Lady Raiders advance to NJCAA National Championship game
The Lady Raiders will face Florida Southwestern in a rematch Saturday at 3 p.m. CDT in the 2025 NJCAA Division I Softball World Series national championship game.
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USA Today
30 minutes ago
- USA Today
Tennessee football could face up to four interim head coaches during SEC play in 2025
Tennessee enters its 2025 football season ranked No. 18 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY ranked the 10 most difficult schedules in 2025. Four opponents for Tennessee are ranked top 10 for toughest schedules: No. 17 Florida, Mississippi State, Arkansas and Syracuse. Billy Napier enters his fourth season as Florida's head coach. He guided the Gators to a 19-19 (10-14 SEC) record and two losing campaigns during his first three years. Florida is slated to play at No. 9 LSU and No. 10 Miami before its first open date in Week 5. The Gators will host No. 1 Texas and travel to No. 21 Texas A&M before their second open date on Oct. 25. Florida will face No. 4 Georgia in Jacksonville, Florida on Nov. 1 before playing consecutive road games at Kentucky and No. 15 Ole Miss. The Gators will host Tennessee after the Rebels on Nov. 22. Sam Pittman enters his sixth season as Arkansas' head coach. From 2020-24, he compiled a 30-31 (14-28 SEC) record, three bowl wins and two losing seasons with the Razorbacks. Arkansas will play at Tennessee on Oct. 11, and has an open date one week prior on Oct. 4. The Razorbacks will face Arkansas State and head coach Butch Jones in a neutral-site matchup in Little Rock, Arkansas, play at Ole Miss and Memphis, while hosting No. 5 Notre Dame before playing the Vols. More: Tennessee football projected for top 35 offense in 2025 More: 2025 win-loss record projections for all 16 SEC football teams Two opponents for Tennessee who were not ranked by Myerberg, but are top 10 for strength of schedule in ESPN's Football Power Index, are Oklahoma (No. 2) and Kentucky (No. 7). Tennessee will host the unranked Sooners on Nov. 1 before a final open date on Nov. 8. Oklahoma will also have its second and final open date after playing at Neyland Stadium in Week 11. The Sooners are slated to host No. 14 Michigan, Auburn and Ole Miss, play at No. 13 South Carolina and face the Longhorns in Dallas, Texas before traveling to Neyland Stadium. 2025 will mark the fourth season for Oklahoma with Brent Venables as head coach. He guided the Sooners to a 22-17 (2-6 SEC) record and two losing seasons from 2022-24. More: Tennessee football receiving yard leaders each season since 2000 Kentucky is 67–73 (28–62 SEC) under 13th-year head coach Mark Stoops. He has a 77–73 record on the field. Stoops guided Kentucky to two 10-win seasons on the field (2018, 2021) and five losing campaigns during his tenure. The Wildcats are slated to host Ole Miss and Texas, while playing at South Carolina and Georgia, before their home game versus Tennessee on Oct. 25. Strength of schedule, when open dates occur and prior coaching history could allow for Tennessee to face up to four interim head coaches during the regular season in SEC play. The Vols are ranked No. 21 nationally for preseason strength of schedule by ESPN FPI. Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
Rays' Junior Caminero Has Impressed At The Plate, And Also At Third Base
Carlos Pena holds the Tampa Bay Rays' record for most home runs in a season with 46. Junior Caminero will have some work to do over the season's final 30-plus games to catch the former first baseman, though he seems to be a lock in becoming the second player in team history to hit at least 40. With 35 heading into Wednesday evening's game against the Yankees, the 22-year-old is sixth on the single-season list and one behind Evan Longoria. Caminero's first full season in the majors has been a treat for Rays fans, who caught a glimpse (seven games) of the third baseman at the end of the 2023 season after he was called up from Double-A Montgomery. He then had something of a sample size last year (43 games, .248, 6 HR) after he was summoned from Triple-A Durham in mid-August. When asked about his expectations heading into this season, Caminero noted health and a home run plateau he has blown past. 'My expectation was to be healthy, which I asked God for, and I thank God for keeping me healthy,' he said prior to Tuesday's game against the Yankees, via Rays' communications specialist and interpreter, Eddie Rodriguez. 'I wanted to hit 30 homers, and I have done that. It's a matter of finishing the season healthy. I am very proud of what I have accomplished so far.' He should be. In addition to his home run total and team-leading 85 RBI while playing more games (120 through Tuesday) than any other player in a Tampa Bay uniform, Caminero has worked overtime in becoming quite a fielder at the hot corner. He has impressed in ability to bare hand dribblers and flag down blazing one-hoppers while making strong and accurate throws across the diamond. Frankly, he has made it look routine far more often than not. 'I really appreciate all the help that Brady has given me,' said the native of the Dominican Republic, of assistant hitting coach Brady North, who has worked with Caminero in the field. 'The confidence that I have right now, it's because of the work I have put in with him. I have been practicing my fielding a lot since spring training and feel that I have gotten better. I feel very good about the work that I have put in and I am really appreciative of Brady for spending all of that time with me.' Caminero wears No. 13 like the player he looks up to, Manny Machado. He has often confided in the Padres' 33-year-old third baseman, seeking playing tips and guidance on being a big leaguer. 'He's on his way to being a Hall of Famer and it's great that I can talk to him,' he said of the South Florida native with Dominican Heritage, who made his MLB debut 13 years ago this month. While Machado's resume includes more than 2,000 hits – he picked up his 2,000th on July 8 at Petco Park – to go with 362 homers and 1,121 RBI, Caminero's first full taste of the big time has been rather impressive. Consider that he is only the ninth player since 1901 to hit at least 35 homers during an age-21 or younger season. (MLB bases that on a player's age as of June 30. Caminero turned 22 on July 5.) Among others on the list are fellow Dominican Albert Pujols. Then there is the 27-year history of the Rays and Caminero's march up a single-season home run list that not only includes the aforementioned Pena and Longoria, but also Jose Canseco and Fred McGriff. He passed both of them during a 12-game West Coast trip in which he launched seven home runs. 'It feels great to have my name mentioned in those categories,' he said. 'I have put in the work and I am very proud of myself for doing it.' Then there is his work in the field, which has certainly caught the attention of his manager. 'Junior has worked on the defensive side as hard as anybody (on our team),' said Kevin Cash. 'He wants to be elite. I think he has proven on a nightly basis that he is pretty elite when he has a bat in his hands, and he wants to be elite (with the glove). He is working toward that, and I am really proud of him.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Brian Norman Jr., WBO welterweight champ, signs multi-year extension with Top Rank
One of the sport's brightest rising stars has re-upped with one of the industry's oldest promotional outfits. Uncrowned has confirmed that WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. has signed a multi-year contract extension with Top Rank. The development comes as the unbeaten 24-year-old from the greater Atlanta area prepares for his next title defense against former two-division champ Devin Haney on Nov. 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Norman signed with Top Rank in late 2022 and has since blossomed into must-see theater whenever he fights. The Las Vegas-based establishment made good on its word to position him for success. That favor was returned on Wednesday by Norman, who agreed to continue their relationship for years to come. 'I believe in loyalty,' Norman said in a statement provided to Uncrowned. 'Top Rank believed in me from the start, and I'm proud to keep building with the home team. 'We're only getting started.' Norman (28-0, 22 KOs; 1 NC) is unbeaten in seven fights under the Top Rank banner. By his own admission, the first year was more about adjusting to the bigger stage and — at just age 22 at the time — still finding himself as a fighter. 'The biggest change for me was getting used to all the lights and things of that nature,' Norman told Uncrowned in a previous interview. 'Also, I needed to embrace who I am as a fighter. When I first started fighting on TV, it was all about, 'What do the fans want? Let me go do this, let me go do that.' 'As we all saw — because, let's be real — it wasn't working. I was forcing things, nothing was coming natural.' Four fights into his deal, Norman was 3-0 with 1 no-contest and without a knockout victory since 2021. Still, his strong support system — Top Rank, Fighters First Management and his father and head trainer, Brian Norman Sr. — remained loyal to the cause. 'It has been a total team effort to get Brian Norman Jr. to where he is today,' said Adrian Clark, CEO of Fighters First Management. 'I must credit Brian Norman Sr., Jolene Mizzone, and the Hall of Fame [Top Rank] matchmakers, Brad Goodman and Bruce Trampler. We are excited to continue our partnership with Top Rank.' All it took for Norman to return the favor was raising the in-ring stakes. Norman crashed the title picture and dominated the highlight reels with a sensational 10th round knockout of Giovanni Santillan in May 2024 in San Diego, California. Their battle of unbeaten welterweights saw Norman claim the WBO interim title, which was upgraded to full title status a few months later when Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) moved up in weight. That breakthrough moment has transformed Norman into a reliable knockout artist, and the type of talent Top Rank representatives saw when they first signed him. 'When I watch Brian Norman Jr., I think of all the legendary welterweights I've promoted,' said Hall of Fame promoter and Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. 'He has the physical tools and maturity required to become a generational fighter. 'We are thrilled to be part of the next phase of Brian's career, which I believe will see him ascend from world champion to the top of the pound-for-pound list.' A hand injury left Norman shelved for the balance of 2024, though he returned with a vengeance earlier this year. A March 29 knockout win over Derrieck Cuevas was quick and clean enough to where he could enjoy a quick turnaround and his first trip overseas. Norman traveled to Tokyo, where he obliterated Jin Sasaki in the fifth round to not only retain his title but deliver the leading contender for 2025 Knockout of the Year. 'By the time we got to Giovanni Santillan, I was comfortable being myself,' noted Norman. 'We saw what happened there. Then with Derrieck Cuevas, same thing and we saw what happened. Jin Sasaki, we see what's going on. That was the biggest lesson I learned along the way — just go out and be myself.' Norman, who was one of Uncrowned's top rising talents on our inaugural Top 25 Under 25 list for combat sports, intends to do just that in his next defense against Haney (32-0, 15 KOs), the biggest name and arguably best challenger he will face to date.
