Latest news with #PurdueFortWayne
Indianapolis Star
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Center Grove grad Caden Cornett among those impacted by Purdue Fort Wayne cutting baseball
Purdue Fort Wayne redshirt freshman pitcher and Center Grove grad Caden Cornett had his exit meeting with the PFW coaching staff Thursday afternoon, shortly after the team returned from the 2025 Horizon League Championships in Dayton, Ohio. Cornett, a 6-foot-5 right-hander, is working his way back from a November 2023 surgery to repair the labrum in his pitching shoulder. He made just two appearances this season, ⅓ of an inning in total. He talked with the staff about his goals for next season and what he needed to do to establish himself on the pitching staff. He had no idea a text message Friday morning would derail his plans for the upcoming season. "Nobody knew about the meeting," Cornett said. "We didn't know if any other team was (having a meeting). We heard softball was and we were like, 'Oh crap, this isn't good.' "As soon as we walked into the meeting we saw everyone crying. ... The softball coach (Amber Bowman) our AD (Kelley Hartley Hutton). It was tough for her to tell us that you can't play baseball or softball anymore. It was rough. Not a fun meeting to be in." PFW announced Friday that it was discounting its baseball and softball programs effective immediately. The decision, which includes an expected cost savings of upwards of $1 million, is directly related to $6 million in budget cuts the university announced Thursday, per a news release. More: Purdue Fort Wayne eliminates baseball, softball programs amid university's financial cuts "This is one of the saddest days in my 25 years as a Mastodon," Hartley Hutton said via new release. "We know this news will upset our student-athletes, alumni and fans. It was not made lightly, and we are committed to supporting those affected through this transition." Cornett said he'd heard some rumblings about the baseball program being in trouble but never thought it would be shuttered. "We didn't have the best season, but the year before we did good," Cornett said. "We thought we'd come back in the fall and get ready to play. We weren't expecting this at all." The university said it will honor all athletes' wishes to transfer. Cornett, like many of his teammates with eligibility remaining, has already entered the transfer portal. Cornett hopes to find another Division I school to play baseball next season, but his situation is tricky. Baseball coaches prioritize experience in the transfer portal and with just ⅓ of an inning pitched over two seasons, schools may need to rely on his stats at Center Grove to gauge his potential. Cornett had a 4-0 record with 1.49 ERA and .163 opponent batting average and 39 strikeouts over 37⅔ innings as a senior with the Trojans. "It was really difficult not being able to play," Cornett said. "I was supposed to come in and make an impact, have a big role on the team. Tearing my shoulder right when I came in wasn't the plan. "I've been busting my butt to get back and healthy. With no innings, it's kind of hard to transfer. (Schools) don't know how I'm going to be coming back. I'd like to stay at the Division I level, but I know it's hard to trust a guy who has zero college experience." Cornett's roommate, fellow Center Grove pitcher Ben Murphy, is also working his way back from injury. Cornett said the mood within the program is one of shock and sadness. Players have been staying in their rooms since hearing the news. He added that he felt like the team had a strong bond and a chance to improve on this season's 11-42 record. Now he'll never get the chance.
Associated Press
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Purdue Fort Wayne dropping baseball and softball amid university budget cuts and revenue sharing
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — Purdue Fort Wayne joined a line of schools dropping sports because of budget cuts and the looming era of revenue sharing with athletes, announcing Friday it would discontinue its baseball and softball programs immediately. The university announced $6 million in budget cuts Thursday, and discontinuing the two sports will save about $1 million. The Mastadons are members of the Horizon League and Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association and will sponsor 14 Division I sports. 'This is one of the saddest days in my 25 years as a Mastodon,' athletic director Kelley Hartley Hutton said. 'We know this news will upset our student-athletes, alumni and fans. It was not made lightly, and we are committed to supporting those affected through this transition.' Harley Hutton said budget challenges across the university, in combination with changes in the NCAA model, led to a re-evaluation of the athletic program. Stephen F. Austin announced Thursday it would drop bowling, men's and women's golf and beach volleyball. Eastern Illinois announced on May 12 it would discontinue men's and women's tennis. ___ AP college sports:
Indianapolis Star
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
This single mom's Michael Jordan-like work ethic leads 3 siblings to Butler basketball
Katie Jackson never wanted her being a single mother to ever stop her children: Butler men's basketball transfer Jalen Jackson, twin daughters and Butler women's basketball transfers Saniya and Neveah, and youngest daughter Swynn from having a full and loving childhood. When Jackson (then Katie Bruening) finished her basketball and volleyball playing careers at Purdue Fort Wayne (then IPFW), she transitioned to coaching at her alma mater. Once she learned she was pregnant with twins, she stepped away from collegiate coaching to focus on her family, but she did not stay away from basketball. Jackson became a referee for high school and college games. During larger AAU tournaments, Jackson would referee eight to 10 games in one day with her children at the gym the entire time, running around, getting up shots and watching some of the best players of that era in Indiana. Players like Fort Wayne Bishop Luers grad Deshaun Thomas, who played for Butler coach Thad Matta at Ohio State. Returning trips from AAU tournaments gave the family time to talk about the great basketball they watched, helping the children's love for the sport grow. Once her children began playing in their own basketball games, their love for the game deepened and the basketball gym became their safe haven. The family would travel around the country, sometimes driving through the night, taking cat naps in parking lots to get Jalen to a tournament. After watching Jalen play for several days, they'd load back into the car, traveling to the next state so the twins could play in their tournament. Many people say they live basketball, or that basketball is in their blood, that epitomizes the Jacksons. "They were in a gym all the time. They started playing when they were 3 or 4 years old. Basketball literally helped me raise my kids," Jackson said. "Basketball was something that helped me raise them, but I would also say it helped save their lives. "Anything that was traumatic or stressed them out, we went to the gym. The mental health piece, it was basketball. So, when they're all home from school, we turn some music on, we go and we shoot baskets. That's what we do, that's what we know. AAU tournaments, we all just got in the car, and we went." Dawg Talk Podcast: Incoming transfers, lineup projections and more Katie Jackson has a very specific morning routine. Every morning, she begins her workout at 4:23 a.m. as a daily tribute to Michael Jordan. The Jackson household is a very pro-Jordan household. Katie's children grew up watching Jordan's highlights on YouTube. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they watched every episode of "The Last Dance." Katie has always related to Jordan's drive and desire to be great, and that's something she's instilled in her kids. "It set the foundation," Jalen said of his mother's parenting. "She has really high goals for me and my family. That's where I learned the discipline to focus on what's important in life. How to work hard. To this day, my mom still does a workout every day at 4:23 in the morning. It inspires me to go work out and get better. "Just having a role model my whole life who got to play Division I basketball and volleyball, she's been through it. Her teaching us what she did to get there and what we need to do, how to separate ourselves through our work ethic. I feel like that's the most important thing I learned from her. To outwork everybody because, at the end of the day, you can claim you're working harder than people, but you've got to prove." As the eldest sibling, Jalen took what he learned from his mother and taught it to his sisters. The family is extremely competitive. Games of UNO are filled with trash talk, but his sisters wouldn't have it any other way. Jalen serves as his sister's trainer whenever they're together, and with everyone playing at Butler next season, they look forward to spending more time together. Jalen began his college career at Illinois-Chicago. After one season at UIC, he transferred back home to Purdue Fort Wayne. Jalen played two seasons with the Mastodons. As a junior, he averaged 19.2 points, 3.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 26.4% from 3 and 75.1% from the free throw line, earning All-Horizon League first team honors. The twins committed to Valparaiso out of Northrop High School. Nevaeh averaged 13.8 points per game and shot 35.7% on 3s last season. Saniya missed the entire 2024-25 season with a knee injury. Jalen entered the transfer portal first, signing with Butler in early April. Initially, Saniyah and Nevaeh had not planned to enter the transfer portal. Once Valpo coach Mary Evans was fired at the end of the season, the twins entered the portal. After speaking with Butler coach Austin Parkinson, the twins committed to the Butler women's program in mid April, reuniting the Jackson siblings in Indianapolis. "It was hard for us to watch each other play," Saniyah said of playing at different schools. "When you're in season everyone is really busy. Jalen probably made it to two games, and we made it to three or four (of Jalen's games) last season. We never really got to watch each other play. "We did miss each other a lot and I feel like now being able to go to the same school, we can watch each other's games and be around each other more. We like being worked out by our brother a lot, so being in a place where we can send a text and go to the gym together anytime, that's something we really look forward to because (Jalen) helps us a lot with our game." Katie said all of her children were late bloomers. Jalen played junior varsity as a freshman at Fort Wayne Carroll. As a sophomore, a dedication to the weight room and a growth spurt helped Jalen become a force for the varsity team. Standing 6 foot 2 with about 30 additional pounds of muscle, Jalen, a guard by trade, found himself playing in the post. After two seasons at Carroll, in 2021, Katie became the girls' basketball coach and assistant principal at Northrop, and her children joined her. At Northrop, Jalen had the freedom to operate as a lead guard, but he never lost his post skills. "It helped me because I can post up guards, guards who may be an inch taller than me, but I'm stronger than them," Jalen said. "It gives you a different aspect of scoring. I know I can score at all three levels, but now I can post up too. "Teams aren't really used to having point guards who post up, because a lot of point guards can't really guard post ups. It also helped me guard bigger players because now I can guard from a point to 6-8. I even guarded (7-foot center) Danny Wolf when we played Michigan, so I feel I'm very versatile when it comes to guarding." Jackson scored 27 points at Michigan, introducing himself to the college basketball world. His junior season caught the eyes of larger programs, but he came to college with the reputation as a prolific scorer. Jackson was the second-leading scorer in the state his senior season at Northrop, averaging 27.6 points per game to go along with 9.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Coach Rod Chamble put Jackson in position to lead the team, and the talented guard rose to the occasion time and time again, even with teams gearing up to stop him. "(Jalen) dealt with a lot of box-and-1s, a lot of triangle-and-2s, but Jalen can handle the ball," Chamble said. "Anytime you can get somebody who can handle the ball, who has the speed and strength that he does, it's difficult because he's already coming downhill in transition. So, it's tough because he's able to go either direction — right or left — but, for Jalen, he stayed within himself. "You never really see him reaching outside of what he does well. He'll take the mid-range when it's there. He won't force it and say, 'I've got to make a 3.' It was fun to watch him play because he was so much bigger and stronger than a lot of the high school kids. He had a college body then. So, it was definitely a treat because, one thing I can say about him, he wants to win so badly. He's so competitive that it was never difficult to get him to understand that there were times where I needed you to put the ball in the hole. He did whatever it took to win games." Jackson learned how to lead a team at Northrop, but leadership is another key principle taught to him by his mother. Jalen runs a basketball camp in his hometown, volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club, speaks to kids at Northrop every Friday and works with Community Harvest Food Bank to provide food for those in need. From signing autographs to providing words of advice, Jalen takes pride in trying to uplift the people around him. "I know what it feels like to not always have everything you wanted," Jalen said. "Coming from places where you have to work for everything you've got, I never asked for anything in return. I just like helping people out and putting a smile on someone's face because you never know what they're going through. "I'm the type that if I'm cool with you, and I'm close with you, I want to see everyone around me succeed. If I can help in any way, shape or form, that's the least I can do." Jalen embraces a leadership role, and that's something Thad Matta and the Bulldogs have needed since Posh Alexander left for Dayton after the 2023-24 season. Last season, the Dawgs had a tendency to let leads slip away or go on extended scoring droughts. Butler is getting a downhill scorer and a player willing to step up and say what needs to be said when times get tough. He averages just 2.4 assists for his career, but Jackson is comfortable with the ball in his hands. He operated as a scoring guard at Purdue Fort Wayne, but he made 14 starts as a freshman at UIC playing as a true point guard. Jackson seems poised to combine with Finley Bizjack in a backcourt with two capable scorers who can also set up their teammates.
USA Today
28-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How to watch or stream Purdue Fort Wayne vs. Northwestern baseball on April 30
How to watch or stream Purdue Fort Wayne vs. Northwestern baseball on April 30 Northwestern will meet Purdue Fort Wayne in NCAA baseball action on April 30 at 4:30 p.m. ET, and we have live stream information available below. Big Ten Plus is your home to watch Big Ten college baseball this season. Purdue Fort Wayne vs. Northwestern game info Game date: April 30 April 30 Game time: 4:30 p.m. ET 4:30 p.m. ET TV channel: Big Ten Plus Big Ten Plus Live stream: Watch on Big Ten Plus Key 2025 college baseball dates NCAA Tournament selection show: Monday, May 26 at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPNU (Watch on Fubo) Monday, May 26 at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPNU (Watch on Fubo) NCAA Tournament Regionals: Friday, May 30-Sunday, June 2 Friday, May 30-Sunday, June 2 NCAA Tournament Super Regionals: Friday, June 6-Sunday, June 9 Friday, June 6-Sunday, June 9 Men's College World Series: Friday, June 13-Monday, June 23 at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha Follow Big Ten college baseball all season long on Big Ten Plus!
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Purdue Fort Wayne and Cleveland State square off in NIT
Purdue Fort Wayne and Cleveland State square off in NIT Cleveland State Vikings (26-9, 15-7 Horizon) at Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons (27-8, 20-3 Horizon) Fort Wayne, Indiana; Monday, 7 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Purdue Fort Wayne and Cleveland State meet in the National Invitation Tournament. Advertisement The Mastodons are 20-3 against Horizon opponents and 7-5 in non-conference play. Purdue Fort Wayne ranks second in the Horizon with 24.0 defensive rebounds per game led by Lauren Ross averaging 4.2. The Vikings are 15-7 against Horizon opponents. Cleveland State is seventh in the Horizon with 8.0 offensive rebounds per game led by Macey Fegan averaging 1.7. Purdue Fort Wayne averages 76.3 points, 15.6 more per game than the 60.7 Cleveland State allows. Cleveland State averages 6.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.9 more makes per game than Purdue Fort Wayne gives up. The teams play for the fourth time in conference play this season. Purdue Fort Wayne won the last meeting 83-65 on March 10. Amellia Bromenschenkel scored 23 points points to help lead the Mastodons to the victory. Advertisement TOP PERFORMERS: Ross is scoring 15.2 points per game with 5.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists for the Mastodons. Bromenschenkel is averaging 13.3 points over the past 10 games. Sara Guerreiro is averaging 10.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Vikings. Mickayla Perdue is averaging 19.9 points over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Mastodons: 7-3, averaging 74.1 points, 29.8 rebounds, 15.5 assists, 7.9 steals and 2.4 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 60.7 points per game. Vikings: 6-4, averaging 70.0 points, 34.1 rebounds, 15.0 assists, 6.0 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 44.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 62.1 points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
