Latest news with #IvyLeaguePlayeroftheYear
New York Post
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
How Columbia baseball saved its season to make NCAA tournament again
Columbia couldn't have scripted a worse start to its baseball season. Three key players — top starting pitcher Andy Leon, top reliever Will Parkinson and starting third baseman Eric Jeon — were lost to season-ending injuries. The Lions then proceeded to lose their next 10 games after opening the year with a win at Kennesaw State. Advertisement Head coach Brett Boretti's message to his team was simple: Our expectations are the same. Winning big is still the plan. He didn't waver. 3 Columbia coach Brett Borett and his players celebrate after their win over Harvard in the Ivy League title game on May 18, 2025. Brian Foley for Foley-Photography Advertisement 'We've to come together here, keep moving forward,' he told them, star junior shortstop and Ivy League Player of the Year Sam Miller recalled. 'This is what we train all year for.' A few months later, Columbia is getting ready for the NCAA Tournament in the Hattiesburg (Miss.) Regional. The lone team to qualify from the area, this will be its seventh appearance on college baseball's biggest stage since Boretti took over two decades ago. Since that losing streak, Columbia has won 28 of 35 games. Advertisement Jagger Edwards replaced Leon as a weekend starter, while Griffin Palfrey took over at the hot corner. The Lions are experienced, led by 11 seniors, and finished first in the Ivy League in home runs, runs scored, slugging percentage, doubles and batting average. They mash. Advertisement Miller and senior captain Anton Lazits credited Boretti with keeping the team together amid injuries and that early season slide. Lazits described him as a 'leader of men,' someone who is able to maximize talent. 'When he speaks, you listen. At the same time, he's very personable,' Lazits said. 'He keeps everybody disciplined, but keeps it loose at the same time.' Said Miller: 'He just knows how to push guys.' Prior to Boretti, 54, taking over at Columbia in 2006, the Lions last reached the tournament in 1976. 3 Columbia shortstop Sam Miller was named the Ivy League's Player of the Year. Columbia Athletics/Stockton Photo He has turned this program into one of the most successful in the Northeast, winning the Ivy League regular-season title eight times. Boretti doesn't like to think of this as his success. Advertisement A successful coach, he noted, is only as effective as his players. He pointed to a number of former assistant coaches who built up Columbia with him, such as current Endicott College head coach Bryan Haley, Minnesota Twins pitching coach Pete Maki, Boston College assistant coach Dan Tischler and San Francisco assistant Erik Supplee. He singled out his entire current staff for continuing the winning tradition. 'I'm good at surrounding myself with people that are a lot smarter than me,' he said jokingly. Advertisement Boretti has had opportunities to look elsewhere. He interviewed for one Power 5 job before — he declined to name the school — but didn't want to uproot his family. Plus, as the saying goes, why mess with happy? At Columbia, he doesn't have to manage Name, Image and Likeness as much as other coaches. 3 Columbia head coach Brett Boretti helped his team turn it around after injuries put his team in an early hole this season. Brian Foley for Foley Photography. Advertisement His players pick Columbia mostly for academics. The Lions are Ivy League contenders every year. 'The type of kid, the type of student-athlete you get, we get very driven guys. We get overachievers,' Boretti said. 'That's what we're looking for: Guys who want to work on the field, work in the classroom, and, frankly, don't give you many headaches off the field. 'It's one of the best things about the job: You get to work with great people, great kids that are going to be great adults. That's something that goes a long way when you're in this position.' Advertisement After reaching the NCAA Tournament in three straight seasons from 2013-15, and advancing to the Coral Gables (Fla.) regional final in 2015, Columbia had established itself. It helped that in 2010 the program received an upgraded facility, Robertson Field at Satow Stadium. 'It built on each other,' Boretti said. 'My former boss, Dianne Murphy, did a heckuva job building our facilities and raising money and getting people involved. That goes a long, long way.' This team has a unique belief in itself, fostered by that difficult start. First came the injuries, then the losing streak. It didn't break the Lions. As the tournament begins, few teams in the country are as hot. Columbia has won nine straight games and 16 of 17. It will be a decided underdog Friday night against host and No. 16 seed Southern Miss, and not be expected to beat the following opponent, either Miami or Alabama. But the Lions and their 11 seniors believe they can play with anyone. They've been here before. 'We're a very confident group. We know the talent we have and we know what kind of baseball we can play with each other,' Lazits said. 'If we go out there and play as well as we can, we can beat just about anybody.'
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
St. Xavier graduate Connor Buczek coaches Cornell to NCAA men's lacrosse national title
St. Xavier graduate Connor Buczek coached his Cornell Big Red to the NCAA men's lacrosse national title on May 26, beating Maryland 13-10. Buczek, a 2011 Bomber graduate, was a three-time All-American for the Big Red and was the 2014 Ivy League Player of the Year for Cornell before being selected second overall in the Major League Lacrosse draft. Cornell Big Red men's lacrosse head coach Connor Buczek gets a kiss from his wife, Maddie Kiep, after winning the NCAA Division I men's lacrosse championship at Gillette Stadium. During his pro playing career, Buczek served as an assistant coach at Cornell before being named the head coach in 2020. Cornell finished as national runner-up in 2022. Advertisement His brother, Griffin, a 2016 All-American lacrosse player from St. Xavier, is on his staff as the director of operations. Cornell was the top seed in the 2025 tournament and defeated No. 2 Maryland in the championship finals, winning the program's fourth championship and first since 1977. The Big Red finished 18-1 overall, winning their final 14 games of the year. Cornell's national championship winning coach Connor Buczek is a 2011 St. Xavier graduate. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: St. Xavier grad Connor Buczek coaches Cornell to NCAA lacrosse title
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
St. Xavier graduate Connor Buczek coaches Cornell to NCAA men's lacrosse national title
St. Xavier graduate Connor Buczek coached his Cornell Big Red to the NCAA men's lacrosse national title on May 26, beating Maryland 13-10. Buczek, a 2011 Bomber graduate, was a three-time All-American for the Big Red and was the 2014 Ivy League Player of the Year for Cornell before being selected second overall in the Major League Lacrosse draft. Cornell Big Red men's lacrosse head coach Connor Buczek gets a kiss from his wife, Maddie Kiep, after winning the NCAA Division I men's lacrosse championship at Gillette Stadium. During his pro playing career, Buczek served as an assistant coach at Cornell before being named the head coach in 2020. Cornell finished as national runner-up in 2022. Advertisement His brother, Griffin, a 2016 All-American lacrosse player from St. Xavier, is on his staff as the director of operations. Cornell was the top seed in the 2025 tournament and defeated No. 2 Maryland in the championship finals, winning the program's fourth championship and first since 1977. The Big Red finished 18-1 overall, winning their final 14 games of the year. Cornell's national championship winning coach Connor Buczek is a 2011 St. Xavier graduate. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: St. Xavier grad Connor Buczek coaches Cornell to NCAA lacrosse title
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA roster cuts: Kaitlyn Chen, Deja Kelly, Shyanne Sellers among those waived ahead of 2025 season tipoff
The WNBA season is just around the corner, and with it comes players cuts. The preseason brings with it a highly competitive race for the league's coveted roster spots before the regular season begins May 16. Despite bringing in a 13th team this year with the addition of the Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA is still one of the smallest professional leagues in the country. Rookies have to compete with veteran players for the 12 spots on each team — and many will not make it. Advertisement Just a few weeks after the 2025 WNBA Draft, teams are beginning to waive some of the NCAA stars they drafted. A couple of notable names in the college scene have already been waived, with more surprising cuts still likely to come. Who are some of the notable players to get waived? One of the first notable rookies to get waived was Shyanne Sellers, who was waived by the Golden State Valkyries on May 3. The Maryland guard and 17th overall pick was eventually picked up by the Atlanta Dream, a team entering a new era after a busy offseason before being waived again on May 12. Another notable cut was Bree Hall, who was waived by the Indiana Fever on May 5. Hall, a former South Carolina guard with two NCAA championships, was selected with one of the Fever's second-round picks (20th overall). Advertisement On May 7, Harmoni Turner — a standout guard at Harvard and the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year — joined the list of fan favorites to get cut when she was waived by the Las Vegas Aces. Turner was picked by the Aces in the third round, at 35th overall. Why are so many WNBA players getting waived? When it comes to the WNBA, the simple answer is that there aren't enough spots to accommodate the number of talented players coming in from the NCAA. With 13 teams at 12 spots each, there are only 156 total roster spots across the league — with many of those spots already taken up by veterans and stars. In general, while first-round draft picks are likely to make rosters, most players selected in the WNBA Draft will not. Advertisement Those 12-player final rosters must be set before the start of the regular season. More than two dozen players across the WNBA have already been waived, but a good chunk of those players are rookies who went undrafted. Is the salary cap a factor? Honestly, money is not really part of the equation when it comes to the flurry of waived players during the preseason. The current minimum annual salary in the WNBA is $66,079 for a rookie salary — a number that might change soon, with the league's collective bargaining agreement set to expire in the fall. Players who are selected in the third round or go undrafted earn that amount in their first years. All of the WNBA teams have the cap space to sign rookie players, according to Spotrac, but the restrictions on roster spots are what keep teams so limited. Advertisement Rookie contracts are non-guaranteed, so teams are off the hook when they cut rookies, but a team that picks up a waived player will also pick up their existing rookie-scale contract. What's next for players who get waived? The WNBA's small rosters are a point of contention, as the league also doesn't have any kind of minor league, like the NBA's G League, where players can sign and develop. Most players who don't make rosters will end up traveling abroad to other leagues in countries like China, Russia, Turkey and more. Many of those leagues pay more than the WNBA, though players who are not big-name talent tend to make low six figures. Advertisement Other notable who have been waived: Beyond Sellers, Hall and Turner, plenty of other players and draftees who were big names in college have been cut already. Here's a look at some of the names worth noting:
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA roster cuts: Bree Hall, Deja Kelly among 2025 draftees waived ahead of season tipoff
The WNBA season is just around the corner, and with it comes players cuts. The preseason brings with it a highly competitive race for the league's coveted roster spots before the regular season begins May 16. Despite bringing in a 13th team this year with the addition of the Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA is still one of the smallest professional leagues in the country. Rookies have to compete with veteran players for the 12 spots on each team — and many will not make it. Advertisement Just a few weeks after the 2025 WNBA Draft, teams are beginning to waive some of the NCAA stars they drafted. A couple of notable names in the college scene have already been waived, with more surprising cuts still likely to come. Who are some of the notable players to get waived? One of the first notable rookies to get waived was Shyanne Sellers, who was waived by the Golden State Valkyries on May 3. The Maryland guard and 17th overall pick was eventually picked up by the Atlanta Dream, a team entering a new era after a busy offseason. Whether Sellers is able to make the Dream's final roster is still to be determined, as Atlanta currently has more than 12 players. Another notable cut was Bree Hall, who was waived by the Indiana Fever on May 5. Hall, a former South Carolina guard with two NCAA championships, was selected with one of the Fever's second-round picks (20th overall). Advertisement On May 7, Harmoni Turner — a standout guard at Harvard and the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year — joined the list of fan favorites to get cut when she was waived by the Las Vegas Aces. Turner was picked by the Aces in the third round, at 35th overall. Why are so many WNBA players getting waived? When it comes to the WNBA, the simple answer is that there aren't enough spots to accommodate the number of talented players coming in from the NCAA. With 13 teams at 12 spots each, there are only 156 total roster spots across the league — with many of those spots already taken up by veterans and stars. In general, while first-round draft picks are likely to make rosters, most players selected in the WNBA Draft will not. Advertisement Those 12-player final rosters must be set before the start of the regular season. More than two dozen players across the WNBA have already been waived, but a good chunk of those players are rookies who went undrafted. Is the salary cap a factor? Honestly, money is not really part of the equation when it comes to the flurry of waived players during the preseason. The current minimum annual salary in the WNBA is $66,079 for a rookie salary — a number that might change soon, with the league's collective bargaining agreement set to expire in the fall. Players who are selected in the third round or go undrafted earn that amount in their first years. All of the WNBA teams have the cap space to sign rookie players, according to Spotrac, but the restrictions on roster spots are what keep teams so limited. Advertisement Rookie contracts are non-guaranteed, so teams are off the hook when they cut rookies, but a team that picks up a waived player will also pick up their existing rookie-scale contract. What's next for players who get waived? The WNBA's small rosters are a point of contention, as the league also doesn't have any kind of minor league, like the NBA's G League, where players can sign and develop. Most players who don't make rosters will end up traveling abroad to other leagues in countries like China, Russia, Turkey and more. Many of those leagues pay more than the WNBA, though players who are not big-name talent tend to make low six figures. Advertisement Other notable rookies who have been waived: Beyond Sellers, Hall and Turner, plenty of other players and draftees who were big names in college have been cut:
