Bella Houck of LCU softball wins RRAC player of the week
Houck, a graduate student from Leesville, Louisiana, last won the award in 2023. In addition to Player of the Week, she also won Hitter of the Week.
Local college sports
Houck is currently on a 12-game hitting streak and a 16-game on-base streak. In LCU's last game against Jarvis Christian, she tied her career-high with 3 RBIs. She led the Wildcats in slugging percentage, total bases, defensive putouts, hits, doubles, and walks.
Next for LCU, hosting the RRAC tournament for the second straight season. The tournament starts on Thursday, May 2. The Wildcats will go into the tournament as the #6 seed.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
10 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Expectations are higher for Bethune-Cookman as they aim for a breakout season
Coming off a 2-10 record last fall and only three wins in 2023, it's no surprise Bethune-Cookman was picked fifth in the SWAC Eastern Division in last month's preseason media poll. The way receiver Maleek Huggins sees it, it's time for the Wildcats to start winning. 'These past few years we haven't really won a lot, so it's more of a do-or-die mindset around here,' Huggins said. 'We ain't got nothing to lose, and we're leaving it out on the field every day.' Bethune-Cookman will open the season at FIU on Aug. 29 and then face Miami at Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 6. The Wildcats will start their SWAC slate Sept. 27 at home against Alabama A&M. What would be considered a successful third season under Coach Raymond Woodie Jr.? He didn't put a number on it, but said, 'At the end of the day, the key is to win more games than last year.' He said, 'we are taking steps in the right direction,' and proudly noted the program's academic progress. He added that the team is now 'player-led' as well, so 'it's not a lot of redirecting' by coaches. In addition to playing 'smart, fast, and physically aggressive,' Woodie has emphasized this offseason that 'We've got to finish games.' Four of the Wildcats' six league losses in 2024 were decided by a combined 13 points, including a 25-23, five-overtime road loss to Southern University. They dropped their final three games by an average of just 2.7 points. 'A lot of those games, we beat ourselves,' Huggins said. 'That's the encouraging part.' Bethune-Cookman's offense will have a new architect this season, with Donte' Pimpleton taking over playcalling duties. Pimpleton, last year's co-offensive coordinator, replaces Joe Gerbino, who left for Colgate. Along with his new role as the sole offensive coordinator, Pimpleton was promoted to assistant head coach and quarterbacks' coach. The new offense 'is going to be a sight to see,' Huggins said. 'We're going to be in attack mode all game … light the scoreboard up and put on a show.' Who takes the reins is still up in the air. Woodie described the ongoing battle between last year's starter Cam'Ron Ransom and Arkansas State transfer Timmy McClain — who also played at USF and UCF — as a 'see-saw type' competition, adding that both quarterbacks could see action early in the season. With leading rusher Dennis Palmer transferring to Troy, the Wildcats must also determine who will take over the ground game. Defensively, the Wildcats feature standout playmakers in the secondary and front seven. Defensive backs Antwone Watts and Johnny Harris III anchor the secondary — Harris earned a spot on the Aeneas Williams Award Preseason Watchlist as one of the nation's top 15 HBCU defensive backs and Watts received HBCU Preseason All-American Honorable Mention. Defensive lineman Adrian 'A.J.' Hall Jr. and linebacker Malik Stinnett were both named to the Preseason All-SWAC Second Team, combining for 104 tackles, including 6.5 for loss, last season. The Wildcats will look to fill the void left by graduated leading tackler Raymond Woodie III. Woodie's focus on defense? 'We have to stop the run and keep the ball in front of us, and that's the two things we've been working on that we didn't do well last year,' Woodie said. 'And we've got to do a really good job of getting more takeaways,' he added, referencing the team's 10 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries. The Wildcats finished last season at minus-2 in turnover margin. Hall, who accounted for one of those fumble recoveries, is a key team leader. Like Huggins, he envisions big things for Bethune-Cookman this year. 'You've got to have that mindset that you believe you're going to win,' Hall said. 'And I just feel like the things we've been doing inside of practice and off the field, just getting involved in the community around Daytona Beach, all those things that build a big team bond and camaraderie, will be the difference maker here in turning around our record.'
NBC Sports
10 hours ago
- NBC Sports
While new stadium takes shape, Northwestern looks to re-establish winning foundation
EVANSTON, Ill. — The steel frame for Northwestern's new home stands out as a beacon of promise on the site of the old stadium. The sections filled in by concrete are more signs of progress. A little more than a year after the school broke ground on a new Ryan Field, the framework for something special appears to be in place. 'It truly will be the best football venue in the country,' coach David Braun said. 'It won't affect us in 2025. It's certainly affecting our recruiting in a positive manner. But so much to look forward to in 2026.' As for what Northwestern has to look forward to this year? The Wildcats come into Braun's third season looking to bounce back after going from winning eight games in 2023 to finishing 4-8 last year and near the bottom of the Big Ten with a 2-7 mark. Only Maryland and Purdue had worse records in league play. Northwestern has a new quarterback in SMU transfer Preston Stone and one more season playing in a temporary lakefront stadium before moving into what figures to be a sparkling new home. New QB Northwestern struggled at quarterback the past few seasons. The Wildcats hope Stone can change that. Things didn't go the way Stone would have liked last year, when he started the first three games before Kevin Jennings took over. The Mustangs advanced to the College Football Playoff. But in 2023, Stone started the first 12 games, throwing for 3,197 yards with 28 touchdowns and six interceptions before breaking a leg in the regular-season finale. SMU went on to win the AAC championship. Jack Lausch, who started the final 10 games for Northwestern last season, informed Braun in June that he was leaving the team to focus on baseball. Keep an eye on Left tackle Caleb Tiernan earned an 88.9 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus last season that ranked sixth among all tackles. He gave up just one sack over the final six games. Run it Northwestern's running backs combined for 910 yards rushing a year ago, with Cam Porter, Joseph Himon II and Caleb Komolafe accounting for 897 of them. All three are back. Porter led the team with 501 yards and Himon was second with 257, but the Wildcats will need to get more from their run game. They were 17th in the Big Ten in rushing at 98.5 yards per game. Lakefront living Northwestern will play five of its seven home games in one of college football's most unique settings, plus two more at Wrigley Field against No. 14 Michigan and Minnesota. The Wildcats were 2-3 on campus last season and lost both conference games, to Indiana and Wisconsin. But with its location along the lake and views of the Chicago skyline, the pop-up stadium was a stunner. Wisconsin's strength coach even made good on a promise and took the plunge after the Badgers' victory. The place is getting a bit of an upgrade this year, with more premium seating and improved audio and video. The schedule Though the Wildcats miss defending national champion Ohio State, the schedule is hardly a breeze. Northwestern opens against a potential playoff team when it visits Tulane on Aug. 30, and No. 7 Oregon, the defending Big Ten champion, visits on Sept. 13. The games against Michigan and Minnesota at Wrigley Field are on Nov. 15 and 22. The Wildcats also have some difficult road games, with trips to No. 2 Penn State on Oct. 11, USC on Nov. 7 and No. 12 Illinois on Nov. 29. Northwestern's home opener is against Western Illinois on Sept. 5.
Associated Press
15 hours ago
- Associated Press
While new stadium takes shape, Northwestern looks to re-establish winning foundation
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — The steel frame for Northwestern's new home stands out as a beacon of promise on the site of the old stadium. The sections filled in by concrete are more signs of progress. A little more than a year after the school broke ground on a new Ryan Field, the framework for something special appears to be in place. 'It truly will be the best football venue in the country,' coach David Braun said. 'It won't affect us in 2025. It's certainly affecting our recruiting in a positive manner. But so much to look forward to in 2026.' As for what Northwestern has to look forward to this year? The Wildcats come into Braun's third season looking to bounce back after going from winning eight games in 2023 to finishing 4-8 last year and near the bottom of the Big Ten with a 2-7 mark. Only Maryland and Purdue had worse records in league play. Northwestern has a new quarterback in SMU transfer Preston Stone and one more season playing in a temporary lakefront stadium before moving into what figures to be a sparkling new home. New QB Northwestern struggled at quarterback the past few seasons. The Wildcats hope Stone can change that. Things didn't go the way Stone would have liked last year, when he started the first three games before Kevin Jennings took over. The Mustangs advanced to the College Football Playoff. But in 2023, Stone started the first 12 games, throwing for 3,197 yards with 28 touchdowns and six interceptions before breaking a leg in the regular-season finale. SMU went on to win the AAC championship. Jack Lausch, who started the final 10 games for Northwestern last season, informed Braun in June that he was leaving the team to focus on baseball. Keep an eye on Left tackle Caleb Tiernan earned an 88.9 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus last season that ranked sixth among all tackles. He gave up just one sack over the final six games. Run it Northwestern's running backs combined for 910 yards rushing a year ago, with Cam Porter, Joseph Himon II and Caleb Komolafe accounting for 897 of them. All three are back. Porter led the team with 501 yards and Himon was second with 257, but the Wildcats will need to get more from their run game. They were 17th in the Big Ten in rushing at 98.5 yards per game. Lakefront living Northwestern will play five of its seven home games in one of college football's most unique settings, plus two more at Wrigley Field against No. 14 Michigan and Minnesota. The Wildcats were 2-3 on campus last season and lost both conference games, to Indiana and Wisconsin. But with its location along the lake and views of the Chicago skyline, the pop-up stadium was a stunner. Wisconsin's strength coach even made good on a promise and took the plunge after the Badgers' victory. The place is getting a bit of an upgrade this year, with more premium seating and improved audio and video. The schedule Though the Wildcats miss defending national champion Ohio State, the schedule is hardly a breeze. Northwestern opens against a potential playoff team when it visits Tulane on Aug. 30, and No. 7 Oregon, the defending Big Ten champion, visits on Sept. 13. The games against Michigan and Minnesota at Wrigley Field are on Nov. 15 and 22. The Wildcats also have some difficult road games, with trips to No. 2 Penn State on Oct. 11, USC on Nov. 7 and No. 12 Illinois on Nov. 29. Northwestern's home opener is against Western Illinois on Sept. 5. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
