GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 2-seed Florida Atlantic softball team opens play in the NCAA Gainesville Regional on Friday, May 16, against No. 3-seed Georgia Tech. First pitch between the Owls (44-10) and the Yellow Jackets (27-22) is at 2 p.m. on ESPNU.
 
For the second straight year, Florida Atlantic is in the NCAA Regionals, this time as the only team from a non-power conference to earn an at-large bid. In the double-elimination bracket, the victor of this game will play on Saturday against the winner of the matchup between No. 1-seed Florida and No. 4-seed Mercer. 

This marks the program’s 13th postseason berth, the most among any FAU sport.

 

 

 

• The Owls are led by Head Coach Jordan Clark in her third season at the helm of the program with a record of 120-46. She and her assistants have been named AAC Coaching Staff of the Year for the second consecutive season. 
• Florida Atlantic has won 40+ games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2003-04.
• The Owls lead the nation in fielding percentage (.984).
• Nationwide, FAU is 12th in ERA (2.37), 18th in doubles (90), 19th in batting average (.336), 22nd in runs (356), 24th in hits (486), and 30th in strikeouts thrown (306). 
• As a pitching staff, Florida Atlantic has allowed two runs or less in 11 straight games.
• Junior pitcher Autumn Courtney (23-3) was voted unanimously as the American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year and to the All-Conference First Team. She has the fifth most victories nationwide and is 21st in ERA (1.80) as well as 32nd in strikeouts (163). Her one-hit, seven-strikeout performance in the AAC Semifinals earned her a spot on the All-Tournament team.
• Senior pitcher Ainsley Lambert leads the NCAA in saves with 11 to go with her 7-1 record and an ERA of 1.63, the 15th lowest nationwide.
• The Owls have set its single-season program record in runs.
• Redshirt sophomore outfielder Kylie Hammonds has reached base in 50 out of 54 appearances on the season and has a current streak of 23 games. She leads the Owls in on-base percentage (.515). runs (52), walks (33), and hit-by-pitches (13).
• Junior catcher Chloe Yeatts’ 51 RBI in a single season is the most by an Owl since 1995 and is one away from tying the program record.
• Florida Atlantic boasts the AAC Defensive Player of the Year in junior third baseman Jesiana Mora. She also has a team-high eight home runs.
• Outfielder Bella Foran leads the team in batting average (.420) as a freshman. 
• FAU is No. 31 in the RPI rankings.

 

• Georgia Tech is led by Head Coach Aileen Morales in her eighth season.
• The Yellow Jackets are making their first NCAA Regional appearance since 2022.
• Freshman outfielder Alyssa Willer leads the team in batting average (.354), on base percentage (.496), and slugging percentage (.636).
• Senior pitcher Sophia Voyles has totaled 130 strikeouts and holds a 2.79 ERA.
• The Yellow Jackets and the Owls have faced off eight times, with the series currently tied at 4-4. Their last meeting was in 2015, an FAU 2-0 victory.

 

Owl fans are encouraged to make the trip to Gainesville and paint Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium in red as another postseason run begins this weekend. Tickets, both all-session passes and single-session, are on sale now and can be purchased HERE.  
 

Fans in the South Florida area who are unable to make the trip to Gainesville can attend a watch party at the Duffy’s Sports Grill on St. Andrews Blvd. in Boca Raton for an early Happy Hour on Friday to cheer on their hometown team and take advantage of 2-for-1 drink specials.
 
 

To stay up to date on all things FAU softball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUSoftball.
 
The Owls’ 2025 postseason is powered by Demand the Limits Injury Attorneys.
 

WICHITA, Kan. – For the third time in her career Wichita State outfielder Lauren Lucas has earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region honors, it was announced Thursday afternoon.

A native of Little Elm, Texas, Lucas was named to the NFCA All-Central Region Third Team after another standout season on the diamond for the Shockers. Lucas returned to action after missing all of the 2024 season with a shoulder injury to lead the team in batting average (.378), hits (62) and on base percentage (.493). She added 11 doubles, two triples, 13 home runs and 42 RBIs. Her 13 home runs were a career high, besting her previous high of 10 back in 2022. Lucas closed the book on her collegiate career, becoming just the second Shocker in school history to finish with 40+ doubles, 10+ triples and 25+ home runs. Her name is found on several Top 10 career charts at Wichita State, including batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, doubles, triples, RBIs, runs scored, total bases and walks.

Last week Lucas was named a First Team All-Conference honoree for a third time. She was also an NFCA Third Team All-Central Region selection in 2022 and 2023.

Wichita State has placed at least one on the All-Central Region teams every season since 2018.

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart paints a concerning future for college athletics with his latest statement regarding NIL.

College football head coaches are constantly forced to navigate new issues revolving around the league and have seen the sport undergo some massive changes over the past decade. But no other change appears to be more headache-inducing than the emergence of NIL.

While the policy change has been viewed as an overall positive, it has brought forth its fair share of issues. Many of which have created financial ripples throughout college athletics. Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart shared his thoughts on the issue and expressed his desires for the sport moving forward.

“I just want to be able to have a freshman come in and not make more than a senior and I’d like for other sports to be able to still survive.” Said Smart. “You know, we’re on the brink of probably one to two years away from a lot of schools cutting sports.”

While football is a massive sport that produces millions of dollars in revenue each season, other sports may be forced to go by the waist-side due to the increase of competitive prices when it comes to fielding a football roster.

Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a simple fix for the issues that the NIL era of college football presents, and the sport (along with other college athletics) will likely continue to undergo a litany of changes in the near future.

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Mark Pope is feeling the urgency at Kentucky. His first season as the Wildcats’ head coach ended with an appearance in the Sweet 16 at the NCAA Tournament and a respectable No. 12 ranking in the final Associated Press poll. But Pope understands that his task is to take the historic Kentucky program back to the top of college basketball.

“We want to play the hardest schedule; we want to play the best teams; we want to win the most games; we want to have the best players; we want to have the highest NIL; we want to have the coolest uniforms; we want to have the most media attention. This is Kentucky,” Pope said at his first offseason press conference.

It must have been a little discouraging then for Pope to learn that top 2026 recruit Tyran Stokes has opted to postpone his visit to Lexington, a visit that was set to begin Thursday and last through Saturday.

Rock Hill, S.C. – Winthrop senior pitcher/designated player Megan Powell has earned National Fast Pitch Association All-Region Team honors, announced Thursday afternoon.

Powell was named First Team All-Conference and the 2025 Big South Conference Player of the Year. She was selected to the All-Region 3^rd Team as a Utility/Pitcher as she turned in strong performances both in the circle and at the plate this season.

2025 Division I All-Region Teams

This year she led the team with a .333 average to go along with 27 runs, seven doubles, 10 home runs, 35 RBI, 22 walks and an on-base percentage of .425. In the circle she was 16-12 with a 2.15 ERA, 16 complete games, five shutouts and 122 strikeouts in 163 innings. She also held an opposing batting average of .206.

This is the first all-region selection for Winthrop since Lisa Kingsmore was voted to the 1^st team in 2009. Powell is the sixth different Eagles to earn NFCA All-Region honors.

Powell is a two-time First Team All-Conference selection and earned the Big South Newcomer of the Year honor in 2024. Powell became just the third Eagle in program history to earn the conference’s top regular season honor. Lisa Kingsmore earned it back-to-back in 2008 and 2009 while Lisa (Kemme) Raio also had back-to-back seasons earning the honor (1990, 1991).

The awards honor softball student-athletes from the Association’s 10 regions with first, second and third-team selections. NFCA member head coaches from each respective region nominated student-athletes (eight maximum) and voted for the teams. All awarded student-athletes now become eligible for the 2025 NFCA Division I All-America squads.

 

 

 

CHICAGO − Yaxel Lendeborg rubbed his hands together seated inside Wintrust Arena, a wave of excitement and anxiety coursing through him as he laid out the options again before his first official NBA audition was set to begin. The former UAB star is an intriguing figure among the group of players taking part in this week’s 2025 NBA Draft Combine. He’s facing the sort of decision prospects invited to this annual league event never did in the past. 

Lendeborg is a potential late first-round draft pick, according to draft experts, who could also slide into the second round – when contracts are not guaranteed – depending on how his pre-draft workouts go. The 6-foot-10 big man also committed to Michigan in April as one of the country’s most coveted transfers amidst an explosion of money being paid to college football and basketball players through name, image and likeness compensation and the anticipated implementation of revenue sharing by the NCAA for the 2025-26 season.    

The 22-year-old has until the NCAA’s May 28 withdrawal date to pull out of the draft and retain his college eligibility. And sounds torn about it right now. More torn than any of the other college hopefuls around him this week.

2025 NBA DRAFT: Why Cooper Flagg was ‘surprised’ when Mavericks got No. 1 pick

“The NBA is ultimately the goal for a lot of guys. It’s just college is so tempting because of the money,” Lendeborg told USA TODAY Sports. “I’m 50-50 between the NBA and Michigan, and I just hope that a team can let me know early so I don’t mess anything up.”

How NIL changed the 2025 NBA draft

The dynamics and financial implications of the traditional NBA draft decision tree have changed because of the money players can now make at the college level. There were only 106 early entrants in the 2025 NBA draft, which is the lowest figure in a decade and down from 353 in 2021. There were also more players (18) from the Portsmouth Invitational, a pre-draft event for college seniors, invited to the NBA Draft Combine than recent years.  

The trends are in direct correlation to the rapid increase in NIL money being doled out by college basketball programs. For one season, the starter for a power conference team in college will often make more than an NBA player on the first year of a rookie deal. For many, it might be the most money they ever make in one season playing basketball.

The attempts to thread that needle, of maximizing money made in college and in the NBA, has infused chaos into the college ranks through the transfer portal and constant roster churn. It played out this week in Chicago as numerous college coaching staffs were on hand to both support their participating players at the NBA draft combine, and quietly hope the feedback convinces them to come back to college for another season. 

“A case of food poisoning – nothing serious – would be good for the University of Michigan right now,” Wolverines assistant coach Mike Boynton joked on Tuesday before explaining they always knew there was a chance Lendeborg would go to the NBA.

It’s yet another ripple effect of the power shift within college sports.

“We’ve got the best of both worlds,” said St. John’s star R.J. Luis, who entered the NBA draft and the NCAA’s transfer portal this offseason. “We’re basically like semi-pros. We got like one-year contracts basically (in college). It’s just about trying to find the best opportunity at the right moment.”

‘Good for the basketball ecosystem’

The NBA doesn’t seem to mind this, either.

Five league executives told USA TODAY Sports at the draft combine that the implementation of name, image and likeness at the college level has produced minimal disruptions for the league and its draft process. Some view it as a positive development despite the issues NIL created for college basketball teams. As one NBA general manager put it, “The guys will come into the draft eventually.”

“You’re still getting the top-end guys, but you’re not going to get sophomores and juniors,” said an NBA front office executive who runs his team’s college scouting operation. “You’re going to see a gap in the draft the next couple years, especially in the second round. But most guys choosing to go back (to college) would struggle to stay (in the NBA) anyways. Now these guys can build brands in college. In the long run, it might be better.”

“It’s good for the basketball ecosystem,” added another NBA team executive.  

But there will still be players like Lendeborg placed in a precarious spot, hoping the measurements, scrimmage performances and meetings with NBA officials at the combine and a flurry of workouts the next two weeks provide more clarity. 

The Pennsauken, New Jersey native only played 11 varsity basketball games in high school and had to go the junior college route before arriving at UAB. There is no precedent for what he’s going through because a fringe first-round pick five years ago wouldn’t also be mulling NIL deals worth millions of dollars. 

He doesn’t want to stay in school just because of the money. But he also doesn’t want to go to the NBA and not have a chance to be a rotation player quickly. He only needs one team to promise he will get one to stay in the draft. He just needs to know before May 28.

“If it doesn’t happen by then,” Lendeborg said, “then the decision is going to be really hard to make.”