NIL

SDSU Transfer DB Tayvion Beasley Enters the Transfer Portal

BYU has added some depth to the cornerback room. On Monday, San Diego State transfer Tayvion Beasley signed with BYU according to a report from Pet Nakos of On3Sports. Beasley has bounced around during his college football career. Beasley played for Deion Sanders at Jackson State as a true freshman in 2022. During that season, […]

Published

2 days ago

May 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

SDSU Transfer DB Tayvion Beasley Enters the Transfer Portal

Beasley played for Deion Sanders at Jackson State as a true freshman in 2022. During that season, he appeared in 11 games and started two games. He had a pair of interecptions including one in the SWAC Championship. According to Pro Football Focus, he also had two pass breakups and he allowed only one touchdown in 123 coverage snaps.

After Jackson State, Beasley followed Coach Prime to Colorado. He spent just a few months in Boulder before entering the transfer portal and committing to San Diego State. At SDSU, he used his redshirt in 2023. In 2024, Beasley primarily played special teams for the Aztecs. Most notably, he was listed as a safety. It’s most likely that he will play cornerback at BYU.

He comes to BYU with two years of eligibility remaining.

Beasley was recruited by BYU out of high school. In fact, BYU was the first school to offer him a scholarship clear back in 2019. He eventually picked up competing offers from Michigan, Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, UNLV, and USC before committing to Jackson State.

NIL

Canady handles pressure, makes $1 million-plus NIL deal pay off for Texas Tech

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — NiJaree Canady smiled broadly as she held up a gaudy championship belt with the Big 12 logo in the center. Texas Tech’s star pitcher had dominated the conference tournament, throwing 16 2/3 shutout innings in three games to claim the Most Outstanding Player award. Her smile was as much from relief […]

Published

6 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — NiJaree Canady smiled broadly as she held up a gaudy championship belt with the Big 12 logo in the center.

Texas Tech’s star pitcher had dominated the conference tournament, throwing 16 2/3 shutout innings in three games to claim the Most Outstanding Player award.

Her smile was as much from relief as joy. Moments before that, she had described the challenges she has faced since her decision to transfer from Stanford shifted the college softball landscape.

Canady led an upstart Stanford squad to the Women’s College World Series semifinals her freshman and sophomore years. After last season, when she was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, she entered the transfer portal.

She shunned the traditional powers and signed a $1 million NIL deal to head to Texas Tech — a massive sum for a softball player that drew some unwanted attention.

“So, I definitely feel like there were a lot of things said about the whole entire thing and of course, like media and stuff,” she said. “I feel like that added just — a weight to the situation.”

Her father, Bruce Canady, said things got crazy.

“A whole lot of pressure was put on her,” he said. “It got to the point where we thought we had had a stalker. Just a lot was going on. But, you know, Tech’s a good place. It’s a good place. They’ve got her in a good environment.”

Canady said her father and her faith were among the key aspects that helped her deal with the challenges.

“I got through it,” she said. “And there were days where it honestly was very hard, just looking back.”

She’ll take another step when the 12th-seeded Red Raiders (45-12) host Brown (33-15) on Friday in the Lubbock Regional.

That Canady was even in the portal was a bit of a shocker. She had been successful and had built deep friendships at Stanford.

“Extremely hard,” Bruce Canady said. “I mean, we’re the type of parents that push education. But then you get a lifetime opportunity … then you just have to go with it.”

Gerry Glasco took the head coaching job at Texas Tech last summer. After he started talking to Canady, he got busy.

“I realize we have to put together a team that can compete on a national level and give her a realistic chance to come to Tech or there’s no way we can recruit her,” he said.

Glasco came through, and Canady did the same. Canady has a 26-5 record with a nation-leading 0.81 ERA and has 263 strikeouts in 181 innings.

Canady also has been able to hit — something she didn’t do at Stanford. She is batting .309 with eight home runs and 30 RBIs.

The ups and downs of the journey were part of why the winning of the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles — the first ever for the school — were so satisfying for Canady. She loved her teammates at Stanford, but Tech is home for her now.

“I feel like it was all worth it, and there’s no place I’d rather be right now than with Texas Tech,” she said. “Being able to win the regular season and the the conference tournaments means everything.”

Even Glasco was surprised by how well Canady pitched in the conference tournament. She’s been dealing with a nagging injury and hasn’t been practicing.

“To get to see her dominate in the circle the way she dominated this week was really eye opening to me as a coach,” he said. “And we know her greatness. But like, it was very visible, very evident.”

Canady allowed two hits and struck out eight in seven innings in the Big 12 title game, a 4-0 win over Arizona.

“I think she’s a competitor, first and foremost,” Arizona coach Caitlin Lowe said. “She obviously has elite stuff and she competes her tail off, and she has a lot of tools, right? So the moment you get on time, then there comes the change up. And being able to lay off the rise that’s out of the zone to get to the rise that’s in the zone and then being on time for that when it’s your time. It’s a cat and mouse game.”

Canady felt comfortable at Devon Park in Oklahoma City — the site of her Women’s College World Series wins — during the conference tournament. She hopes to lead her teammates back in a few weeks so they can have the World Series experience.

“This, especially being in Oklahoma City, is just a dream come true to be able to hold the (conference tournament) trophy,” she said. “We still have one big goal we want to accomplish. We’ve knocked out two of the three.”

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NIL

Paul Mainieri on South Carolina struggles before LSU series | LSU

Paul Mainieri has gone through this before. He just thought that he wouldn’t have to do it again. Mainieri believed the South Carolina team he inherited had some talent, enough so that the Gamecocks could compete immediately in the toughest conference in college baseball. He didn’t think his first year at his new school would be as […]

Published

28 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Paul Mainieri has gone through this before. He just thought that he wouldn’t have to do it again.

Mainieri believed the South Carolina team he inherited had some talent, enough so that the Gamecocks could compete immediately in the toughest conference in college baseball.

He didn’t think his first year at his new school would be as difficult as it was in 2007, his first season at LSU.

“In the fall, I thought there were a few pieces,” Mainieri told The Advocate.

But after getting swept at Clemson during nonconference play, Mainieri recognized shortcomings with his new team. They proved to be holes he couldn’t fill during Southeastern Conference play.

“The conference is just so tough. You know, it’s unforgiving,” Mainieri said. “And our schedule in particular was really difficult this year, and it exposed our limitations, where we have them.”

South Carolina holds a 5-22 record in the SEC. Mainieri’s team is 27-26 overall and has won only one series in conference play, taking down Ole Miss twice last month.

The Gamecocks are nowhere near the postseason picture heading into this weekend’s series against LSU beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday (SEC Network) in Columbia, South Carolina.

“I forgot how hard it is to win college baseball games, I guess,” Mainieri said.

Mainieri’s difficulties this season in some ways mirror what happened in 2007, when he left Notre Dame for Baton Rouge to replace Smoke Laval.

The Tigers were 29-26-1 that season and went just 12-17-1 in SEC play. Mainieri knew he’d have to take his lumps, but his confidence never wavered when it came to whether he could turn the program around.

“I told the team that, ‘This will be the last year that LSU was ever taken lightly again,’ ” Mainieri said. “And it’s a pretty bold comment, based upon what had happened in the first year. But I don’t think LSU has been taken lightly again since then.”

The Tigers went to Omaha the next season before winning their sixth national championship in 2009. But before they could find that level of success, they had to build the foundation in 2007.

That meant turning to freshmen such as Jared Mitchell, Sean Ochinko, Ryan Schimpf and Blake Dean. Dean led the Tigers in batting average and started every game.

“If we’re not going to win at a high level, at least I’m going to get these good freshmen a lot of experience and playing time, so it’ll pay off down the road,” Mainieri said. “And it certainly did with that group of guys at LSU.”

Mainieri has deployed a similar strategy at South Carolina, hoping that freshmen such as KJ Scobey and Beau Hollins can help turn around a program that won back-to-back national championships in 2010-11.

“They’ve had up-and-down moments, just like the kids did way back in the 2007 season,” Mainieri said. “But they’ve also shown what they’re capable of doing at times.”

But a lot has changed since Mainieri retired at LSU after the 2021 season, and even more about the game has evolved since 2007.

There’s NIL. There’s the transfer portal. There’s more pitchers than ever throwing 95-plus miles per hour, and more hitters than ever strong enough to consistently hit balls out of the park.

Mainieri knew these were hurdles he’d have to tackle when he decided to return to the dugout last summer, but the sheer impact of it all caught him a bit off-guard.

“The strength of the players, the velocities of the pitchers, that has been a big change since I retired four years ago,” Mainieri said. “I was telling someone the other day, we’re beating Ole Miss 5-1 in the sixth inning or something, and they bring a guy in out of the pen throwing 100 miles an hour.

“I remember when Jaden Hill touched 96 mph in a fall game, and how everybody oohed and ahhed. I remember Alex Lange’s first pitch of his career (was 95 mph) … and you could hear the buzz throughout the crowd.”

This brutal reality has, in part, led to South Carolina being third-to-last in the SEC in home runs (27) and second-to-last in ERA (9.27).

“We’ve just struggled on the mound mightily,” Mainieri said. “You just look at our statistics, and it’s easy to see that.”

Acquiring the horses necessary to compete in the SEC is the next step for Mainieri. He said he’s already hard at work on the recruiting trail for next year and beyond.

But recruiting high school players is just a slice of the pie in the modern era of college baseball. Adding immediate impact transfers with the help of sufficient NIL funds is a component of roster building that has become equally crucial in 2025.

“When I first got here last summer, we lost a lot of recruiting battles because other schools were giving a more, shall I say, appealing package to kids,” Mainieri said. “That’s the reality of the world we live in now. The schools that have a lot of money and are willing to give it to the players are getting the best players.

“We were playing Tennessee, for example, and the first baseman (Andrew Fischer) and the No. 1 starting pitcher (Liam Doyle) both played for Ole Miss last year, and both had a lot of success for Ole Miss last year. Why would they change schools from Ole Miss to Tennessee? Because they like the color orange? I mean, let’s be honest.”

Mainieri is still confident he can get South Carolina back to where it was 15 years ago. It’s a feat he already accomplished at LSU.

But he knows it’s not going to be easy.

“We just have to upgrade and get better, like we did after the first year at LSU,” Mainieri said. “And hopefully we will. We’re all working like crazy on recruiting for next year.”

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NIL

SB | Bennett and Castillo Named First Team WCC All-Academic, Six More Named Honorable Mention

Story Links SAN BRUNO, Calif. — As just announced by the West Coast Conference, eight Gaels have been named to the 2025 All-Academic Team, with a pair, Chelsea Bennett and Victoria Castillo, being named as first team honorees. With eight total honorees, the Gaels tie Pacific for the most student-athletes on this […]

Published

53 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

SAN BRUNO, Calif. — As just announced by the West Coast Conference, eight Gaels have been named to the 2025 All-Academic Team, with a pair, Chelsea Bennett and Victoria Castillo, being named as first team honorees. With eight total honorees, the Gaels tie Pacific for the most student-athletes on this distinguished list. In order to qualify for the All-Academic Team, Student-athletes in must meet all the following standards:

(a) A minimum 3.20 cumulative grade point average (GPA) based on the most recently completed term at the time of the nomination. So far softball, it would be the fall term. Prior to the nomination, the appropriate institutional academic authorities shall review the grades of the prospective nominees.

(b) Be a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletic credentials.

(c) Have at least sophomore athletic and academic standing with at least one year in residence completed at the nominating institution. (True freshmen, redshirt freshmen and ineligible transfers may not be nominated). An ineligible transfer refers to somebody who transferred to your team following the 2023-24 academic year and is on your roster for the first time in 2025.

(d) Participate in at least 50 percent of the institution’s completed contests. Pitchers may be nominated if they participate in at least 25 percent of the institution’s completed.

Junior pitcher Chelsea Bennett was honored as a first team member of the All-Academic team for the first time in her career. Having her best season to date, the Warriewood, Australia native has been a top bullpen arm for the Gaels this year. In 14 appearances, 10 of which came out of the bullpen, Bennett worked 37 innings, amassing a career-best 3.78 ERA. A biology major, Bennett has maintained a cumulative 3.75 GPA.

Also a junior, Victoria Castillo was the second Gael to be honored as a first team All-Academic selectee. Putting together her best all-together softball campaign, the Salinas, California product has seen jumps in every stat this year, including a 0.337 average, good for second on the team, all while also managing a position change from right field to second base. Castillo closed out her season on an 11 game hit streak, the best of any Gael this season. A sociology major, Castillo has maintained a cumulative 3.84 GPA, the highest of any upperclassmen on the team. This is the second time in as many years that Castillo has been honored as a first team All-Academic member.

The following Gaels were named honorable mention WCC All-Academic team members:

Jenavee Amador, Senior, Education, 3.23 GPA

Tori Cervantes, Junior, Exercise Science, 3.43 GPA

Claudia Kirchner, Senior, Health Science, 3.36 GPA

Taylor Lane, Redshirt Junior, Special Education, 3.68 GPA

Odhi Vasquez, Junior, Health Science, 3.25 GPA

Avrey Wolverton, Redshirt Junior, Psychology, 3.36 GPA

#GaelsRise

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SB | Buckley and Vasquez Headline Group of Eight Gaels Honored as All-Conference Selectees

Story Links SAN BRUNO, Calif. — The back-to-back WCC Champs once again were well represented on the end-of-year all-conference list, as eight Saint Mary’s Gaels were honored with an all-conference nod, including six receiving first or second team honors. This is the second most ever by the Gaels split between first and […]

Published

1 hour ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

SAN BRUNO, Calif. — The back-to-back WCC Champs once again were well represented on the end-of-year all-conference list, as eight Saint Mary’s Gaels were honored with an all-conference nod, including six receiving first or second team honors. This is the second most ever by the Gaels split between first and second team, with seven honored here a year ago.

For the second straight year, Sam Buckley was named a first team All-WCC honoree. The sophomore out of Burbank led the WCC in home runs (14), RBI (41), slugging percentage (0.818) and on-base percentage (0.523), while finished top-three in the conference in batting average (0.402), doubles (11) and runs scored (47). She set the Saint Mary’s single season records for home runs, RBI and runs scored this year, and finished out the year with the fourth highest single season batting average in program history. While her offensive numbers were incredible, Buckley was also one of the unsung defensive heroes for the Gaels, committing just two errors all season at the hot corner. Her career average climbed to 0.380 this year, currently sitting at the best of any student-athlete ever to suit up as a Gael, while she ranks in the top-10 in total runs scored (84) and the top-five in triples (8) and home runs (18) for her career. Buckley was a three time WCC Player of the Week of winner, tied for the most of any player in the conference.

FINAL | SMC 3 – USD 2

THAT’S THE BALLGAME BABY

Sam Buckley walks us off with an absolute BOMB With that hit, Buckley has now set the single-season RBI record as well (40)!#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/tIBGKT1QJy

— Saint Mary’s Softball (@GaelsSoftball) May 4, 2025

A two time second team All-WCC performer, Odhi Vasquez earned her first first team nod after once again serving as the Gaels ace. The junior out of Upland led the WCC in wins (13), shutouts (4), and opponents batting average (0.204), while ranking second in ERA (2.59) and strikeouts (129). Vaquez etched her name into the history books, with the fifth most shutouts, seventh most strikeouts and eighth most wins of any Gael in a single season. For her career, Vasquez has now earned 31 wins (9th in program history) and 10 shutouts (5th in program history), while working 358.2 innings (10th in program history), striking out 320 (6th in program history and amassing a career 2.73 ERA (7th in program history). A four time WCC Pitcher of the Week this year, Vasquez won this honor more than any other pitcher in the conference.

E6 | SMC 5 – UCSB 0

Make that 22 consecutive scoreless innings from Odhi! The previous program record (also owned by Odhi Vasquez) was 17.1 consecutive scoreless innings! #GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/1cZinzC5HL

— Saint Mary’s Softball (@GaelsSoftball) February 27, 2025

Four Gaels earned second team honors; Victoria Castillo, Tori Cervantes, Camille Lara and Mia Nishikawa. Castillo is a first time honoree after hitting a career-best 0.337 this year, good for second on the team and ninth in the conference. Cervantes, also a first time honoree, boasted a career-best 0.315 average, while scoring 37 times (7th in the WCC), homering seven times (6th in the WCC) and stealing a team-high 12 bases (5th in the WCC). A first time All-WCC honoree, Lara led the Gaels with 54 hits, good for fifth in the conference, while slashing at 0.323. Rounding out the group of second team honorees, Mia Nishikawa earned her second second team nod in as many years, after finishing top five in the conference for ERA (3.14), wins (10), complete games (8) and shutouts (2).

T1 | SMC 1 – LMU 0

Make that 11 straight games with a hit for Victoria Castillo! She drives in Sam Buckley to put the Gaels ahead early!#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/EIco5665Jv

— Saint Mary’s Softball (@GaelsSoftball) May 10, 2025

T2 | SMC 5-0 OSU

Cervantes with the TANK job!!

Tori Cervantes gives Saint Mary’s a 5-0 lead with her second homer of the series!#GaelsRise @WCCsports pic.twitter.com/Qu0uefN08U

— Saint Mary’s Softball (@GaelsSoftball) April 27, 2025

Here comes Camille! #GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/I6PEr8jlvI

— Saint Mary’s Softball (@GaelsSoftball) April 9, 2025

B6 | SMC 5 – OSU 4

CAUGHT HER LOOKING! Mia Nishikawa wins the eight pitch battle with her second strikeout of the day!#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/khfUwenBMY

— Saint Mary’s Softball (@GaelsSoftball) April 26, 2025

Catcher Jenavee Amador earned her second straight honorable mention nod, after finishing second on the team and sixth in the conference with 34 RBI. After starting every single game of her freshman campaign at shortstop, Mia Zabat was named to the WCC All-Freshman team.

B6 | SMC 3 – USD 2

GAELS TAKE THE LEAD

Senior Jenavee Amador comes in with a clutch pinch-hit for SMC and drives in two runs!#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/dJQFqZBsZw

— Saint Mary’s Softball (@GaelsSoftball) May 3, 2025

M5 | SMC 1 – USD 2

WHAT A PLAY

After tipping off Sam Buckley’s glove, Mia Zabat makes the diving back-up catch to end the inning!#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/OpIkT5md0M

— Saint Mary’s Softball (@GaelsSoftball) May 3, 2025

The Gaels finished their year at 28-23, with an 11-4 conference record, good for a share of the 2025 WCC Title. The 58 wins over the last two seasons mark the most ever over a two year stretch in program history.

#GaelsRise

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NIL

Former John Calipari Five-Star Commit Makes Major NBA Draft Decision

With the NBA Draft set for June 25, players are weighing whether to stay in the draft or return for another year of college basketball. The rise of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) opportunities has added another layer to the decision-making process, making it even harder for many young athletes. Advertisement On Tuesday, one of […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

With the NBA Draft set for June 25, players are weighing whether to stay in the draft or return for another year of college basketball.

The rise of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) opportunities has added another layer to the decision-making process, making it even harder for many young athletes.

On Tuesday, one of the nation’s top freshmen made a major move by withdrawing from the draft and entering the transfer portal.

As reported by Jonathan Givony of ESPN:

“Boogie Fland is withdrawing from the NBA Draft and will not participate in the remainder of the NBA draft combine, his agent Mike Miller told ESPN.”

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ACC commissioner Jim Phillips feels good about the league’s newfound stability after chaos

Associated Press AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. (AP) — The Atlantic Coast Conference is entering a period of stability. How long it lasts is anyone’s guess. Not even commissioner Jim Phillips knows for sure. “I still live one day at a time,” Phillips quipped. The ACC wrapped up its spring meetings Wednesday at the Ritz-Carlton in Amelia […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Associated Press

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. (AP) — The Atlantic Coast Conference is entering a period of stability.

How long it lasts is anyone’s guess. Not even commissioner Jim Phillips knows for sure.

“I still live one day at a time,” Phillips quipped.

The ACC wrapped up its spring meetings Wednesday at the Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, with athletic directors and coaches having spent three days discussing wide-ranging issues affecting football and basketball.

The event came amid the backdrop of the pending $2.8 billion NCAA settlement, which would allow schools to share up to $20.5 million annually directly with their athletes.

The ACC spent the past two years tracking that legal battle while also wading through contentious litigation from two of its top member schools, Clemson and Florida State.

The Tigers and Seminoles approved a settlement in March that changed the league’s revenue-distribution model to benefit schools with marquee football brands. Both would presumably fall into that category.

Although the 2030-31 season looms as a potential spot for more changes to the college football landscape, the revised deal should fortify a league that looked to be on the verge of collapse while falling further behind the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten.

“I just think you got to settle down,” Phillips said, noting he envisions four or five years of stability ahead. “And I think college athletics needs it to settle down, not just the ACC. I think we’ve positioned ourselves for that, and that’s a good thing. It just is.

“Chaos and the constant wondering of what’s happening here or there, I just think that distracts from the business at hand. But I feel good about where we’re at.”

The league’s revised revenue-distribution model incorporates TV viewership as a way for the league’s top programs to generate more money.

Florida State, for example, expects roughly $18 million extra annually from the tweaked structure. Those schools outside the top tier could see a decline of about $7 million a year.

“We’re really excited that this is now put behind us,” FSU athletic director Michael Alford said. “We have a path going forward. We have a path to really look at how we control the conference together, how we expand on the great brands that are in this conference and really promote the ACC and especially ACC football moving forward and give it its day in the sun.”

Presidential help ahead?

Even though ACC schools are bracing for the NCAA settlement and how it will change their business model, Phillips believes President Donald Trump’s proposed commission on collegiate athletics could help.

“We have not been able to get this thing into the end zone, so to speak,” Phillips said. “If the President feels that a commission could potentially help, I’m all for it.”

The proposed commission would be co-chaired by former Alabama coach Nick Saban and current Texas Tech board of regents chairman Cody Campbell.

“I think it’s well-intended,” Phillips said. “I do feel that the time is right based on all the work that’s previously been done and a supportive administration that’s in there. So I’m hopeful that that can be a positive to an end result that gets us a standardized law across the country with NIL.”

NCAA president Charlie Baker spoke at the ACC meetings Monday and said he was “up for anything” if it helped formalize NIL laws that differ from state to state.

“I think it speaks to the fact that everybody is paying a lot of attention right now to what’s going on in college sports,” Baker said. “I’m up for anything that can help us get somewhere.”

Future of the CFP

While power four conferences — the ACC, the Big Ten, Big 12 and the SEC — continue to negotiate the future of the College Football Playoff beginning in 2026, Phillips declined to reveal specifics regarding the league’s stance on automatic qualifiers.

“I remain steadfast about fairness in the system and access,” he said. “Out of respect for my colleagues, I want to hold off on commenting about AQs and specific models.”

The 16-team playoff model that has been widely discussed would grant four automatic berths to the Big Ten, four to the SEC, two to the ACC and two to the Big 12. That would leave four bids, with as many as three of those going to at-large teams and the other to the highest-ranked team from the Group of Six.

The ACC, according to several coaches, wants three guaranteed spots.

“You start to wonder if we are going to have an invitational,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said. “Every year, one league may be better than the other, and it can change to some degree.

“To say we’re going to pick teams based on what’s happened the last 15 years, especially in an environment where we have more and more parity with the way the rules are, I think it’s a slippery slope.”

___

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