The San Francisco Giants had an awful day on Tuesday, but there was more enjoyable action for their Minor League Baseball affiliates. So let’s talk about those teams instead!
All listed positions in the roundup are the positions played in that particular game.
A few small pieces of news. Notably, the organization swapped a pair of catchers, with Drew Cavanaugh moving from High-A Eugene to AA Richmond, and Onil Perez (No. 37 CPL) flying the other way across the country. I’m not entirely sure what to make of that move. Cavanaugh has been having a brilliant season and Perez hasn’t been great since a recent promotion, but it still doesn’t feel like the move is merit-based. My guess is it’s more about trying to get consistent playing time behind the dish for Perez, who hadn’t been catching much in Richmond due to the presence of Adrián Sugastey (No. 38 CPL).
The Giants assigned a pair of recent draftees to Low-A San Jose: middle infielder Lorenzo Meola, their 4th-round pick, and outfielder Cameron Maldonado, their 7th-round pick. To make space for those two, utility player Ryan Reckley (No. 35 CPL) was assigned to the ACL (which is playing unofficial post-season games), while catcher Nomar Diaz, the organization’s 14th-round pick in 2022, was released.
AAA Sacramento (63-58)
Sacramento River Cats beat the El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres) 4-3 (10 innings) Box score
The Giants and Padres faced off at both the Major League and AAA levels on Tuesday, and while we all would preferred that it was the MLB team winning, we’ll have to settle for their affiliate instead.
It was an exciting walk-off as well, with the River Cats tying the game in the bottom of the 9th inning, and walking it off in the 10th when, after they loaded the bases, shortstop Osleivis Basabe (who hit 1-3 with a walk and a strikeout) smacked a sacrifice fly to send the crowd home happy.
It wasn’t the only big swing of the bat for Sacramento, as right fielder Luis Matos had a lovely day, hitting 2-5 with a pair of doubles and a strikeout, with one of his doubles tying the game and sending it to extra innings.
Matos has been swinging the bat well lately, and you’ve got to think the Giants are considering bringing him back to the Majors at some point soon. The all-lefty “platoon” of Drew Gilbert and Grant McCray seems a little meaningless, and a waste of potential development time for McCray, who is rarely playing. Matos has been benefitting from playing every day in AAA, and now has a 4-game hit streak going, during which time he’s gone 7-18 with a home run, 3 doubles, and just 2 strikeouts. Maybe that’s given him the rhythm he needs.
Designated hitter Jesus Rodriguez and catcher Sam Huff both had nice games, with the former hitting 2-4 with a walk, and the latter 1-3 with a double and 2 walks. Rodriguez hasn’t been lighting the world on fire since coming over in the Camilo Doval trade, but has certainly shown flashes of his tremendous bat and zone control. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Rodriguez, who has operated solely as a DH since the trade deadline due to a minor injury, is scheduled to make his Sacramento catching debut on Saturday. Huff has been on a tear since returning from injury, hitting 10-36 with 6 extra-base hits, 8 walks, and 9 strikeouts since re-joining Sacramento. He would seem a logical choice should the Giants choose to run with 3 catchers when rosters expand next month, though he’ll need to be added back to the 40-man roster.
First baseman Bryce Eldridge (No. 1 CPL) didn’t do too much, as he hit 1-4 with a walk and a strikeout, while also getting picked off. The walk he drew was intentional, to set up a force play late in the game.
And some bad news: left fielder Marco Luciano, who hit 0-1 but drew 2 walks, left the game with a limp. You hate to see that, especially since he seemed in play to get a look at some point soon.
It was a good game on the mound, with a decent start from RHP Trevor McDonald (No. 15 CPL). McDonald labored through the 1st inning, when he allowed all 3 runs that El Paso would score. But he settled in after that, pitching 5 shutout innings to end with a very respectable line: 6 innings, 5 hits, 1 walk, 1 hit batter, 3 runs, and 7 strikeouts. McDonald only has a 5.25 ERA and a 5.43 FIP on the year, but he’s been much batter lately. In his last 4 starts, the 24-year old has thrown 23.2 innings and allowed 19 hits, 9 walks, and 7 earned runs, with 27 strikeouts. He’s on the 40, so don’t be shocked if he gets a look in September.
After McDonald came veteran RHP JT Brubaker, who made his organizational debut and tossed 2 shutout innings, giving up 2 walks while striking out a batter. And then it was the pitching star, RHP Miguel Díaz, who tossed 2 perfect innings with 2 strikeouts, which included stranding the Manfred Man in the 10th inning and setting up the walk-off win. The 30-year old has been utterly lights out lately: in his last 11 appearances, he’s thrown 14.2 innings and allowed a mere 10 hits, 6 walks, and 1 run, while striking out 13.
A shutout for the Flying Squirrels, so you know it was a good pitching day. It was certainly a group effort, though, with 4 pitchers combining to put up the donut, and getting a fair amount of help from their defense as well.
Kicking things off was RHP Shane Rademacher, who had his best start since getting promoted to AA. An undrafted free agent from 2023, Rademacher had a dominant season with High-A Eugene, but had gotten blown up in his 1st 3 starts with Richmond. His 4th went very differently, as he allowed 5 hits and 1 walk in 4.2 shutout innings, while striking out 3.
There are certainly concerns about how well Rademacher can maintain success at this level, and especially at the 2 higher ones. For as majestic as his walk rate (1.9 per 9 innings) has been this year, there aren’t many players who succeed at the highest levels with his strikeout rate (6.2 per 9 innings). And the ones who do succeed are normally groundball pitchers, which Rademacher most certainly is not.
That’s not to put an ugly spin on what has been a really fantastic season for the 24-year old. Just a reminder as to how much needs to go right for a prospect to make the show.
Rounding out the shutout was LHP Chris Wright and RHPs Cameron Pferrer and Tyler Vogel. Wright has been pitching really well lately, as he seeks to return to AAA after missing all of the 2024 season — and much of 2025 — due to injury. As for Vogel, the team’s 12th-round pick in 2022, he’s now up to 6 games in AA and still hasn’t allowed a run!
A handful of decent games in the batters box. Catcher Drew Cavanaugh made his AA debut and hit 1-3 with a double, a walk, and a strikeout.
And with that, he earns the remarkable distinction of playing for all 4 of the organization’s A-Ball affiliates in the same season without any of them being rehab assignments (though his time in AAA was as an emergency fill-in, but still). What an amazing and cool year it’s been for the 2023 17th-rounder, who has an .879 OPS and a 140 wRC+ across the 4 levels. It will be interesting to see how much catching he does in AA as the season winds down, as that will give us a little more intel into what went behind the move for he and Onil Perez to swap places.
Third baseman Dayson Croes is also fairly new to the level, and he hit 1-3 with a double and a sacrifice fly. It was his 10th game with Richmond and he’s been absolutely fabulous, with a .970 OPS and a 178 wRC+. What an awesome debut season for the 25-year old.
Designated hitter Bo Davidson (No. 11 CPL) continues to both show why he’s emerged as one of the top prospects in the system and why the move from the Northwest League to the Eastern League is so hard, as he hit 1-4 with a triple but struck out 3 times. He’s showing a lot but also having a fair amount of struggles since a recent promotion, and I recommend reading Roger Munter’s latest mailbag for a little deeper dive into what that transition has been like for Davidson.
A really nice day for center fielder Turner Hill, who hit 3-4 and added an outfield assist. He has a .760 OPS and a 126 wRC+ this year, which constitutes a very successful season.
All in all, a game that was a reminder as to how much the Giants have excelled at finding diamonds in the rough lately. Look at all the players we just mentioned: Davidson, Hill, Rademacher, Croes, and Pferrer were all undrafted free agents, Cavanaugh was a 17th-round pick, and both Wright and Vogel were 12th-round picks. Impressive!
High-A Eugene (68-47)
Eugene Emeralds beat the Hillsboro Hops (D-Backs) 7-2 Box score
Not the most eventful game, despite the 7 runs, 6 of which came in the 7th inning. The most impressive swing of the bat came much earlier, though, when first baseman Charlie Szykowny (No. 43 CPL) launched a solo homer in the 1st inning to get the party started.
Szykowny, who finished the day 2-4 and knocked in 3 runs, has been on quite a power tear lately, which is to say over the whole summer. His big 2024 didn’t translate into a strong start to the 2025 season, as through April and May he hit just 37-167 with 4 homers. But since the start of June? The 25-year old lefty has hit 77-265 with 13 big flies, and has seen his OPS rocket up to .785 and his wRC+ to 111. Add in a sub-20% strikeout rate, and it seems all but certain that the 2023 9th-round pick will begin 2026 in AA.
Third baseman Parks Harber was the only other Emerald with a multi-hit game, as he went 2-4 with a strikeout. Since coming to the Giants in the Camilo Doval trade, Harber, a 2024 undrafted free agent who hits right-handed, has hit 8-27 with 3 extra-base hits, 7 walks, and 8 strikeouts.
A tough day for catcher Onil Perez (No. 37 CPL) in his return to High-A, as he went 0-4 with a strikeout and an error.
A solid day on the mound, which began with a nice start from LHP Charlie McDaniel, who continued Tuesday’s theme of quality games from undrafted players. The 24-year old Presbyterian product pitched 5 strong innings, allowing just 3 hits, 0 walks, 1 hit batter, 2 runs, and 1 earned run, while striking out 4. This is McDaniel’s debut season, and he was awesome to begin the year with Low-A San Jose, where he accumulated a 2.59 ERA and a 3.27 FIP. The transition up a level has proven quite difficult for him, understandably, as he allowed 16 earned runs in 11.2 innings in his 1st 3 games with Eugene. But Tuesday was his 4th game and it was a massive step in the right direction.
Speaking of steps in the right direction, RHP Liam Simon relieved McDaniel and tossed 2 shutout innings, allowing just 1 hit while striking out 1. Simon, the team’s 5th-round pick in 2022, started the year late after yet another injury setback … and he began the year having thrown just 42.2 innings in the 1st 3 years of his career. It’s been a slow process to try to wash the rush away, but Tuesday was a big step forward, and also just the 2nd time that Simon has thrown 2 innings in a game since May 2023.
Low-A San Jose (75-40)
San Jose Giants lost to the Fresno Grizzlies (Rockies) 8-5 (11 innings) Box score
A bit of a funny game for the Baby Giants. They lost in extra innings, but provided some silly excitement in the 9th inning, when they tied the game with not 1, but 2 bases-loaded walks.
The excitement in San Jose was that a pair of players made their professional debuts, and that’s always so exciting. Second baseman Lorenzo Meola, the team’s 4th-round pick in July, took the field for the 1st time, and has plenty of room to play now that 1st-round pick Gavin Kilen suffered an injury.
It was a successful debut for the right-handed hitter from Stetson, who was viewed by many as a very underrated pick by the front office. He hit 1-5 with a double (the team’s only extra-base hit) and also drew a walk, though he struck out twice. Really looking forward to seeing how he performs over the rest of the season.
Right fielder Cameron Maldonado also made his professional debut, though the recent 7th-round pick was held hitless, going 0-4 with a walk. Welcome to professional baseball to both of them!
A 3rd and 4th player from July’s additions also played, though it wasn’t a debut for either. Undrafted catcher Daniel Rogers played in his 8th game with San Jose and this was a pretty rough one for the young backstop, who hit 1-4, struck out once, and allowed 6 stolen bases, without catching a runner. But hey, if any of the youngsters need reminders that the transition to professional baseball isn’t easy, they need only look to the shortstop playing for their opponent, as young phenom Ethan Holliday hit 0-5 with 4 strikeouts and an error. It’s a hard game!
Things went much, much better for center fielder Trevor Cohen, the Giants’ 3rd-round pick in July’s draft. Cohen had arguably his best game as a pro, hitting 3-4 with a strikeout, drawing 2 walks, stealing a base, and making a highlight play on the grass. The lefty from Rutgers has looked so comfortable in A-Ball, where he now has a .319 batting average and a .450 on-base percentage, with just 5 strikeouts in 60 plate appearances.
Nice games in the batter’s box for a pair of young prospects who had breakout 2024s and are among the top prospects in the organization, as shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 6 CPL) hit 3-6 with a strikeout, while left fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 17 CPL) went 2-5 with a walk and 2 strikeouts. Level, who opened eyes in the ACL this year, has a .701 OPS and a 104 wRC+ in 17 games since getting promoted, while Diaz has a .726 OPS and a 97 wRC+ in a full season at the level (and if those numbers seem uninspiring, a reminder that he just turned 20, is a quality defensive player, has stolen 20 bases, has just a 19.6% strikeout rate, and has been much better in the 2nd half of the season).
Not a great day on the mound, especially for the starter, RHP Hunter Dryden. It was an excellent strike-throwing performance for the 2024 17th-round pick, as he threw 51 of 71 pitches for strikes, and recorded 6 strikeouts with neither a walk nor a hit batter. But when batters hit the ball, Dryden was in trouble: he gave up 7 hits in 5 innings, which tagged him for 5 runs. And after those batters hit the ball, Dryden was still in trouble, as he was the pitcher responsible for 4 of the 6 stolen bases that Fresno recorded.
Dryden has really been struggling as the season goes on, which shouldn’t be surprising for a debuting player. He gave up just 6 earned runs in his 1st 10 starts, but has ceded 19 earned runs in 9 starts since. He has a 2.73 ERA and a 3.98 FIP on the year.
RHP Ubert Mejias has also been pitching worse as the season goes on, but you wouldn’t know it on Tuesday, when he threw 3 no-hit innings, allowing just 1 walk while striking out 3. What a great game in an otherwise difficult season for the 24-year old, who has a 5.80 ERA and a 4.58 FIP.
Dominican Summer League Black (33-23)
DSL Giants Black lost to the DSL Arizona Red 2-1 (7 innings) Box score
The Giants Black team lost, but they did exactly what you want otherwise: had their best performances come from their best prospects. On offense, it was shortstop Josuar González (No. 5 CPL, 17 years, 2025 IFA), who is not just the DSL Giants Black’s best prospect, but the DSL’s best prospect and, I reckon, soon will be the organization’s best prospect.
He had yet another fantastic game, hitting 1-2, drawing a walk, and stealing 3 bases. The switch-hitter, who has seen his OPS rise to .859 and his wRC+ to 129, has been on absolute fire lately. Since July 31, the phenom has hit 19-47 with 2 home runs, 2 triples, 2 doubles, 9 walks, and 9 strikeouts. He’s also up to 33 stolen bases in just 52 games, which ranks 7th in the league. What a player!
And the star on the mound was LHP Carlos De La Rosa (17 years, 2025 IFA), who made his 3rd appearance with the organization since joining the Giants in the Camilo Doval trade. The 5’11 southpaw from the DR gave up just 1 hit and 2 walks in 3.2 shutout innings. Want to know why the Giants are so excited in seeing what he could develop into? He now has 51 strikeouts against 10 walks in just 32.1 innings.
Dominican Summer League Orange (35-19)
DSL Giants Orange lost to the DSL NYY Yankees 3-2 (7 innings) Box score
Not much to highlight in this game. Shortstop Anthony Marquez (18 years, 2024 IFA) had a nice game, hitting 2-4 with a double, the team’s only extra-base hit. Marquez’s numbers, which include a .785 OPS and a 118 wRC+, are very similar to what they were in his debut last year. That may be a little disappointing, but when you add in the strong middle infield defense and the 14.0% strikeout rate, it seems quite likely he’ll be in Papago next year.
Right fielder Carlos Concepcion (19 years, 2023 IFA) reached base in both of his plate appearances, but it was painful, as he was hit by pitches both times, and the 2nd one took him out of the game. Hopefully he’s not too hurt, as he’s been ending the season on a tear: since July 25, the right-handed hitter has gone 15-45 with 4 home runs and 6 doubles. In all, it’s an .869 OPS and a 117 wRC+ for Concepcion in his 3rd professional season, though his strikeout rate (27.0%) is still cause for plenty of concern for a bat-first player.
Home run tracker
High-A Charlie Szykowny (17)
Wednesday schedule
Sacramento: 6:45 p.m. PT vs. El Paso (SP: Hayden Birdsong) Richmond: 3:35 p.m. PT at Chesapeake (SP: John Michael Bertrand) Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Hillsboro (SP: Cesar Perdomo) San Jose: 1:00 p.m. PT vs. Fresno (SP: Niko Mazza)
With Texas A&M up 24-20 in the third set of the NCAA women’s volleyball title match, Maddie Waak set the ball for Ifenna Cos-Okpalla. Though Logan Lednicky and Kyndal Stowers had played bigger games for the Aggies, it was Cos-Okpalla who got the call for the championship point.
She elevated and slammed the ball in between Kentucky’s defenders at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. With that kill, Texas A&M won an improbable national title, 3-0 (26-24, 25-15, 25-20).
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“They’re putting on t-shirts behind me. I can’t believe it. I’m still a little bit in disbelief,” Aggies coach Jamie Morrison said to ABC after the game. “We sent a warning shot out to the world about what we’re about.”
Kentucky, the No. 1 seed, started out strong in the first set. They built a lead as big as six points before Texas A&M started chipping away, eventually winning the set, 26-24. With that momentum, the Aggies owned the next two sets. Lednicky was the star of the match with 7 kills, 11 digs and 2 blocks. With every point won, Texas A&M’s confidence grew.
Kentucky was the third No. 1 seed that Texas A&M — a third seed — beat on the way to the national title, and every win from the Sweet 16 on was shocking. First, the Aggies came back from 2-0 to pull the reverse sweep against Louisville. Next, Texas A&M had to face undefeated, No. 1 overall seed Nebraska in Lincoln. In what was the best game of the tournament, the Aggies beat Nebraska in five sets.
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But their magic didn’t stop once the Aggies got to Kansas City. In the national semifinal, they swept No. 1 seed Pittsburgh, the first time the Panthers had been swept all season. And then in the first-ever All-SEC final, the Aggies came out victorious.
Unlike Kentucky, which won the national title in 2020 and has been one of the top teams in women’s volleyball for years, Texas A&M is a newcomer to volleyball’s elite. Though it had some good teams over the years that made it to the Elite Eight, this was the program’s first Final Four and their first national title.
Morrison took over the program in 2023, and held onto Lednicky and Cos-Okpalla. The Aggies turned the program around quickly, earning a bid to the tournament in 2023 and then making it to the Sweet 16 in 2024. This year, the Aggies went 29-4 and looked like a team on the brink. But with so many seniors, they had no time to waste and adopted the mentality of “Why not us?”
Lednicky, who played with the U.S. national team over the summer, was the heart of this team’s championship run, and the player who kept asking “Why not us?” Stowers’ comeback might be one of the best sports stories of the year. While playing for Baylor, she suffered concussions and medically retired from the sport. But after being medically cleared and deciding she had more to give to the sport, Stowers signed with Texas A&M and is now a national champion.
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Morrison has built a program that is not only a national champion, but is in a great position to continue to grow volleyball in Texas. While he will lose seniors like Lednicky and Waak, he can now show off a championship ring while on the recruiting trail.
But figuring out who will play for the Aggies next season is tomorrow’s problem. Today, Texas A&M gets to celebrate how it defied the odds to win the school’s first-ever national title in women’s volleyball.
Kentucky volleyball will look to win its second national title in five years on Sunday when it takes on Texas A&M in Kansas City.How to watchSunday’s game tips off at 3:30 p.m. at the T-Mobile Center. It will air on ABC.PreviewKentucky comes to the game on Sunday with the edge. The Cats are No. 2 overall in the NCAA ranking, and they have previously beaten the No. 6 Aggies 3-1 in October. That game, an A&M home game, saw then No. 3 Kentucky face off against No. 9 Texas A&M, but since that meet-up, the Cats have not lost a single game, and the Aggies are right behind them with a single loss to home state rival Texas. The Wildcats have won 27 straight games, 30-2 overall, with their last loss in September to Pittsburgh. Texas A&M comes in 28-4 overall, with a five-game win streak, after their loss to Texas destroyed their 11-game win streak.Kentucky is no stranger to the NCAA championship. The Cats snagged their first title in 2020 after they beat Texas 3-1 in Omaha. Texas A&M has not made an appearance at the NCAA championship but has finished in the top ten four times in the last five years, finishing in fifth place in 2024.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
Kentucky volleyball will look to win its second national title in five years on Sunday when it takes on Texas A&M in Kansas City.
How to watch
Sunday’s game tips off at 3:30 p.m. at the T-Mobile Center. It will air on ABC.
Preview
Kentucky comes to the game on Sunday with the edge. The Cats are No. 2 overall in the NCAA ranking, and they have previously beaten the No. 6 Aggies 3-1 in October. That game, an A&M home game, saw then No. 3 Kentucky face off against No. 9 Texas A&M, but since that meet-up, the Cats have not lost a single game, and the Aggies are right behind them with a single loss to home state rival Texas.
The Wildcats have won 27 straight games, 30-2 overall, with their last loss in September to Pittsburgh. Texas A&M comes in 28-4 overall, with a five-game win streak, after their loss to Texas destroyed their 11-game win streak.
Kentucky is no stranger to the NCAA championship. The Cats snagged their first title in 2020 after they beat Texas 3-1 in Omaha.
Texas A&M has not made an appearance at the NCAA championship but has finished in the top ten four times in the last five years, finishing in fifth place in 2024.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Texas A&M Aggies overwhelmed the Kentucky Wildcats in the final two sets of a 3-0 (26-24, 25-15, 25-18) victory to claim the school’s first-ever NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship Sunday evening inside the T-Mobile Center.
Entering the tournament as the No. 3 seed in the Lincoln Regional, Texas A&M (29-4) completed a postseason sweep of three of the tournament’s No. 1 seeds, beating Nebraska (3-2) and Pitt (3-0) before dispatching of Kentucky (30-3). The last three teams the Maroon & White beat were a combined 93-6 before their respective seasons were ended.
The Aggies became the ninth team in the 45-year history of the NCAA Championship to sweep both of their Final Four matches.
The Maroon & White never trailed in the last two sets. The opportunistic Aggies took advantage of the Wildcats’ nine service errors and 16 attack errors.
Kyndal Stowers was named the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player. She capped off the tournament with a .304 attack percentage, 10 kills, six digs, two service aces and one block in the triumph over Kentucky. Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, Logan Lednicky and Ava Underwood joined Stowers on the All-Tournament Team.
Texas A&M claimed the first set despite not leading until 25-24. The Wildcats pounced on the Aggies in the first set for a 9-3 advantage. Kentucky led by six on eight more occasions, before the Maroon & White clawed back into the contest. An 8-2 run, featuring two kills each by Cos-Okpalla and Lednicky, tied the contest at 20-20. With the set seesawing, the Wildcats had its first set point at 24-23, but Stowers sandwiched two kills around a block assist by Cos-Okpalla and Maddie Waak for the smash and grab.
The second set was tied twice early before the Aggies broke away. Back-to-back kills by Lednicky and a service ace by Cos-Okpalla allowed Texas A&M to open a 5-2 lead. The Maroon & White suffocated the Wildcats with a 13-3 run to open its biggest lead of the set at 19-8. Kentucky would draw no closer than seven the remainder of the set.
After Kentucky opened the third set with a service error, Cos-Okpalla put aways two kills to start a 6-1 surge out of the gate. The Wildcats cut the deficit to 10-8, but 9-3 charge by Texas A&M widened the lead to 19-11. Big Blue was closed the gap to four at 24-20, but it was too little, too late as Cos-Okpalla uncorked a booming kill for the final point.
Logan Lednicky recorded her 23nd-consecutive game with 10 or more kills.
Ifenna Cos-Okpalla set the Texas A&M career record for blocks, wrapping up with 566. She also inflated her single-season school record to 199.
Jamie Morrison joined John Dunning (first year) and Michael Sealy (second year) as one of three coaches two win an NCAA Division I Volleyball tournament in their first three years as a head coach.
The Aggies beat all four of the No. 1 seeds of the NCAA Championship, beating Texas (3-2) in the regular season and Nebraska (3-2), Pitt (3-0) and Kentucky (3-0).
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Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter by following @AggieVolleyball.
Aviana, also known as Avi, is no stranger to success on the track. Before turning 18, Avi had already won three state championships and earned multiple bronze medals, along with a silver, while competing for her high school track team — and even added a school record in the process. Her winning nature carried over to Syracuse where she balanced being a student and an athlete, studying Communication and Rhetorical Studies at VPA and Sports Revenue Management & Operations at Falk College. This balance paid off as she earned top-six finishes at the 2019 ACC Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the high jump. She continued to add to her long list of track achievements during her graduate transfer year when she competed for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) where she previously held the indoor program record for 60m hurdles and the outdoor record for the 100m hurdles and heptathlon. Although she no longer competes on the track, she has found a new way to stay involved with the sport she loves.
It was always Aviana’s dream to earn a trip to TrackTown USA in Eugene, Oregon. For those who may not know, TrackTown is a world-class track and field facility organizing events such as the 2015, 2022, 2023 USATF Outdoor Championships and the 2016, 2020, and 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Aviana’s dream to make it to TrackTown USA, also known as Hayward Field, came true when she was selected as one of four photographers to cover the 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials as park of the Black Women Photographers and TrackTown USA creative team.
Noah Lyles coming out of the blocks at U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Credit: Aviana Goode/@goode.flicks
“It was surreal,” Aviana said. “My goal in life, in track and field specifically, was always to make it to Hayward Field. It was supposed to be as an athlete, but I guess God had different plans for me. I ended up there with a whole new lens, literally and figuratively.”
Aviana spent over a week at TrackTown shooting world-class athletes like Olympic champion and eight-time World Champion, Noah Lyles, Olympic long jump champion, Tara Davis-Woodhall, and even Olympian and World Record breaker, Sydney McLaughlin.
Tara Davis-Woodhall competing in long jump at U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Credit: Aviana Goode/@goode.flicks
The unique part about the entire situation is that Aviana was just a newbie in the sports photography world at this point. She had started sports photography just two years prior to shooting on this world-class stage and had only shot one outdoor track meet before. Despite the lack of experience, Polly Irungu, founder of Black Women Photographers, loved her photos and style.
The opportunity to shoot the Olympic Trials allowed Aviana to grow tremendously as a person but also as a photographer. While covering the Olympic Trials, she noticed that not many women of color were working as creatives although the sport is predominately black. There were only five other creatives that were black women that she saw capturing the events at TrackTown. This realization inspired Avi to be a role model and a representation for young black women and women of color who want to step into the creative world. As a freelance photographer based in NYC, she continues to refine her craft, working with athletes, brands, and events to create high-impact imagery that resonates.
“Being a photographer allows me to go out there and still feel like an athlete. I can feel the emotion. I’m capturing everything to remember the moment and to show the love and passion for the sport that I think is the hardest sport in the world, Aviana said.
Stay connected with Aviana on Linkedin: Aviana Goode | LinkedIn & Instagram: @goode.flicks
Raven Saunders with her medal at U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Credit: Aviana Goode/@goode.flicks
The Kentucky Wildcats volleyball team needed one more win to bring home a national championship, but the Texas A&M Aggies were the better team on Sunday afternoon, and it’s they who took home the trophy after winning the match 3-0 (26-24, 25-15, 25-20).
It looked like the Wildcats were going to take control early. They jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the first set, and led big as play progressed. However, some good Texas A&M serves, and some bad Kentucky passing led to an Aggies comeback.
After that first set, it seemed as if the life drained out of the Wildcats. The Aggies dominated the second set. They blocked nearly every Kentucky kill attempt, and dug out the rest. The Cats had no answers, and they fell behind 2-0.
Set three got away quickly from the Wildcats as well. The Texas A&M defense stayed strong, and more importantly, their passing was immaculate, and led to easy points. They would wind up taking it 25-20 to get the sweep and win the national championship.
It was a tough end to the season for Kentucky. Unfortunately, in the biggest game of the year, they had their worst performance. However, credit Texas A&M, who saved their best for last.
Congratulations to Texas A&M on the win, and congratulations to the Kentucky Wildcats for the terrific season.
Texas A&M wins set three and the match
The Aggies were the better team today, and are the national champions.
And another Kentucky service error
Their ninth of the match makes it 21-15 Aggies.
Kentucky service error
It was their eighth of the match.
Domination
The Aggies have just been the better team today, and lead 19-11 in set three.
More unforced errors for Kentucky
Kentucky’s seventh service error makes it 13-9 Aggies.
Kassie O’Brien kill as Kentucky tries to stay in it
The Wildcats trail 12-9 in set three.
Kentucky in big trouble
They’re down 6-1 now.
Kentucky error begins set three
Three straight errors by the Wildcats have the Aggies down 3-0 in set three.
Kentucky hitting has to improve
The Wildcats had a negative hit percentage in the second set and they’re hitting just .067 in the match.
Aggies take set two
It was complete domination by Texas A&M in the second set. They lead 2-0.
Texas A&M dominating
The Wildcats have no answers right now. Every shot is either being blocked, or just misses. It’s 24-15 Aggies.
Hitting errors hurting Kentucky now
Back to back striking errors have the Aggies leading 14-7 now and it’s danger time.
Block party for the Aggies
Kentucky is getting nothing right now. It’s another block for Texas A&M and it’s 10-5 Aggies in set two.
Eva Hudson kill
Hudson crushes one to make it 8-5 Aggies.
Another block by Texas A&M
Kentucky is struggling to get shots over the net. The Aggies defense is dominating the match.
Aggies defense taking over
Texas A&M is digging out every kill attempt, and poor passing is still a problem. Kentucky trails 4-2.
Texas A&M scores first in set two
A long rally ends with an Aggies point to begin the second set.
Kentucky has to rebound quickly
The Wildcats blew a big lead in set one with bad passing and sets. They have to recover quickly now.
Texas A&M takes set one 26-24
Kentucky’s passing was bad down the stretch, and it cost them the first set.
Kentucky trails
Some questionable passing has led to easy points for the Aggies, and they lead 25-24.
It’s tied again
A bad set from Kassie O’Brien led to a point for Texas A&M, and a tie at 23.
Molly Tuozzo ace
It’s a big ace for Tuozzo to put Kentucky up 23-21.
Service errors returning
Kentucky now has 3 service errors in the first set.
The match is tied
Texas A&M gets a block and it’s now 20-20.
Eva Hudson stops the run
Hudson gets a shot down the line and ends the scoring run for the Aggies.
Kentucky calls timeout
The Aggies have scored four straight points and it’s now 18-16 Kentucky in set one.
Texas A&M making a run
They’ve scored 3 straight points to cut the lead to 18-15.
Brooklyn DeLeye with back to back kills
DeLeye is using terrific location shots to get points. It’s 17-11 Wildcats.
Asia Thigpen is off to a hot start
She has two blocks already, and adds a kill to make it 14-9 Kentucky.
Brooklyn DeLeye kill
From the back row, DeLeye gets a big kill to make it 13-7 Wildcats.
Asia Thigpen again
Thigpen gets her second block, and Kentucky leads 9-3.
Asia Thigpen block
It’s 6-1 Kentucky after Thigpen gets the big defensive play. The serving has been very good so far, and a big factor.
Kassie O’Brien makes it 3-0
The Wildcats have started fast, and lead early on.
Kentucky scores first
The first point of the match is scored by the Wildcats.
It’s time
Kentucky vs Texas A&M for the national championship.
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