Latest news with #BostonCollege
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
MLB prospect analyst rips Boston College coaches for allowing pitcher to throw nearly 240 pitches during ACC tournament
A top MLB prospect analyst is blasting Boston College baseball coaches for allowing a pitcher to throw nearly 240 pitches in a week during the ACC tournament. Junior A.J. Colarusso threw 237 pitches, including 109 in six innings during the Eagles' elimination game 7-2 loss to Notre Dame last Friday. The 109-pitch outing came just two days after Colarusso went four innings and 72 pitches in BC's 12-8 win over Virginia. Advertisement 'Colarusso doesn't throw very hard — he sits 87-89, and it's not a high-effort delivery — but the issue with overuse is fatigue, and that affects everyone,' notes The Athletic's Keith Law. 'The usage blew past the MLB PitchSmart recommendations for a pitcher his age when working on two days of rest (maximum of 60 pitches), even though 'numerous studies have shown that … pitching too deep into games, violating pitch count recommendations, and acute spikes in workload significantly increase the risk of injury,' according to the PitchSmart site. They also recommend a maximum of 120 pitches in any game for any pitcher aged 19-22.' The ACC Baseball X account even celebrated Colarusso's performance on social media, posting: '109 pitches on the night. 237 pitches on the week. An incredible ACC Championship performance from No. 48.' 'It was an outstanding performance by Colarusso, but the coaches and the people running the conference are supposed to be the adults in the room here, and 181 pitches over four days is not something to cheer,' states Law. '(He'd thrown another 56 pitches the prior Thursday, hence the 237 pitches figure in their tweet.)' Advertisement Law called it incredibly irresponsible for college coaches to allow pitchers like Colarusso, who might not have a professional future, to risk a traumatic arm or shoulder injury that could affect them beyond baseball. The Athletic's senior baseball writer added that it's a 'terrible idea' for MLB to be 'farming out some of their player development to college programs.' 'College coaches can not be trusted,' Law said succinctly. With BC's loss in the ACC tournament, the Eagles will not advance to the NCAA Tournament.
NBC Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Big Ten announces early 2025 football schedule, including marquee Oregon-Penn State matchup
The college football season is fast approaching and the first three weeks of the NBC Sports and Peacock schedules are set, as well as a Week 4 matchup between Purdue and Notre Dame and a marquee Week 5 game between Oregon and Penn State. Keep reading for a closer look at the opening weeks of the Big Ten college football season on NBC and Peacock. Week 1 matchups NBC and Peacock will open the 2025 Big Ten season with a Friday night matchup featuring Western Illinois and Illinois. This will mark the fourth matchup ever between the Fighting Illini and the Leathernecks. Illinois has won all three previous matchups between the two teams dating back to 2007. The Fighting Illini and Leathernecks most recently met in September 2018, when Illinois won, 34-14. Illinois finished the 2024 season with a 10-3 overall record, including a 6-3 mark in conference play. On the following day, the Big Ten Saturday Night action continues as Michigan hosts New Mexico at the Big House. This game will provide a first look at a Michigan team that disappointed last season with an 8-5 overall mark. Head coach Sherrone Moore reportedly is expected to be suspended for two games in the 2025 season as part of self-imposed sanctions by the university for the Connor Stalions advanced scouting scandal. Week 2 matchups Miami Ohio will visit Rutgers at SHI Stadium to kick off the Week 2 slate, followed by Michigan State hosting Boston College in the evening window. The Miami Ohio-Rutgers matchup will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools. Rutgers, which finished the 2024 season with a 7-6 mark, will seek its third-consecutive winning record next year. Miami Ohio posted a 9-5 record last season, including a 7-1 conference mark. At night, Michigan State will host Boston College at Spartan Stadium. Both teams last played each other during the 2024 season when the Eagles stormed back in the fourth quarter to defeat the Spartans. The schools have faced each other seven times dating back to 1935, and Boston College leads the all-time series, 5-1-1. The Eagles finished the 2024 season with a 7-5 mark, while the Spartans posted a 5-7 record. Week 3 matchups The Week 3 slate will feature Towson at Maryland in the afternoon window, followed by Ohio at defending national champion Ohio State in the evening. The Tigers delivered a strong 2024 campaign, earning their first seven-win season since 2019. The team finished with a 7-5 overall record, including a 5-3 mark in the CAA. Towson will take on Maryland for the first time since the 2023 season. Maryland is coming off of a 4-8 season last year and lost many players to the transfer portal. Coach Mike Locksley recruited well though, landing solid players in the recruiting class and transfer portal. The night matchup will feature Ohio at Ohio State at Ohio Stadium. The series history between these two teams dates back to 1999 and the Buckeyes are 3-0 in head-to-head matchups. Ohio State finished with a 14-2 overall record last season, including a 7-2 mark in conference play en route to the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes defeated Notre Dame to win their ninth National Championship - the first championship for the program since 2014. Purdue at Notre Dame in Week 4 Notre Dame, which advanced to the College Football Playoff National Championship least season, will host instate rival Purdue in the afternoon slate of Week 4. Both teams last played each other last season when the Fighting Irish defeated the Boilermakers, 66-7. This matchup will mark the second-consecutive season in which Notre Dame has faced Purdue in Game 3 of the season to battle for the Shillelagh Trophy. The Irish and Boilermakers first played each other in 1896 and both teams have faced off 88 times over the course of their histories. Notre Dame holds a 60-26-2 overall advantage in the series. RELATED: NBC Sports' 2025 Notre Dame football schedule headlined by matchups vs. Texas A&M, Boise State Oregon vs. Penn State in Week 5 Both Oregon and Penn State enter the 2025 college football season hungry for more. Dan Lanning's Oregon team looked like one of the best in the country during the regular season. The Ducks were the only team to finish the season undefeated, posting a 12-0 mark. When Oregon defeated Penn State to win the Big Ten Championship game, the Ducks looked like they had the most momentum entering the College Football Playoff. But — after a first-round bye — the Ducks lost to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, dashing their championship hopes. Penn State meanwhile, made a deeper postseason run in the first season with the expanded College Football Playoff. The Nittany Lions finished the 2024 season with a 13-3 record, including an 8-1 mark in conference play. After losing to Oregon in the Big Ten Championship, Penn State defeated SMU and Boise State in the College Football Playoff before falling just short to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. Complete first three weeks of the 2025 Big Ten schedule on NBC and Peacock: Western Illinois at Illinois (7:30p EST, Peacock) New Mexico at Michigan (7:30p EST, NBC, Peacock) Miami (OH) at Rutgers (3:30p EST, Peacock) Boston College at Michigan State (7:30p EST, NBC, Peacock) Towson at Maryland (3:30p EST, Peacock) Ohio at Ohio State (7:15p EST, Peacock) Purdue at Notre Dame (3:30p EST, NBC, Peacock) Afternoon game TBA Oregon at Penn State (7:30p EST, NBC, Peacock) Stay tuned to NBC Sports for continued updates on the 2025 Big Ten football schedule. Sign up here to watch all of Peacock's LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You'll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC & Bravo hits—Peacock is here for whatever you're in the mood for. Luke Altmyer sits down with Nicole Auerbach to discuss his decision to return to Illinois, the culture that coach Bret Bielema fosters and the significance of defeating South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl. Ryan Day sits down with Nicole Auerbach to discuss the youth on this season's Ohio State team, the QB battle between Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz and Tavien St. Clair and the offseason coordinator changes. RBs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton sit down with Mike Robinson to unpack their decision to return to Penn State, how they separate football from their friendship and what they want their legacies to be.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Coveted NHL Draft prospect James Hagens undecided on return to Boston College
There's a lot of uncertainty on the horizon for James Hagens. The Boston College forward is projected to be a Top 5 pick in next month's NHL Draft. Hagens' hometown New York Islanders own the top selection in the draft, followed by San Jose, Chicago, Utah and Nashville. The Long Island native could wind up all over the map. Advertisement As a 17-year-old, Hagens was a point-per-game player at BC in a competitive Hockey East, scoring 11 goals and 26 assists in 37 games. However, the 5-foot-11, 177-pound center hasn't yet decided on whether he'll be back for a sophomore season. That'll depend on where he's drafted to. 'Just have to see what happens. There's no decision made yet,' Hagens said on a Tuesday morning Zoom call. 'That's a discussion that me and my family and the team would have to have after the draft.' Hagens isn't expected to be available when the Bruins are on the clock at No. 7 overall, but after a year at Chestnut Hill, he said he'd be happy to stick around the area. 'I love Boston,' Hagens said. 'Being at Boston College, we're right in the middle of Boston there. So it's a beautiful city. Only great things to say about it. I love it there.' Advertisement At Elite Prospects, Hagens is the consensus No. 3 ranked player on the board in the 2025 NHL Draft, trailing just Erie Otters defenseman Michael Schaefer and Saginaw Spirit forward Michael Misa. More Bruins content Read the original article on MassLive.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Why James Hagens dropped down NHL draft boards, and the Islanders' unique predicament at No. 1
James Hagens entered the 2025 draft cycle coming off an MVP performance at the 2024 U18 World Championships and a dominant season in the USHL. He was projected by many — including myself and several NHL scouts I spoke to — as the No. 1 prospect for this class. He had a very good draft season. Hagens posted a point per game as a freshman at Boston College, playing major minutes on one of the top teams in college hockey. He centered the top line for Team USA at the World Juniors, where they won gold. He has a rich history of prolific scoring and being one of the very best players in his age group. He is among the very best skaters and puck handlers in this draft. Advertisement We've been spoiled recently with the years Macklin Celebrini and Adam Fantilli had in college in their draft seasons. Hagens didn't do what they did, but his season compares to what Matty Beniers and Kent Johnson did at Michigan when they were top-five picks in 2021. Hagens has outplayed several top draft prospects he's being compared to — or has apparently been surpassed by — at various events. He was way better than Porter Martone at this year's World Juniors and arguably just as good or better than him at the U18 Worlds last spring. At that tournament, where Hagens was a top player, Caleb Desnoyers was a fourth-line forward for Canada. Hagens also outplayed Michael Misa at their U17 Challenge two years ago. So why isn't he considered in the conversation for the best player in the draft anymore? There are a few variables. While he played very well this season, evaluators have minor questions about how Hagens' game would translate to the NHL. At BC, he had stretches this season where he was hard to notice at even strength and had too many games where he was invisible. He struggled to consistently get to the inside against bigger college defenders. He also struggled to score goals this season. At barely 5-foot-11 and without a physical edge, his profile becomes harder to project as a top-line NHL center who you can win with. His compete level is decent and looked good at the World Juniors, but I wouldn't call it a standout trait. If Hagens turns into the most offensively productive player from this class, I wouldn't be shocked, and frankly, I would call him the most purely talented offensive player in the class. But winning in the NHL is about more than scoring. Several players — such as Misa and potentially Anton Frondell, Desnoyers or Martone — may go ahead of Hagens simply because the profile they project as (bigger, two-way players, most as centers) is more valuable to NHL teams than a dynamic, scoring small player who may or may not be an NHL center. Advertisement The scouts who are bullish on Hagens, though, would argue that if he were playing junior hockey instead of college, he would have lapped some of those other players. Which brings us to the New York Islanders, who now face a fascinating decision. As soon as they won the draft lottery, buzz around Hagens started up among a vocal part of the fan base. Hagens is from Long Island. He grew up an Islanders fan. For a franchise that lost their last No. 1 pick when John Tavares signed with Toronto as a free agent, the idea of drafting one of their own carries real emotional weight, especially given his profile as a projected No. 1 pick at some point. That, however, is not the state of the draft currently. Right now, there's one player most teams believe is fitting of the No. 1 pick: Matthew Schaefer. A minority leans toward Misa, but that is the extent of it. Frankly, from the scouts I've talked to, there are as many who feel Hagens isn't a top-five player in the draft than who feel there's a meaningful challenger to Schaefer at No. 1. 'Schaefer is the only truly special player in this draft,' said one NHL scout, with an executive we talked to stating, 'Other than maybe Misa, Schaefer is in a tier of his own.' Schaefer is a 6-foot-2 defenseman with tremendous skating ability who makes a lot of plays, competes hard and has the ability to control games from the back end. He projects as a star 25-minute-per-game NHL defenseman who helps you win playoff games. He dominated almost every game he suited up in this season, even if his playing time was limited due to injury. His offensive upside isn't elite, but the total package is. Even if he wasn't clearly ahead of Hagens a year ago at this time, Schaefer is nearly a full year younger than Hagens, and as he continued to develop this season, the separation became clear. Advertisement If the Islanders had the No. 2 pick, the Hagens conversation would make sense. He's not my No. 2 ranked player, or that of almost any NHL scout I've talked to, but it's perfectly within the realm of possibilities that Hagens ends up the pure best player in the class, surpassing Schaefer, and even more reasonable that he could end up the best forward in the draft. This isn't a Connor Bedard or Macklin Celebrini draft where the difference from 1 to 5 is gigantic. But Hagens becoming the best player in the draft is not the likely outcome, and taking Hagens over Schaefer would be the move of an organization that is unserious about winning the Stanley Cup and putting a priority on other variables. 'They'd be going way off the board in the eyes of most teams if they took Hagens,' said one NHL scout. The Tavares situation looms in the background, but it's not the same. It's understandable the organization feels overshadowed at times by the Rangers, but the Islanders aren't the team they were in 2018. They have stable ownership. They have a permanent home in UBS Arena and have had reasonable playoff success in recent years. The idea that Hagens would stay just because he's local isn't enough to make up for passing on the better player. Hagens is a fantastic NHL prospect with the potential to be an impact offensive player. He has the tools to be a consistent 60-80 point forward in the league or better. My NHL comparison for him is William Nylander. He's a legitimate top-five talent and would be a perfectly reasonable pick at No. 2 or 3. But as tends to be the case in many drafts, there is typically a distinction between the No. 1 prospect and the next best player. The gap isn't as wide this year, but in the mind of most evaluators, and I tend to agree, the pick is clear-cut. As difficult as it may be, the Islanders have only one correct decision to make, and that is drafting Schaefer.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Notre Dame baseball finds out its fate regarding the NCAA Tournament
Notre Dame baseball finds out its fate regarding the NCAA Tournament Monday was a big for NCAA Baseball, as they announced the field for the tournament, and unfortunately, Notre Dame was left out. Entering the ACC Tournament, the Irish looked like they had a great chance to make it, but following a first-round loss to Boston College, the uphill battle seemed like it was too much to overcome. That ended up being the case, as Notre Dame has now finished its season with a 32-21 record. It was head coach Shawn Stiffler's third-year in South Bend, and he has yet to guide the Irish to a postseason berth. There is some excitement around the program, as sophomore catcher Carson Tinney has emerged as one of the top players nationally, freshman Bino Watters being second on the team in batting average, and another freshman in outfielder Jayce Lee getting valuable experience. The expectations heading into year-four will be the biggest since Stiffler took over the program, and although Notre Dame missed the tournament this year, they have laid the foundation to be a much more competitive team next season.
