Latest news with #DivisionI.
Chicago Tribune
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
An offseason spent in weight room continues to pay off for Plano's Jason Phillips. ‘Honestly my biggest focus.'
After already making a name for himself in his first two years on the varsity, Plano's Jason Phillips came up with a singular goal to work on heading into the offseason. The junior shortstop wanted to take the next step athletically to continue his upward trajectory. 'That was honestly my biggest focus,' Phillips said. 'I wasn't really worried about anything else other than getting in the weight room.' The results? Not only is he off to another monster start offensively, collecting his 100th career hit earlier this week, the 6-foot-1, 226-pound Phillips even shifted to short after playing first base last spring. With that in mind, Phillips led the Reapers to a 9-3 nonconference win Friday at Somonauk. He had three singles, a steal, a run and an RBI along with making a dazzling play in the hole at short. Braylon Schmidt earned the win for the Reapers (6-14). He threw a complete game, allowing three unearned runs on one hit. Amari Bryant, Jake Dixon and Jackson Gates each had two hits. Noah Brandt produced the lone hit for Somonauk (8-8). Plano coach Nate Hill, meanwhile, has been impressed with Phillips' physical transformation. 'Coming into last year he wasn't necessarily someone we would stick in the middle,' Hill said. 'He got a lot more athletic, quicker and stronger. He's somebody that puts the work in. 'He committed himself to the weight room in the offseason, and it's definitely paying off for him.' Indeed, Phillips leads the Reapers in most offensive categories. He's hitting .464 with 18 runs, 14 steals, six doubles, two triples, two homers and 17 RBIs. He's also 2-3 with a 5.75 ERA. Making those statistics all the more impressive is the fact Phillips was expected to deliver for Plano — and he's done just that. 'There's a lot of pressure on him to be 'The Guy,'' Hill said. 'We lost 11 seniors. Him taking over that role as the leader of our dugout, leader on the mound and leader in the field is huge. 'We definitely have expectations for him, and he's lived up to them.' The other pressure Phillips feels is external. Phillips is the No. 75-ranked junior in Illinois according to Prep Baseball Report, yet he remains uncommitted to a college. He referred to that process 'pretty slow right now.' 'Honestly, I just try to block it out,' Phillips said. 'At the end of the day, it's just a game. I just try to come out here and give my best effort and have fun. That stuff is going to happen. 'Hopefully, after the summer, it will pick up. I'm definitely trying to play Division I. Wherever it takes me; I'm willing to play wherever.' Plano jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning Friday to set the tone, but Somonauk responded. The Bobcats couldn't get any closer after cutting the lead to 6-3 at one point. 'We're not a team that's going to go quietly into the night,' Somonauk coach Troy Felton said. 'We've hung with a lot of bigger schools this year, just haven't had quite enough to put them away. 'They will rise to the occasion.' On the mound, Phillips can hit 90 mph on the gun. Sometimes, control eludes him, but Hill is being patient. 'He brings velocity,' Hill said of Phillips. 'When he's throwing strikes, he's tough to hit. There are times he can still get wild. When he's in the zone, he's darn near unhittable.' Just like his patience with his college search, Phillips knows that aspect will come. 'I think consistency is the part I need to work on,' he said. 'I think it's just the mental part.'
NBC Sports
18-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Drake Bulldogs are more bite than bark with a band of D2 transfers who followed their coach to Iowa
Ben McCollum had a job offer from Drake in hand last spring and was close to taking it when he stopped himself and decided he should sleep on it. Clarity came to him at 3 a.m. 'I woke up,' he said, 'and I'm like, 'Man, I want to make the NCAA Tournament. They're Division I.' So I took the job, and now we're there.' The Bulldogs sure are, and the pieces are in place for them to become one of those lovable March Madness underdogs. It's not because Drake doesn't have history in the tournament. This will be the eighth appearance for the 4,700-student school in Des Moines, Iowa, the fifth since 2008 and the third in a row. Darian DeVries, now at West Virginia, was coach for the last two. Enter McCollum, the Iowa native who won four Division II national championships in 15 years at Northwest Missouri State. No one doubted his coaching chops, and he didn't blink while making the transition to Division I. What makes Drake so intriguing is that four of McCollum's starters came with him from Northwest Missouri, and they didn't blink, either. Do-it-all man Bennett Stirtz is the face of the program. He was Missouri Valley Conference player of the year and the most outstanding player in the league tournament. A year ago at Northwest Missouri he didn't even make the all-conference first team, and neither did any of his teammates. Naturally, expectations were not high for the Bulldogs entering this season. They were picked fifth in the 12-team Valley and received no first-place votes. They ended up winning the regular-season championship by two games with 17 conference wins, their most ever. Then they won the Valley tournament to run their overall win total to a school-record 30 in 33 games. Seeded No. 11 in the West Region, they'll carry a seven-game win streak into their matchup with Missouri (22-11) in Wichita, Kansas. 'We've got more to do,' said Mitch Mascari, who had graduated from Northwest Missouri and accepted a job in finance in the Chicago area before he changed his mind and decided to use his remaining year of eligibility with McCollum at Drake. Proving doubters wrong has fueled the Bulldogs from the start. 'Yeah, the preseason pick, we could start with that, and just having that label as being D2 guys,' Stirtz said. 'No one believed in us.' McCollum coaches a grinding style. The Bulldogs' tempo is slowest in the nation. Offensive rebounding is emphasized, and Wyoming transfer Cam Manyawu and junior college transfer Tavion Banks excel at it. The defense allows 58.4 points per game, fewest in the nation. Just over 1 in 5 opponent possessions ends with a turnover. 'Death by a thousand paper cuts,' McCollum said. 'It's just one little thing after one little thing, and eventually it turns into big things. Our guys have the mentality to be able to do that and not try to throw haymakers. Come out and jab, jab, jab all game long and then hope that it works out at the end.' It's been a winning formula. The Bulldogs knocked off Miami, Vanderbilt and Kansas State on their way to a 12-0 start. Stirtz's 3-pointer with 4 seconds left in overtime produced Drake's 73-70 win over K-State at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. 'That helped me and the team a lot, just knowing we can hang with Power Five teams,' he said. 'That was a special game for me, and a lot of our team is from KC, so to do that in Kansas City was pretty special.' Drake dropped back-to-back games before reeling off 11 straight MVC wins. The Bulldogs' only other loss came at home against Bradley, which they avenged in the Valley tournament title game. 'Winning is hard, and sustaining that is the hardest part when you're a team that usually wins,' Isaiah Jackson said. 'We get everybody's best shot every night.' Stirtz, who had no Division I offers when he was coming out of high school in Liberty, Missouri, is the only player in the nation with more than 600 points (631), 180 assists (188) and 70 steals (71). The only player in Valley history to also achieve those numbers was Indiana State great Larry Bird. Stirtz averages 19.1 points, 5.6 assists and 2.2 steals per game — all significantly better numbers than when he was in Division II last season. 'I think it's just having another year under my belt,' he said. 'I think I've grown a lot as a player and as a person, just helping my guys out on the floor. Me being more confident out there and just knowing I can play with anyone in the country.' Stirtz's fellow Northwest Missouri transfers — Mascari, Jackson and Daniel Abreu — also have proved they can have success in Division I. 'From day one,' Abreu said, 'I knew what we were capable of at the D2 level, and I didn't think it was going to be that big of a difference. Nor did the coaches. They were like, 'Hey, we can compete at this level, too. Just bring it like you did at D2.' '
Fox Sports
18-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Drake Bulldogs are more bite than bark with a band of D2 transfers who followed their coach to Iowa
Associated Press Ben McCollum had a job offer from Drake in hand last spring and was close to taking it when he stopped himself and decided he should sleep on it. Clarity came to him at 3 a.m. 'I woke up,' he said, 'and I'm like, 'Man, I want to make the NCAA Tournament. They're Division I.' So I took the job, and now we're there.' The Bulldogs sure are, and the pieces are in place for them to become one of those lovable March Madness underdogs. It's not because Drake doesn't have history in the tournament. This will be the eighth appearance for the 4,700-student school in Des Moines, Iowa, the fifth since 2008 and the third in a row. Darian DeVries, now at West Virginia, was coach for the last two. Enter McCollum, the Iowa native who won four Division II national championships in 15 years at Northwest Missouri State. No one doubted his coaching chops, and he didn't blink while making the transition to Division I. What makes Drake so intriguing is that four of McCollum's starters came with him from Northwest Missouri, and they didn't blink, either. Do-it-all man Bennett Stirtz is the face of the program. He was Missouri Valley Conference player of the year and the most outstanding player in the league tournament. A year ago at Northwest Missouri he didn't even make the all-conference first team, and neither did any of his teammates. Naturally, expectations were not high for the Bulldogs entering this season. They were picked fifth in the 12-team Valley and received no first-place votes. They ended up winning the regular-season championship by two games with 17 conference wins, their most ever. Then they won the Valley tournament to run their overall win total to a school-record 30 in 33 games. Seeded No. 11 in the West Region, they'll carry a seven-game win streak into their matchup with Missouri (22-11) in Wichita, Kansas, on Thursday night. 'We've got more to do,' said Mitch Mascari, who had graduated from Northwest Missouri and accepted a job in finance in the Chicago area before he changed his mind and decided to use his remaining year of eligibility with McCollum at Drake. Proving doubters wrong has fueled the Bulldogs from the start. "Yeah, the preseason pick, we could start with that, and just having that label as being D2 guys," Stirtz said. 'No one believed in us.' McCollum coaches a grinding style. The Bulldogs' tempo is slowest in the nation. Offensive rebounding is emphasized, and Wyoming transfer Cam Manyawu and junior college transfer Tavion Banks excel at it. The defense allows 58.4 points per game, fewest in the nation. Just over 1 in 5 opponent possessions ends with a turnover. 'Death by a thousand paper cuts,' McCollum said. 'It's just one little thing after one little thing, and eventually it turns into big things. Our guys have the mentality to be able to do that and not try to throw haymakers. Come out and jab, jab, jab all game long and then hope that it works out at the end.' It's been a winning formula. The Bulldogs knocked off Miami, Vanderbilt and Kansas State on their way to a 12-0 start. Stirtz's 3-pointer with 4 seconds left in overtime produced Drake's 73-70 win over K-State at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. "That helped me and the team a lot, just knowing we can hang with Power Five teams," he said. "That was a special game for me, and a lot of our team is from KC, so to do that in Kansas City was pretty special.' Drake dropped back-to-back games before reeling off 11 straight MVC wins. The Bulldogs' only other loss came at home against Bradley, which they avenged in the Valley tournament title game. 'Winning is hard, and sustaining that is the hardest part when you're a team that usually wins,' Isaiah Jackson said. 'We get everybody's best shot every night.' Stirtz, who had no Division I offers when he was coming out of high school in Liberty, Missouri, is the only player in the nation with more than 600 points (631), 180 assists (188) and 70 steals (71). The only player in Valley history to also achieve those numbers was Indiana State great Larry Bird. Stirtz averages 19.1 points, 5.6 assists and 2.2 steals per game — all significantly better numbers than when he was in Division II last season. 'I think it's just having another year under my belt,' he said. "I think I've grown a lot as a player and as a person, just helping my guys out on the floor. Me being more confident out there and just knowing I can play with anyone in the country.' Stirtz's fellow Northwest Missouri transfers — Mascari, Jackson and Daniel Abreu — also have proved they can have success in Division I. 'From day one,' Abreu said, 'I knew what we were capable of at the D2 level, and I didn't think it was going to be that big of a difference. Nor did the coaches. They were like, 'Hey, we can compete at this level, too. Just bring it like you did at D2.' " ___ AP March Madness bracket: and coverage: Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. recommended
Associated Press
18-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Drake Bulldogs are more bite than bark with a band of D2 transfers who followed their coach to Iowa
Ben McCollum had a job offer from Drake in hand last spring and was close to taking it when he stopped himself and decided he should sleep on it. Clarity came to him at 3 a.m. 'I woke up,' he said, 'and I'm like, 'Man, I want to make the NCAA Tournament. They're Division I.' So I took the job, and now we're there.' The Bulldogs sure are, and the pieces are in place for them to become one of those lovable March Madness underdogs. It's not because Drake doesn't have history in the tournament. This will be the eighth appearance for the 4,700-student school in Des Moines, Iowa, the fifth since 2008 and the third in a row. Darian DeVries, now at West Virginia, was coach for the last two. Enter McCollum, the Iowa native who won four Division II national championships in 15 years at Northwest Missouri State. No one doubted his coaching chops, and he didn't blink while making the transition to Division I. What makes Drake so intriguing is that four of McCollum's starters came with him from Northwest Missouri, and they didn't blink, either. Do-it-all man Bennett Stirtz is the face of the program. He was Missouri Valley Conference player of the year and the most outstanding player in the league tournament. A year ago at Northwest Missouri he didn't even make the all-conference first team, and neither did any of his teammates. Naturally, expectations were not high for the Bulldogs entering this season. They were picked fifth in the 12-team Valley and received no first-place votes. They ended up winning the regular-season championship by two games with 17 conference wins, their most ever. Then they won the Valley tournament to run their overall win total to a school-record 30 in 33 games. Seeded No. 11 in the West Region, they'll carry a seven-game win streak into their matchup with Missouri (22-11) in Wichita, Kansas, on Thursday night. 'We've got more to do,' said Mitch Mascari, who had graduated from Northwest Missouri and accepted a job in finance in the Chicago area before he changed his mind and decided to use his remaining year of eligibility with McCollum at Drake. Proving doubters wrong has fueled the Bulldogs from the start. 'Yeah, the preseason pick, we could start with that, and just having that label as being D2 guys,' Stirtz said. 'No one believed in us.' McCollum coaches a grinding style. The Bulldogs' tempo is slowest in the nation. Offensive rebounding is emphasized, and Wyoming transfer Cam Manyawu and junior college transfer Tavion Banks excel at it. The defense allows 58.4 points per game, fewest in the nation. Just over 1 in 5 opponent possessions ends with a turnover. 'Death by a thousand paper cuts,' McCollum said. 'It's just one little thing after one little thing, and eventually it turns into big things. Our guys have the mentality to be able to do that and not try to throw haymakers. Come out and jab, jab, jab all game long and then hope that it works out at the end.' It's been a winning formula. The Bulldogs knocked off Miami, Vanderbilt and Kansas State on their way to a 12-0 start. Stirtz's 3-pointer with 4 seconds left in overtime produced Drake's 73-70 win over K-State at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. 'That helped me and the team a lot, just knowing we can hang with Power Five teams,' he said. 'That was a special game for me, and a lot of our team is from KC, so to do that in Kansas City was pretty special.' Drake dropped back-to-back games before reeling off 11 straight MVC wins. The Bulldogs' only other loss came at home against Bradley, which they avenged in the Valley tournament title game. 'Winning is hard, and sustaining that is the hardest part when you're a team that usually wins,' Isaiah Jackson said. 'We get everybody's best shot every night.' Stirtz, who had no Division I offers when he was coming out of high school in Liberty, Missouri, is the only player in the nation with more than 600 points (631), 180 assists (188) and 70 steals (71). The only player in Valley history to also achieve those numbers was Indiana State great Larry Bird. Stirtz averages 19.1 points, 5.6 assists and 2.2 steals per game — all significantly better numbers than when he was in Division II last season. 'I think it's just having another year under my belt,' he said. 'I think I've grown a lot as a player and as a person, just helping my guys out on the floor. Me being more confident out there and just knowing I can play with anyone in the country.' Stirtz's fellow Northwest Missouri transfers — Mascari, Jackson and Daniel Abreu — also have proved they can have success in Division I. 'From day one,' Abreu said, 'I knew what we were capable of at the D2 level, and I didn't think it was going to be that big of a difference. Nor did the coaches. They were like, 'Hey, we can compete at this level, too. Just bring it like you did at D2.' '
Associated Press
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
College baseball notebook: Vols' clear dominance makes them consensus No. 1 after sweep of Florida
Tennessee's dominance through the first month of the season has become so apparent that one of the most authoritative college baseball media outlets demoted an LSU team on a 15-game winning streak from No. 1 in its Top 25 and replaced the Tigers with the Volunteers on Monday. At 20-0, the Vols are the only remaining unbeaten team in Division I. They're off to the best start in program history and coming off a three-game home sweep against what was a top-10 Florida. promoted the defending national champions over a now-No. 2 LSU (15-1) that went 4-0 last week and swept Missouri. D1Baseball said that since it began its rankings in 2015, it had never taken a No. 1 team off the top perch after an unbeaten week. Tennessee, ranked No. 1 by Baseball America for a third straight week, is now the consensus top team. Arkansas (18-2) remains No. 3. 'Just got to keep going,' said Cannon Peebles, whose pinch double gave Tennessee the lead in a 7-4 win Sunday. 'Last year we were very fortunate to do what we did. Last year doesn't really matter anymore. Every single person on this team is focused on this year and we take it game by game, and I think that's why we've had this start.' There are no weaknesses. Liam Doyle, who leads the nation with 53 strikeouts, heads a staff that ranks first with a 1.72 ERA and 5.61 hits allowed per nine innings. Offensively, the Vols lead the nation with 2.65 homers per game and .662 slugging percentage and are second at 11.3 runs per game. Tennessee hosts East Tennessee State (15-4) on Tuesday before traveling to a top-10 Alabama (20-1) for a Thursday-to-Saturday series. The Crimson Tide swept Texas A&M on the road over the weekend. Swattin' Sasaki It took 66 at-bats for Stanford freshman Rintaro Sasaki to break through with his first collegiate home run. Japan's all-time high school leader went deep three times over six at-bats Saturday and Sunday as the Cardinal swept Duke. He was 6 of 14 with eight RBIs in the series and is batting .338/.424/.500 through 18 games. Sudden surge Northwestern's Trent Liolios had three homers in a 13-5 win over Penn State and a total of four in the doubleheader split Saturday. Liolios had nine homers and batted .209 in 52 games last season. So far this season he has eight homers and a .382 batting average through 17 games. Devil of a time Arizona State's offense, held to a combined four runs in two straight losses last week, unleashed some pent-up frustration in the second game of its road series with TCU on Saturday. The Sun Devils won 26-9, the most runs they've scored in a conference game since 2000 and tied for the most TCU has ever allowed. ASU's 28 hits also were a TCU opponent record. Kyle Walker hit the first of ASU's five homers leading off the game. The Sun Devils won 12-11 on Sunday to take the series. Cleanup spot Kansas (17-3) hit nine home runs while winning two of three against Baylor. The Jayhawks, who are third in the nation in scoring at 10.4 runs per game, have gone deep 46 times through 20 games. Jackson Hauge, a transfer from Division II Mankato State, has a team-best 11. ... Oregon State's Ethan Kleinschmit has allowed just six hits and a run with two walks and 15 strikeouts in his last 11 2/3 innings over two appearances. ... Florida State left-hander Wes Mendes allowed no earned runs and struck out eight over a career-high seven innings as the Seminoles beat Boston College 6-2 Saturday to complete a three-game sweep. ... Texas Southern stole 17 bases in a 20-7 win over Mississippi Valley State on Friday, the most since Alabama State had the same number of steals against Tuskegee in 1991.
