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Obituary

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RIP to Félix Torres, a Puerto Rico native who spent three seasons as a third baseman for the Los Angeles Angels in the 1960s. He died at the age of 93 on August 8. Torres played for the Angels from 1962-1964.

Félix Torres was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on May 1, 1932. He made his U.S. debut in professional baseball in 1955 at the age of 23, but he had made a name for himself in his home country before then. An article at Beisbol 101 by radio broadcaster Angel Juarbe de Jesus gives some of Torres’ early history. He played for the minor-league champion Juana Diaz Poets in 1953 and was the hitting star of the Puerto Rican team that played in the Amateur Baseball World Series in Venezuela later that year. He batted .371 with a home run and 13 RBIs. Torres also reached the top ranks of the Puerto Rican winter league in 1953, appearing briefly with Ponce. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1954-55, batting .241 with 3 homers. In the summer of 1955, he played for the Douglas Trojans of the Class-D Georgia State League, which was part of the Cincinnati Reds organization. Torres was a little older than most of the other players in the league and a little more experienced, and he slashed .285/.360/.498. He hit 36 doubles and 17 home runs, drove in 88 runs and scored 101 times. It seemed like the ideal start to a career in the United States, but Torres played just 6 games for the Savannah Redlegs in 1956. A report on a July 6 game against Macon stated that Torres, playing shortstop, made 3 errors that accounted for all of Macon’s runs in a 3-2 win over Savannah. He had 2 hits in 18 at-bats, including a triple, and then he vanished from the box scores.

Source: The Bayonne Times, July 27, 1960.

What happened to Torres? Baseball Reference’s Bullpen page cites a 1963 Baseball Digest article about Torres. The ballplayer spoke no English and was subjected to racism while playing in the South, so he went home. A 1962 column by Mitch Chortkoff of The Daily Breeze (Torrance, CA) alleges that Torres’ dark skin was a problem for Savannah’s manager, former Cardinals infielder Jimmy Brown. It seems plausible that he left a bad situation quickly and went back to Puerto Rico, where his playing career in the Winter League was starting to take off. He didn’t return to the minors in the U.S. until 1960, but Beisbol 101 fills in some of the statistical gaps of Torres’ career. He was traded to Mayaguez in 1955-56, and while he sometimes struggled to hit for average, he had some good power. He hit .234 for Mayaguez in 1957-58 but homered 4 times and drove in 20 runs. He raised his batting average to .277 in 1958-59, with 5 home runs, and then he moved to Caguas in 1959-60 and batted .289 with 9 homers and 31 RBIs.

Torres returned to the Reds organization in 1960 and joined their International League affiliate, which happened to be the Havana Sugar Kings. Given the geographic makeup of the International League, it seems likely that Torres had an easier time than he did in Georgia. The IL’s teams were located along the East Coast, and the one team in the Deep South was in Miami, which barely counts as a Southern city. By early July, he had 14 home runs. The Sugar Kings were forced to leave Havana in July and relocate to Jersey City, as relations between the U.S. and the Castro regime in Cuba deteriorated. In spite of the turmoil, Torres hit .262 on the season with 18 homers, and then he followed that up with 13 home runs for Caguas in the Puerto Rican Winter League. He played for the Buffalo Bisons in 1961, which was the Phillies’ affiliate in the IL. I could not find the transaction that moved him from the Reds organization to the Phillies. He slammed 24 homers and finished second in the league with 97 RBIs. Buffalo moved into War Memorial Stadium in May, and the park had a 30-foot-tall screen in right field to make up for the short dimensions. Torres banged 3 hits off that steel screen in the first game at the stadium, ending the day with 3 doubles and a single. The Bisons had some bilingual players to help Torres communicate with the team, and he and his manager, Tennessee native Kerby Farrell, got on well. “He caught onto our signs pretty easily, but I’ll tell you one he doesn’t see much, and that’s the ‘take’ sign,” Farrell said. “I like to see him swish that bat. I knew from his play with Jersey City last year that he had a lot of power, but what has surprised me was how well he can field. He’s got a real good arm.”

Source: Buffalo Courier Express, May 15, 1961.

The Los Angeles Angels drafted Torres in the Rule 5 draft in November 1961. Torres was about 20 days shy of his 30th birthday when he made his major-league debut on Opening Day, April 10, 1962, against the White Sox. He went 0-for-4 and then sat on the bench for most of the next two weeks while the Angels tried veteran Eddie Yost and rookie Marlan Coughtry at third base. Torres didn’t start again until April 22, when he doubled off Jim Kaat for his first major-league hit. He became the everyday third baseman in May and hit well over .300 for a time. He slumped for a bit, but then he set an Angels team record with a 15-game hitting streak in June and July. Torres batted .429 during the streak and hit his first 3 major-league home runs. That performance seemed to solidify his spot in the lineup. “It took him a little time to settle down, but he looks like a player now,” said Angels manager Bill Rigney. “He’s developed confidence.” Days after his hitting streak was halted, Torres ended a 14-inning marathon between the Angels and the Baltimore Orioles with a bases-loaded walkoff single off reliever Dick Hall. It was his second RBI single of the game. Torres finished his rookie season with a .259/.306/.392 slash line in 127 games. He hit 11 homers and drove in 74 runs.

Torres’ successful first season came in spite of the fact that the Angels did nothing to help him acclimate to the team. There were no other native Spanish speakers on the team, so Torres couldn’t communicate with anyone, from his teammates to his coaches. The one saving grace was that roommate Leon Wagner had picked up a little Spanish from his time playing winter ball, so he was able to help Torres with a few phrases. “Felix’s situation is not new to me, and I appreciate his problem,” Wagner said. But he couldn’t watch Torres all the time. On one occasion, Torres slept through a wake-up call and showed up at Yankee Stadium 10 minutes before the start of the game. “It doesn’t do any good to leave a wake-up call for him,” Wagner said. “He doesn’t know what the operator is talking about.” Late in the season, the Angels promoted pitcher Julio Navarro to the majors. Navarro, like Torres, was Puerto Rican, though he was bilingual. “Maybe they brought me up as an interpreter,” he joked.

Since he came to the majors so late in his career, Torres’ legs were already bothering him in his sophomore season of 1963. It probably didn’t help that he has essentially been playing baseball year-round for most of his career, with his summers in the U.S. and his winters in Puerto Rico. He had been running quite a bit in the 1962-63 offseason, as he batted an even .300 with Caguas. On November 16, 1962, he had 8 RBIs against the Lobos de Arecibo, tying a league record. Torres hit .261 for the Angels in 1963 with a career-high 121 hits in 138 games. His home run total dropped to just 4, but his 32 doubles were good enough for 3rd in the AL. Torres might have had a 5th home run, but a long fly ball on June 16 in Minnesota was ruled a ground rule double by umpire Joe Paparella. “That’s a lot of mush,” said Twins reliever Don Lee, who was in the Angels bullpen at the time. “That ball cleared the fence by 15 feet, and Paparella knows it.” Torres began 1964 without a spot in the starting lineup. Second baseman Billy Moran moved to third base to make way for rookie Bobby Knoop. Moran was traded to Cleveland on June 11, with the Twins getting Vic Power as part of the deal. Torres and Power split time at third base, and Torres’ hitting slipped noticeably. He hit .231 on the year, but his power stroke returned. He equaled his 1963 total with his 4th home run on July 12. Then he hit 5 more over the rest of the month. He finished the year with 12 home runs but just 28 RBIs. The first 11 home runs that Torres hit in 1964 all came with the bases empty. He didn’t go deep with runners on base until he hit a 3-run shot off Baltimore’s Ken Rowe on September 18. As it turned out, it was his final home run in the majors.

Third baseman Torres gets the ball too late to force Dodgers baserunner Maury Wills during a spring training game. Dodgers coach Leo Durocher watches the play. If you look closely, Torres is wearing a batting helmet while playing third base. Source: Press Telegram, April 7, 1963.

The Angels’ 1965 spring training camp opened with Torres still at home in Ponce. He wanted to return to his role as a regular third baseman, but he wanted a raise. “I have been playing for the Angels for three years at the same salary — $12,500 a year. This year I want $15,000,” he said. The Angels previously had sold Torres’ contract to its minor-league affiliate in Seattle after hearing reports that the ballplayer was considering retirement to tend bar at a tavern he had acquired. Torres never reported to the Angels that year, and the team ended up using the light-hitting Paul Schaal at third base for several seasons. Torres ended his holdout and played for the Seattle Angels of the Pacific Coast League in 1966 and ’67, but he was in his mid-30s and no longer a candidate to be called up to the majors. He hit well in Seattle, with a .275 batting average, 20 home runs and 90 RBIs in 1966. He finished his career in the United States with a .263 average as a part-time player in 1967. Torres continued to play in Puerto Rico, though his playing time decreased. He rejoined Ponce and hit well for a few more seasons, including a .294 average with 7 homers in 1965-66. He retired after the 1969-70 season, which was his 17th season in the Puerto Rican Winter League.

Torres played 3 seasons with the Angels and had a career slash line of .254/.297/.381. He had 61 doubles, 5 triples and 27 home runs among his 302 career hits. He drove in 153 runs and scored 109 times. He also had 589 hits and a .273 batting average in 6 minor-league seasons, with 82 homers. In Puerto Rico, Torres hit .259 with 798 hits, which included 79 home runs.

Not much information about Torres’ post-baseball life is readily available online, but he was not forgotten in Puerto Rico. He won the Francisco “Pancho” Coimbre Award in 2012 and was inducted into the Cagueno Sports Hall of Fame in 2024.

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Jaguars Women’s Track & Field Posts Multiple Top-10 Finishes to Launch Inaugural Indoor Campaign

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December 8, 2025

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AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Augusta University women’s track and field team opened its inaugural indoor season on Saturday at the Visit Winston-Salem College Kick-Off, competing against a deep field of Division I and Division II programs at JDL Fast Track. The Jaguars produced a strong slate of early-season marks across sprints, middle distance, and distance events, highlighted by a top-three 5,000-meter finish from Madison Thomas and multiple top-10 performances.

Sprint Group Opens Season With Strong 200 and 400 Marks

Freshman Madison Mitchell paced Augusta in the 200 meters with a time of 26.15, placing 17th overall. Fellow freshman Taneiha Bowman followed in 26.72. Sophomore Josalyn Branch also opened her season in the event.

In the 400 meters, freshman Ava Adams led the group with a 1:01.25 to finish 13th. Sophomore Janiya England added a 1:03.98 in her season debut. Freshman Thanna Davis delivered Augusta’s fastest 400 of the day, placing 10th in the seeded section in 58.67.

Middle-Distance Athletes Deliver Solid Early Times

Freshman Brie Andrews opened her indoor campaign in the 800 meters, finishing 20th in 2:28.67.

Augusta’s mile group produced one of the most complete team showings of the meet, placing five runners inside the top 25. Freshman Josabeth Graciano led the Jaguars in 5:15.54 for seventh, followed by freshman Caleigh Munro in ninth at 5:19.12. Freshman Gabriella Burton placed 15th in 5:26.02, with juniors Grace Gyetko (5:32.02) and Cheyenne Ryan (5:38.46) rounding out the group.

Distance Squad Secures Five Top-10 Finishes in the 5,000 Meters

Junior Madison Thomas led Augusta with a third-place finish in the 5,000 meters, running 17:49.24. Sophomore Danielle Thayer placed seventh in 18:31.71, followed by sophomore Maria Biondolillo in eighth (19:05.37), freshman Amelia Ogden in ninth (19:14.81), and junior Swaye Mohler in tenth (19:27.44).

Sophomore Ansley Graddy and freshman Elkin Regina also opened their indoor seasons in the event.

In addition to this weekend’s performances, junior Madison Kennedy—reigning PBC Cross Country Runner of the Year—recorded the third-fastest 5K time in Outdoor Peach Belt Conference history this past fall.

Reed Leads Augusta in High Jump

Freshman Jamiya Reed cleared 1.44 meters (4-8.75) in the high jump to finish 14th in her collegiate debut. Freshman Paige Justice also competed in the event.

The team returns to Winston-Salem the following week for the ‘Twas the Meet Before Christmas on Friday, Dec. 12.

Fans of Jaguar Athletics can subscribe to the email listserve by clicking here. Fans can follow Augusta University at www.augustajags.com and receive short updates on Facebook at Augusta University Athletics and on Twitter at @AugustaJags





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Nebraska volleyball advances to Sweet 16 with sweep of Kansas State

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December 8, 2025

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Dec. 7, 2025, 6:30 a.m. CT

Nebraska (32-0) entered the second round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday, taking on Kansas State (18-10). Though the Wildcats put up a fight, the Huskers swept the night (25-17, 25-21, 25-16) to advance to the Sweet 16.

Nebraska struggled at times against the Kansas State defense, the Wildcats posted 14 blocks and 32 digs. This helped KSU stay in each set against the Huskers, even taking the lead multiple times. But Nebraska found itself out in front by the time it reached the red zone, allowing it to get the sweep.

The Huskers finished with 43 kills off 99 attacks for a .253 hitting percentage and posted 48 digs and eight blocks to hold Kansas State to .118 and 27 kills on 102 attacks. Nebraska also delivered seven service aces in the win.





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Devils Begin 2025-26 Season With Victory at SU Kickoff Open

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December 8, 2025

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WINCHESTER, Va. – The Dickinson men’s indoor track and field team opened up their 2025-26 slate in emphatic fashion on Sunday afternoon by winning the Shendandoah University Holiday Kickoff Open inside the James Wilkins Jr. Athletics & Events Center.

Sprints

Franklyn Akabi-During picked right up where he left off last season by winning the 60m with a time of 6.86, while Darian Crim joined him on the podium in third at 7.01. Josh Gould and Dominick Rosini claimed 23rd (7.42) and 33rd (7.68). With hurdles added to the distance Barrett Chalmers and Aidan Coyne hit the line in fifth (9.61) and sixth (9.68). 

Akabi-During nabbed his second win of the day during the 200m thanks to a time of 22.07, followed right behind by Crim who took second at 22.69. Jack Shronk rounded out the Top-5 by crossing in 23.59. Owen Seveland claimed tenth (23.89) as Rosini, Coyne and Chalmers earned 18th (24.98), 24th (25.80) and 28th (26.17).

The trio of Shronk, Sveland and Benjamin Dench competed in the 400m securing eighth (52.67), ninth (53.10) and eleventh (55.07).

Distance

The 800m event was packed with Devils as the duo of Michael Dooley and James Masterson finished one (1:58.70) and two (1:58.92). Sean Harris (2:07.80), Matthew Gareau (2:08.93), Alexander Radishofski (2:09.49), Quinn Chewning (2:10.34), Jack Rickleman (2:11.37), Evan Feldman (2:14.86), Walker Crochet (2:16.09) and Dylan Elder (2:17.09) occupied spots seven through 14.

Two members of the Red and White were involved in the 3000m with Nathan Caldwell grabbing second (8:50.70), while Alexander Kane seized fourth (9:03.67).

Caldwell added another victory to the Devils ledger with a time of 15:09.29 in 5000m, followed by Kane at 15:26.76. Slots six to eleven were filled with Dickinson athletes thanks to Wiley Mulholland (16:38.98), Jacob Sokatch (16:40.39), Jad Jamaleddine (16:50.89), Matthew Colden (16:57.34) and Andrew Edwards (17:00.52). William Kane completed the group of Devils by hitting the line in 17:24.42 for 14th.

Dickinson filled the podium for the mile run as Avi Ghorai won the race in 4:47.45, followed by Crochet (4:50.52) and Griffin McConnville (4:51.54). The trio of Chewning (5th – 4:52.35), Feldman (7th – 4:58.49) and Jack Solovey (8th – 5:00.07) also competed in the event.

Relay

The Red and White put three different teams out for the 4x400m with the group of Akabi-During, Crim, Harris and Seveland taking second (3:29.02). The unit of Dooley, Gareau, Masterson and Shronk clocked in at 3:32.56 for fourth, while Chalmers, Coyne, Crochet and Radishofski earned sixth (3:47.17).

Field

Elder grabbed sixth in the high jump after clearing 1.48m.

Oliver Stroka posted another DC win during the weight throw by dropping down at 15.86m.

Three Devils tried the shot put with Daniel Echeverri grabbing fifth at 11.83m, followed by Stroka in eighth (10.79m) and Elder nabbing 16th (7.97m).

Up Next

Dickinson will next compete after the New Year holiday when they take part in the Moravian University Indoor Meet in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on Saturday, January 17th beginning at 10am.

 



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Point Loma Nazarene wins volleyball regional; Mesa’s season ends with loss

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December 8, 2025

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Third-seeded Point Loma Nazarene will play sixth-seeded Bentley at 10 a.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II women’s volleyball tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D.

PLNU advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for a second straight year Saturday night by defeating Fresno Pacific 3-1  in the Western Regionals championship hosted by the Sea Lions at Golden Gym.

Meanwhile, Mesa College was defeated 3-0 by Feather River College Sunday afternoon in the championship match of the California Community College Athletic Association women’s volleyball tournament in Folsom.

Top-seeded Feather River (36-1) won the state title for the third time in four years. Second-seeded Mesa College (31-2) had won 28 straight matches going into Sunday’s match. The Olympians won the state title in 2023 and lost in the semifinals in 2024.

Feather River swept by scores of 25-12, 25-19, 25-23. Mia Lundberg led Mesa with 10 kills and four digs. Charlotte Underwood had five kills and two digs while Bella Town (Carlsbad High) had five kills and two blocks. Ruby Ennis (Lakeside) had 17 assists and seven digs while Trina Nguyen (Mira Mesa High) had 11 digs.

Point Loma Nazarene (27-4) prevailed Saturday night by set scores of 25-17, 17-25, 25-16, 25-18. Fresno Pacific finished with a 27-2 record, with both losses coming to PLNU in Golden Gym.

Thursday’s match against Bentley (also 27-4) will also be a rematch. PLNU scored a four-set win over Bentley on Sept. 12 en route to winning the Colorado Premier Challenge Tournament in Denver.

Freshman middle blocker Hailey Clark paced PLNU against Fresno Pacific with 14 kills, while senior outside hitter Abigail Nua finished with 13 kills and a block, while sophomore outside hitter Saren Rogers (Victory Christian Academy) had 13 kills.

Junior setter Sophia Baugh had 50 assists and a service ace. Senior libero Macy Reynolds had 19 digs and freshman defensive specialist Hailey Wilson had 18 digs to 17 for freshman setter Jolyna Salas (Tri-City Christian).



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Track & Field Teams Claim 19 Top-10 Finishes

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December 8, 2025

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Men’s Track & Field | 12/6/2025 7:48:00 PM

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

>> The Saint Francis track & field teams opened its indoor season at the Bison Opener. 
>> Saint Francis compiled 19 top 10 finishes.
>> The Red Flash faced the following colleges: Shippensburg, Lock Haven, Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon, Lincoln (Pa.), West Chester, Millersville, Mount St. Mary’s, Penn State, Bloomsburg, and Indiana (Pa.)

FLASH WOMEN NUGGETS

The women’s team accumulated seven top 10 performances.

Olivia Renk finished second in the 200-meter and fourth in the 60-meter on the women’s side. The sophomore clocked in a time of 25.46 in the 200-meter and a 7.72 time in the 60-meter. 

In the women’s long jump, Taylor Foster finished in fifth place in the event with a jump of 5.29m. Foster also claimed eighth place in the women’s triple jump with 10.63m.

Aubrie Wells and Karsyn Ford both finished with 3.25m to tie for eighth place. 

Rounding out the top 10 finishes was Rylee Nicklas taking 10th in the women’s weight throw with a toss of 14.22m.

FLASH MEN NUGGETS

The men’s team registered 12 top 10 finishes on the day.

1-weight throw, 

Jayden Foster took eighth place in the men’s 200-meter dash with a time of 22.81. Meanwhile, Tyler Craft claimed the ninth spot with a time of 37.08 in the 300-meter. Craft jumped his way into second place in the long jump with 6.94m. 

Staying in the meter dashes, James Parmelee (1:10.38) took third and Holden Schreier finished seventh (1:12.90) in the men’s 500-meter. 

Two more Red Flash placed top 10 in the high jump, Ayden Martinage (8th, 1.85m) and Braydon Beach (10th, 1.80m). 

Running over to the pole vault, Dylan Andrews finished with a jump of 4.25 to give himself seventh place.

Clark Gulycz took fourth in the men’s shot put with a mark of 17.07m. 

Saint Francis took another two top 10 finishes, this time in the men’s triple jump. Nehemyah Williams gained third place with a leap of 14.35m. Ian Conway was not far behind him in seventh with 12.54m. 

Vincent Franco finished out the Red Flash in sixth place with a time of 15.94m. 

NEXT UP FOR FLASH

Track & field will next compete at the Wagner College Seahawk Shootout hosted by Wagner College on Friday the 12.

 



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PHOTO: Nebraska volleyball showcases grit in a sweep against Kansas State | Unlimited Sports

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December 8, 2025

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The Nebraska Huskers showed up to battle and proved their grit and capability, adapting to Kansas State’s style of play on Dec. 6, 2025, at John Cook Arena inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Nebraska continued its dominant postseason run and swept Kansas State (25-17, 25-21, 25-16) in front of 8,601 fans. With the win, the No. 1 Huskers advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. 

Nebraska controlled the match, out-hitting Kansas State, .253 to .118, and extending its streak of out-hitting opponents by at least .100 for seven consecutive matches. Nebraska was still tested in many areas throughout the game and had to overcome and adapt under pressure.

“You know, they really challenged us in a lot of areas and thought this was one of the first matches in a while,” said coach Dani Busboom Kelly. “We had to gut it out with our serve and pass and floor defense, which is kind of like classic Nebraska volleyball. And I felt like we handled it really well.”

Juniors Andi Jackson and Harper Murray led the way with 10 kills each, with Jackson having a .533 hitting percentage on 15 swings. Nebraska’s balanced attack featured eight kills from senior outside hitter Taylor Landfair, seven from freshman opposite hitter Virginia Adriano and six from senior middle blocker Rebekah Allick, while junior outside hitter Bergen Reilly was a huge threat on offense with 34 assists. 

Defensively, the Huskers fulfilled their high postseason standard. Nebraska totaled 48 digs, led by Olivia Mauch’s 13 and Laney Choboy’s 12, limiting Kansas State to only 27 kills. Nebraska placed their serves well, which brought them seven aces.

“Our defense hung in there, and just we were ready for long rallies. So, I was really proud of us even when it didn’t feel super clean, like we still we’re just playing Nebraska volleyball,” said setter Bergen Reilly. 

Nebraska will next host No. 16 Kansas in a regional semifinal on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, at 8:30 CST at John Cook Arena inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center.



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