Odds: +1200

The first year of the Kalen DeBoer era in Tuscaloosa was a tad disappointing (compared to Alabama‘s standards), as the Crimson Tide finished with a 9-4 (5-3) record and lost to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. DeBoer’s second team, however, is projected to get back near the top of the college football world as it ventures into the Ty Simpson era at quarterback. Simpson will have talented running back Jam Miller back in the backfield, along with superstar wide receiver Ryan Williams and second-leading receiver Germie Bernard down the field. With a talented defense led by returning linebackers Deontae Lawson and Justin Jefferson, the Tide should be back in the national title conversation this season.

Toughest Games: at Ohio State, vs. Oregon, vs. Indiana. BetMGM National Title Odds: +700

After a surprising run to the College Football Playoff Semifinal last season, Penn State opens its 2025 campaign as a trendy pick to win the National Championship. James Franklin‘s team returns one of the best cores in the country, including its starting quarterback Drew Allar, running back Nick Singleton and a handful of its best defensive players (Zakee Wheatley and Tony Rojas to name a few). The Nittany Lions are seeking back-to-back Playoff appearances and their first national title since 1986.

Toughest Games: at Penn State, vs. Indiana, at Iowa. BetMGM National Title Odds: +900

Of the Top 10 teams in this ranking, Oregon likely enjoys the easiest schedule, thus ESPN is watching it. This comes one season after the Ducks plowed through the Big Ten conference with a 13-0 record and a win in the conference title game. Dan Lanning‘s team, however, will look to bounce back from a disappointing 41-21 loss to Ohio State in its first College Football Playoff Game (Rose Bowl). The Ducks likely aren’t as talented as last season, but should still be back in the Playoff mix this season.

Toughest Games: vs. LSU, at Louisville, at South Carolina. BetMGM National Title Odds: +900

Following a three-year absence, Clemson made an appearance in the College Football Playoff last season but fell in the First Round to Texas. This has marked a return to national relevancy for the program, which returns a strong core and enters the 2025 season as one of the odds on favorites to win its third National Championship of the Dabo Swinney era. With an improved defense and a fourth-year Cade Klubnik, the Tigers seemed poised to be a true threat by season’s end.

Toughest Games: vs. Notre Dame, vs. Florida, vs. Louisville. BetMGM National Title Odds: +3000

Truly, the one eyebrow raiser on this list could be the Miami Hurricanes, but it did haul in a quarterback with College Football Playoff experience in Carson Beck this offseason. That has ESPN interested. If it didn’t suffer a brutal loss to Syracuse in the final week of the 2024 regular season, the Hurricanes would be seeking back-to-back Playoff appearances this year. If it can win just two of its three biggest games against Notre Dame, Florida, or Louisville, Mario Cristobal’s team could put itself in a great position to finally break into the Playoff bubble.

Toughest Games: at Miami, vs. Texas A&M, vs. USC. BetMGM National Title Odds: +1200

Other than an embarrassing home loss to Northern Illinois last season, the 2024 campaign was a brilliant one for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Marcus Freeman’s team landed in the National Championship Game for the first time since 2013, providing a true outlook for the future of the program. Although there are a few question marks on offense, a strong returning defense will have the Irish in a good position to make another trip to the Playoff by the end of the season.

Toughest Games: at Alabama, vs. Georgia, at Florida. BetMGM National Title Odds: +4000

Tennessee enters the 2025 season as one of the biggest questions in the entire conference. Starting QB Nico Iamaleava surprisingly entered the Transfer Portal in the Spring and headed to UCLA, leaving Appalachian State/UCLA transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar as the starter in Knoxville. The ‘Vols also lost their leading rusher in Dylan Sampson and their three leading receivers in Dont’e Thornton, Bru McCoy and Squirrel White, ensuring a blank slate for the offense. Josh Heupel‘s team, however, returns five of its six leading tacklers from last season, ensuring some consistency on that side of the ball.

Teams 11-32

11. Texas A&M Aggies
12. Ole Miss Rebels
13. LSU Tigers
14. Michigan Wolverines
15. Boise State Broncos
16. Tulane Green Wave
17. Kansas State Wildcats
18. Auburn Tigers
19. UNLV Rebels
20. SMU Mustangs
21. USC Trojans
22. South Carolina Gamecocks
23. Oklahoma Sooners
24. Arizona State Sun Devils
25. Florida Gators
26. Kansas Jayhawks
27. BYU Cougars
28. Virginia Tech Hokies
29. Baylor Bears
30. Nebraska Cornhuskers
31. TCU Horned Frogs
32. Texas Tech Red Raiders