Sports

Texas Rangers add pitching depth, sign three veteran pitchers to minor league deals

BOSTON — You can never have enough pitching depth. The Texas Rangers signed right-handed pitcher Cory Abbott to a minor league contract, a person with direct knowledge of the transaction confirmed to The Dallas Morning News Wednesday. MLB Trade Rumors first reported the deal. Abbott, 29, pitched in 45 games in three seasons with the […]

Published

2 months ago

May 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Texas Rangers add pitching depth, sign three veteran pitchers to minor league deals

BOSTON — You can never have enough pitching depth.

The Texas Rangers signed right-handed pitcher Cory Abbott to a minor league contract, a person with direct knowledge of the transaction confirmed to The Dallas Morning News Wednesday. MLB Trade Rumors first reported the deal.

Abbott, 29, pitched in 45 games in three seasons with the Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals between the 2021-23 seasons. The Cubs selected Abbott out of Loyola Marymount in the second round of the 2017 MLB draft.

He spent last season in Triple-A, with the Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox affiliates, and had a 5.93 ERA in 74 1/3 innings. He most recently pitched for Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos of the Mexican League.

Abbott is one of three pitchers with big league experience that the Rangers signed to minor league deals this week. They announced Tuesday that they’d signed left-hander Ty Blach and right-hander Robert Dugger to contracts.

Blach, 34, has a 5.42 ERA in seven major league seasons and pitched for Rangers manager Bruce Bochy from 2016-19 with the San Francisco Giants. He most recently played for the Colorado Rockies and had a 6.94 ERA in 20 games last season.

Dugger, 29, is a Texas Tech alum with 27 big league games under his belt. He spent the 2023 season at Triple-A Round Rock and pitched in the Korea, Mexico and in the Athletics system since. Both are expected to report to Round Rock this week.

Find more Rangers coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

Sports

Dance group starts summer with a drive-thru barbecue fundraiser

Initiative marks the beginning of fundraising efforts for the studio’s 2027 performance group YORKTON — The Extravadance Performance Group kicked off their first day of summer holidays June 27 with a barbecue fundraiser. “We’re doing it drive-thru style to keep it convenient,” said Kristin Weber Karcha, owner and operator of Extravadance. The initiative marks the […]

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34 minutes ago

June 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Initiative marks the beginning of fundraising efforts for the studio’s 2027 performance group

YORKTON — The Extravadance Performance Group kicked off their first day of summer holidays June 27 with a barbecue fundraiser.

“We’re doing it drive-thru style to keep it convenient,” said Kristin Weber Karcha, owner and operator of Extravadance.

The initiative marks the beginning of fundraising efforts for the studio’s 2027 performance group — a cohort of young dancers preparing for a trip packed with workshops and performances in Los Angeles and Disneyland.

“This is our 2027 performance group. They are fundraising. These kids are going to go dance in Los Angeles and do some workshops. They’re going to do a parade at Disneyland. They’re going to do workshops at Disneyland,” said Weber Karcha, adding, “they are probably going to have the best trip of their lives.”

Weber Karcha said that the group comprises 26 young dancers, with an average age of eight or nine. Organizing such a trip is no small feat, especially with the current exchange rate.

“We usually do trips every few years. We pushed it a third year because the dollar in the States isn’t ideal right now. It also gives us a bit more time to make sure things are good to go with travel down there,” said Weber Karcha.

Fundraising will continue in the coming weeks with the group operating canteens at several community events. Their next appearance is at the Saltcoats Canada Day celebrations, followed by running a canteen at the Yorkton Exhibition running from July 2-5, and another three days in Saltcoats — July 18, 19 and 20 — for an event featuring live music.

“A lot of cooking coming up in the next bit,” said Weber Karcha said with a laugh.

In addition to flipping burgers, the group is also offering volunteer services for local events.

“If people are looking for designated driver services or someone to run a bar at a wedding they can reach out to us because we also provide services like that,” said Weber Karcha.

For those interested in supporting the group or booking services, Weber Karcha encourages people to contact the studio at (306) 621-2818.

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Sports

Jim Lerch Exiting WSKO | TALKERS magazine

Syracuse sports talk host Jim Lerch is exiting Cumulus Media sports talk outlet WSKO-AM, Syracuse after 23 years. CNYCentral reports that Lerch, host of “The Manchild Show with Boy Green,” is exiting after today’s program as he transitions to a digital platform. Lerch is quoted saying, “When I started this back in 2002, I never […]

Published

39 minutes ago

June 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Syracuse sports talk host Jim Lerch is exiting Cumulus Media sports talk outlet WSKO-AM, Syracuse after 23 years. CNYCentral reports that Lerch, host of “The Manchild Show with Boy Green,” is exiting after today’s program as he transitions to a digital platform. Lerch is quoted saying, “When I started this back in 2002, I never thought I’d last nearly a quarter of a century on the radio. It’s been my life’s pleasure entertaining and interacting with our incredible listeners over two decades of Syracuse sports history and I look forward to my new journey as a digital sports content host.” See the CNYCentral story here.

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Sports

CSUN Announces 2025 Women's Soccer Schedule

Story Links NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—CSUN Women’s Soccer head coach Gina Brewer as announced the 2025 schedule featuring nine home matches at Matador Soccer Field and three NCAA Tournament teams on the docket. “We are excited for the 2025 season,” said Brewer. “We’ve scheduled some opponents who we know will be challenging and prepare us for the Big […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

CSUN Announces 2025 Women's Soccer Schedule

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—CSUN Women’s Soccer head coach Gina Brewer as announced the 2025 schedule featuring nine home matches at Matador Soccer Field and three NCAA Tournament teams on the docket.

“We are excited for the 2025 season,” said Brewer. “We’ve scheduled some opponents who we know will be challenging and prepare us for the Big West. Saint Mary’s, Grand Canyon, California Baptist and Portland will all be extremely competitive games and we look forward to being tested, so we are ready to go when conference games start.”

Prior to the start of the regular season. The Matadors will host an exhibition match with Trinity Western University on Thursday, Aug. 7.

The 2025 season officially opens on Thursday, Aug. 14 with a road match at Saint Mary’s before CSUN heads to San Jose State on Aug. 17.

CSUN opens a three-match homestand beginning Thursday, Aug. 21 against Grand Canyon in the 2025 home opener. Three days later, the Matadors continue their homestand with a matchup with a California Baptist team that won the WAC championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2024. CSUN then wraps up the home stretch with Utah Tech on Aug. 28.

The Matadors make the trip to the San Diego on Aug. 31 to take on the Toreros before traveling up north the following week for road tilts at Portland State (Sept. 4) and Portland (Sept. 7). CSUN’s last non-conference matchup is set with future Big West team Sacramento State on Thursday, Sept. 11. The Hornets also played in the NCAA Tournament a season ago after winning the Big Sky Tournament.

Big West play kicks off on Sunday, Sept. 21 when the Matadors visit Cal State Fullerton. A week later, CSUN hosts its first two conference matches against UC Irvine (Sept. 25) and UC Riverside (Sept. 28).

The month of October kicks off with a road contest at UC San Diego (Oct. 5) while CSUN returns home for meeting with Cal State Bakersfield on Oct. 12. From there, the Matadors make the trek to Hawai’i on Oct. 16.

The second half of the Big West season includes a home meeting with UC Davis (Oct. 19) as well as a matchup with defending Big West champion UC Santa Barbara (Oct. 23. After a final road match at Cal Poly on Oct. 26, CSUN hosts Senior Night on Thursday, Oct. 30 against Long Beach State.

The 2025 Big West Women’s Soccer Championship kicks off on Sunday, Nov. 2 while semifinal matches will be held on Nov. 6 and the championship match is scheduled for Nov. 9.

#GoMatadors

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Sports

Drake Athletics Prepared to Evolve with Changing Landscape of College Athletics

Story Links Bulldog Nation, Thank you for your continued support of Drake Athletics and our more than 370 student-athletes. Your generosity plays a vital role in our ability to provide a championship-level athletic experience and an elite education—hallmarks of the Drake University student-athlete journey. Over the past few years, the […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Bulldog Nation,

Thank you for your continued support of Drake Athletics and our more than 370 student-athletes. Your generosity plays a vital role in our ability to provide a championship-level athletic experience and an elite education—hallmarks of the Drake University student-athlete journey.

Over the past few years, the landscape of collegiate athletics has changed dramatically. The introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), expanded transfer rules, and several landmark legal cases have fundamentally reshaped the NCAA model.

Now, with the approval of the House v. NCAA settlement, a new chapter begins—and Drake University is prepared to meet it with clarity, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to student-athlete success. We do so in a manner consistent with the values of our institution and department so that we may provide opportunities and experiences relative to our present and aspirant peer groups.

What This Means

Beginning July 1, NCAA institutions who are members of conferences outside of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC, will be permitted to opt into the terms delineated in the House v. NCAA settlement. The most publicized aspect of the settlement is that NCAA Division I athletics departments that “opt in” will have the ability to directly share revenue with student-athletes and manage NIL agreements at the institutional level. These shifts represent a significant transformation in how college athletics operates—but they also offer tremendous opportunity.

After much deliberation and evaluation, Drake University has opted in to the settlement and is ready to embrace this new era. At our core, our pursuit of sustained excellence in the classroom, competition, and community remains the same. For us to remain competitive and relevant, we must be willing to adjust with the changing times, especially in the sport of basketball. The pride and enjoyment our men’s and women’s basketball teams have provided us in recent years has also served as a reminder to the significance their success has on the rest of the department. In short, our basketball programs and the Drake Relays are the rising tide that lifts all other boats in our department. In order for all of our student-athletes and sport programs to grow, we must position our basketball programs and Drake Relays to flourish.

Supporting Bulldogs Through Revenue Sharing

One of the most important elements of this transition is the ability to directly support student-athletes through revenue sharing. For Drake, that means the generous contributions you make—especially tax-deductible gifts to Drake Athletics—are now eligible to be part of this shared revenue model.

To support this shift, we’ve established two dedicated funds:

Drake Men’s Basketball Excellence Fund

Drake Women’s Basketball Excellence Fund

These funds are managed by Drake Athletics and directly benefit the greatest needs of our basketball programs. They have a direct impact on the operating budget of these programs as well as the student-athletes, coaches, and support staff of these teams. This will also be your way to provide financial resources for our student-athletes.

While Men’s and Women’s Basketball are the initial programs we have established Excellence Funds for, if supporters of other Drake programs are interested in providing financial support to create revenue sharing opportunities for other Drake student-athletes, that ability is also available and can be discussed with myself or Tim Tesar, Sr. Associate Athletics Director, (tim.tesar@drake.edu or 515-271-2132).

The Excellence Funds can be supported via one-time or recurring online gifts, donor-advised funds, stock donations, IRA distributions, or check. All contributions are a gift to Drake, and qualify for Bulldog Club benefits and DAPPS points.

These new funds are institutionally managed, tax-exempt, and focused on both recruitment and retention. They offer a clear, impactful, and compliant way to help Drake stay competitive while directly enhancing the student-athlete experience. Creation of an Excellence Fund budget and agreement on disbursement of Excellence Funds will be a collaborative effort between a head coach and sport administrator. In the sport of men’s and women’s basketball, I serve as the sport administrator and will work closely with Coach Henderson and Coach Pohlman on identification of their program’s greatest needs. As we move forward, Excellence Funds will be the preferred funds for supporting our athletes in this new era.

A New Model for NIL

As part of this realignment, we’re also evolving our relationship with DU Great Collective, our official NIL collective supporting Drake Men’s and Women’s Basketball. We’re deeply grateful for the role DU Great played during the early NIL era and for the leadership of many including, but not limited to, Kyle Mertz, Ryan Boatman, Mike Nixon, Kurt Brewer, Pat Schneider, Becca Mataloni, Spencer Harsch, Ted Brewer, Doug Shull, Louie Laurent, and Brook Rosenberg. Together, we’ve determined that Drake Athletics will primarily lead efforts to manage NIL opportunities for basketball student-athletes. The services provided to our student-athletes who benefited from a relationship with DU Great (interactions with local charities and community groups, compensation through NIL activities, taxation forms, etc.) will now be performed by Drake Athletics. DU Great will not dissolve for a myriad of reasons but individuals who financially supported DU Great, whether on a one-time, occasional, annual, or monthly basis, will be asked to continue their support through the aforementioned Excellence Funds of a specific sport at Drake.

Looking Ahead

We know you’ll have questions—and we’re committed to communicating clearly as these changes take hold. I recently sat down with Michael Admire for a podcast to discuss these shifts in greater detail. I invite you to watch or listen to our conversation [link to podcast below].

Drake Athletics continues to thrive because of the culture built by our coaches, staff, and student-athletes—and the loyalty of our fans and donors. To sustain this momentum and reach even greater heights, we must continue investing in our programs in new and meaningful ways.

Thank you for standing with us—and for helping lead the Bulldogs into this next era of excellence.

Go Bulldogs,

Brian Hardin

Director of Athletics

Drake University

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Sports

Enjoy Double XP & PXP Days while collecting new Prime series cards in MLB The Show 25

Earn 2x XP starting today, and lasting until Tuesday, July 8th at 12:00 PM PT, and 2x PXP, until Thursday, July 3rd, during Double XP & PXP Days in MLB The Show 25. Earn 2x XP from playing in any game mode to unlock any remaining rewards in the 4th Inning XP Reward Path and […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Enjoy Double XP & PXP Days while collecting new Prime series cards in MLB The Show 25

Earn 2x XP starting today, and lasting until Tuesday, July 8^th at 12:00 PM PT, and 2x PXP, until Thursday, July 3rd, during Double XP & PXP Days in MLB The Show 25. Earn 2x XP from playing in any game mode to unlock any remaining rewards in the 4th Inning XP Reward Path and jump start your foray into the 5^th Inning XP Reward Path headed your way on July 3rd. Additionally, earn 2x PXP in Diamond Dynasty and unlock your favorite players’ parallels faster than ever.

Prime Program

The Prime Program shines a spotlight on some of your favorite players, from the past and present, with a focus on their most impactful years on the field. Relive Moments featuring Prime Series players in some of their most memorable plays, complete Prime Series & Stat Missions using Prime Series players, and collect Prime Series players in the Prime Series Collection to earn program progress and add the following Prime Series rewards to your Diamond Dynasty squad:

Richie Sexson, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers (95 OVR)
Salvador Perez, C, Kansas City Royals (94 OVR)
Charlie Morton, SP, Tampa Bay Rays (93 OVR)
Mike Cameron, CF, Seattle Mariners (93 OVR)
Jesse Chavez, RP, Atlanta Braves (92 OVR)

Prime Choice Pack

The Prime Choice Pack, available today in The Show Shop, lets you choose 1 player from 1 of 3 OVR Tiers (95 OVR, 94, OVR, & 92 OVR) made up of Prime Series player items including:

Jason Varitek, C, Boston Red Sox (95 OVR)
Terry Pendleton, 3B, Atlanta Braves (95 OVR)
Michael Young, SS, Texas Rangers (94 OVR)
Jim Kaat, SP, Chicago White Sox (94 OVR)
Tommy Pham, LF, St. Louis Cardinals (94 OVR)
Luis Aparicio, SS, Baltimore Orioles (92 OVR)
Bill Mazeroski, 2B, Pittsburgh Pirates (92 OVR)
Robin Roberts, SP, Philadelphia Phillies (92 OVR)
Hal Newhouser, SP, Detroit Tigers, (92 OVR)
Raisel Iglesias, CP, Cincinnati Reds (92 OVR)

The Prime Choice Pack is available for 25,000 Stubs and is limited to 3 packs per player.

Prime Series Collection

Available today in Legends & Flashbacks Collections, the Prime Collection tasks you with collecting Legends & Flashback player items from the Prime Series to unlock the following player rewards for addition to your roster:

Collect 16 = Lance Berkman, RF, Houston Astros (96 OVR)
Collect 8 = Ian Kinsler, 2B, Texas Rangers (95 OVR)

June Spotlight Program – Drop 3

Step up to the plate as St. Louis Cardinals Nolan Arenado when he became the sixth active player to reach 350 career home runs or as the Athletics Nick Kurtz when he hit his second walk-off home run in a single series becoming the youngest player in MLB history to do so.

Play these Moments and more, including an Optional Extreme Moment. Complete Drop 3 & Stat Missions, the Lightning Collections, and the Optional Spotlight Pack Collections featuring Topps Now and Spotlight Series player items. Earn progress in the June Spotlight Program – Drop 3 to receive a sellable June Spotlight Pack – Drop 3 and add the following players to your lineup:

June Spotlight Program – Drop 3

Nolan Arenado, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals (95 OVR)
Christian Moore, 2B, Los Angeles Angels (92 OVR)
Clarke Schmidt, SP, New York Yankees (92 OVR)

June Spotlight Pack – Drop 3 (Contains 1 Diamond Topps Now or Spotlight Series player item)

Brooks Lee, SS, Minnesota Twins (95 OVR)
Jose Soriano, SP, Los Angeles Angels (95 OVR)
Brady House, 3B, Washington Nationals (92 OVR)
Logan O’Hoppe, C, Los Angeles Angels (92 OVR)
Braxton Fulford, C, Colorado Rockies (92 OVR)

*Collect June Spotlight Program player items each week to earn the June Lightning player item and collect Spotlight Pack players to earn the Retro Lightning player item headed your way on July 3rd! Spotlight Packs can be found in each Spotlight Program drop for your chance to earn more Spotlight Series cards.

PXP Paradise Diamond Quest

Face 30 Showdown-style Moments built for PXP grinders. Battle tough arms, earn PXP fast, and clear a Mini Boss-filled map designed for nonstop progress for a chance to earn Epic Rewards: Prime Deluxe Packs & Rare Rewards: Ballin’ is a Habit Packs.

The PXP Paradise Diamond Quest is a great way to make progress on your Prime collection, as the Prime Deluxe Packs are earnable upon every successful completion!

Thinking About Three Event

Welcome to the Thinking About Three Event, where Polo Grounds and blazing speed collide! Build your squad with batters who have 80+ speed, Gold & Lower pitchers, catchers and first basemen to take advantage of the park’s cavernous gaps. Turn singles into triples and triples into highlights – speed wins this one.

Conquest – Sunglasses Map

Get ready to throw shade on the competition in the all-new Sunglasses Map, available in Conquest. Take turns attacking territories, stealing your opponents’ fans, reinforcing your territories, and moving your fans to take control of the Sunglasses Map and earn XP, Packs, and more.

Chase Pack 16

Chase Pack 16 features 3-time All-Star and World Series Champion – 2^nd Half Heroes Series Trea Turner (96 OVR)

Every purchase of The Show 50-Pack Bundle includes one Chase Pack 16, and don’t forget there’s a chance to find a Chase Pack in every individual The Show Pack as well. The Chase Pack guarantees 1 Diamond player item with a chance to find the featured Chase Pack 16 player item, 2^nd Half Heroes Series Trea Turner.

Challenge of the Week 16

Challenge of the Week 16, available in Instant Action, features 2023 All-Star Spencer Strider going up against two-time All-Star Cody Bellinger. Compete as Bellinger vs CPU-controlled Strider and accumulate hits to achieve as many points as possible within three outs for a chance to earn Stubs for use in MLB The Show 25.

Roster Update – Transactions

Today’s content update brings another Roster Update focusing on Transactions, intended to align your MLB The Show 25 rosters with the current MLB rosters.

Roster Updates focusing on Transactions will occur weekly while Roster Updates focusing on Attributes will occur every 3 weeks throughout the season, with the next Attributes Update of the season currently scheduled for Friday, July 11th.

Up next in MLB The Show 25

As you enjoy today’s Prime content in MLB The Show 25, prepare yourself for all-new content headed your way next week just in time for the 4^th of July weekend. Tuesday, July 1^st brings a new, non-Cornerstone Evolution Program and Thursday, July 3^rd you can expect to find a brand-new June Spotlight Program & Pack, including the June Spotlight Lightning & Retro Lightning players, Weekend Classic 4, and the 5^th Inning XP Reward Path. And we’re getting the red carpet ready for All-Star Weekend beginning July 11th, and you don’t want to miss it!

Sports

Former Smithville athletes compete in college

Editor’s Note: The Courier-Tribune is recognizing athletes from Smithville High School who are already currently playing in college or recently finished up their collegiate careers.… Login to continue reading Login Sign up for complimentary access Sign Up Now Close Link 1

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1 hour ago

June 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Editor’s Note: The Courier-Tribune is recognizing athletes from Smithville High School who are already currently playing in college or recently finished up their collegiate careers.…