Latest news with #Xavier
CTV News
5 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Regina flag football team ready to compete in third straight international competition
WATCH: A team of U15 boys from Regina are headed to Canton to represent Canada on the world stage. It's been a great year for the 15U Raiders flag football team, who've been cruising their way through the season and will soon be heading to the U.S. for an international competition. Going 7-1 in the regular season, the only game they lost - was a forfeit due to a lack of players. Players have different perspectives on how, and if they lose. 'I think our team is pretty good. So, I don't know if we'll lose,' said Xavier, a receiver with the team. 'We're probably going to lose maybe once, but it's going to happen eventually. We're ready for that, though,' Kai, a receiver and defensive back said. A lack of players won't be a concern this week, as the team travels to represent Canada on the international stage. Ten players and two coaches are heading to Ohio, the home of the pro football hall of fame, to compete against some of the top flag football teams in the world. 'Internationally, it's a different competition every single year,' said Kymani, a defensive back and safety. 'They have Puerto Rico that's a really new team and we played against teams like Mexico before.' This is the third year in row that the Raiders have had the chance to compete internationally, going to Las Vegas in 2023 and Orlando in 2024. 'Week in and week out, through practices and just through game playing, the boys have just gotten better and better,' said Mike Thomas, the Raiders' head coach. 'The group has grown up together, developing chemistry throughout the years. 'They're really dialed in and really understand what we're trying to do. So, what we've been able to focus on are just the finer points, just angles, viewpoints, releases all those things, and they've really come to accept that and grow and take in the coaching,' Their competition includes teams from all over the world, representing countries like Australia, Brazil and China. The tournament starts Thursday July 17, with the final game taking place on Sunday, July 20.
Chicago Tribune
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Connor Misch began college career at Xavier and intends to finish there. The Lake Central alum has hit it big.
Connor Misch isn't interested in the nomadic lifestyle that has taken over college sports. The 2022 Lake Central graduate arrived at Xavier three years ago with the expectation that he wasn't going anywhere else. 'With the landscape of how everything is going in college baseball, it's hard to find a guy who's been at the same program for their entire career,' he said. 'I came in here on day one, ready to buy in to what was in front of me, which was an awesome coaching staff and a great locker room — and that's led me to stay in the program for so long.' During his time at Xavier, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Misch has steadily developed into one of the top hitters in the Big East. Also a standout pitcher in high school, he was named to the all-conference first team this season after starting all 59 games at first base for the Musketeers (32-27) and hitting .332 with a team-high 65 hits and a team-high 50 RBIs. Misch was at his best during Big East games, hitting a conference-leading .448. Xavier assistant Riley Bertram said Misch's success this season is the result of his commitment to improving since he arrived on campus. 'He's earned everything he's done here,' Bertram said. 'He's one of those players that you cheer for because you know that they've been putting in the work behind the scenes, and you want them to have that success.' Misch struggled during one stretch in March, when his batting average dipped to .233 after he went hitless in seven of eight games. But conversations with second baseman Nolan Tucker, a 2019 Hanover Central graduate who was an All-Big East second-team selection after leading Xavier with a .339 batting average, helped Misch shake off that slump. 'He was playing every day, but he wasn't playing his best baseball,' Tucker said. 'We were joking around about it, but I told him that he had to stop looking at his stats because it was the worst thing for him.' Misch's batting average soared past .300 over the next month. 'Baseball is so mental, and when you're struggling — or even if you're playing well — having the weight of your batting average constantly on your mind makes the game that much harder,' Tucker said. 'Letting that go helped him have that good year.' Misch improved in just about every statistical area compared to his sophomore season, when he was named to the All-Big East second team after hitting .268 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs. At the time, he was encouraged by those numbers, given that it was his first season as an everyday player. 'That was a successful season,' Misch said. 'But I knew that I needed to do more. I needed to get on base more, I needed to hit for average more and I needed to drive in more runs. So I really focused on developing as a whole hitter and specifically just getting on base.' Misch proceeded to draw 44 walks this season, doubling his 2024 total, and his on-base percentage jumped from .382 to .485. Looking ahead to his senior year, Misch hopes to increase his home run total. He hit four this season. 'I checked a lot of boxes this year, but not that one,' he said. 'I'm trying to find the appropriate launch angle for my swing so that I can lift the ball on my pull side and hit more home runs. But it's about finding that fair trade between your home runs and your strikeouts and your batting average.' So plenty of work awaits, but Misch said he's enjoying every second he spends in the sport. 'I tell everyone that it's the best job in the world,' he said. 'It's so awesome, what we get to do. I've been able to take a look back, and I'm really proud of where I am. It's all a credit to my parents and to all of the coaches who've helped me along the way.'
Miami Herald
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Storied HBCU To Join New Athletic Conference
NEW ORLEANS-Xavier University of Louisiana, a prominent NAIA-level HBCU with a century-long history of academic and athletic excellence, announced Monday that it will become a full member of the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) effective July 1, 2026. The decision follows a unanimous vote by the SSAC Board of Presidents earlier this month, signaling a significant realignment within the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) landscape. The move marks Xavier's fourth full-time conference affiliation since the inception of its athletic programs. The university previously competed in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) from 1935 to 1960, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) from 1981 to 2021, and most recently, the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC), where it has been a member since 2021. "We are thrilled to welcome Xavier University of Louisiana as a full member of the SSAC," said Mike Hall, conference commissioner. "Their history of academic and athletic achievement strengthens our conference at every level." Hall pointed to Xavier's recent top-25 finish in the Learfield Directors' Cup standings as a testament to the HBCU's broad-based athletic success in NAIA. The Directors' Cup ranks collegiate athletic programs based on their performance across multiple sports. Xavier will not wait until 2026 to compete in the SSAC ecosystem. Three of its programs, competitive cheer, men's indoor track and field, and women's indoor track and field, will participate as affiliate members during the 2025-26 season. The SSAC, founded in 1999, comprises institutions across Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Its current members include Loyola University (New Orleans), William Carey University (Hattiesburg, Miss.), University of Mobile (Mobile, Ala.), and nine others across the Southeast. For Xavier, the move carries both strategic and historical significance. The New Orleans-based HBCU will renew conference rivalries with Loyola, Mobile, and William Carey. Three schools it frequently faced during its tenure in the GCAC, including as recently as the 2009-10 academic year. "We are excited to join the Southern States Athletic Conference," said Xavier Athletic Director Pat Kendrick. "We look forward to the high level of competition and the opportunity to reignite longstanding rivalries." Xavier President Reynold Verret echoed those sentiments, adding, "Joining the Southern States Athletic Conference affirms our commitment to excellence and expands opportunities for our scholar-athletes to thrive both in the classroom and in competition." The transition also signals the end of Xavier's five-year tenure in the RRAC. Before formally exiting, the university plans to compete for at least 12 RRAC championships during the 2025-26 season. The post Storied HBCU To Join New Athletic Conference appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
USA Today
30-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Longhorn wing featured in Way-Too-Early 2026 NBA Mock Draft
With this year's NBA Draft in the books, analysts are already making predictions for the 2026 draft. That is good news for one of the newest Longhorns. ESPN draft analysts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo released their 2026 NBA mock draft and ranked Dailyn Swain as one of the top 50 prospects who will be on the board. They currently have Swain ranked as the 36th prospect, which would make him a second-round pick. Following a solid career with Xavier, Swain followed head coach Sean Miller to Austin after playing under him for two years. If Swain can build on his success, then he could hear his name called by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver next summer. During the 2024-2025 campaign, Swain averaged 11.0 points and 5.5 points per game while making 33 starts. His best game came in the first round of the NCAA Tournament when he dropped 27 points against Illinois in an 86-73 loss. He did everything he could to extend Xavier's season with a 58.8 shooting percentage. In his final year as a Musketeer, Swain continued to improve his game. The Ohio native shot 25 percent from three-point range. That was a big jump from Swain's freshman year when he only shot 15.4 percent from beyond the arc. As he entered the portal, it was an encouraging sign for many teams in need of a scorer. If Swain were to enter the draft and be picked, he would be making history in a way. The Longhorns have not had NBA draft picks in back-to-back years since 2018-19. He could also stay at Texas and continue to improve his game before the 2027 draft. Luckily for Swain, he has over a year to make a decision. His focus at the moment is making a good first impression with the Longhorns. They open their season on Nov. 4 against Duke in the Dike Vitale Invitational. That will be his first chance to show fans why Texas made getting him a priority in the portal.
USA Today
28-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Penn State basketball welcomes veteran forward transfer
Penn State basketball has officially added a new player to the roster for the 2025-26 season. On Saturday, the school officially announced the addition of Saša Ciani, who previously played college basketball with the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) and Xavier. Ciani is coming off his sophomore season with UIC, where he played in 27 games and started 21 games. In that playing time, Ciani averaged 9.9 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game. He ranked second in the Missouri Valley Conference with his rebounds per game. As a freshman, Ciani played in 31 games for Xavier, including five starts. Prior to beginning his college basketball career, Ciani played in the ABA League in Slovenia. The Slovenia native averaged 11.1 points per game and played in the U-20 European Championships in 2022. He also appeared on the Slovenian National Team in an exhibition in the 2023 FIBA World Cup European qualifiers, where he was a teammate of Luka Dončić. 'We're excited to get Saša on campus and welcome him to our Penn State basketball family," head coach Mike Rhoades said ina. released statement. "He is a veteran that will give us front court experience, size and versatility. We're looking forward to the leadership, intense play and toughness that he will bring to our program.' Ciania will have two seasons of eligibility remaining upon his arrival in Happy Valley. Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads
