Connect with us
https://yoursportsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/call-to-1.png

Sports

Twins Daily Minor League Report (5/11)

Published

8 months ago

on

Twins Daily Minor League Report (5/11)

Twins Video

CURRENT W-L Records
Minnesota Twins: 21-20
St. Paul Saints: 20-15
Wichita Wind Surge: 19-14
Cedar Rapids Kernels: 20-12
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 15-18
FCL Twins: 5-1
DSL Twins: Scheduled to start on June 2.  

TRANSACTIONS
There were no transactions announced on Sunday. 

SAINTS SENTINEL
St. Paul 3, Buffalo 2
Box Score
This has been a series of wild games. Two games ended in walkoff homers. This weekend, the Saints won two games by one run. 

Travis Adams has primarily been working as the back-end of piggyback situations this season. On Sunday, he made a start. He went four innings and gave up two runs on three hits and three walks. He had one strikeout. When the backend of the piggyback guy started, it was all hands on deck for the Saints bullpen, and five relievers combined to get the job done. 

With one out in the bottom of the first inning, Mickey Gasper homered again! He had four homers this week against Buffalo, and six home runs in 10 Triple-A games played. 

With two outs in the bottom of the first, Carson McCusker hit his 10th home run of the season to make it 2-0 Saints. After his 12-game hitting streak came to an end on Saturday, he quickly started a new streak.  #McCrusher hit this ball 115.0 mph. 

 

Adams gave up two runs in the top of the fourth inning on a two-run single by Damiano Palmegiani. 

Jeferson Morales singled to lead off the bottom of the fourth and advanced to second on a fielding error. Jair Camargo singled to center to drive in Morales and give the Saints a 3-2 lead.       

 

And that was it for the scoring for both teams. Brady Feigl struck out two in a scoreless fifth inning. Kyle Bischoff, Richard Lovelady, Ryan Jensen, and Anthony Misiewicz each struck out one batter in a scoreless inning. It marked the fourth save for Misiewicz.   

The Buffalo Bisons are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Check out our sister site, Jays Centre, and their Top 20 Blue Jays prospect rankings. Outfielder Alan Roden, 25, made the Jays opening day roster. He was optioned to Buffalo early this week and joined the Bisons in St. Paul on Thursday. He went 1-for-5 in that first game. Then over the next two games, he went 7-for-9 with a double, triple, homer and five RBI. He went 2-for-5 on Sunday. Going 10-for-19 (.526) with a (1.392) OPS over your first four games after a demotion is a good way to show management you want to get back!   

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Wichita 6, NW Arkansas 4
Box Score
The Wind Surge fell behind early, came back and took the lead in the fourth only to see the game tied up in the bottom of the eighth. That’s when the Surge bats’ responded in support of the team’s bullpen that had a solid day.

Down 2-0, Ben Ross led off the top of the second with his third home run of the season. In the third, they loaded the bases, but didn’t score.       

 

In the fourth inning, Kyler Fedko led off with a walk. Noah Cardenas doubled to drive in him. After a Tyler Dearden walk and a Jake Rucker single loaded the bases again, Tanner Schobel flew out to center to drive in Cardenas. 

Darren Bowen made the start for the Wind Surge. He gave up two runs on one hit and one walk over three innings. John Klein worked the middle three innings without allowing a run. He gave up two hits and a walk and struck out two. Cody Laweryson got the next four outs and was charged with an unearned run. Jaylen Nowlin got the final five outs, three on strikeouts, to end the game. He allowed the tying run in the eighth inning. 

Noah Cardenas led off the top of the ninth inning with his second home run of the season. With one out Jake Rucker singled off of the pitcher. Tanner Schobel singled. Next up, Ricardo Olivar drove in Rucker with a double. Rubel Cespedes flew out, deep enough to allow Schobel to score the third run of the inning.         

 

Nowlin gave up a run on a wild pitch but held on for the Win. 

Noah Cardenas hit his third double and second home run of the season. Schobel was 2-for-3 with a walk. Rucker was 2-for-4. 

KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 6, Beloit 5
Box Score
After a rare loss on Saturday night, the Kernels found a terrific (nearly-grand) way to start things on Sunday afternoon. The game started with walks to Kaelen Culpepper and Caden Kendle before Brandon Winokur was hit by a pitch. Gabriel Gonzalez flew out to deep-enough left field to drive in Culpepper with the game’s first run. After a strikeout, Khadim Diaw came up and crushed a three-run homer to give the Kernels a 4-0 lead. 

But you knew it wasn’t going to be just that easy all day. Beloit scored one in the bottom of the first. Gabriel Gonzalez hit his third homer of the season in the third inning to make it 5-1. 

However, Beloit responded with two in the bottom of the third and one in the bottom of the fourth and it was again a one-run game at 5-4.   

The Kernels got some help in the top of the fifth. Brandon Winokur reached on a single with one out. The pitcher attempted to pick him off but threw wildly. Then the first baseman got to the ball, he made an errant throw too and Winokur scored all the way from first. 

The Sky Carp scored one in the bottom of the sixth, but both bullpens locked it down from there and the Kernels won their 20th game of the season.

Ty Langenberg worked the first three innings. He was charged with three runs on six hits and two walks and a hit batter. He had four strikeouts. Gabriel Yanez worked an inning and gave up an unearned run on two walks. Paulshawn Pasqualotto worked the next three innings. He gave up one run on two hits and struck out three. Samuel Perez started the eighth inning and got two outs. Jacob Wosinski came on and got the final out of the eighth without allowing the tying run to score. He also tossed a quiet ninth to earn his fifth save. 

Jaime Ferrer went 2-for-3 with a walk and his third double. Nate Baez went 2-for-4. Winokur went 2-for-4 and was hit by a pitch. Kendle walked three times, and Culpepper had a single and a walk. Gonzalez’s homer was his third of the season, and Diaw’s was his first.

Kyle DeBarge missed his second straight game after leaving Friday’s game after being hit by a pitch.                 

MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 4, Dunedin 7
Box Score
The Mussels got a strong start from an intriguing 2024 draft pick The offense scored in four different innings, but the bullpen had one rough inning and that was the difference in this ballgame. 

Eli Jones was the Twins seventh round pick in 2024 out of South Carolina. In this game, he gave up one run on three hits. He walked one and had three strikeouts. The run came on a Jean Joseph solo home run in the fifth inning. 

Things got interesting in the bottom of the first inning. Leadoff man Byron Chourio had to leave his first at-bat with injury. Maddux Houghton came in for him and worked a single. He moved to second on a passed ball and scored the first run of the day on Jay Thomason’s eighth double.   

 

The Mussels added a run with two outs in the second inning. Angel Del Rosario’s second double of the season drove in Jefferson Valladares from second base. In the fourth inning, it was Houghton who drove in Yohander Martinez to make it 3-0. 

So through five innings, the Mussels held a 3-1 lead. The game was turned over to the bullpen, starting with Devin Kirby. The oft-used knuckleballer had a rough outing. He recorded just one out and was charged with four runs on two hits, a walk and a fielder’s choice. Ivran Romero came on with two runners on and gave up a single that scored both of them. Romero stayed on and worked 2 1/3 innings without being charged with a run of his own. He had three strikeouts. Tyler Stasiowski got the final four outs, three of them on strikeouts, but he gave up two runs (1 earned) on two hits. 

The Mussels added a run in the seventh when Thomason scored on a wild pitch, but that was as close as they were able to make it. 

Thomason continues to be the one hitter in the Mussels regular lineup that hits consistently. In this game, he was 3-for-3 with a walk and his eighth double. The other player to hit relatively consistently is Houghton. He went 2-for-5 in this game and is hitting .277. With the younger prospects needing to play, Hoc                                                              c       ughton usually comes off the bench and provides value. 

After his fast start, Byron Chourio is now hitting just .196 (though his on-base percentage remains at .381). Jose Rodriguez is hitting just .123 in his second season with the Mussels. He hit a double on Sunday. And Yasser Mercedes has really struggled in adapting to the full-season affiliate. He is hitting just .132 after going 0-for-5 with four strikeouts on Sunday. 

Those three are usually in the top four batters in the Mussels lineup, and they need to be from a Player Development standpoint. Chourio and Rodriguez are still 19 while Mercedes is 20. Meanwhile, Thomason turned 23 last month and was the Twins 17th round pick last summer after four years in the United States Air Force Academy. He hit 58 home runs over the last three seasons in college. And frankly, he is right where he should be as a late round pick last year. He’s showing Twins decision makers that he probably needs to move up in the near future. But it’s why we always need to take a little deeper look. This week, this team faced Blue Jays top pitching prospects Trey Yesavage and Khal Stephens, both with three years of Division I ball under their belts. Mercedes hit a long homer off of Yesavage. 

The Dunedin Blue Jays are the Low-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Check out our sister site, Jays Centre, and their Top 20 Blue Jays prospect rankings. 

PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Hitter of the Day  
Jay Thomason (Fort Myers): 3-for-3, BB, 2B(8), R, RBI, SB(14)

Pitcher of the Day 
Eli Jones (Fort Myers): 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. 69 pitches, 40 strikes (58.0%)

 

PROSPECT SUMMARY
Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our updated Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Sunday.

#3 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) – 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
#6 – Kaelen Culpepper (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-4, BB, R, 2 K, 2 SB(6). 
#9 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) – 2-for-4, HBP, 2 R, K
#14 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-4, HR(3), R, SF, 2 RBI.
#17 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) -2-for-3, BB, R, RBI.
#18 – Yasser Mercedes (Fort Myers) – 0-for-5, 4 K.
#19 – Carson McCusker (St. Paul) – 1-for-4, HR(10), R, RBI, K
#20 – Ricardo Olivar (Wichita) – 1-for-4, BB, RBI.  

NEXT GAME SCHEDULE
Monday
FCL Orioles @ FCL Twins (11:00 AM CST) – TBD 
Tuesday
Minnesota @ Baltimore (5:35 PM CDT) – Simeon Woods Richardson (2-2, 4.01 ERA)
St. Paul @ Iowa (6:38 PM CDT) – TBD
Arkansas @ Wichita (6:05 PM CDT) – TBD.
Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CDT) – TBD.
Fort Myers @ Jupiter (5:30 PM CDT) – TBD.
FCL Rays @ FCL Twins (11:00 AM CDT) – TBD.  

Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the roster, and discuss Sunday’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related!

Interested in learning more about the Minnesota Twins’ top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!

View Twins Top Prospects

6
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Wisconsin Badgers volleyball transfer portal tracker 2025-26

Published

2 hours ago

on

December 24, 2025

By


The University of Wisconsin volleyball program saw significant transfer portal action as soon as the Badgers’ season ended.

kAm%@ 96=A 72?D <66A FA H:E9 2== E96 492?86[ 96C6VD J@FC @?6\DE@A 9@>6 7@C 2== E96 EC2?D76C A@CE2= ?6HD DFCC@F?5:?8 E96 (:D4@?D:? G@==6J32== AC@8C2>]k^Am

k9amx}i xD236==6 w@AA6[ D6EE6Ck^9am

kAmxD236==6 w@AA6 :D?VE 4@>:?8 7C@> E96 EC2?D76C A@CE2= D:?46 D96VD 2 >6>36C @7 E96 4=2DD @7 a_ae[ 3FE H6VC6 255:?8 96C D:?46 D96VD 2 ?6H 255:E:@? E@ E96 AC@8C2>] w@AA6 2??@F?465 @? s64] ab E92E D96 H2D 7=:AA:?8 96C 4@>>:E>6?E 7C@> !:EED3FC89 E@ (:D4@?D:?]k^Am

People are also reading…

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^32586C6IEC2]4@>^DA@CED^G@==6J32==^C64CF:E:?8^H:D4@?D:?\G@==6J32==\7=:AD\9:89=J\C2?<65\D6EE6C\7C@>\3:8\E6?\C:G2=^2CE:4=60`7bb4f55\_ecd\cced\2hd7\6dgbf3g`ch7h]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?@C6 23@FE w@AA6k^2m]k^Am

k9am~&%i &?2 ‘2;28:4[ @FED:56 9:EE6Ck^9am

kAm&?2 ‘2;28:4 3642>6 E96 7:CDE DE2CE6C E@ 2??@F?46 96C :?E6?E:@? E@ =62G6 E96 q2586CD] $96 >:DD65 =2DE D62D@? H9:=6 C64@G6C:?8 7C@> 2? pr{ :?;FCJ[ E96? A=2J65 2 4CF4:2= C@=6 😕 E9:D D62D@?VD }rpp %@FC?2>6?E] $96 2??@F?465 s64] aa @? x?DE28C2> 96C 564:D:@? E@ 6?E6C E96 EC2?D76C A@CE2=] $96 H:== 92G6 E9C66 J62CD @7 6=:8:3:=:EJ C6>2:?:?8]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^32586C6IEC2]4@>^DA@CED^G@==6J32==^H:D4@?D:?\G@==6J32==\=@D6D\DE2CE6C\H9@\D9:?65\5@H?\E96\DEC6E49\E@\EC2?D76C\A@CE2=^2CE:4=60c7ae5b`_\e_ff\c756\24hd\f5gf36__`hd6]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?@C6 23@FE ‘2;28:4k^2m]k^Am

k9amx}i tG2 %C2G:D[ @FED:56 9:EE6Ck^9am

kAm$@A9@>@C6 tG2 %C2G:D 62C?65 uC6D9>2? @7 E96 *62C 9@?@CD 😕 E96 q:8 (6DE r@?76C6?46 =2DE J62C 2?5 9@?@C23=6 >6?E:@? @? E96 p’rp’D !24:7:4 #68:@? 2H2C5D =:DE 2E &r $2?E2 q2C32C2] $96 2??@F?465 s64] aa @? x?DE28C2> 96C 564:D:@? E@ ;@:? E96 q2586CD] $96 H:== 92G6 EH@ J62CD @7 6=:8:3:=:EJ C6>2:?:?8]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^32586C6IEC2]4@>^DA@CED^G@==6J32==^H:D4@?D:?\G@==6J32==\=2?5D\42=:7@C?:2\@FED:56\9:EE6C\7C@>\EC2?D76C\A@CE2=^2CE:4=60h22e_a_a\7`cc\c5bg\2cga\`ba7bd4e2h3e]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?@C6 23@FE %C2G:Dk^2m]k^Am

k9amx}i y26=2 pF8FDE6[ >:55=6 3=@4<6Ck^9am

kAm%96 7:CDE 255:E:@? E@ E96 q2586CD C@DE6C 42>6 7C@> E96 u=@C:52 v2E@CD 😕 y26=2 pF8FDE6[ H9@ 62C?65 E9:C5 E62> p==\p>6C:42? 9@?@CD E9:D D62D@?] $96 2??@F?465 s64] a_ @? x?DE28C2> 96C 564:D:@? E@ ;@:? E96 q2586CD] $96 H:== 92G6 EH@ J62CD @7 6=:8:3:=:EJ C6>2:?:?8]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^32586C6IEC2]4@>^DA@CED^G@==6J32==^H:D4@?D:?\G@==6J32==\=2?5D\2==\2>6C:42?\7C@>\EC2?D76C\A@CE2=\E@\C6A=246\56A2CE:?8\DE2C^2CE:4=60a5d6cccg\_bbe\ce2c\2c53\d625db4`a`hd]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?@C6 23@FE pF8FDE6k^2m]k^Am

k9am~&%i %C:?:EJ $9255\r6C6D[ @FED:56 9:EE6Ck^9am

kAmx?;FC:6D =:>:E65 E96 492?46D 7@C D@A9@>@C6 %C:?:EJ $9255\r6C6D[ 3FE D96 5:5 62C? A=2J:?8 E:>6 5FC:?8 E96 q2586CDV A@DED62D@? CF?] $96 2??@F?465 s64] `h @? x?DE28C2> 96C 564:D:@? E@ 6?E6C E96 EC2?D76C A@CE2=] $96 H:== 92G6 EH@ J62CD @7 6=:8:3:=:EJ C6>2:?:?8]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^32586C6IEC2]4@>^DA@CED^G@==6J32==^H:D4@?D:?\G@==6J32==\=@D6D\<6J\A=2J@77\4@?EC:3FE@C\E@\EC2?D76C\A@CE2=^2CE:4=60hh4d7f3a\_h5c\cee4\g2d_\g4d74bd7af5b]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?@C6 23@FE $9255\r6C6Dk^2m]k^Am

k9am~&%i %@D:2 $6C27:?@HD<2[ >:55=6 3=@4<6Ck^9am

kAm#65D9:CE 7C6D9>2? %@D:2 $6C27:?@HD<2 D2H =:>:E65 24E:@? 😕 96C =@?6 D62D@? 😕 |25:D@?[ 86EE:?8 A=2J:?8 E:>6 😕 7:G6 >2E496D] $96 2??@F?465 s64] `h @? x?DE28C2> 96C 564:D:@? E@ 6?E6C E96 EC2?D76C A@CE2=] $96 H:== 92G6 E9C66 J62CD @7 6=:8:3:=:EJ C6>2:?:?8]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^32586C6IEC2]4@>^DA@CED^G@==6J32==^H:D4@?D:?\G@==6J32==\=@D6D\EH@\56AE9\A=2J6CD\E@\EC2?D76C\A@CE2=^2CE:4=60_6`3665h\3743\ca`2\26c4\fb5fac_3eh7c]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?@C6 23@FE $6C27:?@HD<2k^2m]k^Am

k9am~&%i |2:=6 r92?[ =:36C@^s$k^9am

kAm$@A9@>@C6 |2:=6 r92? A=2J65 😕 2 E@E2= @7 ad >2E496D 5FC:?8 96C EH@ D62D@?D H:E9 E96 q2586CD] $96 2??@F?465 s64] `h @? x?DE28C2> 96C 564:D:@? E@ 6?E6C E96 EC2?D76C A@CE2=] $96 H:== 92G6 EH@ J62CD @7 6=:8:3:=:EJ C6>2:?:?8]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^32586C6IEC2]4@>^DA@CED^G@==6J32==^H:D4@?D:?\G@==6J32==\=@D6D\EH@\56AE9\A=2J6CD\E@\EC2?D76C\A@CE2=^2CE:4=60_6`3665h\3743\ca`2\26c4\fb5fac_3eh7c]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?@C6 23@FE r92?k^2m]k^Am

k9am~&%i p55J w@C?6C[ D6EE6Ck^9am

kAmuC6D9>2? p55J w@C?6C 62C?65 ?:?6 DE2CED 7@C E96 q2586CD 27E6C r92C=:6 uF6C3C:?86C DF776C65 2? :?;FCJ 282:?DE |:49:82? 😕 62C=J ~4E@36C] w@C?6C 2??@F?465 s64] `h @? x?DE28C2> 96C 564:D:@? E@ 6?E6C E96 EC2?D76C A@CE2=] $96 2??@F?465 s64] ab @? x?DE28C2> E92E D96VD 9625:?8 E@ %r&] $96 H:== 92G6 E9C66 J62CD @7 6=:8:3:=:EJ C6>2:?:?8]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^32586C6IEC2]4@>^DA@CED^G@==6J32==^H:D4@?D:?\G@==6J32==\=@D6D\A2CE\E:>6\DE2CE6C\E@\EC2?D76C\A@CE2=^2CE:4=60ca7cfgea\abhh\c2d`\hfag\gh434dhfcbh3]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?@C6 23@FE w@C?6Ck^2m]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^32586C6IEC2]4@>^DA@CED^G@==6J32==^7@C>6C\H:D4@?D:?\G@==6J32==\D6EE6C\7:?5D\?6H\9@>6^2CE:4=60c6_cf6g_\552`\c7_`\gbb5\7e_g5dbd3bbb]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?@C6 23@FE w@C?6CVD ?6H AC@8C2>k^2m]k^Am

k9am~&%i p?:J2 (2CC6?[ =:36C@^s$k^9am

kAmuC6D9>2? p?:J2 (2CC6? H2D E96 ?2E:@?VD E@A\C2?<65 =:36C@ 😕 96C C64CF:E:?8 4=2DD H96? D96 564:565 E@ 4@>6 E@ (:D4@?D:?] (2CC6? 2??@F?465 s64] `h @? x?DE28C2> 96C 564:D:@? E@ 6?E6C E96 EC2?D76C A@CE2=] $96 H:== 92G6 E9C66 J62CD @7 6=:8:3:=:EJ C6>2:?:?8]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^32586C6IEC2]4@>^DA@CED^G@==6J32==^7@C>6C\9:89=J\C2?<65\H:D4@?D:?\G@==6J32==\C64CF:E\E@\6?E6C\EC2?D76C\A@CE2=^2CE:4=60_4c54234\fdac\cg__\hhcc\2bbgf7gc2457]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?@C6 23@FE (2CC6?k^2m]k^Am

Contact Jim Polzin at jpolzin@madison.com.



Link

2
Continue Reading

Sports

Aggie volleyball adds a pair of Midwest transfers

Published

3 hours ago

on

December 24, 2025

By


COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Just two days after winning a national championship, Jamie Morrison and Aggie volleyball announced the signing of two Division One transfers.

Texas A&M added graduate transfer and All-American Natalie Ring from Marquette and Ohio State’s Kaia Castle.

Volleyball is one of six revenue-sharing sports at Texas A&M, and following the national title match, Morrison acknowledged the university’s financial commitment to recruiting.

“Our administration’s really stepped up and said, hey, we really want you to be competitive on the national landscape. And I couldn’t be more grateful for that,” Morrison said.

Ring led the Golden Eagles to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and landed on the All-America third team. She was also named a unanimous All-Big East selection. She had a career-high 29 kills in a close loss to No. 2 Louisville in the NCAA Tournament.

The Madison, Wisconsin native ranked No. 16 in the nation with 4.60 kills per set.

“We are excited to add Natalie to our Aggie family here in Aggieland,” Morrison said. “She brings a wealth of experience as a well-rounded outside hitter and is a relentless competitor who consistently raised her level against the best competition. The 12th Man is going to love her fire, spirit and the way she plays the game.”

Castle is a redshirt sophomore and averaged 1.94 kills per set as a middle blocker.

“We value speed at the middle blocker position and it’s rare to see someone with Kaia’s length who can move the way she does,” Morrison said. “Beyond the physical tools, she is an incredible human. I truly enjoyed every part of the recruiting process with Kaia and can’t wait to have her here in Aggieland.”

Castle recorded 91 blocks this year for the Buckeyes and broke the program’s single-match block record with 15 against Troy.

The Aggies were quick to get to work on building for next season and remaining at the top of the college volleyball landscape.

“We’re going to sit down, and we’re going to enjoy this as much as we possibly can,” Morrison said. “And then we’re going to get to work and go do it again.”

Copyright 2025 KBTX. All rights reserved.



Link

4
Continue Reading

Sports

17 LOHS athletes sign letters of intent to play sports in college

Published

3 hours ago

on

December 24, 2025

By


Seventeen Lake Orion High School student-athletes signed national letters of intent on Dec. 17 to their sports careers at the collegiate level. Photo by Joseph Goral

Seventeen Lake Orion High School student-athletes signed national letters of intent on Dec. 17 to their sports careers at the collegiate level. Photo by Joseph Goral

ORION TWP. — Seventeen senior athletes signed letters of intent at Lake Orion High School on Dec. 17 to play sports at the collegiate level.

The athletes represent eight sports – swimming, lacrosse, soccer, football, baseball, cross country, dance and track and field.

“Congratulations to all of you on joining a small group of high school athletes around the country that get the opportunity to pursue their athletic careers while pursuing their educa­tion,” LOHS Athletic Director Chris Bell said.

Several coaches joined Bell to in­troduce the athletes honored last week

Swimming

Briana Hernandez will swim for Wayne State University where she plans to study biochemistry or chemi­cal biology. Hernandez scored a team-leading 218 points this season, finished first 11 times, was a key member of LOHS’s state team, and is fourth all time in school history for the 50-meter freestyle event.

Samantha O’Kronley (left) and Leo Cassell sign letters of intent on Dec. 17 to play college sports. Photos by Joseph Goral

Samantha O’Kronley (left) and Leo Cassell sign letters of intent on Dec. 17 to play college sports. Photos by Joseph Goral

Maddox LaMothe will continue his swimming career at St. Olaf College in Minnesota and study music education. LaMoth will be a sprint freestyle and breast stroke specialist at St. Olaf Col­lege. He has scored 149 points, finished first 12 times and is a league champion in the 100-meter breast stroke event at LOHS.

Lacrosse

JC McClung will play lacrosse at Saginaw Valley State University. McClung has been a varsity starter at Lake Orion since her sophomore year, scored 27 points during her junior year, and will be a captain during her senior season.

Brielle Coventry will play la­crosse at Lewis University in Illinois where she will study aviation admin­istration. Coventry has also been a varsity player since her sophomore year, has scored 75 goals, and was named to the all-state third team in 2025 and to the all-OAA Red team.

Curtis Meech will continue his lacrosse career at Lake Erie College, and began playing lacrosse for Lake Orion Community schools 10 years ago. Head lacrosse coach Chris Wood said Meech is a vocal leader and a reliable, lead-by-example defender.

Maddox LaMothe (left) and Brooke Armstrong sign letters of intent to play college sports.

Maddox LaMothe (left) and Brooke Armstrong sign letters of intent to play college sports.

Quentin Rohlfing will play la­crosse for Kalamazoo College. In his three years playing LOHS lacrosse, Wood said Rohlfing es­tablished himself as a relentless competitor, a quick learner in the mid-field, and said Rohlfing is a hard-working individual.

Soccer

Brooke Armstrong will play soccer at Michigan Technological University where she will study biochemistry. Armstrong earned district and league honors during the spring and is a fierce competitor that LOHS is thankful to have on their team, head varsity coach Amanda Hutchinson said.

Lilly Brodoski will play soccer for Calvin University where she will study politics, philosophy and eco­nomics. She has been on LOHS’s soccer team since her freshman year, earned league honors her sopho­more and junior years, along with the OAA Sportsmanship Award, and is a versatile player who can contribute in many positions on the field, Hutchinson said.

Seniors JC McClung (left) and Brielle Coventry are introduced on Dec. 17.

Seniors JC McClung (left) and Brielle Coventry are introduced on Dec. 17.

Football

Leo Cassell will play football at Alma College and study biology. A defensive and offensive lineman, Bell called Cassell a smart player who knows the game, and said he works hard, is unselfish, and was willing to play what­ever role his team needed.

Brody Thompson will play football for Northwood University where he will pursue a business degree. Thompson predominantly played quarterback for the Dragons, is a threat running and throwing the football and won a leader­ship award last season, Bell said.

Alex Hensley will also play football at Northwood University. A starting in­side linebacker, Bell described Hensley as an old-fashioned, Orion-tough physi­cal football player. Hensley was also a captain last season, led the Dragons in tackles for the last two seasons and was selected to the all-league team and all-region first team this season.

Quentin Rohlfing (right) and Curtis Meech are introduced by boys varsity lacrosse head coach Chris Wood before a crowd at Lake Orion High School on Dec. 17.

Quentin Rohlfing (right) and Curtis Meech are introduced by boys varsity lacrosse head coach Chris Wood before a crowd at Lake Orion High School on Dec. 17.

Ryan Rocheleau will play football for Western Michigan University. Bell called Rocheleau the best tight end in Lake Orion History. Rocheleau caught 30 passes for more than 500 yards and five touchdowns, was selected to the all-league first team and all-region first team and was a team captain.

Baseball

Ozzie Schons will play baseball at Alpena Community College where he will study mathematics. Head varsity baseball coach Andy Schramek said Schons chose Alpena Community Col­lege for its culture.

Riley Bendle will play baseball at Kellogg Community College and pursue a career as a doctor. Schramek said Kellogg Community College will give Bendle the chance to develop as a player for two years before transferring to a university.

Dance

Samantha O’Kronley will dance at Alma College where she plans to study sports medicine. O’Kronley has been in Lake Orion’s dance program since seventh grade, and was described as always dependable and hardworking by a teammate.

Lilly Brodoski signs a letter of intent to play soccer for Calvin University.

Lilly Brodoski signs a letter of intent to play soccer for Calvin University.

Cross country and track and field

Max Houvener will be running cross country and competing in track and field at Oakland University. Hou­vener qualified for the state finals in the 3,200-meter relay his freshman year, and finished no lower than 10th in any race over the last two years, except for at the state finals, varsity coach Andrew McDonald said.

Mikaela Redman will be compet­ing in track and field at Northwood University. McDonald called Redman a very versatile athlete, and a leader in the school’s track-and-field program for the last four years.

Mikaela Redman signs a letter of intent on Dec. 17 to compete in track and field at Northwood University.

Mikaela Redman signs a letter of intent on Dec. 17 to compete in track and field at Northwood University.



Link

4
Continue Reading

Sports

USU Volleyball head coach Rob Neilson hired by BYU | Sports

Published

3 hours ago

on

December 24, 2025

By


Utah State women’s volleyball head coach Rob Neilson has been hired by BYU, ending his six-year tenure with the Aggies. BYU announced the hiring on social media Tuesday afternoon.

Neilson is an alum of BYU, having played for the Cougars’ men’s volleyball team from 2003-06 as a setter. He also spent 10 years as an assistant coach for the men’s team at BYU, even serving as its interim coach in 2011.

Utah State hired Neilson in 2020, following a 2019 season where the Aggies had gone a program-worst 2-28. USU went 5-10 in Neilson’s first season but then went on to win Mountain West titles in three straight seasons from 2021-24.

This season the Aggies not only won both the Mountain West regular season and conference tournament titles, they went undefeated in conference play and in the conference tournament, capping off what was ultimately a 22-game winning streak with a first-round upset victory in the NCAA Tournament against Tennessee.

Neilson ends his tenure at Utah State with an overall record of 112-59, winning three regular season Mountain West championships, two conference tournaments and winning MW Coach of the Year three times. He also took USU to four NCAA Tournaments with a record of 1-3 in those games.

In a statement, Utah State Director of Athletics Cam Walker expressed thanks to Neilson for his tenure.

“I am grateful for Rob’s leadership of our volleyball program, including multiple conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances,” Walker said. “The profile of Utah State volleyball has been elevated and we expect that standard to continue under new leadership. We will be efficient and aggressive in our pursuit of the next leader of Utah State volleyball and will begin an immediate national search.”



Link

5
Continue Reading

Sports

Florida Volleyball Signs Setter Bri Denney

Published

3 hours ago

on

December 24, 2025

By


GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida volleyball announced the addition of setter Bri Denney to the Gators’ 2026 roster.

After earning her BBA in business management from Baylor, Denney will join the program as a graduate transfer in spring 2026 and pursue her master’s in business entrepreneurship.

“In our search for a setter, Bri jumped off the page as the perfect fit for us,” said Florida Head Coach Ryan Theis. “She is a great teammate, great student with starting and coming off the bench experience in high level power 4 volleyball.  We are excited to get her in the gym in January.”

“I chose the University of Florida because of the program’s history of national success, outstanding facilities and resources and the opportunity to compete in the SEC,” Denney said. “The coaching staff is exceptional and I’m excited to continue to grow as a student athlete and a person under their leadership. Campus is beautiful and I have the opportunity to be near my brother. It truly felt like the perfect fit. Grateful for this next chapter, go Gators!”

Denney is the fifth newcomer to join the Gators for the 2026 campaign. Florida previously signed incoming freshman opposite/outside hitter Nadi’ya Shelby and announced the addition of three transfers last week: outside hitter Kamryn “Kami” Chaney, middle blocker Brianna “Bri” Holladay and outside hitter Selena Leban.

 

Bri Denney

  • Position: Setter

  • Class: Graduate Student

  • Height: 6-0

  • Hometown: San Marcos, California

  • Previous Teams: Baylor

  • High School: Santa Fe Christian School

At Baylor
Honors:

  • 2023 Academic All-Big 12 First Team

2025 (Redshirt Junior): Played 50 sets across 15 matches with five starts … Opened the season with a career-high 31 assists in a 3-1 win over South Alabama (8/29) … Followed up with 29 assists in a 5-set win over No. 10 SMU (8/30) … Tallied 20 assists win a 3-1 road win at LSU (8/31) … Returned from injury to distribute 15 assists at No. 8 Arizona State (10/8) … Had 16 assists against No. 12 Purdue in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
2024 (Redshirt Sophomore): Traveled with the Bears and played in the Foreign Tour matches in Austria, Hungary, Italy and Slovenia in June 2024 … Came into the match against No. 22 TCU to set (10/6).
 
2023 (Sophomore): Saw action in three matches on the season … Played in two sets against No. 7 Minnesota in the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge … Played against No. 19 Ohio State … Saw action in one set against Stephen F. Austin … Did not see action for the rest of the season due to injury, redshirted.
 
2022 (Freshman): Her first season with the Bears … Dealt with injury for the first part of the season … Saw action in three sets across two matches.
 
High School: Bri grew up in San Diego, CA where she played volleyball since the age of 10 at Southern California’s top two clubs; Wave and Coast. She played on their 1s teams every year with the exception of 11s & 14s, when she played on the 2s. Her teams always played in the highest divisions at the USA National Championships, placing 1st in the National division on her 13-1s team and 5th in the Open division on her 15-1s team. Bri has been trained by top club coaches and was privileged to train closely in her high school years with Fiapo Guilherme Tenius, (7x Olympic medalist coach for Brazil, US & Canada). She graduated from Santa Fe Christian School in 2022. In high school, she was First Team All-League, won second place in Division I, named Varsity Invitational Classic All-Tournament Team, and was Team Captain… In 2019 she and her team finished third in the Coastal League and second in DI postseason;  in 2021, they finished second in the league and sixth in DI Postseason … Bri was named National Honors Society, Principal’s Honor Roll, California Scholarship Federation Gold Seal Bearer and an Academic Letterwinner. In addition, she was a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes while dedicating a lot of her time to volunteering.
 
Personal: First name is Brianna but goes by “Bri” … Daughter of Monica and Robb Denney … Father, Robb, played rugby at the national level for the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club (OMBAC) on their Super League Team. She has one older brother, Colin, who played baseball at Biola University his freshman year, as a catcher, then graduated from Liberty University after transferring and is now an Investment Advisor in Tampa, FL.
 
FOLLOW FLORIDA VOLLEYBALL
FloridaGators.com
Instagram | Facebook | X





Link

5
Continue Reading

Sports

910Preps Fayetteville’s high school volleyball all-stars 2025

Published

10 hours ago

on

December 24, 2025

By


Dec. 23, 2025, 4:03 a.m. ET

Gray’s Creek’s Taylor Baggett’s senior season was one for the record books.

The Bears’ outside hitter and defensive specialist capped her high school career with a dominant final season that helped Gray’s Creek get to put together a ground-breaking year as the first high school volleyball team in school and county history to make it to an NCHSAA Final Four.



Link

5
Continue Reading

Most Viewed Posts

Trending