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USA Today
29-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Iowa softball names sixth head coach in program history
Iowa softball names sixth head coach in program history Following a relatively successful 35-18 season, considering the multiple in-season head coaching changes endured throughout the 2025 campaign, Iowa Director of Athletics, Beth Goetz, announced on Wednesday that former Hawkeyes star Stacy May-Johnson would become the program's sixth head coach. May-Johnson played at Iowa from 2003-06, where she was a three-time All-Big Ten selection and the 2003 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. In 2003, she was a part of the Hawkeyes squad that won both the Big Ten regular-season and tournament championship. She still ranks in the top 15 in program history in career games played, runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs, and batting average. 'I am thrilled to be coming back to Iowa City and to once again be a Hawkeye,' said May-Johnson. 'I look forward to leading Iowa softball to Big Ten Championships and the Women's College World Series, and creating a championship culture both in the classroom and on the field.' In addition to playing at Iowa, she served as a student assistant for the Hawkeyes in 2007 and later as an assistant coach from 2011-14. Outside of Iowa, May-Johnson gathered plenty of coaching experience, including head coaching stints at Utah Valley (2020-21) and, most recently, Fresno State (2022-25). She was also a volunteer assistant at Louisville (2008-10), an assistant at Louisville (2015-16) and Purdue (2017), and associate head coach at Eastern Kentucky (2018-19). 'We are thrilled to welcome Stacy May-Johnson back to Iowa as the new head coach of our softball program,' said Goetz. 'Stacy is a proven leader with a deep understanding of what it means to be a Hawkeye. Her experience as a standout student-athlete, combined with her coaching success and commitment to developing young women on and off the field, makes her the ideal person to lead our program into its next chapter. We are excited for the future of Iowa softball under her leadership.' During her time at Fresno State, May-Johnson saw the Bulldogs improve their win total year-over-year, notching 112 victories in four seasons. In 2025, she led Fresno to 37 wins and the Mountain West Championship title game. In her tenure, May-Johnson coached one Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, two MWC Pitchers of the Year, three NFCA All-Region, and nine All-Mountain West honorees. In the classroom, the Bulldogs had 41 Academic All-Mountain West selections and 28 Mountain West Scholar-Athletes. Before moving to California, May-Johnson spent two seasons as head coach at Utah Valley, where she coached seven All-WAC selections. Following her collegiate career, May-Johnson played professionally for the Chicago Bandits of the NPF (National Pro Fastpitch) and was a member of the United States National Team. She spent five years in the NPF where she was a two-time NPF Most Valuable Player. She was the 2006 NPF Rookie of the Year, a three-time All-Star and led the team to two titles. May-Johnson, who is one of six players to have her number retired with Chicago, led the NPF in home runs, hits and runs scored in each of her MVP seasons in 2008 and 2010. As a member of the U.S. Women's National Team, May-Johnson helped Team USA win gold medals at the 2011 Pan American Games, the 2011 and 2012 World Cups, and a silver medal at the 2012 World Championships. She was named the 2011 USA Softball Female Athlete of the Year. With the hire of May-Johnson, Iowa hopes her experience and knowledge of the game will elevate the program to new heights in the new-look Big Ten and on the national stage. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
USA Today
29-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL Draft Summer Scouting Report: Dillon Thieneman, SAF, Oregon
Summer is here, and it is everyone's favorite time of the year, scouting time. Every year, we do Summer Scouting to preview college football for Bucs fans, but also give them an idea of names to follow and watch in the fall as needs pop up for Tampa Bay. Are we going to write about quarterbacks? You know it, but why? Because other NFL teams will draft them, just as they will draft every other position. It all matters whether these players end up on the Bucs, the Bears, or the Steelers. We write these so Bucs fans can be the most informed fans. So if you are still with us, enjoy our latest Summer Scouting report as we prepare you for the Fall. Player Information Player: Dillon Thieneman School: Oregon Height/Weight: 6-0/207 Player Background - 3-Star recruit - Transferred from Purdue to Oregon - Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2023 - Second Team All-Big Ten in 2023 - Third Team All-American in 2023 Career Stats Heading into the 2025 Season - 210 Tackles - 7 Tackles for Loss - 1 Sack - 6 Interceptions - 9 Pass Breakups Notable PFF Numbers Heading into the 2025 Season - 77.9 PFF Run Grade - 78.6 PFF Coverage Grade - 13% Missed Tackle Rate - 29 Defensive Stops Player Traits - Good open field tackling ability - Great coverage skills - Fluid hips and quick feet to change direction - Excellent awareness Player Summary Thieneman is transferring to Oregon to be a part of Dan Lanning's defense, which is certainly poised to create problems in 2025. Thieneman is a throwback type of safety that we don't see very often anymore, where he is just as comfortable running downhill to stop the run as he is dropping back in coverage. He thrives making tackles in the open field, which makes him great in run support. His movement skills allow him to be in sync with his brain when he is diagnosing plays, so he is constantly in a position to make plays or redirect the offense. It really is a joy to watch Thieneman play the safety position, but playing at Oregon could make him even better at it.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How Riley Tiernan's close relationship with her sister helped the NWSL rookie find success early
Angel City FC forward Riley Tiernan was exactly where she needed to be when her teammate Claire Emslie crossed the ball into the goalkeeper's box. The 22-year-old rookie headed the ball into the net for the game-winning goal in the 2-1 victory over Seattle Reign, her first in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Advertisement 'That was the only header goal I've ever scored,' Tiernan told on Wednesday over Zoom. 'For it to be in front of all our fans at home, and against Reign, and it was the one that put us in the lead — I was, like, in shock. I don't even really remember what happened.' That was the moment, Tiernan said, she felt welcomed into the NWSL. Since her debut goal, Tiernan has become one of the most-talked-about rookies in the league. Her five goals put her in a four-way tie for the second-most goals this season, and she has been called up to the U-23 U.S. women's national team camp in Germany next week. The New Jersey native spent four years at Rutgers University and was named the 2021 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and, by graduation, set the all-time assists record for the Scarlet Knights (34). Advertisement Tiernan's ability to quickly adapt to new environments is what makes her a lethal player, her college coach, Mike O'Neill, said. 'Riley is the type of player that you love to coach, and you don't like to coach against her,' said O'Neill, the longtime head coach of Rutgers women's soccer. 'Just seeing how competitive she was and the edge that she had to be the best player that she could be, she has always been a leader from the day she set foot on campus.' But one game stands out. In late November 2021, Rutgers defeated Arkansas in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA women's tournament to reach the College Cup for the second time in program history. Tiernan, then a 19-year-old freshman, opened scoring for the Knights two minutes in and later scored the game-winning kick in a penalty shootout. Advertisement 'The bigger the game, the better the player and that's Riley Tiernan,' O'Neill said. The pressure, Tiernan said, forces her to improve. 'Being uncomfortable makes me a better player,' Tiernan said, 'The one thing that's gotten me through my freshman year and this year so far is confidence. That's one of my strengths: remaining confident, even in tough environments.' Playing in the NWSL has been a lifelong goal, inspired by her older sister Madison, who played at Rutgers and later signed with Sky Blue FC. 'It was my dream since I was a little girl,' Tiernan said. 'I grew up watching my sister play, and seeing her play made me want it that much more.' Advertisement The sisters, 22 and 29, talk every day, making sure to FaceTime so Riley can still see her nine-month-old nephew, Grady, despite being 3,000 miles apart. When Grady sees Riley, his face 'lights up,' his mother said. 'Me and my sister are really close, and I think that's the main foundation of who I am as a player,' Riley said. Riley also has the tenacity to want to improve, Madison said, and the athleticism to match those aspirations. Madison remembered one summer when Riley decided she would learn how to do a backflip. She'd be in the yard every day, until her family looked out the window to see her whirling in the air. The sisters also have a middle brother, but, based on Riley's logic, sharing a bedroom made the sisters closer. 'It was a purple bedroom because she was obsessed with Justin Bieber, so I was obsessed with Justin Bieber,' Riley said, with a laugh. 'That was pretty much how everything went. I stole her clothes. I was a mini copycat. Advertisement 'I luckily copied her soccer skills as well.' 'Being eight years apart, we've kind of gone through the stages of life in such different time periods,' said Madison, 'but now, her being in her 20s, we've gotten so much closer. … She's my built-in best friend. When I was 16, I thought she was annoying, but now, I couldn't be more proud of her.' That admiration is mutual. 'It's not a luxury that a lot of people have,' Riley said. 'To be able to watch her go throughout all these high-level stages of her life, and to be able to watch it and be surrounded by that environment, I think it just motivated me. Having her be there for me mentally, physically, training me, teaching me, telling me everything that I need to know, to prepare me, was the most helpful thing.' Advertisement Riley committed to play for Rutgers as an eighth-grader on Madison's senior day, usually the last home game for a team's graduating class. In college, Riley wore the No 73 — a homage to her sister's birthday, July 3. The sisters' relationship evolved again when Madison became one of Riley's coaches at Rutgers, where Madison remains on staff as an assistant coach. The coaching part of their relationship persists today, with Madison checking in after most trainings. 'The beauty of sport is you can never be complacent,' Madison said. 'She has a lot of hype, and that brings another set of expectations and pressure. But I tell her, get better at one thing, and that's going to continue to add to your toolbox and make you a better player.' Advertisement The path to the NWSL wasn't as clear-cut for Riley as it had been for Madison, who was the 24th pick in the 2017 NWSL College Draft. The draft was nixed last year, and Riley was among the first college graduates to navigate entering the league without it. 'It was a little different experience for me,' the younger Tiernan said. 'There were a couple of things that happened that caused a little bit of a scramble for me.' It helped having an older sister who understood the NWSL. Madison reached out to folks she knew, including Becki Tweed, the head coach at Angel City. When Tweed and the club parted ways, Madison stayed in touch with the club. 'I did everything I could to help her get there because I knew she was doing everything behind the scenes to be ready for that level,' Madison said. Advertisement Tiernan would eventually receive invitations for preseason training with Angel City and another club, but she said she felt a pull to Angel City. She was named to the team's 2025 preseason roster as a trialist and played significant minutes at the Coachella Valley Invitational in February. Angel City signed Tiernan in March to a two-year contract through 2026, with a club option through 2027. She remembers one of their coaches telling her that the club's sporting director, Mark Parsons, wanted to speak with her. 'I was trying not to cry, honestly,' Tiernan said. 'I texted the family group chat immediately, and I was like, 'O-M-G, I just got a contract.'' Tiernan scored her first brace against the Washington Spirit in a 4-3 win at Audi Field earlier this month. She said it was her second 'Welcome to the NWSL' moment. That day, a 'family caravan' of about 30 to 40 people traveled to D.C. from New Jersey to watch her play. Advertisement Tiernan has worked her way into the starting lineup for Angel City, which sits seventh in league standings. The team faces Racing Louisville at home on Saturday. She's tied with some of the biggest names in the NWSL in the Golden Boot race – Kansas City Current's Temwa Chawinga and Debinha, and Spirit's Ashley Hatch — two goals shy of Gotham FC's Esther Gonzalez. Off the pitch, Tiernan is feeling at home in Los Angeles. 'I feel like I was made to live here,' she said. She's playing alongside some of the most promising stars in American soccer, like sisters Alyssa and Giselle Thompson. She's also learning from players she grew up idolizing, like Sydney Leroux, who she said, 'took me under her wing, which I really needed.' Advertisement 'I have so much to learn, and I'm just trying to be like a sponge and absorb everything,' Tiernan said. For now, her focus is on Angel City and then preparing for the U-23 camp later this month. 'Hopefully something good comes of it, and I perform and other opportunities will come from that,' Tiernan said. 'But, right now my main focus is just being where my feet are and doing as much as I can and getting our team to a championship.' This article originally appeared in The Athletic. US Women's national team, Angel City, NWSL 2025 The Athletic Media Company
USA Today
16-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Is Alexis DeBoer related to Kalen DeBoer? What to know of Washington softball star
Is Alexis DeBoer related to Kalen DeBoer? What to know of Washington softball star Show Caption Hide Caption Legally blind pitcher Jenica Matos to play D1 softball The Cheshire High School star in Connecticut can't see home plate but threw three no-hitters last year and will play Division I for the Red Storm. Alexis DeBoer has made a name for herself as a star freshman for Washington softball. The Huskies' first baseman earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors following a 20-home run season, the eighth-most by a freshman in program history. She also figures to be a big piece of the Huskies' offensive attack that looks to upset NiJaree Canady and No. 12 Texas Tech in the Lubbock Regional to advance to the super regionals in the 2025 NCAA softball tournament. REQUIRED READING: Who will make Women's College World Series? NCAA softball tournament picks, predictions However, many college fans will know her name from elsewhere, as there is another famous DeBoer in the family: Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer, who previously served the same role at Washington. Kalen DeBoer, of course, departed for Alabama in early 2024 after the retirement of legendary coach Nick Saban — just before his daughter began her freshman year in Seattle. Here's what you need to know about Alexis DeBoer, her decision to stick with Washington and more: Is Alexis DeBoer related to Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer? Yes. Alexis DeBoer is one of two daughters of the Alabama football coach and his wife, Nicole. She has a younger sister, Avery, who is a 6th-grader. Alexis DeBoer recruit ranking Alexis DeBoer was ranked as the No. 11 overall prospect in the Extra Elite 100 player rankings for the 2024 recruiting cycle. She committed to the Huskies on Sept. 24, 2022, nearly a year after Kalen DeBoer agreed to be the Washington football coach on Nov. 29, 2021. Despite her father leaving to coach Alabama in 2024, Alexis DeBoer honored her commitment to the Huskies, choosing not to transfer to play for Alabama and coach Patrick Murphy. Why did Alexis DeBoer stay at Washington? While Alexis DeBoer had not arrived on campus in Seattle by the time her father departed for Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Jan. 12, she had already signed her NLI with Washington. DeBoer, who attended Bellevue High School in Bellevue, Washington — less than seven miles from the University of Washington campus in Seattle — made her decision based on her comfort. "I chose the University of Washington because it felt like home and everyone was so inviting," DeBoer said via the Washington softball X account in October 2024. "It is a great balance of academics and athletics and you receive so much support for anything you need." Alexis DeBoer stats Here's a look at DeBoer's stats in her freshman season with the Huskies: 2025: .369 batting average, .458 on-base percentage, 1.304 OPS, 20 home runs, 54 RBI, 26 walks and 22 strikeouts in 51 games played, 149 at-bats For her efforts, DeBoer was named the 2025 Big Ten Freshman of the Year while also garnering first-team all-conference honors and a unanimous selection to the all-freshman team, according to a news release from Washington softball.
USA Today
19-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Clemson baseball takeaways as Tigers earn latest Top 25 series win vs Louisville
Clemson baseball takeaways as Tigers earn latest Top 25 series win vs Louisville The Clemson Tigers got six strong innings from pitcher Drew Titsworth in his first career college start and secured a series-clinching victory over Louisville with a 2-1 win Friday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Clemson, ranked No. 2 by Perfect Game and No. 4 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, won its 35th game to improve to 35-6 overall and 13-4 in the ACC. Louisville, ranked No. 19 in the Coaches Poll, fell to 27-11 overall and 9-8 in conference play Here's how the Tigers put together their 35th win of the 2025 college baseball season Friday. Clemson catcher Jacob Jarrell stays hot Clemson took its first lead on a no-doubt home run to left by catcher Jacob Jarrell leading off the fifth inning against Louisville starter Ethan Eberle. It was Jarrell's 10th home run of the season and his sixth in the past eight games. Jarrell is the first Tigers player to reach double digits in home runs this season. He has eight home runs over his last 13 games. Reliever steps up big in starter's shoes for Clemson The big story of the day was Drew Titsworth, the sophomore right-hander making his first career start after 13 appearances in relief this season. He pitched as well as coach Erik Bakich or anyone could have asked, tossing six shutout frames and holding an offense that ranked second in the ACC in batting average to three hits. Titsworth (4-0) struck out three without allowing a walk and threw 87 pitches, 59 strikes. He retired 18 of 21 batters faced before turning the game over to Clemson's bullpen in the seventh inning. Titsworth got some help behind him when Reed Garris tossed a 1-2-3 eighth inning on just eight pitches to lower his ERA to 0.83 in 13 appearances (21 2/3 innings). Lucas Mahlstedt picked up his 14th save despite allowing a two-out home run to Louisville third baseman and cleanup hitter Jake Munroe. Mahlstedt struck out Eddie King Jr. for the game's final out. Clemson held Louisville to five hits and outhit the Cardinals, 6-5. Luke Gaffney continues swinging hot bat for Clemson The transfer first baseman hit an opposite-field double to the base of the wall in right with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning to score Josh Paino from first base and extend Clemson's lead to 2-0. Gaffney picked up two hits in a 2-for-3 day at the plate. In the series' first two games, the 2024 Big Ten Freshman of the Year at Purdue has four hits in seven at-bats. Bottom line The Tigers are the only ACC team that hasn't lost a weekend series all season. That's going to be challenged with tough road trips to NC State (25-12) and No. 8 Florida State (29-7) on the horizon. In the meantime, Clemson can go for the sweep of Louisville in Saturday's series finale. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. Follow us @Clemson_Wire on X and on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news, notes and opinions.
