Latest news with #FreshmanoftheYear
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Tennessee announces addition of Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year
Tennessee announces addition of Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year Tennessee softball will play in its ninth College World Series all time in 2025. The Lady Vols will open World Series play against Oklahoma on Thursday in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. EDT and will be televised by ESPN. Ahead of Thursday's opening game, Tennessee announced the addition of Eastern Kentucky transfer Maddi Rutan. "We are excited to welcome Maddi to the Lady Vol Softball family," Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly said. "She is incredibly versatile and has had success on both sides of the ball at the college level. Maddi brings toughness and a competitive fire to the field every day. She is a great fit for our culture." During her sophomore 2025 season at Eastern Kentucky, the 5-foot-5 pitcher appeared in 33 games, including 28 starts, as a pitcher. She recorded a 2.91 ERA and 227 strikeouts in 176.0 innings. Rutan also appeared in 54 games, including 54 starts, offensively for the Colonels. She recorded a .413 batting average, 13 home runs, 61 RBIs, 44 runs and five stolen bases in 2025. Rutan earned 2024 Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors. Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Behind enemy lines -- What USC fans should know about the TCU Horned Fogs
Behind enemy lines -- What USC fans should know about the TCU Horned Fogs See what a Big 12 baseball writer has to say about TCU, shaping the matchup with USC in Corvallis USC baseball is headed back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 10 years. On Friday, the Trojans will open postseason play versus TCU in the 2-3 game of the Corvallis Regional. What can USC fans expect from the Horned Frogs? On Tuesday, I spoke with Avery Hamel, who covers Big 12 baseball for the Lawrence Journal-World, to discuss TCU. "While TCU lost some games down the stretch against some less than stellar Big 12 competition (UCF and Utah), the Horned Frogs present a very complete competition against any team," Hamel said. "They were second in the conference in players named to the All-Big 12 First Team with three and provided the Freshman of the Year for the conference in Sawyer Strosnider, who should be among best player conversations in Division I, not just the freshman class. On the other end, they have the lowest ERA in the Big 12 (4.24) with ace Tommy LaPour leading the way and getting significant help from bullpen contributors like Louis Rodriguez." With it being the tournament opener, USC will likely have to face LaPour, presenting a challenge for the Trojans' lineup. Expect Andy Stankiewicz to counter with his own ace, Caden Aoki, who emerged as one of the top pitchers in the Big Ten down the stretch run. First pitch between USC and TCU is set for noon Pacific time on Friday. The game will be televised on ESPNU and ESPN+.
NBC Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Browns rookie RB Quinshon Judkins has designs on changing the organization
Quinshon Judkins arrived in Columbus a year ago and promptly helped Ohio State win a national championship. He landed in Cleveland last month, a second-round pick of the Browns, and has plans to have as big an impact with his NFL team. The Browns, though, won only three games last season and still don't have a clear answer at quarterback. They haven't won a playoff game since 2020. 'As a whole, we had a great draft class,' Judkins told Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated. 'I think everyone brought attention because of our talent, and our work ethic. Really everybody who came in with that mentality of being ready to work. I feel like for myself, as a competitor and as a player, that was one of my goals. 'When I come to be a Cleveland Brown, I'm coming in to change the organization, contribute, do the best I can. I know what it takes to win, so I'm going to bring that mentality here to Cleveland and do the same thing.' Judkins spent his first two seasons at Ole Miss and rushed for 2,725 yards and scored 34 total touchdowns. Last season at Ohio State, he had 1,060 rushing yards and 16 total touchdowns. 'The people who know me, who recruited me, they know I have a lot of accomplishments,' Judkins said. 'Freshman of the Year SEC, everything. Turn on the tape. It shows. I do everything as a player. Complete running back, every-down running back, catch, block, run 80 yards, 90 yards, whatever you want me to do, I'll do it. I'm just excited to do it at the next level.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Alabama's Ryan Williams makes cover of EA Sports' ‘College Football 26' video game
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Alabama's Ryan Williams and Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith have been announced as the cover athletes for EA Sports' 'College Football 26' video game. The highly anticipated game will go on sale worldwide July 10, those who preorder will be able to play July 7. This is second consecutive release in the 'College Football' series in two years, with 'College Football 25' and was one of the best-selling games of 2024. Williams and Smith both enter their sophomore season after electrifying the college football in year one. A highly-touted recruit out of Saraland, Williams was originally committed to Alabama, but decommitted following news of Nick Saban's retirement. However, Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer and staff were able to persuade Williams to come back, where he quickly made a name for himself at the Capstone, finishing his freshman year with 865 yards and eight touchdowns. Most notably, he went 177 yards against Georgia last season, including the go-ahead touchdown on one of the more acrobatic plays of the season. Liverpool FC, a soccer club with an identity woven in trophies and tragedies At Ohio State, Smith won a national championship with the Buckeyes in his freshman campaign, defeating Notre Dame 34-23. Many analysts and football fans regarded Smith as the best receiver in the country. Smith wrapped up his freshman season with 76 catches for 1,315 yards, and 15 touchdowns. Smith was also awarded Big Ten Receiver of the Year and Freshman of the Year. He was named Rose Bowl MVP after putting up 187 yards and two touchdowns in a dominating win over the Oregon Ducks, 41-21. Alabama will open the upcoming season against Florida State Aug. 30 on the road while Ohio State will host Texas. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Did Texas A&M baseball make NCAA tournament? Aggies first preseason No. 1 to miss since 1991
Did Texas A&M baseball make NCAA tournament? Aggies first preseason No. 1 to miss since 1991 Show Caption Hide Caption ASUN baseball: Stetson celebrates NCAA Tournament trip after FGCU game After their ASUN championship game against Florida Gulf Coast was scrapped due to bad weather, Stetson received the league's NCAA Tournament spot. Texas A&M baseball's disappointing season came to an end on Monday, after the Aggies weren't selected for the NCAA tournament. Texas A&M was not listed as a First Four Out team by the NCAA selection committee, either, meaning it was at least four teams back of being picked for the tournament. The NCAA tournament miss marks the first time the preseason No. 1-ranked team missed out on making the field since 1991. REQUIRED READING: NCAA baseball selection show live updates for 2025 NCAA tournament bracket reveal The Aggies went 30-26 this season, finishing 11-19 in SEC play. They finished the season ranked 50th in RPI, one year after falling to Tennessee in the national championship. Texas A&M returned Gavin Grahovac, the SEC Freshman of the Year last season, and outfielder Jace LaViolette, a projected first-round pick, for 2025. However, it had to replace coach Jim Schlossnagle, who left the Aggies for Texas after the 2024 College World Series. Grahovac also went down with a season-ending injury early in the season, which was one of many injuries for Texas A&M in 2025 as Gavin Kash and Caden Sorrell also missed extended time. Pitcher Shane Sdao also missed the entire season after having elbow surgery last offseason, and designated hitter Hayden Schott played the entire year with a torn meniscus, similar to the injury he played through in the College World Series last season. Regardless, it was quite the disappointing season for Texas A&M, who was expected to be a powerhouse this season under first-year coach Michael Earley, who was the Aggies' hitting coach in 2024. Did Texas A&M make NCAA baseball tournament? Texas A&M wasn't included in the 64-team field for the NCAA baseball tournament on Monday when the full bracket was revealed. Texas A&M also wasn't particularly close to being in the field, either, as it wasn't one of the First Four Out teams, according to the NCAA selection committee. The Aggies went 30-26 this season, finishing 14th of 16 SEC teams in the regular season standings. Texas A&M was also notably swept at home by Missouri this season, which marked Missouri's only three wins in SEC play this season. The Tigers were 16-39 on the year and 3-27 in conference play.
