Latest news with #Mr.Baseball
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
NBA's Thompson twins receive honorary degrees from Pine Crest. Plus state baseball honors
At the behest of their father, Troy, then 9-year-old twins Amen and Ausar Thompson were already manifesting greatness on a family vision board titled 'Amen and Ausar's 6'9' Dreams'. The first twins in NBA history to get drafted top 5, and to whom Lebron James describes as 'They different. They ain't like the rest of us. I've been able to go against some dudes in my career, and those two guys, man, they're just pure athleticism', tacked two major accomplishments onto that vision board recently. Amen (drafted No. 4 by Houston in 2023 and Ausar, taken No. 5 by Detroit) were bestowed honorary high school degrees by Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest School at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. 'It means a lot,' said Amen, minutes before receiving the honorary degree with his brother. 'This is where I grew up -- from 8th grade to 11th grade. I had to look for new opportunities in the 12th grade, but I always felt like a Pine Crest Panther. For them ... to present me with an honorary degree means a lot.' After winning a state title with the Panthers in 2021 and becoming Miami Herald Co-Players of the Year for classes 4A-2A as juniors, the 6-8 wings left high school for Atlanta-based Overtime Elite, a developmental professional basketball league, before entering the 2023 draft. The ceremony at FAU followed earlier news that day that Amen was selected to the All-NBA defensive first team. Amen's defensive tenacity, length and athleticism helped the Rockets rank fifth in defensive efficiency and finish with the fourth best record in the league (52-30). 'I have always taken pride in my defense since the Pine Crest days, even before that,' Amen said.'That was one of my goals going into this year was to make first team All-NBA on defense. So just being one of the youngest players to do that in my second year that is one of the goals I established for myself.' Ausar appears to be on a similar defensive trajectory as Amen and helped the Pistons enjoy a historic 30-game turnaround from last season and break a streak of 15 consecutive playoff losses. State baseball honors The Florida Diary Farmers announced the state's classification winners for FHSAA baseball, following balloting by a statewide panel of high school baseball coaches and prep media representatives. Each is eligible for Mr. Baseball honors, representing the best of the best. Coach of the Year recipients were also announced. They are eligible for the state's overall Baseball Coach of the Year accolades. Here are locals who won classification honors. ▪ 7A: Gio Rojas, Junior, Pitcher, Stoneman Douglas, Class 7A Player of the Year Led his squad to the state title with a 12-0 record. Posted an 0.72 ERA in 68 innings pitched with 119 strikeouts and 16 walks. Had a .388 batting average with 24 runs and 32 RBI. Committed to the University of Miami. 7A: Todd Fitz-Gerald, Stoneman Douglas, Class 7A Coach of the Year Led his squad to a 31-2 record and a fifth consecutive Class 7A state title. ▪ 6A: Zack Malvasio, Senior, Outfield, St. Thomas Aquinas, Class 6A Player of the Year Helped his team to the Class 6A title by hitting .414 with 16 doubles, 16 home runs, 45 runs and 48 RBI. Signed with the University of Central Florida. 6A: Joe Wardlow, St. Thomas Aquinas, Class 6A Coach of the Year Led his squad to a 29-6 record and the school's first state baseball title since 2018. ▪ 5A: Humberto Bencomo, Mater Academy, Class 5A Coach of the Year Led his team to a 27-6 record and the school's first state baseball title since 2014. ▪ 4A: Danny Machado, Senior, Shortstop, Archbishop McCarthy, Class 5A Player of the Year Helped his squad to a 19-13 record by hitting .442 with 6 doubles, 5 home runs, 36 runs, 20 RBI and 16 stolen bases. Signed with Florida Atlantic University. 4A Bruce Aven, Plantation American Heritage, Class 4A Coach of the Year In his second coaching stint at American Heritage, Aven finished as the 2024 state runner-up, and in 2025 led the program to the state title with a 29-6 record, It's Aven's second state championship (2012) with the Patriots. ▪ 3A: David Fanshawe, Miami Springs, Class 3A Coach of the Year Led his team to a 28-3 record and the Class 3A state championship, the school's first state title. ▪ Other locals who were in the top 3 in voting for top classification honors: 6A: 2. Gabriel Milano (Doral Academy). 5A: 2. Alfrin Rosario (Mater Academy). 4A; 2. Jordan Rich (Plantation American Heritage). Send sports results For high school and middle school athletes in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, if you have summer sports results and top performers (with stats), email hssports@ They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. You will be alerted when it will appear in the newspaper and online. New athletic directors, coaches For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade, if you have new sports administration and/or coaching hires to announce, email hssports@ --- Compiled by Jim Varsallone jvarsallone@
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Houston shortstop Ryan Mitchell named Gatorade's Tennessee Baseball Player of the Year
Houston senior shortstop Ryan Mitchell has been named Gatorade's Tennessee Baseball Player of the Year, Gatorade announced via release on June 3. Mitchell, recently named The Commercial Appeal's Baseball Player of the Year, shared the announcement on social media. This is Gatorade's 40th year of selecting a player in each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Past winners nationwide include former MLB star Gary Sheffield and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw. Advertisement "WOW!" Mitchell said on X. "Thank you to everyone that helped me in achieving this coveted award!" Mitchell, a Georgia Tech commit, ranks as No. 53 draft prospect and is projected to be an early-round selection in July's amateur draft. This season, Mitchell led Houston (29-15) to the Class 4A sectionals with the consistent displays of power and speed at the leadoff spot. He led Houston in almost every offensive category, including batting average (.462), on-base percentage (.615), OPS (1.547), runs (64), walks (49) and stolen bases (39). He also hit 12 homers and 13 doubles and drove in 55 runs, finishing the season as a finalist for the Mr. Baseball award. Advertisement "Ryan Mitchell is an explosive high school athlete with the ability to take over a game at any moment," Houston coach Lane McCarter said in the release. "Every time he steps into the batter's box, it feels like a can't-miss moment. He has the maturity of a veteran major league player and the plate discipline of a future Hall of Famer. He has such a bright future in professional baseball." Wendell Shepherd Jr. is The Commercial Appeal's high school sports beat writer. Reach Wendell at or on X @wendellsjr_. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Houston's Ryan Mitchell is Gatorade Tennessee Baseball Player of Year
USA Today
21-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Tennessee baseball commit wins Mr. Baseball award
Tennessee baseball commit wins Mr. Baseball award 2026 Tennessee baseball commit Mikee Teasley was named Class 4A Mr. Baseball by the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association on Tuesday. The junior pitcher and third baseman is from Oak Ridge High School in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He led the Wildcats to the Class 4A state tournament for a second consecutive season. Teasley also earned District 3-4A Player of the Year honors by the league's coaches following the 2025 regular season. Teasley committed to the Vols and head coach Tony Vitello on Oct. 20, 2024. Oak Ridge was slated to open tournament play Tuesday against Clarksville at Oakland High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on Tuesday, but the game was postponed due to inclement weather. The first-round game will now be contested Wednesday with first pitch slated for 7:30 p.m. EDT. Oak Ridge (34-7) set a school record for wins this season, eclipsing last year's total of 28. The Wildcats won both the District 3-4A regular-season title and postseason tournament championship. Teasley entered state tournament play with a .391 batting average. He has totaled seven home runs, 33 RBIs and 12 doubles. Teasley (8-1) has recorded a 1.16 ERA and 113 strikeouts as a pitcher. Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kopp's Frozen Custard marks Milwaukee Brewers' home opener with flavor honoring Bob Uecker
Kopp's Frozen Custard will honor Bob Uecker with a new flavor of the day Monday, the day of the Milwaukee Brewers' home opener against the Kansas City Royals. Monday's flavor, called "Mr. Baseball" after one of the beloved broadcaster's nicknames, features caramel malt custard, beer nuts, fudge-covered peanuts and a splash of Miller Lite, according to the Kopp's flavor preview webpage. That last ingredient is a nod to Uecker's prominent role in commercials for the beer over the years. Scott Borkin, longtime manager at the Kopp's Port Washington Road location, said the custard shop always tries to create a niche flavor for the first day of Brewers season. "All of the managers talked about it and said that we should do something because (Uecker) was a fan of ours," Borkin said. "He stopped into our store years ago, and I'm sure he's stopped into the other stores. So, we wanted to come up with a flavor to honor him." Uecker, the voice of the Brewers for over 50 years, died in mid-January at age 90. His legacy will be honored in numerous ways at the home opener. A gold and navy plaid print patch featuring Ueck's signature will adorn the Brewers' uniform sleeves all season. The home opener will feature his signature on the outfield grass, a moment of silence and other special moments throughout the game. Kopp's has three locations: Greenfield at 7631 W. Layton Ave., Brookfield at 18880 W. Bluemound Road and Glendale at 5373 N. Port Washington Road. "Mr. Baseball" will be available Monday while supplies last at all three locations. More: He became 'Mr. Baseball' but Bob Uecker always stayed true to his Milwaukee roots More: The Milwaukee Brewers' Opening Day and home opener are near. Here's what to know, including Bob Uecker tribute plans This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kopp's creates flavor to honor Bob Uecker for Brewers' home opener
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Where does Maurice Hampton Jr. go from Vanderbilt football pro day? He already has a plan
Maurice Hampton Jr. turned down $1.8 million to be at Vanderbilt's NFL pro day on Wednesday. The 6-foot, 215-pound defensive back's path from that day in 2019 to this week at the Commodores' practice facility, where he jumped and ran in front of scouts from 21 NFL teams, was hardly direct. According to his father, Hampton, the Memphis University School graduate turned down a $1.8 million signing bonus with the San Diego Padres, who had selected him in the 23rd round of the 2019 MLB Draft. He opted to play football at LSU — which won the College Football Playoff his freshman season — and baseball, where he was a center fielder. "I've had a wild journey going back and forth between two different sports," Hampton said. "I've been looking forward to this day. It came quicker than I expected. It's been a long journey, but a quick one." But not a planned one, nor an unfamiliar one. Hampton petitioned the NCAA for another year of football eligibility but was denied. "I thought I would have another year," said Hampton, who ran a 4.47 40-yard dash, a 4.45 shuttle and had a vertical leap of 31 inches Wednesday. None of that made the stage at Vanderbilt's indoor practice facility any more intimidating, little more than a month shy of the 2025 NFL Draft. Hampton had been through a similar process while preparing for the MLB draft, where he was projected to be a first-round pick. Some high school games he played in had 50 MLB scouts with eyes on him. But some teams were hesitant because of his commitment to LSU. Injuries derailed the once-promising baseball career for Hampton, who in the 2018-19 school year earned both the Tennessee Mr. Football and Mr. Baseball awards. After two seasons at LSU, he transferred to Samford to play baseball. Two years later, it was on to Memphis, where he didn't play after he was injured during fall camp. His next stop, for what turned out to be his final season, was Vanderbilt. "Different injuries and the timing of things led me to Vanderbilt," said Hampton, who will turn 24 on Aug. 1. "I miss baseball. It was a love of mine. I got to do it for as long as I wanted to. I got to make my own decisions and go the routes I wanted to go, and I ended up here." After missing the first three games of the season because of an injury, Hampton had 22 tackles and one forced fumble for the Commodores last season, his first on the football field since playing for LSU in 2020. He saved his season-best seven tackles for Vanderbilt's final game of the season, a 35-27 victory against Georgia Tech in the Birmingham Bowl. Hampton, whose best odds of landing with an NFL team appear to be as an undrafted free agent, hardly has time for regret. "I have three rings at home that are going to a trophy case pretty soon," he said. "The national championship, Peach Bowl and the SEC championship." Not to mention, he helped Vanderbilt win its first bowl game since 2013. If football isn't in the cards, Hampton said two more semesters of law school at Vanderbilt will get him where he wants to go. He's working toward his master's degree in legal studies, with hopes of becoming an agent or landing a front-office job with a pro sports team. "I have two more semesters to do that, and if the NFL doesn't work out, I'll be moving along in my life," he said. Paul Skrbina is a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports for The Tennessean. Reach him at pskrbina@ and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @paulskrbina. Follow his work here. SPRING AHEAD: Why Vanderbilt football is holding a spring game in 2025 despite transfer portal concerns LEA SAYS: Why Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea decided he didn't want to be defensive coordinator again in 2025 This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Vanderbilt DB Maurice Hampton Jr. plans future as NFL player or agent
