Danny Parkins is reportedly moving to afternoons on FS1; Ian Baker-Finch is stepping away from the microphone; and Jimbo Fisher is joining the ACC Network and ESPN. Plus additional news about Baron Davis, Justin Fuente, Flora Kelly and Dan Steinberg.

Danny Parkins reportedly joining “First Things First” on FS1

As part of an overhaul of its daily lineup, FS1 is reportedly expanding its afternoon program “First Things First” to three hours and adding Danny Parkins as a daily member of the show. Parkins, who was a regular on the now-canceled “Breakfast Ball,” will be working alongside Nick Wright, Chris Broussard and Kevin Wildes in the new third hour of the program, which has been on the airwaves since 2017 and airing in afternoons for the last three years.

Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports was the first to report the news of Parkins’ addition.

Parkins joined FS1 on a full-time basis last year as part of a “Breakfast Ball” cast that included Craig Carton and Mark Schlereth. His move to “First Things First” marks a reunion of sorts with Wright, a friend of his dating back to their college years at Syracuse.

Prior to working in television, Parkins hosted the afternoon drive slot at 670 The Score in Chicago with Matt Spiegel, and he continues to appear on the station for an annual 24-hour radiothon to raise money for cancer research.

Ian Baker-Finch to retire from broadcasting

Longtime CBS golf analyst Ian Baker-Finch announced his retirement on Tuesday, ending a 19 year-run working for CBS Sports. Baker-Finch will work the final two CBS-produced tournaments of the season, ending his broadcast career from the Wyndham Championship on Sunday, Aug. 3.

“Golf has been an enormous part of my life,” Baker-Finch said in a statement. “I was fortunate to compete against the best players in the game and more recently work with the very best in television. To my CBS Sports family–my teammates, producers, directors and crew — thank you for your extraordinary talent, dedication, and camaraderie. You’ve made every moment in the booth a joy, transforming broadcasts into cherished memories.”

Prior to working with CBS Sports, Baker-Finch served as an analyst for ESPN golf coverage and was also a hole announcer for ABC Sports. Upon joining CBS Sports in 2007, he started contributing to broadcasts as both an analyst and hole announcer where he had the chance to commentate alongside broadcasters such as Jim Nantz, Trevor Immelman and Dottie Pepper. Baker-Finch said he has “immense gratitude and pride” for moments that have been shared with colleagues and golf fans around the world and that he is looking forward to new adventures while maintaining his “enduring love of golf.”

“As a major champion during his successful playing career and over three decades in broadcasting, Ian Baker-Finch distinguished himself as one of the most respected and trusted voices in golf,” David Berson, president and chief executive officer of CBS Sports, said in a statement. “As he announces his retirement, we’ll miss his passion, insight, warmth and steady presence on the air but know he will continue to make his mark across the world of golf. Finchy will always be part of the CBS Sports family, and we thank him for being an incredible teammate and friend, and for his immeasurable contributions the past 19 years at CBS.”

Jimbo Fisher to join ACC Network, ESPN

Former Florida State football head coach Jimbo Fisher is joining the ACC Network as a studio analyst, it was announced Tuesday. Fisher, a three-time ACC champion and National Championship winner, will be appear weekly on ACC Huddle where he will appear on a weekly basis alongside host Taylor Tannebaum and analysts Eric Mac Lain and Eddie Royal. EJ Manuel, who was on the program since joining the network in 2019, will be transitioning to a new ESPN studio role in the fall and also maintain a presence on the ACC Network.

In addition to delivering analysis on ACC Network, Fisher is also going to be a college football analyst at ESPN.

“I’m looking forward to joining ACC Network and the Huddle team this season,” Fisher said in a statement. “I’ve always had tremendous respect for this conference, and I’m looking forward to breaking down the action each week with such a talented group.”

Fisher led Florida State to the national championship in the 2013-14 season and accrued a 83-23 record throughout his time with the university. He departed FSU in 2017 to become the head coach of Texas A&M, but was fired within his sixth season with the team. Although Fisher has not resumed coaching since 2023, he joined SiriusXM ahead of the last football season where he worked alongside the aforementioned Manuel and Jacob Hester to host a weekly program on its College Sports Radio channel.

Plus: Baron Davis, Justin Fuente, Flora Kelly, Dan Steinberg

• Former NBA guard Baron Davis has been named the host of “Raiders: Talk of the Nation,” anchoring a 30-minute sit-down interview series analyzing lifestyle, culture and community surrounding the team. Silver & Black Productions is producing the show, which will include “in-depth conversations with a rotating mix of local voices, national media personalities and celebrity guests.”
• Former Virginia Tech football coach Justin Fuente has been named the lead color analyst for TCU Horned Frogs football games airing on the Horned Frog Sports Network. Fuente, who formerly coached at the collegiate level for more than two decades, will work on the radio with play-by-play announcer Brian Estridge and sideline analyst Elvis Gallegos.
• Vice president of ESPN Research Flora Kelly has been promoted to senior vice president of the division. Kelly has been working with the company since 2006 starting as a research analyst and helping the company measure its multiplatform success.
• Digital sports editor and columnist Dan Steinberg announced that he is departing The Washington Post after working for the publication since 2001. Steinberg, who founded D.C. Sports Bog in 2006, said that Wednesday is his final day on the job.

HANOVER, N.H.—The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) announced its academic awards for the 2024-25 season. Dartmouth women’s tennis earned the All-Academic Team Honor while nine student-athletes earned Scholar Athletes honors.

For a team to earn ITA All-Academic Team honors the team must have had a GPA 3.2 or above. Dartmouth is one of 222 team across Division I to be awarded the honor.

Peyton Capuano, Sam Grosjean, Caroline Lemcke, Elizabeth Fahrmeier, Valentina Cruz, Michela Moore, Ujvala Jupalli, Brooke Hess, and Elise Wong each earned Scholar Athlete honors.

For student-athletes to earn Scholar Athlete honors they must have held a GPA of at least 3.5.

ADRIAN, Mich. — After nearly a decade dedicated to Adrian College—as both a student-athlete and an athletic trainer—the Adrian College Athletics Department would like to extend a heartfelt farewell and thank you to Emily Baldus ’21, who will be departing her Athletic Training position this summer for a new opportunity at the college athletics level. Emily is set to move on to Minot, North Dakota where she’ll join the Minot State University Beavers as an athletic trainer.

Emily’s journey with the Bulldogs began as an undergraduate student in 2017-18, where she studied exercise science and played four seasons for the NCAA Softball team. Baldus eventually earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise science in 2021 before continuing her education at Adrian to complete her master’s degree in science-athletic training, where she graduated with her master’s in 2022.

As a certified athletic trainer, Emily provided expert care and support for several Bulldog teams, including Men’s ACHA Division 1 Hockey, Men’s and Women’s Wrestling, Men’s Volleyball, and Acrobatics & Tumbling, among others. Her presence on the sidelines, on the bench, in the athletic training room, and during countless practices and competitions was marked by professionalism, compassion, and tireless dedication.

Her commitment to excellence and passion for athlete care was evident from the beginning, and over the last three seasons, she has played an integral role in the well-being and success of numerous athletic teams on campus. Baldus was also integral in the Men’s ACHA Division 1 Hockey National Championship team in 2024 and the back-to-back Men’s Wrestling MIAA Championships in 2023 and 2024, providing first-class care and support for the winning Bulldog student-athletes and coaches.

Emily’s work ethic never went unnoticed. Whether it was early mornings, long road trips, or late-night treatments, she approached every task with a smile, steady hand, and a genuine concern for the student-athletes she served. Her commitment to Adrian College and its athletic programs has left a lasting impression on coaches, colleagues, and student-athletes alike.

“Emily has been an incredible asset to our athletic department—not only as a highly skilled and reliable athletic trainer, but also as a compassionate, steady presence for our student-athletes,” said Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator, Meg Sharp. “Her professionalism, work ethic, and genuine care for those around her set the standard in every space she entered. Emily will be deeply missed at Adrian College, but we are so proud of her and excited to see the impact she’ll make at Minot State.”

While it is bittersweet to see her go, we are excited to watch Emily take the next step in her career at Minot State University, where she will be primarily working with their Women’s ACHA Division 1 Hockey program and assisting with Football, Women’s Volleyball, Baseball, and Softball, among others. She will begin her new chapter on August 4, bringing the same high standards of care and professionalism that defined her time at Adrian College.

We extend our deepest gratitude and best wishes to Emily Baldus as she embarks on this new journey. Adrian College is better for having had her on our team and will miss her deeply. Once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog.

HADLEY — Posing for pictures, signing autographs and participating in crafts and other activities, Blades, the mascot for the Boston Bruins, and more than 20 University of Massachusetts hockey players, thrilled hockey fans of all ages at the Hadley Public Library Tuesday afternoon.

One of just 12 libraries across the state awarded an hourlong visit from Blades this summer, as part of a long-running partnership with the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and the National Hockey League team, numerous children, and their parents, many wearing Bruins and UMass hockey sweaters, T-shirts and other gear came out to show their love for the sport — and got the added bonus of interacting with the college athletes.

“We’re season ticket holders, so it was nice to see everyone again, and to see the rookies who haven’t yet hit the ice,” said Rylan Waskiewicz, 15, of Sunderland, after making her way around the community room to meet up with Blades and the players.

Joined by siblings Cash, 10, and Mack, 8, the Waskiewiczes had posters signed and got to chat with the players while making bead bracelets and unique Bruins fan buttons, coloring a goalie’s mask and playing a game of Jenga and competing in a tug of war.

“I love seeing a lot of the players, and I liked playing the games and getting signatures,” Mack said.

“It’s kind of like fun to see all the people again, and the new people,” Cash said.

“When You Read, You Score!” is the name of the summer reading program that encourages children to continue reading, with a poster outlining the favorite books for Bruins players and a special library poster featuring Bruins player Jeremey Swayman.

“We want this to be so much fun,” said Celeste Bruno, communications director for the state library board.

Bruno said the idea is to get children motivated to keep reading over the summer and to avoid the so-called “summer slide” that can occur when they are not in school.

The state, Bruno said, received 120 applications from libraries to be part of it. Before coming to Hadley, the state officials and Bruins representatives had been in Russell, where Blades met with patrons at that town’s library.

As the event began, Blades arrived and all the players introduced themselves, and then a Bruins-specific quiz was conducted by Karen Traub of Shutesbury, an MBLC commissioner, before a group photo was taken.

Emily Dattilo, youth services coordinator at the Hadley library, said the special storytime was an opportunity to supplement the regular summer reading program, which has about 100 children participating.

Dattilo said staff had written an essay explaining why the library should be selected, and once they were chosen families, she said, became even more engaged.

The event was expected to be big, she said, both for Bruins fans and because of the popularity of UMass hockey, which won a national championship in 2021.

Among those who came to the event was Jessie Labonte of Chicopee, who brought her son, Brantley, 5. He previously got to stay at the Mullins Center, the UMass hockey team’s home rink, with his Mighty Mites youth hockey team.

On this day, getting to meet Blades and having the college athletes help him color in the goalie’s mask was both a surprise and a thrill for Brantley.

“I was excited,” Brantley said. “This is the best ever.”

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.